A DELECTABLE STROLL DOWN SILK ROAD

                I won't lie to you.. Being a blogger certainly does have it's privileges. But to me, all the free food and hotel perks that I have had the pleasure of enjoying comes only second to being able to meet some inspiring people behind the business, that I am proud to call a friend. 

         One of those people is Chef Cecille Chang. 

         I first met Chef Cecille when a fellow blogger, Shen's Addiction (congrats btw Shen!), invited Rina and I to try Thai Bistro, which at that time, had just opened. My first impression of her, was that she isn't your sterotypical Chef that stays in the kitchen in her Chef Whites, with her hair up, as she stirs pots and pans. True to her nickname, "Chef in Stilettos", Chef Cecille cooks amazing food, and knows how to look fabulous while doing so. 

       More than anything, it was how incredibly down to Earth she is that endeared her to Rina and I. She sat down with us as we ate, and we swapped stories, just like we had known each other for ages. And we loved how she was unafraid to speak her mind with her firm, yet fair opinion. 

      But make no mistake about it- Chef Cecille knows her food, especially when it comes to the complex art of Thai food. She proved that with her work at Thai at Silk, and reaffirmed that with Thai Bistro. It is one thing to know how to cook Thai food.. But it's another to take it to the next level. Which is what Chef Cecille does with every dish she makes. 

  

      It is in her latest "Baby", Silk Road, that she puts a definitive stamp on being the leading name in Thai Cuisine in the country today. Easily one of my best dining experience in 2013. 

        

SMOPER CHICKEN: THE KOREAN CHICKEN CRAZE CONTINUES

           I still remember when Rina and I first got bitten by the Korean Chicken craze. The lines for the popular twice fried wings were ridiculously long, yet we braved it. And funnily enough, we continued to do so, until we eventually got sick of it. 

         Truthfully, when all was said and done, 90% of the goodness came from the crispiness of the skin. I found the meat itself lacking in flavor, which is why I stuck to the wings and stayed away from other cuts, such as the drumsticks, chops, or even my beloved thigh. 

         Though my taste buds enjoyed the skin of the Soy Garlic, I couldn't help but think that the chicken meat itself could use some sort of a diping sauce.   

       Years later (Possibly due to a chicken overload), my love for Korean Twice Fried Chicken has tempered. I don't look for it the way I used to. 

      That all changed the moment I walked into Smoper Chicken  

SHAWARMA GUYS AT THE FORT STRIP!

             Truthfully, I'm not a very huge fan of Mediterranean food. I feel that sometimes, the ingredients they used is a bit too far out for my simple, Joe Shmoe Palate. But I do have to admit, I'm a fan of a good Shawarma. I pick out the tomatoes, and cucumbers and whatever vegetable they may have thrown in there (Or request it with no veggies hehe), drizzle my meat packed wrap in the garlic sauce, and BAM, i'm good to go (Did that sound weird?). 

       One time a few years back, I was having dinner at my parent's place. My mom (who loves experimenting with recipes), made a deconstructed Vegetable Shawarma, filled with egg plant, yellow peppers and the like (I say "deconstructed" because you wrap it yourself). Truthfully, when mixed with the garlic sauce she made, it was actually quite good. If there is anyone who is aware that I am a Picky Eater, it's the woman who raised me and had to deal with my picky-ness first hand, so she also prepared a plate of liempo for me to devour, just to make sure I don't complain. 

      As I was watching them wrapping up their shawarmas in the pita bread (she also set aside some grilled chicken breast strips for those who wanted more protein in their shawarma), I realized I was missing out on the fun. The steaming Pitas were too irresistible to pass up, so I decided I wanted to make a shawarma. I had already put a small pile of liempo on to my plate, so I was getting a little guilty (just a little) about double carb-ing my meal.. A chicken breast-veggie shawarma, and liempo with rice? You can't have liempo without rice, can you? You could very well lose your Filipino citizenship! 

