Chelsea Market: a nostalgic trip back to Manhattan

Chelsea Market: a nostalgic trip back to Manhattan
By : Aly Abaquin http://alyabaquin.blogspot.com



“Chelsea Market and the meat packing district are evolving into the hottest new destination in New York City!!!” . . . AHHH! New York... New York!!! Reminds me of my gastronomical tour and my wonderful stay in the Big Apple.
And one memorable visit is-The Chelsea Market. As I stumbled upon this one stop culinary food shop and a gourmet’s lover’s whole sale retail wonderland. Alice would surely be delighted to be thrown in here. It is an “industrial- chic hotspot” along a historic and most unique city block in Manhattan that I was fortunate enough to experienced, a few years back. It’s located in the 75 9th Avenue to be exact. Every thing is wonderful. There’s a -master baker, a real butcher, unpretentious outlets, super sandwiches, fabulous cakes, cookies, muffins, flowers and even FOOD NETWORK.- That’ s The Chelsea Market


FAST FORWARD TO SERENDRA, Philippines…
THE FEEL : The owners of this Serendra sensation tries to replicate that New York feeling. It is a quintessential modern industrial American restaurant.
The dining is casual and fun but still a little elegant with its familiar menu yet sophisticated. SIMPLE AND STRAIGHT FORWARD pretty like much what a market should be.
THE CHALLENGE: My brother wants me to prove if the P1,000 pesos- Dinner for two is conceivable in Chelsea. Because I keep on raving about how great a bargain eater I am…so due to my BIG MOUTH I must be able to convince him and believe that it is doable.
I told him of the rules: The vats and 10% charges will not be part of the P1K. And I will order for both of us. So I told myself stick to your guns of PSW system.
Pasta-Salad and Wine…. Dude!! So perfect that when I was ordering. This brother of mine told me -“I don’t like pasta or pesto. I had enough of the pasta last Christmas”. Oh no!?! Is he simply being hard on me or simply a pain in the ass.
Naturally both… so change plans! So here’s what we ordered: Main Dish: Grilled Roasted Gourmet Sausage which he like - plus “pogi” points to me, then the Salad: Granny Smith Apple Shreds & Gorgonzola and 2 Red Wine/Shiraz. Later on we will let you in with the price.
THE FOOD: The resto’s cuisine prides itself of the Italian-American classics meets sensible Mediterranean accents and the creative energy of CosMo Manila, in dishes like....Moroccan Food, Lamb Shack Tanjine, Five Cheese Pizza and the Meat Ball Pasta, Seafood Linguini and Fettuccini are the favorites.
But we took the different route due to the P 1,000 pesos challenge and to proved my MANTRA : GREAT FOOD CHEAP EATS…exists.

Firstly our server Leo gave us the freshly baked Foccacia bread with black olives and dipping it in EVOO and balsamic vinaigrette with powered parmesan cheese is just the start of a perfect dinner.
We opted for the Red Wine: Full bodied Grant Burge, Benchmark Australian red wine or simply SHIRAZ is good for the meat dish.
Our salad is the Granny Smith Apple shreds & gorgonzola- fresh arugula, toasted walnuts drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette with sliced green apples is served topped with gorgonzola. This salad is not for everybody due to its sour leafy arugula(over grown leaves) so to mystify the sour we needed a little kick so we ask for a little more salt, pepper, brown sugar and more vinaigrette and presto sweet and sour just right but the crumbled gorgonzola was “bitin” too little was on top of the salad. Instead of toasted walnuts I prefer candied walnuts- Filipino taste buds are really different.;)
The Grilled Roasted Gourmet Sausages was served on top of homemade sauerkraut and classic mashed potatoes with Dijon mustard and red peppercorn cream sauce. The techniques in cooking the sausages are basic, not fussy, the ingredients easy-to-find, not esoteric, but the flavors are bold not flighty.
So as we divided and tasted each one, the English pork, the Shulib and the Hungarian sausage are divine, each with its own distinct flavor and is good with the Foccacia bread with black olives, ask your server to bring you another round.
The food is simple, It looks simple but when you dig in it. Your instantly satisfied.
THE SERVICE: Friendly, Informative and helpful.
THE PRICE: Reasonable and competitive but they need to incorporate the vat in their menu price and add on the 10% service charged later.
So not to irritate Budget Conscious diners.
Here’s the math : Grilled Sausage P 495 + Salad P 295 +2 glasses of shiraz at P160 each equals total of P 1,110 not bad a little over by P110 but wait we need to pay the vat and service charge of P 244 oh no….;(.
Note: Weekends they do not take reservations. Please add more seats…..;)
Overall CHELSEA MARKET & CAFÉ will continue to provide comfort food and delight its patrons with superb service. It was a nostalgic trip to Manhattan after all. Despite the non-inclusion of vat in their menu price. Its worth the trip.
With out the jet lag.

