OT: Taitong Steamers Foods

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My editor brought me to lunch at Tai Tong when we had a photo shoot in AS Fortuna. I've passed that street a gazillion of times already but I've never heard or noticed that dimsum restaurant. I loved their food at first try so I wanted to bring the boyfriend there.

At first glance, you wouldn't consider this a restaurant. It's just located right beside AA's Barbecue. The place is small with a few tables here and there. They have quite a number of dishes for a small restaurant which is great. They have different dimsum dishes as well as some chicken, noodle, ribs, and other food.

What I like about the place is that they offer complimentary tea. I live tea and I love free stuff. So, there's no need to order drinks.

We got ourselves pork steamed rice (P52), fried siopao (four pieces for P65), plain siomai (four pieces for P55), and kung pao chicken (P180).

free green tea

pork steamed rice

plain siomai

Although their pork steamed rice doesn't have a big serving, I really liked the consistency of the sauce. It had mushrooms and the pork was cut into really small pieces, which I love. Their plain siomai is pretty much the same as others but it was really good.

I found their fried siopao quite interesting. Don't get me wrong, I like siopao, but when I first saw the fried ones I was a bit hesitant. However, fried siopao proved to be really yummy. It's now one of my favorite dimsum dishes.

fried siopao

kung pao chicken

We found their kung pao chicken a bit pricey. But I think it's enough for three to four persons. You'd know by now that I'm not really a chicken person, but I love their kung pao. It's spicy and flavorful. The chicken bits were fried perfectly.

Who would think that a small dimsum restaurant can have really yummy food? I was really amazed. I guess you should never judge a restaurant by its size or how it looks like from the outside. This truly is a must-try place for all the dimsum fans out there.;)

it really is a small place. there's the boyfriend waiting for the food.

How to Make Vanilla Milkshake

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I am in love with milkshakes. I just don’t know why. Maybe it’s the sweet and creamy taste in every sip. When I see milkshake on the menu, I just go gaga. So out of the blue, we decided to create our own milkshake by watching vague and crazy how-to videos in YouTube. It was more of a trial and error kind of thing. We didn’t really know what we were doing.

First off, you need the right ingredients and a blender to mix them. You’ll need:

 -          Milk (preferably fresh)

-          Vanilla flavor

-          Vanilla ice cream

Once you have all the ingredients in tow, just mix all the ingredients in the blender. It was really difficult for us to know the exact ratio for the ingredients. We estimated the ratio for milk to the vanilla ice cream as 1:5. We realized that 1:1 is not really possible as this makes the milkshake too watery. More ice cream would mean a thicker and creamier consistency. We limited vanilla flavor to a teaspoon per serving.

scoop and blend

finished product. ;)

Although it was our first time, our little experiment actually tasted good enough. It was enough to satisfy our sugar cravings. We only thought that this experiment was a bit expensive, especially with the ice cream cost. It would be cheaper to order from a restaurant just like Sam's Diner's yummy milkshake.

If you have successfully made your own vanilla milkshake, please do comment on how you did it. You can also tell us how we can make a better one next time. ;)

Sweet Indulgence and Bubble Pop

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Being travelers in Dumaguete City, the boyfriend and I were looking for some affordable treats. So, we went to Lee Plaza where you can find a milk tea place in Dumaguete. Unfortunately  we didn't really know the exact location of the cart so we went through every floor before we realized that it's probably near the grocery.

So, we did find Bubble Pop at the lower ground floor of Lee Plaza along with the other food carts. We were also surprised to find a cupcake stall, Sweet Indulgence, there. Unfortunately, there weren't chairs. You would have to stand up and place your food and drinks in a high table while eating.

Bubble Pop is really affordable, unlike most milk tea shops here in Cebu. They also have limited flavors, which isn't really a big deal. The boyfriend and I got honeydew and wintermelon milk tea for P48. Just P2 cheaper than Heart Tea's. Their milk tea was good but not really that good enough for you to rave. However, I think it's okay for the price that you are paying. I also noticed that they were using powdered milk teas more, instead of syrup, which probably is the reason why it wasn't that good.

red velvet and tiramisu.

wintermelon and honeydew.

Sweet Indulgence was also shockingly affordable. Every cupcake costs P25, which is half the price of the usual cupcakes here in Cebu. I tell you, the boyfriend and I went on sugar high because all the sweet goodies were budget-friendly. We ordered red velvet and tiramisu from Sweet Indulgence and paired it with our milk teas. I really love the icing on top of the red velvet. It was sweet and yummy. The boyfriend, however, found it to be overpowering. Their tiramisu was also good and soft. I like the the texture of the cupcake. Their cupcakes were really good enough for their price. However, they're not really something that I would rave about.

