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Showing posts with label chef erica. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chef erica. Show all posts
Friday, October 23, 2015
LEONARDO'S LECHON at 49B Heirloom Kitchen: Getting a preview of The Pickiest Eater Webpisode.

Since I'm from Quezon City and traffic has been bad lately, I figured that I should try different restaurants within reach, rather than waste my time and effort to drive and get stuck on the road for an average of 1-2 hours and find myself complaining about it. One foodie neighborhood nearby that I have always had an eye on is the TOMAS MORATO AREA. Recently, a lot of restaurants are popping up in this district. One of them is 49 B HEIRLOOM KITCHEN. 

Nestled in a Quezon City residential area, 49 B HEIRLOOM KITCHEN, is not your ordinary hole in the wall restaurant. They offer affordable home cooked meals straight from the heart. Given that the parking space is limited, it is still worthy of a visit for a foodie craving for old school dishes. 
As you enter, they have a "garage" area where people could wait for tables or have a quick smoke.  
The ground floor could accommodate 18 diners while the top floor have room for 40. 
If you are with the elderly, I suggest that you reserve table downstairs. Some would say that the stairs are a bit steep but I believe the restaurant did their best in fixing this and is a none issue for the fit and hungry foodies. Washrooms are located both on the 2nd and ground floor so no need to go up and down.
IN all honesty, I have heard a lot about this restaurant. Aside from the different tv shows that featured it, some of my foodie buddies from the south have already gotten out of their way just to try the food here. I was pretty excited because of the dishes and also because of another thing.

Chef Erica and her Family runs the 49B Heirloom Kitchen. If you would remember, this straight to the point girl was one of my partners in one of the episodes of POPTALK (click here). In any case, let's see what she had in store for us. 

Right off the bat, she started to serve her awesome appetizer. This right here is the SQUASH FLOWER FRITTERS (210Php). Deep fried squash flowers stuffed with herb cheddar cheese and served with marinara sauce.
This was the BOMB! I mean, I don't really eat veggies and I guess flowers could be considered as such but I tell you this dish is awesome. Maybe because the cheese the chef used gave off that amazing flavor that brings you back to your childhood. Seriously though, I didn't bother with the marinara sauce as I enjoyed the flower fritter on its own. A must order at 49B Heirloom Kitchen. 
If you are an all day breakfast kind of guy, PAPA's TAPA FRIED RICE (210Php) is your top choice. Hands down. Beef Sirloin cured with secret rub and served with homemade pickled papaya or atchara. 
Unlike other places, here, they made sure that the TAPA MEAT is also mixed in the rice itself. Making it more flavorful. The meat is tender and it isn't too sweet so it is also a nice try. 

Another rice dish that they are known for are their PAELLAS. This time around, they had us try the PAELLA VALENCIA (355/580Php).
Rice cooked and served generously with pork, chicken and seafood. This one is like your epic fried rice that has everything but the kitchen sink. One favorite part though would have to be the "socarrat" or the burnt bits from the paella. Be sure to look for them.

Chicken lovers would have a field day with the TAMARIND ROAST CHICKEN (345PHP). Half chicken served with tamarind gravy and roasted vegetables.
Needless to say, I skipped the veggies and went straight for the chicken. Flavor coming from the tamarind was evident as the chicken meat absorbed it quite well. 

If I would be going back to 49 B HEIRLOOM, it would be because of the SINIGANG NA LECHON (420PHP). You read that right. Lechon skin, meat and bones were simmered to make that broth both delicious and excellent. Basically, it is a tamarind soup with string beans, gabi, radish, and eggplant.
The broth was thick and definitely has that perfect sour taste. Don't get me started with the meat. I was pretty lucky as I got a bunch of them and also the skin. With a spoonful of plain rice, I was sold. I believe that the lechon along with its bones made the soup taste as awesome as it was. Delicious.

I did mention that I had another reason to be excited about this visit and I didn't forget to tell you about it. I'm thrilled because this is where the second episode of The Pickiest Eater was shot. If you haven't watched the first one then you are missing on something huge. Check the first Webpisode here (Click here). UNFORTUNATELY, you might even get to see me or not. I don't know if I made the cut.
Richie with his amazing hand job on the SINIGANG na Lechon while sir Mark of Muvo Media does his magic.

