Wai Ying's Broccoli in Oyster Sauce

Remember our food trip adventure in Binondo, Manila? Our first stop in Binondo was the small but popular restaurant called Wai Ying which specializes Chinese cuisines. One of our orders was their popular chicken dish, Soy Chicken, but of course, we didn't stop there from ordering another food. Eating meat is not complete when there is no vegetables around. That's why we also ordered Wai Ying's Broccoli in Oyster Sauce and some other more food dishes.

Wai Ying's Broccoli in Oyster Sauce is cooked crisp and the broccoli flowers are still green. I am hinting that the broccoli stalks were blanched to retain its green color and probably cooked with baking soda. It was blanched fresh at the right time. I was actually contented with this broccoli in oyster sauce dish, but of course, since we had a budget for food, we had to order for more. We actually wanted to try everything, but that will be too much for us.

In the photo above, you can also see one of Wai Ying's popular dishes, the Peking Duck in Oyster Sauce. I am not so sure if I have a photo close-up of that. I might have to look for it soon. It was really nice to eat when you have lots of money, and of course, eat the food with friends! Hahaha!

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Assorted Chocolate Snacks From Officemate Friends

When my last day in my former office finally came, I never thought my officemate friends will surprise me with gifts of love. It was February 14, 2014, yes, a Valentine's Day celebration for most people, but a heartbreak for me and to the people I loved the most. It was really hard to leave the people whom I talked, I laughed, and I did crazy things with for eight long years, but I really have to say goodbye to them for me to move on with my life. It was a heartbreaking experience, but still hopeful that a good life is waiting for me beyond the walls of my previous company.

Two of my officemate friends gave these chocolate snacks as a gift for my departure. I just wondered, do these officemate friends of mine know the North Asian tradition of giving chocolates on Valentine's Day? I hope they didn't know because I will be obliged to give them white chocolates a month after day on White's Day! Hahaha!

Anyway, these assorted chocolate snacks are truly a hunger-reliever especially when you are in the middle of finishing an office task that needs a deadline. If you are craving for something sweet and a quick fix snacks, a few sticks of chocolate pretzels, or a chocolate bar, or chocolate almonds will do the job. Some of my officemates keep different snacks in their drawers, and some of the most popular snacks are these chocolate snacks.

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Chef Donatello's Chicken and Pasta Meal

It was the year 2007 when I first attended a premiere night to a local movie premiere but not until a couple years after that when I was fully recognized as a movie blogger. It was one of my blogger friends, Jehzlau who invited me at the premiere night of "Resiklo" which starred Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr., Jennilyn Mercado, Paolo Contis, and Dingdong Dantes. It was Jehzlau's enthusiasm to make a website for the movie that caught the attention of one of Senator Bong's PR men who picked up Jehz' idea when they wanted to boost the movie's online visibility. Seven years later, the movie website is still up and the memories that my first-ever premiere night had brought to me, still remain.

I came to Megamall building A about more than an hour earlier. The movie premiere of "Resiklo" will start at around 7 PM. Since it was too early to go to the cinema venue where a red carpet for the cast members were expected, I immediately went somewhere near the venue to find myself something to eat. I remember I was craving for fried chicken that night (I always crave and I always like chicken) but couldn't find any food restaurant that served it until I stumbled upon Chef Donatello.

Chef Donatello's Chicken and Pasta Meal was just like any other chicken and pasta meal that I have eaten in the past, not so ordinary, not so plain either. It is just right. The meal also served pizza as well along with a glass of iced tea. This quick fix snacks really satisfied my hunger that night.

I haven't visited SM Megamall lately, so I am not sure if Chef Donatello is still there or if there are still Chef Donatello restaurants around somewhere in the metro. For more of this adventure at Chef Donatello and the premiere night of Resiklo, you may find that article here. Thanks for visiting!

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Jamba Juice Yogurt Drinks

It's a very rare occasion that we meet the schedule of one of our high school friends due to her very fortunate job opportunity that lets her travel around the world (yes, it is work-related and yes, there is such a thing! hahaha). So, when we got the chance to meet her, it's really a whole day event!

