The Less Traditional Side of Chinatown - Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House

(First of all, I apologize for the super late post!)

As someone who grew up eating at every Chinese restaurant in Ongpin, I have to say I'm sort of tired of the usual fare. You know what I mean: siomai, siopao, pork asado, and so on and so forth. Although I still love a nice hot bowl of noodles, it's not easy to find something unique from all of the restaurants offering the same menu.

And then comes Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House, a relatively new competitor branching out from the famous Eng Bee Tin Hopia franchise. In fact, the store is named "Mr. Ube" after Mr. Gerry Chua, the owner of Eng Bee Tin who found success in his world-famous ube (purple yam) hopia that's being copied across the country.

Inside Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House

Ersao

It's always pleasant to try out food that you know is real deal. And since Ersao has been started up by a Taiwanese in the Philippines, you could be sure that it's authentic =)

I have actually been eating from Ersao since I was in elementary, because there's an Ersao store near our school. Of course, the staple would always be the fruit shakes and the spicy chicken (but I always order it without the spice haha). Through the years my favorite fruit shake have changed from mango to avocado to papaya, now I always buy their pearl milk tea. But for those who want to try different flavors, they have a wide array of flavors to try from =D. Presently, they have expanded their products to include some meals and that's where I order my lunch sometimes.

Spicy Chicken with Rice + Pearl Milk Tea

Greek Lunch at Cyma, Italian Dessert at Gelatissimo Cafe

Today, I was able to catch Harry Potter 7-1 with a couple of friends at Trinoma, and of course, I couldn't pass up the chance to have some yummy food as well! We ended up having a late lunch at Cyma, a Greek restaurant which offers an almost authentic experience of Greek cuisine.

Just entering Cyma makes you feel like you're entering another world. The place gives off a very Mediterranean ambience. Apparently, the branch at Greenbelt is small and less spacious, but feels more like a cozy Greek taverna where you could just imagine the food-loving Greeks gathering together for a sumptuous feast.

Inside Cyma

Open kitchen at Cyma

But enough talking about other people's sumptuous feasts. It's time for our own feast! :)

Eid'l Adha

It was announced that today is a national holiday in the Philippines for the observance of Eid'l Adha, "which commemorates and pays tribute to the trials of patriarch Abraham (Ibrahim among Muslims) and his family."

On another note,  today I'd like to share with you one of the restaurants recommended to me by my friend for some time now-- Luk Foo Cantonese Kitchen. It's very conveniently situated near Puregold and Mercury Drugstore. Anyway, let's go to the good part!

The food there is generally served in big amounts and does not taste bad, tastes like real Chinese food! haha =D

Experiencing Japanese Zen at Kozui Green Tea

(Sorry for the late update! School was a little hectic, but I'm here now! :D)

I've always loved tea ever since I was a child. I grew up drinking tea everyday, with all my meals, which probably explains why I never grew taller after 6th grade... Of course, that's just an urban legend, because I'm pretty sure lots of Asians who drink tea regularly are tall, so it's probably just my genes. Anyway.

I've always wondered why tea wasn't more popular in the Philippines as it is in China, Japan, Korea, etc., but I guess that's just part of our culture, seeing as we were a Spanish colony for a long time so we never received a lot of British or Portuguese influences. Recently though, tea has become more of a novelty product, with lots of bubble tea and milk tea stores sprouting up all over the place.

When I first heard about Kozui Green Tea, I thought it was another one of those faux-Japanese restaurants, where they serve you Westernized versions of Japanese food that is not even the least bit authentic. However, I was quite surprised because despite the initial impression I had of the store, Kozui Green Tea is the real thing.

Outside Kozui Green Tea

Local Specialties - Davao Tuna Grill

Being someone who likes to try different things, we're always bombarded with so many choices. This is why my rule of thumb is always to ask for the bestseller or the local specialty. At least that way if the best they could offer does not taste good, you'll have every right to complain, just kidding haha.

Anyway, I was walking around Trinoma last night trying to choose a place to eat. Since I was alone, I don't want to eat Chinese food because that cuisine is meant for sharing. So even though that was the first thing that came to mind, I had to choose a place where I could finish the food and do some work in peace. My directionless wandering eventually got me to the food court of Landmark. Ok fine, it wasn't exactly directionless. I just didn't want to eat inside the Trinoma atrium since it was so loud and crowded all the time, and the food court not only offers a lot of choices, it's near the supermarket too! hahaha.

Celebrating Diwali at Assad Cafe

Today is the start of Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, a 5-day Hindu holiday in India. Coincidentally, my friends and I visited Little India in Paco, Manila, where I got to see all the preparations of the Indians living here.

We had a nice meal at Assad Cafe, a cozy little Indian restaurant along UN Ave., Manila. It's right across Unilever, so there were a lot of office workers having their lunch as well. They have two menus: one featuring regular cafeteria fare, and the other with authentic Indian cuisine. Of course, I'm here today to talk about the Indian food.

Inside Assad Cafe