Ratings :5 spoons

Trinoma's P1,000 dinner date challenge continues...

Trinoma’s P 1,000 pesos dinner date Challenge continues….
By: Aly Abaquin



4th stop:
PINOY PRIDE- ABE





If you and your date dig Filipino feel good cuisine and being patriotic about your meals. Don’t miss out on this resto-ABE’s excellent home cooked meals from the Capampangan region.

The resto is a tasteful tribute of a loving son to his passionate father.

Mr. Larry Cruz of the LJC group of restaurants who owns Café Adriatico in Malate is behind this very successful restaurant which pays tribute to his dad Emilio Aguilar Cruz who is fondly called ABE.

Abe by the way is also capampangan word for friend and companion.
So let the old champ enthralled us with his Capampagan Filipino cooking at its freshest and best.

Abe the Serendra sensation is now in TRINOMA at the third (3rd) level.

THE FEEL: At first glance Abe’s location is prime with a breathtaking view of the hills from afar and lush greenery from a nearby Golf course- a perfect AL FRESCO dining under the stars.
The interiors is Filipino contemporary: its cool and soothing beige walls mix in with browns plus a dash of richly colored paintings in the walls makes you feel welcome.

The “BANIG” inspired chairs are very comfortable, indigenous and durable amidst the multi-colored window seal reminiscing of a visit to some ancestral house in the proverbs but this is more hip and inviting.

Coveted seating : Forget about the Serendra branch you have more seats waiting for you here. Highly recommended is the dinner by candle light. AL fresco dining at its best . Take the left side most table for clearer view then pray that it does not rain on your parade.

THE PRICE: Since we only have P1,000 pesos to spend –this really had my brain cells working. The price is reasonable but some of the items in the menu are a little bit pricey, but worth it. So many good dishes to choose from- but with a budget we need to spend wisely.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!
I opted for the house specialties good for two. DuHHH! NO BRAINER!!

Ben Cab’s Lamb adobo and Thelma San Juan’s mom rellenong mais that we love to try and SWAK na SWAK sa budget. Remember this is a date not a pig-out. Coupled with two shakes all for only P 1,014.20 ( price based on Jan 12, 2008 inclusive of taxes and service charge.)

Recommended menu : Rellenong Mais P196, Lamb Adobo P392, and 2 unlimited rice at P 62/pax (P 124) then 2 glasses of tamarind shake for that dessert flavor ala drink at P105/glass (P 210) + 10% service charge equals = a total of P1,014.20/Not bad for a friendly date.

We wanted the Abellini cocktail drink - a refreshing white rum, cantaloupe, muddled with shaved ice and laced with crush fresh mint leaves that is their signature drink- but on that day they run out of mint leaves too bad!!! So we opted for the tamarind shake which they recommended and or the red wine- shirak at P 175/glass but hold on budget budget remember….. Boo!!! Hoo!!!! A challenge really.

THE FOOD : The 3 pieces rellenong mais is a combination of sweet corn, tidbits of fresh catch shrimps, and cheese/ flour - all mix with farm fresh eggs then skillet fried for that omelet Filipino style.

