Ohh Wham!

After a not-so-satisfying meal yesterday, my friend and I decided to grab ourselves burgers for late lunch. We went to Wham! and each ordered her own burger. I ordered their Kapow Burger and a side of Onion Rings. She on the other hand ordered their Bronco Burger and we both had Iced Tea to wash down the sandwiches.

First to arrive are the drinks and the Onion Rings. Though the serving is quite small, as I counted just about more or less 10 rings, they are very big onion rings. What I love about them is that they are very crispy and yet very light. The breading is not weighing the onion rings down. It is lightly seasoned and I think it made these onion rings the perfect side for their burgers. And soon, I was proven right by their burgers.

Wham! burgers are huge. When they arrived, I was shocked by their size, and immediately afterwards, I wondered how to bite into it. Their burgers, as what they claim are made of 1/3 pound of beef. And I think there's truth in it as to the weight of the whole sandwich. My Kapow burger, as how they described it on their menu, is made up of 1/3 pound beef patty, salsa, cheese, chili sauce, and Jalapeño Peppers. As I read this, I thought okay, I am a bit adventurous today, I think I can handle all that peppers. So when the burger was put down in my table, I was very very excited.

When I opened the wrap, I was ecstatic. My hunger will be satisfied. The Kapow burger was served with everything that was written on the menu on it. What I did not expect is that it will be served with quite thick slices of Jalapeño Peppers in it. I took my first bite and quickly hit by the juicy and flavorful beef patty. I just love the beefiness of it. Then came the salsa, the cheese, lettuce, and hint of spiciness. So I thought, yeah I told you I can handle this one. Then I took my second bite. After two chews, KAPOW! the spiciness overwhelmed me. But since I want to prove to myself that I can handle the spiciness of the pepper, I tried to act cool-y. I sip my Iced Tea and took another bite from the burger. KAPOW! Now, this time, I won't try to act oh-so-cool-y on this one, beads are starting to form on my forehead and my friend has noticed my uneasiness and asked me if it was too hot. At this point in time, I cannot hide the fact that my mouth is on fire. I nodded and took a rather long sip on my Iced Tea. I put ketchup and mustard on my burger, hoping to alleviate the spiciness of it but I failed miserably. So later on, accepting defeat, I pulled out all the Jalapeño Peppers and savored the juiciness and hint of spiciness of my burger. It was heaven. I love their burger. And there's no need for ketchup and mustard either. The burger is well-seasoned and delicious on its own. I can see myself going there over and over for my burger-fix from time to time.

Dessert Loft

Its Christmas shopping day 1 for me yesterday and at the same time, bonding time for me and my friend as I drag her from store to store. But of course, the bonding time will only be bland if we don't trade stories over good food so we headed for one of the restaurants on our "go-try" list. First off, we headed to Jack's Loft. Upon sitting on their very comfortable seats, the menus are promptly handed as they are placed on the tables already. Well, its hard to choose something if most of the items on the menu are either too expensive for a small serving or does not appeal on my sense of taste. Although, the redeeming factor is, they have heavenly arrays of treats on their dessert menu.

While both our stomachs are growling in hunger, we opted to just share a slice of cake and each choose her preferred coffee drinks. So we came up with a slice of Chocolate Mousse and Cheesecake, and Cafe Mocha for my friend, and a cup of Cappuccino for me. The Cappuccino was good. I added a teaspoon of sugar on it and it was perfect. The coffee was not too strong, and neither it was too sweet. The froth has just the right consistency and I love that cup. According to my friend, she love her tall glass of caffeine herself. I think it has chocolate in it as what the waiter said.

