Skip to main content

Gluttony: My favorite “sin”

Just a single mistake made my dinner "crashed like dominoes". But that will come later.
Today’s gastronomy trip started in Deco’s La Salette with Lee and Marc for Lee’s batchoy survey. With super special batchoy and two kinds of pan de sal; pre war and that of Pa-a. Over these, we talked about almost anything under the sun.
We then had a side trip to Deco’s pasalubong shop where, as I always say, you can find almost everything for your pasalubong box. Ever since this opened I have been very vocal about my “thumbs up” for this one stop shop.
On our way to the Capitol, we met accidentally bumped into Rex, under the pedestrian overpass of all places. Having idle time at hand, he joined our adventure that afternoon.
We decided to let our lunch settle down first before having our next batchoy meal, this time at Ted’s, by visiting the Capitol and going up the 6th floor for (almost) a birds eye view of the city of Iloilo and beyond. It was really a great first time for me and Lee, thanks to Marc who came up with the idea.
Then it was time to continue our batchoy survey at Ted’s Casa Plaza. Fortunately for Rex they serve chicken batchoy or else he might have “fasted” too early for the Lenten season. Unfortunately for me I had the worst bowl of batchoy in my entire gastronomic life! No further explaining needed.
My worst bowl of batchoy
I then separated from the group who went to INHS and to Marc’s secret hideout nearby; whereas I had an appointment with my optometrist which unfortunately went “haywire” and kept Lee waiting for me.
It should been a Bauhinia dinner but since Marc wasn’t available, he went to Pototan for its annual Christmas Lights festival; we decided to look for another restaurant. And found Maki.
And this is where my title comes in. We were browsing the menu for our orders when Lee suggested a bento box that came with various combinations of what they had to offer. Taking the only table available that time, we had no choice but to sit at the center of the restaurant. But this came in “handy” when owner Chef Pauline Gorriceta-Banusing herself went to our table (I guess as she would always do) and introduced their Bento-Bento promo. It was a Create-Your-Own and Eat-All-You-Can bento meal promo. She then gave us a list of what was included in that promo and upon seeing how it compared with a single order of a bento meal, it was “it”. We also had Long Island and refillable Red Iced “teas”.



It was fun making our own bento meal. We just chose one from each category, gave it to the server and after a few minutes, our bento box comes out of the kitchen. It was a dismay that my camera phone failed me again. It would have been great taking pics. After my good bento #1 combo (California maki, Japanese sio mai, Beef teppanyaki and shrimp tempura), I then made my #2 (crazy maki, gyoza, beef teriyaki and squid tempura). But it was a long wait. And I was served with New York maki and Japanese sio mai which was actually Lee’s combo (he was already eating his).

And this is where it all began (ironically at the end of my story), instead of returning the wrong bento box, I just ate it and made my #3 (crazy maki, sio mai, gyoza, squid tempura). And it came within a few minutes. Then I made my #4 (vegetable tempura, gyoza, spring roll). As I was enjoying my #3, my correct #2 combo came. I was literally dumbfounded and I just told them to keep in the kitchen for a while. After finishing my #3, I then asked for my correct #2. Before I finished my first piece of crazy maki, my #4 arrived. I literally had two bento boxes that time waiting for me to devour. If only I had pics to show, it was really a “priceless” moment. With superhuman effort, I finished my #2 and was on my #4 (actually my 5th bento box that night) when Lee ordered green tea ice cream. Though I was really bursting with those I mentioned above, I still gave in when Lee divided his 2-scoop green ice cream. It was a miracle that I still finished it and what was even more surprising was that I still tasted how good (really GOOD) it was. Of course it’s Haagen Dazs!

To summarize my dinner gluttony I had .....

4 pcs California maki
4 pcs New York maki
8 pcs Crazy maki
6 pcs Japanese sio mai
6 pcs gyoza
2 pcs Japanese spring rolls
8 pcs squid tempura
3 pcs shrimp tempura
4 pcs vegetable tempura
1 beef teppanyaki
1 beef teriyaki
1 scoop of green tea ice cream
Bottom less iced tea (around 4 big glasses)

Damn! This is embarrassing, lol!

Popular posts from this blog

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home.  A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ".  Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region.  Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of  batwan  and the  malinamnam na sabaw .  One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces  1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit  (or tamarind powder) 1 piece por...

Easy Century Tuna Recipes

If you're looking for simple, easy  and delicious Century Tuna recipes online, congratulations, you've found it right here! How about spicy tuna sisig or tuna sinigang ? Maybe stir fried tuna with pickles or just yang chow fried rice .  I love Century Tuna from its flakes in oil variety, the spicier the better, but when I discovered the versatility of its solid variant, it became an obsession. At first I was just into the usual tested recipes; pasta and sandwich filling, but then it got simpler – I just eat it straight from the can! Usually with a piece of bread or an apple. I just add a few drops of vinegar to spice it up a bit. Then came the experiments. Yup I got tired of that habit that one day, I decided to test my skills in the kitchen. Serendipity, you might call it yet most of them turned into good recipes that I have shared now and then. Satisfying my Palabok cravings had me experiment on this recipe on the spot. With Century Tuna in lieu of the us...

Flavours of Iloilo 2012 Highlights: Lovin' February gastronomy

So how to start a month the month of Love in terms of gastronomy? I didn't have to try hard as they come on their own terms.After the revelry of Dinagyang, the next big celebrations in Iloilo are the Chinese new Year, Jaro Candelaria Feast and Paraw Regatta. And it was on the mid celebrations (Jaro Fiesta) that February gastronomy marked its start.  I went to two fiestas during Candelaria - the rainforest inspired set up at the Jamerlan residence and one at Afrique's Jaro, where the restaurant business all began. But in between I just got a call informing me of a photoshoot happening at Days Hotel Iloilo and when I got there it was cakes, cakes and cakes all over. Tinapayan was readying for Valentine and the Heart Cakes were at the center of it all. The next day I was out to lunch at the Central Market and got to discover the old way of having Coffee on the Go at De Leonian Cafe . The month also brought in more discovery as for the first time I got to taste a hambu...

Oyster Cake and more new items at Tarzan Magic La Mien Noodle House

Now there's more reason to go back at my favorite noodle house in town! Tarzan Magic La Mien Noodle noodle along JM Basa street may just look like your ordinary Calle Real eatery serving turo-turo and Chinese specialties but once you've tried what's on their menu, you'd surely be back, again and again. A few days ago, I found myself enjoying their latest dish, Oyster Cake. Our order took long that we thought it was forgotten but when the plate of the oyster cake came to the table, we knew then why. It was cooked with a labour of love, the oyster meat was seasoned with delectable spices (the kusay being the most evident) then sauteed and made omelet style then smothered with, at first I thought just plain catsup, but it was a Chinese dressing/sauce which really complemented the oyster specialty. It was one good and savoury find that day. And they also have new noodle varieties and I think I hit the jackpot with my order - Spare Ribs La Mien. The taste of the s...