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Je Suis Gourmand: Revisited

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My favorite restaurant in the Makati area just got better :) Last January, we celebrated my son's birthday in Je Suis Gourmand ( see Aidan's Je Suis Gourmand Birthday Dinner ) and I've complained about how small the place is. Last June, the place just got bigger and I would dare to say more romantic. I'm glad that they can accommodate more people already because before you would usually need to reserve to eat here at night. They now have two private rooms for celebrating special occasions -- how I wished they renovated earlier :) This is my favorite restaurant because you can't go wrong with any of the dishes you order here. Secondly, I love places where the Chef is always in the restaurant and interacts with his guests. Lastly, it is has a cozy environment conducive for chatting with friends and co-workers. To top it off, the waiters are very friendly and parking is never a problem.

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines, Restaurants

I love the red lamp effect which adds to the overall romantic mood of the place.

Warm Duck Graton Salad with Garlic and Red Wine Vinegar Vinaigrete (P320).
This salad has a very unique taste and the duck blends very well with the vegetable and the vinegar vinaigrete.

Braised Ox Tongue with Tomato and pickled Sauce (P350).
This is one of the best sellers in the house. A lot of people would swear that this ox tongue literally melts in your mouth! It does not have that tongue after taste or that coarse texture when you bite into the ox tongue meat.

More information
Je Suis Gourmand Inc.
GF Net1 Center Bldg. Fort Bonifacio, beside Neo Spa and BPI
Parking in Mcdonalds in front of Gourmand
Tel# +632 815-8801-02

Related Posts:
Aidan's Je Suis Gourmand Birthday Dinner -- there are lots of customer testimonials in this post.

Cookbook Kitchen - a secret homey place in Mandaluyong

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I always love to find secret restaurants. The ones that are out-of-the-way quaint places and you have to find it like having a treasure map with X marking the spot. I also want to surprise my wife every time with these few secret places that's becoming rare these days. I always love it when you really have to drive and maneuover your way through the city maze not knowing exactly where the place is. My wife would start to sermon on how expensive gasoline is but I just had to satisfy my thrill of looking for these places specially if the only clue I have was "it is just along shaw boulevard." Even though we traversed the entire shaw boulevard, we cannot find Cook book kitchen and it is just a stroke of luck when we just happen to pass by the place when we are becoming desperate.

Once you arrive in the place, you would instinctive realize why it is called cookbook kitchen. The place is right in the middle of a residential community in Mandaluyong with a house turned into a cozy restaurant. It was a dream of Chef Gen Capati to open his own restaurant that serves home-cooked dishes and it came true almost one and a half years ago. Beside the restaurant, there is a home-based gym that one of the son is operating and it probably make sense to co-locate them :) The lovely couple is always there with the husband cooking the best sellers of the house and with wife, Liza, manning the cash register and entertaining the guests. We had fun chatting with Liza and I caution you not to start a conversation with her because she has so much stories to tell :)

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines

This is one of those feel good places where you enjoy very good food, nice ambiance, and nice company. It does not feel pretentious or trying-hard to be cool. You'll be greeted warmly by Liza and her staff, Christy and you'll immediately feel at home. The place is starting to get a following via word of mouth. It is not easy to go here via Shaw Blvd and it is seldom that people would go here by chance. We had a nice time eating lunch here because our son was free to roam around without us being too concerned of him being bumped around. I do hope it remains a quiet place but I'm pretty sure that once people get to discover this place, this place would be jampacked! I heard that this was featured in Us Girls on Channel 23 but I have not seen the actual episode. At least the Us Girls are starting to feature honest to goodness restaurants because usually they feature restaurants for marketing sake even if the food is not that good (I have a few restaurants to prove it!)

The place is cozy and you can count the table by your fingers. It can sit a maximum of 40 people where you can reserve this entire place for a private function of yours.

There is a cool mural painting on one side of the wall which adds to the overall homey ambiance of the place. " The large mural depicts a colorful Parisienne night scene where diners meet and experience the flavors of local cuisine similar to what Cookbook Kitchen would like to convey. " (from the cookbook kitchen letter)

Home made cream of squash soup (P80) which is a light version and not the usual thick based soup. I like the way the sour cream overpowers the taste of the squash.

Parmesan Crusted White Fish (P 230). Rich, Succulent, and baked! This is THE best seller of the house and my wife and I agrees :) The tender fish is coated with parmesan and Kraft mayonnaise with a blend of italian herbs baked in olive oil. Yummy! This is definitely good for two and we find ourselves scooping the last piece of sauce remaining on the plate. The only downside is, you have to break your diet for this one. As with any homemade goodness, sometimes you prioritize superior taste over the consideration of fattening ingredients.

Pork Steak with Honey Mustard Sauce (P220). Grilled Pork Steak in light soy with rosemary and spices served with honey mustard sauce. The meat is tender and has been marinated pretty well. I think the secret in this dish is the honey mustard sauce.

Kittin's Scarlet Cake (P120). This is a specially made red cake (you cannot find anywhere) by Chef Christine "Kitting" Constantino - Zenarosa. She is a culinary management graduate of the Daytona Beach College and of the Culinary Institute of America with a 2-year stint in an LA restaurant. Frankly, nothing special, and all I can remember is the sweet calorie-filled icing that dominates the rest of the cake and its price.

All prices in the menu does not include a 10% service charge and the 12% VAT. Click here for the Menu (large version). Actually, I just realized that this was expensive and we ended up paying P400/ head. If you don't order any starters or dessert, you would still end up with P300/ head. I think there is something in the food that would make you forget how expensive it is :)

Gen and Eliza Capati, owners of Cookbook Kitchen. Let me know what you think about cookbook kitchen. It seems that not a lot of people have been to this place and it is just starting to be discovered by some foodies.

Cookbook Kitchen
8 Socorro Fernandez St., corner Luna Mencias St. (near Shaw Blvd),
Mandaluyong City
Tel. +632 724 3595
Mobile: +63 916-2765257

Directions: If you are coming from Shaw from the Edsa end, you have to turn right on Torres St along Shaw Blvd before reaching 9 de Febrero. Turn left in Araullo treat and left again immediately in the Socorro Fernandez st. If you are coming from Greenhills, It is a lot easier since you just need to pass P. Guevarra st. in Wilson towards Shaw Blvd along the Luna Mencias st. Turn left to Socorro Fernandez st and you will not miss it.

