I am in Hong Kong for my lunch and dinner

Don't misinterpret me. I really took my lunch and dinner in Hong Kong. I am not filthy rich but I am opportunistic, lol.

Actually, I am on my way to another country for personal reason. I have to wait for around 12 hours before my next flight hence I took the opportunity to go out and took my lunch and dinner at the lobby area of Hong Kong airport thus I consider myself as opportunistic person if I may say so.

Upon disembarking from the plane, my previous trips in Hong Kong with my family immediately shot back at my memory bank. It was one of our best Christmases last 2011. We stayed for 5 days and 4 nights in Hong Kong to celebrate Christmas and birthday of our eldest; hopping from Disneyland to Ocean Park while shopping from fashion center Causeway Bay to mainstream Mongkok area. It was pretty cold and chilly during that time. However, nowadays, the weather is fine and moderate due to summer season.

Nothing has changed in Hong Kong airport. Upon arrival, you need to take an unmanned train going to main building for passport control and baggage claim. The same long queue at the immigration but the best of all is the free and fast wifi at the lobby area. I have watched TV Patrol live streaming and was able to watch without any interruption Naruto Shippuuden's latest episode 278. I took my favorite seat beside a 220 VAC wall outlet; you would find them near MTR ticket machines. Be aware though that they are using 3-pin plugs in Hong Kong thus you need to bring with you a power source adapter otherwise you'll end up shelling more dollars just to re-charge your laptop or mobile phone.

I took my lunch at Burger King and ordered the same set meal I used to order before for 40 HKD. Set meal no 2 which consists of a mini-whopper burger with regular fries and coke.

For dinner, I dined at Maxim beside Burger King and ordered my favorite shrimp balls with noddles for 30 HKD. Fantastic taste and quite filling for a reasonable price.

I didn't bother to roam around Hong Kong this time for it would bring back sweet memories which would make me long for my family preventing me from fully enjoying my few hours in Hong Kong. In addition, I found Hong Kong an expensive place to go foodie. Further, I have enjoyed Chinese dishes during the past few days at The President tea House and King Bee Chinese Food hence my taste buds are not eager to go Chinese today. In fact, I'll prefer to sleep on my 8 hours flight rather than eat.

I checked-in 2 hours before my flight and saw the immigration officer in amazement for I have been in Hong Kong in just 12hours.

Being a silver member of Qatar Airways frequent flyers club I was a given an invitation at Travelers Lounge. That was my second time. It was the coziest lounge I've ever been due to a big circular bar at the middle while the dining has separate area. The dim lighting creates a relaxing atmosphere. You can even ask a stand-by chef to cook your favorite noodles, lol.

The President Tea House - SM North (Annex)

We have dined here several times before. Actually, a few years back, I tried to bring my family to its original branch at Binondo but due to unavailability of parking space and unfamiliarity to Manila's side streets  I forego my plan until I accidentally saw The President Tea House branch at 2nd floor of SM Annex on our way to ACE hardware sometime last year. My family initially had second thought about The President Tea House but after I relayed to them its colorful past and how I enjoyed its food during my younger years with my late Chinese grandpa they gave in and the rest is history.

Our 20th wedding anniversary celebration

with Happy Stripes

Few days back, my wife and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary here with our 3 kids. We ordered tasty and flavorful Crab soup with sweet corn as starter. The small order was enough for 5 of us; each having double-cup.

My favorite drinks. Green Tea to prepare my stomach for a sumptuous lunch; a bottle of San Mig Light to deaden my taste buds from time to time and plain water to wash it all. Take note, a bottle of beer only. That is my max whenever I drive.

For the main course, our 2 elder kids ordered their favorite menu, Lumpiang Shanghai and Lemon Chicken while my youngest tried to be adventurous, he asked for Mandarin Chicken. The sourly taste of Lemon Chicken was perfect for the sweet and saucy Mandarin Chicken. I settled for Spinach with two-type eggs (salty and century). Yang Chow Fried Rice was perfect for the occasion.

In addition, I have missed Philippines for more than a year due to travel ban to Yemen; I spent my monthly vacation away from home. Thus, when the ban has been lifted, I immediately brought my family to TPTH at SM Annex. During the travel ban, I have dined in different Chinese restaurants in other countries but I always long for TPTH authentic Chinese cuisine adapted to Pinoy taste.

On our earlier visit, we ordered our favorite soup, Birds Nest with Quail Eggs, Bean Curd, crispy Beef brisket, spare ribs and Yang Chow Fried Rice. My youngest got himself a fried half-chicken.

Old picture of TPTH

Note the tables at the background; my youngest kid with take-out

It was great for SM North management to expand the area of The President Tea House. The first time we visited the place last year, we noticed almost half of TPTH area was located outside the enclosed dining area making the enclosed area a bit crowded while diners outside were not able to enjoy the ambiance. Fortunately, there were only 3 of us at that time hence we were able to reserve the last table inside the enclosed dining area.

During holidays, TPTH is usually full thus some late diners are waiting outside for table to be vacated. Whenever we plan to eat here we see to it that we arrive at least 11:15 am in order to have the best seat in the house. Further, it was a fantastic decision for TPTH to open some branches in some SM malls thus it is now pretty convenient for its fanboys to enjoy its authentic Chinese dishes at reasonable price.

