Happy Foodies

Showing posts with label Light & Hearty. Show all posts

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtLoQvaesExg3g1XSBGIJg-sxGN5WvCCsleWmdk0-rss1Om8WS92i0b0rGofJqtknIxpmcAH5uVIsYAY7FJL_jDLECurhKrMSGIqPzBH28ADzRjnhE9YnhbhsTBzsgjWHkZdb4p3ACSWUIxrc9dS2S2ml1ENEeo8Vzp4UGoosnf1O5S5SOahKmkXekG0/s1024/kape-agape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtLoQvaesExg3g1XSBGIJg-sxGN5WvCCsleWmdk0-rss1Om8WS92i0b0rGofJqtknIxpmcAH5uVIsYAY7FJL_jDLECurhKrMSGIqPzBH28ADzRjnhE9YnhbhsTBzsgjWHkZdb4p3ACSWUIxrc9dS2S2ml1ENEeo8Vzp4UGoosnf1O5S5SOahKmkXekG0/s16000/kape-agape.jpg"></a></div> Amidst the small town of Anao, Tarlac, is Kape Agape, a small community cafe inspired by the highest form of love “agape” - the love of God for man and of man for God. Located at the heart of town abundant with ylang-ylang trees, the cafe not only serves nourishing food for the tummy but also for the soul.

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE8Bqb-IaHIsRAMzZKrEsZ4eCZ-rjzOiCS-TBfBI9eQUIiYgzL-uT-qv7lDRJtfMMM3_ortoZAMGfO4Lnz0LWkQod1_X_KkHU5K1oNCe2Dfio4JyDshZE_F31eZSPr8loGQtkOfvp5XAZVNU9_OZ28-YlsRXnw36sHzhKKRWv1VQj_BpBBYyeA753eGg/s1023/clarins-house-of-suman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1023" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE8Bqb-IaHIsRAMzZKrEsZ4eCZ-rjzOiCS-TBfBI9eQUIiYgzL-uT-qv7lDRJtfMMM3_ortoZAMGfO4Lnz0LWkQod1_X_KkHU5K1oNCe2Dfio4JyDshZE_F31eZSPr8loGQtkOfvp5XAZVNU9_OZ28-YlsRXnw36sHzhKKRWv1VQj_BpBBYyeA753eGg/s16000/clarins-house-of-suman.jpg"></a></div> The suman, a Filipino delicacy is an elongated rice cake neatly wrapped in banana leaves is a favorite local snack. But how many flavors of this suman have you tried? There’s chocolate, mango, cheese and it’s just crazy to know there’s more. Well in Clarin municipality of Misamis Occidental, they boast of 13 flavors under the roof of Clarin’s House of Suman, a popular stop amongst locals and tourists not only for suman but some pasalubong treats as well.

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WseWTSbTpJXAxTHqGfwaxHrv4JT0corkGucMbaV5SNcsysjD3g39UzQmNCsqY5th5sWQYWKHY9No6bFkmmmvEmHUM8NxhPX_7IXFQd7w0R78XRrZF3OQzQWczCeW886RwhMTReW6KsJe7m1POA47lVDMJNHmHO6xhRVm7uy_dnwbWfuYyVyr3mMv_7U/s1023/cafe-cueva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WseWTSbTpJXAxTHqGfwaxHrv4JT0corkGucMbaV5SNcsysjD3g39UzQmNCsqY5th5sWQYWKHY9No6bFkmmmvEmHUM8NxhPX_7IXFQd7w0R78XRrZF3OQzQWczCeW886RwhMTReW6KsJe7m1POA47lVDMJNHmHO6xhRVm7uy_dnwbWfuYyVyr3mMv_7U/s16000/cafe-cueva.jpg"></a></div> It’s always a welcome treat to find young entrepreneurs like Laydeh of Cafe Cueva to add to the growing favorite eats in Baguio. Also housed in the surreal Ili-Lika Artist Village in Baguio and also a member of the Kiwing na Kahoy Food Community is Cafe Cueva. Adding to the variety of food offered in the village, Cafe Cueva has some delicious crepes, filling Chao Fan, and refreshing smoothies.