Other Hole-In-The-Wall Restaurants:

Som's Noodle House - cheap authentic version of SukhoThai

Latasia Fusion - Vegetarian Food that is making a difference!

Chocolate Kiss Cafe - The Good Stuff?

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Gamberi Pasta (P210)

We were planning to eat healthy food last night, and we were looking for this literally hole-in-the-wall vegetarian restaurant called Latasia Fusion in UP. It is a small carinderia place but there was no parking near it to our disappointment. We did not want to risk to park in the dark specially with the heavy rains so we just decided to drive along Magsaysay blvd to visit the famous Chocolate Kiss Cafe of Bahay ng Alumni in UP. It was our first time there and we were excited to finally get a chance to taste "the good stuff" that it was famous for. The Bahay ng Alumni reminds me of my college days (in another university) and the ambiance of solid straight line structures with tall pillars in the facade of the building. Since Chocolate kiss is hidden at the second floor of the building, we were doubtful at first whether it is open or was it the right place. The ground floor appeared deserted after what appears to be a wedding event that was just finished.

The food was indeed good and we all agreed that the Gamberi Pasta was a sure winner. The small sauteed hot shrimps with large garlic and green chili slices with lemon juice is a must eat dish here in Chocolate Kiss cafe (CKC). The servings are generous and is good for 2. It is a very good value considering that the P210 is a net price already with no hidden additional charges of VAT or service charge. We were also surprised how big the place is inside because you only see a small restaurant in the second floor from the door. On saturdays, you get live piano music to add an overall romantic ambiance of the place which it is famous for. Also, we were happily surprised that they gave my 18 month old son a free chocolate chip cookie which the mom enjoyed eating because her reasoning was chocolates are not yet for toddlers especially near bedtime :)

The only thing that bothered me is the staff, particularly the manager. I would normally start to talk to the one in charge of the place and get his / her recommendations which is usually a lot better than talking to the waiters. To my disappointment and shock, as I was talking to her she told me, "Maybe you should ask the waiter so that we will know if they are trained very well" and then immediately looking the other way. This reminded me of the snobbish treatment one would receive in Fat Michael's. To top it off they have this paranoia about people taking photographs. She said that they were traumatized by a young group of people who took pictures and wrote a whole page bulletin write-up criticizing Chocolate Kiss Cafe. So this cafe is the first No-Photography-Allowed Cafe in my one and a half years of blogging experience and hopefully the last! I still managed to take some photos of CKC's good stuff but I guess this makes it as my first paparazzi photos.

Just one piece of unsolicited advice, the good stuff should be complimented by a good staff !

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines

Chicken a la Kiev (P205). Roulade of tender chicken breast filled with cream cheese, butter and herbs. I loved this chicken cordon bleu version specially the cheese and herbs filling. For the record, my wife finds it ordinary but my friend maong and I absolutely loved it :)

Grilled Tender Pork Spareribs (P175) with hickory sauce, buttered corn kernels, and rice. The meat is tender and you can taste how it was grilled to perfection. Also, the meat was marinated very well and you can taste the hickory sauce consistently throughout the meat. Indeed, the good stuff :)

Chocolate Kiss Suite (P55). This is a 3 piece sampler of their cakes. We tasted the following three combinations:
1). Devils food cake. Deep rich chocolate cake with choco fudge filling and marshmallow frosting.
2). Kahlua Butter Cake. Full flavored coffee liquer mocha butter cake with kahlua fudge and coffee butter icing.
3). Prune Cake. Prunes in an extra moist butter cake with prune butter icing.

f You also have an option to change it to Carrot Cake or Dayap Chiffon cake. I would not dare comment on the cakes.... Have you tasted Chocolate Kiss Cafe's cakes?

Chocolate Kiss Cafe,
1st/ 2nd Floor, Ang Bahay ng Alumni
Magsaysay st. UP Diliman.
With music on mondays, wednesdays and saturdays.

For more info, check out their website: thechocolatekiss.com

Piazza Serendra -- I can't Wait!

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I await with great anticipation for the opening of Piazza at Serendra. I've been driving along Market Market these past couple of days waiting to see a glimpse of this great place soon to open in the heart of Serendra. I can still remember the excitement of people when The FORT opened in the middle of vast empty land space and it was THE place to be. At that time, it feels good to say "Lets go to the FORT" to your friends who does not have a clue where it is. The opening of Piazza at Serendra will have the same excitement and feeling specially with a few signature stores opening including the Chef Miguels @ Mezzaluna. Also, can you still remember the long line when Go Nuts Do Nuts opened their first branch in the FORT? Sonja's Cupcakes may be the next dessert craze and hopefully will have the same effect. At last, the FORT would have an alternative dessert place other than Cafe Breton, UCC or crepes and cream.

I'm really not connected with Piazza at Serendra, and most of my knowledge about this place is through word of mouth. I've seen a few names like Gaudi, and Zhongnanhai opening here within the year. The opening was delayed in August. A few more weeks, and I'm dying to check this place out. Would you know of any cool restaurant opening here in Piazza at Serendra?

Related Post:

Shopwise Manila Now Open!! Not your usual supermarket :)

[Mall of Asia 02] A Virtual Tour of the Grand Opening of the Mall of Asia

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines

Plagiarism is the highest form of flattery? Website Jacking is Not!

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Original article:
Our Awesome Planet: The Perfect "Dampa" in Seaside Macapagal Blvd! (Dec. 23, 2005)

Plagiarized article:
Foodfor2.com: Dampa at Macapagal Ave - Shylin Tating Restaurant (April 19, 2006)

Have you been plagiarized before? How did you deal with it?

UPDATE 8/22/06 --- Finally the guy revised all the posts already! Even just an apology would do but I guess he is scared. I'm glad he also changed the plagiarized Lori's posts and starting to come clean. The google DMCA complaint did it :)

April 28, 2006 Update: I wrote the website owner about the plagiarized article as advised by Lorelle in her posts What Do You Do When Someone Steals Your Content. Thanks to Nina of for this great article and suggestion!
_________________________________________________________
Carlos Lim (mybuysell1111@yahoo.com),

This is to advise you that you are using copyrighted and protected
material on your website/blog. Your illegal use of "Dampa at Macapagal
Ave - Shylin Tating Restaurant" article at foodfor2.com dated April
19, 2006 is originally from my blog called "The Perfect "Dampa" in
Seaside Macapagal Blvd!" at anton.blogs.com dated Dec.23, 2005. This
is original content and I am the author and copyright holder. Use of
copyright protected material without permission is illegal under
copyright laws.

