Pao Pao Xiao Chi: A flavored fruit tea and Taiwanese snack place in San Juan

A stone’s throw from Xavier School is this flavored fruit tea and Taiwanese snack cafe that serves the students from the nearby schools as well as the surrounding community, offering a menu at very reasonable prices. One late morning, I joined several other food bloggers upon the invitation of Alvin of Cheftonio’s Blog
Jerome Tan, one of the proprietors, said they opened in San Juan City late 2009. I do remember seeing this place as I go to and from my gym but never really got a good look at it till we went there to try their food fare and fruit/milk teas.

The word Pao Pao when translated stands for “very full” and the word Xiao Chi means “small snacks”.

Our food adventure began with servings of their flavored fruit teas and specialty drinks. Mind you, they do not use flavored powder. Their fruit teas are made from fruit puree and are kept in modern cylindrical dispensers that actually look like fashion decor. And all their teas come in 20 oz. glasses compared to 16 oz. ones in other fruit tea shops.

Modern dispensers containing fruit puree for drinks
Taro Milk, Php 50
Green Apple, Php 45
Strawberry, Php 50
Add-ons for your drinks, Php 5-10 each
(Clockwise: Egg pudding, Chocolate, Sago,
Almond jelly, Strawberry)

Next came their version of spicy chicken, squid and pork. My kids would love this as they often go to another outlet for spicy chicken. What makes Pao Pao’s different (and I believe, better) is that they have at least 9 different spices that you can drizzle all over your spicy chops: black sesame, green tea, lemon, seaweeds, wasabi, orange, red chili, yellow curry and kimchi.
Spicy Chicken and Spicy Squid – Php 50;
Spicy Pork – Php 55
Hands down, the group’s favorite sprinkle was yellow curry while the spiciest one for me was the red curry (I hear that the Koreans who come and dine pour generous portions of the red curry over their food).
Dimsum came next.
Steamed Dumplings
Half – Php 45; Regular – Php 80
Fried Dumplings
Half -Php 45; Regular – Php 80
Fried Shrimp Wanton
Half – Php 60; Regular – Php 120
Steamed Shrimp Wanton
Half – Php 60; Regular – Php 120
By this time, my tummy was almost at bursting but still, the food kept coming. We were made to try their  noodles and rice meals.
Special Dry Noodles, Php 100
Beef Noodle Soup, Php 125
Lu Rou Rice, Php 60
Beef Brisket Rice, Php 105

We also got to try their new offering, Glazed Potatoes. It tasted different for me because unlike other potatoes I’ve tasted that were on the salty and dry side, these were marinated in a sweet, glazed sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Guess it takes some getting used to.

Glazed Potatoes, Php 50
They actually have a lot more to offer. I have to say that their prices are really value for money. This is important for the students from the nearby schools who depend on allowances. They get their fill without it burning a hole in their pockets.
If you love fruit and milk teas, Pao Pao Xiao Chi is one you need to try because the flavors of their teas are comparable to the other ones around the San Juan area. The fact that they carry real food and not just pica-pica works well for those who want to have their teas with their meals.
Pao Pao Xiao Chi branches:
Main store (17 Gen. de Jesus St. cor. Gen. Lim St., Little Baguio, San Juan City, Tel 994-8554)
999 Mall, Divisoria, Manila
Ycaza Street, San Miguel, Manila(Beside St. Jude Catholic School)
Website: www.paopao.com.ph
Facebook: www.facebook.paopao.xiaochi

Healthy food tripping and more at Yummy Eats 2011

I brought my 2 boys to Yummy Eats at NBC Tent. It was an opportunity to get them out of the computer and into something that they loved doing – EAT!

An FIC ice cream truck was parked right in front of the venue, serving free ice cream to registered visitors.

The winning flavor for the day – LEMON CRUMBLE!

There were a lot of people at the food fair at NBC Tent. We registered, got our tickets plus a directory to help us locate the food stalls we wanted to try.

What impressed me with the choice of stalls that Yummy Magazine featured was this — there were a lot more of them offering healthy eats. I even found a vegetarian stall! I would have wanted to try the samples from each and every stall there but having arrived almost mid-afternoon, I had to saunter through some of them.

