What's your rainy day comfort food?

It's been raining incessantly for over a week now and Metro Manila has turned into a virtual water world! Water is just about everywhere, causing 
inconvenience and moreso, laziness! Haha! 
Going out is far from my mind when I'm off from work and it's raining cats and dogs. I'm happy just staying in bed for most of the day, and go out of the room only when my tummy growls. And when hunger strikes amid cold 
weather, I crave for some rainy day comfort food. 

These are my typhoon season favorites:

Mami
Whether chicken or beef, this Pinoy noodle soup dish is a winner on any rainy day. The broth is just perfect for warming the tummy. I add some chili ro amp up the heat! With all those noodles, this dish is no doubt filling while some veggies (cabbage and spring onion) 
and toasted garlic bring in additional flavors. 

Chicken sopas

This is a favorite in our home and my kids always request for it. With shredded chicken and lots of carrots and cabbage plus a can of evaporated milk added to the pot, this soup is both yummy and healthy. My youngest child even puts some parmesan cheese on top of his helping for extra goodness.

Champorado with tuyo

Everyone seems to crave for this pair when it's rainy and chilly. And that's perfectly understandable! Chocolate porridge with lots of milk is just perfect to go with tuyo. The salty dried fish provides a balance of flavor to the sweetish champorado.

Dinuguan with puto

This is another duo that seems to make a cold, damp day just alright. I could just get lost in the lusciousness of soft puto (rice cake) dipped in the thick soup 
of dinuguan (pork blood stew).

Arroz caldo

Porridge, be it arroz caldo, which has chicken, or goto, which has tripe, is my ultimate rainy day comfort food. Truth to tell, I love it too even when the sun is out! With lots of toasted garlic and chopped spring onion, it's delicious, warm and comforting to the tummy. If there's fried tofu on the side, then there''s nothing more I could ask for!

Tuyosilog

I don't know exactly why tuyo seems to be the perfect thing to eat with sinangag or fried rice when it's raining and the wind is howling outside. Maybe I associate dried fish with typhoon because going to the market to buy fresh fish is a rather difficult task amid bad weather and flood. But whatever the reason is, "tuyo, sinangag at itlog" or "tuyosilog" is the unbeatable rainy day trio and I think 
many Pinoys would agree with me.

What about you? Do you also love to spend rainy days just at home, perhaps reading a book and warming up with a bowl of hot "lugaw" (porridge) or a plate of fried rice and tuyo?  I would love to know what your rainy day comfort food is. Meanwhile, 
bundle up 'coz wet weather is still upon us. 
Happy eating!

Wadough's for unique treats and big breakfasts

When I learned about Wadough's -- a quaint cafe and dessert place along Maginhawa St. in Quezon City, I got so excited, I couldn't wait to go. And it was all because of the Charcoal Latte, me being a huge fan of everything black, especially food. Up until that point last April, black coffee (I mean activated charcoal-infused coffee and not just a cup of joe without cream and sugar) was still rare, if not unheard of in the country, 
so imagine my excitement learning there was now a place where 
I could have it. Best of all, it's very near, just in Maginhawa, 
that "eat street" where I feel I belong. Haha!
 I learned that Wadough's is owned by a multi-awarded baker by the name 
of Wado, hence the business name. You should see his creations 
posted in Wadough's' FB page. They are stunning!

Anyway, my daughter and I were there for late lunch 

one summer afternoon and had:

Not a morning person, P250.

My daughter's choice. She was curious about lechon longanisa. I wondered about the taste, too and had a bite. My taste buds found no distinct lechon taste but nevertheless liked the native sausage as an all-day breakfast treat. The right flavors were there -- porcine and the spices -- and none of too much salt, thankfully.

Breakfast of champions, P250.

My order. Well, I had just read that bacon was health food, afterall. People who are into ketogenic diet make it a part of their meal plan. Now I had an excuse for eating bacon, which I used to shun. Haha! The hefty serving of rice and hashbrown would spell disaster for my diabetic diet, however, so those two I ate sparingly. I loved the beans, though, as well as the perfectly fried eggs.

Black bottoms cupcake, P95.

This elegant piece of cake is what I considered the highlight of our Wadough's experience. Apart from its beauty, it was a delight to eat: moist, with the sapidity of chocolate only Davao tablea ganache possesses but incredibly, just a hint of sweetness! And the salted cheesecake center was a nice, welcome surprise. The server told us proudly and matter-of-factly, that their Black Bottoms was a winner, literally, in a startup business (food edition) tilt sponsored by Globe.  Now if it's Globe the telecom firm, I don't really know. But I would agree to giving the Black Bottoms cupcake a high grade both for its aesthetic and gastronomic qualities. 

There is no contention. It's a winner!

Strawberry shortcake, P130/slice

We loved this one too although not as much as the Black Bottoms. For one thing, we thought the slice was too thin. Still, it was good companion to a cup of coffee.

Charcoal latte, P180.

Whether the activated charcoal that gave this cup of coffee its classy black color gave it a different taste, I didn't even notice. But maybe, it made the drink a little thicker than the usual. But a cup of coffee is a cup of coffee is a cup of coffee and it's still my elixir.

Red velvet latte, P170.

My daughter loved this one. It was sweet! If we hadn't ordered cake, this might as well be dessert. The brilliant red color is captivating!

