My friends have been raving about the tenga (grilled pig’s ears) in Countryside along Katipunan since college, but it was only last week that I got to try it—2:30am and the place was still bustling with customers, wowowee!!! Look at that oily goodness–that’s cholesterol straight to your thighs and heart, but well well well, sometimes, it’s just okay to be a little baaaad.

Coupled with some pork isaw (grilled pig’s intestines), this was surely one of the best post-inuman eats I’ve had in a while!

Of course I paid for it with the all-day dizzy spell the next day, but haaay sulit pa rin!

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Countryside is on Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. It’s on the same side of the road as Freska and is one of the last establishments before the stretch to the flyover to Ateneo and UP.

After a nice Pasig river ferry ride from Guadalupe last Saturday, we walked around Intramuros, one of the default must-stops for visitors to Manila.

Literally “within walls”, Intramuros was the creme de la creme of real estate in the Spanish times, where the richest and most powerful congregated and stayed.

The ferry docked at the Plaza Mexico station, where we were greeted by this monument in honor of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade.

Notice the Guardia Sibil in full get-up! All the Intramuros guards wear this period piece now… can I say hot (as in maiinit!!)?

This very spot was eerie for me– I dreamt it before, and was scared zombies would come out of the ruins and run after me!

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Went on my first Couchsurfing Manila gathering on the Pasig river ferry last Saturday morning.  We met at the Guadalupe station at 9:30 am and took the ferry for a 45-minute ride to Plaza Mexico, Intramuros, which cost Php 45.00 one way.

If you’re taking your car and are not familiar with the area, I suggest you park it either in Shangri-la (parking is open even early morning) or Ayala Center, then take the MRT to the Guadalupe MRT Station.  From there, it’s a short walk to the Guadalupe river station.

First question friends asked about the trip– did it stink?  My honest answer: No, it didn’t, it just smelled like a river… maybe a fishy river, but no gaggingly foul smell.

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For my dad’s 65th and my kuya’s 31st birthdays, we trooped to our favorite places in Tagaytay– Bawai’s and next door Chateau Hestia, deep in the residential rows of Lagusan Drive.

Bawai’s is a Vietnamese restaurant, lutong-bahay style, and is owned by the Tatlonghari family. The word “Bawai” is actually grandmother in Vietnamese, and whenever we come here, we do feel like we’re just dining in a friend’s home!

They set up our table for 26 quite nicely..

After all the appetizers, I had this dry noodle bowl with beef slivers… really yummy, and only costs P195!

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When you live alone, you either eat out all the time or cook for one.   If you choose to cook and are like most girls, your pantry would probably be stuffed with pasta, salads, breads, and cheeses…

But I think one can only have so much pasta and salads!!

I took home non-default items from the supermarket the other day–including baboy adobo cut and cream dory (why are they everywhere now?).  Tonight I wanted something light though, so I took out my most perishable food in the refrigerator –tofu– and made veggie adobo!  For a first try, masarap siya!

I added monggo sprouts and sayote tops because I still wanted something leafy in there,  then put in chili flakes for that perfect bite..yummm!

I also used organic black vinegar, which true enough, may have made the difference:

I think I’m beginning to appreciate Pinoy and Asian flavors more… am I growing old?? hehe

Care to share your favorite easy-to-cook meals?   With ingredients easily found in Manila please? )

My friend Jhoey Hernandez of PinoyOrganics.com is holding a unique culinary tour in Alabang on Saturday, May 22, for sustainable cooking! Hope you and your green-minded friends can support her project:

Are you a cooking mama, a foodie, an urban gardener wannabe or simply love learning new things? Dust off your basket and join us as Pinoy Organics launch its Market-to-Plate Tours in the South!

Pinoy Organics in partnership with Feed 5000

present

Market-to-Plate Tour Launch

MAY 22, 2010, SATURDAY

8AM – 2PM

• Know your local producers in nearby weekend markets
  • Help us purchase our ingredients for our cooking demo
  • Meet the only certified organic local produce seller in the South
  • Meet a 70 year old woman who sells local produce from Batangas on weekends only
  • Know where to buy organic brown rice at market price in the South
  • Enjoy a local drink with more electrolytes than commercial sports drink
  • Visit Mom-Turn-Farmer who sells her sustainable foods from Cavite
  • and more!

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My mom told me my cousin Whitney loved loved loved the cheesecake at New York’s Grand Central Station, so we got her a box on our way to Connecticut last weekend.

The box says Junior’s most fabulous cheescake has been “voted no.1″ as “the best cheescake in N.Y.” by New York magazine!

It hit me much later that I was finally having an authentic New York cheesecake! Heehee. 

One small plain cheesecake goes for about $15, the chocolate a bit higher.

Very cheesy, baked just like I like them.  Could’ve been a bit tarter though, but I’m sure I’ll still get to finish the whole cake.

Junior’s is a cafe at the lower level of the Grand Central Station in New York.

Sequel to “Bawal tumawid, nakamamatay”:

I first visited the Marikina Shoe Expo (now called– and perhaps more aptly– the Cubao Expo) with my girl friends in 2005. Back then the area lived up to its name as a shoe depot–there were really just shoe shops everywhere! I remember telling friends that Marikina Shoe Expo was the place to get customized shoes done, even knee high boots in various leather colors!

Two Saturdays ago (March 27), I went back to Cubao Expo for Anton’s Photoblogging class, and was happy to just walk around this  U-street in Cubao and be curious again.

Parking is still available inside, although I don’t remember it being so expensive (I paid P50 for a little over 3 hours of parking)!

There was a street tiangge on that day though, which took up most of the slots…

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My friend Lorie and I were talking of how nice it would be to have a resource for jeepney lines in Manila.. By chance I came across komyuter.com the other day, which claims to be the “Number 1 source for Bus, Ferry and Train Schedules in the Philippines.” No jeepney routes yet but I’m sure somewhere out there someone’s tried to write them down! Let me know if you want to get your hands dirty on this one… am willing to consolidate info here on manilarat