I definitely enjoyed our short food trip in Dumaguete. Unfortunately we were a bit limited with funds and time so we weren't able to look for more cheap finds in the city. The boyfriend and I are planning to have another food trip in the city soon, when budget permits. Dumaguete is definitely more affordable compared to the usual restaurants and shops in Cebu, which makes it great for foodies like us. ;)

Sans Rival (Main Branch)

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I've written a post about Sans Rival, a famous pastry shop in Dumaguete City, last year. However, that was about the Sans Rival branch in Robinsons Place Dumaguete. I've always wanted to visit the Sans Rival main branch and last month, I just did that. I had a short vacation in Negros last month and decided that I shouldn't miss going to Sans Rival main branch, especially when it was the boyfriend's first time in Negros. We went there together with my friend Nikki and her boyfriend, Jano. 

Sans Rival looks like a quaint cafe. It is located near Dumaguete's boulevard. You can ask the tricycle driver to take you to Sans Rival near the boulevard if you don't know the place. What we did was walk down the boulevard strip to find to look for Sans Rival since we don't know it's exact location.

spaghetti.

silvanas.

red velvet cake.

blueberry cheesecake.

bruger.

They have pasta and other quick meals for merienda (snacks). If you're bringing some pasalubong for family and friends back home, you can ask their staff for the frozen silvanas which is good for a six-hour travel. You can get a box of silvanas, with 10 pieces, for P110. 

When we got there, we ordered red velvet cake, blueberry cheesecake, spaghetti, burger, and some silvanas. Sans Rival is definitely affordable. I'm sorry I forgot the prices, I forgot where I placed the receipt. Anyway, their cakes are super affordable and cheaper compared to the cakes here in Cebu. My schoolmate even thinks the same way.

interior.

blue lights. :)

oops, that's me.

Their cakes are good, however, not too good that you'll go crazy for them. They are good for their affordable price. The same thing goes for their burger and their spaghetti. However, their silvanas and Sans Rival butter aren't to be missed. These are my ultimate faves from Sans Rival.

If you're visiting the main branch, be prepared for the long queue of customers. Even when you're there in the morning, there are lots of people there for their coffee or for some pastries. However, this is to be expected since they have a lot of loyal customers.

I also like the homey ambiance of the cafe. The place is just comfortable and perfect for a little chat with friends. We'll definitely be back on our next Negros trip and I hope we can already try the new bistro, as well. :)

Phoebe's Cupcakery

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I wouldn't miss a new cupcake store for anything. Well, except when something comes up. But when I heard that Phoebe's Cupcakery will be opening real soon, I could't resist. Who can with all those floral-colored walls paired with yummy cupcakes?

So, I dragged along the boyfriend for some yummy cupcakes at Phoebe's. I really have no idea where their store was except it was located in Maria Luisa Road. We had to do some walking to look for the store. It was quite an adventure. Then we saw the purple cupcake store and knew we're at the right place.

I must say that Phoebe's Cupcakery was like made out of a dollhouse. They have quirky floral teacups on the wall. They also have floral wallpaper and seats. The store has a purple theme with purple chandeliers and  flowers all over. I felt like I was in a dollhouse, or better yet in a Victorian parlor.

When we got in, there were already customers inside. It was quite obvious that they were enjoying their cupcakes. So, we ordered for ours. We got scarlette (red velvet!), cookie monster and.choco hazelnut We got Sola for our drinks.

the sharing plate. :)

our cupcakes and drinks for that afternoon.

All of Phoebe's cupcakes were definitely yummy! My favorite was the choco hazelnut. It was just the right sweetness for me. The cupcakes were soft and the icing have the right sweetness. They were so perfect. I left Phoebe's with happy taste buds and a filled stomach.

I can't wait to go back to Phoebe's really soon to try more of their cupcakes.

*photos taken by Paw*

Llew's Mudpies Part ii

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A series of stressful days brought me and the boyfriend to Llew's Mudpies again. The last time we visited (read here), we failed to try their famous s'mores. We realized we missed half of our lives. So we took the opportunity to taste their s'mores.

Llew's s'mores only cost P25 each. That's for both warm and cold s'mores. It's really affordable and fits a student's budget well. They have different flavors for their cold s'mores, like pistachio, vanilla, and others. Unfortunately, they only had choco mint at that time. So, we contented ourselves to choco mint cold s'mores.

forzen choco mint s'mores

hot s'mores. (sorry it's out of focus.)

I really like their s'mores, both the hot and the cold one. I really love munching the cold s'mores. It's really yummy and filling. You could also really taste the ice cream flavor in between the graham crackers. It also blends well with the graham cracker. With the hot s'mores, you could really taste the chocolate and marshmallows. It really is yummy! Before, I couldn't really get it why people would look like a mess while eating s'mores. I now get it.

HAHAHAHAHA.

I think their s'mores has gotten into me since I've been thinking of s'mores lately. I've been wanting to make my own. Maybe I just will. ;) I'll definitely be back, Llew's.