There was one time when Ian and I, met with Meann after a movie press screening in Makati. We called and met her, then we went to a museum, and went somewhere to eat. Meanwhile, on this occasion, we met Meann with another high school friend. It was a Saturday and we are free of doing whatever we want to do.

The four of us met somewhere in Trinoma and ate lunch. Then, stroll the mall, went to another mall, and finally went somewhere. We went to a Comic Con somewhere in Pasig. The day went well and as planned. But before heading to the Comic Con event, I offered to buy them some Jamba Juice Yogurt drinks.

Jamba Juice Yogurt drinks are healthy drinks due to the presence of fresh fruits and yogurt blended together to become a cold refreshing drink. It's a bit pricey (yes, expensive!) for a drink that is something healthy. I can drink Fruitas blended drinks and drink something healthy but still at a price lower than P100, but Jamba Juice Yogurt drinks were really a roller-coaster experience. It's tasty, it's delicious, it's refreshing... there was no doubt about it... but it is not something for the broke, the poor, and the unfortunate ones...

Let's face it. Jamba Juice Yogurt drinks are really delicious and healthy (it can actually help in the process of digestion), I can still remember the taste of strawberries on my drinks that day, but for a price similar to that of a Starbucks Grande, I really don't know... I might have a second look before buying another one for my own. By the way, the four Jamba Juice Yogurt drinks above were my treat! Hahaha!

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Dimsum Break's Wanton Noodles

It was one of those rainy October nights before going home from work when I went to SM North EDSA Annex to eat dinner. I was soaking wet due to heavy rains outside so I went inside the mall to let the rain settle down a bit before I went to ride the bus going home but that wasn't going to happen in an hour or two. Because of this, I decided to eat something since I was already hungry, and made myself warm by eating something hot.

I strolled the mall and found Dimsum Break. I got excited to eat because I was really craving for something that will warm my stomach. As soon as I entered their store, I immediately ordered their Wanton Noodles and a bowl of what they called, steamed fried rice. By the looks of the photo above, you might say it's delicious, but according to my instagram account's review of this photo, it was telling us otherwise. Here's what my review of Dimsum Break's Wanton Noodles from my instagram account.

dimsum break's wanton noodles has this hint of knorr chicken cubes with some drops of sesame oil to tweak the taste a little bit... thanks for the chili garlic that serves as it('s) saving grace. not ideal for noodle food enthusiasts... (Source)

After that eating, I never ate Dimsum Break's Wanton Noodles again. I might try their other dishes soon. But for now, eating their wanton noodles is far from happening again.

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Country Chicken's Cream and Corn Soup

It's raining outside and it's cold out there, what's the best thing to warm your body? A bowl of hot soup of course! A bowl of hot soup on a cold rainy night is the best thing to happen in food (well... next to pizza! hahaha). Do you agree?

I remember this Country Chicken's Cream and Corn Soup was one of the food items that we ordered as we plan a wedding reception program for an officemate friend. Karen, Angge, and I made several meetings at Country Chicken to plan the things that we were going to do during the wedding reception of our officemate friend. During the meetings, we order food not just to satisfy our hunger since it was already dinner time, but also to fill our stomach for us to think clearly while brainstorming. Hahaha! Brainstorming... yeah right?

Anyway, this Country Chicken Cream and Corn Soup is thick and flavorful. It's like an egg-drop soup but tastes something different. Unfortunately, the Country Chicken branch that we used to have meetings with was closed a few months later due to economic trouble. How sad?

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Featured Recipe: Rolled Oats Porridge with Chocolate Raisins and Dried Mangoes

When I buy a bag of rolled oats in the supermarket, I always try to buy something that will make my rolled oats porridge fancy when I eat it. Sometimes I also buy a pack of trail mix (assorted nuts), raisins, fruits, and milk to upgrade my rolled oats porridge's taste.

In this particular photo (the photo may not be that good, but I assure you, it does taste great!), I topped some chocolate raisins and that locally-made dried mangoes for me to enjoy my rolled oats. What I did was to cook the rolled oats, put some powdered milk by the end of the cooking, pour the contents into a bowl, and top it with chocolate raisins and dried mangoes.

