KARAAGE KARAYZY!!: CHIBI'S KARAAGE AT SM LIGHT MALL

       I will admit that my fondness for Japanese food is limited to most of their Deep fried or stir fried offerings. Much to the delight of my wife, I don't touch any of the raw stuff (meaning more for her), But I instead feast on popular dishes, such as Teriyaki, Katsu, Teppanyaki and Tempura. 

      I have a few staple dishes when ordering at a Japanese restaurant, and one of those is Chicken Karaage. Rina thinks it's a "cop out" because it's technically just "fried chicken", and not very Japanese-y, but what can I say, the heart stomach wants what it wants. 

    I had heard good things about Chibi's Kitchen down South from my blogger buddy Hefty Foodie, so I was elated to find out that an incarnate, "Chibi's Karaage", had opened a branch in the new SM Light Mall along Edsa, because it was more accessible to me when compared to Las Pinas and even SM North Edsa. 

    What makes the arrival of Chibi's Karaage so exciting, is that it takes a dish that is known for its simplicity, and finds a way to elevate it to new heights. 

       

Healthy Goodness with Magnolia Brown Eggs

More egg, more fun!

        Next to More rice, more fun, this is the motto that my wife and my daughter lives in. Rain can’t get enough of eggs. That’s her default food. She can even eat it alone, without rice. She took after her mom who loves eggs as well. When we’re at a restaurant, she always goes for something with egg. And when we’re at a ramen place especially, she would order extra aji tamago.

        Anyway, we’ve been told before that consuming too much eggs are bad because of the cholesterol. Eggs actually carry good cholesterol. And this gives us peace of mind whenever we prepare Rain her favorite meal.

        But since we’re consuming a lot of eggs in our household, we might as well take it to the next level. As parents, we have to exert extra effort in making sure we feed our family a healthier choice. (Bacon exempted, of course).

That being said, did you know that brown eggs are actually tastier than white eggs?

SOMETHING BIG IS COOKING UP IN MANILA: APPLEBEE'S! - RINA

        My first memory of Applebee's was in New Jersey when we met up with my Aunt Eva and Uncle Tony. It was late at night and it was still open, and there were a lot of customers still hanging out and having a great time watching a football game.(See my post here) This was way back in 2013. And now, fast forward to 2 years after, Applebee's is finally opening here in the Philippines! In the heart of Bonifacio Global City, Taguig!

PEPPER LUNCH PAELLA FESTIVAL.. AND A GC GIVEAWAY!

           After wowing our taste buds with their successful "Taste The World" series, Pepper Lunch is back with a new set of sizzling plates that is undoubtedly going to be another hit! 

         Get ready for Pepper Lunch's new Paella Festival! 

              

The Nostalgia Dining Lounge's Indonesian Food Festival!

        We can't quite clearly remember if this was the first ever Indonesian buffet that we've tried but this is definitely the one that stuck! Oakwood Hotel's The Nostalgia Dining Lounge features a delicious Indonesian Food Festival which started last September 8 until the 18th, 2015. It's funny because Richie was supposed to just drop by that day because he had an important appointment. But he ended up staying for a while. That's how good the food was!

MACBOOK AIR PROMO FROM BEYOND THE BOX!

Exciting news for MacBook lovers!

        This whole month of September 2015, the MacBook Air 11” & 13” 128GB variants will be available in super easy Zero24 installments at Beyond The Box! And not only this. Along with the MacBook Air, you will also be choosing between three unique lifestyle bundles that will come with your MacBook at no extra cost!

        As we all know, MacBooks naturally has that WOW factor. Measuring 17mm in diameter, weighing at 1.4kg, the MacBook Air is gorgeously slim and of course really light to carry around. It's perfect to put in your bag, barely adding a lot of weight, but at the same time its got excellent quality so it won't easily break even if it's that thin.

        So, to really get the most out of your new MacBook Air, Beyond The Box is also adding in some lifestyle bundles that will fit every personality. Check them out here!:

A GASTRONOMIC JOURNEY AT CDP GLOBAL TABLE

Hi Everyone! 

A special shout out to everyone that watched the First Episode of the Pickiest Eater Web Series!

I said I would be happy if we could get 500 views, and so far we've got over 1,400 and counting! 

We are currently planning the second episode, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as the first! 

