A Second Take at Ninyo, Katipunan

Few months ago, Daryl told me about a lovely fusion sort of molecular gastronomy restaurant that's just near Ateneo. She said they have great ideas (like WOW! How do you actually come up with those sorts of things?) but then there were issues with the temperature of the food. Well, I'd say it piqued my interest, and that's why I made my way there with my family one Sunday night.

Btw, Daryl's post on Ninyo here!

The whole restaurant has a rather traditional appearance which is most certainly contradicting the food that they serve. Tables and utensils wise, it was classy, near the fine dining side but tuned to Filipino twists and culture. On the menu, there were plenty of fascinating things, all sounding rather unusual, novel, and inventive.

Sydney Fish Market

To me, the fish market is more than comforting. It's impossible to not get fresh good food here. It's the reassurance and the lip smacking food that keeps me coming back, and back, and back. Oh lovely.

The beautiful view outside.

So when a visitor is in town, it's impossible for me to skip out the fish market. It's always on the agenda.* My friend and I went on a Saturday, and when it comes to weekends and the fish market- oh the crowds could kill. Nevertheless, that wasn't going to stop me.**

Another impossibility would be me not ordering fish & chips or a fisherman's basket that comprises of fish, calamari, and you've guessed it- chips! It's the particular dish that zaps me back to my 4 year old self who's up to shenanigans in my parents' fish & chip shop in Manly. I remember whisking the big bucket that almost towered me, it was filled with the beer batter. I had to exert all my effort to even just swish the whisk around in a circle. It was fun though, real fun. So was getting flour all over my face.

The more Asian stuff in the market.

Bugs and Lobsters.
YUM.

My ultimate favorite place for seafood would be Peter's. It's where I ate the first time or at least my recollection of the first time eating in the fish market. They cook to order (at least for the fried goodies) so everything is pretty fresh and hot once they're handed to you. I guess that's why there's always a queue there as well.

This is How You Make Fish & Chips- Chloe Stylie.

HOHOHO. I find myself using this "word" so often these days. Why so? Maybe I like the ring to it? I really don't know!

My mum defrosted some dory fillets and asked me to quickly whip up a batch of fish & chips! Being a good daughter (right, right, right Chloe), I obeyed. And of course, I had my 2 lovely assistants to help me! Oh how I love having Shaye and Star helping me in the kitchen.

As for the chips, we picked camote over potatoes cause they're supposed to have more nutritional value. I like them a lot too! I'd be munching them nonstop whenever I'm in Max's. NO JOKE.

Just so you know, the culinary classes in ISCAHM are proving to be very helpful! And that's where this recipe for fish and chips comes from as well!:) I find that this version is lighter compared to one I usually prepare!:) SUCCESS!

Fish & Chips
1.5kg Cream Dory Fillets
Salt
Pepper
Lemon
Oil (for frying)

Beer Batter
250g Flour
320ml Beer
30ml Vinegar/Apple Cider
3 Egg Yolks
3 Egg Whites
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Paprika

Marinade the fish fillets in lemon juice, salt&pepper

Beat the egg whites until they form a soft peak.

Mamou: A Home Kitchen, Serendra, The Fort

I've been to Mamou endless times. I like the place cause it brings back flooding good memories dating back to high school and as well, it has undoubtedly good food that reels me in. My favorites are the Fish and Chips with Malt Vinegar and Lorenzo's Truffle Cream.

The kitchen and busy staff

Today, I decide to cut back on the fried stuff as well as the creamy buttery ones. I shuffled through the menu a couple of times and I was puzzled which dish to pick. I know Mamou has been very famous recently for their Dry Aged USDA Prime Grade, the issue is, I'm not allowed to chow down a wad of beef since it's bad for my particular diet. So, I decided to get the Roast Pork and Chicken cause it did seem appetizing.

Bread and butter

As per always, they always give complimentary dinner rolls and butter. I like their bread very much cause it is dense and a fair bit nutty. I do however favor the brown bread over the white ones.

Roast Pork and Chicken- Mamou's citrus roasted pork and chicken,
buttered onions, red cuban rice, cinnamon saba, and black beans.

When my main arrived, it seemed like a whole plate of cuban influence was dumped right in front of me. The plate looked gorgeous with all the different colors outshining one another. The beans seemed a tiny bit overcooked, but that wasn't the case with I swooped some into my mouth. It had a smoky flavor that was utterly satisfying. The bananas were partially caramelized with cinnamon sugar, the slight crunch proved to be very inviting. As for the chicken, it was moist and packed with the citrus flavor, it was impeccable. The pork's skin was burnt and not quite palatable.

Beer Battered Fish with Malt Vinegar- Choice of potato wedges,  mashed potato,
red or white rice with tartar sauce and malt vinegar.

We also ordered the Fish and Chips with Malt Vinegar. Still the same banana as it used to be. The hot crisp batter with the velvety flaking of the fish. Bliss. Arguably still my favorite item on the menu. Oh there was a side of rice since someone decided to choose it over the chips. The rice was buttery and perfectly cooked.

Slow roasted bone-in, Prime Rib/ Yorkshire Puddings
Choice of two sides.

