bad service sums it up

Another night out, another opportunity to try something new. Again, struggling to find a new place to hang out and eat. We asked Imelda for some suggestions. She handed a pretty good advice; a place I have seen on my friend’s facebook account. ANOVA. Just like our other night outs, we were as excited as before. Funny though, we were not able to find it right away despite the clear instructions given to us. It was quite unnoticeable, without a bigger and clearer sign that may shout its name. For me, just a typical dinner place; or have the normal ambiance should I say. We were entertained by their menu; it was cleverly written, with catchy phrases that describe each dish. One point for the menu!

My friends ordered spicy chicken wings and roadhouse porkchop. I cannot remember what I originally ordered at that time, but for sure it is something different. My friend’s orders came together with the free iced tea. We waited for awhile, thinking that my order may take a longer time to prepare. We waited patiently. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. We are quite annoyed since it’s already late and we haven’t had our dinner yet. My friends cannot start their meals since I will be left alone. Finally I asked them for my order. To my surprise, when I asked them regarding my concern, one of their staff told me, “Ah, kaya pala di pa nakain!”. We were very disappointed with that. We have been waiting there for quite some time to know that we have been anticipating nothing! Minus one point! They apologized for what has happened. I accepted it but I’m still annoyed at that time. So they took my order again and to my surprise, the dish that I want was not available. Minus one point, again! I want to just leave them and eat somewhere else; it’s just that my friends already have their orders. So, with the little patience I have, I just also ordered spicy chicken wings. Arrgghh!


When all our orders have been served, we indulged immediately to feed our hungry tummies (what a way of describing how we ate!). I was expecting some kind of intense heat from what I have ordered. But to my dismay, I was not able to feel any heat or any uplifting sensation from their spicy chicken wings. Minus one point! We were taught in our class that the name and description that you should put in the menu should reflect the real characteristics of the dish. Regarding my experience? No comment.


After that supposedly fulfilling dinner, another incident made us more upset. It was past 9:00 PM and they don’t have smaller bills to pay for our change. Should I deduct another point?


The serving size was good, the food is not quite, but the service is not. I was more distressed than fulfilled that night. Should I recommend it? I don’t know. My friend seemed to enjoy his experience there. Maybe it is just a bad night for us or maybe that’s just how they do it.



ANOVA
Grove, Los Baños, Laguna

a dare for cinnamon scare!

Maybe due to its smell, my mother really doesn’t like cinnamon. Even a sight of some one cooking it would truly turn her off. That’s why one Friday night, I bought some cinnamon rolls as, supposedly, a pasalubong for her. What happened? Guess what….

I was struck with a love bug the first time I tasted cinnamon roll. At first I was hesitant; I might not like it, it may taste awful. But boom! First bite, love it! Second, better! Truly, love at first bite. =) I’m quite particular with the bakery where I buy it, though, since I had tasted some made by a different bakeshop. Unfortunately, I was not satisfied; not the feeling I felt when I tasted Parduch’s cinnamon roll. We also tried making one in my previous laboratory class for my major subject. Again, luck didn’t smile on us; had an ingredient problem = not a satisfying product.

I became an addict for a while. I always make sure that I will have even just one, at least for a day. It was easy since Parduch is located just in front of our dormitory (when I was still staying there). Just a few steps down the stairs and across the street, viola, an instant relief to a hungry stomach and tired mind! That’s why when we moved to an apartment, way far from Parduch, my addiction was cut short. Sad. Months have passed and I haven’t noticed that it has been a year since I last tasted my beloved bread.

But cinnamon roll was not the only cinnamon dish I loved. I had the opportunity to taste another product made with cinnamon at the Edsa Shangri-La Manila Hotel a year ago. It was Apple Strudel, a European pastry made with apples and cinnamon. As we all know, apples and cinnamon are best of friends; they really go well together. Again, an instant hit for me. I can’t help but voicing out how good it was whenever I take in a bite. But since it was a rare event, that was the first and last (as for the moment) time I tasted it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I really do hope that I’ll find a place that offers the said product.

Going back to the cinnamon roll, I was able to pass through the street again where Parduch is located. And as expected, we were reunited. It was still the same, very rich and sweet. I had loved it all over again.

What happened to my mother? I forced her to have some; even a small piece. I was able to force her but sorry to say, I was not able to convince and persuade her. Maybe it is really just her preference. But we don’t know…maybe….

PARDUCH

Canteen and Bakery

F.O. Santos Street, Los Baños, Laguna

Pad Thai at Baan Thai

Rhea and I were left by our two other housemates one night due to other commitments and asked us to just dine outside. As a result, we were left to think were to eat (and as we all know, deciding were to eat is just a hard decision to make!). So, we were walking down the "never dry, forever muddy" road of demarses while thinking and arguing what are the other restos that we haven't tried yet. We were also considering our budgets at that time since it is a Thursday, and we have to save up for our fares for the next day! While arguing, we passed Baan Thai, a small resto offering Thai foods. I grabbed Rhea and said, "Baan Thai tayo!". She smiled and immediately approved my suggestion. She also said that, "Mura lang naman diyan, nakakain na din kasi kami diyan ni Ecka.".