The taste of the rolled oats porridge turned out just right. If you want to try this cooked rolled oats recipe, here are the steps on how to cook or prepare it:

Rolled Oats Porridge with Chocolate Raisins and Dried Mangoes Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1 cup water
3 tablespoons powdered milk
10 grams dried mangoes
10 grams chocolate raisins
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Procedure:
1. Put the uncooked rolled oats into a small sauce pan and let it boil with water for 5 to 10 minutes depending on the consistency of the porridge you want. On the last minute of cooking, put three tablespoons of powdered milk. You may use liquid fresh milk to cook the rolled oats if you are not fond of eating or drinking powdered milk. Turn off the fire and serve in a bowl.

2. Top your bowl of rolled oats porridge with dried mangoes and chocolate raisins. You may add a tablespoon of sugar for sweet taste. Serve immediately while it's still hot. Makes 1 serving.

It's so easy, isn't it? This recipe is best eaten during breakfast. Why don't you try this healthy recipe now for something new or to fancy that bland rolled oats porridge. Share us your experience below!

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Gumbo's Spicy Seafood Jambalaya

Have you tried eating at Gumbo? Whenever Ian (my blog partner in MovieNews.Me) asked for a meet up after work, he always says we go on "payak na dinner" or something really simple to eat. So before we start the meeting, we usually find some restaurant or fastfood chain to eat. But lo and behold, we always end up at Gumbo.

Gumbo's food dishes are not that really "payak." It's more of a feast in the eyes because of the many colors in their food dishes. Gumbo is famous for their pastas and Louisiana-style of cooking pork chop meals with big servings. But there are also some food that are a little known to others, like the Spicy Seafood Jambalaya.

The spicy seafood jambalaya is a complete rice meal experience. It doesn't have much vegetables in it, but it has a lot of seafood. It's like eating seafood paella mixed with chilis but only better. As you can see, the spicy seafood jambalaya is cooked with different seafood such as clams, mussels, shrimp, and squids. When we order a jambalaya at Gumbo, we see to it that's spicy hot, otherwise, there is no fun in eating them. The jambalaya at Gumbo also comes in simple flavor (not spicy) and comes in chicken variety (spicy chicken jambalaya).

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Twinings Raspberry and Echinacea Infusion Tea

The first time I drank this red tea was when I was invited in a mini reunion with my high school friends about two years ago. It was a short after dinner meet up at Caffe da Roma (located in Oreta Sports Complex in Malabon) sometime in November of 2012. They invited me to eat some cake with them as we exchanged chit-chats but I was already full due to some heavy merienda in the office. I can't have another food in my stomach so I just ordered something to drink. I ordered the Twinings Raspberry and Echinacea Infusion Tea to blend with my friends.

The Twinings Infusion Tea in Caffe da Roma costs P50. I said to myself that it was pricey for a hot tea drink with red color. But then I remembered, it was Twinings. Twinings teas are really expensive when I tried to buy a box of it in the supermarket. This infusion tea of raspberry and echinacea (a variety of daisy) taste a little bit sweet but as you let the tea bag submerged for a long time in hot water, making it darker in color, the taste of the tea becomes a little bit sour. 

I let one of my officemate friends to try the Twinings Raspberry and Echinacea Infusion Tea when I already bought some for my consumption (because I liked the tea very much, I bought a box a few days after that). I gave her three tea bags for her to try. Surprisingly, we have the same result. This Twinings Infusion Tea flavor really becomes sour as you let the tea bag submerged in hot water for a long time. It must be the echinacea flower petals. 

Lesson learned: just let your tea bag submerged in hot water for 3 to 5 minutes. The infusion tea is a lot more different than that of regular teas. I can drink a regular tea with the tea bag dipped in my cup for so long, but with this infusion tea from Twinings, you just have to follow directions.

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Soya Bar's Almond Milk Drink

It was one of those strolls inside SM The Block when Ian and I, stumbled upon a small kiosk at 2nd or 3rd floor of the mall. At site stands the popular soya milk drink kiosk, Soya Bar (or I Heart Soya Bar). Ian asked me if I already tried drinking one of their soya milk drinks, I said "No, I haven't," with conviction.