Please take one or more of the following actions immediately:

1. Re-write the post to include excerpts with a link to the original content.
2. Credit the material specifically to me, as author, and my website
anton.blogs.com.
3. Remove the plagiarized material immediately.

I expect a response within 5 days to this issue. Thank you for your
immediate action on this matter.
--
Anton
Our Awesome Planet
http://anton.blogs.com/

_________________________________________________________

The Battle of the Gasoline Cakes

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Caltex Chocolate Cake aka Celine's Bakeshop Choco Midnight Fudge

VS.

Shell Chocolate Cake aka Ms. Polly's Specialty Cakes and Desserts Chocolate Cake

Sometimes I would come home late from the office and my wife will be disappointed. I always make sure that I have chocolates as pasalubong to appease her heart and tummy --- and usually it works. One day, we had a lovers quarrel and she said that no amount of chocolate in the whole world can fix our misunderstanding. I told myself that this is the perfect time to try out the chocolate cakes of Caltex in Buendia/ Pasong Tamo and Shell Magallanes, which a lot of people are raving about. These gasoline cakes passed with flying colors because both of them are equally very good and my wife was happy :) !

If you would ask me which one is better, I would have a hard time answering. We even tasted the chocolate cakes side by side but still it was a close call. But of course, only one can win the Battle of the Gasoline Cakes!

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines

Round 1: Packaging/ Overall Presentation


The Caltex Cake is packaged in a simple box with a matte gold cover. When you see the cake in the circle opening there is a yin yang feel to it. There is no branding on the box. This zen-inspired packaging is very attractive on the shelves of Caltex Starmart.

On the other hand, the Shell Cake is packaged in a brown box with a carton feel. The shiny icing of the chocolate cake peaks out of the box and entices you to eat the cake. There is a Ms. Polly's Specialty Cakes branding with logo and a Reason to Believe (RTB) sticker highlighting the recognition the cake received as one of the Outstanding Dessert by Food Magazine last June 2005. This chocolate cake is also part of dessertcomesfirst's 10 Best Desserts in Manila. It was nice that the contact number and baked date are indicated in the box.

The verdict: Shell Cake packaging wins this round because it is very informative and it assures you that the cake is baked fresh. The overall marketing elements entices you to grab the cake right out of the bottom of the shelves in Shell Select.

Round 2: Inside Appeal


You pay P340 for the whole Caltex cake and a slice would costs you P45 pesos. You won't get excited with the traditional appearance of the cake and it doesn't help that the fudge icing is not appealing.

You pay P360 for the whole Shell cake and a square slice would costs you P26 pesos. The shiny icing is very tempting and invites you to indulge in its chocolate goodness. Its moist icing presentation is very inviting.

The Verdict. The Shell cake wins again because of its shiny and moist chocolate icing !

Round 3: Chocolate Moment of Truth

The Caltex choco midnight fudge cake has a heavy and sticky sponge cake. The fudge icing is very sweet with a dense consistency. You tend to get full easily after eating just one slice. The strength of this cake is in its sweet fudge icing.

The Shell Polly's cake, on the other hand, has a light "airy" sponge cake. After eating one square slice, you would crave for one more and one more then another. The moist icing has the right amount of sweetness but I would prefer the fudge icing of Caltex cake instead. The strength of this cake is in the taste of its sponge cake.

Verdict: This was a close call since both are equally good and both passed my wife's taste buds. It is a matter of preference and I like Shell Polly's cake.

The Winner by Unanimous Decision!

Ms. Polly's Specialty Cakes and Desserts
Tel no. +632 824 7612.

Have you tasted both of them? Which one would you prefer -- The Caltex Chocolate Cake or the Shell Chocolate Cake?

More Desserts For You:

Chocolat Cakes -- Best Chocolate Dessert Place in Mall of Asia!

Sonja's Cupcakes--- Creating the Cupcake Craze in the Philippines?

Best Chocolate Ganache in Manila! ?

a 6 Underground Party

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I must admit that I'm too old for drinking all night at a bar. I was down all weekend and the suspect may be because of that nasty hangover. After drinking 4+ glasses of red wine, 1 tanqueray cocktail, and 4++ bottles of red horse last friday night, I realized that my body can only take so much alcohol abuse in one night. The celebration was all about Romi Garduce's treat to his colleagues which he decided to celebrate at the 6 Underground Bar along C. Palanca in Makati.

The crowd normally arrives around 10ish (as they would say these days) once the front act band starts. So if you want to have the place all to yourself then i suggest that you be there before 10pm. Once the clock strikes 10, the program starts it with two groups of amateur band, working their ass off for free. In exchange, 6UG gives them jam time to showcase their talents. If you are into pinoy rock, then you might enjoy the music. As for me, I find it too loud and felt too old for these kind of stuff :) But I had to hear the music of Mayonnaise band who sang "Jopay". They started to show their stuff by midnight. It was a Red horse night which means most of the bands are sponsored by Red horse. However, only Red horse beers are served at a buy one take one promo for that night.

Even though loud rock music is not my cup of tea, I still had fun listening to them with the company of my officemates. However, I learned my lesson that night on my body's limit in drinking alcohol. This is one of the reason I don't really blog about bars in the metro even though I wanted to include Embassy, Temple Bar and others. Thanks to Romi for the treat last Friday. Check out some images of 6UG...

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines

6 underground bar interiors.

Mayonnaise band playing.

Graffiti inspired walls

Guitarist playing

Billiards inside where we spent the rest of the night playing under the influence of Red horse beer.


another view of the bar

Romi and friends....


