Sanggumay blooming at our home

I got a few sanggumay a couple of years ago and these were planted on several trees around our home. The ones easily visible and checked are the sanggumay growing around our mango tree, the central and perhaps focal tree at our home. There are also sanggumay on our narra, guyabano and palm trees.

The flower buds along one of the strands indicate blooms soon. Other strands have buds already growing out. These are from the same plant on our mango tree. 

Close-up of one of the strands and the buds

I will share some photos here again when the sanggumay are in full bloom.  

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Crazy about baklava

I first tasted baklava when I was student in Japan in the 1990s. I recall one or two occasions when students from the Arab countries or Turkey would have brought these as their contribution to pot luck events. Later, we enjoyed baklava from a Greek neighbor in a village we resided at for almost a decade. And so we were delighted to have been gifted with a box of baklava from the Ambassador of the State of Palestine! The ambassador visited UP and distributed these to his hosts. We opened the box on the eve of Eid L Fitre (end of Ramadan) and enjoyed it as dessert after meals.

The packaging gave a preview of what's to be expected inside the box.

Details on the baklava at the back of the package.

Ingredients include only two nuts - pistachios and cashews.

Nutrition facts

We were very pleasantly surprised by the variety of baklava upon opening the box. It certainly did not disappoint as the contents are consistent with the images on the box.

These were a delightful dessert but I wouldn't be surprised if people instead snacked on these. One can easily indulge or over-indulge over these baklava.

I kept the box as a souvenir and will use it for other keepsakes. It can also be a reference if we happen to see this or something similar during our travels. I assume you can get these are duty free shops in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha or Istanbul - some of the usual airport stops en route to Europe, for example.

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Cravings for Mango and Sticky Rice

Last week, as we purchased some Cha Yen or Thai Milk Tea at our favorite stall at a nearby mall, I saw their sign stating they had mango and sticky rice for sale. I didn't hesitate to confirm if this was available and ended up ordering one to take home.

The set included sticky rice (malagkit), slices mangoes and a pack of reduced coconut milk (latik).

Mango and sticky rice ready for eating! 

Mango and sticky rice actually directly translates to suman at mangga in Filipino. This is a common food across Southeast Asia. I have enjoyed this while residing in Singapore, and while traveling in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. I assume there's a version in Vietnam, too. I just have yet to try it. I crave for this from time to time and usually get some from Thai restaurants.

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Turkish delights

The wife was doing some cleaning last weekend and found some items still in her luggage from last year's travel to Europe. She had a stopover at Istanbul and got these two boxes as pasalubong.

Two boxes of Turkish Delight - one with pistachio & pomegrenate, and another just pistachio

Here's a close-up of one of the boxes.

I don't recall I've had some of these but maybe I have tasted it one time at least. One of the foreign students at Yokohama when I was studying was from Turkey so I probably tasted some during one of our social events among foreign students.

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Vegan cookies from Iloilo - Bread Basket

I bought these cookies at Bread Basket in Iloilo. We discovered Bread Basket last year when we got some reall good muffins from their branch across from Seda Hotel where we stayed.

A pack of assorted vegan cookies - 100% plant-based.

A peek inside the pack

The mango-infused cookie is really good. 

I got this pack and a box of pastries from their branch at SM City Iloilo. It's good for pasalubong and our daughter loves their muffins. So I got her some muffins that she got to enjoy for merienda.

 

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Sunset before the lunar eclipse

Last week, I was having an evening class lecture while the lunar eclipse was unfolding. I could only have a glimpse of the eclipse from my office window when we took a short break in the middle of the lecture. Prior to the event though, I was able to take a photo of the sunset before the eclipse. Here are a couple of photos of the sunset as seen from the 4th floor of our office.

You can see the outline of a mountain in Bataan province behind the tall buildings in the photo. We used to have a clear view of Mt. Mariveles and Mt. Natib when there were few buildings in the horizon.