For small size order, the price ranges from 200 to 300 pesos. For 5 of us, we normally order several small size dishes including rice and soup so as there would be variety and still enough for all of us. Live sea foods are also available in their aquariums. I felt guilty when I saw them catching a live grouper after I have ordered fish fillet with spicy sauce. Likewise, you can select some ready to eat dimsums as appetizer from their dimsum cart or trolley being peddled while waiting for your order .


20 February 2013

It was unfortunate to know that TPTH in SM North, Annex has been closed since last month.

King Bee Chinese Food, Commonwealth Avenue, QC

After the travel ban to Yemen has been lifted by our government, I am now able to enjoy my vacation in my home. Because of this, I have told myself that if I could make food reviews in other countries I have visited, I might as well post some reviews regarding our weekly family-day dining.

It was in this light that a Chinese restaurant along Commonwealth Avenue grabbed my attention while on our way to SM North. My wife confirmed that this restaurant has recently opened and she asked me to try it which I gladly complied.

The Chinese restaurant is King Bee Chinese Food. I have heard about this family owned Chinese restaurant before but not as famous as The President Tea House.

You will find the company profile on this link: http://kingbeefood.com/aboutus.html.

Having 3 kids who are picky eaters, my wife and I can't simply bring them to any restaurant without making sure that they would enjoy the food and ambiance. I learned this lesson hard when I brought them to an Indian restaurant in Bangkok. Long faces and lots of left-over, LOL. Anyway, it was our practice to scout first the restaurant and decide later whether we can bring our kids to that place thus we found ourselves trying our favorite menu at King Bee.

The first item we tried was their steamed seafood roll from their dim sum cart. When I was young, I never saw any dimsum cart in any Chinese restaurant we used to visit. Usually, everything has to be ordered direct from the waiter. Nowadays, these Chinese restaurants have evolved with time; you'll not only see dimsum cart peddled along the aisle but also tray of dessert and sweets. I have seen this practice also in Hong Kong restaurants.

seafood roll

To be honest, this is one of the best steamed seafood roll that I have tasted. Wifey had the same observation. This pair cost 95 pesos. I suggest you to try this one instead of the perennial favorite Hakaw (shrimp dimsum) or the infamous sharks fin. Sorry Guys, I am not pork (dimsum) fanboy.

My wife's favorite came next, Pancit Canton.

The saucy Pancit Canton looks appealing but it didn't satisfy our taste buds. We found it bland. We prefer a tastier or flavorful Pancit Canton though I must admit that it is competitively priced for around 200 pesos since this small size Canton is brimming with meaty ingredients as you can see on the picture. Anyway, you can always ask for extra seasoning such as soy sauce and calamansi.

My youngest kid's all-time favorite, the world-renown fried chicken.

Believe me when I say that my youngest kid can survive by eating fried chicken alone and without rice. By God's grace, literally we were praying for him to eat other food, he is now trying his best to eat roast chicken. Back to King Bee, the chicken was fried like a Peking duck. The skin was crispy while the meat was tender. Like any fried chicken, you would enjoy and appreciate this chicken while it is hot. This half-chicken cost us 240 pesos.

We ordered 50 pesos per cup plain rice. The rice was fluppy and flavorful but quite expensive.

Typical Chinese lanterns and deco adorn the interior of King Bee. The ambiance is nice and classy while the staffs are attentive to your needs. Additionally, like other Chinese restaurants, you will notice several ducks and chickens hanging inside a glass counter. According to my late Chinese grandfather, they need to hang or air dry those ducks so that the skin will separate from the meat. On top of these, there are several aquariums where live sea foods such as grouper (lapu-lapu) can be ordered.

For a small size order, the price ranges between 200 pesos to 300 pesos; it is enough for two persons.

This branch of King Bee is pretty convenient to visit due to spacious parking space outside and easily accessible by public transport such as bus, jeepneys and taxis. Not to mention the two storey building that can accommodate big numbers of diners anytime. The restaurant is located opposite of Ever Commonwealth.

We will definitely come back here for another round of our favorite Chinese food.

King Bee Part 2

With daughter in tow, the wife and I returned to King Bee. I asked the Dimsum cart lady to give my daughter our favorite seafood roll.

My daughter loved the seafood except the mushroom.

We avoided my wife's favorite Pancit Canton due to bland taste and ordered instead Fish Fillet in Black Taosi while my daughter settled for Fried Chicken.

The Yang Chow Rice and (Half) Fried Chicken costs more than 200 pesos each while the Fish Fillet was above 300 pesos. Each order is good for 2 to 3 people.

The three of us consumed everything; as usual, I played plates cleaner, LOL. In addition, hot tea came as freebies though nothing special with it.


Revised: 08 March 2013

Mezza Norte at Quezon City

Weekend food markets have been sprouting in metro for the past few years, not to mention the "dampa" style food market.

Due to its success, the organizer of Mercato Centrale at Bonifacio Global City, Soderno in Alabang and Distrito Makati has decided that it is about time to bring this weekend food market to northern part of Manila.