Alongside Richie, is Chef Erica, the ever foodie loving person that she is treated us to a lot lot more. 
Before I forget, you should never leave without trying MARY ANN'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (125+50Php). Chewy insides while it has a crunch on the other edges, this cookie is perfect to dip in milk or paired with ice cream.
I thought that the food was all served when all of a sudden, this beauty of a pig comes up and shows itself from no where.  No time for food coma. This is the CARNIVORE. 
From LEONARDO'S LECHON, this sexy thing is the perfect roasted pig. You see, LEONARDO'S LECHON is owned by the cousin of Chef Erica, Nards. Nards made sure that the afternoon was festive and light heavy with this big baby. Leonardo's Lechon has been serving the masses for almost 70 years so you can be sure of the taste, excellence and the experience they bring with these huge roasted pig.
From a far, you could already smell the meat. You could hear the crisp roast skin. Ohhhh I die.
When they chopped the pig in half, something magical came out. As I mentioned, this is the CARNIVORE LECHON. It is named such because it was stuffed with sausages and more sausages wrapped with bacon and herbed potatoes. This is plain deadly.
Don't get me started with the crazy lechon skin. It's like sausage heaven made crispier. 

Another thing that I liked about LEONARDO'S LECHON is that they make use of everything. The pig's blood that came from the roasted pig was made into DINUGUAN.
DINUGUAN or PORK BLOOD STEW is made from the different guts/intestine and other part of the pig. It is perfect with a cup of steamed rice. The original nose to tail. Nothing is left behind.
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That day shall always be remembered. It was something that I truly enjoyed. 49B HEIRLOOM offers comfort food while LEONARDO'S LECHON brings the big guns. 49B HEIRLOOM is a perfect place for a mini party as you could close down the 2nd floor and reserve the place all to yourself while enjoying the food and the clean ambiance. LEONARDO'S meanwhile offers a different take on the usual lechon with its stuffed CARNIVORE version. Perfect for the coming Christmas Season.

Now, I can't wait for Richie's New Webpisode. ARGHHH!!!!!!


49 B HEIRLOOM KITCHEN
49B Scout Tobias St cor
Scout Fuentebella. Near Tomas Morato and Timog Ave.
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Parking is available on the street. 
Opens at 11am Closed on Mondays.

LEONARDO'S LECHON
89 J. BASA St. San Juan
Metro Manila
(02) 724 3068 / (02) 725 8618 / (02) 725 6071
0917 8833391
Facebook
Lechon.ph



Disclaimer: was invited to try out these dishes. Wrote this based on my experience and biases.

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Tuesday, October 13, 2015
NIHONBASHITEI: Japanese Food in Tomas Morato

IT was set. I have been drooling at photos of Japanese food from people in the Tomas Morato Area. Apparently, a new Japanese Restaurant opened up. TOMAS MORATO welcomes NIHONBASHITEI. This Japanese foodie place is part of a chain of restaurants. Originally, they started in Makati and had finally branched out here in the north.

 I have been talking to Chef ERICA of 49B Heirloom fame and my poptalk partner for quite sometime and she mentioned that NIHONBASHITEI has been a go to place for late night Japanese treat. The only problem she mentioned was that of parking. Boy, sure it was a huge problem. When I went there around 9pm on a Thursday night, I had to circle the block a couple of times just to park on the street.

In any case, I met up with her and I was quite pleased with what I saw.
A huge open space greeted me as I entered. They had the Japanese bar on the first floor and around 4-5 tables to accompany it. A few Japanese Chefs were there so I was pleased with the way they handled the food.

We chose to eat in the second floor where the bbq happens. Here, the tables are equipped with grillers to cook meat. One thing to note though, the exhaust is not that good so bring an extra shirt to change into after eating.
 They also had VIP rooms for the added privacy. The big rooms could be turned into a function rooms with karaokes. Although they would require a consumable amount, I guess it's worth the price.

Now on to the meal.
We started the night with some SPICY SALMON SASHIMI (280PHP).
IT wasn't as spicy as what we would love to so we added some hot chili spice. I did enjoy the flavor of the salmon.

Another seafood dish that we went for was the SABA SHIOYAKI (230Php) or Grilled Mackerel.
One side of the fish was served perfectly grilled. The meat was flavorful and was salty as the sea. Just give me rice and I am good to go.