Before anything else, let me just give some space to one of the most creative and fun stalls I saw at Yummy Eats — themed cupcakes from Little Miss OC Kitchen! It’s not only children who’d love to have these in parties. If, like me, you’ve got Angry Birds and Plants vs Zombies apps in your device, you will too!

Plants vs Zombies
Yeehee!!! ANGRY BIRDS!!!

Pigs and Plants!
Despicable Me!
Little Miss OC Kitchen
Contact: Anna Sarmiento / Aleth Ocampo
Mobile: +63920 9512343

Email: littlemissoc@yahoo.com / alethmapa@yahoo.com

Here are some of the stalls my kids and I sampled:

Farm n Deli Enterprises

My kids and I love tinapa. I buy them at S&R most of the time. So it was a delight to see bottled tinapa. The proprietress, Cynthia Torres, spooned out samples on salted crackers for us to taste. Sarap! Their bottled tinapa is on the spicy side, though (a warning for those who may not like spicy food) but that is okay for my brood who actually love spicy food.

Farm N Deli Enterprises
Contact: Cynthia Torres
Mobile: +63917 5548180
Email: cntorres3466@yahoo.com

Pipino Vegetarian
This was a nice discovery. At least now, friends who are vegetarian can add them to their list of vegetarian food outlets. Aside from their food items, they had Pipino Iced Tea which we tried. I would recommend it any time – delicious and so cool, just right for the summer heat. Another gauge of how good it is? My vegetable-averse son actually loved it and wants me to buy more.

Pipino Vegetarian
Contact: Alessa Libongco Lanot
Mobile: +63917 5253772
Email: alessandralanot@gmail.com, alessandralibongco@gmail.com
Big Daddy’s Chicken
Being chicken lovers, my boys dragged me over to Big Daddy’s so they could sample the crispy chops fried to perfection the Taiwanese way. 
Big Daddy’s Chicken
Contact: Kim Ting
Mobile: +63922 8924878
Email: kimberly.ting@yahoo.com
The Fruit Garden
We discovered jams of all sorts using local fruits, French recipes and techniques. I saw their new chutney line offering mango, tomato and orange.
The Fruit Garden
Contact: Pierre Marmonier
Mobile: +63920 9453565
Email: pierre@thefruitgarden.net
Divine Desserts
I was tempted to try the very unusual Wasabi Kitkat Mousse but the word “wasabi” reminded me of nose-clearing spicy hotness. My older son though dared to try a sample and in his words, it was not hot like the real wasabi but there was a hint of its flavor in it. And the dessert was sweet. This stall had other yummy desserts for sampling as well, including home-made pickles!
Divine Desserts
Contact: Millet Soberano
Mobile: +63917 5359175
Email: milletbs@yahoo.com
Classic Confections
I was able to sample both their Almond Crunch and Calamansi Bars. Mmmmm!
Almond Crunch
Calamansi Bars
Classic Confections
Contact: Baba Ibazeta
Mobile: +63917 5245892
Email: bibazeta@yahoo.com
Carmela’s Best Ice Cream
This is owned, according to those manning the stall, by former Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. The boys and I went first for their fresh milk including their chocolate milk. While the milk was really good and we all loved it, my marketing budget found the price a bit steep at around P120/bottle. At the rate my kids and I consume milk, I can’t buy too much of this at a time but I wouldn’t mind buying some every so often. The clincher for my dairy-loving boys though was their ice cream (Coffee as well as the strange sounding but very yummy Salted Caramel). The coffee flavored ice cream was well, coffee-tasting. But I was intrigued that the salty hint to the caramel ice cream actually complemented it very well. I actually ended up buying the Salted Caramel variant for the boys before we left the place.
Carmela’s Best Ice Cream
Contact: Paco Magsaysay
Mobile: +63917 8154406
Email: paco_magsaysay@yahoo.com.ph
Amaya Frozen Caramel
I met the husband and wife team who said that Amaya was their daughter’s name. Right now, their only product is the frozen caramel. I sampled it and boy, it’s a much better version than my favorite leche flan! The texture was melt-in-your-mouth leche flan but harder, due to its being frozen. The cold sensation as it hits the tongue is much better than leche flan that is eaten at room temperature. Thumbs up for me!
Amaya Frozen Caramel
Contact: Cathy Garcia
Mobile: +63928 5519734
Email: cathygarcia78@hotmail.com
Jaq’s Kitchen
The names of their products were somewhat unusual. The Vodka Tinapa intrigued me. I asked the lady there if it was spiked with vodka and she said yes! Hmmmm, next time I buy tinapa, I’ll try spiking it with vodka too.
Jaq’s Kitchen
Contact: Jennie Orros
Mobile: +63917 5296918
Email: jennieorros@yahoo.com
Simply Pie!
Healthy and delicious mini quiches! I got to try their Mushroom and Sour Cream quiche as well as the Spinach, Feta and Sundried Tomato quiche. Mmmmm…. They also have Bacon and Gruyere quiche.
Top is the Mushroom and Sour Cream quiche; the bottom is Spinach, Feta and Sundried Tomato.

