10/22/12

Hitting Two Birds with One Stone

            ZeroThreeTwo recently hosted a raffle on Twitter for 30 free milk teas from Bubbletea Station and I just thought there was no harm in giving it a shot. To my delight, I found a direct message from them that I've won (just 1 of the 30, of course)! STOKED!

         Meanwhile, I've been hearing about a cool new Asian street food stall at BTC (Banilad Town Center) where Bubbletea also happens to be. And you know nothing gets me pumped up like checking out a new food spot. The thought of hitting two birds with one stone got me really excited. BTC isn't a frequent hangout for me so I've really been itching to head out there with the mission of claiming my free milk tea and seeing that food stall for myself. Yesterday was the perfect day.  

Hello, Bubbletea! :D

          Bubbletea Station is a milk tea stall with a small dine-in setting inside the BTC mall, right by the entrance. :D


           I was entitled to any regular sized (16 oz) flavored milk tea with regular sinkers. I opted for the bestseller, Wintermelon Milk Tea with pearls. My other half got a regular sized Dark Chocolate with pearls. They didn't ask for my sweetness level so I totally forgot about it.

regular Wintermelon Milk Tea with pearls  P75
regular Dark Chocolate Milk Tea with pearls   P80

              You can definitely trust Bubbletea with your milk tea because I found mine to be perfectly fine! I loved the Wintermelon and the pearls were cooked just right! Not too soggy, not too al dente. The dark chocolate wasn't bad either. ;)

 
click on each photo for a larger view :D

       ...And for that new food stall, I discovered for myself that Bubbletea and Small Eats are actually sister shops, being of the same owner. I found out because Small Eats' menu was also at Bubbletea and you could actually order from there and they'll serve it to you while you enjoy your milk tea. :D 

       Small Eats is located outside the mall, beside Potato Corner; that's on the left side if you're from the parking lot, facing the front of the mall.


           It's actually a shabu-shabu stall which serves shabu-shabu items such as lobster balls and squid balls on a stick (with a choice of fried or boiled) or in a bowl with soup or both soup and noodles. 


      They offer fish balls, squid balls, seafood tofu, lobster balls, Taiwanese sausage and pork siomai. I looovvve lobster balls so I got this and the seafood tofu, both boiled (yay to healthy :p). I'm a sucker for seafood. :D

Boiled Seafood Tofu   P54  and Lobster Balls   P44  

           They were served to me at Bubbletea, already swimming in a shallow pool of soy lime sauce. Nom nom! These are great snacks and could easily become a quick, healthy meal, enjoyed with the noodles in the broth or you could buy puso or rice somewhere. If you're craving for shabu2x, here's a quick and affordable fix to that! :D


Bubbletea Station
1st Floor, Banilad Town Center (inside the mall, outside Nike)
Banilad, Cebu City 6000

Price range:   P70-110

Small Eats
Banilad Town Center (beside Potato Corner)
Banilad, Cebu City 6000  

Price range:   P15-80

"To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D"

oink oink,

Babe for Food
- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

10/19/12

Ayer's Lechon Online

         A few years back, Lechon Baboy or Spit-Roasted Pig, the pride of Cebu gastronomy, was not readily available for retail by the kilo. This was because lechon was usually only called for during special occasions. But the growing want for this delicacy has made dominant lechon suppliers maximize its availability by putting up a retail dining place for this, of which CnT was the pioneer. Soon after, Rico’s and the more popular Zubuchon followed.


          Ayer’s is among the leading brands, being the only lechon retailer at the Mactan Airport and having several branches within three years of operation. They currently have three dining outlets and two pick-up outlets.

Ayer's Lahug

          Their dining outlets offer affordable lechon set meals (ranging from P50 to P100 with drinks!) or an extensive porky (it’s all pork) a la carte menu at your convience. They have one unique dish though -- kimchi. The owner has some Korean friends who enjoy their lechon and so he thought of offering them kimchi with it and found that they liked the combination. He then decided to add it to the menu. I think that’s something we Filipinos should try, too.

