Two good to be true

The inner child in me is ecstatic!

Two of my favourite Dunkin Donuts flavors are back. At the same time!

As a kid, my allowance would usually go to Choco Jelly Ripple and Split Royale. What's common with these 2 donuts is the abundance of icing. For the Choco Jelly Ripple, it slathered on the top and sides fo the donut, and piped on top. For the Split Royale, it's nicely piped on top to mimic a banana split.

Now, this is where my salary will go.

Spaghet it!

This might be my "official meal" whenever I'm in Bicol.

For the past 4 trips, I'd always go to Bigg's to have their spaghetti and pizza bread combo.

The spaghetti is super good! 

Actually, this spaghetti is better than Jolly Spaghetti IMHO.

Curry up

Two weeks after blogging about that 1-2 Curry Puff punch during our trip to SG, this happens.

Hong Lim Curry Puff is opening in Trinoma.

The place where I bought the 2 Michelin starred curry puffs is called Hong Lim Hawker Center, and apparently, that's where this chain came from.

Now, it's easier to satisfy my cravings for real curry puffs.

Werther's or not

When my parents came back from Bicol, aside from their usual pili pasalubongs, there was one thing they brought home that caught my eye.

Werthe'rs Original!

This caramel candy is a fave since we were kids. Among the many caramel candies, this one really has the rich, creamy caramel taste that feels indulgent, yet light. 

Apparently, Dad saw it at the Duty Free store at the airport and couldn't resist buying one. Good decision because not only did he bring home a bag of candy, he brought home decades worth of childhood memories.

That's sweetness in more ways than one.

Pani for your thoughts

Saw a food market this weekend, and they sold panipuri!

They should really make Indian food this accessible.

Eating the blues away

Literally.

That's what can be said about eating this hotdog.

Yes, it has a blue bun.

Why? 

I have no idea.

But hey, it looks fun.

It's good, too.

Lomi at large

That would best describe this Lomi that we had.

Gosh! The bowl itself was so large that it looked like a basin. And they did not - DID NOT - scrimp on the toppings. And to think that this isn't their biggest bowl.

You'll need an extra large appetite to actually finish this.

Meals with Mark: (Toast) Box it in

When Toast Box was still open in MNL, Mark and I used to eat there. Usually, it would be with Ia who's a fan of Kaya Toast.

That's why during our trip to SG last week, we decided that one of our breakfasts should be at Toast Box. It would be good to relive our Toast Box days, right at the home base of the brand.

Of course, we both had the sets- the Chicken Floss toast set for me, and the Ham and Cheese toast set for Mark.

It's been a while. But it's still as good.

Keep calm and curry on

The Curry Puff is one of the snacks that's always a must-have every SG visit.

It's been written on this blog several times that Old Chang Kee is my curry puff of choice. Their Curry-O is da bomb!

But on this visit, Ka Wei brought me to a Hawker store in Chinatown and let me try 2 Michelin starred curry puffs.

They're both good and deserving of their stars. But if a choice has to be made, it's the Heritage Tanglin Curry Puff for me. It's flakier, and the filling is more flavourful.

Admittedly, though, Old Chang Kee is still my sentimental fave.

Roast with the Most

The sight of roast items hanging from a window always reminds me of HKG.

Spotted this when Mark and I had lunch at Hawker Chan in One Ayala, and it immediately brought me back to my old neighbourhood in Tak Hing Street. There were a few roast restos around my building, and I've tried them all.

And of course, there's Cafe de Coral who also had a set-up like this.

You can never go wrong with roasts.

I'll Melt-iez with you

Here's one reason why I'm thrilled that Valu$ is now in MNL.

Meliez is one of the products that's on my must-buy list every time my travels tale me to SG. This is simply so, SO good! 

The crunchy exterior, the rich, chewy caramel centre, it comes together wonderfully that it's addicting.

Here's to the first of many packs of Meltiez!