The sun descended quickly after this photo. It is always a sight to behold.

 

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A dose of tuna melt for Friday lunch

Last Friday, I decided to treat myself with a tuna melt sandwich. It was a slow Friday to cap a very busy week. I was also sort of celebrating the accomplishments of our daughter as she concluded their 3rd Quarter exams.

My favorite tuna melt with green salad on the side from Wildflour

 

Wildflour's tuna melt is so far the best sandwich to me. The poached tuna and cheese they used were the perfect fusion. It helped that the multigrain bread was fresh and crunchy. The salad is always good though the dressing is not usually the one I like. Regardless, I prefer my salads without dressing if its this fresh.

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Jericho's, Tanay - Pililla Boundary

It's nice to "get lost" from time to time. A relatively long drive during a holiday took us to some towns in Rizal where we happened upon a dairy farm and drove to a restaurant in Tanay that we wanted to try out for the food and the view. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we found it too crowded and didn't want to wait among the crowd who probably drove there for the same reasons we had. And so we decided to go back the way we went there and try to find a place to have late lunch.

Doing a quick search of places to eat at along the way back to Antipolo, we found Jericho's and its high ratings. The place was at the border of Tanay and Pililla (just beside the arch actually).

A pitcher of their refreshing lemongrass and orange juice

We ordered chicken quesadillas for starters

We ordered their boneless fried chicken and chose the parmesan variant

Their take on the roast beef was really good and is a must try for diners. The beef is so tender and the sauce actually has a hint of bulalo.

Their version of carbonara is also very good.

We had a very good meal at Jericho's. The service was also very good. Their staff was very attentive and also helpful with the menu. Jericho's is a very good restaurant with a very good selection in their menu. I think this is a restaurant that you can put in the map and also consider eating at whether you drive or take public transport to get there. It's definitely a good stopover for those driving to the farther towns of Rizal or perhaps on the was south to Laguna, Quezon or even Bicol. 

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Buc-ee's Pecan Log

This is another late post of a snack we enjoyed last year. The wife took home a lot of pasalubong from our friends in the US the last time she was there (in Texas to be exact). Buc-ee's Pecan Log is one of the new items we tasted and enjoyed eating last year.

The packaging for this bar is quite simple and you can see what's inside - a bar loaded with pecans.

We thought this was a satisfying snack. Perhaps it is most suitable as a power bar. I thought that you can have one on hiking or walking trips. When you feel tired or need a time out, you can take a bite or two to energize yourself.

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Puto manapla from Iloilo

I arrived at the office one morning to find our staff excited by the rice cakes given to them by one of our faculty members. One of our lecturers regularly commute between Iloilo and Quezon City and brought with him puto as pasalubong to the staff. These were not the regular puto manapla that you can now also buy at markets here but flavored variants - cheese and ube.

Ube and cheese flavored puto manapla

I was fortunate to have a share of the puto as the staff offered some to me. I consider this as comfort food among the many that bring back happy memories.  

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Bren Raphael's Ube halaya from Antipolo

Last week, we had dinner at the nearby mall and went around a bazaar selling local products. This was a regular thing at the mall where Antipolo and Rizal made products were sold. Most were food products and handicrafts but there were also clothing and cosmetic products. Among the new products we saw there was ube halaya made by a company in Antipolo City.

Ube halaya translates to Purple Yam Pudding. They have two variants - the smooth variant and this one with tidbits.

The ingredients and other details on the product are at the back of the package. They also make ube jam but we didn't purchase some to try.

The ube halaya comes out from the package sealed in a vacuum pack. It is on a plastic container with a lid. We thought this was really good packaging that would preserve the product especially for those wanting to buy these as pasalubong from Antipolo.

 

Price list for their ube halaya and ube jam

Their ube halaya is really good. It is better than many of the ube halaya we've bought before. It is on the pricier side of these products though. A tub of typical ube halaya costs a third of this. And we used to buy high quality ube halaya in the church bazaar at the Taktak church where we used to hear Mass on Sundays (we now hear Mass at our village chapel).

