Pinoy Food & Other Cuisine :: Food PhotoBlog and Events |

Someone commented that the Ilocos Empanada at SM Mall of Asia isn’t there. Yesterday, I happened to be at Mall of Asia the so I passed by the Vigan Original Ilocano Empanada stall. True enough, the stall is a permanent fixture as long as they still have the contract.

My husband (with Ilocano roots), ordered Ukoy (or is it okoy). I always thought that Ukoy is formed like a patty then deep fried. I was so wrong. Let’s start with the ukoy batter. The batter is composed of galapong (sticky rice with water proportions), small shrimps, onions, spring onions and salt.

As you can see the batter is quite thin. The cook then pours the batter to the “kawali”

That was surprising. I thought one formed a patty first.

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The Good Earth Fusion Cuisine at Greenbelt 3 offers this soybean curd dish . Soybean curd is sometimes known as “tokwa” or “tofu,” or “to-kua,”. In the past, I always thought that the “tokwa” tasted like paper. It just depends on the manner of cooking. I really need to reduce my meat diet. A diet rich in phytoestrogens such as those found in soy as well as spinach, carrots and broccoli appears to reduce the risk of lung cancer, researchers report. The problem is it’s also high in uric acid which my husband cannot tolerate.

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Champorado

Danggit

Danggit (the dried salty fish from Cebu) dunked in hot piping Champorado (Chocolate Rice Porridge) is a breakfast fare. Sadly, the only person who eats it is ME. My daughters think it’s a weird combination. Salt and the sweet porridge are two distinct tastes but I love it anyway. I think danggit and champorada are the greatest companion in a dish.

Look, the champorado’s mix is already dried up after an hour.

Today we had a chance to taste dragon fruit, an import from Vietnam. The round fruit is bright pink-purple and its leathery peel is in layers and turned up at the tips, supposedly resembling a dragon’s horns. One easily peels it by hand to reveal its white flesh, studded with tiny black seeds. It has a mild and refreshing flavor, with a texture similar to kiwi fruit. It tastes like a cross between kiwi fruit and guava: less tangy than kiwi fruit but less sweet than guava. A nice treat for desert and (I would imagine) good in a green salad. It costs P120 a kilo from street vendors in Binondo and would probably be more expensive in supermarkets.

Dragon Fruit

Hylocereus undatus

a.k.a. Pitahaya, Strawberry Pear

Round, often red colored fruit with prominent scales. The thin rind encloses the large mass of sweetly flavored white or red pulp and small black seeds. Some varieties are pinkish or yellow.

The fruit is popular eaten chilled, out of hand. It is also used to flavor drinks and pastries. Unopened flowerbuds are cooked and eaten as vegetables.

Here are Dragon Fruit Pictures.

At our dinner table

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After hearing Sunday mass at the San Lorenzo Ruiz church in Binondo, Manila, one can hie off to nearby Ongpin Street for a meal at the many eateries Manila’s Chinatown is famous for. A week before the Chinese lunar new year which falls on February 18 this year, the place is full of shoppers preparing for the upcoming festivities. The traditional tikoy, or glutinous rice cake, is the most sellable item, as it is a popular gift and signifies ample provision and prosperity for the coming year.

Chuan Kee along Ongpin Street is a fast-food outlet cum deli run by the same family that owns the famous hopia maker, Eng Bee Tin. It is unpretentious and cafeteria-like, serving traditional Chinese dishes and snacks.
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Technorati Tags: Chinese lunar new year, Chinese dishes

Chinese New Year or Chinese Lunar New Year celebration is never complete without a tikoy at home. I know it’s still on February 18 but the celebration starts now.

My husband brought two boxes of tikoy from Eng Bee Tin from Walter Mart last night. I didn’t know tikoy had flavors these days. There is the Ube flavored and the classic Brown Tikoy. My husband said there’s even a pandan-flavored tikoy but two boxes were enough, he said.

For a change, I didn’t roll the tikoy slices in egg or egg. I used the lumpia wrapper.

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Technorati Tags: Chinese New Year, Chinese Lunar New Year, tikoy