Today's Word: Luke 2:11

Today, we remember that our Savior was born to us thousands of years ago. What a glorious day it was when the Lord Jesus Christ was given to save us from death due to our sins! What great love it is that God the Father has for us! Let's not forget that this is the reason why we are celebrating Christmas. Whether there is a simple meal or a feast on our table to share with the family does not matter. It is honoring the Lord 
and thanking Him for giving us a Savior that's important, as well as being 
a blessing to our fellow human beings, especially those in need. 
Merry Christmas, everyone! May the Lord bless us all 

as we celebrate His birthday.

(Credit goes to the owner of this photo)

The enduring Ma Mon Luk

In my five decades and one year of existence, I have only visited the iconic 
mami-and-siopao place Ma Mon Luk in Quiapo once, about seven years ago. So last week, I thought of making a second visit, this time with my friend, who decided to treat me 
for her birthday at the Quezon Ave. branch.

Ma Mon Luk may not ring a bell for millenials but for us Gen X members and older, it is an institution. It is even believed by some food historians that it was the Chinese man named Ma Wen-lu or Ma Mon Luk as he became known in the Philippines after whom "mami" was named (Ma, his name, and "mi", meaning noodles in Chinese). The man migrated to the Philippines from China in 1920 and thereafter opened his first noodle restaurant in Binondo. The Quiapo and Quezon Ave., Quezon City branches 
opened next but for some reasons, the original store closed down 
while the two have remained open to this day.

Anyway, my friend and I came for dinner on Saturday last week. Fortunately, the place wasn't full so we immediately caught the attention of servers. Well, I was there by myself just a few days earlier but had no luck. I waited for about 20 to 30 minutes trying to get noticed by the crew but they were all super busy! I decided to 
just leave and transfer to another restaurant because I was starving! 

Anyway, here's what my friend and I ordered:

Original mami

The broth was quite thick compared to other bowls of mami that I've had elsewhere and looked milky, too. However, it was bland for my taste, but a dash of salt 
and pepper could lend more flavor to the soup.

Bola-bola siopao

This, I loved! It was delish, with a generous amount of pork filling. 
No wonder Ma Mon Luk siopao is well loved by patrons.

Pork rice

My friend and I were surprised when this was served because we were expecting a dish of pork with rice. We thought we were given chopsuey rice by mistake. The server assured us, though, that it was their pork rice. Well, the veggies tasted good, 
although it was essentially chopsuey in both look and taste.

Pork fried noodles

We were expecting a plate of crunchy noodles but these were already drenched in sauce and already soft when it came on the table. Nevertheless, 
the pancit tasted good so my friend and I still enjoyed it.

Menu

Inside Ma Mon Luk along Quezon Ave. in Quezon City

Ma Mon Luk may be really old and quite rundown, with no air conditioning system, but the fact that it still exists decades after decades, attests to the fact that Pinoys love this Chinese restaurant. I know it will still be here for my future grandkids 
to visit, to enjoy good food and a slice of history.

The new Rodic's Diner on Visayas Ave.

Ask any University of the Philippines-Diliman student if he/she knows about Rodic's Diner and you won't get "no" for an answer. This Pinoy resto is iconic at UP and has already branched out to a few areas in the metro. It was the Maginhawa St. 
store that I got to visit about three years ago. 

Last October, Rodic's also opened a branch along Visayas Ave., where I go to work, 
and of course, I've visited a number of times. My youngest 
child also came with me one time. 

Rodic's is famous for its "tapsilog" but I was surprised to find out it serves good palabok, beef mami and paksiw na lechon as well.

These are what we've had:

Tapsilog
As I mentioned, this is the dish Rodic's is well known for. But truth to tell, I'm 
not a big fan of their version of this all-day brekkie fare but you know, 
taste is a very subjective thing. 

 Palabok

I wasn't expecting much from Rodic's palabok but this was surprisingly good and the serving was huge. I only wished they offered something to pair this with like puto, perhaps, or even fried lumpiang toge or shanghai.

Beef Mami
The taste of this noodle soup dish very much reminded me of beef pares. 
But I love beef pares so this was alright with me. My craving 
for a hot bowl of soup was satisfied. 