Kimchi

          Some a la carte dishes are bopis (pork intestine, liver; the sweetbreads), lechon sisig (one of my faves), lechon paksiw, dinuguan and prichon (fried lechon). These are also offered in set meals with drinks. 

(from top left): dinuguan, paksiw, bopis, prichon and sisig

          A new addition to the menu is their spicy boneless lechon belly. It sure was spicy and just as crisp and flavorful as their regular lechon. Pure meat and skin without the fuss of having to deal with bones (though there are dogs people who like biting on bones).


          Catering not only to locals in Cebu but even taking orders from other regions in the country, especially Manila, they have now launched their website  (ayerlechon.com) for easier order taking and transactions wherever you are in the country. 


Lechon order details:

     SIZE                        PRICE (php)                # OF PERSONS
     small                            3,000                                20-25 
                                          3,500                              30-35
          
    medium                           4,000                              40-45

     large                              5,000                               50-55

     x-large                           6,000                               60-75   

  

Branches:

(Main Office)
Gate 777 (Across Cebu Country Club)
Lahug, Cebu City 6000

3rd level, SM Trade Hall
SM City Cebu

2nd floor, I2 Bldg.
IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City 

Salinas Drive (in front of USP)--------------Operating Hours: Mon - Sun   7 AM-10 PM
Lahug, Cebu City                                    Accepts deliveries within Lahug area.


Departure Area, Domestic Airport
Mactan, Cebu


Contact:

Tel. # - (032) 231 7615             
Fax # - (032) 268 0327
Mobile - 0922 826 8133/0922 826 8132



"To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D"

oink oink,

Babe for Food
- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

10/17/12

Siam -- Sophisticated Authentic Thai Cuisine

             Thai cuisine is one of the cuisines that is friendly to the Pinoy palate because it touches quite close to homebase with infusions of lemongrass and dishes that match perfectly with white rice.

           Siam is the only authentic Thai resto in Ayala and has been awarded the "Most Promising Retailer Award" by Ayala Malls. It's authenticity is assured by their Thai Select award from the Thai ministry of commerce. It is a sister company of Krua Thai, Blue Elephant and Golden Spoon Catering. 

           Siam has been around since the early years of The Terraces at Ayala. The first impression I had of the resto was the modern interior -- high back couches and indirect lighting from the wall above the head of the chair. 

           Of the few times I've dined there, the only unique dish I fondly remember is the Chicken and Mango which is not available in the menu anymore. Fortunately, I was invited to the launching of their new dishes. I was so excited because Thai cuisine is one of my favorite cuisines and I also needed to be reacquainted with the menu here.          

           We were welcomed with a Calamansi Soda that was truly refreshing. We were also warned that there was going to be a lot of dishes so we should save some belly space for each one. The refreshment for the meal was their homemade fresh four seasons juice. I love fresh juice! :D

Four seasons juice, Calamansi Soda


THE NEW DISHES:

-- APPETIZERS --

Spicy Glazed Chicken Wings

Thai Fish Cakes
-- simple but well prepared; it's not the typical kick of lemongrass but it's a balanced medley of spices and herbs that make this dish uniquely flavorful without overpowering the fish as the main act

Crispy Noodles with Mango Salad

Spicy Thai Beef Salad


Tom Yum Soup
It's not new to the menu but this indispensable Thai soup was served to refresh and prep our palate for the main course. 


-- MAIN COURSE --

Siam String Beans in Red Curry

Green Curry Fried Rice with Chicken

Grilled Premium Ribs in Herb and Honey Sauce 

Pineapple Fried Rice

Bangkok Express
Siam's Thai version of the local Bicol Express -- rich and creamy yet balanced; the string beans were still crisp.

Seafood and Vegetables Medley in Taro Nest

Chili Crab (THE BEST!)
THE STAR OF THE MEAL. This blew me away! Tender, succulent meat, evidently very fresh and steamed to perfection. They also have a curry version of this but I still go for the chili crab! Guaranteed fresh from Zamboanga, delivered live to the kitchen. 

