Rowena’s Blueberry Tarts & Apple Tarts

I’ve been curious about Rowena's as some people say their buko pie is better than Colette's. Although I'm not into buko pie, I will give things a second or third chance in the hope that maybe this time it'll taste better (I'm a little hard-headed that way). I'm even less of a fan of tarts but seeing the blueberry topping glistening back at me was just too much to resist. We picked up two boxes as well as some other fruit tarts as my dessert fridge at home was aching to be filled.

On the ride back to Manila, Eric started wondering why I was so quiet in the back and took a peek in the rear view mirror. BUSTED! I was too busy checking out the merchandise.

My aversion for tarts stems from the fact that most of the ones I've tried are hard, dry and if they're not shockingly sweet, don't taste like anything at all.

Rowena's blueberry cheesecake tarts are YUMMY! The crust is firm so that you can pick them up with your fingers but soft and crumbly that it melts in your mouth. The filling is similar to New York-style cheesecakes and completed with a gooey blueberry topping. Definitely worth the inconvenience of stopping by the roadside and losing your place in the afternoon rush back to Manila.

The apple tarts were delicious too! I cheated with this one and decided to go ala mode. I was going to add caramel syrup but the ones available in the grocery were too runny for me. After dinner I nuked one tart for about a minute then topped it off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The filling has a hint of cinnamon in it, just enough to tease your taste buds. I ended up heating five other tarts because people kept asking for more.

To get there, turn left from the Tagaytay Ridge leading to the Sta. Rosa exit. Keep your eyes peeled -- just when you start to think that you've lost all hope of buying your pasalubong, you'll see a small glass enclosed structure on your right (the building used to be white but now it's a bright orange). There are loads of items that can be purchased at this store, but the lady behind the counter said that it's only the tarts that are "original Rowena's" and the blueberry tarts are only available during weekends.

Road Trip!

We went on a long drive to Kinabuhayan Cafe, a quaint little place in Dolores, Quezon.



It's great for people who've had a little too much of Manila and need to get away from it all. The place is conducive to sitting around and soaking it all in. It's got a lot of character and I thought that the way they put everything together was very pretty in an eclectic sort of way. There are Anahaw huts in the backyard that can be rented for a night or you can just sit in the living / dining room and enjoy a glass of wine or a bottle of beer with friends.



I especially enjoyed going up the tree house (wish Poste was with me to scramble up the ladder)


On the outside, looking in...


Check-out the wildlife




It's an ideal take-off point for hikers / mountaineers going to Mt. Banahaw (although it may seem a little pricey for people working with a student's budget).

And the food...oh-la-la!
We had garlic chicken, mushroom risotto and a salad on the side.



It was fabulous! The food is so good it'll make your eyes roll into the back of your head. The tanginess of the salad coupled with the creaminess of the risotto then a sudden burst of flavor when you take the chicken into your mouth. Each bite was an experience! After every forkful, I'd put my utensils down and savor the blending of flavors. And after wistfully swallowing it down, I'd eagerly take my fork up and go through everything all over again. Sigh...it was such a happy meal.

Several weeks after the trip, Eric and I were still raving about it (thinking of the trip makes my mouth water!)

Talk about swamped! This trip was last November and I only posted it now. Oh well... Many thanks to hello.com for making it easier for people like me to post pictures.

It's funny how life suddenly jumps you, things start piling from different directions.

Got a new boss so things in the office are topsy-turvy. Classes are winding up in a few weeks so reports, papers and exams are just around the corner. It's not that I'm not enjoying all this, I just have a little more than the usual on my plate.

Happily, I picked up a hardbound copy of Nick Joaquin's Manila, My Manila during last weekend's Bookfair. I'm looking forward to holing up in a coffee house one of these stormy afternoons.

It looks to be like a yummy month ahead. I've been catching up with some very dear friends: there was Clint last Friday (thanks for dinner), a kitty-cat who'll be leaving for Europe soon (really happy for you dude) and an upcoming battle against crabs (don't worry Arlene, we'll decimate the enemy).