Menu

Inside Wadough's

             Wadough's at 154 Maginhawa St., Sikatuna Village, Quezon City

Kudos to Chef Wado for offering very unique treats such as the Charcoal and Red Velvet Latte, which, I think, you won't find anywhere else in the metro. And if you love big breakfasts, go nowhere else but to Wadough's 'coz their all-day brekkie plates won't leave you hungry for more. They are humongous! 
Swing by Wadough's, folks, and satisfy not just your hunger but also your 
sweet tooth. Anyone may also order cakes for special occasions.

Happy eating!

Lugang Cafe at Robinsons Place Manila

Last summer, my US-based sister came over for an almost one-month vacation. We stayed for two weeks in our hometown in Quezon and more than a week at Adriatico Tower, that condo at Robinsons Place Manila. When she comes home every year, she stays either there or at The Grass in Quezon City but our favorite is Adriatico because that's where we love the restaurants, even the "lutong bahay ulam" and "merienda" available all day near the supermarket.

Anyway, one of the restaurants we tried and loved this year was Lugang Cafe, which is one of the latest to open at Robinsons in Ermita. It offers contemporary Cantonese-Taiwanese cuisine and judging from our orders on our two visits, I could say the restaurant serves food of high quality using fresh ingredients. Meanwhile, the store itself is elegant, very clean, airy and well-lighted. 
Lugang Cafe has been in the Philippines since about seven years ago but it was my first time there last May as the Robinsons Ermita branch is the first one near our place (I dislike venturing out of my comfort zone. Haha!). Their menu is a long one and covers everything from appetizers to soup to main course to dessert. 
Even the drinks have a lot of choices!

Anyway, here's what we ordered:

Seafood spinach soup, P380.
Healthy and delicious with a clean taste that doesn't overwhelm the taste buds. 
Whet our appetite, it did so well.

Sweet and sour whole grouper, P980.
Perfect harmony here between sweet and sour tones. There's lots of veggies too, such as diced carrots and green peas which don't just add flavor and nutrients but also beauty to this 
already good-looking dish with a deep, orange hue.

Chicken topped with scallion & ginger oil, P490.
This was my choice because I absolutely love white chicken. Lugang's version is steamed to perfection. The chicken is very tender though a little bland for me. I loved, however, that there is that huge heap of chopped spring onion that gave the meat a subtle zing.

Golden fried rice with egg and shredded pork, P380.

As you can see, there's a "commotion" in here with all those things mixed into the fried rice. This dish can stand on its own, having grains, pork, egg and vegetables. But it goes so well with any viand, too, and we enjoyed it to the hilt 
with our sweet and sour grouper.

Lugang Iced Coffee, P150.

My drink tasted just as delicious as it looked. I loved the boldness of the coffee balanced by the whipped cream that crowned it.

Fresh pomelo shake, P130.

My sister's drink which she loved for its rich pomelo sweetness with a hint of sour. 

She got herself loaded with Vitamin C!.

Hot tea (pot), P80.

My sister's friend's order on our first visit.

Two weeks later, my sister and I revisited the same Lugang Cafe branch, this time 
for afternoon merienda and these were our orders:

Steamed shrimp & pork shiao mai, P298.

Tender, juicy dumplings to make my day. Delicious!

Congee with preserved eggs and pork, P160.

My sister's choice. This was good, too. The porridge wasn't salty but not bland either. It was comforting to the tummy, just perfect for my sister who had bum stomach earlier in the day. This actually consisted her first decent meal of the day. The congee, by the way comes with pieces of bread, which we thought was fried tofu. We ate it after dipping in soy sauce mixed with vinegar. Haha! It was only after we were finished eating that we asked the server if it was indeed tofu. When we were told it was bread, we felt silly and had a good laugh. 😁

Steamed pork xiao long bao, P258.

Lugang Cafe is famous for this soup dumpling and I just had to try it. Well, it didn't disappoint. These round goodies were exquisite: delicious and a thrill to eat. If you gobble it up, you'd get "surprised" by the hot soup inside the dumplings. 

So be careful when bite into it, lest the broth inside scalds your tongue.

Milk custard with fresh fruits, P190.

This, undeniably, was the "star" at our table. Ain't it a beauty, with that myriad of colors? This dessert is the best! It's healthy and only the fruits provided natural sweetness. The milk jello-o wasn't at all saccharine but was very smooth it melted in the mouth. The shaved ice on which everything sits is milky, too, and provides 
a refreshing character to this unique plate of dessert. 

Yummy and guilt-free!

Coke with citron fruit, P130.

This was my sister's but she gave me some and we both loved it. I even ate the orange (it's supposed to be citron but tasted like orange to me) rinds and immensely enjoyed its sweet-sour goodness. I never knew Coke would go so well with citrus!

Inside Lugang Cafe

Lugang Cafe at the ground floor of Robinsons Place Manila

Have you been to Lugang Cafe? I highly recommend it if you haven't. Prices may be a bit steep but I assure you the exquisite food is all worth it. The servers are courteous and agreeable to our requests and as I mentioned, the physical store 
speaks of elegance and utmost cleanliness. 
I can't wait to be back to try their other dishes and drinks. 
There are currently seven branches in Metro Manila -- SM Mall of Asia; SM North Edsa; SM Aura Premier; Glorietta 2; Fashion Hall, SM Megamall; Robinsons Place Manila; 
and Greenhills -- so go to the one nearest you. 
See you at Lugang Cafe, folks! 
Happy eating!