      Torn between wanting to make myself a shawarma and eating my liempo, a had a moment of Zen, and did the unthinkable: I made a Liempo Shawarma.  And it was incredible. How incredible? Well.. My companions for the evening.. meaning my brother, my wife, and yes, even my mom saw what I was doing. And guess what? There was loads of chicken breast and veggies leftover that night.. and not a single piece of liempo. 

       I called my creation "Inihaw na Shawarma", and realized that there was so much possible concoctions one could come up with, using that classic Mediterranean wrap. The closest thing I had ever seen to creativity with a shawarma, was when a popular Mediterranean restaurant gave you an option to add french fries into it (Quite good though). But how about a shawarma for the everyman.. the guy that doesn't eat too much veggies.. the guy whose taste buds has been far too influenced by the Western culture.. A guy like me? 

     Enter Shawarma Guys.

BREAKFAST, INTERRUPTED AT MALCOM'S DELI

            Even though I don't get a chance to have it on a daily basis, I am always on the lookout for a great place to have breakfast. I know it's considered the most important meal of the day, but when you're expected to be at the office by 10am everyday, it's pretty tough to make time for a morning meal. 

            I've heard of Malcom's Place, because their burgers are supposed to be stuff of legend. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to try it just yet. When I was told that their sister restaurant, Malcom's Deli at the Fort, was serving a Breakfast menu for us to sample, there's no way I was going to say no to that! 

A NIGHT OUT AT URBN BAR & KITCHEN

             I am a notorious introvert. The only way you could get me to go out past 7 or 8pm, is if there was a promise of amazing food or a much awaited event movie (Possibly based on a comic book). Other than that, in my house, the lights are out by 10pm. The only time in my life that I would willingly go out at night was during my college days, when my sister introduced me to the awesomeness of rock bands such as Wolfgang, Razorback and Advent Call.. And even then it didn't last very long. 

       Call me an old fogey, but I don't enjoy the concept of "clubbing" at all. I don't drink, and I don't smoke. I have a disdain for loud booming music. 
And because of that, I will admit that URBN Bar and Kitchen is a place that would not have caught my attention on the onset. 

     But thankfully, my eyes and taste buds discovered that this place was much more than just a place for these young whippersnappers to unwind with a few drinks. 

RACKS RIBS: FALL OF THE BONE GOODNESS - RINAZ

         “Ang swerte ni Rina!” (Rina’s so lucky!) Richie frustratingly tells my sister last week. “Since I have work, she’s going to have lunch with a few blogger friends to cover Rack’s new Pork Belly dish!” I can understand how frustrating this can be for Richie. You hear bacon / liempo / and other pork dishes, you immediately think “Richie!”.  To a point that friends and acquaintances often tag him to any photo or meme about bacon in facebook. 

         And the funny part is he’s loving it!

EARLY BIRD BREAKFAST CLUB GIVEAWAY!

Yes, I am indeed holding a jar of bacon. 

           I could safely say that my love for breakfast food - particularly bacon- has reached legendary status. I get tagged on Facebook or mentioned on Twitter about bacon related subjects on a near-daily basis, by friends and complete strangers. And you know what's funny? I read every single one of those posts like it was a Greek epic. 

       Imagine how I felt when I found out that a restaurant dedicated to serving breakfast food opened up at The Fort Strip. Probably the same way you felt.. I must go there STAT! (Sorry, Rina was just watching Grey's Anatomy last night)

      Upon hearing that The Early Bird Breakfast Club had recently opened its doors, I got the feeling that this restaurant was conceptualized specifically for someone like me. I am the embodiment of an "Early Bird", with waking up early not being a problem for me. I am also notoriously "Antukin".. By around 10pm i'm constantly yawning and dazed, which is precisely why you'd probably never see me at a bar or one of them so called "Super Clubs" (I'm an old Fogey, I know). Whenever Rina and I dine out, it's usually on a Saturday or Sunday morning (Not so traffic and you're guaranteed parking.. makes perfect sense, right?).

       In other words, I truly am the Ultimate "Early Bird" (No double entendre, promise). 

ROCK THE KASBAH.. FOR BRUNCH!

