ping ping native lechon

one time when we were going to pampanga, we went through a different road and passed by la loma. this is the lechon capital of metro manila. although lechon is available everywhere, this is where you will find the biggest lechon restaurants in manila.

ping ping lechon is open for decades now and it is only now that i got to go in their restaurant. outside, you'll see whole lechons in a big display area. inside, a typical old carinderia (canteen) is still maintained by the chinese owners.

they already serve other dishes to complement their roast pig. we ordered pansit with the lechon. quality of the roast is still good. skin is crackling crisp. meat is juicy and tender. this is made possible by roasting the pig on a slow fire for several hours.

served with the lechon is a liver sauce. the sauce is made up of roasted liver, chopped finely, and made into a thick peppered stew mildly sweetened to suit the traditional filipino taste...which i never liked. i prefer dipping the lechon in vinegar, soy and chili to spice it up.



ping ping lechon and restaurant

la loma street, manila

+632-740-2111, +632-740-2175

ziggurat: a different food experience

ziggurat is a restaurant hidden behind the busy streets of makati avenue and p. burgos. it is situated on the quiet area of the makati's red light district. you can dine there cozily with friends without the tiring noise you usually hear on bars and joints.

ambiance is very middle eastern. you sit on square pillows on a low lying table. persian carpets cover the floor.

since the place is in the red light district, you'll see foreigners with babes as a common customer.


food is good. you have a number of options ranging on arabian, mediterranean, african, indian and egyptian. samplers are available for the adventurous group.

we tried some and we were not disappointed. they serve a really interesting mix of food very new to a pinoy's taste.

i can't seem to remember the exact names of the dishes as they are really new to me. but the owner knows what he's serving.

from top to bottom: spiced ube (purple yam) boiled and mashed. fresh garlic and olive oil is mixed. this is similar humus but they used local ube to make it creamy.

steamed dumplings. this is similar to samosas or pot stickers or siomais at a different shape. these dumplings were boiled on broth instead of plain water. this dumpling is filled with a mix of veggies and some meat.

black curry. an invention of the owner...or one of the exotic foods from somewhere. curry is tamarind based. a hint of tang is infused in the curry. it's the tamarind that makes the curry dark. fish is used in this dish.

orange curry. this is a curry mellowed by the flavor of orange. a touch of sweetness and gusto of orange is introduced. chicken was used here.

basmati rice. pinoys' staple food with a twist. fluffy with a bit of saffron and spices.

honey beer and mango lassi. imported beer with pure honey and lassi with fresh mangos and yoghurt that's home made.

ziggurat

tigris corner euphrates streets

bel-air, makati city

max's chicken and the secret sauce

i attended a friend's baby's christening last sunday. reception was at max's fried chicken in
alabang. the restaurant is all over the philippines with some branches in the US. the restaurant rests on their perfect fried chicken. if you're craving for simplicity, go to max's.

chicken is pressure fried. nothing fancy. spices that i can sense are only salt and pepper. (i wonder if there's msg in it.) this is a recipe unchanged since 1945. well, that's how they relate their history and how my parents remember the old max's. nothing was changed.

added, however, are other dishes. they are now serving sinigang, kare-kare, pansit and the lumpiang shanghai (pictured).

I guess the secret on max's is not only on the chicken, but on the ritual you have to do on every visit. you have to mix these three: Jufran banana catsup, Alexander worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. they never relied on exotic oriental dips or gravies with 11 secret herbs and spices. they are still banking on simplicity. without these three-sauce combination, max's will never be the same.

looks very familiar

my melon!

capricciosa: rosemary chicken

we visited capricciosa again at greenbelt as we invited a good friend to dine with us. we had the salmon spring rolls and the shrimp and spinach rigatoni. you can never fail on these two when visiting capricciosa.

last time we went to the place, the whole place is smoked up with the appetizing grilled scent. it was the rosemary chicken. it doesn't sound exciting but it's worth a try.

surprisingly, we got a good serving of a flavorfilled rightly roasted chicken. chicken is deboned and was marinated with rosemary, toasted garlic and some soy to improve color. placed in the oven to slowly cook through then pan fried in olive oil on high! the dish is served with the chicken drippings and a slice of lemon to add zing. well, that's my best guess on how it was prepared. i asked how they prepared it but they told me it's a corporate secret. yeah right.

champions of all champs: champorado

champorado is a local chocolate treat for filipinos. easily made, this merienda is served either hot or cold. on a hot weather like what we're experiencing now, having a nice cold champorado will cool your spirits down.

sometimes, this is served with tuyo (dried and fried salted fish) or dilis (dried and fried anchovies). the fish adds a bite of saltiness which infuses a contrast of sweetness and saltiness to your taste buds.

milk is added to make the treat rich and creamy. i flooded the champorado with milk as i want it extremely creamy.

champorado

2 cups glutinous rice

6 cups water

4 tablets of pure unsweetened chocolate

4 tablespoons sugar


milk and dilis for the finishing touch

boil the glutinous rice in water until soft. add more water if needed. consistency should be a bit runny. stir the rice mixture from time to time to prevent it from sticking at the bottom of the pan. add the chocolates and stir to dissolve. add sugar. simmer for 2 minutes more. serve hot or cold. add milk and dilis as toppings.

easy breakfast: hash browns and green peas

we woke up very hungry and went straight to our empty ref. good thing we still have the frozen hash browns and green peas chilling out.

the hash browns were fried to a crisp.

the green peas were pan fried in very little oil until the liquids dry up. salt and pepper was added and topped with parmesan cheese.