His Colleagues


6 Underground
C. Palanca St., Makati City
Call Rommel @ +63 917 8589849

Pinoy Big Blogger: Online Food Critics

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We were having lunch in Filos last Saturday and while waiting for the food, I make it a point to check out the free city guides available in the restaurant. I got a copy of 24/7 July edition with Tim Yap as the main cover and with Pinoy Big Blogger as one of the headlines. Since the topic is about blogging, I immediately got curious and I thought it would feature the bloggers that covered Pinoy Big Brother. Here is the description of the featured article:

" Pinoy Big Blogger: Gastronomic adventures (and then some) in the Philippine Blogosphere. Gone are the days of the undercover food critic and their covert gastronomic missions. Thanks to the advent of online journals and weblogs (popularly known as "blogs"), just about any amateur reviewer can dish out their unabashed opinions for ... uh... public consumption. We handpicked a few hot blogs you can browse through before dining out. Welcome to the mouthwatering world of Filipino food bloggers! "

We were pleasantly surprised to get handpicked by 24/7 staff as one of the hot blogs around together with my favorite bloggers wysgal (rants and raves), lori (dessertcomesfirst.blogspot.com) and marketman (marketmanila.com). There is also a chat transcript interview with wysgal. Thanks Janine Dario and staff for including us in the list! It is truly an honor to be featured by mag 24/7 which is recommended by the 9th edition of the latest Lonely Planet as Manila's best city guide!!

By the way, Happy 3rd Year anniversary to the staff of mag 24/7 in Aug!! Here is the directory of restaurants and bars where you can get a copy of 24/7 for free. If you run out of copies, I have a few since I hoarded them to share with family and friends :) I'm happy since this is the first time I got mentioned in any printed media.

On Being Discovered:

Anton's Awesome Planet -- BLOG-O-RAMAed :)

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines

a Cabalen Food Trip: An Open Invitation to a Culinary Tour of Pampanga

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I've always wanted to explore Pampanga but my search for a culinary tour always ended in a disappointment. So the next best thing, is to do your own tour of Pampanga with a foodie person who knows the best authentic and original foodie places in Pampanga. Thanks to Spanx who will be the official culinary tour guide of Pampanga! Here is a draft itinerary and feel free to add any inputs/ suggestions:

• leave manila at 8am or meet at 9.30am in Shell NLEX
• brunch at VFW in Clark
• drop by Antoinette's AFC (Angeles Fried Chicken) for take out
• pass by "Crunchy Sisig" at the secret pulutan joint
• Halo Halo stop at Razon's
• Mely's Sisig for early dinner
• Main Store of Pampanga's Best
• arrive manila at 9pm estimate

By the way this is the first time I will be meeting Spanx in person. I'm also excited to meet Ajay in person with her foodie friends who will be joining us too. I'm inviting all foodie people out there to join us. If you have a whole saturday afternoon to spare, and you want to pig out with us, let me know. We are estimating that all the food could costs P1,000-P1,500 including take home and pasalubong. Of course, this is a KKB culinary tour so pay as you order depending on what you want so you could manage your budget. Transportation will also be up to you so better bring a group of friends too and we will have a culinary tour convoy.

Lastly, maybe some of you would also have suggestions on places to visit in Pampanga. I'm particularly interested on foodie places and photogenic places that we can pass by in between the food stops. Please leave your suggestions in the comments. By the way, this is a food trip purely for the fun of it so expect that there will be awesome moments as well as misadventures :)

Cabalen Food Trip: August 12, 2006, Saturday. Mark this date! Join us and I'm sure it would be fun to meet other foodie people out there. If you are joining let me know your name and how many are you in your group. Please also send me your mobile phone for proper coordination before and during the meet.

PS Angel julie -- you might want to join us so that we can finally meet.

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines, Restaurants

My Rice Table @ Mall of Asia

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12 dishes
4 people
490++ pesos
My Rice Table!

"The Rice Table concept was introduced hundreds of years ago when the dutch first visited the spice islands of Indonesia and asked to sample each dish one at a time. So impressed were the Dutch with this unparalleled gustatory experience that they began the tradition of rijstafel or 'Rice Table'. " -- excerpt from the Soft Menu of Rice Table

The rice table concept is very simple and cheap. It is also based on the insight that Filipinos love to try out small portions of dishes. When we eat out with my family, we make it a point to order different dishes and share the food with everybody so that we can have a wide assortment of taste. This patikim habit is also the reason why most of us get fat because visually you are eating small portions but you wouldn't know that you have eaten a lot already. I love Asian food and Rice Table is for those people who wants a light dinner before that IMAX movie. All the dishes are served on top of a stainless table with a matching votive candles below to heat it up. I like the food and it is very affordable but the different dishes got mixed reactions. What I like about it is that you can exchange some of the dishes included in the rice table with the other menu items. We particularly excluded Koffee Babi (Pork Ribs with Coffee Sauce), and Daging Rendang (Spicy Beef Stew).

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines, Restaurants

The rice table has interesting ambiance and I would assume this is an Indonesian inspired interiors.

The rice table starts with Sotong Ayam chicken soup which tasted like tinola soup with lots of ginger. I like it :) Then, the following dishes were served and I'll try to describe them with short phrases below:

Sambal Krupuk (Prawn Crackers with Sambal) -- Interesting Twist

Pandan Ayam ( Pandan Chicken) -- All bones

Sayur Lodeh (Sweet Light Vegetable Curry) - Yummy curry

Cucumber Salad - Just the right amount of sweetness

Kangkong Belachan (Spicy Garlic Kangkong) -- ordinary kangkong

Ikan Dilis (Fried Sweet Anchovies and Peanuts) -- Mother's choice!

Otah Udang (Shrimp Cakes grilled in Banana Leaves) - what shrimps?

Tahu Telor (Crispy Tofu Omellete) - Omellette is not the right word to describe this


Sate Ayam (Chicken Barbeque) -- puede na...

Grilled Ginger Squid -- forgettable taste.

Fried Fish in Tamarind Sauce -- healthier option but lacking in taste

Nasi Goreng (Indonesia Fried Rice) -- very good although not sure if the taste is authentic

Rice Table is located besides Bed Scene in south wing of Entertainment Mall facing Manila Bay.

More Restaurants @ MoA:

Highland's Steakhouse finally in Mall of Asia!

Gumbo's Seafood Jambalaya -- From Ahh to Ayy

[Mall of Asia 05] KKK -- OK! Taste Asia @ MOA- Best Kept Secret in Mall of Asia

[Dear Awesome Planet #4] Out-of-town Recommendations and "Not to Miss" Restaurants

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Hi!

Thanks to your blog, I have some idea where to go during my family's visit to Manila this end of July specially the restaurants. Anyway, I thought I'd check with you (because I know you have vast knowledge on this...).

I will be visiting Manila with my family (wife and 11 y/o son) end of July. Do you have a recommendation for an out-of-town weekend (maybe 2-3 nights) outside Manila but w/in driving distance to get some fresh air, good food and to relax? Hope you can give me some suggestions?

