6. “AVENIDA RIZAL”
My grandparents have always told me that Avenida Rizal was the premier shopping district during “their” time. How it came to this deplorable state I don’t know but I think that Avenida still has its charm, its local flavour. Tons of people come and go. I thought it was paved already for pedestrians but apparently Mayor Lim had to give the road back to the damn jeepneys. Sayang, ang gulo na naman.
This picture was taken by senor enrique.
Believe it or not there are a lot of things you can buy down there and at very cheap and affordable prices too!
7. VOODOO MARKETS OF QUIAPO
One of my favourite things to do in quiapo is look at the herbal medicines and voodoo stuff being sold around the Church Plaza. I love how everything is so colorful and so mysterious. I don’t know if these things work though. I’ve always wanted to learn what all these things were for and carlos “demystified” them for me. Tawas for your “putok” or your “whispering winds” hyesss….Some Pampa-regla. (yikes..poison pala talaga)
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3. CHINESE TRINKETS & READINGS FOR THE NEW YEAR
Walking further and further deep into Chinatown we stopped by this wonderful Chinese Shop that sells Chinese trinkets, buddha’s, and other baubles. Everyone in Chinatown it seems is preparing for the Chinese New Year (feb. 7). It was wonderful!
A highlight of this stop was the free “readings” that the owner –who is fondly called TITA MAXIE — have to each of us in the group. According to “tita maxie” I am a water pig who should wear green and white (la salle ba?) haha. Wonderful old lady. I will visit her shop again sometime in the future. I love her collection of Chinese buddha’s and hanging trinkets it reminds me of all the things I saw in China when I went there as a Child. (more…)
Having just finished our Specpro exam we decided to console ourselves by having a quick dinner at Rufo’s then headed out to Greenbelt 5 to try out this new dessert place called “Classic Confections.” I’ve been hearing about classic confections for sometime now (even before they opened at GB5) since some of their desserts have been featured in FOOD magazine. Finally!!! I was able to try out Nono’s Chocolate Oblivion which was chocolate heaven for me. (more…)
One of my fave (currently) japanese resto’s is IZAKAYA KIKUFUJI which is located in the little tokyo compound along pasong tamo just beside Makati Cinema Square. Three words: authentic, laid-back, delicious. It is the perfect place to unwind with friends while drinking beer and eating some grilled yakiniku items.
I didn’t have time to post pictures of the food because I was too busy EATING them. The price is just right for the quality of food that you get unlike those in other japanese resto’s in town that are over-priced. I love their sashimi which is extremely fresh and their wasabi (winner!). Their hamachi is fresh too..just like butter 
The tempura is so-so but I love the eggplant tempura which isn’t oily at all. You have to try their yakiniku items: grilled pork, chicken softbone, asparagus and bacon. I love and I mean LOVE their sukiyaki which has loads of beef and delicious glass noodles! YUM YUM YUM. Order beer while you’re eating their grilled items…..SARAP! (more…)
After going to PLM to drop off my thesis for Atty. Tamano to review, BF and I decided to have lunch in Binondo. Inspired by our recent Binondo Food wok, we decided to try some of the more interesting restaurants in chinatown…one such restaurant is SINCERITY. Why is it called sincerity?
Sincerity restaurant is a hole-in-the wall restaurant famed for its sincerity fried chicken. They have other specialties aside from the fried chicken such as the oyster cake, and a saucy liver dish. I wasn’t up to liver..so I had to pass on that.
Some YUMMY oyster cake. Put lots of ketchup on it and then… (more…)
11. HAW FLAKES MEMORIES
Stopping at the corner of Salazar and Ongpin (in front of the old Anson’s Building and of course near El Presidente) Ivan made us try some sweetened fruit which is supposed to evoke some childhool memory? Ano yun?
HAW FLAKES!!! Well…it really depends on what generation your coming from but haw flakes are also called as titina or ostia. I remember that I called it titina not really haw flakes. So What are haw flakes? Haw flakes are Chinese sweets made from the fruit of the Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida, genus Crataegus). They are dark pink candy that are shaped like the ostia given out during communion. (more…)
6. DUMPLINGSHaving sampled traditional hokkien food, seen lizards on a stick…Ivan finally led us to another hole-in-the-wall food stop. A humble dumpling place. Do not underestimate their dumplings. This is my favourite stop.
One traditional Chinese fare is the DUMPLING (jiaozi). Dumplings are often crescent shaped and filled with savory meat & vegetables. They are either boiled or fried and served with a special dipping sauce. For the Chinese, dumplings are an important food for the new year Since the shape of Chinese dumplings is similar to ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots, they symbolize wealth.
One of our favourite stops on our tour is this dumpling place! You know the ingredients are fresh because you see them made. I actually ate on the table where the manangs were making them. The place was packed! I especially loved the fried Chinese pancake dumpling…which was firm and very flavourful [hands down -- WINNER]l. Another hole-in-the-wall place that everyone must try (food great, service was nice and efficient, never mind the ambience…but I think that just gives the place the “authentic feel”) I am definitely going back to this place.
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Binondo is an area in Manila that is primarily populated by Chinese immigrants who chose to live in the Philippines The word “Binondo” Ivan tells us came from the word “Binundok” which literally means mountains. Founded in 1594, Binondo was created by Spanish Governor Luis Pérez Dasmariñas as a permanent settlement for Chinese immigrants across the river from the walled city of Intramuros where the Spaniards resided. It was originally intended to replace the Parian near Intramuros where the Chinese were confined. The Spanish Dominican fathers made Binondo their parish and succeeded in converting a great many of the Chinese residents to Catholicism.
1. BINONDO CHURCH
(This photo of the Binondo Church was taken by mayniladailyphoto.blogspot.com)
The Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz otherwise known as BINONDO CHURCH was erected in 1596 and was the work of the architect Domingo de la Cruz Gonzalez. It is one of the oldest places of worship in the Philippines and is truly an architectural heritage. Over the centuries it has been witness to earthquakes, natural disasters, and of course the ravages of World War II. Today the octagonal bell tower and the lobby are all that remains of the original church. (more…)
Note: I didn’t have time to bring my camera. All photos are from the Cookbook Kitchen website.
The Cookbook Kitchen is a hole-in-the-wall homey restaurant deep in Mandaluyong. I’ve been reading about it for months now but didn’t have the time to actually try it. BF and I were hesitant at first since it might just be a waste of time and money..but it was OK. We got lost going there and almost gave up but we were already starving so we had to find it. It’s a house that has been converted into a restaurant. Don’t expect fine dining ‘coz this ain’t it. It’s very “artsy” and the feel of the place is just right for the kind of food they serve which we liked. Although, I felt we paid too much for what we ordered. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our meal and would return to that restaurant again.
The Squash Soup – I like this soup particularly because it tasted fresh and the flavor of the squash was complimented very well by the sour cream (just the right amount not too much).
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