Ibyang
Ibyang

Food

Dinner Date at Menya Noodle Bar

Was looking forward to going home as soon as the Husband picks me up from my “me” time at the cafe in the middle of somewhere but surprise surprise, he asked me out on a date!

As mentioned on my previous entry, I’ve been busy with work and for some reason, the Husband has been busy with his. Since last week, he’s been working ridiculous hours (going home very very late) that we seldom “see” each other. Lately too, we’ve been going out with friends that we feel we haven’t had a date for so long. So I guess, we’ve missed each other that my Husband asked me out to dinner and I said “Yes!”

He brought me to this Japanese Noodle Restaurant near where he works called “Menya Noodle Bar”. He brought me there because it’s one of his favorite places to have lunch and he wanted me to try their noodles.
 

It’s located in a small alleyway in-between buildings. Simple but cozy interiors. Chris says the place gets very busy during lunch time.


 

We sat at the bar because I wanted to do something different for a change, plus, the bar looked cozy too…and it was.
 
Orders took about 10 minutes to arrive. Mine arrived first: the Tonkatsu Menya Box (AUD$10.50). It consisted of Miso Soup, Rice, Green Salad, Tonkatsu (Chicken) and


 

underneath the Tonkatsu, I was very happy to find Crispy Fried Noodles.


 

It was a lovely meal. The serving wasn’t overwhelming but it was very filling. The Tonkatsu was tasty and the chicken was crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Then came Chris’ Teriyaki Chicken Ramen in Miso Soup (AUD$11.90).


 

I’m amused by the big serving of noodles here and the big spoon that came with it. Parang sandok! 🙂
 
Their ramen was delicious. I love it! According to Chris, their ramen is really their specialty and I so agree with him. Now I know why he craves for their noodles.

No wonder people come here often. On weekdays, they are open during lunchtime, closes for a few hours, then opens again at 6:00PM til 10:00PM. Before 6:00PM, there were a few people like us already waiting for Menya to officially open.

I studied the menu and they’ve got organic meals as well—one of the things Chris pointed out to me because he knows I look out for stuff like that in restaurants.

I look forward to eating here regularly.

As for the date, we had fun as usual, trying out new food, sharing a good meal, catching up with each other and laughing at silly things. It was a great way to end a busy hectic week.

Menya Noodle Bar is located at Shop 2, 1 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000. All photos taken by my phone’s camera.



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Recipe: Brownies

2 March 2010 9 Comments Category: Food, Recipes, Tips

This is a recipe shared to us by one of our good friends. Simple, easy-to-do and a hit whenever we bring these to parties. Anyone can can create this delicious brownies by just following the recipe.

What you need:
250g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate, broken up
150g chopped nuts
80g cocoa powder, sifted
65g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
350g caster sugar
4 large eggs
What you need to do:
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
  2. Line a 12 inch baking tin with grease proof paper.
  3. In a large bowl, over simmering water, melt butter and chocolate until smooth.
  4. Add nuts.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and caster sugar.
  6. Add to the other mixture and stir together well.
  7. Beat the eggs and mix until you have a silky consistency.
  8. Put mixture in the baking tin.
  9. Place in over for 25 minutes. May vary depending on oven. Test with toothpick to ensure that brownies have been baked through.

 
My Husband is the one who bakes at home and he has been baking brownies for quite some time now that he had somehow made them a bit more special. Aside from following the recipe above:

(1) He makes sure that the dark chocolate he uses are of good quality. There are cheaper brands of chocolates that taste alright but we always choose brands that we know would deliver the taste we are aiming for even if it means paying more.

(2) He puts the baking tray on the lowest level of the oven to achieve a more moist and chewy texture for the brownies.

(3) He sprinkles icing sugar on top of the brownies.

Happy baking and enjoy the brownies!

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The Magic of Talbos ng Kamote (Sweet Potato Leaves)

26 February 2010 17 Comments Category: Food, Recipes, Tips

Took a different route going home this morning after my errands today and I passed by this Filipino store and noticed they were selling some vegetables. At first glance, I thought it was Kangkong but I noticed color in the leaves and I realized it must be Talbos ng Kamote..and it was! I bought a bunch for only $1.50 and since it’s Friday today, I decided that this will go well with our Flounder Fish which I planned to cook for dinner.



Talbos ng Kamote, also known as Sweet Potato Leaves or Camote Tops (scientific name Ipomoea Batatas) is another one of my favorite vegetables but I never get to eat them all the time as they are not always available in Asian Markets or Filipino Stores here. Other than buying them from markets, sometimes friends give them to us straight from their garden.

I love Talbos ng Kamote for its health benefits:

(a) Excellent sources of antioxidative compounds, mainly polyphenolics, which may protect the human body from oxidative stress that is associated with many diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. source

(b) High in iron. I grew up being anemic for a long time and part of my doctor’s suggested diet then was to eat lots of ampalaya, liver steak and talbos ng kamote so my mother made sure we had a steady supply of all these.

(c) Good source of vitamins A, B and C, calcium and phosphorus. source

I love Talbos ng Kamote because it’s so easy to cook. Just boil in hot water for a few minutes, transfer to a bowl, squeeze lemon or calamansi on top and serve. Then magic happens as the acidity of the lemon/calamansi will make the soup turn red. That’s why I call them my magic vegetables because they turn red with just a few drops of lemon and magic too because it does make my blood healthier.

You can also make Camote Tops Salad. Blanch leaves in boiling water and drain. Add cherry tomatoes and feta cheese. Then pour a few teaspoons of Vinaigratte dressing.

Tonight, I cooked them the old-fashion way (by just boiling) and dipped in Bagoong (shrimp paste).