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJYG74A1V9_WIIKEwA1oTCw2phCHFPlkj4OmqOssficierGE7YVNosGNsl44A5mQcynqb7gG42sED1xMeZetV5wEcG7mlbt6sOU10jee1GrsAcpwbgi0NrQkeZA7v3VzHPGDlKkhQ-M5UFORlmr95V7q_y7g9J5XsPIRJE1HFa8QLdrVOJPJExRsfsPI/s1024/bonbanmhi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJYG74A1V9_WIIKEwA1oTCw2phCHFPlkj4OmqOssficierGE7YVNosGNsl44A5mQcynqb7gG42sED1xMeZetV5wEcG7mlbt6sOU10jee1GrsAcpwbgi0NrQkeZA7v3VzHPGDlKkhQ-M5UFORlmr95V7q_y7g9J5XsPIRJE1HFa8QLdrVOJPJExRsfsPI/s16000/bonbanmhi.jpg"></a></div> One of life's hidden blessings is living a short walk away from nice eating places. It doesn't always have to be fancy, swanky places or franchises of big chains. Personally, we at Happyfoodies are big fans of small establishments, hole-in-the-walls and mom-and-pop operations whose offerings defy their size and relative obscurity. Stumbling upon BonBanhmi along Mayapis in Makati is a good example, a small nondescript shop operated from the house. If it weren't for the small sign, it's fairly easy to miss. The giveaway sight is the usual display counter. For an eating area, it has a converted garage furnished with monobloc tables and chairs. But if the place is simple, the food is anything but.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/7340139506/"><img alt="Julie's variety of biscuits" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/7340139506_e093664bbb_c.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Julie's variety of biscuits</figcaption></figure> Who doesn't like biscuits? For me they are the ultimate travel snacks keeping the hunger pangs at bay when the journey seems long and the next eatery is kilometers away. I make sure to always have them with me. So when Happyfoodies, get a chance to visit the factory of Julie's Biscuits (not to be confused with Julie's Bakeshop in the Philippines), Malaysia's most popular biscuit brand in (Melaka) Malacca, I felt like a kid sent off to a field trip. I was also excited to know what made Julie's the queen of biscuits in this country.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oggie/7152476975/"><img alt="Cold Cuts Combo Banh Mi (P75)" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7152476975_d3e5d534e5_b.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cold Cuts Combo Banh Mi (P75)</figcaption></figure> Angeles City may be a chartered city independent of Pampanga since the 60s but it still shares the Kapampangan flair for cooking up delicious fare and perhaps more importantly, a contagious appetite for joyful eating. It's a tall order to live down its naughty, steamy reputation but the city has another side that can satisfy the other senses. By that we mean the nose and the taste buds. Your Happyfoodies tagged along for a food trip of Angeles City and what we found pleasantly surprised us. For starters, we found a piece of Vietnam along Jesus Street in the historic district near the Pamintuan Mansion -- in Banh Mi Saigon. Who would've thought that you can find heavenly Banh Mi sandwiches and spring rolls in between a neighborhood gym and a sari-sari store? Owner Rex Soriano, recently repatriated from the U.S. after nearly a decade of working at Nobu in New York counted on his experience as a chef and the invaluable inputs of his Vietnamese mother-in-law and wife to come up with fare that begs for repeat visits.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><img alt="Bongao Tawi-tawi breakfast delicacies" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3441/3239170220_1d853ef84e_o.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bongao Tawi-tawi breakfast delicacies</figcaption></figure> Without question, Bongao in Tawi Tawi is pretty remote. It’s not just the physical distance per se that gives one that feeling but also the absence of the usual, ubiquitous fastfood outlets that line up Zamboanga City for example. Not that we miss the Jollibees, Mcdos and Chowkings. Out here in Bongao, it would be interesting to find out what the locals eat. One breakfast time, we decided to take a walk and see where our feet (and noses) will take us. We eventually ended up at Al-Madina-1, one of the coffeeshops that line the main street of Datu Halun.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><img alt="SLERS Beef Pastrami Sandwich and Tsokolate" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3061/3081832935_0fcb0dd4a2_o.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SLERS Beef Pastrami Sandwich and Tsokolate</figcaption></figure> Mention Cagayan de Oro and on top of the list associated with this City of Golden Smiles is its famous ham. And when it comes to hams, the overwhelming favorite among the locals is SLERS Jamon Cagayan de Oro, which has been around since 1969. What makes their ham different is the natural juiciness and tenderness of the meat. This is due in large part to the fact that the swine from which they are made were fed with pineapple, a fruit laden with the enzyme papain, which has natural tenderizing properties. Over the years, SLERS hams have become a part of tradition among CDO locals as well as guests all-year round and especially during Christmas-time. SLERS have also ventured into the quick-service restaurant and more recently, the café business.