FOOD, FOOD, FOOD

I know it's a bit tacky, but i made a list of the things i miss eating back home. Well, don't blame me. One can only take so much foreign food. Especially me, when i looooove Filipino food and well, some of the things i've become so used to and grown so fond of. So, bear with me...

IN MANILA:

McDonald's hot fudge and caramel sundae - I'm not really a fan of the strawberry sundae here. Not even the soft ice cream will do. I really miss the real thing. I'll make sure the moment we head home, i'm getting a caramel sundae for take-out.

Red Ribbon cakes - Not only are they affordable, but they taste reeeeeaaally good! I miss the mango cake, chocolate mousse, blueberry cheesecake, coffee crunch, choco mocha crunch, banana cake, and sansrival. Am bringing home a jr. chocolate mousse on the way home from the airport for sure!!

Goldilocks leche flan, choco slice, brownies, special ensaymada, chiffon slice, mocha mamon, caramel popcorn and my favorite of all, brazo de mercedes - Yes, there are some Goldilocks products at the Filipino store here but well, they don't look ... fresh. So, although i would loooove to eat some, i don't want to risk a trip to the hospital. So, gotta wait til next year to let my fork cut through the yellow custard of the brazo de mercedes. Sigh... talk about torture.

Jollibee chickenjoy, palabok, burger steak and mais con hielo - Best chicken for me and my boys. Love the palabok too. The burger steak makes a great lunch and what else could beat the heat but ice cold, mais con hielo. yummmmm...

Dampa - Am thinking of bringing my sis and brother and the rest of the family here again when I get back. I miss the inihaw na pusit, ensaladang mangga, camaron rebosado, baked tahong and inihaw na liempo. Is that my tummy rumbling?

Tender Juicy Hotdogs - Nothing else for me and my boys. =D Really the best! (mababaw lang kaligayahan namin...hehehe...)

Pan de sal/Pugon pan de sal - An essential. What else can I say?

Chowking black gulaman - I miss this one too, although not as much because it's pretty cold here right now...

Max's buko pandan - My favorite dessert. Very Pinoy and very delicious. Two orders for me please...

Dunkin Donuts and Gonuts Donuts - Well, i find the latter a little too sweet (and this coming from a sweet tooth!!) but still, on occasion, i find that donuts make a yummy snack. Miss these soft, sweet buns.

Sbarro baked ziti and New York pizza - Ahhhh! Looooove the full flavor of their pizza and pasta dishes. Although not that cheap, it's still worth an occasional visit. =D I miss Rob Place...

Sugarhouse cakes - I used to buy cakes here after an especially difficult exam during college. Really great comfort food. A slice of one of their special cakes is enough to make me feel better. The power of confection.

kakanin - This i'm sure I can get any time outside our subdivision. Sooo looking forward to it.


IN ZAMBOANGA:

Mommy's chocolate cake - Nothing tastes as moist, as chocolatey as delicious.

Eggpie - Ruther found the eggpie in Zamboanga a bit too orangey but it tastes heavenly so i told him to just close his eyes and take a bite. You can guess the rest.

Lechon - I grew up with lechon as a part of every family occasion. My lola saw to it. And now, I miss this so much! Lechon, Mang Tomas and hot steamy rice. Perfect. (Miss you, Mamang!)

Buko pie - Yes, I have tried the Collette's version, but i like the Zamboanga version better because it's not dry, the buko meat is really soft (and cut into slivers) and you can really taste the sweet yummy custard in the pie.

Mona Lisa bread - My mom and dad said that I was pinaglihi sa mona lisa bread. The burned ones. Which explains why I'm morena daw. But I like the freshly baked ones. It's very soft in the center and a bit crunchy outside. Ethan loves this bread too. He discovered this bread this year when we went to Zamboanga and it has become his favorite as well.

saging rebosao - We usually eat this in the afternoon around 4. But last year, we noticed that around 230pm, the rebosao is usually all sold out so we moved our merienda time to 3pm. =D Super yummy! I'm actually quite good at making this. If not for the saba shortage here in Japan, I would be having this for merienda all the time.

cheese bread - Ruther's favorite. We buy this in the city. There's a bakery there that you'd have to scream to be heard because of the many people who buy from them. But well, the pila is well worth it.

Myrna's Bakeshop goodies - My favorite are the napoleons and the chocolate confections. My cousin Ritche and I love to eat here when we need a sugar fix. =D


“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” J.R.R. Tolkien quotes