Ian insisted that their soya milk drinks were good. We immediately went to their stall and he treated me with one. I ordered Soya Bar's Almond Milk Drink. It was one of their best sellers.

The Soya Bar's Almond Milk Drink is like drinking your everyday taho with a twist. I am not a fan of soya milk, I usually prefer cow's milk over soya milk, but this Soya Bar's Almond Milk Drink, I can say, is just one of the best milk drinks I had in my entire life. If you want to try Soya Bar's Almond Milk Drink and any other soya milk drinks in their menu, you may head to their nearest kiosk in your favorite mall.

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Flaming Hot's Chicken Barbecue with Shanghai and Pancit Canton

It was one of those alone times inside the mall on a rainy September evening when I stumbled upon Flaming Hot Food Stall at SM North EDSA's Food Court. It was dinner time, I was inside a mall because of heavy rain, there was heavy traffic outside, and I have a grumbling stomach to feed when destiny unfolded right in front of my eyes. I knew that moment that this chicken barbeque meal was all I need to satisfy my hunger.

Flaming Hot is just one of the many food stalls that can be found inside the SM North EDSA's Food Court. The said Food Court is located on the Lower Ground Floor of the mall. It's really hard to decide what to eat when you are inside a Food Court (next to finding the perfect seat to eat, true story!). But since I was craving for something chicken that night, I immediately fall in love with the meal.

Flaming Hot's Chicken Barbecue Meal is composed of grilled chicken barbecue, java rice, fried lumpiang shanghai, and pancit canton (stir fried noodles). It comes with a free soup and a free 8oz iced tea. Not bad for a less than P100 (around $2.00)-meal. So, if you have a chance to eat at SM Food Courts, try visiting Flaming Hot.

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Yoshinoya's Chicken Ramen

When I went home alone (like I always did), I sometimes go to SM North EDSA to have a time for myself. I stroll around the mall, I window shop, and when I get hungry, I eat alone.

It was one rainy evening of August. I did not go straight home because it was raining hard and I think I forgot my umbrella. To make the situation even worse, there was traffic jam everywhere. The jeepney terminal that I usually go to after work was jam-packed with passengers of long queues. Because of this, I decided to take another route going home.

I went to SM North EDSA to let the rain subsides a little. After strolling inside the mall, I went to Yoshinoya to eat some ramen. Actually, it was just snap decision. I just want something hot to eat that night because I was soaking wet due to heavy rain outside. I know my decision was correct because I was really craving for something hot that night. Yoshinoya's ramen was the answer to my chilling body that night.

I headed straight to the counter and made an order. I haven't tried any ramen from Yoshinoya before so I ordered something that I liked the most. I ordered Yoshinoya's Chicken Ramen.

Yoshinoya's Chicken Ramen comes with coated-fried chicken strips, which are also good, by the way. The soup was delicious and flavorful. Of course, Yoshinoya served it hot. That's a plus to them. Yoshinoya's Chicken Ramen and other Ramen flavors are delicious when eaten hot or right after it was served to you. Don't let it cool down because there's no essence of eating a cold ramen. Try Yoshinoya Chicken Ramen to a branch nearest you. Enjoy eating!

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Savory's Half Spring Chicken with Pansit Canton

It was a rainy evening when former officemate and friend, Mina and I decided to eat at a Savory (believe it or not, it is pronounced as SA-VOH-RI) branch near the terminal where we ride jeepney on the way home. It was the branch at 5th Avenue Station of LRT. The Savory branch was newly opened that time and customers where not really that much. It was raining hard outside and we were hungry, and the only eatery at sight was the Savory restaurant, so we decided to try out this newly opened branch since it's new and we were hungry.

It's really hard to decide what to eat, especially when there are a lot of food items on the menu. But we had to decide right away because the food that we ordered were still going to cook. This Savory branch is a restaurant-style branch, it is not like the fast-food Savory branches that we see at different malls nowadays. So, the food is really not a fast to serve. The food being served here is freshly-cooked and still hot but it did take about 30 minutes or so before we finally had our order.

