Food Archives | Page 7 of 68

Kapihan: A Celebration of Good Coffee in the Philippines

17 September 2013 Ibyang Sanchez 2 Comments Category: Coffee Love, Food, Good Reads

This is my first coffee table book about coffee. It’s more special because my parents found this and gave it to me as a gift.

Kapihan (A Celebration of Coffee is the Philippines) is produced by Nestle Philippines Inc. in 2007. It holds more than 150 pages of stories and attractive photographs of coffee. Nestle Philippines dedicated the book to all those who contributed to the success of Nescafe, from the hardworking Filipino farmer, the appreciative consumer and to the committed team of Nescafe professionals.

Kapihan: A Celebration of Good Coffee in the Philippines

The first part of the book contains stories on:
– the discovery of coffee
– how coffee reached the shores of Philippines
– when Brazilian Coffee Institute asked Nestle to develop a product that could make commercial use of coffee

The second part of the book shares awareness on how coffee is created–from growing coffee trees, the science behind coffee farming to the system of selling coffee to traders. It also gives a peak at how coffee is processed in order to become coffee powder.

The third part is an ode to why Filipinos love coffee and it is supported by the health benefits we get from drinking coffee.

The next section of the book, “Coffee Recollections”, is a travelogue of sorts wherein people’s coffee experiences took me to Binondo, Bukidnon, Sagada and Cordillera. I learned how rich the Philippines is when it comes to places and skilled people that produce great coffee.

The last two parts of book contains recipes and other uses of coffees. Some recipes include Coffee Adobo, Coffee Sansrival, Coffee Pannacota and Coffee Truffle.

Kapihan is a gallery, album, storybook, cookbook, travelogue and repository trivia. It’s a great book for Filipinos and coffee enthusiasts as it heightens one’s awareness on coffee and makes drinking coffee more enjoyable.

The book Kapihan is available at Fully Booked (Philippines), priced at P1,125.00.

Dinner at Young Alfred Restaurant & Bar (Sydney, Australia)

13 September 2013 Ibyang Sanchez 0 Comments Category: Food, Restaurants

I never noticed this cafe/restaurant in Customs House until a friend suggested we have dinner here before we watch Idina Menzel’s concert.

Young Alfred is cafe/restaurant in Circular Quay. We arrived for early dinner. The place was dark and the only light we had on the table were tea candles. The ambiance was kind of romantic but the place was perfect for family and friends gathering for a meal.

Dinner at Young Alfred Cafe (Sydney, Australia)

We started off with wine as we waited for our companions to arrive.

We each got a dish but we shared it with everyone.

The TNT Pizza had all my favourite meats Salami and Bacon with onion, chili and capsicum that added more flavour. It’s thin and crispy so it was easy to eat and did not made us feel too full.

My friend ordered their Risotto with mushroom topped with Parmesan cheese. The risotto had subtle flavours and was perfectly cooked.

The Husband had their Grass-fed Angus Sirloin. The tender meat was cooked in red wine and topped with butter to enhance its flavour.

I wouldn’t mind coming back here to dine and wine again.

Young Alfred Restaurant & Bar

Customs House

31 Young Street, Circular Quay

Ph: 02 92 515192

Sansrival Cake From Gold Ribbon

12 September 2013 Ibyang Sanchez 0 Comments Category: Food

Sansrival Cake is a Filipino dessert made of multiple layers of meringue filled with butter cream and chopped cashew nuts. It’s a favourite in every Filipino home and loved by any one who gets to taste it.

I’ve tasted a few Sansrival Cakes here in Australia but so far, the most proper Sansrival Cake we’ve tried is from Gold Ribbon in Blacktown.

A slice is priced at AUD$4.50 so I bought two slices for me and the Husband. The thin meringue layers were chewy (not as crunchy as I hoped to be) but the sweetness of the butter cream is just right. We enjoyed the abundance of chopped cashew nuts in every bite.

I’m glad I found a place where I can buy a good Sansrival Cake in case we have the craving for it.

Gold Ribbon Filipino-Asian Restaurant
21 First Avenue, Blacktown NSW

Ramen Lunch at Ippudo Sydney

30 August 2013 Ibyang Sanchez 0 Comments Category: Food, Restaurants

Fri-date lunch was at Ippudo. It’s been seven months since we’ve had our ramen fill at Ippudo so we decided to have lunch here after our Cherry Blossoms exploration in Auburn. It was already late, about 2pm, when we arrived so the lunch peak hour was over. We each ordered a bowl of ramen and their famous pork buns.

Ippudo Pork Bun ($4 each). Braised pork belly in Ippudo sauce with lettuce and wrapped in steamed bun. The steamed bun is soft and pork belly is flavourful.

Shiromaru Motoaji Ramen. It’s a classic Hakata-style ramen that comes in their original Ippudo tonkotsy broth served with thin noodles, pork loin, cabbage, black mushroom and shallots. This was the ramen that chose that day. It was so deliciously comforting. The porkloin is so soft.

Miso Tonkotsu Ramen. This was their winter special ramen. It is made of a special blend of miso and Ippudo’s signature broth, pork loin, egg, corn and veggies. It has a lovely flavour that brings warmth. The perfect ramen for Winter. The Husband’s very happy that he got to try this before the season was over.

It came with a siding of open Sushi and shredded Ginger. The staff told us that if we want to bring more flavour to Miso Tonkotsu Ramen, we can add more ginger to the broth. The Sushi was for dipping into the ramen. Cool, huh?

A delicious brunch and a hearty lunch that filled us the whole day made our Fri-date perfect!

Ippudo Sydney
Level 5, Westfield Sydney
Pitt Street, Sydney NSW
Ph: 02 8078 7020

Brunch at Platform No. 8 Cafe (Parramatta, NSW)

29 August 2013 Ibyang Sanchez 0 Comments Category: Food, Restaurants

Because I wanted to see the Cherry Blossoms Festival in Auburn last week, the Husband and I decided to take a day off and go on a Fri-date!

On the way to Auburn, we had brunch at Platform No. 8, a cafe located conveniently near Parramatta train station where we got off to take the bus to Auburn. It is inside the Level 1 of Westfield Parramatta, a few steps from the entrance.

The name Platform No. 8 refers to a train platform as it showed on the photo on their wall. I think it’s a great concept as one gets to see what Parramatta Train Station looked like then.

PBrunch at Platform 8 Cafe (Parramatta, NSW)1270390

Coffee was the first order of the day. The Husband had his Latte while I had my Long Black. Their coffee was rich, creamy and strong.

Brunch at Platform 8 Cafe (Parramatta, NSW)

We shared a plate of Eggs Benedict with Ham, then just asked for additional Bacon and Hash Browns.

The eggs were perfectly poached. We loved seeing the ooze coming out smoothly as we sliced them open. We loved how fresh the spinach was. A little thing to improve though was adding a little more hollandaise sauce perhaps.

The meal we shared filled us up quickly and soon we finished our plate empty. The friendly staff bid us adieu as we left with full tummies and smiling faces.

Platform No. 8

Level 1, Westfield Parramatta

Ph: 02 98938818