Another Parvati Cheesecake

I never thought Cebu Pacific's delayed antics would ever get to me, but maybe it's the awful November heat so today, I wasn't very forgiving. Spiteful perhaps, having seen a shoeprint on my checked-in backpack. Come on, my backpack is probably the lightest item that ever rode the conveyor belt, what could possibly be the reason for kicking or stepping on it? It's pure black, so don't tell me it resembles a soccer ball, a weighing scale or even someone's face. Cebu Pacific, you owe me laundry!

Oh, and add the chirpy cabbie who just had to pretend to be a human taxi meter with an inaccurate sense of distance, and I wonder, "Since when did Wednesday the 9th become the new Friday the 13th?"

I needed cheesecake.

I ran to Parvati and bought whatever I saw first. It was a wee slice priced at P140, but the Triple Decker Chocolate Cheesecake by Kusina Torre seemed to calm the raging storm and I suppose that ought to do the trick.

The decks include: fudge brownie - cheesecake - butterscotch brownie.

The fudge brownie and cheesecake were all right - what you'd typically expect from their "traditional" flavor. The layers weren't extraordinarily spectacular but are great enough to be comfort food variety. The brownie though is compact but not dry, which makes a perfect partner for tea.

The bottom brownie seems like a repetition of the fudge brownie, but this one was topped with something nutty-butterscotch. At first glance, I thought it was oats (like revel bars) so I instantly shoved a giant mouthful, but had to cry out when I detected nuts. Not really a "nut" fan, the cheesecake could do without this nutty layer, but I suppose for those looking for a sweet crunchy center, this ought to do it. (I scraped out mine, sorry!)

This lengthy critiquing has got to end, since I did finish the cheesecake in one sitting. It's really filling, so good thing someone decided to invent caffeine-free green tea or I'll be up all night blogging about Cebu Pacific.

And I'm not even a travel blogger. Yet.  LazyBlackBackpackCat.wordpress - no way! Too lazy for that.

Bon Chon Fish Tacos

That's right. For those of you who consider Chicken Bon Chon to be well, a chicken place, that is partly true. Spotting the Chap Chae poster at the entrance of the Promenade branch piqued my curiosity, but I wasn't in the mood for noodles then.

What did catch my attention was the Fish Taco that retails at P75. Ah yes, I haven't had a decent fish taco in months, so it was time to refresh my taste buds, and that meant devouring at least 1 taco. Reading on, I realized the value of thoroughly scanning the menu and not just deciding spontaneously based on the best looking photos, as I found exactly what I was craving for: Fish Taco Meal (2 fish tacos + drink for P150). Perfect.

At first glance, you can already assess the overall appeal of the fist taco. Here's what I thought: If you're not a cabbage person (good thing I am), you will hate the taco.

Seriously, the taco is composed mainly of cabbage shreds with a light mayo dressing. The cabbage feast was mildly enjoyable, and underneath all these baby shreds, a chunky dory marinated in the same flavor as the original Bon Chon Chicken. Allow me to re-christen it as the Bon Chon Fish - really soft, tender, tangy and a fantastic breather from the nest of cabbage that surrounded it. Pescatorians will finally get the chance to enjoy the taste of Bon Chon in this excellent seafood selection. The only downside: the pita wrapper. It was hard, toasted and definitely a challenge to masticate. And, my fork broke! That's the type of fight it put up against me, trying not to be eaten. In retaliation, I tore it with my fingers and ate the tacos partly with my hands - very out-of-character!

In the midst of this wrapper struggle, a big mess was made. Hence, no photos of that fabulous fish fillet. As an apology, here's the regular Bon Chon Chicken leg. Imagine it without the bones - same coating and color but soft, white fish steaming from within. Yum, huh?

Next time, my self-made Fish Taco + Chap Chae super combo!

Thai Will Be Done (@Oody's)

Thai food is best described as vibrant, diversely flavored and patron-choosy—which is why I’ve never been too fond of it, being one of the patrons forced to face its spite. The spicy part, I can endure, but the liberal flavor of fish sauce and peanuts has not been too friendly to my salt-averse sense of taste. The Legaspi Market’s Pad Thai though, drastically improved my assessment on this dish and presented an opportunity of, possibly, craving Thai food in the future.

And crave I did.