Oh happy days...

The boyfriend has been watching one too many episodes of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and has taken their advice to heart.

All in all it's great, I have no complaints with the fact that he's taken more interest in fixing up his apartment. The downside to this is that all our food trips have been replaced with visits to furniture shops, department stores and organizer havens. Every now and then I try to sneak a visit to a foodie joint while he's looking at sofas and shelves.

Where there’s smoke, there’s barbeque!

Driving around during the early afternoons, I keep an eye peeled for sidewalk grills. There’s bound to be an enterprising soul out there who’s trying to augment their income by selling barbeque right outside their homes. For those intense cravings, I have particular places to visit. My belief is that there’s a really great barbeque place in all the major areas of Metro Manila – I’m trying to compile a list. That way, there’ll always be one whenever the urge hits you. =)

The classic barbeque, the standard by which all others are measured has to be Aling Nene’s along the border of Makati and Manila. Their big and meaty sticks have been a long time favorite and staple during Christmas overnights (we always make sure that we have enough for dinner and breakfast the next day). It comes in two variants – regular and special. I’ve always gone for the regular one which is cheaper by a few pesos. The meat is cooked just right and best eaten while it’s hot – sometimes soaked in spicy vinegar. When I feel like overloading, I have a couple of sticks with their barbeque rice (white rice sautéed with their barbeque sauce, scrambled eggs and pieces of meat thrown in). Aling Nene's is located along South Superhighway (SLEX) bounded on one side by Vito Cruz extension, barbeques are available all day.

When I’m in Quezon City and need a quick fix, I head over to Van Mick’s. Snack-size sticks are very reasonably priced and quick to go. Ordering ahead of time is common so don't be surprised if all the barbeque is spoken for when you get there-- I learned this the hard way. Do you know how frustrating it is to watch and smell the meat being grilled and unable to have any of them? The anguish! Van Mick’s is in the middle of Teacher’s Village beside Claret.

One great place for grilled food is Inihaw Circle in Mandaluyong. I read about a review in one of the local papers and had to check it out for myself. The food is amazing! One order of pork barbeque is two sticks. The meat is cooked fresh and can be eaten with or without condiments (I like my barbeque with vinegar but some people prefer it with toyo & calamansi). The chunks of meat just slide off the stick and goes well on its own, with rice or a bottle of beer. It’s right around the Mandaluyong Circle.

A recent find is at the market / tiangge at the Lung Center in Quezon City. I was there last weekend to check out the vegetables and fresh meat available every weekend. You can’t miss the barbeque stand; it spans about three stalls and there’s a mob of people buying their food. I snuck in close to the side and asked for a stick from one of the girls. She flashed me a shy smile and a knowing look (I couldn’t hope to compete with the folks who were buying them in tens/twenties), took my money and handed me one with the end thoughtfully wrapped in tissue paper. Mission accomplished, I went on my merry little way. The first bite totally floored me. Definitely one of the best-tasting barbeques I’ve ever had! It was so good that I went back a few hours later with Eric, my partner in crime. He started raving about it too – the two extra sticks that we meant to take home didn’t even make it to the car. Lung Center is along Quezon Avenue(turn right on Quezon Ave from EDSA. The bazaar is every Sunday morning, the vendors say they’re there as early as 5:30am and they start packing up a little after noon. Update: I have since discovered that the name of their stand is Ineng's. You can find them at Market, Market at The Fort and the Saturday morning bazaar at the park in Salcedo Village.

Well hello there and welcome to Hapag Kainan!

Hapag Kainan is Filipino for dining room or dining table and it's probably one of my favorite spots in a home. Some of my best memories have been with family and/or friends over a meal of sorts.

I have no illusions about becoming a serious food critic (but it would be so cool to be able to eat for free). My life is simple -- I let my taste-buddies be my guide and decide from there if the dish is worth a second bite (and possibly a third, fourth....)

Thanks for dropping by. =).