What I did not appreciate is the Cheesecake. I am a fan of Cheesecakes. I love their creaminess and their not too sweet taste. But I was disappointed with this one. Their version is composed of a thick layer of chocolate mousse on top of the yet again thick layer of cream cheese all laid on top of Oreo crust. I was disappointed because the whole of the cheesecake was gelatinous. Something that I do not really like. As what my friend commented in her second bite, "it is not creamy". And I agree, because of the gelatin that sort of covered the whole cream cheese and the mousse also, the creaminesswas just overpowered. I just hate the slimy texture of it. The crust on the other hand was so soft that the Oreo crumbs just breaks down into mushiness when your fork reach the bottom. It just melts away. Although I can taste the Oreo but I cannot, or rather my tongue cannot decipher which one is the cream cheese and which one is the Oreo. It just get all mixed up with the cream cheese. I do not want to base everything on this particular experience so I think I will still go there and try their other cake offerings. But its safe to say that I will just stir clear of the cheesecake selection.

Merry Starbucks!

Yeah, it is the beginning of the sticker collecting, and hunting again. The Starbucks Planner is at stake again for the Christmas season. I have always tried to collect these stickers but never completed any. This year, I wouldn't obsessively purge myself with classy caffeine just to be able to get a planner. Although, if I will have the chance to complete the stickers (with the help of my friends), then I would happily redeem of the planner.

This afternoon, I was with my friend at Starbucks Binondo to catch up on each other, and for me to take a breather from my intoxicated life. As always, I am very excited to try the very delish food Starbucks offer especially during the Christmas season. This year, I have tasted already the two cheesecakes that they are offering, in just a span of two days. I am talking about the Cookie Dough Cheesecake and the Almond Roca Cheesecake. I tried the Cookie Dough yesterday, and I was blown away. But no, it's not the Cookie Dough that blew me away, but the Cheesecake itself. At first bite, I was greeted by the sweet-tangy bliss of the cream cheese. The taste in my mouth is just very mouthwatering, and divine. The taste of cream cheese, it is just full of creaminess, and indescribable divinity that even as I am blogging this now, my mouth waters. Although the cream cheese is not that light, it is very sinful and yet I cannot possibly forget the heavenly feeling that devoured me on my first bite. Starbucks for me really is the royalty of Cheesecakes (or the supplier of Cheesecakes for them). I was disappointed on the Cookie Dough part though. I love the taste of the raw dough and was expecting to reconcile with the taste on this offering of Starbucks. Sadly, it did not deliver. The Cookie Dough tastes like cookies, baked cookies instead of the raw, sticky, dough. The cookie nibbles on the Cheesecake though is not crispy, do not resemble a dough at all. But I love the buttery crust and the cream cheese so I will still indulge this but will not particularly crave this flavor.

Today, I tried the Almond Roca Cheesecake and was not wowed by it either. Though, as always, the Cheesecake did not fail to satisfy me but I missed the Almond Roca flavor. I did taste a subtle Almond Roca flavor but it was quickly overpowered by the Cheesecake. Not even the Gold-smeared chocolate kiss on top of the Cheesecake took my breath away. I actually thought the Gold-smeared chocolate kiss has a redeeming factor, what with the gold and strategic positioning, crowning the cake, but I was again disappointed. I swear, if Starbucks will put Plain Cheesecake on its menu, I will gladly order every single chance I get. Because everytime I get to sample one of their Cheesecake variant, I always get swooned over by the Cheesecake itself and seldom by the new flavor.

Sticky, Yummy PB

My friend and I went to MOA for the Book Fair event held there two weeks ago. After a tedious walking around the where the Book Fair was held, we went to the Entertainment Bldg. of MOA to get ourselves some snack before we head home. I was intentionally looking for the PB & Co. that I saw when we arrived. It was just near the Supermarket I think, and a few steps away from my another favorite, Chocolat. I was excited to try Pb & Co., because the first time I saw it on a magazine, I thought it is worth trying. The sad thing is, that time, the nearest branch to me is in SM North EDSA which is not near to me at all. Its a long way to go just for a Peanut Butter Sandwich. I have been waiting for a nearer branch to open and I guess for now, I have to settle for the MOA branch. It was a pleasant surprise to me really, when I saw it in MOA, finally I can taste what people are fussing about this Peanut Butter Sandwich that can be made even by the kids.