Simply Pie!

Contact: Gail Ang
Mobile: +63922 8822194
Email: gailgenevieve@yahoo.com
Gourmet Dips and Dressings
Another healthy find – not just gourmet! I tried all 3 dips that Mira Angeles had as samples: Cheese Pimiento, Herbed Cream Cheese with Sun-dried Tomatoes (her bestseller), and the Basil Pesto Pate. Very, very good and tasty!

Basil Pesto Pate
Cheese Pimiento
Herbed Cream Cheese with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Gourmet Dips and Dressings

Contact: Mira Angeles
Mobile: +63917 5270913
Email: mira.angeles@gmail.com
Starbucks
With kids in tow, no stop is complete without Starbucks in the picture. We got a sampling of their Caramel Frappe and got free sachets of Italian Roast that was ready to be mixed with hot water for a great coffee break.
My Caramel Frappe and free Italian Roast blend

Starbucks (Rustan Coffee Corporation)

Telephone: 896-2755 / 895-2747
Email: customer@rustancoffee.ph
Website: http://www.starbucks.ph/
There were other booths we would have wanted to sample but had no time to visit. I also spotted LowCal Cafe’s Lindy Santiago who I met at the Suchero launch.
It was just a few hours spent at Yummy Eats but it was well worth our time (and gas) going out to the NBC Tent. Kudos to my dear friend Fran of frannywanny.com for organizing this very successful event. I hope there will be another one next year. 

California Crunch Cassava Chips

When you hear the word “cassava”, what comes to mind?
For me, it has always been cassava cake or bibingka cassava, a cassava-based cake topped with a coconut milk and egg yolk custard and finished off with cheese toppings.
So when I was asked if I wanted to review a new brand of chips made of cassava, I immediately said yes. It piqued my curiosity since I could not imagine what chips made of cassava would look or taste like.
This is what the cassava chips looked like when it was sent to me.
The pictures of the ridged chips on the front of the packaging reminded me of Pringles. And sure enough, that is what it actually looked like.
We opened the Sour Cream & Onions pack first since that is one of my favorite flavors. The chips are slightly thicker than Pringles. Unlike Pringles which tend to break apart with a slight bite, it takes a bit more bite to break the cassava chips. But that’s okay for me as it gives a crisper crunch experience.

I must say, the chips surprised me as they did not really have that cassava taste I was expecting. It turned out tasting like regular chips. The same sweet, fresh and tangy combination of the sour cream and onions was still there. My youngest son actually took the entire pack and sat down in front of the TV munching it. That’s a thumbs up, I think, as far as the Sour Cream & Onions flavor.
A few days later, we tried the Barbecue flavored pack. I had already seen another blogger friend, Richard’s, comment that the barbecue was pretty spicy so I was already forewarned. True enough, I only got to eat 3 pieces of the barbecue chips before it became too spicy for me. But again, that’s just me. My boys gobbled up the rest of it.
As a mom, I prefer to choose healthier options for my kids. But kids will be kids and will always want to munch on chips. Reading the press materials given to me, I see that cassava has twice the fiber content and has a higher level of potassium compared to potatoes.
I also noticed that on the upper right of the packaging, it said that the cassava chips are 0% cholesterol and has 30% less fat than potato chips. So if California Crunch Cassava Chips taste like its potato chips equivalents, then this could be a healthier option for kids
Each 120 grams pack of California Crunch Cassava Chips currently retails at Php 44.50. It is available at SM Supermarket and SM Hypermart at the moment but there are plans to add outlets soon.
California Crunch Cassava Chips
Website: www.calicrunch.com