And so, our order came. It was a deep-fried half spring chicken, one of Savory's signature dishes, and a half-plate of pansit canton (stir-fried noodles). Yummy as it looks in the photo above, the food was really satisfying. The spring chicken was juicy and flavorful. You won't be needing gravy sauce for that, but they served it anyway. I can still remember the smell of the spring chicken as it was being served to us on our table. Mmmmm...

Meanwhile, the pansit canton was also full of flavor. The noodles were cooked just right. As you eat the noodles, you will taste savory sauce in your mouth. The vegetables... the chicken gizzards... mmmm... love it.

Savory Chinese-style Restaurant is located at 5th Avenue, Caloocan City (just a few steps away from LRT 5th Avenue Station).

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Chic-Boy's Saging Na Turon Sticks

It was Angge, my former officemate, who introduced Chic-Boy's Saging Na Turon (sweet banana wrap) to me a few years back. I remember Angge, Karen, and I went to three Chic-Boy fastfood chain branches just to eat these sweet treats. But unfortunately, these branches don't serve this dessert anymore due to unpopularity of menu.

And so, Saturday OT came. We tried once more to another branch of Chic-Boy, the branch that we already went a few days before. We were just hoping that they serve Chic-Boy's Saging Na Turon sticks on a much earlier time. So, we went there at around 4pm. This branch near Zirkoh finally served us what we were craving for for several days. It was a worth-the-wait-worth-the-sacrifices experience indeed.

Chic-Boy's Saging Na Turon sticks is composed of banana strips seasoned with sugar and wrapped in lumpiang shanghai wrapper, deep-fried to perfection, and served with sweet condensed milk. It is around P35 or so, about the size of an index finger, and served in six pieces.

Today, I think Chic-Boy does not serve this Saging Na Turon dessert in their menu. Maybe in some branches, but I think they already phased-out this dessert. How sad...

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Chocolate Cupcakes from Allie's Birthday Celebration

When April's daughter, Allie, celebrated her 2nd birthday, we went to their house in San Mateo, Rizal to celebrate with them. April's sister baked some pastries which includes an actual cake and some chocolate cupcakes. They cooked some birthday food such as spaghetti and chicken. The birthday went well and as expected, the food was great and delicious.

These birthday cupcakes are delicious. The rich chocolate taste of the dough and its icing were at their right taste - not too sweet, not too bland. The chocolate cupcakes were perfectly baked and they did smell good. I'm sure April will be so proud of her sister when she reads this. Hahaha!

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Pizza Hut's Mushroom Soup

About how many times my friends and I went to Pizza Hut to dine in? I really can't count it with my fingers really. Every time there is something to talk about or something came up at each other's office or we just really need some air to breathe in, we message each other and meet at the mall. When we finally decide to eat dinner, Pizza Hut is just one of the choices we go dine into.

At Pizza Hut, we usually order the combo meal. This comes with either a pizza meal with a garden salad or a rice meal with soup. When I order a rice meal I choose between mushroom soup or chicken soup. The chicken soup usually prevails as the winner especially when I ordered the chicken meal, but for some occasions, the mushroom soup wins. This mushroom soup from Pizza Hut comes with crunchy croutons and some herbs, and of course, mushroom slices. It usually a little bit thick in consistency, so if you order the mushroom soup from Pizza Hut that is not so thick or a little soupy, you may ask for a replacement, I guess.

The Pizza Hut Mushroom Soup is a lot more different than the other mushroom soup that KFC serves. This one's a bit yellowish, thicker, and with croutons. KFC serves otherwise. So, if there will be battle between mushroom soups of different fast-food chains, I guess the Pizza Hut Mushroom Soup will prevail as the big winner. Have you tried it, lately?

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Pizza Hut's Garden Salad

Now, this is something healthy to order while eating in a fast-food chain restaurant. Pizza Hut food chains actually offer garden salad along with a pizza meal combo or as a separate order. I can still remember how crunchy their garden salad leaves every time I order them in one of the bistros or food chains. The Pizza Hut garden salad comes with lots of green leaves from fresh lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese, and toasted bacon bits.

