Dulcinea Churros Con Chocolate

You know you're tired when..


You fell asleep in the bus on the way to school.


You had to concentrate extra hard to listen to the lecturer who can't even pronounce feature and future properly.


You made up the best excuse to go home early. I'm going to the library. 


You fell asleep again in the bus on the way home.


Your usual bed time is never before 12mn and you plan of collapsing in bed around 9pm.


And you spill water all over your keyboard (thank God it didn't die) at 8:30pm.


It's been a hell of a week and basically, what I wrote above was precisely what happened today. I guess late nights are taking their toll. I intend to have a fantastic night's rest and head straight to the gym tomorrow right before lunch. SOUNDS GOOD, right?

The only thing that could make me feel better would be a brownie with a glass of skim milk or a plate of churros with hot chocolate. Sadly, both aren't in my reach right now. I couldn't say I didn't try, I went brownie hunting in the city, and I didn't get to buy any since I wouldn't settle for cheap nasty stuff.

Pam and the La Creperie Affair

It's Valentine's Day, and I bet I should talk about a little love (affair).

A love (affair) between my friends, Pam and Mister La Creperie.

She seriously can't get over him.

And I know I should do something- WRITE ABOUT IT. (obviously!) 

This a post as per her request.

Pam:"Sobra ako nasasarapan sa crepe, it's PERFECT"

The very traditional yet chic interiors of La Creperie

There are a fair number of crepes on the menu. Many signature ones and old-time favorites. Because of all those choices and combinations that we COULD have, it made deciding such a challenge. So in the end, we chose to customize our own!

Buenisimo, Eastwood, Philippines

FIRST agenda today- GYM. Oh DEAREST BEACH BOD, come to me! Well, it doesn't completely make sense since it'll be autumn-ish when I arrive in Australia. But I think a spanking smoking HOT BODY still accounts for a lot. That in mind, I will NEVER get fatter again, I swear. Okay, too much sidetracking now.


SECOND- Day out with my import friend, Robin. 

Italian, Right?
NOT.
Guess again.

Really homy-  fine dining interior!

We kicked the afternoon off with a pleasant lunch at Buenisimo. Okay, this place most certainly puzzles me. Initially, and up until the few moments before I entered the restaurant, I thought it was Italian. I bet you'd think the same thing especially given the look of the place. It's actually SPANISH.

Gambas!
I tried the sauce, it was LOVELY.

Robin, being such a regular knew what he wanted even almost before the waiter handed him the menu. He said the gambas and salpicao are must tries. Well, obviously we ordered that. I took forever to decide, I think I've never been this indecisive when it came to food! I was starving after hitting the gym, so I thought I'd get a pasta! And just to make sure we're stuffed, we shared a fish dish too!

Ramen Bar, Eastwood

RAMEN BAR. 

Yes, it's Eastwood again. I never really knew that a place called Ramen Bar existed. It's just that my friend who has a place in Eastwood mentioned it to me. I guess some cafes and restaurants in Japan would actually look like this since there seems to be some sort of artistic flare in the form of anime, but at the same time, some minimalism is present as well proved by the clean lines and furniture.

Super Chasyu Ramen- Soy-infused Tonkotsu Ramen 
topped with overflowing slices of chasyu and tamago.

I wouldn't precisely call it affordable since it would cost you around 400 pesos a pop (around $10- that's Aussie dollars!) My friend had the Super Chasyu Ramen while I had the R.B.S #1. We shared an order of the Kankuni Buns.

R.B.S #1-Soy-infused Tonkotsu Ramen 
topped with tamago, naruto, nori, negi, chasyu and kakuni.

The servings were rather generous and the broth was really soy infused and tasty. My stomach is rumbling as I'm actually trying to describe it. The noodles were al dente (Is there an Asian term for that?). The Chasyu was slices of pork belly cooked until really tender, and of course, there's nothing much to expect from pork belly rather than the fact that it would be fatty. The tamago was very flavorful but I must say that it was a bit too salty for my taste. My ramen had portions of nori, naruto, and negi. I couldn't really pinpoint each and every one of them but I will say that there are these mushroom things that are just fantastic, they have a bite and yet they don't give any crunch.

Kankuni Buns- Melt in your mouth pork buns.

The Kankuni Buns are the things that you shouldn't miss out on. The white buns are a pretty typical Asian thing, the pork belly was really melt in your mouth tender. Succulent! It was accompanied by lettuce, spring onions, and some hoisin sauce. Did I mention I have a thing for hoisin? Anyway, it was such a good combo. I could've eaten like 5 if I probably didn't have the ramen. Yummo!:)

On a weekday, it was really packed with people. As per Philippines, I think it just might be one of the best ramen bowls I've had or more authentic rather. As for Australia, wait for my post on Zenya Noodle Bar in Eastwood, Sydney. It's impeccable. And I swear, all the people there actually speak Japanese!:) So authentic!