               Boy, was that a feast! From the new additions to the menu, my picks would be the Thai fish cakes, Spicy Beef Salad, Grilled Premium Ribs and of course, the Chili Crab! The extensive menu of Siam offers dishes that could please even the most discriminating palate. Vegetarians are very much welcome here as well, as they offer a considerably wide and tasty selection for them. 

             And yes, I was invigorated by the flavors and the precise execution of the dishes. The service here is also that of fine dining where the course of the meals are served in the right order and not altogether. Since Siam offers authentic Thai cuisine, that means they have a Thai chef heading the kitchen and all their ingredients are imported from Thailand. For the price of the dishes, sophisticated ambience, quality dishes and excellent service, you are guaranteed value for your money. This is THE destination for sophisticated Thai dining.


Price range: P200-400


Siam Thai Cuisine
Ground Floor, The Terraces
Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu Business Park
Cebu City 6000

Contact: (032) 417 1318

Other branches:

Mactan Marina Mall
Mepz, Lapu-Lapu City
(032) 494 0281/341 0533

Limketkai Center
Cagayan De Oro City
(088) 852 4718

No. 88 JMD Bldg.
B. Aquino Ave. Mandarriao, Ilo-Ilo City
(033) 321 3784 to 85


Like them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SiamCebu


"To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D"


oink oink,

Babe for Food
- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

10/13/12

Babe for Food in the Manila Bulletin

               Hey, cool! Check this out! Chef Gene Gonzalez, one of my top local culianry icons who writes a weekly column for the Manila Bulletin, mentioned me in his article about Tavolata, the new trattoria in Cebu! My heart is tickled. :D

click to read full article

Best Cebu Blogs Nomination

           I got nominated! Thank you, dear readers! 



But that's not it yet. Pls do vote for me by going to Best Cebu Blogs facebook page and look for Nominee # 7. All you have to do is LIKE the entry on their wall and that's good as a vote! I'd really appreciate it if you could take a few seconds to click that LIKE button. And it would really help if you could also share it to your friends. :D


            Voting/Liking duration ends on Oct. 26, 2012 and the nominees with the most likes will be chosen for the TOP 20 famous blogs. Then when the Top 10 famous blogs are chosen, they automatically qualify for Top 10 Best in Niche. 

                So PLEASE! You'll have all my love if you do. Hehehe. Thaaanks! ;)

oink oink,

Babe for Food
- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

10/9/12

Chatime Cebu

        I first read about Chatime on Shoot First Eat Later, a Manila-based blog. I was in Hong Kong during the last week of May and I found Chatime at the airport but unfortunately, the group was in a rush to check in the hotel and I didn’t get to find it again anywhere else.

         Chatime is a superstar  tea shop (if it's in the HK airport, then it must be something, right?) from Taiwan and has made it to international shores. Finally, it’s here in Cebu! I was there during the first day of the soft opening last month with Kazoot, one of my best friends in culinary school who just came back from working in a cruise ship.   


            The moment you enter the shop, you are greeted cheerfully and unanimously by the staff, "Welcome to Chatime!". The interior is bright and quite dainty, a dollhouse feel with the purple and pink theme. The seats are plush and outlets are conveniently provided beside the long tables for you to charge your gadgets for free while enjoying your drink. :)

           Here, you can moderate the ice content of your drink and the sweetness level. At the counter, you will find a list of the top ten drinks they serve. I chose the Yogurt Lychee QQ since it looked irresistible. I could try the milk tea some other time because I'd definitely go back. I wanna finish that list to find out which one I like best. ;)