A garden salad isn't complete without a dressing, so why not put some thousand island dressing there, too! It's a good way to cheat, while eating something healthy.

When my friend Ian and I go to the mall and have a snack afterwards, sometimes we choose to eat this pizza meal combination from Pizza Hut that comes with the fresh garden salad. It's not only good for my health, it's also good for digestion! Silly me. Hahaha!

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Featured Recipe: Corned Beef with Broccoli

When my friend, Kayle, went to Baguio with her husband Marlo for their well-deserved vacation and honeymoon rolled into one, she brought home some broccolis with them. Being one of the cooks in our lunch table group, she asked me to cook something out of the broccoli that Kayle brought. I have thought of cooking beef with broccoli as it is one of Kayle's favorite dishes but unfortunately, it was already late that day, I wasn't able to buy a good lean beef meat.

So, I went to a nearby supermarket and bought myself a couple of corned beef cans as an alternative. The following day, the corned beef with broccoli recipe was born!

If you are wondering how did I ever come up with this recipe, well, it's very simple. All the necessary ingredients that you may need are readily available in your kitchen. Below is the recipe for the corned beef with broccoli that I cooked for my officemates.

Corned Beef with Broccoli Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cans of chunky corned beef (any brand)
2 stalks of broccoli, chopped (including the flower and the stem)
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
water
salt
pepper
sugar
cornstarch for slurry

Procedure:
1. In a separate casserole, prepare some boiling. As the water boils, slowly blanch the chopped broccoli for about five minutes. This will make the broccoli crunchy and it will stay fresh, greener, and last much longer. Do not boil the broccoli. Remove the broccoli from the water. Filter all water drips. Put the blanched broccoli in a serving dish. Set aside.

2. Get a frying pan. Saute garlic and onion. Put the corned beef and cook as usual. Add the soy sauce and the oyster sauce as you cook the corned beef. Put a little amount of water (for the sauce), cover, and wait until it boils. Mix the ingredients, occasionally. Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Put the slurry when you are almost done cooking to thicken the sauce. This procedure might only take ten minutes to do.

3. Get the broccoli on the serving dish. Pour the corned beef with thick sauce on the broccoli while it is still hot. Serve immediately. Best eaten with steamy rice. This corned beef with broccoli dish makes 4-5 servings.

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Pork Barbecue Spareribs

About two weeks ago, my sister's request to eat pork barbecue spareribs has finally came true! After four years of pork deprivation in Saudi Arabia, her only request when she went home in the Philippines was to eat pork barbecue spareribs. Five months later, her request was granted when we finally had our first pork barbecue spareribs for the year. It was truly a "worth the wait" experience.

Our pork barbecue spareribs marinate is composed of pineapple juice, brown sugar, sprite, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and calamansi. The pork ribs are boiled to its own marinate to make the pork even more flavorful as it becomes tender and juicy or until the pork meat can be slowly removed out of its bone.

The best thing about boiling the pork ribs and tenderizing it using its own marinate is that you only have to charbroil or grill it for a few minutes and it's ready to serve! Just look at the juiciness of that pork barbecue spareribs photo above! Makes me want to crave for it once more! Hahaha! The pork barbecue spareribs are best served with steamed rice and with vegetables salad on the side. Enjoy eating!

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Kare-Kare (Beef Stew in Peanut Sauce)

There comes a time when our mother would want to eat kare-kare or beef stew in peanut sauce and crave for it. So, we see to it that her cravings would be satisfied, anyway, she was the one who is involved in marketing, so she decides what to eat. 

Kare-kare is best served on a Sunday, when members of the family are complete and staying at home. Its best partner is a sweet and spicy bagoong (shrimp paste) to complement the sweet taste of it. Sometimes, we look forward once every six weeks or so for the kare-kare to be served on a Sunday lunch.

Kare-kare has a lot of variety from chicken, seafood, pork legs, or beef. The best kare-kare for me is the beef version of it where ox tail, nguso (snout), or the tripe (goto, tuwalya) part of the cow is used. Of course, the kare-kare should have lots of peanut butter sauce! Yummy!

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