of late, i've been craving for more than my usual pinoy fix for food. fortunately, food options have improved in the metropolitan cities in the recent past where the there are other options beside the usual chinese cuisine fall back.
just in case you're wondering, i didn't consume all of the food featured here in one sitting. my friends are resigned to the fact that I need to take a picture of the food they ordered before they can dig in which is a tricky feat considering that nobody wants to eat cold food. except for froyo of course.
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| eggplant curry - teriyaki boy, cebu |
if you like the sinus-clearing action of really spicy food, the curry is for you. prepare sheets of tissue to wipe the snot that's bound to drip from your nose as you attempt to clean the whole plate. at one point, i gave up on chopsticks and grabbed the nearest spoon to get all the sauce mixed in with the rice.
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| katsudon - teriyaki boy, cebu |
the usual standard. my friend ordered this one, the same dish he orders every time we end up in a japanese restuarant. you could say some people are creatures of habit and this is one hard habit to break.
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| teriyaki maki - teriyaki boy, cebu |
teriyaki boy is experimenting with maki preparations and this is one of them - teriyaki chicken wrapped in japanese rice then rolled in white and black sesame seeds. the sauce was a mix of mayo and teriyaki sauce which overpowered this one. i ordered wasabi mixed with kikkoman to get the zing going.
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| beef curry on tomato rice - ila puti, cebu |
another curry feature, soft tender strips of beef cooked in spicy green curry with hints of ginger and served on top of rice cooked in tomato. it was a study in contrasts and texture as the sour note of the tomato surprisingly went well with the spicy bite of the beef curry.
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| a twist on the california maki - rai rai ken, cebu |
california maki isn't real japanese but ironically, it is probably one of the most ordered japanese "dish" in the philippines. this one is a twist to the usual california maki by topping it with crunchy tuna sashimi tartar which probably got it's crunchiness from the left over tempura flakes mixed in with the sashimi.
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| lamb curry, chicken masala - queens, manila |
okay, i admit, i have a curry fixation. when i got the chance to visit manila the other week i made it a point to visit a place that serves great indian food. you hardly expect a place called "queens" to serve south asian dishes but this restaurant gives value for money.
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| vegetable biryani - queens, manila |
and if the chinese have their fried rice, the indian have their biryani. fragrant, delicious and is already a meal by itself. the long grain basmati rice is perfect for this sort of dish that requires the rice to hold it's form and grain and tossed well with the other ingredients.
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| herb naan - queens, manila |
in indian cuisine, rice is more popular in the southern indian side alongside the use of chili as part of the spice used for various curries and masalas. in northern india, breads are commonplace with roti, flatbreads and naan taking the place of rice. perfect to wipe off every bit of sauce from the lamb curry.
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| sambal fish - 101 hawker food house, manila |
to round up my lunch selection, here is sambal fish which is typically more malaysian or singaporean in origin. 101 hawker food house brings the singaporean street food experience to the philippines with this shop right in the middle of busy makati. office workers make a beeline for this place to get a sample of singaporean delicious-la dishes without having to put a dent in your pocket.
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| salt and pepper squid - 101 hawker food house, manila |
did i forget to mention that we ordered these dishes during ash wednesday? thus the seafood fixation for lunch (although my food companion totally forgot and ordered chicken green curry). this hardly seems like fasting to me. burp.
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