It is good with tomato ketchup rather than soy sauce. ( If I could only improve it- I will add to its filling or topped it with crumbled goats cheese, freshly chopped basil and button mushrooms well that’s only artsy me-and only if Thelma’s MOM approved of it. He he he … DREAM ON ALY -DREAM ON.... . But the taste is classic and standard.

What the heck - I just wanted to taste it after all to find out whats the craze all about.

The Lamb Adobo: it’s the sauce that is a mystery to me which you can drizzle to your unlimited rice ration and chow all you want. The lamb chops is succulently soft and amazingly chunky.

Hmmmh…. The secret is on how they marinated it with their secret spice mixture and how the Lamb chops are slowly cooked/simmer over in medium low heat until the meat is almost tender.

If my guest is right. The spice mixture is not just your regular Adobo mix but a conglomeration of special kosher rock salt, pepper, turmeric, freshly ground white pepper with finely chopped red onions and garlic plus fine siling labuyo.

Hungry ka na -ha!!! . Hmmmh your guess is as good as mine…… we might have decoded the secret of this signature dish.

So far the LAMB ADOBO should be in any BALIKBAYAN’s itinerary. Superb! Kudos to Ben Cab.

The tamarind shake is the local take on the green mango shake sweet and tangy just right for the dessert drink combi. While your server gives each one of you a free burong mangga (pickled green mango over beer with sugar and salt). Okey but no thanks we had the tamarind remember…

SERVICE : Helpful, friendly and informative

ABE’s truly makes us proud to be PINOY!!
HAIL THE LAMB ADOBO as Filipino culinary discovery !

Rating : 5 spoons.

ABE is located on the 3rd level of TRINOMA. For reservations call :901-5692

Trinoma's P1,000 Dinner Date Challenge! continues....

TRINOMA's 1, 000 pesos FINE DINING (dinner date) Challenge!!! Continues। . . . .

By: Aly abaquin (http://alyabaquin.blogspot.com/)


Third Stop: Holy Cow: Simple Contemporary Country Charm


Getting a place in the metro for a dinner date that is perfect is like looking for a pin in a pile of haystacks. Don’t fret!! Your friendly eater-outer had you covered on this account.

For teenagers and twenty something couples out there that likes casual dinners that is fun-filled, no frills but pleasurable-here is an idea you need to follow by the letter so to speak.

Look no further a casual dinner for two plus a memorable gift and then capped it off with a romantic movie date is a sure WIN! You only need to spend P770 for dinner for two and P 300 pesos for that movie date total P 1,070. Can’t believe it then read on ….Your bargain eater-outer recommends a visit to Holy Cow!!! Holy what??? Its Holy Cow silly!

Try the newest holy cow in TRINOMA. It is located in the 4th level-you can’t miss it coz it is the only resto that have a cow with halo and wings gracing infront of its façade.
Let Holy Cow amaze you of that perfect dinner date for only P 770 pesos and then head off to Trinoma Cinemas and buy yourself and your date tickets for that romantic movie date.

Let this resto seduce you of its easy going charm.

AMBIANCE: Modern and Traditional. Country and Contemporary. They may sound like strange bedfellows but when it comes to Holy Cow’s interiors it works.

Entering the resto, you immediately notice its high ceiling made of natural colored oak-wood which lends authenticity to the place. Making you feel that you are inside a barn house but contemporary in style. I love the understated furniture that doesn’t need to shout to be heard.

You know the kind, where you want to kick off your shoes and sink into the best seat in the house preferably with a bowl of good ice cream- that’s COMFORT.

The resto promises of comfort, simplicity and style.

COVETED SEATING: Black leatherette Wing chairs are comfy and a must to be reserved.

PRICE: Reasonable and competitive. (The menu pricing does not include the 10% service charge.)

Here’s the math : 2 orders of the Cornflakes Chicken Tots Meal at P 350 each + a Cute COW + 10% tax = P770.

