" what's cooking ? "

sorry for the on and off postings I've been having lately.
the "blah" life has been really hectic and I seem to be in no mood for anything.

anyways, I was out for a walk to buy some dindins after work and taking random photos of here and there.
This was minutes before the vendor was about to call it a day.
Not a trés bon angle but I like how the light was focusing on this cart.





and this one, on a greyish area.
I like the nostalgic feel of this, where nowadays everything looks generically commercial.



the typical hang out after work scenario of some of the locals.
Beer, Karaoke and Stories.

Happy weekend all! ^0^
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" eatery "

whoever came up with this name for a food cart.

oh well, raining cats and dogs today, talk about unpredictable weather.
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" Chicharon "

I kid you not, if you can't get enough of fried goodies,
craving for something that's crunchy and uber high in cholesterol,
then, the local Chicharon ( deep fried pork rinds ) is a must try!. ^0^
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" Army Navy "

if you crave mexican food and can't get enough of burritos and tacos,
then there's a new hip fast food resto in town - Army Navy.



the place has a good ambiance.
perfect for a quick bite to eat without bumping into someone's table.



recommended must try.
this is what I ordered, the burrito steak, but would've love to try the chicken
and burger too! if only my stomach can digest this much! ^0^














ps: a dear friend from Paris sent me this foto...
a shop named arabesque!
Merci Peter! ^0^



happy weekend everyone! ^0^
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" Excelente Ham "

a few more days before Christmas...
and while traffic jams are quite heavy these days,
the usual frowns and odd-faces of some people
have turned into smiles and thank you.
Yes, Christmas is certainly here. ^0^
Are you rushing out for last minute shopping or already did your homework early?

Maybe quite an overused phrase but Time really flies fast, doesn't it?

Well, I was in the streets of Quiapo the other week and it's been ages
since I last visited this area,
mind you, the area can be packed with people from all sorts and chaotic
at the same time.



There's a good old fashioned ham store around that area that I want to share
and it sells fresh and tasty hams of all sizes and shapes.





so, if ever you're in this neck of the wood,
it's called Excelente, your usual run of the mill store that looks a bit rundown and dated, don't be fooled by its interior though,
it still is by far, one of the good quality hams.




You can opt for the classic or buy them in shredded bits.
Depending on the size, the prices don't come cheap though,
but at least it has quality.
something that's hard to find these days.




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" Love ko to! "

A famous fast food slogan we have here.
only in Chinatown will you see Chinese lanterns adorned with Chinese inscriptions on it.

Despite the grainy foto, it looks festive though, at least from this point of view.

Hiya! been busy with real life,
so blogging is a bit sporadic.
Thanks for bearing with me. ^0^
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" Picka-Picka "

some whatnot galore you'd find on the street.
crunchy salted peanuts as cheap as 10.- a pack,
and fresh pandesals ( a local bread )inside the canister for sale. ^0^
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" something smells fishy... "

a group of dried fishes, on sale here in Chinatown market.
and while i'm not a fan of dried fishes or " Tuyo " ( locally ) as we call it here.
When you cook them, the whole house smells fishy and the neighbors are sure to know that that's what you're having for dindins. ^0^
But really, they can be very tasty and salty at the same time and an all time favorite best if paired with fresh tomatoes and garlic rice.

what's for dinner? ^-^
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" Balut "

a lot has been said and posted about this particularly out of the ordinary egg or as we call it here "Balut."
Now why on earth does it look like that?



" A balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled alive and eaten in the shell."
I know it looks a bit gooey and unpleasant.
But it is believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein.

Info credits from Wikipedia.
Mostly sold by dtreet vendors for just P 12.- these days, roughly less than 50cents.
It's also available in other parts of Southeast Asia.
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" Tea Eggs "

have you heard of them?
they're just your usual eggs except marinated with special tea concoction.
they're quite delicious though. ^0^


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" Black Chicken "

Don't be fooled by its white feathers,
because contrary to ordinary chickens,
its skin and its bones are all Black.
Hard to believe right > ?

In common markets here in downtown and I think you can only find it here.
Ask any vendor about black chicken or "Ulikba" in tagalog
or if you know a little Fookien ( chinese dialect ), you can inquire "Diong Kue" simply and i'm sure they know it.
A piece of this can be quite expensive than normal chickens and depending on its quality and size.



It's a common, comfort soup by the Chinese people, the locals here specifically buys this chicken
and mixed them with some medicinal herbs and spices.
They're good for the immune system and very nutritious as well.
But if you don't know how to cook them,
you can always order this from a chinese restaurant. ^0^

Next time, I'd be sure to post a black chicken soup,
see how it looks like, so you'd have an idea. ^0^
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" Tiffin "

While in other countries like India, tiffin carrier is a common thing,
It's not the case here,
but we do have a more or less similar approach to it.
Take this guy,
he has this makeshift stand beside the street, usually where the big offices are located,
then sells his mini-packed lunch in individual plastics for an affordable price.