Meals with Mark: Aizu the sign

Mark has been talking about and swearing by this Japanese restaurant in San Pedro called Aizu.

It's one of the go-to restos of Mark and his family, and I've always wanted to try it and experience the Japanese food he's been raving about.

And today, that day finally came.

We had lunch at Aizu's 2nd branch. Apparently, the 1st branch, the one he frequents more often, is only open from 5pm onwards. 

Told Mark to handle the ordering since he knows this restaurant more. 

It's a super delicious and super satisfying spread of Tantanmen, gyoza, chicken karaage and chahan.

Everything was good. The ramen was creamy and spicy, and the noodles were firm. The gyoza was flavourful and the skin had the right amount of snap. The chahan was generous in therms of the inclusions and the quality of the rice was top notch. And the chicken karaage was crispy and crunchy without being too oily.

After the hearty meal, I now know why Mark enjoys Aizu a lot. And this is the sign that we should eat at Aizu more. (As well as sample the other restaurants around Pacita.)

Buy Laws(on)

Finally, Lawson is getting into the onigiri game!

Tried it and must say, their onigiri is pretty good.

Right amount of rice, generous amount of filling, the nori is crunchy and doesn't break apart when you pull the plastic wrapper.

Hope they make this a regular product in all their stores.

Pop goes Zagu

One of the secrets to Zagu's longevity is the fact that they always introduce something new and interesting.

While their pearl shakes are more than 20 years old now, they keep themselves from being stagnant by having seasonal flavours that will pique people's interest.

Heck, my interest was piqued after seeing this:

Popcorn in a pearl shake? Interesting.

And yes, it's good!

Coco(pan)-tastic

Aside from their breads, this is the other reason for my regular runs to Cocopan.

Their Milo Overload is worth the trip back. It has the right amount of sweetness that complements the malty goodness of Milo. 

Price-wise, this is also the most value-for-money compared to other stores that sell Milo drinks.

Because of that, my Cocopan trips can now be filed under: "Come for the breads, stay for the Milo."

How sweet it is

Nope, this isn't a James Taylor post.

It's about Toni's latest creation.

I'm amazed at the creativity and work ethic of my niece. Since she introduced her Sweet Tones brand, she's been working non-stop, taking orders, making cakes and chocolates, all while continuing her content creation.

Her latest product - her chewy cookies - are a hit. Heard that it sells out quite fast, so I'm lucky to have gotten a few pieces for the house and to give to a student.

After trying it, I'm not surprised why it's popular. It's really, really good!

Here's to more sweet, successful products like this!

See you Litre

Went to Serenitea for my usual Lychee Green Tea fix, and got a big surprise.

Literally, big.

Like, a litre big!

Apparently, they have an anniversary promo. If you buy a selected drink (and my Lychee Green Tea was selected), you get a free upside to a 1-litre cup!

That's a whole lotta Lychee! (Not complaining, though.)

Bicho bottom dollar

No, this isn't an "Annie" post.

It's a post about the fact that, despite eating at Tsokolateria many, many times, I'm only discovering their Bicho Bicho today.

It's SO good!

The Bicho has the right combination of a crunchy exterior and a pillowy interior, and the choice of dips complement it.

Looks like the Churros Waffle will be dislodged as my Tsokolateria fave.

Danke Schon

Thanks to Arche, I'm now familiar with this German brand of mixed fruits.

Meyve Mix was what I got from the exchange gift, and I couldn't be happier.

Hope they have this in supermarkets in MNL. 

It's sehr lecker!

Meals with Mark: Happy habits

From the early 2000s until now, one of the "must-visits" when we're in Japan has to be Saizeriya.

This "Italian-by-way-of-Japan" fast food place is like a second home for us. You might even call it a habit. The comfort food  the drink bar, the vibe - it all adds up to make every visit a satisfying one.

In our many, many times of eating here, this is the first time we're ordering their French onion soup.

Gosh! It's so, SO good! Why didn't we discover this earlier?

This is now going to be part of our regular orders from here on in.