Yummy Eats: A cooking and eating fair this May

(click to enlarge image)
I love good food but before I try out restaurants, I always check my foodie friends for recommendations and feedback. Now, here is a painless way to try good food because everything under the NBC Tent, Fort on May 21, 2011 will represent the best food finds specially chosen by Team Yummy of Yummy Magazine.
Yummy Eats is a cooking and eating (I love that combination!) fair that will run from 10am to 6pm. Not only will you get to check out Team Yummy’s recommended food but there are activities running throughout the day.
In fact, I got a Facebook invite from LowCal Cafe to Yummy Eats just today as they are one of the best food finds. LowCal Cafe is behind those sugar-free but still delish dessert concoctions which even diabetics can take. I am actually hoping they will have their Sansrival at the fair. Their Sansrival is sweetened with Suchero (coco sugar) which I tried at the Suchero event some time back and I tell you, it tasted just as good as the sugar version (my post on Suchero is HERE).

I am looking forward to a day of eating because I am sure I’ll bump into my foodie friends there as well as get to taste some of the best food in town. And yes, I’ll do my workouts before and after this event.

The entrance fee is Php150 but pay only Php100 when you present the May issue of Yummy Magazine at the door.

Kudos to my neighbor and foodie friend, Fran of frannywanny.com who is the force behind this event.

Hope to see you there!

Buon Giorno has a new home at Rockwell Business Center!

Nestled in the newest business enclave in the Ortigas, the Rockwell Business Center (RBC), is this Italian restaurant which we were recently invited to. This was my first time to visit RBC and was actually pleasantly surprised at its mixed-use ambience. Many restaurants dotted the surroundings of the business center which seemed vibrant and teeming with office people way into the evening.
This is where Buon Giorno found its second home (the first one being in Tagaytay). Host of the bloggers for the evening was Buon Giorno’s proprietor, Mark Floro, who regaled us with stories about the beginnings of Buon Giorno and how its many dishes were concocted by his wife, Linda.

Mark Floro

Before it found its place in RBC, Buon Giorno was located at Liberty Center along Shaw Boulevard (so if any of you are wondering where they have relocated, read on).

Buon Giorno’s decor is typically European and very warm.Tiffany lamps lend a very romantic mood while lighting up the place, with strategically located pin lights adding brightness to the place.

In typical Italian fashion, the walls were artistically painted depicting country scenes and open fields to give that homey feel to all diners.

I also took a peek at the kitchen which was in full view of the diners. To me this was testament to the owners’ full confidence that they were preparing meals that were fresh and hot out of their ovens and the surroundings were sanitary.

Food was flowing that evening and I am afraid I did not get to try everything but let me give you an idea of the ones I did.

Zuppa di Zucca Arrosto, Php 140
(Pumpkin soup)
Quattro Formaggi, Php 356
(A mixture of four cheeses: mozzarella, fontina, parmesan and gorgonola)

Beef Wagyu with Shitake Mushroom Gravy

Buon Giorno’s Special, P218 per serving
(The very best salad ingredients with a special house dressing)

We had our choice of dressing that night. Try the MarLinJo dressing. It’s good.
Pollo E Funghi, Php 302
(A risotto dish with chicken strips and mushrooms)

Pescatore Alla Puttanesca, Php 308
(An assortment of seafood on spicy and peppery tomato sauce)

Canneloni Spinaci,  Php 294
(Chicken & mortadella ham rolled in sheets of spinach pasta smothered with tomato sauce and cheese)
San Prieto Con Basilico John Dory, Php 470
(Dory fillet with creamy sauce and spinach)

Creamy dory with the sauce on it (from Buon Giorno stock photo)

Molten Chocolate Cake, Php 168
(Moist cake with molten chocolate and served with vanilla ice cream)