I hope one day, when we have a house, I’d get to grow some Camote Tops in our own garden so I would always have a fresh supply of this wonderful magic vegetables.


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How Do You Like Your Ampalaya (Bitter Gourd)?

Amplaya (or Bitter Gourd) is one of my favorite vegetables. When I lived in Manila, my mom and I used to cook this every week. This dish was usually a Saturday treat for me.

Now that I’m married and cooking for our meals at home, I cook this in bulk once every fortnight which usually equals to 3 servings. I keep the other two servings in containers, put them in the fridge and we eat them in the next coming days as a siding to any meat or fish dish during dinner.

I’m grateful that my Husband generally eats vegetables. Although he eats Ampalaya, it is not his favorite vegetable which I understand. As we all know, Ampalaya is not a loveable vegetable because of its bitter taste. However, I was able to find a way to make it more likeable to my Husband’s taste buds—by adding in a few teaspoons of honey. Yes, honey makes it a little more sweeter. And according to my Husband, it is healthier than adding sugar (which I used to do).

Other ways to make Ginisang Ampalaya a little less bitter and boring:
(1) Before cooking, soak in water with salt for 10-20 minutes and squeeze some of its juice out. Some people don’t squeeze it anymore but I squeeze it at least once coz it does lessen the bitterness a bit.

(2) Add egg. When I was a kid, my mom used to add egg and it made it bearable for me.

(3) Add tofu or shrimp instead of pork. My Husband loves it too when I add tofu, so once in a while I saute the ampalaya with tofu.

(4) Use other seasonings like soy sauce, fish sauce or a teaspoon of shrimp paste (bagoong). One of these days, I will try using herbs to give it some other flavor and aroma.

(5) If you don’t have honey, you can use sugar as a substitute.

As for me, my favorite kind of Ginisang Ampalaya is one that has Okra. I know Okra is another vegetable that not so many people like, but I really really like Okra and I usually add it whenever I saute any vegetables. I don’t mind the taste of these two vegetables whenever I eat them. I love them because of their healthy benefits and I focus more on the good nutrients they give to our body.

What about you? How do you like your Ampalaya?

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Christmas Gastronomic Favorites and Discoveries

The season of Christmas will never ever be complete without food on the table. It is usually at this time that I get to eat my favorite holiday treats and also get to discovery new gastronomic delights.

Let’s start with Noche Buena/Birthday dinner of my Tita Bess. Part of our family’s tradition is having dinner on the 24th at their place coz other than celebrating her birthday, it is also where our clan and our clan’s friends gather around to wish everyone a merry Christmas. It is at this event that the buffet table overflows with sooooo much food because every family brings a dish or two to share with everyone. This year, Chris and I brought Creamy Baked Potato and Brownies.

Christmas ain’t Christmas without my Tita Bess’ famous Ham. She usually cooks this whenever they have birthday parties at home and everytime that happens, this delicious home-cooked Ham of hers always make me remember of Christmas. This is my best favorite of all the Christmas treats–tender, moist, just the right sweetness.

This year, my Grandma cooked one of my Christmas favorites—the Hamonado!!!! It’s been awhile since I’ve had this for Christmas. Hamonado is a favorite of mine because this dish reminds me of Christmas spent in our Taytay home. My mom and my Grandma cooks the perfect Hamonado ever.

Two gastronomic discoveries on the 24th were the Baked Salmon in Tomato and Sansrival.

The Baked Salmon in Tomato dish is perfect for parties–delicious, healthy and very easy to prepare.

One of our family friends brought this massive Sansrival cake that measures about 15×4 inches. A very different Sansrival as it was made in merengue, hence, the thickness. Made by a Filipino pastry chef, this dessert is a wonderful treat to guests–sweet, buttery, crunchy and nuttty.

After the party at my tita’s place, we went home and invited our friends to join us for Noche Buena.

This year, my Husband and I had a more simple Christmas table at home when the clock struck midnight. We decided to cook Penne Boscaiola (a pasta dish, Husband requested for white pasta) and bake Brownies for dessert and that was it. I made sure that we had Champange (not wine)–I wanted bubblies this year–more festive and celebratory. Very different from last year’s buffet table. The reason being was that our Christmas calendar’s busy–we had been invited to a couple of parties and so it is only at home that we get to rest our tummies from all the eating.

Christmas day, we attended a birthday party and just look at buffet table! It is at this party that I got to eat Morcon and Lechon!!!! Yummy to the max. No photos of the Lechon though, Husband and I were so busy eating.

Post-Christmas:

On Sunday, we attended another party at Mounties–a great buffet discovery!!! This is so far the best buffet (a.k.a. All-you-can-eat) we’ve eaten. Wide range of selection, delicious food, good presentation and ambience.

Yesterday’s visit at our friends’ home, we were served a pasta dish called Festive Fusili and cheese called Halloumi Bites. A great discovery because it is not only delicious but very easy to prepare. Our host told us too that the Festive Fusili had Vodka (yes, the alcoholic drink) as an ingredient and all I said was “You got me at Vodka!” hehehe. And the Halloumi Bites, which went well with the Festive Fusili, is cheese so that’s enough reason for me to love it.

What about you? What Christmas gastronomic favorites and discoveries have you eaten this season?
With all the eating, I’m gaining pounds by the second! But then, happiness is eating and sharing food with loved ones during this season, isn’t it?
Personal note: To everyone who greeted (via phone, snail mail, email and messages thru FB, twitter, plurk and multiply) and gave gifts, thank you very much!!!! May the spirit of Christmas be always in our hearts, not just this season but everday and always.

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