Dongpo Noodles at the Lingyin Temple

It is normal for Buddhist temples to have a restaurant in their premises, particularly the more popular ones. The restaurant at the monastery at Lantau Island in Hong Kong was probably the first one I have ever visited. Devout Buddhist tend to abstain from meat, but this doesn’t mean that they can’t look like meat. As visitors of this blog can see, I am very much a meat eater and a vegetarian place is somewhere far from my places to visit. However, in this case were already way past lunch time and we were starving.

Vegetarian Noodles My Friend Ordered

The restaurant at the Lingyin Temple serves mock meat in their restaurant. These are usually made from flour or soy and shaped to look, smell and feel like normal meat. I ordered their Dongpo noodles wondering how it would taste like. Real Dongpo Pork is actually braised pork belly, in this case, the mock meat was quite convincing upon first glance. But one bite and you will be brought back to reality as it has a certain almost rubbery texture. The noodles are all just ordinary noodles, just the ingredients were different. There was a selection of ready ingredients at the claiming counter and the staff will just scoop out some and mix it together with the noodles. I still don’t look for vegetarian food such as these but this one was still okay for me.

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A Look at the Yonghe King Restaurant at the Shanghai South Railway Station 上海南站

The next day was a day of travelling, from Shanghai we will be moving to the nearby city of Hangzhou. Prior my arrival in Shanghai, my friend kept asking me if she should my buy tickets to Hangzhou. I didn’t really wanted to be tied to a schedule as we might end up running to catch our train. I reasoned that there were a lot of trains plying the Shanghai – Hangzhou route that we will not run out of trains to take. I was right, we got our tickets and we had a little bit more time so we decided to go for breakfast.

My Simple Breakfast of Dough Sticks, Xiaolongbao and of Course, Soy Milk

The Shanghai South Railway Station has a massive structure, it has something like a mall underneath, this was where we found Yonghe King 永和大王. I am not a stranger to Yonghe King as I have patronized them in other cities, incidentally, that was in Hangzhou. I ordered some dough sticks 油条, xiaolongbao 小笼包 and soy milk 豆奶 for my breakfast, while my companions had noodles and a sandwich. The Yonghe King restaurant wasn’t that big though but it was still classy enough. As for the food, it was not spectacular, but it wasn’t bad either. At least this is where I don’t have to worry about the quality of the food.

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Very Soft Pork at the Shanghai Renjia Restaurant 上海人家

I work with a several people from China and one of them had the misfortune of being based in Shanghai. Misfortune because I will be paying them a visit and have dinner with them. I hardly ever see them and I try to drop by whenever I can. Well, this guy was always the gracious guy and was always eager to meet up with me. The last time, he couldn’t eat much since he had a toothache. I made sure he didn’t have one this time so he would also have the pleasure of eating Shanghai food with me.

Can't Do Without Red Braised Pork 红烧肉

I brought my companions with me for dinner so he would be able to get to know them. I had been raving about the food at the restaurant, and they needed to try it. Shanghai Renjia was the same restaurant we had dinner the previous year. I was glad I was still able to remember exactly where it was. I got lost the last time, but I found it immediately this time. My friend was already there since the office was just a block away. He knew what I wanted to have and I let him decide what will be nice.

Not Sure if This Was Soup

Actually even if I was repeating last years dishes, I really didn’t mind since they were so good. Shanghai food tends to be a little sweet which may turn off some people, my friend in particular. I actually liked it since we always have salty food elsewhere. The smoked fish and the red braised pork was just sumptuous. One new dish he ordered was something like pork leg boiled to fall off the bone tenderness.

My female companions admitted that the food was very nice, but there was really too much pork here. Not just pork but the fatty pork kind. In the end I was the one trying to finish everything. It was really very nice and I didn’t want it to go to waste. I can’t expect my friends to be eating a lot anyway. Once again, my ever gracious friend treated me to the very nice dinner. I don’t know when I will be able to pay back the treat since he still hasn’t made plans to visit me.