Lechon Paksiw
I was on some kind of a "lechon roll" when I had this. I had Zubuchon the day before and was still on that lechon high and thus ecstatic to find this at Rodic's. I was glad not to be disappointed because this lechon paksiw was delish, with the perfect 
balance of sweet and sour. The meat wasn't exactly tender 
but that was forgivable. 

Different viands displayed turo-turo style

Menu

Pica-pica foodstuff such as nuts, chicharon and biscocho for sale. 
Souvenir items are available too! 

Interiors

I love how bright, airy and clean this store is.

UP life mural

Rodic's Diner at #47 Visayas Ave., Barangay Vasra in Diliman, QC

Rodic's Diner is the perfect place for those who have big appetites but are watching their budget. If you're famished, you'd get satisfied by the huge servings and good cooking, of course. I'm excited to try their other dishes such as 
dinuguan and kare-kare so see you there, folks! 
Happy eating!

Why I keep going back to Figaro

Figaro Coffee Company is one those places that not only serves a good cup of java but also healthy, mouthwatering food at reasonable prices, the reason it's one of my favorites. That's even with the opening of new coffee and milk tea shops nowadays. Well, I am just reminded that I haven't tried Figaro's milk tea drinks yet, 
which is another reason to visit again soon! 
My kids and I have visited their branches along Banawe St. in Quezon City (my preferred store because of the relaxing ambiance!) and at Robinsons 
Place Manila numerous times and I'm surprised to realize 
I haven't shared about it in my blog! 
What do we love at Figaro aside from coffee? The salads, pasta, sandwiches, rice 
meals and cakes! It would have been easier to say everything, I know! I don't 
remember ordering something that I didn't particularly like at 
Figaro, except for one (find out later!). 

What we've had so far:

Asian Chicken Salad, P219.
This is my top fave salad at Figaro. The medley of colors makes this healthy plate so yummy and appetizing. And the slices of chicken make this one pass as a complete meal in itself, especially if you're cutting down on carbs. It's filling! The sweet and tangy Asian sauce makes this salad a feast for the taste buds. 

Mexican Taco Salad, P225.
A hit among the kids and the kids at heart! It's ok to let the young ones enjoy 
the corn chips as long as they eat the veggies too. 😊

Greek Roka Salad, P219.
Reminds me of the waldorf salad at a fast food chain. I love 
candied walnuts with my greens! 

Pasta a la Carlo, P235.
I could say this is not the usual pasta you can order at restaurants. This dish has 
some unique flavors that go well together. It's sweetish, 
savory, a bit sour, and overall delicious. 

Italian Meatball Bolognese, P235.
The closest my big-little boy could get to spaghetti and he had no complaints! 

Gourmet Spanish Chorizo Pasta, P285.
Another pasta dish that's uniquely Figaro's. Loved this delish filling treat as well.

Five Cheese and Garlic Pizza, P225.
A simple yet tasty treat I would love to have anytime. I'm a huge fan of both 
cheese and garlic so this pizza is tops for me!

Gourmet Spanish Chorizo Cubana, P275.

This is an awesome plate with a really good meat dish and is offered as all-day breakfast. Who doesn't love fried bananas and egg? 

Lemon Butter Fish Fillet, P249.
A simple fish meal that's nevertheless a delight to the taste buds. This is an 
Executive Lunch Set that comes with lemonade and dessert. 

French Mushroom Omelette, P225.

A light meal if it's all you want. However, this was really light because there 
weren't a lot of mushrooms in my serving. And you may have noticed 
that the salad looks rather lonely. Boo-hoo! This was the only time 
I didn't get to enjoy my order at Figaro.

Figaro Club Croissant Sandwich, P225.
This was a huge, tasty and filling meal. With a side of potato chips to enjoy.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, P280.
Flavorful pulled pork with healthy alfalfa and lettuce, sandwiched in between 
two slices of batard bread and served with potato chips. 
My daughter loved this one. 

Mango Cheesecake
Thumbs up to this one's flavor, texture and sweetness that's not overpowering. 
I thought, however, that some fresh mango slices on top would be wonderful. 

Mocha Cappuccino Cake
I ordered this in 2017 but it's currently not available anymore. This was 
as good as it sounds. Mocha? Cappuccino? Count me in! 

Cafe Latte, (small, P120.)
When you want an espresso-based cup of joe but want to pare down the strong kick, have it with some milk like this one has. 

Brewed Coffee, (small, P95.)