In case you haven't seen it yet, you can watch it here: 

Pickiest Eater: Episode 1

Anyways, I wanted to once again apologize for the the decreased frequency of my posts. 

My family has ventured once again into the food business, and so I've been spending most of my time making sure it opens smoothly.

If you are in the area, please feel free to drop by The Grill Boy, located at 2nd Floor of The Spark Place, along P. Tuazon St. in Cubao (Across SM Cubao)! 

I'm there every day, so in case you see me, please feel free to say hello :) 

Anyway, back to regular programming.. For now.. 

     I've been a fan of Chef Katrina Alcantarasince my first trip to Mesclun Bistro a couple of years ago. Her food always exudes finesse, and impressive knowledge of classic techniques. It's always interesting hearing her explain how a dish came about (often using French terms that I have no clue what they mean, so I just nod along like I do, saying, "Uh huh") through her different experiences. 

     Her latest concept, CDP Global Table, is a collaboration with seasoned restaurateurs Malou Fores and Kristine Locsin, that takes your senses on to a culinary voyage through different dishes inspired from their travels together. 

    Luckily I was able to tag along for the ride!

AN EASY GOLDILOCKS CAKE SLICE KIDDIE TRIFLE DESSERT!

        Parents nowadays are usually all very busy. It’s funny because nowadays even if a parent doesn’t have a 9-5 job, there are still so many things that needs to be done and we have so little time to do it. So in this day and age, we try what we can to do things the fast way. For instance making a dessert recipe. This usually takes a while. But with simple ingredients you can find at the grocery store, and Goldilocks, making a fun dessert for your little one will be a piece of cake!

THE PICKIEST EATER, THE WEB SERIES - EPISODE ONE: THE BATTLE AT BURGERS AND BREWSKIES

      This has always been the dream.

      From that fateful day on June 25, 2010, when I first opened a blogger account and wrote the words, "Hello. My Name is RichieZ. And I am the Pickiest Eater In The World." this is was always the end game. 

      But let me make something clear.. I have no intention of being a food and travel show host of just any show. It had to be "The Pickiest Eater in The World" show, where I would have creative freedom to be me, and do the goof ball antics that you're used to seeing on my blog. This was always what I had wanted to do since I first saw Adam Richman take down "The Kitchen Sink" challenge in San Francisco (The very first episode I ever watched from Man V. Food), and food and travel was my calling. 

    I couldn't do it back in 2010. I didn't have the network of friends in the restaurant industry that I do today, who now made embarking on a production like this, relatively easy. Not to mention, I was not yet established as a food blogger, so my "followers" at that time consisted of me, my wife, my beloved Godmother in Long Beach (who always believes in me, no matter what venture I do. Love you Ninang!).   

   My partner in this Web Series, Muvo Media was not ready either. Mark Mijares, the man behind the Production AND Post Production of The Pickiest Eater Show, and I were working together in a Post House, whose busy schedule didn't allow for us to do very many side projects. 

     Thankfully, five years later, we came together at the perfect stages in our life to make this show a reality. Any blogger can make a Vlog. Hell, I've made quite a few myself over the years. But I can say in full confidence, that this is closer to a TV show than a Vlog, and I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved.

    In fact, a bunch of blogger friends and I are going to be coming together to create more Blogger Web Series content for you all, which we intend to broadcast over a website we called, "The Band of Bloggers Network".. I think Episode 2 of The Pickiest Eater show will be aired there, so watch out for it!

     Thank you once again to Mark Mijares, Angela Sison, Rina Zamora, Chaika Barbero, and a very special shout out to the generosity of Marc Nocon and Donny Elvina of Burgers and Brewskies! 

    

   Anyway, enough with the talking! Here we go! I hope you enjoy!! 

ALQUERIA TAPAS, PAELLAS Y BISTECAS IN SM MEGA FASHION HALL

       In case I never mentioned it before, both sides of my family are part Spanish, with my grandmother from my mother's side being an excellent chef, specializing in Spanish cuisine. Given that, I practically grew up on food with heavy Spanish influences.

      Given that, whenever any one from my family asks me for a recommendation for places to eat, I deliberately stay away from endorsing a Spanish restaurant, for fear it might not meet the high standards that my grandmother had ingrained in us. However, I recently dined in a restaurant that I would not hesitate to recommend to my family - Alqueria, in SM Mega Fashion Hall.