A Realization...

Been busy lately with the ups and downs of business and life so that would explain backlogs of writing about events that happened a month ago. Hahaha!

One of our close relatives was taken to a better place last month August. I would spare you the details so that to protect you and also the safety of the immediate family. Earlier that week also, I went to a wake of one of my good friend's grandfather. It was just a week full of realizations. Life can be pretty short I guess. And, it can be taken in an instant.

I had to leave Metro Manila for a few days and go to Pampanga for the wake. In a sad note, it was one of the reasons why my thesis proposal got deferred but, to hell with it, family was more important. Then again, enough of the sad story....

We stayed at Clark, Pampanga and, in Pampanga, you should really go and try food that you won't find in Manila. For the people who don't know, it's a fact, or at least it is in my mind, that people from Pampanga are great cooks. My mom would be a pretty good example along with almost the rest of our family. So, I wanted to know how it would be like to eat at some of Pampanga's best.

At our first night, we went on a journey to see what we could find and we ended up at.... *drum rolls please*

Nothing good! We went to a restaurant that you could find in Manila and I will be nice enough to make it stay anonymous.

In a shorter version, it still is a sad story for me. But there was still a very good chance that I could still try and make the best of it at breakfast.

Mequeni Restaurant in Holiday Inn at Clark is one of the well-known fine dining and buffets in Pampanga. So staying at a cottage there entitled us for breakfast buffet. I wanted to know what would be the favorite breakfast dishes aside from the obvious cereal and bacon. Hehe!

To my delight, the choices were filled with the ordinary breakfast buffet choices and some that are not so usual.

I think I went with all the different breads and all the sausages, tapa, scrambled eggs, hasbrowns, and all those other food. The pastries and bread were not much but the Filipino dishes like the beef tapa, adobo, and others were good. For a good review though, breakfast wouldn't be a basis for a restaurant I would guess. It had to be either lunch or dinner because I'm as easy as if they have crispy bacon or not at breakfast.

Again, in a short version, it wasn't a total failure but Pampanga has not yet seen the last of me. I need to really go back and try the food and other things that you would only find there.

Off to the next food tripping!

The Next Level of Taste

This will be my first foodie entry and I wouldn't have it any other way than to talk about one of my most favorite eats, The Steak!

For my cousin's birthday, we went to Cru Steakhouse in Marriot Hotel beside Resorts World Manila. I was pretty excited since I haven't had a good steak in a long time. It was all paid for by my aunt but the limitations were no Wagyu Beef. He he! Not a bad deal still.

Being the good boy that I am, I just went with USDA Prime Rib eye, 350g, Medium, with sides, Black Truffle Risotto, Potato and Onion Gratin, and Forest Mushroom Sauce. I'm still a kid so forgive me if mushrooms still get the best of me. Ha ha!

The steakhouse ambiance was warm. You could see the steaks being chilled, there's wine all around, and the kitchen grill was a sight to see.

So, the table started out with our complimentary bread and the spreads were Cream Cheese with thyme and whole red peppercorn and Parsley Butter. The bread was great! Our family loved the ones with crusted cheese and the cream cheese went well with the peppercorn. Unfortunately, I was not able to take pictures since it was gobbled up pretty fast.

The next came the Caesar Salad and the French Onion Soup. It was the oldies' orders so I wasn't able to taste any but the cheese on the French Onion Soup must be great since they praised it the whole time.

Now, the steaks came rushing in one by one and I just saw mine with the sides. It was heaven on a plate. I missed eating steaks especially with my family and when my grandfather was still alive. It was also funny that my cousin and I had the exact same order for the steak, sauce, and sides. The steak was not that thick and not that thin. It had that juice in every bite and the Forest Mushroom sauce just complimented it.

The Black Truffle risotto is something I cannot describe. It was creamy and just divine. The Potato and Onion gratin was the highlight for me. I was taking my cousin's half of the gratin because I finished mine halfway through the steak. The potato was still bitey and the onion was creamy and flavorful and it was just all perfect.

Since me and my cousin were the big eaters in the bunch, I was able to test my palette with some of the other steaks my mom and uncle ordered. My mom ordered a USDA Prime Rib eye, 250g, Medium Rare. I now understand why some steakhouse do not serve past medium rare. It was juicier and more flavorful in the middle because it retains more of the flavor of the meat. My uncle ordered a Australian Grain Fed Angus Rib eye, 350g, Medium. There was a sweet lingering taste when I took a bite of it and it was just so different from the USDA Prime.

Last up, the desserts came in and we were confronted with a Sugar-free Cheesecake for my cousin and the others and a Grand Cru Chocolate Mousse for me. There was just a symphony of flavors from the chocolate mousse alone. The dark chocolate mousse, the think white chocolate, and the caramel sauce did not overpower each other. The strawberries and the mango coulis was just a bonus and it added layers and dimensions to the food.

Comparing Cru Steakhouse to most other steakhouses in the Philippines, it would be really one of the best I have tried. I have to go back and try them again soon. He he!

I still have a lot to learn on the different flavors but I can determine it when I taste it now than before. It's really fun when my palette is going to the next level. My mom and I get to understand each other because of that. Ha ha!

Anyways, I have a big day tomorrow and I have to start cooking now. To all the Lasallians and my friends, see you at the bazaar!