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Chocolate review: La Belgique Gourmande Noir 85% Cacao

We conclude the short month of February with a chocolate review. A colleague gave this to chocolate bar as a pasalubong from a trip to Europe earlier this year.

This chocolate was a 'pasalubong' from one of our faculty who traveled to Europe last year to participate in an academic conference.

Details about the chocolate at the back of the pack. You can see that this is local and artisanal.

The ingredients indicate the cacao content (pure chocolate) to be at 85%.

This is a Fair trade chocolate. The best before date is also indicated. This is something that many now interpret as contrary to the expiration date. That means the chocolate is still good to eat after the BB date but is not as good as before the date. Expiration dates suggest that the chocolate (or any other product) can no longer be eaten after the date, often resulting in unnecessary waste.

The chocolate is wrapped and sealed in foil. This helps preserve the chocolate.

I thought this was one of the better chocolates we've enjoyed eating. It was smooth for an 85% chocolate.  I was expecting this to be on the bitter side as far as dark chocolates are concerned but the bitterness is lighter and perhaps more like 60% chocolates. I'm not sure this is available here but I definitely will purchase a bar or two if I see this in a shop.

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Pepperoncino mix at a Japanese store

Today being my 54th birthday, I am posting about something simple but really enjoy eating. I've been always curious about a Japanese goods store along Katipunan Avenue across from St. Ignatius Village. The store is relatively big as most stores like it are more the size of convenience stores. And so I assumed that it would have more to offer in terms of merchandise (i.e., Japanese products). I was right in my assumption and ended up doing some shopping for items we usually have at home like the Bulldog sauce, furikake, gyoza sauce and instant ramen. I was happy to see another product that has evaded me in most Japanese stores.

Garlic, Olive Oil & Chili Pepper by S&B for Aglio Olio e Peperoncino

 

Details of the product and how to make some good pasta at the back of the package.

More about the store and other items there in a future post!

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The renovated NAIA Terminal 3 Food Hall

I am sharing here photos I took at NAIA Terminal 3. Shown are photos taken around the newly renovated food hall located at the level between the arrival and departure levels of the terminal. There are already a lot of restaurants and cafes open, giving visitors many choices for eating and drinking at the airport.

I didn't include labels anymore as the photos are self explanatory, showing names of the restos and cafes at the food hall.

 

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The nostalgia for the Love Bus

I spotted this vehicle while we were driving to UP along Katipunan Avenue. It is one of those modernized jeepney units that are actually mini buses. This one's electric and with the GET Comet group. They painted their vehicles to look like the Love Bus that was popular in the 1970s and 1980s. There is still a nostalgia about these buses, which were the first aircon buses used for city operations in Metro Manila. The Love Bus was one of the bus types operated by the Metro Manila Transit Corporation (MMTC), a government owned unit that competed with the private bus operators at this time.

A revival of sorts for the Love Bus?

This one is an electric mini-bus from GET Comet

I have good memories of riding the Love Bus between Escolta and Cubao as a child. It was via Escolta that we went to Luneta at the time. Later in high school and when I was a student at UP, I rode the Love Bus between Cubao and UP. 

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Hibiscus in recovery

This is another late post of a draft I started right after the break. During the Christmas and New Year break, there was no one with the skill to tend the flower garden at our office. My colleague who developed the garden taught one of the maintenance staff on how to care for the hibiscus and roses. Unfortunately, that guy was transferred to another office so there wasn't anyone who could help with the plants. 

My colleague returned after the break and I saw him tending the garden, which we at the office cheerfully say we will name after him. The garden was actually damaged by a vehicle last year, which plowed into the plants. The garden has recovered since then and again is recovering. Here are photos of the various hibiscus varieties that are now in full bloom again.

I will occasionally share photos of these and the roses in future posts! 

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