Dalandan Shake, Php 120
There was nothing I ate that I did NOT like. Everything I tried that evening was really deliziosa but I have my favorites for the night — the Buon Giorno Special, the Canneloni Spinaci, and the Creamy Dory. 
And what was Mark’s recommendation next time we return? He says to try the Bruschetta. Me? I missed out on their gelato (ice cream) which was not available that night, so I am going back to try it.
Buon Giorno! Caffe & Bistro
G/F West Tower
Rockwell Business Center, Ortigas Ave.
Pasig City
Tel. No. 710-3515

Yoshinoya’s Seafood Menu for Lent

Yoshinoya is known as the place for Gyudon, Teriyaki, Katsudon and those other familiar Japanese dishes including their Bento meals. They now have over 1,200 outlets worldwide including countries like Japan, USA, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines. They used to have a branch in the Greenhills Shopping Center but that closed down, to my disappointment. On the bright side, their other branches are in malls that I frequent so I still have a chance to try their dishes.
For the entire Lenten period, Yoshinoya developed two seafood dishes. They had tied up with Century Bangus (Emerging Business Unit of Century Pacific Group) to create Bangus Kabayaki and Shrimp Katsu.
First, a little bit on the Century Bangus. The bangus are cultured in the pure waters of southern Mindanao. Unlike other bangus suppliers who grow bangus in ponds with stagnant water, Century Bangus fingerlings are kept in seawater cages that are suspended over the sea. Not only are the fingerlings kept in their natural habitat so that they grow fuller and meatier but the constant replacement and flow of sea water prevents that muddy taste you sometimes detect in bangus.
I tried the Bangus Kabayaki first and immediately loved it. At first glance, it actually looked like a meat dish because of its dark color. The Century Bangus’ premium belly, the best part of the bangus, is specifically chosen for this dish. It is lightly breaded, deep-fried and thoroughly drenched in Kayabaki sauce, making every spoonful tasty. This dish is served up with beansprout over the rice. I really loved this dish and will order this on my next Yoshinoya visit.
Bangus Kabayaki (Php 140)

The second dish is Shrimp Katsu, or shrimp patties. The patties are breaded and fried to a crisp, drizzled with mayonnaise and served with mixed vegetables.
Shrimp Katsu
(Php 140 for shrimp and vegetables; Php185 in jumbo plate with Beef Bowl)
I was not that impressed with the Shrimp Katsu as much as I loved the Bangus Kabayaki. I found the patties pretty bland and these did not have that shrimp flavor I was expecting. I would  suggest to Yoshinoya to experiment with other toppings other than just mayonnaise because it did nothing to enhance the flavor of the patties. Maybe experimenting with tartar sauce or something that has more ‘bite’ to it would complement the blandness of the patties.
To wash down our meals, we were also treated to Yoshinoya’s popular green tea.
Green Tea (Php 30 regular, Php 35 large)
And the final touch was dessert. We had a choice of Chocolate or Strawberry Mousse. I went for the strawberry one since chocolate is the more common flavor. 
Strawberry Mousse

While the Strawberry Mousse cream topping was soft and yummy, I was a bit surprised to find out that their chocolate base was a hard Oreo cookie. I think Yoshinoya needs to reevaluate changing their base to a soft one. It also makes eating the dessert easier because with my large spoon, I found myself exerting more effort upon hitting that Oreo to cut down the cookie so I could eat it with the creamy topping.

Bangus Kabayaki and Shrimp Katsu are only available for the Lenten period so do find time to go try these dishes out for yourself.

Yoshinoya branches:
SM Megamall (Lower Ground, Bldg. A): 632-1276, 632-1352
SM North EDSA (2/F Main Bldg.): 920-8177, 927-3525
SM Mall of Asia (G/F North Wing): 556-2649, 556-4049
Robinsons Galleria (Level 1 East Wing): 635-2206
Park Square 1: 893-8176, 893-8178

Tutti Frutti: Yummy Yogurt!

I love yogurt. I have loved it for over 20 years. So when frozen yogurt became popular in the Metro, it also became a favorite with me. When a small group of my mommy blogger friends and I were invited last Feb. 17, 2011 to try Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt at SM Hypermart Pasig, I readily said YES. 
We had time to meet the franchisee, Allan Sio, who readily sat down with us to introduce us to Tutti Frutti. 
L-R: Michelle, Rone, Rowena, me, Noemi)
Allan Sio (center) holds the SM Hypermart Pasig franchise
Tutti Frutti has over 150 stores worldwide (California, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Hawaii, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Tahiti, Mexico, Hong Kong, Malaysia, etc).

