Happy memories are made at Happy Kitchen

Happy food memories... that's more like it. By the looks of this French Toast Pudding with Blueberries, you would certainly be leaving Happy Kitchen with a big smile on your face. This delectable dessert was just among the few we tried when we dropped by the stylish cafe located at Amigo Plaza Mall a few months ago.

A jolly Ms Jet Yap Jiz, chef and owner of Happy Kitchen greeted us with a smile that made us feel at home the moment we entered her reigns, I met Ms. Jet around three years ago during the opening of the same restaurant in the same mall but in a different location. When the mall decided to have yet another renovation, Happy Kitchen transferred to the 3rd level of the Amigo Plaza Hotel offering an alfresco setting for its patrons.

After the renovation (I hope this will be the last), a new and "swanky" mall opened and Happy Kitchen is right in the middle of it all. A culinary boutique is what HK is all about where one can eat, shop and even cook. And EAT is what we did ...

It started off with this Cheesy Grilled Pizza sandwich which we devoured and finished off in no time. And we could have ordered another one...

But we we're intrigued by why this Happy Melt sandwich was their specialty and best-seller so it was an automatic order. It turned out to be a bacon and cheese sandwich with soft boiled egg and special "dressing". Now I know why its a best seller!

I wondered why they only had one rice dish - Bacon Slabs; then I remembered that their main restaurant on the third floor. Ms Jet mentioned that an Ilonggo inspired menu is in the works. So this bacon slab is actually a thin pork belly marinated in yogurt and other spices. And even without the sauce its already sumptuous on its own but the sauce/dip was perfect with it. Hmmm both the bacon and the sauce can stand on their own - I can make the sauce into a "sabaw". But its double the goodness with that combo.

Now how about some Mango Banana Chocolate shake? I just slurped and slurped until it was all gone...

But this Wheatgrass Cooler - a concoction of wheatgrass, orange and cucumber plus other I can't remember was really cool! I've been intrigued by wheatgrass before but never had the chance so the convenience of having one at Happy Kitchen was among the highlights of that gastronomic visit.

And here's another look at the delectable french toast pudding with blueberries which I practically finished alone. To start and end my blog post with the same food item means only thing - I really loved it! Need I say more?

Before I forget, Happy Kitchen has a also a supplies shop called Friends of Chefs. Baking and cooking supplies as well as ingredients and literature on gastronomy can be found. And as a culinary studio, it can be rented for parties and other activities, that includes the kitchen itself which one can peek in anytime plus the services of the staff. You can even "open" you own restaurant - your own concept, your own menu and even temporary rename the place on your own, for a minimal fee. Its a perfect venue esp. those in the hospitality industry and academe to have their culminating activities.

Happy Kitchen is where happy people meet and eat!

Happy Kitchen Cafe is located at the Amigo Plaza Mall and is open daily during mall hours 9am to 8pm. Check it out on Facebook at Happy Kitchen Culinary Studio.

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 pork broth cube (

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

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Search This Blog