 Oody’s Greenbelt was a mindless choice, logistically advantageous and appealing to the Makati walkers. That, and for some odd reason, my peers did not consider Banana Leaf an option. Pity—and so Oody’s it was!

 

My quest for Pad Thai was thwarted though, by the flaunting photo of the Pad Siew. Less pallid, fortified with greens and devoid of peanuts—it seemed to reach out to me, and so I ditched the Pad Thai fancy. It was a choice not to regret. Pad Siew literally means “fried with soy sauce” and its rice noodles were chewy yet tender, just the way I imagined them for weeks. The chunks of chicken and scrambled egg were generously incorporated in the dish and not placed as a measly siding. While a bit on the oily side—what can you expect from stir fried noodles?—I suspect a cup of tea would assuage the risk of a shortened lifespan. Nonetheless, the tea never emerged, but rather, a hefty crepe with ice cream. I suppose there’s always room for dessert.

The Pad Thai and Noodle Soup with Chicken were not mine to begin with, but let me provide snippets of the comments from my equally hungry and opinionated mates:

Soup:

“I suppose it’s okay.”

“I’m only eating soup because I have gastro-something. I sure hope it’s not spicy!”

“I’m paying this much for this soup? Hmmm.”

When asked for comparisons, “Of course Pho Hoa serves much better soup. This doesn’t even come close.”

Pad Thai:

“Wow, that’s a lot! But your Pad Siew looks way better!”

“You can have some of my Pad Thai, you know.” To which I nearly screamed, “No, thank you!”

I rest my case.

 ON THE SIDE

House appetizers – The spicy peanuts and fried wanton made lovely centerpieces and to our delight, were rather tasty. “Refillable” was another key to securing our economical enjoyment. As for hygiene, well that’s another story.

Service – Undertaking the challenge to serve us water in small, decorative glasses, Oody’s waiters nearly regret their insensible decision. While tall glasses graced other tables (I wonder why), they opted to serve us, human camels and giant gulpers, the beakers amongst their dishes. Concession was made by leaving a pitcher instead, but that was after about 3 rounds of “Water, please. Your free peanuts are choking us!”

Promenade Picks: BonChon Chicken and Happy Lemon

After years of non-existence in my mental malling destination, Greenhills Promenade finally makes a grand entrance with the opening BonChon Chicken at its ground floor foodcourt-ish section. Alongside Singaporean and noodle stores and with Happy Lemon manning the revolving doors, it’s Asian food bliss.

Despite the lengthy queue and the spiteful stares of the standing crowd—hoping to grab a table in the foodcourt’s limited seating capacity—BonChon Chicken’s debut finally draws in people by the hordes. For once, we don’t have to force ourselves on Mexicali, Pepper Steak or Hizon’s. Hurrah for the chicken homecoming!

BonChon Chicken, with its twice fried chicken and special sauce, has been hailed the Best Chicken in America. The Chicken Chops are tender, sweet and mildly crisp. The batter is chewy and compact, making the 4-chop serving very filling. Pair it with fries for a zesty sidekick. With the fares a bit (okay, greatly) on the oily side, there’s a reason why Happy Lemon is just around the corner.

As expected, only Happy Lemon can match the queuing length and time at BonChon Chicken. With the in-line May-I-Get-Your-Order personnel and the vibrating flying saucers, you might think that efficiency is finally brewing at Happy Lemon, but not really. Compared to our previous visits, the Green Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese has dwindled in taste (the tea concentration, more specifically) and the Crispy Cocoa Matcha with Brown Jelly  and additional Aloe had too much ice and NO cocoa and aloe. Checking the receipt—Hey, I paid P10 for that! I want my aloe!

Hopefully, this lackluster experience will not be the service norm. Coming up with nicknames is my specialty and I’ve already brainstormed the following: Zero Intensi-TEA, Where art thou, my Aloe?, Matcha Misery, and of course, the apt no-brainer: Unhappy Lemon.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bread Monster?

Not me. I’m actually rather fond of it, and I bet you would too, if you give it a pet, errr… taste.

First spotted in the Ateneo de Manila University cafeteria, Bread Monster roared into existence as a school-based kiosk that specializes in cookies, cupcakes and pastries. Famous for its Blue Eagle Brownies and other thematic goodies, Bread Monster has clawed its way to the mainstream trade, finally showering its treats outside the Eagles’ lair.