Also, if time permits, any recommendations for an island resort outside Manila? Any recommendations for restaurants "not to miss" while in Manila? Looking forward to your recommendations.

Thanks. Gaio G.

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines

Hi Gaio,

I hope you don't mind me sharing the answer with the rest of my readers. Also I've put in links so that you can read more information about the places I have blogged already:

Out-of-town weekend (2-3 nights),
one nice thing about the tropical island of the Philippines is that beaches are just 2-3 hours driving distance away from the city. Here are my favorites and recommendation:

1. Tagaytay and Calatagan/Nasugbu, Batangas. The nice thing about Calatagan or Nasugbu side of Batangas, aside from the beaches is that the halfway point is Tagaytay! There are a lot of itinerary choices to choose from. In Calatagan/ Nasugbu Batangas, the best places are exclusive so look for a relative who would have memberships/ access to either Tali Beach, Club Punta Fuego, or Playa Calatagan. If you don't have any, my suggestion is to go to Golden Sunset Resort. In tagaytay, there are a lot of options already and my favorite includes Antonio's (main), Cliffhouse restaurants, and Sonya's garden.

2. San Juan Batangas Beaches. The hottest resorts in this side of Batangas continues to be La Luz, and recently opened Virgin Beach. You can also try Laiya Cocogrove but it is getting mixed reviews.

3. Subic! Zoobic! -- If you want to experience a US style traffic system, decent beaches, duty free outlets and the best animal zoo in Manila, then Subic
is the place to be.

If you want an island getaway, then I would suggest these three places:
1. Puerto Galera Beach Resorts
2. Putipot island, Zambales. (I've never been here but I'm hearing raves about this place)
3. Corregidor Island -- a beach getaway with historical education.

"Not to miss" Restaurants.
These are so far the best restaurants in the Philippines for me and it never fails to amaze people :)

1. Antonio's in Tagaytay- Nothing beats an Antonio's Dinner @ Tagaytay!
2. Je Sui Gourmand, Fort Bonifacio - Aidan's Je Suis Gourmand Birthday Dinner
3. Ugu Bigyan, in Tiaong Quezon - [Viaje del Sol Series.6] Sumptuous Lunch @ Ugu Bigyan! and Quezon Culinary Series 10: Ugu Bigyan's Secret Pottery Garden

I do hope these information helps you in your awesome vacation here in the Philippines.

Gumbo's Seafood Jambalaya -- From Ahh to Ayy

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Grande Seafood Jambalaya (P425) To Share

You would always hear the chefs in the open kitchen of the Gumbo, shout "Ahh. Seafood Jambalaya" as they serve their "star" dish to their customers. Gumbo is the newest themed restaurant revolving around the concept of "A Taste of New Orleans", their first branch. This less than a month old place in the Mall of Asia is a sister company of Burgo's Restaurant so this is not a multinational chain but proudly Filipino owned company. You can see the servers wearing the multi-colored beads necklaces, inspired by the women collecting these beads during the New Orlean's Mardi Gras. Bag Hag actually enjoyed her visit to this place in her posts "Salcedo Market + TRESORMAKATI update" but unfortunately, we had a different experience.

Actually the "Ahh. Seafood Jambalaya" turned into "Ayy, Seafood Jambalaya pala". I always hate it when the photos in the menus are dishonest and typical of any marketing hype. We were fooled by the menu on how good the Grande Seafood Jambalaya looks like and was disappointed by the presentation when it was served to us. We were expecting the our jambalaya would be full of shrimps, squid and mussels like it was in the menu but to our dismay the paella rice was all over the dish! The supposedly toppings were hidden somewhere down there. Excitement turned to disappointment but to be fair and of course, we already ordered it, we digged in. I did not really enjoy the paella-type cooking because there was no consistency in taste throughout the journey with our Jambalaya -- some portions were too tasty with spices, while some were bland. I guess Lori is right that we should give restaurants a good 2-3 months in operation before judging them for the quality of food they serve. So I will pause for now for my rants about Gumbo and I do hope that my readers who have a different experience with Gumbo (please post them in the comments). The last thing I wanted to do is post negative comments on my blog about restaurants. The reason I still posted Gumbo is that the interiors were lovely and the place is a very promising alternative to Fridays or Burgoo's. Maybe we will just have our little amnesia phase about our experience with this place and check this out after some time, maybe after we finish off the MOA restaurants.

Technorati Tags: Mall of Asia, Manila, Philippines, Restaurants

There was a free appetizer promo which is a spinach artichoke dip but it was also a disappointment. But I guess I cannot complain anymore since it is free. The garlic bread tasted homemade but with poor quality of bread. The Artichoke dip does not have consistency and tasted like unwanted calories.

The interiors are lovely and we were seated in a cozy French Quarters section with this view of the main dining area. We hate to go but when we were disappointed with the two dishes we tasted, we decided to go to Rice Table (I'll cover this in the next post) instead.

The servers are very nice and the facade is very inviting and tempting. It actually stands out among the restaurant row facing Manila Bay. It is located in between Pink Peppers and Grappas, in the north side of Mall of Asia. You won't miss this in the second floor and this is a perfect place to eat before watching IMAX :)

I'll give this a try again after 2-3 months and we will see before we give final judgement. Let me know what you think about Gumbo in the Mall of Asia.

More Restaurants @ MoA:

Highland's Steakhouse finally in Mall of Asia!

My Rice Table @ Mall of Asia

[Mall of Asia 05] KKK -- OK!

Taste Asia @ MOA- Best Kept Secret in Mall of Asia

Chocolat Cakes -- Best Chocolate Dessert Place in Mall of Asia!

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Classic Deep Dark Chocolate Cakes (P43/ slice)

I've always wondered what Lori meant with this description of a chocolate cake in her post " 5 of the best chocolate cakes in Manila " :

"For me, a chocolate cake has to have structure – it shouldn’t be one big fudgy brownie slathered in icing. The cake should have “bite,” and a consistent crumb. The cake should be moist, an indication that it was mixed well, baked properly, and most importantly, not a week old. I’m not fond of eating cakes that are so dry it feels like my throat is being scrubbed with every swallow. Lastly, a good chocolate cake should have enough icing: ganache, marshmallow frosting, 7-minute icing, or simply the instant stuff from a can – whatever it may be, there should be enough of it. A cake that lacks icing is like eating kare-kare without bagoong or peanut butter without bread. Sure, it tastes good enough, but why settle for good enough? "

Finally I was able to taste the moist Chocolat cake that Lori is taking about ! I'm glad that Chocolat opened up a store in Mall of Asia and you should look out for this place when you are craving for that perfect chocolate cake dessert to finish your meal. Their place is actually hidden behind a huge pillar in the North parking towers.