You just order two of the Cornflakes Chicken Tots/ Kids meal. Surprise!!!
The food serving is relatively standard and at P 350 per entrée no need to share.
Okay! Okay! You might be thinking of that HAPPY MEAL which quick service restaurants are offering –this meal is much better it has punch, pizzazz and spunk!

You have your own individual pasta, French fries, dessert and a regular ice tea plus a bundle of joy that comes in a soft plush toy cow available in blue, white or pink. All you need to do is talk and smile all through out dinner as you feed each other the Chicken Tots - Romance is in the air.

FOOD QUALITY: Highly recommended is the cornflakes chicken tots’ meal.
Fried Chicken takes on a new guise-crusted cornflakes was use to be the breading of the chicken nuggets as it is deep fried in healthy vegetable oils to be crunchy then set on top of the al dente spaghetti. You have a choice of honey Dijon mustard or BBQ sauce plus a side serving of Idaho potato fries.
Your drink is a regular ice tea and compliment it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate. Don’t forget to gift your date with the cuddly little baby cow that comes with its own barn house box for take out.
The food is standard a kick back in NO FUSS, NO MUSS style-kids and adults will surely love.

SERVICE: Staff are gracious and helpful but not informative. (They need to taste what they are selling to be knowledgeable on the ingredients so they can recommend.)

OVERALL HOLY COW tops for 3 Spoons for innovative dinner.

Comfort, simplicity and style that’s Holy Cow.

For reservations call 916-6299 Holy Cow 4th level Trinoma.

Trinoma's P1,000 pesos Fine dining challenge as a result from Bloggers Tour!

TRINOMA's P1, 000 pesos FINE DINING (dinner date) Challenge!!!
By Aly Abaquin

Valentines is fast-approaching and you would like to reserved that day with your special someone and have a fun, romantic and memorable date. But wait with the oil price increase and everything going up you need to be savvy, creative and innovative for that special day.

Don't worry. I am the great eater-outer foodie junkie has the following RESTO SOLUTIONS for your Shrinking budget of $25 dollars (P42:$1)/P1,000 pesos FINE DINING! DINNER DATE!

YOU HEARD ME RIGHT! - A dinner for two for ONLY P 1,000 pesos and FINE dining at that. You can impress your date with this gift of bonding and yet not spend a fortune! He/She would be amazed on how you've meticulously thought of your special date.

I have the passion to search around the metro of affordable and unique dining experience that not only wets your appetite but cherish the moment forever. Believe me I've done and gone through every nook and cranny of the metropolis and found this newest and most exciting project of the AYALA MALLS- TRINOMA!!! -
The mall is situated in easy access main roads-the corner of EDSA & North Avenue plus is directly connected to the MRT (Metro Rail Transit).

Stepping inside the topmost level of TRINOMA is the TRINOMA PARK-an environ custom-built for outdoor events and bonding. (http://www.ayalamalls.com.ph/) With its lush greenery, tasteful landscaping and unique water facilities is a must see.

You and your loved one a.k.a "date" can enjoy to walk and stroll in the 2 levels and be awed of the sensational “inspiring water installations that rhythmically leap and jump from the ground level all the way to the topmost level flowing into the serene pools surrounding the park".
WOW! -what a description but true this is the crowning glory of TRINOMA and aside from the fact that it houses a diverse selection of cuisine for FUN and FINE DINING that yours truly would like to write about and feature one unique resto every week.

TRINOMA is a MULTI-CULTURAL GASTRONOMICAL TREAT!

You would experience an array of colorful flavors around the globe in just 90 minutes from America, Greece, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and our very own the Philippines.

So can TRINOMA restos survive the P 1,000 pesos fine dining challenge? As a foodie at heart- my gauged for judging, qualifying and recommending a resto rests in the following Criteria: Ambiance, Food Quality, Service- Unique Dining experience (UDE) and Price. I rate them with my silver spoon awards. One spoon being the lowest while five spoons being the highest.

