213 – On Orientals: Triptych 31

Chinese restaurants are the quintessential venue for family events such as reunions, birthdays, tinghun (formal engagement ceremonies before a wedding), and what have you. Multiple generations of a family having lunch or dinner is a usual sight in a lot of Chinese food joints -- enjoying classic Chinese specialties such as birthday noodles, yang chow …

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212 – On Issan Inclinations: Tamarind, SM North EDSA

People would usually think of dishes such as pad thai (stir-fried rice noodles), tom yum goong (hot and sour shrimp soup), khao kluk kapi (fried rice with shrimp paste), and gaeng (curries cooked in the Thai manner) when Thai cuisine is mentioned. No matter what dish is served in Thai cuisine, two qualities stand out: …

194 – On The Dohtonbori Experience

What comes in your mind when Japanese street food is mentioned? Some would think of takoyaki—savory batter balls filled with octopus chunks and topped with seaweed and bonito flakes (katsuobushi). Others would think of yakitori—meat and vegetable skewers cooked table-side and served with a shot of sake (rice wine.) But some others would remember okonomiyaki—the …

113 – On Lovable Pairs: Cafe Mary Grace, SM North EDSA

Raise your hands if you've seen the movie Heneral Luna by Jerrold Tarog. I'm sure you've seen the part where Captain Rusca (Archie Alemania) raves about the pairing of ensaymada and hot chocolate. For the unfamiliar – ensaymada is a brioche pastry baked with butter and topped with sugar, cream, and grated cheese. A different …