This is one of those places that can impress your date in Mall Of Asia. This would give an impression that you are in-the-know about the best places to eat specially dessert. I teased my wife last friday that I know the perfect dessert place in Mall of Asia and she thought that I was just fooling around. She kept on guessing until we arrived at the place and finally ate the best Chocolate cake she ever tasted. Chocolates are always a winner with women so let's just hope that she is not reading this post too :)

Technorati Tags: Mall of Asia, Philippines, Restaurants

It was surprising also that their only piece of advertising poster was a printout of Lori's description in her posts "5 of the best chocolate cakes in Manila"

Chocolate Cakes from Chocolat (from dessertcomesfirst.blogspot.com)
This little store in Quezon City is perhaps the best-kept secret of hard-core chocoholics. Called Chocolat: the Chocolate Baker’s Store, it’s a tiny place that sells a mishmash of baking equipment and surprisingly, wines too. There appears to be no order to the clutter here, which gives the place a somewhat homey feel that I like.

All is forgotten however, once I laid my eyes on the two chillers displaying the chocolate cakes. Obviously the star of the store, these are simple cakes, wet in their chocolate magnificence and enrobed in glistening fudge frosting. There are four kinds available, each differentiated by various sprinklings (chocolate chips, nuts, etc.): Classic, Kahlua, Irish, and Bailey’s. You can buy the cakes in slices, six-inch and nine-inch rounds (P250-P360).

When I visited Chocolat, a woman was sitting at the lone table in the room generously icing individual cake slices, an enormous pot of ganache sitting beside her. So deep and inviting was this ganache that I had to physically restrain myself from dipping my finger into the pot while the girl’s back was turned.

Despite the cakes’ alcoholic names, the alcohol is barely detectable, so have no worries about feeding these chocolate delights to children or non-drinkers like me. Frankly, it’s difficult to imagine a more honestly rendered chocolate cake.

Lori is now the defacto authority for the best desserts in the Philippines. I'm happy for her for setting that level of credibility and standard for other bloggers to emulate.

Bailey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake (P45/ Slice)

I love Bailey's and putting it in a chocolate cake is a formula for diet amnesia. You can barely taste the alcohol but you can taste the bailey's flavor once you take a bite with your chocolate slice. Although, my wife and I agreed that the classic one is still the best because of its simplicity in its chocolatey taste.

We also tried the spanish hot chocolate but it was a disappointment because of the lack of consistency in the chocolate. I can safely say that this is not part of their core competency :)

Chocolat has lovely interiors with a library bookshelf as a backdrop on the right side and a large rectangular mirror on top of a long leather covered seats on the left side. The place is small so I could imagine this place to be full of people hanging out on weekend nights after a hearty meal of what MOA food stores offer. I keep on reminding readers of my blog that the best time to go to Mall of Asia is during the weekdays specially on friday nights. But then, to those who live or work far away from MOA, you have no choice but to join the crowd on a weekend.

If you are not familiar with mall of asia, let me try to help you. Chocolat is located beside the elevator entrance in the north parking near the intersection of North Wing st. and Pacifica st.. For a bigger picture of the map, click here.

Other Dessert Place @ MoA:

Sebastian's Ice Cream @ Shepherd's Staff, Mall of Asia

Best Halo Halo in Town -- Razon's of Guagua, Pampanga!

More Desserts For You:

The Battle of the Gasoline Cakes

Sonja's Cupcakes--- Creating the Cupcake Craze in the Philippines?

Best Chocolate Ganache in Manila! ?

Kublai's Rock is Back!

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"Kublai's Rock on Jupiter St. was the place to be in the late 80's." according to Christine of ramblings from a gypsy soul. Unfortunately, I wouldn't know and the name does not ring any bell. I started hitting the bars in the 90's already during my college years. As with anything that is 80's, this legendary place is making a comeback and hopefully for good after 20 years. ( Can somebody share what makes this Kublai Rock a legend during its time?)

What interests me in this place is the all-you-can-eat Mongolian Buffet that my wife and I have been craving for the past years after our favorite mongolian restaurant along Mile Long closed down, no other restaurant here in manila have been able to fulfill this craving. I'm sure some of you would remember that simple Mongolian restaurant (they even have 2 stores at that same location), the favorite hangout of almost everybody before watching a Louie's movie (the first THX movie house in the Philippines) in Milelong, Makati. So ever since Christine posted "The Return of a Legend: Kublai's Rock",  we were looking for the first opportunity to eat in Kublai's Rock and finally we satisfied our hunger for Mongolian last Sunday night.

The good thing about Mongolian is that the food is as good as how well you would mix and match the ingredients. So for me, I had the best Mongolian buffet that I have ever tasted in years :) Although, I think we ate too much and we were so excited that we finished 3.5 bowls. I was not disappointed with the assortment of meat, seafood and vegetable ingredient, including my favorite fish ball, mushroom, and tofu. They also have a free potato soup that comes with the buffet that just tasted like too much arina. We were hoping instead of soup, that they would include a dessert -- that sago coconut milk dessert which gives closure and a satisfying experience after eating a lot of mongolian bowls. For P365 / person (including VAT and service charge), I do hope they include a dessert because we just felt that it was expensive for a Mongolian buffet. If I can remember correctly, we would only pay P100+ then for the mongolian buffet with dessert and I can't imagine that it would be 3x more. But I guess you go here to experience the Legend of Kublai's Rock...

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines, Restaurants

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines, Restaurants

      
This was part of the original Kublai's Rock concept, black placemats telling the story of the famous Asian emperor:

" Kublai Khan, grandson of the great Genghis Khan, & first cousin of Rod Stewart, was the undisputed master of Mongolia, Lord of all the people dwelling in felt tents, and Chief of the Hells Angels of California.

Kublai completed the conquest of China after attacking the Sung Dynasty in South China around the late 1200's. He then founded the Yuan Dynasty, and the Beach Boys Fan Club of Mongolia, and established the Mongol Capital at Canbaluc, the site of present day Peking, near the house of Bruce the Boss.