A mainstay stall at the TriNoma Ground Floor (near Mercury Drugstore), Bread Monster offers the same set of sweet treats, sans the penchant for blue. Bestseller S’mores Cookies (P130 per pack) dishes out everyone’s favorite in a chewy cookie form, made more gooey with its marshmallow infused batter. Other cookies in the fare are just as luscious and chewy—from chocolate chip cookies to the traditional oatmeal cookies.

Not to be outdone, the Chocolate Cupcake is just as divine—not the best way to describe a monster but taste it and lash out words such as heavenly, blissful and indulgent. The chocolate cupcakes are moist and rich but without the excessive sweetness that would make you reach out for your toothbrush. It may not be leviathan in size, but it’s monstrously packed with chocolate goodness; even just one can take you straight to Cloud Nine.

Last but not the least are the best tasting bars the Bread Monster has hatched for our snacking revelry. Seek no more, Bread Monster’s Revel Bars (P160 for 8 pieces) are guaranteed to unleash our predatory instincts, no matter how hidden they stay, no matter what diet you think you’ve pledged yourself to. Rich in chocolate and oats with its delicate sweet base, each bite is sure to bring you to a delectable high. Watch one box sink into a mouthful abyss. Heat it up and pair with ice cream and get that dessert kick. Unlike other commercial revel bars that crumble even before they’re halfway near your mouth, this is one monster you’d want into keep in your pantry, fridge and bedside.

Don’t be afraid of the Bread Monster. It’s cheap, conveniently located and bellowing with baked goodness.

And best of all, it’s wicked!

Don’t Chicken out on Peri-Peri (Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken)

It’s charcoal-grilled, purportedly trimmed of fat and bursting with Portuguese spicy love—that’s Peri-peri Charcoal Chicken in a nutshell, so to speak.

Lured to this place out of pure hunger, the SM Annex branch was conveniently situated, when my languor finally gave in and proposed a healthier alternative to adjacent Wendy’s. Chicken lovers can rejoice with the menu filled with chicken dishes from salads, entrees, wraps, sandwiches, pasta and of course, the Filipino staple, platters and combo meals.

 The Platters (A, B, C) seem to be making it big, eliminating the need to decide on a 3-course meal, being budget friendly and as a bonus, offering the P49 beverage and soup-all-you-want. With tables basically littered with messy soup bowls, espresso and tea cups, the Platter + P49 Beverage-Soup-Special seems to be the popular family choice. Despite the average soup concoction and less-than-sweet juice, it's still quite the deal, as testified by the filled up tables and endlessly clanking soup bowls.

 

Platter C (P175) includes chicken, Caesar salad and Bolognese spaghetti. The Chicken is of course, seamlessly grilled, being the main core offering and pride of the place. Mildly yet still entertainingly spicy, the chicken is tender and soft and goes well as an entrée, sandwich center or topping. The Bolognese, on the other hand, appeared rather anemic and seemed to spoil the chicken’s dashing entrance. Good thing the salad made up for this climactic arrival.

The Chicken Salad (P265 to share) came in a large platter with 2 side dressings: ranch and barbecue sauce. The menu description boasts of a salad with a Mexican twist, complete with tortilla chips, jicama, tomatoes and that zesty zing. The serving is good enough for two, but don’t plan on making it your only meal. The tortilla chips were near absent and the ranch dressing resembled more of a mayo magic condiment rather than the creamy sour cream that would go well with barbecue sauce. Going solo with the barbecue sauce though, the salad becomes a sweet and spicy affair topped with enough grilled chicken to fill that meat craving.

 

The Chicken Rappa (P145) is an excellent choice for those who prefer a lighter meal. Pita wrappers are usually a central complaint because of their poor quality/heating, but Peri-Peri’s whole wheat pita is properly cooked yet still soft and chewy. The wrap is packed with thinly sliced lettuce and chicken and slathered with ranch—a little on the bland side. Served on the side are French Fries so thick and spiced up, the name Peri-Peri would never go to shame in terms of fill and spiciness level.

Peri-peri Charcoal Chicken manages to grill its poultry to its spicy perfection, while managing to court the wallets of its thrifty patrons. While some portions could appear so-so to the hungry and gourmet seekers, it’s fast, festive and well, frugally appealing.

If you come across this place, don’t chicken out! After all, it’s just Peri-peri chicken!