So if you have only a P 1,000 pesos budget on hand –What do you do?
I always plan my attack. My philosophy being: "GOOD THINGS COMES IN THREES" to wit: PASTA, SALAD and WINE" (PSW) -Don't worry about eating a fancy entree, appetizers or lots of courses.
My recommendation for a good eat-out for two is the PSW system. Everybody likes Pasta, Salad and include a glass of full-bodied red wine or a chardonnay then lean back and let the conversation roll -after all your eyes should be set on your date not on the menu!

Let the search begins: First Stop: GREECE.

CYMA ESTATORIO : A Greek taverna prides itself of the main idea that delicious food is a "PERFECT SIMPLICITY" meaning-not to interfere with the natural ingredient’s natural taste-"raw products are such flawless quality so covering them up with sauces and forceful flavors is exactly what SHOULD NOT BE DONE" according to its owner and Executive Chef Robby Goco.

AMBIANCE: the Resto is easy to the eyes-its airy and natural ambiance plays well to the senses. With its Blue Mediterranean colored chairs echoes the deep blue Aegean Sea that surrounds the magnificent isles of Santorini. By the way the blue color evokes honesty and simplicity-indeed they don’t want the interiors to bother you while you eat. But instead compliments your dining experience.

Coveted seating: For daters who like to smooch, play footsies and be touchy you might want to take the rightmost corner love seat- a must to reserved seating for that romantic/intimate interlude. Forget about the dome seating structures for this is usually reserved for group diners.

PRICE : The Price is reasonable and competitive but with the P1,000 pesos challenge they are over by only P30-95 pesos but not bad since you got to taste Pasta, Salad, House blend Drink/Wine + dessert! Without the desserts Set “A” is P 885 Set “B” is P 900. ;)

The Food is simply fantastic and their servings are good for two pax- GOOD for Sharing! I strongly recommend the two menus for only -hold your seat P1, 030 and P1, 095 (note: the prices are vat inclusive and are base on their Jan 10, 2008 price list)

Set “A” Salates/ Salad: Horiatiki Salata “ Solo” P 195
Pasta : Yiouvetsi ‘Solo” P 320
Wine/ Drink : 2 glasses /Musa de Vauformozo P 370 (185per glass)
Dessert : Glyka : Pagato CYMA’s cheesecake sorbet P 145
Total: P 1,030 pesos

Set “B Salates/ Salad : Roka Salata “ Solo” P 295
Main Dish : Moussaka ‘Solo” P 235
Wine/ Drink : 2 glasses/Musa de Vauformozo P 370 (185per glass)
Dessert : Glyka : Flaming Mangoes P 195
Total: P 1,095 pesos

FOOD QUALITY:
Set “A” – The Horiatiki salad or the greek village summer salad is a classic salad with feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, olives capers and red wine vinaigrette served w/grilled garlic bread- this salad would be a bit too much but very appetizing.

While the Yiouvetsi pasta of baked lamb w/orzo (rice shaped pasta) served w/ grated parmesan, parsley and EVOO! Is a great pair and is a traditional recipe in greece that is fulfilling and satisfying too and can be shared.
Be sure to wash this down slowly with the MUSA DE VAUFORMOZO (Tinto) a drink of mature fruit aroma (raspberry, blackberry) black fruits (cranberry) and floral notes giving it a good expression. All these harmoniously play in your mouth- feel the fresh flavors then sealed it with a sugary, sweet tangy dessert cyma’s cheesecake sorbet. - A perfect match for a perfect evening.

Set “B” My personal choice and favorite.
The food is simply prepared but very appetizing- the Roka Salata “solo” is a combo of fresh arugula (roka), chopped romaine lettuce, sun dried tomatoes, candied walnuts with shaved parmesan in traditional Greek vinaigrette is a must try-FABULOUS! Counter it with the Meatless Moussaka layered of seasoned green lentils and tofu, potatoes, zucchini, eggplant and Greek Béchamel sauce. ( for non-vegetarian please order the moussaka with ground pork same price) then wash it down slowly of the MUSA de vau Formozo a drink that is just right for all types of light dishes,pasta,BBQ and grills.