As a leader, Kublai Khan courted Madonna & Cindy Lauper and had a reputation of being tolerant to his people. He permitted the existence of various religions and enlisted the services of Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Taoists and the original Flower Power sect. He accepted Confusianism and Chinese political ideas, and was an avid fan of Mick Jagger. He avoided having too many Chinese in high government offices as well as records and posters of Dolly Parton.

The Mongols, under Kublai's rule were ruthless warriors, especially when they watched exciting rock operas, but lacked experience in administration. So they relied upon foreign people to look after the affairs of their empire, as well as to teach them how to play synthesizers and electronic drums. This eased reliance on Chinese administration.

The Mongol officials even went to the extent of temporarily suspending the Chinese civil system, to have their version of the Woodstock rock festival and to allow foreigners to assume government positions. However, a corrupt and incompetent admnistration resulted in a cancellation of the Beatles' tour and dissatisfaction toward the Mongols.

When Kublai died in his empire broke up into several parts which resulted in the Birth of the Disco epidemic. A revolution in China in the 1300's became the fall of Kubali's Yuan Dynasty & his Beach Boys Fan Club. This restored Chinese rule in the form of the Ming Dynasty.

For 200 years, the Khans ruled Asia. In 1986 Kubali's came to Jupiter, now 20 years later returns to Earth, and Rock and Roll is here to stay at Kublai's Rock."

It was hilarious and it provided entertainment as I wait for my dish with tag #33 to be cooked and served to me. Sometimes, you would wonder what is going on in the mind of the writer (or what is he drinking) when he wrote this.

   
Ah, my mongolian dish. It was perfect as I fantasized it to be -- hot, spicy, sweet, with lots of slices of fish balls and squid.  If not for my high uric acid, I would have put a layer of chopped peanuts on top of it which would give that crunchy texture and nutty taste.

The ingredients were placed in sosy white dishes with a play on different shapes and height on top of a back lit counter top.  It was actually a great display concept and they were able to creatively put all the ingredients in a table with limited space.

   
And then the confusing choices of seasonings that overwhelms you at first. I was looking for a kodigo, which would help me with the sweet, spicy combination that I like. I tried to access my long term memory of how many spoonfuls should I add to create the right spicy sweet taste. I would just go for the tried and tested combination of Oyster Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Sweet Chili, with lots of Garlic :)  At some point, my wife and I would have a contest of the best tasting Mongolian and every time that I would mix my own ingredient, somehow, I would like my wife's concoction better than mine.  (Any favorite combination that you would recommend?)

 
Of course, rice is an important part of the mix and you should be careful not to put too much rice because for some reason, it multiplies when it is cooked. Here is a photo of the entire mongolian display. Only thing here is that during peak hours, expect a somehow long queue.  By the way, they are still in the soft launch phase so as always patience would be very appreciated.

The place felt like a bar with the chunky furniture, heavy leather square seats, and the black interiors and walls.  I hesitated to go in with my kid expecting that it might be smoking area inside with the bar crowd. Surprisingly, I saw families with their toddlers eating there, after all, it was a sunday night and it means it is still a family day. I heard that the place really turns into a bar hangout place late at night specially last night during the world cup champhionship.  We went there past 7pm so it was still a wholesome place to eat with your family and friends.

My overall assessment...  Can we please have that cool mini sago with coconut milk dessert back to complete the mongolian buffet?

Kublai's Rock in Magallanes.
Telephone Number: +632 851 6086

Restos Within Makati Area:

Som's Noodle House - cheap authentic version of SukhoThai

Amici de Don Bosco -- Home-Cooked Italian Food that you'll love!

Sango -- The Japanese Burger Master!

Sunday Brunch Bday Celebration @ Lumiere

Taste Asia @ MOA- Best Kept Secret in Mall of Asia

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Where can you eat authentic tasty Cebu Lechon, yummy Pampanga Sisig, sweet, smelly Durian and juicy Suha of Davao, fresh seafood from Roxas City complete with a "Dampa" cooking service concept all in one place? The secret is out, Taste Asia is voted as my best restaurant in the Mall of Asia. Whoever conceptualized this place is a genius and really knows the Filipino taste in food at an affordable price! Most of the dishes will play around P100-P200 price range and expect to pay P300/ head at the maximum if you avail of the cooking service.

What I liked about Taste Asia: the seafood was deliciously fresh not like the ones at the Seafood Dampas along Macapagal Blvd. Also, Taste Asia was able to achieve a one-stop shop for authentic, affordable Filipino favorites where Tiendesitas failed and nowhere close to how good the food was in Taste Asia. It is not only where you can find "The True Taste of Pinoys" but you can also explore the other Asian cuisine all in one place. All your cravings for asian dishes will be satisfied :) If you are a healthy eater, fret no more because fresh fruits and salads are available for your indulgence. You can also specify the way you want your seafoods are cooked, similar to the dampas. One thing amiss was the limited choices of vegetable dishes and limited display of fresh vegetables. At night, there are bands playing similar to the boardwalk along Roxas Blvd.

The entire place is al fresco, and it is definitely not ideal to eat here in the afternoon or during summer unless you missed having your summer tan just don't forget your suntan lotion. Best time to eat here is during weeknights because Mall of Asia is lovely during the weekdays since it is not too crowded.

Technorati Tags: Mall of Asia, Manila, Philippines

1. My Taste Asia Favorites

Fresh Seafood cooked the way you like it :) I would say that the seafood is fresher than the Seafood Dampa along Macapagal Blvd. I do hope it consistently remains the same.

I'm sure there are other places where you can get the Cebu Lechon but I'm glad I can have it here all in one place. Cebu Lechon is famous for the way they cook the pig where the meat is tasty in itself and you don't need additional sauces or sarsa to complete the taste.

Pampanga's Sisig is the best for me whether it would be Aling Lucing's or other's. The Pampanga way of cooking makes sisig ingredients taste like meat and it has that soft texture instead of the usual crunchy version.

Nothing beats getting the fresh fruits and salads in living a healthy lifestyle. The fruits display is similar with the fruits you would see in Davao. I was also expecting that they have a

2. Fresh Seafood Paluto

Station 5 -- Asian Fusion, this is just besides the fresh seafood display. This is where we asked our seafood to be cooked and we were not disappointed. Only thing is the cooking charge is P100 per kilo gram so you better avoid anything with shells since it would be heavier.