The PB & Co. MOA is just a small place. And I mean small. You will be greeted by a table beside the see-through glass doors, then a counter top, and four more tables at the far end. The cashier and the glass counter where they put their canned beverage choices, is placed opposite side of the counter top. Beside the beverages, a shelf built-in to the wall is reserved for their Peanut Butters that they sell in plastic bottles. The menu is installed above the counter just like in fast foods. What caught my eye is the spotless, gleaming, white interior that they have. White interior has always given me the impression that the place is clean.

As this is the first time that I will be trying their offerings, I chose the one that I think is the "safest" choice for first timers, which is the Mallow Peanut Butter Sandwich. Then I ordered their Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake to go with the sandwich. Honestly, I find their prices too steep. I mean, I can buy a jar of peanut butter from the Supermarket and make my own PB sandwich right? But the hell, what I can say, I love food. So, here it is: I LOVE the Mallow Peanut Butter Sandwich. The white bread are toasted just enough, although it does not have that biscuit-crunchy texture. The melted marshmallow is not too sweet and it gives me that sweet and salty taste that always tastes good. The sweetness of the melted marshmallow and the saltiness of the peanut butter is perfectly balanced. Nothing is overpowering. Both tastes danced in a perfect melody. Although, when I was already devouring the second half of my sandwich, the sweetness is starting to become obvious. But the toasted bread always manage to contain the excessive sweetness, keeping the perfect fusion consistent.

The peanut butter on the other hand is silky smooth. I don't think I have ever tasted other peanut butter that is that smooth. It is neither too sweet nor too salty on its own, thus a perfect match to the melted marshmallow. I thought of buying a jar of peanut butter but as I still have to buy some more things, I set aside buying a whole jar and promised to come back for a jar some other day instead. The sandwich is pretty big too. Although they are offering it by half or whole, I suggest you buy a whole sandwich and split it with a friend if you cannot eat the whole thing. Or simply eat your share and wrap home the other half.

The Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake though, I cannot say that I liked it. The concoction is too thick. I know Milkshakes are supposed to be thick but this one, I think they can tweak the recipe a little. When they served it to me, I literally cannot sip any drop from it. I have to wait for a good 5 minutes before I can sip anything that I can taste. Sadly, the only thing that my taste buds managed to recognize is the hint if peanut butter and banana. I wonder where the Dark Chocolate is? I think it was lost somewhere, in the middle of the vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, and banana. Although it is a good cold drink if that is what you are after. But as for the taste, my Milkshake standard was not met.

Next time, given a chance, I would love to try their peanut butter-cooked pasta. I saw a lady paired her sandwich with a pasta and she finished everything off. My curiosity was tickled by this scene so I think I am going to try to convince my friend to try to have our lunch there.

A venetto Pizzeria

I went to buy some accessories for my netbook this afternoon and decided to also have my lunch there. Before I take my lunch, I looked around first for accessories as I was not that hungry anyway. By the time I'm done with my window shopping, I was already hungry and decided to look for Burger King. But I remembered that I only have a 500 peso bill in my wallet and I know that some of the stores that I planned on going back to buy accessories from them are not accepting credit cards. So I decided to take my lunch somewhere where they will accept my card. I thought of A venetto. I have always loved their pastas but I know that it is quite big for me since I'm dining alone. I then ordered their hot roast beef and cheese hero sandwich and soda.

They served the hot hero with gravy, fries, and ketchup on the side. By the time the plate hit the table, the very first thing that my nose whiffed up are the fries. The smell of their fries can really lure any hungry person's heart inside. The smell of their french fries is heavenly. Its the smell of heaven that gives you the signal of the best thing to come, which is a pigout session. The fries are crunchy and tasty. It does not have that stale-like taste and cardboard texture you usually get from fries served in fastfoods. Theirs taste the same as when they are hot as when its already cold. It does not dry out in any way.

