Chocolate review: Gwoon pure chocolate

I almost forgot finishing a short feature on this chocolate. Our chocolate cache included this 50% dark chocolate from Gwoon. I remember picking this up in a convenience store in Enschede, The Netherlands while I was there on official business last year. This was nearing its "best before" date so it had to be consumed ahead of others despite our preference to delay eating it.

Gwoon 50% dark chocolate

Details on the chocolate at the back of the box

Chocolate wrapped in foil beside its box

The chocolate is rich in taste that it seems to have a higher cacao content than the 50% on the label. Though you can eat it by itself, we felt that it was better paired with a drink. More specifically, it went well with wine. This was one of the last of the chocolates I bought from my European trip last year. Only two bars remain now from that trip. Good thing they will last until early 2020 based on the dates on their boxes.

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The Dimsum Place, Sta. Lucia Grand Mall

A restaurant we always see but somehow always bypassed whenever we ate at the Sta. Lucia Grand Mall is The Dimsum Place. It was recommended by a good friend who patronized the place as her mother liked eating there. So one Friday we were out on a date, the wife and I decided to finally try it out.

Their menu includes many familiar items that we usually order at Chinese restaurants

Their shrimp hakao was good

Xiao long bao - their version is good and comparable to Shi Lin's but not yet par with Din Tai Fung's

Egg fried rice - they didn't have many variants

Fish fillet with tofu - this was a surprising

We were not disappointed with the food at this restaurant and the prices are very reasonable, too. The staff were also very attentive even when the restaurant was already full (we came in for an early dinner the time we ate there). We will eat here again sometime soon.

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Crabs at the market in Zamboanga

We were recently in Zamboanga to touch base with officials of selected schools and conduct preliminary surveys to assess road safety for children. Prior to heading back to Manila, we decided to go to a market to purchase crabs and particularly the curacha, which is a popular local variety. Here are some photos I took while my colleagues were shopping for their crabs.

Various crabs at a market in Zamboanga

Lobsters for sale

Selection of crabs being weighed - these were picked out by one of my colleagues

More crabs of all sizes

Even more crabs!

Mud crabs

Blue crabs

Different sizes of curacha - S, M, L, XL

Another look at the lobsters

Vegetable stall beside the crab stalls

Hybrid mango?

You can purchase the crabs and have them packed at the market. The vendors also have Styrofoam boxes for sale for easy transport. However, they use ice to preserve the crabs and airlines might require you to drain the containers if they aren't satisfied with how it is sealed. They don't want the water leaking and possibly damaging other items in the luggage compartment. So make sure the containers are sealed.

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