OT: Lumpia ni Senyang

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I discovered Lumpia ni Senyang because of the boyfriend. Before, we had lots of free time during school days that we'd head to Senyang's which is just a tricycle ride away from the boyfriend's place in Lapu-Lapu. It's right across St. Alphonsus Catholic School, where he studied high school. 

ordering XD

A word of caution: this is not a place for the faint hearted. I kid! Senyang is famous for their super spicy sauce which is their own secret recipe. Being a really spicy-addicted person, I found this a good place where I can fill my spicy cravings without hurting my pocket.

As the name implies, Senyang only serves lumpia. They have special and ordinary lumpia to choose from. The special has meat in it while the ordinary is made from tawgi or bean sprout. I'm not really a meat person, so I always prefer the ordinary lumpia or gulay as they call it. Their special lumpia costs P15 while the gulay costs P12. To match, you can get huge puso for P5. 

gulay, above. special, below.

special lumpia in spicy sauce. yum!

Prepare lots of water especially when you want to try their spicy sauce. It really is spicy. However, if you're not a spicy person like me, you can always opt for the usual sauce. Senyang is famous for their very spicy sauce. Without the sauce, your Senyang experience isn't really complete.

I would recommend Senyang if you want to go on a spicy trip with friends. The food is affordable and the service is really good. Senyang herself is there to take your orders and the other servers are also friendly.

good news! :)

*photos taken by Paw*

OT: Siomai sa Tisa

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I believe that one can never be a real Cebuano without knowing or having been to Tisa for their siomai. Unless of course you were born vegan or you’re allergic to siomai, you don’t have any reason not to try siomai sa Tisa.

Siomai is a type of traditional Chinese dumplings. It's also called shumai. It is made of ground pork or beef with shrimps or meat extenders like carrots or peas wrapped in wanton paper. Most often, you find the siomai steamed. Others also fry it to make it crispy. But, I personally prefer steamed siomai.

 If you have stayed long enough in Cebu, it’s impossible for you not to know siomai sa Tisa. Food stalls and kiosks that sell “siomai sa Tisa” are popping in every university and business center in Cebu. I even heard there’s one in Iligan. That’s how far siomai sa Tisa can go.

Tisa is a barangay in Cebu City that is filled with sidewalk carenderia (local restaurants) that sell siomai, porkchop, and other food. I really like looking at that Tisa strip. It’s hard to explain. My heart wells up knowing that it’s distinctly Filipino and Cebuano.

One thing that I like about Tisa is that they have unlimited siomai sauce. I am a fan of siomai sauce since I want my siomai REALLY spicy. I am a bit disappointed with other siomai stalls near schools that only give you a limited amount of sauce. In Tisa, you can ask and have as much as you can. AWESOME!

Siomai costs P6 a piece and puso (or hanging rice) for P3. For P30, you can already have your meal there and be filled. We normally spend around P120 for a meal for two. This already includes the drinks, a serving of pancit canton, 10 siomai and around 10 or so puso. It’s really cheap and you already go home really full at that.

If you want to go to Tisa, you have to be prepared to eat by the sidewalk. This means welcoming stray cats and dust while eating your siomai. I really don’t mind eating while jeepneys, taxis and cars pass by. I think this is really part of being a Filipino. We just love eating anything and everything on the sidewalk. And I believe that having siomai along the streets of Tisa is definitely a way of being a real Cebuano, unless of course you’re allergic. :P

Llew's Mudpies

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I've been wanting to drop by Llew's Mud pies since I saw a blog post about it. One of the reasons is that I like mud pies. Another thing is that it reminds me of my friend in the US, who might be reading this blog. (Hi Llewelyn!)

We were supposed to go to this new dessert store which the boyfriend found online. We we went to Llew's just to kill time and ended up having dinner there. We also met some friends at Llew's. (Hi Tinay and Frena!)

We got ourselves a cup of cookies and cream mud pie (P30), blueberry cheese pie (P42), two lemonades (P40 each), tuna melt sandwich (P55), spaghetti in chunky tomato sauce (P85).

They serve really affordable sweets from s'mores to mud pies. Their lemonade and iced tea were in this interesting jar that I had to ask their attendant where they got it. Unfortunately, she doesn't have an idea so I'll have to hunt that jar down.

clockwise: cookies and cream mud pie, lemonade, and blueberry cheese pie.

I really like my mud pie. It was creamy and good. I like the taste of the chunky cookies. The blueberry cheese pie was also good. I could really taste the blueberry and the cheese was just creamy. I think you'd really get the value for your money.

I didn't like their spaghetti that much. The boyfriend commented that it reminded him of Dong Juan's which I also agreed. He liked it. It was good but at that time, I just didn't feel like eating. I didn't even like my own tuna melt sandwich. I usually love tuna sandwiches, but I think my tongue was not giving it justice. Just note that I didn't have appetite for real food at that time. So don't trust me with my sense of taste with food. It's weird that I only had my tongue working for sweets that night.

tuna melt sandwich

spaghetti in chunky tomato sauce

I'll definitely visit the place again especially when I'm craving for something sweet within my pocket's reach. Next time, I 'd definitely try their s'mores which was what a friend got.