Another great find is the ASARI BUTTER (180Php) Steamed clams in Sake and Butter. Thank you Chef Erica!!!! This was a revelation. IT was definitely the best dish of the night.
This right here is the bomb! The clams were perfectly cooked in butter and sake. The mix works. I mean the sauce in itself is perfect with rice even without the clams. Do what she did. Separate the clams from the shell and enjoy it. Each spoon full and you would definitely savor the flavor. Amazing.

If you can't decide on what to get, you could go for the BENTO. This one is the UME BENTO (350Php). It came with appetizer, tuna sashimi, egg omelette or Tamago, tonkatsu, grilled salmon, sauteed beef and some simmered veggies. It also came with miso soup and a cup of rice.
  Being able to try a lot of dishes in one go is definitely a must. So order a bento that tickle your fancy. The fact that this one has katsu, salmon and beef, already makes it a winner.
 One thing that I would have to say though is that their tuna sashimi wasn't as fresh as what I would have wanted it to be. So, we left it untouched. 

Aside from the parking problem, NIHONBASHITEI in TOMAS MORATO is the perfect late night place for a Japanese food run. Since it is open until the wee hours of the night, you could definitely have a fill of your Japanese food cravings here. Service can be erratic at times and it took forever for them to get our bill even if there were only a few tables left. I believe it is because they are still on soft opening status. They still don't have a computerized system for it. The staff are attentive although some foodies might say that during peek hours, the service suffers. I will definitely go back for my late night japanese food cravings though. Specially when there are less people eating and more space to park my car. 



NIHONBASHITEI
1st and 2nd floor
Vizio Bldg
183 Barangay Sacred Heart
Tomas Morato
11am to 2am



Disclaimer: Wrote this based on my experience.
Paid for our meals.

Thanks Chef Erica for the awesome Food tripping! See you soon dear!
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Friday, October 9, 2015
HOLE IN THE WALL in MAKATI: CHEF'S Day Out.

On a weekday, I braved travelling all the way to Makati for good food and great companionship. I wasn't going to be stuck in traffic alone for no good reason. It was one of those days that I was craving. Seriously. Thank God that a friend was there with me. A boss in the kitchen if you must, CHEF ERICA of 49B Heirloom Fame went out with me for a mini FOOD TRIP. I met this girl on a shoot for a local television show (Poptalk Experience). Being the small foodie world that we all live in, I actually knew her brother from high school. Pretty Cool. 

Since she doesn't know anything much about the resto world of today, I gladly suggested we go on a food trip for her to try the new things in the metro. One that we would not forget anytime soon.

The first part of the trip was visiting CENTURY CITY MALL. When it comes to food, this mall is synonymous to HOLE IN THE WALL. A Canteen Like feel place that has mini restos in it. It currently houses around 9 different food establishments. From desserts to mains, you have a large variety of food here. This time around we tried out food from 3 crowd favorites.

BAD BIRD, MR DELICIOUS, and THE BEEF.

BAD BIRD known for their umami tasting deep fried birds was a little disappointing. The pieces of chicken were a bit smaller than before and that the flavor was just meh. The dirty rice was almost like chahan. We did enjoy the corn though.

For MR. DELICIOUS, we went for the PASTRAMI REUBEN. One look and your jaw would definitely drop. Slices of pastrami with coleslaw like veggies inside the perfect type of bread. It soaks all the juices without really giving away its form. One thing to note though, the pastrami isn't as peppery as you might expect. But this is quality.

The favorite though would be THE BEEF'S CHEESEBURGER. This baby right here is spot on in every way.
Simple and deadly. Although it was a little salty for me, the burger patty was cooked perfectly. It tasted what a burger should taste like. None of those artificial plasticy flavors. One thing to note though, the fries could use some work. It was a bit soggy and soft. 

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As I mentioned, HOLE IN THE WALL is like your ordinary canteen that serves exceptional dishes. The variety and the choices they give to the foodie crowd is impressive. Although not all the mini establishments are worth the visit, I could say that I would definitely go back for MR DELICIOUS and THE BEEF.

HOLE IN THE WALL
4th Floor CENTURY CITY MALL
Kalayaan Ave, Makati,
Metro Manila
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Disclaimer: Wrote this based on my experience and opinion. Paid for our meal.
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