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Grilling Some Beef at Gyubou Japanese Yakiniku Restaurant

I had a week’s stay in Manila and I intended to make the most of it, so did my friend who agreed to meet with me that night. Conveniently enough he has a car and it was easier and faster for us to move around. We wanted to go for some drinks but decided that the Serendra area was a big too pricey. He decided to try out the Malate area since that was near where I stayed. Another reason why we wanted to try it out is that the air in Malate/Adriatico area was supposed to be very different from the classy air in Makati.

The Raw Beef with Marinade at Gyubou Japanese Yakiniku Restaurant

Unfortunately, the tales of beatnik poets were consigned to the dust bins of history as they are not to be found anywhere. Instead of quiet cafes and restaurants, what greeted us was stall after stall of Korean restaurants. I remember long time ago, there were only a handful of Korean restaurants here but this has already changed completely with the influx of Korean visitors in the recent years. We didn’t go for any Korean food, instead we chose this quiet little Japanese restaurant named Gyubou Japanese Yakiniku Restaurant.

Raw Chicken at the Gyubou Japanese Yakiniku Restaurant

As the name implies, the restaurant specializes in yakiniku or grilled beef. It would have been nice sampling what they have but were just came from dinner and just ordered two dishes. Guests would cook the raw ingredients on top of a metal screen just above some hot stones. The beef was splendid, the marinade was very and juicy, just make sure you don’t over-cook it. The beef was not tough either. The chicken on the hand was a letdown, we would have probably done better if we ordered two beef instead of taking the chicken. As chicken isn’t really good at keeping in the juices.

Amusingly, we were surprised to see a well known celebrity come in with his little “partners”. I am not that familiar with Philippine showbiz, but this one was someone even I recognize. I guess, this place is indeed quite a nice place to have some dinner. Also, despite having to cook the food yourself, the restaurant provided individual chimneys to suck away all the smoke, so you don’t have to leave there restaurant, smelling like food.

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Wonderful Roasted Pork Belly at the Chelsea Market and Cafe

When I am in Manila, I usually dig out the old phone book and try to see who is available to meet up with. It is not that easy anymore since they all have their own families to take care of, so it is a great pleasure to me if someone actually has the time and is actually willing to meet up. I usually spend my time in the Makati business district whenever I am there, it is also one of the best places to meet up with old friends since that is where they most probably work. My friend, unfortunately, had to come from the suburbs so I needed to wait quite a bit before he comes.

Complimentatry Bread at the Chelsea Market and Cafe

One of the new eating places these days is the row of high end restaurants at the Serendra in the Bonifacio Global City. The restaurants here range from still affordable to the really expensive ones. Some of them are quite good and well known. Alas, my budget only can go for the still affordable range and we ended up at the Chelsea Market and Cafe. I don’t think I have heard of this place but the place seemed attractive. My friend probably hasn’t been there either so this was a nice experiment for us. The Chelsea Market and Cafe is set up quite well and the interiors are very tasteful. The brightly lit restaurant also has a selection of wines you can choose from.

Roast Beef at the Chelsea Market and Cafe

We ordered mostly meat dishes, one was beef and one was pork. I liked the pork dish a lot, it is actually just deep fried pork belly but better. The presentation was very attractive and gives you and impression of quality. It also came with gravy, I can’t really say what kind of cuisine this is, but I guess I can call it Filipino fusion cuisine. They do have other stuff like pizza so I won’t say what they specialize in. There was also complimentary bread while waiting, it did take some time before the food came and I found myself asking for another serving of bread. The bill though it wasn’t terribly expensive, it wasn’t that cheap either. Readers here would know that I hardly ever go to these kinds of place but doing it once in a while won’t hurt either.

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Another Surprise Find in Shanghai 上海

Braised Beef in Peace and Happiness Dumpling Restaurant in Makati

My travels have brought me back to Manila once again and upon my non-stop nagging my friends agreed to meet up with me. The weather was uncharacteristically wet that time of the years, which is just as well since I don’t want it to be hot. My friends told me they would bring me to a store which they think I would like, it made me curious. Little did I know that they would be bringing me to a Chinese restaurant. I tried to hide my disappointment when I saw where it was.