Fresh Salmon

Yummy Shrimps

For lobster lovers...

Wow Fresh Frogs!

Crabs cooked the way you like it...

Baked Oyster is available to satisfy your cravings.

Here are the different stations where you can have your food cooked. For a bigger version click here.

3. Lasang Filipino


There are a lot of Filipino Stations aside from the Asian Fusion. Tito Rey's Sinigang is also worth mentioning and we ordered Kilawing Puso ng Saging as our vegetable dish and it became my instant favorite. I have not tried the Sinigang here but the Asian Fusion Sinigang na Salmon sa Miso was equally good.

A Filipino experience won't be complete without Barbeque and Java Rice similar to Aristrocrat

Bacolod's famous Inasal Chicken cooking...

Dizon's Fruit Shake and Fruit Ala-Mode.

Special Chinese Lumpia and Batangas Bibingka.

Japanese Sweet Corn

Fresh Salads.

Suha and Durian from Davao

Fresh Fruit Juice at P49/ bottle.

Even though they have a buy 5 take 1 promo (P60/bottle), this still does not compare with the happy hour promo of Pier 1 or Aruba which would sell san might light at P30-P35 per bottle from 5pm-8pm.

4. Truly a Taste of Asia
Here are the different asian cuisines also available in Taste Asia but not as popular as the Filipino dishes.

Japanese Stall

Chinese Stall

Thai Stall

Korean Stall

Indian Stall

Taste Asia is located in the North Side of Mall of Asia beside SM Hypermarket. You can opt to Park in the North Parking tower or the parking beside IMAX side. See complete gallery of Taste Asia. The second taste asia outlet will open in SM Ortigas besides Tiendesitas.

Related Posts:

The Perfect "Dampa" in Seaside Macapagal Blvd!

More Restaurants @ MoA:

Highland's Steakhouse finally in Mall of Asia!

Gumbo's Seafood Jambalaya -- From Ahh to Ayy

[Mall of Asia 05] KKK -- OK!

Pacquiao Larios Fight -- Pinoys beating Mexican Boxers 4-0!

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At around 11.15am, July 2, Sunday Manila Time, we saw the people's champ Manny Pacquiao entered the ring with the Philippine Flag waving proudly in the air in front of an almost sold-out (80%) Araneta Coliseum. We were seated in Upper B and we were able to get in the front row seas of that section to still get a clear view of the boxers in the ring (see photo above). I did not imagine that Araneta will be filled by such crowd given how expensive the ticket was. I did not imagine that all our Pinoy boxers will defeat their opponents all in unanimous decision by the judges. I did not imagine how good Pacquiao was and how he masterfully defeated a taller and longer reach boxer in the person of Oscar "Chololo" Larios.

This was my first time to watch a Boxing Match. I was expecting that I get bored so I brought a book with me to read. But I was wrong, the matches were so exciting that I felt that it was my national duty to cheer for our pinoy boxers. I expected the shows to be late, but it started exactly at 8am for the first undercard match between Amonsot vs. Ortiz and Pacquiao vs. Larios fight started exactly at 11am. I was just expecting to have a date with my father and hoping that he would have a great time. It turned out that this was the most exciting live show that I watched and all the people in the crowd are proud to be a Filipino. Ever since this day, I renewed my reverence to the Philippine Flag and I always make it a point to sing proudly our National Anthem "Lupang Hinirang". I can still remember that feeling of "Yes, I am proud to be a Filipino" when Bituin Escalante sang our Philippine anthem with a solid reverberating voice that never faltered up to the last note.

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines

I can still remember clearly in my mind, how the short and bulky Penalosa defeated the tall and skinny Rojas. This was amidst the cheering of "Gerry, Gerry, Gerry" from the crowd to the tune of the "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry" chant in the Springer show. Only Gerry was given that honor to have his name chanted aside from Manny. Everyone loved the Gerry fight and we are hoping that he would have a chance again to win a championship before he retires. The fight lasted for exactly one hour for a 10-rounder fight. The Amonsot vs. Ortiz match was forgettable even though the blonde colored hair pinoy won in the match by unanimous decision. All I can remember is the sexy round girl in 2 piece pink bikini with the long curly hair who struts her way teasingly around the 4 sides of the ring. While the last undercard match between Jimrex Jaca and Marquez was stopped in the 7th round, I just thought that Jimrex should have researched his opponent more and have a better strategy to beat him. Marquez is like a charging bull with always his head charging ahead of his punches which eventually caused the accidental headbutt that stopped the match.

Manny came in with a serious fighter look and I was expecting him to be cocky, but no he was there to really show the Filipinos how good he is in boxing. He came to the ring in red boxing gloves with white shorts covered with Motolite battery logo in his butt and a prominent Mcdonalds logo among many logos which made his shorts like a walking billboard. The first two rounds were a thrill to watch with Manny clearly beating Larios. There were a lot of moments when the crowd thought that Manny landed a good combination which would bring Larios down to the canvas. But the fight showed that Larios was a tough boxer despite falling down twice, with the first one kneeling in front of Manny and the second one during the 12th round falling on his back. The only critical moment was during the start of the third round when Manny was complacently confident as he approached Larios, who surprised him with good combinations that landed to Manny's face. Larios followed up until Manny was stucked with his back against the ropes and you can hear the cry of the crowd "Manny iilag mo kami", as if every Larios punch was felt by the crowd. I'm glad that this happened early such that Manny did not underestimate Larios anymore until the end of the fight.

In the end, all the Pinoys emerged victorious with Manny winning over Larios in a unanimous decision after an hour of intense boxing. You can clearly see how mature at the same time exciting, Manny's boxing match was versus the other pinoy boxers. I can't believe that I just watched world class boxing in my home country with all the world class pinoy boxers beating the mexican boxers with 4-0 scorecard ! This made the outrageously expensive upper B ticket, all worth it. Aside from the fact that the telecast show was delayed for 2 hours because of the sponsored commercials, watching Manny fight and win in front of your eyes is more than enough to make you forget how much the ticket was. Although, all of us in the crowd was hoping for a knockdown in any of the matches, that did not happen and kudos to the Mexican boxers for a great fight.

Congratulations Manny Pacquiao, Jimrex Jaca, Gerry Penalosa, and Caesar Amonsot for beating your mexican opponents and for making us Filipinos proud!!

Related Posts:
Pacquiao Larios Fight Ticket Prices -- Outrageous!