My poison, as always. Something to jolt me awake on a lazy aftie! 

Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte (medium, P165.)
One of my son's favorite cold drinks.

Matcha Green Tea Latte (small, P145.)

My daughter's choice. She loves
 Figaro's version for being creamy with just the right sweetness

Caramel Frappe (medium, P165.)
Kids love sweet things, don't they? My son once ordered 
this and said it was good.

Salad and Sandwich Combo, P195.
This was my latest order at the new Figaro Sun Mall branch in Quezon City. I had the Chicken Waldorf sandwich and Asian Salad, washed down with cafe latte. The sandwich was awesome with really tasty filling. I was just a little sad that there 
was no latte art in my cup of joe. Sob, sob.. 

At the second level of my favorite Figaro branch along Banawe St. 
in Quezon City. Look how cozy and homey this nook is!

Love Figaro too? What are your favorites? But if you haven't been to any of its numerous branches (a total of 90, folks, worldwide), haul off yourself there 
soon, won't you, and enjoy good coffee and a myriad 
of delicious dishes and desserts. 
Happy eating! 

Note: Prices are from current menu posted on Zomato.

AMC Sizzling Palace at Fisher Mall

There's a Mediterranean food place at Fisher Mall that I've been visiting and that's aside from Mister Kabab. Haha! There is this restaurant tucked away in a far end corner of the mall that I got curious about so I tried it then came back two more times. It's called AMC Sizzling Palace and if I remember it right, it comes after Adobo Connection at the second level. It's the last locator in that part of the mall 
and is quite inconspicuous. 

However, their Chicken Biryani floored me for having all the right flavors at the right amount and the serving was quite huge, it would fill you up to the brim! My orders on my next visits were less spectacular though, so it's still the 

biryani that is etched in my mind.

Chicken Biryani, P165.
Delicious and filling! Definitely worth going back for.

Shawarma Sandwich, P75.
The meat was quite tough and lacking in flavors.

Hummus (with pita bread), P135.
The hummus was quite good although a bit bland. And the serving is generous!

AMC Sizzling Palace at the 2nd floor of Fisher Mall in Quezon City

If you love Mediterranean food, go find AMC Sizzling Palace at Fisher Mall, guys. But if you're craving for Pinoy food such as bulalo and pansit, you might want to go there too, because they also serve it and based on some reviews I've read, they're quite good at making our favorite comfort foods as well. I would love to have 

a good sip of hot bulalo soup next time. 

Happy eating, folks!

Lechon feast for everyone at Lechon Haus

Lechon, that golden, glorious-looking whole roasted pig is no doubt the star of 
any feast whether we Pinoys are celebrating Christmas, a town fiesta, 
birthday, or practically any occasion. But at around P5,000 for the 
smallest pig, not anyone can afford it. 
Good thing there's now Lechon Haus, a casual restaurant that serves delicious lechon at a very affordable price. It's been my go-to place on those times that I'm craving for lechon, especially its crunchy, crackling skin. They serve other Pinoy food favorites too such as pancit, sisig and halo-halo. And they offer unli-rice, which could be the reason I see many students dining at their store in SM Manila, which is the only branch I've gone to. Young ones do eat a lot of rice! (Like I also used to. Haha!) 
These are what I've had at Lechon Haus:

Lechon Belly with rice 

Tender, juicy meat and crackling skin. Love, love, love! 

Half-Half (lechon belly with chicken and rice)

If you're craving for lechon but want chicken, too, fret not 'coz you can have both 
in a single order. It's a steal at just P149.!

Sizzling Pork Sisig with rice

I'm not a fan of sisig but decided to try this one time. It's juicy and flavorful but because I love all things spicy, I put in some chili for some zing. 
Thumbs up for this pork Sisig! 

Garlic Kangkong
This is the only veggie dish on the menu and a good one at that. I love garlic, especially the toasted bits sprinkled on top. This dish, although simple, is flavor-packed. Good to have as side dish for any of the meat and seafood 
(they have Buttered Shrimps!) dish. 

 Menu

Interiors

Lechon Haus at the third level of SM City Manila 


Lechon Haus currently has 19 branches nationwide. Aside from the one at SM City Manila, they also have stores at other major malls (mostly SM) in some key cities. 
Visit one near you when you're having the lechon feels. 
Happy feasting!