They found a perfect place at UP AyalaLand Technohub along Commonwealth Avenue near Philcoa area, Quezon City. Perfect due to after-office call-centers workers, UP crowds (including my daughter who enticed us to visit this place), nearby villages and foodie like us. We are from San Mateo area, around 10 km away via Batasan road.

Last July, they opened Mezza Norte. It is open from Thursday to Saturday from 6 pm to 3 am. The place is WIFI hotspot and with live acoustic entertainment.

The idea behind this weekend food market was to give opportunity to new food entrepreneurs by offering reasonable overhead cost which reflect on the price of the food being offered at Mezza Norte . In fact, I was surprised to note that you won't find these food concessionaires in any malls, except Manang's Fried Chicken, though I can bet that they can give those established brands a run for their money.

can you beat this price and serving?

My wife bought her all time favorite Pancit Canton while my kids chose Fried and Barbeque Chicken. The serving was quite big and the price was reasonable as well.

I tried Big Bob charcoal burger for 150 pesos. The burger is flavorful and big serving.

Wife and kids bought pizza with filling and cakes for midnight snacks while I bought 2 sticks of chicken isaw for 30 pesos per stick as partner for my midnight drink, lol. Great partner for Vodka.

We arrived at almost 6 pm at Mezza Norte after fetching our daughter from UP. Fortunately, we found a vacant pay parking space nearby. To add, regardless whether you park inside a barricaded parking space or along the open roads you would be charged 25 pesos.

Try to be there at least 5:30 pm due to limited tables, chairs and parking space. I dropped my wife and daughter before I searched for parking space thus we were able to find a vacant table.

There was a drizzle after one hour thus diners started crowding under the limited tents. Otherwise diners can use the concrete bench under the trees.

Trust me, come early if you want to have the best seat in the house and of course parking space.

For private vehicles, if you are coming from Fairview area, right after crossing Tandang Sora flyover proceed to outer/Bus lane until you reach the main gate of AyalaLand. In case, you'll be coming from EDSA area just travel up to Quezon Circle then turn right to Commonwealth Avenue and make a U-turn under Tandang Sora flyover, near Iglesia ni Cristo Central.

In addition, around the tent you'll also find several fast food outlets but I am sure you won't come here for them.

Dadi's Berd

Tacos

We'll try these on our next visit. Bon Appetit!

You may check their FB account: MezzaNorte for more details.

Mezza Part Two

We returned back to Mezza Norte today and continued our food tripping. However, it continued to rain for several hours thus it was difficult to drive home. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the food and even brought some for our midnight snack.

Additional shots:

55 pesos cheesy potato from "Mad About Spuds"

This one is really cheesy. Even my chicken fanatic youngest kid learned to love this.

100 pesos Nachos Grande from "Mexikanto"

Nothing special about this. Just an over-the-counter Nachos with assorted and spicy toppings.

110 pesos spicy Big Berd from "Dadi's Berd"

This can easily give Mang Inasal a fair competition. The tasty and boneless chicken is quite superb.

We spotted Glenda Garcia at Mezza Norte. She's at Happy Chef. I believe this is her personal business. 

We truly enjoyed Mezza Norte. For a cost of around 1000 pesos, five of us were satisfied. The price was competitive because it includes the main course, drinks, appetizers and desserts. I am looking forward for another family Mezza trip on my next vacation.

Revised on 15 Sept 2012

Happy Stripes - Full Blast!

UP Anime Manga Enthusiast (AME) presents PH-KEI / Japanese Street Fashion in the Philippines

There would be an Alternative Class Learning Experience at Palma Hall Rm 213-215, 1-4pm with invited experts from different Japanese Fashion genres:

Justine Chantelle - https://www.facebook.com/doroteesweetlips

China Mungcal - https://www.facebook.com/chinamungcal

A lucky winner will be picked at the end of the event winning a surprise gift item from Happy Stripes; the main sponsor of this event - https://www.facebook.com/HappyStripesss 

To add color to this event, Happy Stripes has released its 3rd collection with matching promo for its online clients; free item to the first buyer who has confirmed order. The winner will be announced in few days.

MORE ON HAPPY STRIPES!

Happy Stripes - A Concept Born During My Wandering

LEGO City Adventure at SM Mall of Asia

For all pinoy LEGO fanboys this is your chance to view an entire LEGO City Adventure exhibit at Mall of Asia from 18th of August to 1st of September. Bring your camera "kids" because the exhibit is truly a work of wonder. Pardon my analogy because this is the first time I have seen a LEGO exhibit. I was aghast at extensive collections built by lucky individuals. I remember my dream of having a LEGO set during my younger years.

I have been informed that SM MOA started holding this exhibit last year. They had a Philippine adventure theme last year.

SOME SHOTS:

LEGO Park

LEGO Townhouse

LEGO Hospital

LEGO Firestation

LEGO Space Shuttle

They're launching a LEGO rocket

Aside from the city exhibit, they also have Photobooth and Play Area. This is the best time to buy discounted LEGO sets. Guys, you have few days remaining to visit the LEGO City Adventure.