Good Eats

Last Wednesday, the usual suspects went out for dinner to catch up and have our usual stress free night. As per Sir RP's recommendation, we decided to try Yabu: House of Katsu at Robinson's Magnolia. Menu for the night: the Rosu Pork Loin Set and the Fish Katsu Set.

As mentioned before, (see here item 5), our baseline for Japanese food is Asian Bites. Compared to that, on my scale of 1 to 5, AB being base 0, I'd give this 4 stars... for now. I cannot comment much on the Fish Katsu as I am not really a fan of breaded seafood. I always feel as though the breading sucks up all the oil and lansa of the fish or shrimp or squid. Anyway, the Rosu Pork Loin at "3/4 inch thick, juicy pork cutlet with trimming of fat", quoted from the menu, obviously was loads better than AB's. The pork was tender and the breading was crispy and not at all soggy from frying. For the side, you can have your pick of dressing for the unlimited julienned cabbage: wasabi, sesame, and vinaigrette; all of them heavenly, although the personal preference is the sesame dressing. Of course, let us not forget the all time favorite: unlimited rice. The katsu warranted an extra rice helping for me. Then you also have the miso soup, which unfortunately tastes like all other regular miso soups. The twist for this night out? The wasabi.

Special mention to their yellow wasabi paste: Usually, we'd get that usual green stuff with not even a toddler's kick. This was exceptional. I have not had my senses, specifically taste and smell, overwhelmed like that for a long time. If GP ever gets to continue his food blog, he'd probably mention this, as well.

For the price range of 200-400 a meal,  That's it. 'Til the next food trip, then. Ciao.

Simple Joy #8 Cooking

Did not go to work today and made buffalo wings instead. Totally worth it!

Went to the supermarket to buy chicken wings. You'd want thawed ones, not frozen. For this, I used 10 of them, cut into 2 to make 20. Clean them thoroughly, make sure you remove feathers and whatnots. Make your cuts, if desired. I got rid of the tips. (You may use them for broth/stock for other dishes.)

Marinate and refrigerate. I used Worcestershire sauce and some other stuff I'm not allowed to divulge for the fear of losing my inheritance, as if there is any to inherit. (This is strictly a family secret, my father says.)

While chilling, prepare your breading. You can do without this, as some prefer. You can see the ingredients in the pictures. Usually, recipes don't call for thyme, but I'm addicted to it, and I put it on everything. Anyway, I don't really have the habit of measuring stuff, so I kinda taste it as I go along. Use a separate clean, dry, spoon or finger to avoid contamination, and spit the flour out after tasting.

Mix in the chicken, adding a little water if required. Coat every piece and deep fry. I've watched somewhere that soybean oil is the healthy choice for this. You'd want to do the frying in batches so you don't crowd everything in. They tend to stick to each other so you'd need stainless tongs to give them a little toss. Try to drop them into the oil slowly and as low as you possibly can to avoid splashing and burning yourself.

Make sure you wait for the oil to heat back up before putting in the next batch to ensure crispness. When the wings float, they're done. Leave them a bit longer if you want a darker brown color.

Next, make the sauce. It's fairly simple. Use your choice of hot sauce, add garlic powder, heat them over the stove with some butter. When it starts to bubble, it's done. Toss in your wings and serve with your choice of dip.

I haven't quite learned how to do a proper blue cheese dip yet, so I'm using homemade aioli, which tastes as good. Also, I separated some of the wings (right plate) before tossing the others (left plate) into the sauce for those who are not big fans of spicy stuff.

Hashtag for the day: #dietfail

New Things

Item 1:
Out of practicality... (yeah, let's call it that :D), I bought a new phone. It's a Cherry Mobile P9. Here's my justification: I desperately need an mp3 player for my jogging / running needs, and a 2Gb Mp3 player costs around 3,000 php. This little thing set me back 1,300 php and I can plug in an 8Gb micro SIM for media. As added bonus, I can have my Smart SIM plugged in for basic calls and texts. It even has bluetooth and radio functions. The best thing about it? It fits the palm of my hand.

Item 2:
I bought new shoes. They've been tried and tested. Walked through Rockwell Mall and Ortigas Park to Pearl Drive on these and my feet didn't die. Wedges with fun colors are LOVE!!!

Item 3:

It's an old new thing / new old thing, I guess: biking. I learned to bike at an early age, when my dad used to take us to CCP for this. A few years after, I kinda forgot how to. When we moved to Paranaque, I relearned it within a week. I'm not sure if that proves you can actually forget how to ride a bike, but anyway, n years after, with n being more than 10 years, I tried to ride a bike again. This time, it's like getting reacquainted with an old friend. The first 5 seconds were awkward, but then, everything's the way it was after that. I loved the wind in my hair and the rush when you go a bit fast. I'm actually thinking of getting my own bicycle. A simple and sturdy white one, not for racing... just for leisure riding. Basket optional. ^_^

Item 4:

I have a new godchild. She's the cutest thing ever, and she looks just like her dad, my close friend Mark. She has her mom's nose, and hopefully her hairline. Haha. I have yet to carry her.

Item 5:

Sir RP and I tried this new Jap Resto at Galleria: Moshi Koshi. While the food is not on the to-die-for level, it's fairly good and the serving is just right. Considering the price range however, it's not fit for an everyday habit, unless you're an executive.

Sir RP had the tempura, and I had the katsudon. As our baseline acceptable reference was Asian Bites, the katsudon was compared with theirs. The pork was definitely a bit thicker than Asian Bites' paper thin slice, but the smell of AB's was more appetizing. I missed the onion leek strips, but the taste was not that far off. While Moshi Koshi is acceptable, I'd still prefer AB.

Item 6:
My belated birthday surprise. I love my girls to bits!!! Every one of them: Mami Dada, Rovi, Jean, MJ, Sarah, Ana, Carla, including the almost always absent ones: Norie, Gio, Donna, Jona, Rica, Tina, Dian. I thank God for the coffee tiramisu, the colored-pen-wishes, and Joseph's coat pen case. (You'd have to be there to get it.) I'm so blessed!

Item 7:

Commuting's a b****, and I have yet to learn to adjust. I am yet again late for work today. I have been taking the bus recently and haven't figured out what time I should leave home to arrive 10-15 minutes early. Compared to taking the train, waiting time is more than an hour less, but the duration of the travel itself takes it's toll on me. Another good thing though is that I am comfortably seated from Kamuning to Ortigas, as opposed to MRT's standing ovation from the end of the line in front of KFC to my 28th floor office in Ortigas. My conclusion: I want a house of my own. I need to move somewhere nearer.

Cheers to wonderful new things, and here's hoping for lots more to come! The start of my 28th rocks!

Hello Summer

For me, March officially marks the start of summer. I was telling someone last Friday morning (March 1) that my last binge eating before summer should've been on my birthday. Since I lack the discipline to enforce this, I am left pining at the thought of a beach worthy body. Oh, well.

I'm hoping for a great summer this year. I don't have plans yet apart from the family Sagada trip over the Holy Week, but I'm welcome to daydream, am I not? I dream of a summer vacation of adventure, rest, and relaxation. Somewhere without cellular coverage and has a beach nearby.

Meanwhile, at the office, I am gradually losing all forms of motivation, as the much awaited TO has yet to be released. It's frustrating how long it's taking. I just want to know once and for all if my new department will be better or worse than the one I have now.

To wrap up, I have a new goal this month: to train myself to wake up early and start being a morning person.