The sandwich is served open-faced and with gravy on the side. The first layer is the mozzarella cheese, followed by the gravy, the same gravy that they served on the side. Then the thin slices of beef and lastly, the bread. The bread which they claimed to be italian, and which I cannot distinguish if true or not is very soft and fluffy but not soggy. They have toasted it a little yet is so easy to slice and chew. The beef slices are paper-thin but juicy. Beef slices are not tough at all and very tasty. I first tried it with the additional serving of gravy and thought it was perfect. But at the second bite, it became salty too me. So I just disregarded the additional gravy and just put some whenever needed since the gravy is not spread perfectly entirely. Nevertheless, the gravy is also good, although the taste is quite familiar, I just cannot remember where I have tasted that blend of spices. But I attest that the gravy is the perfect pair for the roast beef sandwich as a change from the usual mayonnaise dressing. For me, the side gravy is not a necessity because the gravy on the sandwich is already enough. If you put some more gravy on the sandwich, it will only make your sandwich too salty to consume. All in all, it was a worthy lone lunch dining.

There's Another Secret.. Recipe

I had a movie date last Sunday with no other than... MYSELF. Pathetic isn't it? But honestly, I enjoyed that day with myself. Sometimes its also refreshing to go out on your own. You get to choose your own venue, own time.. you're free to do whatever it is that you wish to do. Two weeks ago, my friend and I planned to watch a movie, Inception. But it so happened that my friend has been suffering from a bad tummy. So I ended up being alone, all by myself, so eager to watch the movie.

The first screening was set at 1PM that Sunday afternoon but rain was pouring quite heavily that until noon and so I thought I will not be able to go to the movie anymore. It was a little past 12 when the rain finally stopped and i decided to prepare and go to RP. Yeah, I know, RP again. Well, it is my favorite mall. Anyway, it was already past 1PM when I got there so I was not able to catch the first screening. And I do not wish to enter the dark cinema and not able to watch the movie right from its very beginning. I find that disturbing. It makes me feel that the intensity and the excitement has already subsided.

The next screening is at 3:50PM so I have an almost 3-hr vacancy on my hand. I bought a cup of my favorite Starbucks drink, which is Caramel Macchiato and strolled around. As I walk around the Midtown area, I spotted Secret Recipe again and decided to spend a fraction of my excess time there. As what usually happens, I was overwhelmed with their wide selection of cream-based cakes and cheesecakes. When I've finally made up my mind, I took a seat and ordered their "Chocolate Indulgence" cream-based cake. A slice only costs Php95, quite reasonable if you ask me. Unlike with my previous Secret Recipe experience, nobody gave me something to read, not even an old magazine was handed out. But I also noticed that no other diners were reading anything also, so I thought maybe if the place is quite busy, they do not bother to offer you any reading materials anymore. As to the reason behind it, I do not know.

I was seated in a table fit for three persons, and beside my table is a man who I think is in his late twenties, with newspapers and other papers strewn all over his table, and a laptop. Whatever it is that he is eating, I did not bother to look at. It was well over 5 minutes already and the slice of cake has yet to arrive. I did not bother to make a follow-up because I want to know how much longer will I have to wait before they serve me my cake. Turned out, when a waiter passed by me, the guy beside me signaled to him and whisper something to his ear. After that whisper, the waiter approached me and asked if I already have ordered. I said yes, and he said he will make a follow-up for me. I knew that the guy is not an ordinary customer. I heard a waitress asking him about what I think is the inventory of one of their ingredients. I have already thought that he may be the franchiser, in his plain clothes.

The cake was served to me exactly 8 minutes after I placed my order. Quite a long wait for just a piece of ready-made cake. Anyway, the slice was quite big, maybe because of the 8 layers that the cake was made of. The first layer is a thin layer of chocolate mousse, followed by the sponge chocolate cake, which is very soft and moist. The third layer is the vanilla cream, then another layer of cake. The same stack of these goodies is then repeated for another set that completes the 8 layers of heavenly goodness. The cake as a whole is not too sweet and yet very decadent. It looks very delicate, and soft. It is a perfect cake actually, especially for chocoholics out there. But the best part of the cake will be the chocolate icing. If you see the the cake in whole, you will be amazed of the shiny, dark, perfect "blanket" covering the cake layers. That is my most favorite part of the cake. That "blanket" is fudgy, chocolatey, and yet not too sweet. Perfect 10 in my opinion.