             Kazoot, on the other hand, got the Grass Jelly Milk Tea

Top 10 Bestsellers: 1) Pearl Milk Tea, 2) Chocolate Mousse, 3) Chatime Roasted Milk Tea, 4) Red Bean Milk Tea, 5) Taro Milk Tea, 6) QQ Milk Tea, 7) Grass Jelly Milk Tea, 8) Yogurt Lychee QQ, 9) Banana Milk Tea, 10) Mango Green Tea
          After several returns, I've tried the Chatime Milk Tea, Chatime Roasted Milk Tea, Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Slush. Of all the top 10 drinks I've tried so far, Yogurt Lychee QQ is still my favorite. It's the most refreshing drink I've ever had and I love nibbling on the pearl-coco jelly combo. . :)

All in large: Yogurt Lychee QQ - P95 (mine) and Grass Jelly Milk Tea - P85 (Kazoot's)

            The menu offers a wide variety of Mellow Milk Teas, Smoothie Series, QQ Jelly (QQ = black pearls + coconut jelly), Oriental Pop Tea, Chatime Mousse, Fresh Tea, Energetic Healthy Juice, Coffee/Hot Drinks, Chatime Special Mix, and Chatime EATS for some snacks to go with your drinks. 

              All milk teas come with one free topping. You can choose from pearl, grass jelly and pudding. You can also add an extra serving of these for only P15. Other toppings you could  add are mousse, coffee jelly, coco jelly, rainbow jelly, red bean, and aloe vera for P20.

                If you get hungry, they also have the right fix for that. This is the only the tea shop I know that serves rice. Chatime EATS are Annatto Pilaf Rice - P18 (like Java rice), Chicken Chops - P75, and French Fries - P65(available in Parmesan Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, and Barbecue).

            The Chicken Chops have such a crunchy coating. I'm sure it matches well with the Annatto Pilaf Rice. And the french fries, they're thick and crispy. The serving is also quite big, a great value for the price. I like the barbecue and cheddar cheese flavors best. :)

Salt n Pepper Chicken Chops - P75
French Fries - P65
Flavors: Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Barbecue
(served individually per flavor)

              So far, Chatime is a favorite hangout of many for its refreshing drinks and comfy and posh ambience. Today's the grand opening at 1 pm and there's gonna be a secret celebrity! They will be launching new promos, and products, so don't miss it! :)


Chatime
eBloc 2, Asiatown IT Park,
Salinas Dr., Lahug, Cebu City


Operating Hours:       Mon - Thurs       11 AM - 12 MN
                                Fri & Sat            11 AM - 1 AM
                                Sun                    11 AM - 11 PM


Facebook: facebook.com/chatimecebu
Twitter: @ChatimePH



" To know Cebu, eat Cebu!" :D


oink oink,

Babe for Food
- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

10/4/12

Best Cebu Blogs 2012 -- The Search is On!

            The end of the year is fast approaching and it's time to award the best blogs in and from Cebu again! Babe for Food made it to the top 40 last year (yeah, beginner's luck). And well, if it's not too much to ask, top 10 would be a great Christmas gift this year. Hihi! ;)

             You could nominate me on bestcebublogs.com by filling out this form then vote for me by FIRST, liking the Best of Cebu Blogs 2012 fan page on Facebook then LIKE my blog posted on their WALL. Simple as that! 

[logo from bestcebublogs.com]


            Nomination starts on September 29 until October 24. OOctober 29, 2012, blogs will be shortlisted to 20 according to the most number of LIKEs in Best Cebu Blogs of 2012 Fan Page. Best Cebu Blogs of 2012 Fan Page LIKE activity duration starts from the approval of Nomination until October 26, 2012.

          Niches are defined in the following:

  • Food
  • Travel
  • Technology
  • Lifestyle/Fashion
  • Personal
  • Entertainment/Events
              The Best Cebu Blogs Awards (BCBA) is the pioneering award giving body that recognizes the existence of blogs and bloggers in Cebu’s blogosphere.  BCBA was founded by Mark Monta in 2008 and later on fellow organizers Agnes Jimenez, Bjorn Bernales, & Jaysee Pingkian joined in. [from bestcebublogs.com]