            When I told Rina that we'd be going to Kasbah to try their Moroccan Brunch menu, she replied with an excited "Great! What kind of dishes do they serve in Morocco? I opened my mouth, expecting to rattle off names of exotic dishes- then I realized something. I had no clue what Moroccan food was all about. Was it Curry based? No that would be leaning towards Indian food. Would they be serving Kebabs and Shawarmas? Wouldn't that be more of Persian fare? But Morocco is in Africa, not in Asia! 

          I didn't realize how deep in thought I was, until Rina said to me, after noticing my mouth had been agape for a bit longer than normal, "Para kang nag-hang!".

           

             So began my first step in the education on the flavors Moroccan food had to offer through their brunch dishes. But something I wasn't expecting to happen, was that my short trip to Kasbah would also give me, not only an authentic taste of their food, but of their country and culture as well.

DA.U.DE TEA LOUNGE: A WORLD OF POSSIBILI-TEA!

           I'm not going to lie to you. When I first heard about Da.u.de Tea Lounge, I was just about as enthusiastic as a husband holding his wife's purse for three hours during a sale at the mall. The first thing that came into my mind was, "Oh Great, yet ANOTHER one of those Milk Tea Places". As I read up more about it, I turned out to be wrong. 

          In fact, NOTHING could be further from the truth. 

       You see, although Da.U.De does have the "Tea Lounge" tag emblazoned on its signage, as I found out for myself one fine Saturday morning, that this is far more than just that. 

       I'm never one to toot my own horn, but I have to say.. I think I was the perfect type of customer that Da.U.De. needed to try their restaurant. Why? Because I don't drink tea. '

     Now, Da.U.De. Tea Lounge Made me a believer. 

THE REDEMPTION ZONG

                I've said it before and I'll say it again.. "The Pickiest Eater" is actually a collaboration of two people: Me and my wife Rina. We both love eating, but she handles all the photography, while I take care of the words. She loves going to these adventures together, and leaves the selection of where and what to eat all to me. During our last trip together at Nature Trails, I ordered her the Baked Fried Chicken, which she wasn't a fan of. I promised I would make it up to her on our next adventure.


          You have to understand that I take these food trips with Rina very seriously. I take pride in being able to study a  restaurant's menu, and figuring out which dish sounds the best for me (I often get calls in the middle of the day from friends saying "I'm here at *Name of Restaurant* what should I order?"). I really wanted to redeem myself for ordering that dish that she didn't like, so I decided to break out the big guns.


       On our way home from Nature Trails, I told Rina, "Next time we go out, I'm taking you to Zong". 

BURGER WARS EPISODE 2: BURGER AVENUE

Glen meets her nemesis face to face

           My search for the best burger in the country would not be complete without a stop at a burger joint, whose creation is so huge, there's only one way to describe it.. RIDICULOUS! I had heard of the monstrosity known as The "Ridiculous Burger" a few years back when Burger Avenue first opened. Just looking at the sheer size of it, (Triple patty, cheese, tomatoes, kitchen sink) was enough to blow an artery. But Burger Avenue didn't stop there. If you take on the "Ridiculous Challenge".. meaning finish the burger in five minutes or less, you get your burger for free and your picture and name up on the wall of fame! I love myself some huge burgers.. But to do it in five minutes? That seemed like work, even for someone with my appetite.

      I went "Burger Avenue" at The Fort with my friends to try it out, but unfortunately, I found out the hard way that I wouldn't be able to participate in the challenge. Apparently, my name in the annals of food eating is already legendary, and they thought it would be unfair if... Oh who am I kidding.. They didn't allow me to remove the tomato so I was ineligible. hehe

      I returned a year or so later with some friends to check out what else Burger Avenue had to offer.. and guess what? Don't let the name fool you.. They're MORE Than just a burger joint!

THE MERCATO CENTRALE CHRONICLES: DAY TWO

My version of a "Bouquet'

     My Mercato Centrale Chronicles continued with a Sunday visit. Rina got out of work by noon, so we sped to BGC and got there a little before 1pm. Since they close at 2pm, I knew I had my work cut out for me. We were both starving, but of course, if there was anyone who could do this, it was me. 