Ssshhh... its Secret Recipe

I was in RP this morning to do some official tasks and when all these tasks are not yet done when the clock struck 12, I decided to take my lunch there. I was torn between Mexicali and TGIF when I thought of Secret Recipe. I have tried their fruit cake and their shepherd's pie but I have yet to try their other offers. So I went to the upper most floor of the Midtown wing browsed Secret Recipe's menu. I was approached by one of their attendants and I asked about their specialty when it comes to their pasta offerings. She told me that Carbonara is their best-seller and followed by the Meatballs Spaghetti. But these two are, well, priced a little over what I prefer and I was afraid that I might not be able to finish it. She then recommended their Mushroom Chicken main dish but I don't feel like eating rice, and is craving for pasta instead so I ordered their Spaghetti Bolognese. Then, as I thought it won't be "wise" for me to leave the place without trying their infamous cheesecakes, I ordered a slice of Marble Cheesecake, which is according to their menu, is the awardee of the Best Cheesecake award. Then, just to have something to go with it, I ordered a cup of Cappuccino.

When I sat down to one of their plush sofa chairs, I was introduced to their menu. After ordering, my glass of warm water was served to me with a little caution of its temperature. I was looking at this glass of water that do not come to me as warm and decided to try it. It was indeed just a little bit warm. But at least its not cold. A few seconds after, the attendant approached me and gave me a copy of today's papers and a couple of magazines. I appreciated that since I do not have any book with me today and I figured that my food will be cooked as ordered. One thing that I noticed is that their water glass is not that squeaky clean, at least the bottom outside part of it. The inside is clean, and I do not see any dirt so I figured it will be okay.

Now let's start with the Spaghetti Bolognese. When it was served to me, the first thing that I noticed is that it is piping hot. And I mean, piping hot. So I let it cool down a little bit while I read the papers. When I noticed that the smoke has already subsided a little, I put down the papers and turned my attention to my food. I wouldn't want it to turn cold so I started to dig in. At the first look, its as if the meat sauce is not enough. But the melted cheese on top of it is just of the right amount. When I tried to stir in the meat sauce to the pasta, I noticed water-like sauce at the bottom of the plate. I thought the sauce was a little bit watery for my taste. When I took my first bite, I appreciated that the pasta was perfectly cooked. The sauce is real meaty. It has ground meat in there, and slices of button mushrooms. As I eat, I noticed that the watery sauce was replaced by a thicker consistency. I think its because the meat of the sauce was suspended on top of the pasta when it was poured on it so when you stir everything, the meat and mushrooms finally join the liquid portion of the sauce in union. One thing that didn't sit well with my tastebuds is that it was a little bland. I think it needed a little bit more salt. Also, the sauce was leaning towards the Asian side, which is very natural since Secret Recipe is a Malaysian origin. But I prefer my pasta sauce prepared with a little creaminess. I think a splash of milk or cream on the Bolognese sauce will make the dish taste better, not to mention aromatic.

When the Marble Cheesecake was served, I thought, there's nothing special on it. How come it won the Best Cheesecake award? The Cheesecake has marbles on top of it and the rest is visually of no extraordinary eye candy. Curious, I took a small bite. That Cheesecake is the lightest cheesecake I have ever tasted. It literally melts in your mouth. And there's no "sawa" factor the way cheesecakes are supposed to possess. The marbles on top of the cheesecake, I do not know how it was supposed to serve it's purpose because I can barely taste it. If there's something to taste. The crust is different though. They use oat-based crusts. So the cheesecake is not sweet at all. Although, I would want the oats on the crust to give a slight crunch because this one is chewy and is not crunchy at all. I think a crunchy oat crust will give this cake a pleasant texture all in all.

The Cappuccino on the other hand has nothing special, its just a plain cup of Cappuccino although the serving is slightly bigger than others'. So yeah, if you were to ask me if I will go back to Secret Recipe, you bet, I definitely will. No questions asked.