It has over 50 different flavors but of course, you won’t find all those in one visit. They have 4  yogurt dispensing machines, each of which can dispense 2 separate flavors using different levers or, choose the middle lever of each machine to dispense a combination of the 2 flavors in it.

The day we visited, these were their 8 flavors:
  • Strawberry Banana
  • Vanilla
  • Strawberry
  • Death By Chocolate
  • Pomegranate
  • Cookies & Cream
  • TF Original (permanently available)
  • Taro-bly Delicious (permanently available)
You choose your size of cup, choose your flavor, and dispense as much or as little as you like. Add toppings of your choice (optional), weigh and pay. Tutti Frutti charges P20 per ounce (not counting the cup’s weight).
For diners who have no idea what these flavors are like, they have colorful tiny spoons so you can try all flavors before choosing a cupful.
Of course, I went around trying all 8 flavors. Strawberry Banana tasted good. I guess it’s because I love those 2 fruits. Death by Chocolate was a curiosity and it turns out, it tasted much like frozen Chocolait. The Taro-bly Delicious, though yummy and probably popular with kids, was a little too sweet for my taste. 
I eventually settled down with my all-time favorite — the TF Original. Then I added fresh fruits: strawberries, blueberries and mangoes. And this is the result (all 9.026 ounces of it):
Kids may want to know that aside from the usual nuts, cookies & cream, oreo, marshmallows, Tutti Frutti has mocchi toppings!
Another feature of their toppings is their premium gourmet sauces from Monin of France with choices like Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate and Caramel.
Tutti Frutti is located right across the checkout counters of SM Hypermart Pasig, very close to the Food Court.

Asian Fusion at Coco Asian Kitchen

 (UPDATE as of July 2011: This restaurant has closed down and has been replaced by another one)

Thanks to Chris, The Foodie Club had a chance to sample the menu of Coco Asian Kitchen. I thought the restaurant was a new one at Greenhills Promenade.

When my daughter and I got there, we realized that during the last 1 or 2 movies that we caught at Promenade, the kids and I did eat at the Promenade food court and already chanced upon Coco Asian Kitchen. But we never got a chance to sample the menu offerings as we usually got to Promenade just a few minutes before show time and usually went for the stalls that offered fastfood items.

The nice thing that I noticed about Coco Asian Kitchen was its very colorful facade. It was the most eye-catching of all the other restaurants in the Promenade lobby. Secondly, I personally love Asian fusion food because my taste buds can try the spices and cooking styles from different countries without having to go to different specialty restaurants featuring just one country’s cuisine. There’s one other Asian fusion resto at the Promenade but they cater more to diners who are ready for a sit-down dinner. Coco Asian is able to serve up fusion food more quickly — great if you’re in a hurry and not ready for a sit-down meal.

I did not get to try all the food served that night but let me give you some idea of their offerings.

First up is my favorite of the night – Ube Ubod (P120, solo). Truth be told, I had already seen Ube Ubod featured on the resto’s wall but not being adventurous, I found it strange at first to see what looked like purple dumplings. The purple wrapper apparently was made of ube (yam) and tied with a string. I removed the string to expose the lumpia ubod inside. I dribbled (nah, I soaked) the lumpia in yummy peanut sauce. I’m glad that this was served up because it tasted just like Filipino lumpia ubod, a favorite of mine since ubod is the main ingredient of the Ilonggo (my province) style of lumpia. The peanut sauce, to me, clinched it. Now I know what I will be ordering often when I’m at Promenade.

Ube Ubod

My second favorite of the night is Dory ala Coco (P170, solo; P290, sharing). I’m a lover of dory fillet so it was a natural for me to go for this dish. It was breaded and deep-fried, then topped with sweet coconut-based sauce. I found the dory taste just right and soft inside despite it being breaded and fried. This was a new way of cooking dory because usually breaded items are dry, unlike this one which comes with a sauce. Crispy fried noodles came with this dish and I believe is best eaten when you crush the noodles into smaller bits, scoop up the coconut sauce and drizzle it over the noodles for flavoring. In my case though, I chose to take the dory with the rice served up.