For the ultimate piece de resistance, there was Wawa's Prime Rib. We had a short chat with the owner and she said that this is one of those dishes that has been passed down in her family. I would simply describe it as a full-on juicy steak with a perfect gravy. The steak was a pleasure, or it was up until we hit the bone which proved to be a little bit shifty cause it was hard to carve and the meat there was definitely on the raw side. There was a huge amount of fat on the steak as well. The Yorkshire puddings were dry and bland, not their best. The mashed potato and creamed spinach were equally good, and did I mention the amount of butter? It's something that you probably wouldn't miss in any case.

Mamou: A Home Kitchen
8563569

Serendra, Bonifacio Global City

Taguig City, Metro Manila

Philippines

Ikea Cafeteria

Cafeteria Menu for the day

Cafeteria was clear and straight for the point

When the word Ikea is uttered, the words that instantly pop into my head would be Sweden then contemporary yet affordable furniture. Fortunately, there's a lot more to Ikea than the furniture. There's the cafeteria that I love dearly. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about fresh, seasonal produce, not that I'm saying that's not what they serve, but at that cheap price and setup, it gets you thinking. It's frozen food, mate. But I've never had any better frozen food, it's pardonable.  

Swedish meatballs, I'll have you in my belly any time of the day

My personal favorite would be the Swedish Meatballs served with chips, cream sauce, and a lingonberry jam. There's nothing quite like it, ordinary meatballs just don't come close. The meatball is made out of both beef and pork. I'll admit, I'm clueless when it comes to what seasoning they use. The cream sauce is really smooth and oozy. The lingonberry jam gives that sweet and tangy twist that perfectly cuts the cream sauce. 

Pasta with grilled chicken, not a stunner, babe.

There are a couple of other things on the menu like fish & chips, pasta with grilled chicken, gravalax, prawn& egg sandwiches, and the list goes on. For a change, on my last visit,  I tried something different, the pasta with grilled chicken. The sauce was really green, seemed like pureed celery, parsley, chives, and who knows what else. The pasta was overcooked and the chicken was dry- it looked like it had a sunburn. Poor chuck.

It seems to me that we are school tuck shop

My cousin took a stab at the fish and chips, it's not like the typical beer-battered ones that I'm used to. It had  an orange crumb batter. It didn't taste of anything in particular, but it was definitely one of those things that you wouldn't want to have again. Despite these harsh comments, I really have to give them props for supplying good chips and the affordable price.

Next time I'm not trying new things, I'm sticking to what I know and love, Swedish Meatballs. And guess what, you could actually purchase frozen Swedish Meatballs with the matching cream sauce and Lingonberry jam. If you must know, I have some downstairs in the freezer for my lazy days.

See how fresh and vibrant the gravlax looks?

I want to head to Sweden in time for crayfish season and
have crayfish parties with endless shots of vodka

I think Swedish food is beyond interesting, the freshness of it all- the gravalax and crayfish. I love the use of dill as well. It's one of those herbs that is really under appreciated. Jamie Does is a series that is worth checking out, it really ignited my love for Sweden. And maybe, just maybe, I'll take a stab at making my very own Swedish meatballs.

Ikea

1 Oulton Avenue

Rhodes

New South Wales

My Last Meal: Food Faves

Some memories from childhood include beaches, playgrounds, meat pies, and fish & chips. There were a lot of fish & chips because my parents owned a fish & chip shop in Manly. When my parents were working, I would just be there watching the cooks make batches of fish & chips! I'd often snag a mouthful or two! It's something that's nostalgic and close to my heart indeed. Each time that I go to Manly, the memories just keep rushing back to me. Sad to say, in my opinion, there isn't a nice fish & chip shop there these days.  So, for the best fish& chips, I head directly to the source, the Sydney Fish Market.

Peter's Fish Market

The Fisherman's Basket accompanied
by Charlie's Honest Juice

The fish market is such an interesting place to be. So many restaurants and shops to see & try. My favourite happens to be Peter's! It's the first place that I've tried when I first went to the fish market and I've been going there ever since. I always tend to get the same thing every single time, the Fisherman's Basket. It has pieces of beer-battered fish, crumbed calamari, chips! At $11, it's one of the best deals you'll ever find!

The fish was cooked to perfection, it was smoking hot when I got it, and boy, I have to tell you, it was absolutely grand. It was flaky and moist. The calamari was very much tender, but once it got cold had that tendency of getting hard. The chips were mediocre compared to the other contents of the meal. It was soggy, I was so sad because I'm such a sucker for hot crispy chips. I usually have some sashimi and oysters but I was definitely bloated after the Fisherman's basket and I couldn't pack in anymore. And after all, my friend and I had a whole lot of other foodie places to go to!

The Manly Bakery

Assuming that I'm really dying, I'd definitely pack in some meat pie after my fish & chips. Meat pie from the one and only Manly Bakery. It's a small bakery sort of hidden in the back streets of Manly, but boy do they know how to make good meat pie! My favourite would be the beef, cheese, and tomato pie. The cheese is blended in with the beef and it creates just the best sauce ever. The meat is in form of mince and small strips which is a good variety to have. The tomato rings are placed on top of the meat, it is very much soft and melted. And all these goodies are enclosed in a very pleasant pastry. It's more flaky and less brown than I remembered, but is, nevertheless, great. My friend had a vegetarian pizza, it had tomato, olives, onions, cheese, and peppers! He said it was tasty.

Beef, Cheese and Tomato Pie

scrumptious inside view

My friend's vegetarian pizza

These were a few of the things that I had yesterday on a food trip with my friend! We walked for ages through rainy and crazy windy weather but it was definitely some experience!:)