Food Cooked in Hot and Numbing Broth in Peace and Happiness Dumpling Restaurant in Makati

Peace and Happiness Dumpling House is something like of an odd ball especially when they set up shop in the ground floor of one of the Cityland towers along Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City. It is closer to the PNR train tracks. One might find it strange to name a store Peace and Happiness but it is actually not very strange in Chinese culture. Upon closer inspection, there Chinese characters crudely displayed on their sign board, obviously local sign artist have no experience writing Chinese characters. The Chinese characters say 老北京 or Old Beijing, which is actually a very common name for a Chinese restaurant. However, the owner of the store, from China, wasn’t able to register the name “Old Beijing”, so Peace and Happiness it is.

Xiao Long Bao Actually Not Beijing Specialty But Good Nonetheless

I am quite familiar with Chinese cuisine enough to be able to tell regional specialties. Beijing food is typically norther fare with noodles and of course dumplings. Of course they do have their own share of famous dishes most notably Peking Duck. From the name of the store, I can only surmise that they serve typicial Beijing fare. My friend recommended the braised beef, which was smothered in some chili oil. It was really very tasty and I loved the texture of the meat. We also ordered some hotpot which was supposedly dipped in hot and numbing broth, bringing back memories of Sichuan. This is probably the first time I’ve had Sichuan pepper in the Philippines and I’m glad it is finally taking root. Sichuan cuisine is wildly popular in China and some of its aspects, notable hot and numbing flavor, has made it into other cuisines.

The restaurant at the time of visit, has much to improve on. The airconditioning wasn’t working so hotpot wasn’t really a good idea. The owner however was very apologetic and she said they needed to fix it. She actually speaks English, not that fluently though, so she needs to rely on her helpers. I suggested, in Chinese, that she try to expand to barbeque or 烧烤 as I’m sure it will be a hit with the Filipino locals, not just the Chinese expatriates. The problem is the building management won’t allow it. Not a surprise, since the strong smell of cumin might be offensive to the people unaccustomed to it. Amusingly, a helper commented how stinky cumin was. I guess it really is a very different market in the Philippines. I hope they do well as I won’t mind going back there.

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Cooking My Own Meal at Watami Japanese Restaurant

The place where I work isn’t exactly the best place to have lunch. It does, however, have a decent hawker center where my colleagues and I usually go for lunch. There are a couple of coffee shops nearby but none of the them really can convince us to leave the “comfort” and not to mention the spaciousness of the hawker center. Doing this every single day of the work week isn’t really very nice, as a result, we gained the habit of going out for lunch every Friday.

This One Looks More Korean Than Japanese

A colleague of ours who is known for her bubbly nature, recommended us this Japanese place at the basement of Raffles City Shopping Center. Apparently, she was been to its other branches and she liked them a lot. As it turned out the place was Watami Japanese Restaurant. I have actually passed by this restaurant numerous times and it looked a bit expensive to me considering the interiors. However, they do have a lunch menu which caters to the more budget conscious.

Scallops and Mushrooms at Watami Japanese Restaurant

I normally order a dish which is pork cutlet in some sauce. It is served in a shallow pot on top of a portable stove. The goal is to cook the dish with a prepared egg. After almost burning my pork cutlet on several occasions, I think I have finally gotten it right. I prefer it to be a little wet so I needed to fiddle around with the stove just to get it right. Either way, I can’t blame the restaurant for this, it will be my fault if it sucked. They also have numerous other offerings and the nice interiors make it a great place to visit. The staff was also very helpful and courteous. They have several branches across Singapore, it may be worth dropping by.

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Hug Mug at Max Brenner

Visitors are one of the things which get me out of the my daily routine. Everyday is almost the same thing until someone decides to drop by, not that I’m complaining. This is also a chance for me to try some places which I never try all by myself. My friends were at the Esplanade area after a sumptuous dinner at the No Signboard Seafood Restaurant, I was goading them to go to the Marina Bay Sands since my special visitor hasn’t been there yet. Alas, there was no support and we decided to have drinks nearby.