Thinking we will to spend less than Php 100, we looked at their menu presented to us. Surprisingly, none of the food items that they were offering will suit our, supposedly, tight demand. I just smiled at Rhea and just looked seriously at their menu. I want to get out of the situation where were in by just leaving the place and proposing alibis, but Ate who offered the menu didn't left us and just stand beside me. So unfortunately, we have no choice but to order something. We asked Ate to describe some particular dishes since we are familiar with those. Finally, we placed our orders. We decided to both have a noodle dish since its a bit cheap than the rice dishes. Rhea ordered "Radna" while I had "Pad Thai". I actually asked Rhea to have the same order as mine, but she wanted to try something else and argued that its also an opportunity for us also to taste two different dishes. We both ordered iced tea as our beverage.

When the order came, we asked Kuya if we can eat at the small hut located on the right side. It is such a nice and romantic part of the place but a sign was present there saying that a group of 6-8 customers will only be allowed. But to our surprise, Kuya allowed the two of us to have our dinner there, maybe because there were no other customers present at that time.

I was very eager to taste what I have ordered so finally, after taking some pictures, we had the taste of Pad Thai and Radna. Pad Thai is a noodle dish with mungbean sprouts, leeks, and peanut, with a little sauce. The serving was a bit overwhelming. It is a bit sour but I really liked the crunchiness of the peanut. Radna, on the other hand, has a flat, bigger, and brown noodles, topped with cabbage, carrots, and chayote (basically, the vegetables that you will see on chopseuy). Just like the Pad Thai, it's serving is overwhelming. It is also a bit sour, and the noodles were not that cooked. It's a bit tough and starchy as well.

Finishing half of what we have ordered, Rhea and I were already full. We texted our other housemates to come and help us as well with our dilemma! They came, and had the taste. They do like it but the agreed that its "nakakaumay". We were not able to finish all of it, but we tried. It is too many and we cannot really take in much.

I enjoyed my first Baan Thai experience though we spent quite a lot. But again, it was a great opportunity to try and taste something new. I will definitely visit Baan Thai again to try their other dishes, cause I've heard that Thai rice really tastes good.

So, indulge, and Koh hai cha-roen ar-harn!


BAAN THAI
Authentic Thai Cuisine
Demarses Subdivision, Los Banos, Laguna

maja-high ka!

Finally! After months of craving, nakapagluto din ng inaasam kong maja blanca!

September 12. Saturday. 01:00 pm. I started doing it. I carefully studied the procedures I got from the net, which is quite vague, since they offer hundreds of different recipes! Then I realized, I don't have any measuring device. Patay! So with the power vested upon me, I haphazardly put all the ingredients together without, of course, measuring it (which I'm sure will make my professors' eyebrows raise! *sorry ma'am!*). "Bahala na, bahala na!" that's what I said to myself. So following my gut feeling, I mixed the cornstarch and sugar first (which based on the recipe, should be of equal amounts!), then 'some' water. Then I put the coconut cream, evaporated milk, sweet corn (canned), and the cornstarch mixture in a small pot. I cooked it slowly under low fire (another chamba!) with continuous mixing to avoid lumps (wow! learned from cooking shows!). When the mixture was cooked, or when it is already thick but flowing, I placed it in a container (microwavable?!?!) that was lightly greased. I topped some latik and chilled it in the fridge.

I'll upload a better picture next time :D

Night came, after dinner, we finally tried my "haphazardly done maja blanca". To my surprise, they liked it though its a bit sweeter than the usual. The fulfillment that it has given me made my day. I'll definitely try it again, maybe using the right measuring equipment! But for now, I'll just enjoy what I did. Besides, it taste good! Better than expected, and definitely made me 'high'! :D

So, try my maja, para ma-high ka din!

*I would like to thank Papa for making the latik! Thanks Pa! :D*

turning japanese

I have always been interested with how Japanese foods taste like. That's why I was really thrilled when I first tried "Maki". Crab meat inside sticky rice topped with mayo and dipped soy sauce. It looks looks very appetizing and light. But for some reason, I didn't become an instant fan of it. I do like its taste, but maybe not its texture.

In elbi, there's a stall that offers Japanese foods located at the LB Square. Its good for people who want to try Japanese foods at an affordable price. I tried their "Tempuradon" once; tempura served with rice and sauce. It tastes good but the serving was so big, I was not able to consume all of it!

My good friend haven't tried any Japanese food that's why I promised her that I'll treat her maki someday. So after our hospital duty, we made a short visit at Karate Kid in SM Sta. Rosa and tried their "Sashi Maki", tuna sashimi and California maki. I had a hard time though choosing how many to order (cause there's a 4-item and 8-item meal). But since I'm on a tight budget I just ordered the 4-item meal, 2 each of California maki and tuna sashimi. I'm really excited and eager to try sashimi since it was my first time to taste such.