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" Philippine Post Office "

Let's take a look inside the post office of Manila.
Bacically, this is how it looks like.
Its design were mostly of repeptitive patterns, from the flooring, to the windows, even the ceiling.
I didn't go further down the hall,
the security guard in front of the entrance was quick to notice my camera and told me that
without a permit, I couldn't take any photos inside, so he asked me for what purpose was it for.
I said it's for my blog that promotes clearly about Manila.
oh, Here we go again... ^0^



And like you, I'm glad to see its interior because,
I have never visited this place before even if I have passed by
a hundred times. ^-^



And these are some of the highlights for this month,
what it used to be like during the days.

* Jose Rizal is one of our national heroes and a true patriot. *



more close up details tomorrow.

ps: dear Missy,

For your delectable Laing request,
hope you don't mind this (deja vu) archived foto.
I hope it's enough to make you hungry. ^0^


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" Rude Awakening "

The traffic light was red when I saw this kid,
I was immediately drawn by him that at such a young age,
he knew he had to help his father sell ripe mangoes on the street.





Sometimes you can't help but feel pity for these kids.
Hardly a chance for a better life and sometimes deprived of education.
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" Kakanin "

did I tell you that one of our favorite past time is Food. ^0^
We never seem to can't get enough of it.
We love to munch and crunch this and that.

Shown here are some of our cool Kakanin- rice cake native delicacy treats.


Its main ingredient are Rice and Coconut milk. ++

To start off : that colorful one on the right is what we call Sapin-Sapin
literally means layers,
then, beside the layered Sapin-Sapin are Biko or simply, Rice cakes,
filipino version that is.
next to it, the white cakes that seem to be marked in yellow (cheese) are Puto.
and the last tray on the left, the dark one are Kutsinta.

They're usually served during special occasions or Fiestas,
but nowadays, you can buy them anywhere, it's just a matter of which one
tastes better.

so the next time, you chance upon these delicacies I hope you'd give it a try. ^0^
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" Hodgepodge "

here's what's available in store.
a protruding fat of the vendor's back, a lazy stray cat and a box of ginger for sale. ^0^

I wish everyone a great week ahead.
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" Laing "

Laing - sounds like lying, is a famous Bicolano dish and is made from dried
Taro leaves or Gabi,that are meticulously shredded, or otherwise will taste itchy.

Its delectable concoction with Coconut milk, some pork, Jalapeno pepper gives
this dish a creamy with a spicy twist in it. ^0^
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" attention please "

Inside Cafe Ilang Ilang is a smorgasbord of different cuisines and delectable desserts.

I was so busy getting small portions of this and that, plus the talking while dining that I completely forgot to take photos on some of the dish.

But I hope you like dessert... ^0^
Here's a scrumptious strawberry dessert.



for those conscious on their weight.
a sugar free pudding delight.


more sweetness and love the arrangement.


the bread portion, they looked like donuts but they're bagels.


a bigger view of the dessert area.


Sorry, I'm bad at remembering the name of the dishes,
but I think it's greek.


and i'm sure there's something that will suite your palate.


the main area of the buffet,
from Mexican burritos, to Chinese Pekin duck, to Japanese tempura and sashimi, to Italian pasta and Greek and Indian and Korean. ^-^ told you there's plenty.



Not only does it have a warm ambiance but the food was great as well.
In my opinion, better than Hotel Sofitel's Spiral or Hyatt's Market Cafe.
But as always, they only look good for now,so we'll see what happens in the
months to come. I hope it stays delicious. ^0^
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" Cafe Ilang Ilang "

Cafe Ilang Ilang as the name suggests is a resto that offers buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
But nothing seems stunning when the lights go dim and the dining experience becomes interesting as its interior.
I've never been there before, so I don't have an inkling what it looks like then, but the newly decorated furnishings was a definite masterpiece.

The one bit that I found most intriguing is this dome shaped room,
for those who wanted less noise outside and more privacy.
It looks small in this foto but has quite a room for at least 20 people.




and on the left is an array of delectable selections.


the place seems like a maze at first, but in every corner you turn are different kinds of cuisine for you to choose.


another passageway into another area, guests dining in.


From the outside looking, another dining area.


and the entryway to Cafe Ilang Ilang.


more about its food tomorrow. ^0^
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" sweet treats "

one of my favorites... ^0^

* Puto - not to be mistaken as a bad slang in spanish.
It is actually a soft, spongy steamed rice cake and this one is Puto Pandan inspired.
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