Kubiertos

Tender Bob’s Steaks and Ribs place brings with it old memories of a romantic date in the Libis branch (now gone). It was situated near Starbucks along E. Rodriguez Jr. and offered a warm and cozy ambience suited for couples wanting to cuddle up over a fine meal. I can still remember that we had chosen that place for its famous lamb chops with mint jelly. Hmmm.

Now my accidental visit to Tender Bob’s offered me a different image. Tender Bob’s at the 6th level of Shangri-La Mall greeted me bright and happy. I was early so I got to choose where I sat. I opted to take my place at a table outside that looked out into the center of the mall and was far away from the action that I can eat and read in peace.

I peruse the menu and zoned on the steak list. Cheap-ee that I am, I got myself the “Hungry” portion of the Ribeye steak cooked medium well. And because I took my time in choosing that day’s meal, that gave my server the opportunity to tempt me with some appetizers. I did not regret being tempted to order the onion rings. The presentation of the onion rings was so much fun that my appetite went on overdrive. The onion rings were placed in a wooden upright paper towel holder and served with some zesty mayo. The rings were hot and crunchy and very tasty. Don’t tease me but I could not help but finish ALL of it.

Onion rings - Php 130

My ribeye arrived hot and sizzling on its plate. Mashed potato and corn were the side dishes. Although I was presented with a variety of Tender Bob’s Steak Sauce, I chose to just use the mushroom gravy provided to pour all over my steak and my mashed potatoes. The gravy did nothing to the potatoes as they remained utterly bland (salt please?).

The steak was tasty… but tough. My jaw was aching after several bites and it destroyed the experience for me. I chose medium well but the steak appeared to have been cooked very well done. But because I did not want to waste anything, I struggled to finish till every bit was gone… and I was tired.

Too bad as I really really love steak and because meat is meat, the best thing you can offer is how well you can cook it regardless if its prime, angus or wagyu. My craving for steak was fed but not appeased. I was left feeling empty and aching and without any happy memories of the meal that I just had.

Ribeye Steak hungry portion - Php 255

Tender Bob’s
6th Level, Unit 637
Shangri-la Plaza Mall
EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd.
Mandaluyong, Metro Manila
Tel. No: 638-7161

Truthfully, I am not an avid fan of Chinese cuisine. I cannot say it enough that my taste buds are tired of sesame oil, oyster sauce and soy sauce. But I live in a country where Chinese food is as staple as rice. But once in a while I chance upon a place that serves great tasting Chinese dishes. And I am a hypocrite if I do not admit that of all Chinese edible creations, dimsum is the best. It is also the easiest to imitate. Imagine all the stalls that sell siopao, siomai, sharks fin in all shapes and sizes.

An invite to Shanghai Bistro at Paseo Center made me crinkle my nose. I heard that the place served food that cost and arm and a leg and I was not about to throw away money on food that I know I would not like. But THE BOSS is paying so I was not one to argue.

The place was at the 3rd level of the Paseo Center along Sedeno in Makati. Shanghai Bistro looked snobbish from afar. Super glossy dark wood tables, high backed chairs… I was half expecting everything to be gilded with gold. The wait staff was attentive though and we were quickly seated dispelling my discomfort at such formal surroundings.

Acting on prior instructions, we ordered seafood bean curd soup, honey pork combination with roasted duck, crispy shrimp in mayonnaise, deep-fried boneless chicken in lemon sauce, fried squid in salt and pepper, and some yang chow fried rice. In addition, I got myself some dimsum - steamed pork and shrimp “siomei”.

The soup was hot and good for our empty stomachs. I don’t think it was oooh! ahhh! as I cannot even think of a nice word to describe its flavor. The other dishes were similarly forgettable except for the siomai. I must have been so used to the all-wanton-wrapper siomai sold in most restaurants that truly satisfying dimsum amazes me. Just look at the picture of those siomai wrappers filled to the brim with the pork and shrimp mixture. With these, you taste more of the meat and shrimp and less of the wrapper.

Another thing I wanted to say was that despite some people tendency towards mayonnaise (imagine Megastar Sharon and a spoon of pure mayo) - crispy shrimp drizzled with sticky mayo (not even creamy mayo) is definitely in my gross list. And this is my own taste buds talking so readers please feel free to try it.

Lastly, I think the one consistent feedback I have read and heard is how service stinks. We were there for a late lunch which means there were very few customers to cater to. The place had tons of waiters ready to accommodate your requests… but for some reason, our orders, request for water or more tea, or kubiertos - were either ignored or forgotten. THE BOSS asked for a glass of water and he nearly choked on the lemon chicken and still the water did not come. Tsk tsk.