Is This a Drink?

We ended up picking Max Brenner since that was probably the best option for us in that area without ending up in the hawker center style that is Makansutra. I have only tried Max Brenner once and I believe that was in Makati in the Philippines. That branch has gone away though amid the onslaught of Starbucks there, though one thing that stood out in that branch was that the staff was all bald, just like Max Brenner. Max Brenner has always interested me since I am a certified chocolate lover but it is something I do not want to spend too much money on. Fortunately, they were out of my normal route so I won’t have to end up buying a chocolate drink every single day.

Interestingly Shaped Cup at Max Brenner

It took us a while to get seats and we ended up squeezing into a small table. What is important are the drinks. I loved the shape of their cups especially the hug mug. It makes drinking that nice warm chocolate all the more comforting. They also have chocolate drinks for more mature drinkers unlike me. It really is a shame I don’t get to drink here often but I personally can’t justify to myself buying an expensive cup of what is essentially glorified Milo. My friend left the next day, I hope it won’t be another six years before I see her again.

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Massive Wagyu Burger at PS Cafe

It is not everyday that I have someone coming over to stay over for a few days. A dear friend of mine had a few days to spare and decided to come over to Singapore to relax for a couple of days. It was pleasantly surprising since I haven’t seen this friend of mine for more than 6 years. Alas she’s lives in a totally different timezone from me both our schedules keep us busy. Anyway, I needed to bring my friend to a nice place naturally, I was hoping to bring her to some local place but that was for a large group of people. So I decided to bring her to PS Cafe.

Cheese and Caramelized Onion Quiche

I have been to PS Cafe a couple of times and I must say I loved the food there. It wasn’t even remotely local, but who cares if it is good. We went to the one in Dempsey Hill and she was pleasantly surprised to see the nice location of the cafe. I usually come here for brunch, though the word “usually” might be inappropriate since I have only been here a couple of times as the budget is something I wouldn’t normally spend for myself. I guess a good friend whom I haven’t seen in years counts as a good reason to splurge a little.

Refreshing Drink at PS Cafe

The food PS Cafe in Dempsey Hill was as usual superb. Strangely enough, my friend ordered a wagyu burger which was great by the way, but something that I didn’t think she would order since they have plenty of those where she came from. She is probably the “safe” eater type and stranger food might be a little less tempting. Nothing much has changed in PS Cafe, though I did notice that there were a bit more Filipino staff this time around. Also, this time it wasn’t raining that badly, so we were still able to go around the exploring the area en route to the bus stop behind the complex.

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Pepper Encrusted Burger at Fat Boys

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Lunch is no exception, my office area doesn’t have a lot of good options for lunch so we are stuck with having Asian food every day. Which is why Fridays are something to look forward to. For a change we decided to ditch Asian food and go Western. Not the “Western” hawker fare that is common in hawker centers in Singapore, this is real American food and what can be more representative of American food than the hamburger?

Some Chips Before the Big Meal at Fat Boys

The flood of foreigners in the recent years have also given rise to a new market for different kinds of food. American food, which was conspicuously absent in the early years of the decade, has made a comeback. We came to know about this new burger place through a colleague of ours and we decided to try it out. Fat Boys is the name of the burger joint and they set up shop in a shop house in various parts of the country. What is special about Fat Boys is that their burgers are really something else. True to their name, Fat Boys is probably where boys come to get fat.

Mouth-watering Burger at Fat Boys

Needless to say, their burger portions are huge, but they are probably the juiciest burgers I had in a long, long while. If that was not enough protein and carbohydrates for you, you can fill yourself up with their fries – that is if you can finish them. Their menu is filled with various kinds of burgers, including the Elvis, which is a bizarre (for me) combination of peanut butter and bananas. A colleague of mine tried it and it was actually not bad. The shop is actually not a bad place to hang out and probably catch some football. If you have a serious craving for burgers, try Fat Boys. You’d probably have to jog a lot after that, lest they name the shop after you.

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