    First thing I noticed on my second day, that I didn't during my first, was the live performer. There was a guy doing an acoustic set and.. well.. he was kinda awful. And though his singing wasn't very easy on the ears. the smell of the food all around me was easy on the nose, and helped drown out his warbling. But then at the end of the day, I realized it really didn't matter who sang. They could've had U2 there as their special guest and I wouldn't have noticed because I was so focused on the food. 

     If you've been to Mercato Centrale, you know what I'm talking about. 

THE MERCATO CENTRALE CHRONICLES: DAY ONE

(The night before we went to Mercato Centrale) 

Rina: I feel so sick, I don't think I can go out tonight. 

Richie: That's fine, stay home and rest. So you can't go to Mercato tomorrow?

Rina: I can.

Richie: What? I thought you were sick?

Rina: Ah basta.

      Considering our love for food (and Rina's love for Tiangge Shopping), it comes to no surprise that Rina and I enjoy going to weekend markets. When Rina and I lived in Ortigas, we would go to Banchetto along Emerald Avenue almost every weekend. Then when we moved in Makati, (and whenever Rina would wake up in time for it), we would frequent the Legazpi Sunday Market. I enjoyed both, but truth be told, The Legazpi Market was more my thing - probably because it was less congested, and, I'm not exactly a night person (Banchetto is a night market). My only problem with the Legazpi Market, was that I foundnd the stuff they had there a bit too pricey.

      It's been a while since I've been to either, so when I heard about "Mercato Centrale", the weekend market that opened in Bonifacio Global City late last year, I was eager to check it out. I had heard so many wonderful things about it, and an eclectic selection of food stands, that I knew I had to set a date for Rina and I go. 

     With Rina's work, we can never seem to match our schedules, and since i'm not going without her (I'm not allowed to, not to mention that every time I try to cover a place on my own without her, my pictures look crappy) the earliest date we managed to set was a Saturday in the second week of January. 

      Friday night, my friends from work decided to go on a spur or the moment trip to Banchetto. Looking back, especially since it was a Pay Day weekend, I guess that wasn't exactly the brightest of ideas. We got to Emerald avenue at around 11:40PM, and it was like People Power on the streets. This was not the Banchetto I would go to two years ago.. I guess things really picked up for them. But the thing was, tents were still being set up, and I was assuming they were an hour away from serving any food - and that's not including the long wait I was anticipating at the queue.

       I'm a little bit claustrophobic, so i feel kinda uneasy with large crowds, so I was thinking of calling it a night. And two other factors were on my mind - The first was, Rina wasn't feeling too well, so I thought maybe I should go home already. The second was - I REALLY wanted to go to Mercato Centrale in the morning.. and If I stay up too late, I might not wake up in time for it. 

      So in the end, I had two choices. Wait it out at Banchetto, or go home to prepare for Mercato Centrale. 

      I made the right choice. 

PUTTING ON DAYRIT'S!

Not a good picture.. the guy looks like he's going to puke..

              I've heard alot about the place called Dayrit's, and it usually comes up in a conversation around the time i tell people that I'm predominantly a carnivore.

Me (Mid-Conversation): ..because I only eat Meat.. No veggies..

Joe Shmoe (not his real name): You love meat? How about burgers?                                                Ribs? Roast Beef?
Me: Dude, you had me at "meat".

Joe Shmoe: Check out Dayrit's. They have a great selection of Meat                       Dishes. Ribs, Burgers.. you name it..
Me: Joe Shmoe (not your real name), I think this could be the start of           a beautiful friendship. 

        I've seen the Buendia branch, but it looked kinda shabby so I never really found it that appealing. I don't blame them though, because I think it's been there since I was a little kid (It's not anymore). One fine morning, I picked up Rina from the Bus Station after her visit to her Lola in La Union. On our way home, we both realized how hungry we were, so we passed by The Fort, intending to go to Serendra for a nice breakfast. On our way there, I saw the sign of Dayrit's on some street lamps,and immediately got to thinking.. Maybe this would be a good time to try it.