Rice, as you know, is staple among Asians so everytime my family and I crave for KFC, we’d normally order take-aways and enjoy the crisp fried chicken with home-cooked steamed rice. This got me thinking, and wishing that rice would be sold at KFC restaurants here in NZ, the way they do in the Philippines. It would make life so much easier! The smell of KFC inside the car makes my mouth water! Lol!

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{democracy:3}

Thanks for participating in my mini-survey. Please do tell where in the world you are, thru the Comments field below. It’s gonna be a thrill to know if …read more

A new Japanese food chain takes the Philippines by storm! Pepper Lunch is a DIY steakhouse from Japan where diners get to cook their own food over a sizzling hot plate that is heated up to 260°C within one minute and can keep your food warm for more than 20 minutes.

A meal can cost from around P200 (US$4) to P650 (US$14). This is quite pricey for a Filipino’s typical casual lunch. Do not fret if it’s over your budget. You’re sure to have your money’s worth because they use premium quality ingredients. The sauces come from Japan. Meat from New …read more

..well, then you must try the Teppanyaki restaurant to enjoy a unique dining experience! Pictured above is such restaurant we went to when my parents were around visiting. As you can see, your order gets cooked right in front of you on the big hotplate! Makes you appreciate how fresh the food that is served up.  As for the price, it is fairly reasonable. Our dinner at the Fuji Restaurant seven months ago had cost $35 per person, which gave us a healthy variety of beef, chicken, seafood, vegetable, rice, miso soup and green tea ice cream. You’ll surely get …read more

Only recently did I notice that gluten-free food has become such a craze here in New Zealand. I see gluten-free muffins and cookies all the time at the cafes, gluten-free cakes at the bakery, even a gluten-free menu at this Asian restaurant:

According to the glutenfreekiwi website, there’s a menu available if you want to find out which dishes are gluten-free. That’s what I call keeping up with the trend!
Off-topic though, it bothers me to have found out that the restaurant claims to have food choices from the Philippines when they actually don’t on their menu. =(

Asia’s first recognized guide to the best restaurants, The Miele Guide, placed Antonio’s Fine Dining 10th (among 20) in their list. The chef and owner, Antonio Escalante, must be very proud to be the only Philippine restaurant to top the list. I know of a lovely married couple, close to my husband and I, who got engaged there. The cuisine and the ambience must really be that good!! I must remind my hubby to take me to Tagaytay for a romantic dinner if we ever make plans to come home for a well-deserved vacation.
Image credit: Our Awesome Planet’s …read more

For the geographically challenged among you (like me) the very northern tip of Hokkaido is very very close to Russia.  The biggest town up there is called Wakanai and is the brunt of a whole lot of jokes but the thing it is most famous for is being heavily influenced by its Russian neighbours.  Up there road signs are written in Russian and Japanese and all sorts of labels and instructions favour Russian over English.  As a result we bumped into a wonderful little Russian restaurant (the first I have ever been to)that served up apparently authentic cuisine.  The biggest …read more

If you believe their marketing this place is world famous.  Is that because of their almost brand new vintage architecture complete with balconies to rooms that don’t exist, massive hinged doors that are concreted open, rusticated brickwork and imitated bricked up windows.  Maybe it is because of their massive copper brewing vats that produce quite nice (but not exceptional beer).  Or maybe it is because they have perfected the recipe for making paella that tastes distinctly like burnt plastic. 
 If you visit Hakodate, and I recommend that you do, there are millions of places you should visit before you go here.  …read more

Coming in on the back of a run of terrible photos is this unidentifiable shot of my new favourite restaurant, Kushi Tombo.  I can take most of the blame for the terrible photography but some of the credit goes to the extreme overhead lighting, dark restaurant and pitch black evening.  Photography and me are like Chocolate and Miso.
Anyhow, I have to write about the restaurant today or I will surely explode with enthusiasm, it is that good.
Its small, semi industrial interior combined with its dark timber exterior immediately point to something unusual.  Add this to the massive staff and enthusiastic …read more

Mother’s Day was celebrated earlier this year, and the absence of crowds made the day so pleasant that we have decided to make this our new tradition. Since it was “my” day, I got to pick where we were dining.

Asiana Korean Restaurant is about 20 minutes North from the heart of Cincinnati, so that alone takes you away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. Located in a small strip off of Cincinnati-Dayton Road, it is a bit of a drive from many Cincy neighborhoods but not too far away as to be inaccessible.
The glass windows are marked …read more

Maricar at Filipina Soul posted about two restaurants in Philadelphia, PA. We ate at one of them pre-blogging days, but the other one — Cebu — is new to me. Note to self: gotta try that one next time we’re in Philly! I hope they have lechon! Whoops… just checked their website — no — but the sisig and okoy are calling my name! Let’s see…. May, June, July, August, September!!! Four months to go.