Ramen BarG/F Eastwood Mall 
Libis, Quezon City
Philippines

Kogi Bulgogi, Eastwood

After an outrageously tiring workout at the gym, I reckon that I deserved a bountiful lunch. At first, we were thinking of heading to Outback, but along with Outback comes a lot of fat and calories. So we settled on heading to Eastwood and finding a restaurant there.

Kogi Bulgogi

We had a few puzzling conversations before we decided to head over to Kogi Bulgogi which is obviously a Korean restaurant. I've heard about it in Appetite magazine before and it's apparently a good place to go for Korean fare.

The place isn't as full as it usually is, but there's a reasonable crowd inside. I chose not to order since I was with some frequent diners. We ordered a fair bit of food but all went down without a hitch.

Top: Kimchi, Beansprouts, Veggie Cake
Bottom: Potato, Sweet Potato and Banana, Small Fried Fish

Gleaming Slivers of Salmon

As for starters, there were the 6 typical Korean appetizers. I especially liked the small fish often called dilis, there was a nice crunch and slightly spicy tinge to it. The salmon sashimi that they served tasted very clean and fresh. It was a tad bit frozen though.

Sae-u Bibimbap (Prawn Bibimbap)

My portion of bibimbap, I told the prawns were tiny.

Tuk Bulgogi (Bulgogi Pot)

There was bibimbap with prawns, the bibimbap had such an intense kimchi flavor. I, for one, loved it, the only problem I had with it were those tiny tiny prawns. Next came the Bulgogi Pot. The broth that came with it had that sweet-savoury vibe, I wasn't the biggest fan. The beef wasn't the best thing either, it looked really shriveled and sad.

Jang O-Gui (Grilled Eel)

Ko Chi Gui (Salt Grilled Mackerel)

The other dishes we had were the grilled eel and grilled mackerel. The grilled eel I especially loved because it proved to be really tender and packed with loads of flavor. It was cooked perfectly and didn't have that cheap fishy vibe to it. The mackerel on the other hand was a little bit overdone but it was compensated by those gorgeous grill marks and the calamansi juice that was sprinkled over it.

bye bye fishie.

I'd say this would definitely be one of those places that has a good value for money, and they have great service as well! Another plus would be the no service charge! Definitely a check plus, plus!

A Taste Of Shanghai

So this evening, my family and I had dinner at A Taste Of Shanghai in Eastwood. I usually despise chinese food because it just constantly serves as a reminder of Gloria Maris Chinese birthday celebrations. It's never fantastic because my relatives constantly scoop mounds of food on my plate, I never like any single bit of it and yet they constantly insist that I clean my plate. :(

But in this case, I like the food at this place, it's authentic and above all things, awesome.

Pork Dumplings/ Xiao Long Bao

I reckon the pork taste is too intense to the point of revolting, I was thinking probably the meat wasn't fresh enough. The dimsum wrapper is nicely made, it's hand-crafted- how skilled those people are. The juice in the little parcel is savoury and perfect.

Pork Dumpling Buns

These are buns of happiness. It's one of those things that I randomly crave for. It's too good to pass up when you visit this place! The juice within is abundant, you can literally stick a small straw inside and sip all the goodness. The buns are thick and chewy, I'll die of contentment. I burnt my lip and tongue because I was too excited to eat it all up.

Sweet and Sour Fish

I know the fish looks absolutely immaculate. And to even make it even better, there are prawns, peas, and pine nuts too! The sauce was vibrant and inviting, I guess. But for some reason, this dish just didn't work for me.

Honeyed Prawns

Ooey gooey prawns. Is there anything not to like? ABSOLUTELY NOT. These crunchy sticky morsels just kept me heading back for more.

Sweet and Sour Soup

Yet another sour item for dinner. The soup has a rich brown color. It has a bountiful mix of mushrooms, tofu, and bamboo shoot. The balance of sweet and sour elements in this soup are nonetheless, stunning. Adding a bit of black vinegar just enhances the flavors even more!

Szechuan Chicken

Once this dish arrives on the table, the combined aroma of chilli and pepper fill the air. It may be quite intimidating with the scorched chilli but it's wonderful. I absolutely felt the tingling sensation that the Szechuan Peppercorn gave once I ate quite a bit, my gums became a bit numb, but it was just so fragrant and flavorful that I had to have more. On top of that, the chicken was cooked perfectly, it was moist. After this dish, the heat of the chilli and peppercorns just played around in my mouth, it was hot, but positively worth every bit.

A Taste of Shanghai

200 Rowe St
Eastwood 2122 NSW