I tried the sashimi first. It looks nice, looks very fresh. It's taste? Pretty much like tuna. It's just that, it's quite tough and hard to chew (I don't know if its applies to all!). The "lansa" of the fish is still there, though it is not offensive. It was a nice but absurd experience. I didn't like it, but I'm glad, at least I tried. It's just not my type to eat something like that, especially that my tongue is a "native Filipino". It's is really an acquired taste, and maybe it do take time for us to obtain and eventually love a new flavor. As for me, I am not planning to try it in the near future. But if sooner or later it will be offered again to me, I will not hesitate to try it, again!

PS: My friend didn't like it. In fact, she really likes to vomit. I just let her buy an ice cream :D

Karate Kid
SM Sta. Rosa, Tagapo, Sta. Rosa, Laguna

a taste of Daddy's best

A friend told us once bout this new place beside the college coop, or simply "coop" for the elbi locals. She's satisfied, it's obvious; in fact she really wanted us to try it out. So when the time and chance finally came, we braced ourselves for another food trip!

After a symposium we attended (that we watched for the incentive :D), my good friend and I tried this new snack place called "Daddy's best", beside Coop, where the former CPYS Copy Center is located. Since the space is quite large, half of the place is occupied by a new photocopy center (why? I don't know too..).

I looked at their menu and thought that seafood spaghetti would be great for my starving tummy. But unfortunately, it was not available at that time. Sad though, I still tried one of their products, their cranberry pancakes. They're offering three kinds, plain, blueberry, and this. The good thing about this is that, it was served hot, cause I thought they're just going to put cranberries on top of the displayed one. I don't know but maybe they just reheated it or what. It tastes good, fluffy and sweet. Since a serving contains 3 pancakes, it a little bit heavy for a mid-morning snack. But if you're really hungry and you're craving for something sweet, I bet you'll like this one. :D

My friend had a taste of their Meaty Spaghetti. It's also good, more on the sweet side though; the way we Filipinos like it. It's just light, and the serving is reasonable for its price. Its not full of meat though, unlike what its name suggests. I guess they just created that name to differentiate it with the seafood. But overall, its really good. Other foods that they offer are brownies and other sweet confections. Haven't tried any of those, but it's on my plans. The prices of their food ranges from Php 25-40, but this was just based on what is displayed. The prices of their other specialties were not listed so I can't give any info about that. :D

After a few weeks, we visited again the place to try what I'm craving for; their seafood spag. But for the reason which I really don't know, it is not available again. I got disappointed with that especially I enjoyed by first food trip with them. But who knows? Maybe on my next visit, they'll finally serve me one.

So, for the elbi people who need some quick fix to their hungry tummies, I can recommend this place. Go ahead and try it out! Chow!

Daddy's Best
College Cooperative, UPLB, Los Banos, Laguna

the most difficult question...ever!

Ecka: San tayo kakain?
Jill: San nga ba?
Rhea: Pwede bang mag-isip muna tayo ng kakainan bago tayo umalis?
Sheena: O, eh, san na nga ba tayo kakain?

A normal scenario. Typical lines heard not only from us, but from several UPLB students. Hindi ko din talaga alam kung bakit napakahirap ng tanong na yan. Mas mahirap pa yan sa mga tanong sa exam ng Math or Chem. :D

There are a LOT of choices to choose from kung san ba talaga masarap kumain around UPLB. I've tried some of them (of course!), and mahirap talagang mag decide, lalo na kung katulad mo ko na gusto ata eh makainan lahat. Hindi ko din kasi trip na kumain na lang forever sa iisang kainan. As much as possible, gusto kong matry yung foods na inoofer ng iba't-ibang food estabs. Para na rin siguro maging mas familiar ako with different tastes. (Saka para maging "sophisticated yung tongue ko"..quoted! joke :D)

Pero if you're going to ask me, marami naman talagang masarap na kainan na pwedeng puntahan around yupi elbi. May ilan din talaga na masarap na, mura pa. Jackpot talaga kapag maganda din yung service. Pero may ilan na, medyo maiinis ka kasi di na nga nasatisfy ang taste buds mo, di ka pa natuwa sa service. I guess it's just normal; wala din naman kasing perfect na foodservice. Lahat naman halos may flaws. And just imagine kung perfect silang lahat, mas mahirap lalong sagutin ang tanong na "saan ba tayo kakain?"!

I can recommend some that we've tried para naman somehow eh makatulong din. Of course, satisfaction is very subjective, thus, it will all depend on you. I'll try my best to highlight both the good and the bad points para naman maging fair din sa kanila. Naks! So expect a lot of blog entries na related sa foods around elbi. :D

"Eh san na nga tayo kakain?". It is indeed a hard question. Siguro, habang dumadami nang dumadami ang mga pagpipilian, lalong magiging mahirap sagutin yang tanong na yan. Pero for a person like me, it's an opportunity. And for all we know, masaya din namang talagang mag food trip. Kaya enjoy lang. Lakad lang ng lakad. Along the way mamemeet mo din ang tamang pagkain na destined para sa'yo!

Chow!

Credits: my beloved and gorgeous housemates namely, ecka, sheena, and rhea. Love you girls :D