Then OPA!! The Flambé Mangoes – Cyma’s specialty served w/vanilla ice cream on the side with end the night with a smile and satisfaction. Great Food for a great price.

SERVICE: Friendly and cheerful staff and attentive servers.
OPA! OPA! OPA!Unique dining experience: The servers Shouts OPA for every Flaming dish brought out. Cheering that good food is served.

RATINGS: 4 SPOONS Cyma is an experience worth repeating! I shall return!!!

Cyma is located on the 4th level of TRINOMA Ayala Malls. Telefax: (02) 9152859 Visit http://www.mymetrophoto.com/

NEXT WEEK: JAPANESE CUISINE!

Trinoma's P1,000 Fine dining challenge !

TRINOMA's

P1, 000 pesos FINE DINING (dinner date) Challenge!!!Continues. . .

By : Aly abaquin

Second stop: Haiku: Japanese Cuisine

In trinoma there is only one resto that uplifts the standard of the Japanese cuisine and that is HAIKU at the third (3rd) level. Your date would be impress since the setting is already a visual feast and makes you look forward to a truly pleasurable dinner.

So let’s rate HAIKU:

AMBIANCE: Hip and inviting with a contemporary twist by using the Japanese OBI-BELT as inspiration. The eyes are filled with vivid circular black and gold design overhanging as half domes enveloping diners below while seated on a circular HAIKU enclaves-cocooning you and your date for that romantic one-on- one. The music is soothing and relaxing (Enya was playing).

COVETED SEATING: The Haiku cocoon seating- there are only 3 circular enclaves of this sort so reserved in advance or you’ll be seating in their regular boxy seats.

PRICE: It is a little bit pricey buts its location and setting compensate for a memorable date. They’ve passed the P1,000 pesos challenge with a logical choice in the menu of their entrée worth P 725 and 2 glasses of Sake at P105/per glass. A total of P 935 pesos.
Menu: Entrée “A” – a choice of main dish of scallop teppanyaki plus sashimi. miso soup, salad, rice and dessert. P 725 and the house blend or Haiku sake for P 105/per glass. Grand Total P 935 pesos. (Based on Jan 10 2008 price list)

FOOD QUALITY: The entrée is good to share but the serving is bit average.
Miso Soup- the well blended of flavors of the tofu, miso paste, wakame seaweed in broth is a little bit salty but standard.

Haiku Style Sashimi Salad is a composition of tuna flakes, crabsticks, onion leeks, ginger, julienne carrots, nori squares and is tossed in select green cabbage drizzled with sesame seeds w/a special Haiku salad dressing topped with deep fried potato mini strips is a must try! The 3 sashimi strip and 3 Norwegian salmon on the side compliments well as appetizers.

Main Dish: The choices of either or ebi tempura and sashimi are classics and by the book but the scallops are superb.

Dessert: Ask for the Green Tea ice cream and you’ll know why is highly recommended.

Wine: Sake is good, though sweet compared to other Japanese restos. For dry or more robust sake ask for their selections.
Or your choice of the Haiku house blend drink of watermelon, cantaloupe, crushed ice with a special fruity blend topped with pandan syrup and is served in a large tall fluted glass good for sharing. Ask your server for 2 straws for that romantic sip.

PRESENTATION: The presentation is an art form in itself the entree are served in a big ceramic platter inside it are a symphony of containers mimicking an artful bento box.-To pretty to eat. Even your water is served artistically in white abstract hand-blown glassware.
NOTE: the servings are average in size and if your date is a hearty eater this is not the place for you.

SERVICE: Staff are gracious, informative and helpful

Haiku’s overall ratings: 3 Spoons
Flavors are fresh, presentation is an art form but a little bit pricey.
For reservations: Haiku -3rd level Trinoma North Ave Corner Edsa
Tel no. 901-5610 to 11