Dory ala Coco

Oh, since I already mentioned eating rice with the dory, let me just insert it here before I go on to the other dishes. We got to try a new dish that was not yet on the menu — Seafood Fried Rice. Strips of fish and shrimps and mussels were mixed in with the fried rice which was cooked just right, not too greasy. Sliced green onions as well as lemon slices completed the dish. Next time, I’ll squeeze a bit of that lemon on the rice to see how it affects its overall flavor.

The third dish I tried was the Crispy Tilapia Fillet (P190, solo). The crispy tilapia sat on a bed of crispy noodles and came with a soy sauce dip with red hot peppers in it. This looked to me more as an appetizer or pulutan so I was just surprised that other dishes came ahead of this one. Also, while the noodles made the presentation of the tilapia look better, I felt that most diners would just gobble up the tilapia with the soy sauce and leave the noodles untouched. Maybe Coco Asian can cook up some kind of yummy sauce that can be taken with the noodles so nothing goes to waste.
Crispy Tilapia Fillet

The Cha Gio (P90), their version of Vietnamese spring rolls (someone got to one of the rolls before I got to take a pic), came with fried noodles, a couple of fried onion rings and other veggies, together with a vinegar-spiced dip. This was not bad. In fact, I like rolls dipped in vinegar. 

Cha Gio

By this time, I was already full so I was unable to try the next two dishes.

The Coco Express (P130, solo; P190, sharing) is Coco Asian’s version of Bicol Express. My palate can’t handle that kind of spice so I opted out of trying it. Maybe I’ll venture some other time.
Coco Express

The last dish brought out was the Sweet Potato Prawns (P190, solo; P360 sharing). Too bad, I wanted so much to taste this because unlike the usual breaded prawns, those spiky things you see are actually crisp potato strings. Anyway, that’s a good excuse to go back to Coco Asian and order this one.

Sweet Potato Prawns

Our sumptuous dinner was capped with a selection from Bubble Tea Boy which was in the same area as Coco Asian Kitchen. The powders they use to make these milk teas come from Japan, which is why the names of most of their drinks are in Japanese. As a health conscious person, I opted for Green Tea Latte (I think it costs about P80 for a large cup) as my first Bubble Tea choice and I actually loved it because the green tea flavor came out very well. Next time though, I will try it without the pearls. I like my milk teas smooth so I need not chew.

Green Tea Latte

We were served other dishes as well but it was on the other side of our VERRRRYYY long table. These were Tom Yum Soup (P90) and Goat Kaldereta (P260).

On the whole, I was happy to find that Coco Asian Kitchen was a place where I could have good Asian fusion food without having to wait very long. Having a foretaste of all these dishes have given me a list of “must tries” for another time. And what made our evening even better was the company of The Club.
The Club (photo courtesy of Foodie Manila)

You can find Coco Asian Kitchen at the Ground Floor of the Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City.

Share Krispy Kreme Hearts this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day will be extra special for me and the family.

We received a box of Krispy Kreme and for once, they are NOT round but heart-shaped Valentine’s Treats. My box has the zigzag-shaped hearts but they have two more designs — scallops and a heart within a heart design. The doughnuts (topped with milk or white chocolate) may look different on the outside but inside, it’s the same favorite doughnut with its trademark melt-in-your-mouth dough.

These heart treats are only available for a limited time – only until February 14, 2011. So this weekend, head out to the nearest Krispy Kreme branch near you and get a box – make that two – and share Krispy Kreme hearts with your special someone or with the family.

The Green Iced Sting Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Limited edition Green Hornet doughnuts
A surprise was waiting for me today while I was having breakfast. A box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts was delivered to my home.
I did not get to try it immediately because I was already eating and had to leave soon after so it was only this afternoon that I got to sink my teeth into this green doughnut with white zigzags.
This line of Krispy Kreme doughnuts is inspired by the upcoming Green Hornet movie, which I also want to watch. When I bit into the doughnut, I realized that the green icing tasted exactly like bubblegum while the white zigzags gave the bubblegum a cool mint twist. Yummy!
This is a limited edition and will last only till February 13. Go try it and maybe buy some before you head out to watch the Green Hornet.