I must say, no matter how fine the place is or how lovely the food tastes, if the service is not very good, then the restaurant is clearly not very good too. I really hope the staff gets better at it soon.

Shanghai Bistro
3rd Floor Paseo Center, 8757 Paseo de Roxas cor. Sedeno St.
Makati City, Metro Manila
Tel. No: 892-8872

I had always thought that Kuhol (a.k.a escargot or brown snails) was an expensive dish and very hard to find. But despite that perception, I always welcomed when my mom served ginataang kuhol at our house. I did not have the icky reaction to that fact that it was a snail I was trying to pick out from the hard brown shell with a toothpick. Not only was my reaction surprising (I hate anything slimy and slithery a.k.a worms and slugs), my jaw dropped when I found out these little buggers cost about P10 to P20 a cup at the local market.

The easiest thing to do to kuhol is to cook and serve them with coconut milk. It has actually evolved into a famous dish served at places like Cabalen or Kamayan. Now you can have the same at home.

Ingredients:
2-3 cups of brown snails (kuhol)
1 garlic head
1 tbsp. ginger
3 pcs. siling labuyo (or bird’s eye pepper)
2 cups of gata or coconut milk (2 coconuts are equivalent to 2 cups of gata)
pinch of salt

Procedure:
1. Soak kuhol in water for 2-3 hours.
2. After, wash and drain well.
3. Break tail-end of snails (simply by tapping with the handle of a knife).
4. Wash again and drain then set aside.
5. In a pan, sauté garlic and ginger, add a little patis or fish sauce.
6. Pour coconut milk and bring to a boil.
7. Let simmer for about 15 minutes then add the snails.
8. Season with salt.
9. Add in the pepper last and leave for 10 more minutes.
10. Serve hot with white rice.

** Optional: Add chopped spring onions for some color.

Anyone who likes caramel will also love dulce de leche. They have the same thick gooey consistency and tonsillitis sweet flavor. And that’s mostly why they are best served atop cakes, ice cream, or mixed with other ingredients as an enhancer to the overall flavor of a dessert or pastry. Imagine dulce de leche in your coffee… hmmm sort of like a restructured caramel macchiato.

Which is what Starbucks recently added to their line of mixed coffee drinks. The Dulce De Leche Frappucino comes either cream based or coffee based. I always choose coffee since I need my regular caffeine fix. The cold iced mix is the plus that gives me the chill I need during the hot summer days.

The other item in their Dulce De Leche line is the cheesecake. The cake looked very white which put me off at first as I am a chocoholic but the barista assured me that I would love it especially since I loved the drink. Sold at the thought that the cheesecake would give me the same pleasure as the drink did, I got suckered into buying a slice.

The cake was so creamy it filled my mouth with such sweet taste I forgot I was eating cheesecake. It wasn’t overwhelming though that by the time I noticed, I was a bite away from finishing the whole thing. At P120 a slice, you get to wolf down one of the finest and richest tasting cheesecakes sold. Although I still love the Cheesecake Obsession of Classic Confections, Starbucks indeed offers something a little different.

The Philippines has always been a good place to start a food craze. Many restaurants and food establishment that start abroad often makes its way through to the malls and stores of Metro Manila. Often, these places customize their menu to cater to the Filipino palate. Take McDonald’s rice meals. There is no such thing in the US.

Such is the same for Roti Mum - the famous coffee bun from Singapore. I had the opportunity to fall in love with this coffee bun last year.  A couple of months ago, I heard that they were now serving choco buns. Hmm… sounds yummy right. Unfortunately, I missed the launch of these chocolatey-ness which they offered for the christmas season. So when I found myself looking through the glass at the choco buns cooking inside Roti Mum Megamall, I did not even think twice and bought a box of assorted buns.

Sad to say, the choco buns were a disappointment compared to the coffee version. The choco buns gave a slight chocolate flavor that was not too sweet. It was interesting at first until you get to the point where you frantically reach for a glass of water for fear of choking. The choco buns turned out more crumbly and drier than the coffee buns. I could not even bring myself to finish one whole choco bun.

I thought maybe it was the lot that I got that was dry. Maybe these babies were overcooked or something. So I turned hungrily to the coffee buns (good thing I bought a box of assorted buns) and sank my teeth into the familiar creamy and tasty goodness that I could not forget. The coffee buns disappeared like there was no tomorrow and the choco buns were left inside the box unwanted. Sigh.

The choco buns were a great idea that flopped with the taste buds. Too bad.