Lunch at Bamboo Beach

Me and a whole bunch of bloggers had the pleasure of checking out Kawayan Cove- this sweet little exclusive seaside community being developed by Edge Properties on a forested shoreline down in Nasugbu, Batangas.

Before I get down to the delicious details of the amazing lunch they had prepared for us down in Kawayan Cove's very own Bamboo Beach, allow me to just fill you in on what was in store for us for our visit that day.

It's a property worth checking out, particularly if you're seriously into real estate, and even more so if you're looking to get a piece of tranquil beachfront property for yourself. Check out Kawayan Cove's official website here.

It was a fun visit with fellow bloggers; the Puyat family was there to give us the grand tour of the place, joined by food and travel blogger Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet who was also there to give us useful tips and pointers on taking better pictures for our blogs.

Despite the light rains, we managed to get a good look at Kawayan Cove, and were able to take quite a lot of pictures. As for me, well, I took a lot of pics of one of the most awesome lunches I've had in a while.

The Bamboo Beach Beachside Banquet

Well, at least that's what I thought I'd call it- even as Anton was doing his talk on Food & Travel Photography, the staff of Kawayan Cove were already whipping up a storm. Right behind us, they were roasting seafood and chicken over some hot coals. Fortunately, it wasn't long until we had lunch going on.

There was plenty for everybody- so much food that you didn't know where to start. It's hard to miss the lechon- pig roasted Philippine-style- ready for carving right next to the grill.

And even as we were going around taking pictures of the food (bloggers that we all were!), the Kawayan Cove staff was serving us these crabs in garlic and coconut right next to our individual plates.

Right after taking a lot of these sweet pics, a lot of us started off at the grill, where there were skewers of shrimp and squid, as well as some grilled tilapia and these huge fish they were serving up as they came out of the coals. I took a few of the skewers and a tilapia for myself before hopping on to the next table, where some bloggers were helping themselves to some tinola- a chicken ginger stew with vegetables.

This particular tinola had a special twist, as it some coconut juice and fruit mixed instead of the usual green papaya or chayote. Needless to say, it tasted great, and made for a good start for our hearty lunch.

It seems everyone had some of the roasted chicken- I had two pieces myself. And on the serving table right next to it, were a variety of side-dishes that go well with either the chicken, roast pig or the crabs.

We had these green mango slices, which you usually eat with bagoong- a potent salty-sweet shrimp paste Filipinos use on a lot of dishes. There was also a pot of achara- Philippine pickled vegetables, and a salad of salted eggs and tomatoes.

There were a couple of kangkong (Philippine water spinach) dishes, one served as a salad with sliced onions and tomatoes, and then there was my favorite- kangkong stalks stir-fried in a light coconut milk sauce.

Naturally, there was lots of rice to go with all that food- but I skipped on it, opting to go low-carb for the day. I also skipped out on most of this huge roasted fish that graced the table- only getting a small slice from its side.

While there was dessert served after the meal, I was so stuffed that I decided to pass on it. Also, my fingers had crab-juice all over them, so I couldn't take any more pictures until I washed my hands. I helped myself to this very welcoming bowl of fruit right after that heavy lunch.

Now that was a good lunch, made even better as we were bonding with fellow bloggers, as well as with the Puyat family, who were even showing us old pictures of them when they were young and hanging out at this very same beach.

Needless to say, the food was great. The staff of Kawayan Cove were on hand to clear out the plates, keep the drinks coming, and hand out warm towels right after we were done with the fish and crabs. Excellent service on their end, and you have to give them props for that.

Special thanks to Mr. Joey Puyat and everyone in the Puyat family who joined us that day for being such gracious hosts; they were all there to welcome us, show us around Kawayan Cove, and pretty much made us feel right at home.

Also, thanks and shout-out to fellow blogger Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet- for giving us some tips on how to be better photo-bloggers. Last but not least, thanks to our friends from Geiser-Maclang for making it all happen.

Cheers, everyone!

Renzie Recommends: Abe

This post was initially published on Renzie's Online World of Awesome, which at the time was known as Renzie's Rants and Raves. I have since then decided to make a separate blog on food, cooking and all sorts of dining experiences (this blog, Renzie on Food), and so transferred this post from its original location. Read on!

From the same group (the LJC Restaurant Group, that is) that gave you other great restaurants like Cafe Havana, Cafe Adriatico and Bollywood, comes another great dining concept: Abe.

Abe first opened its doors in Serendra, and now another branch has opened in TriNoma. I was fortunate enough to be able to check out Abe as part of a group of bloggers at last Wednesday's Bloggers' Food Tour (organized by the good people of Yehey.com). The event saw us sampling food from these fine food establishments and restaurants, as well as taking pictures and writing up reviews.

Abe is definitely one of those restaurants that I've got to check out next time I'm at TriNoma.

The Man Behind The Name.

Abe is a kapampangan word for 'friend' or 'companion'. Incidentally, it's also the nickname of renaissance man Emilio Aguilar Cruz (1915-1991), father of Larry J. Cruz (who owns the restos, thus the LJC group, get it?).

Abe Cruz had been known to have traveled a lot, not just within the country, but all over the world- partly because of his position as ambassador for the UNESCO in the 70s. His travels have been the inspiration behind the various food dishes featured in the restaurant- so you'll be treated to a wide selection of Abe's favorite dishes from Binondo, Europe, the Ilocos, Chinatown or from the recipes of family friends.

Giving the restaurant its unique personality and ambiance are selections of Abe's artwork and memorabilia- drawings, old photographs and collected pieces, mostly. So the resto has a warm, welcoming Filipino feel to it, nostalgic yet relaxing.


Specialties of the House.

Abe, for the most part serves favorite local dishes from the region of Pampanga: the Binukadkad na Crispy Pla-Pla (a large deep-fried tilapia fish splayed wide open), Kare-Kare (a tasty oxtail and tripe stew served with shrimp paste- great with lots of rice), Pastel de Lengua (tender and savory ox tongue cooked to perfection- matches very well with its pie crust topping), and Spicy Sisig Pampanga (minced pork jowl and chicken livers sautéed in garlic- accompanied nicely with ice-cold beer and good conversation).

From other regions comes the Gising-gising from Bicol, the Pinakbet from Ilocos, the Black Pata and Crispy Salted Shrimps from Chinatown, and the Cocido and the Morcon from our old Spanish past. Also included in the menu are really interesting dishes such as Gilda Cordero Fernando's Lumpiang Pica-Pica and the Rellenong Mais- from a recipe shared by Thelma San Juan and her mom.

(We were fortunate to have sampled what Abe had to offer at the Bloggers' Food Tour- my personal favorite is the Pork Binagoongan which I had with some rice, and with some of the lumpia and rellenong mais on the side.)

Where to Find Abe.

We visited Abe's restaurant located on TriNoma's third level. Aside from all the great food mentioned above, Abe also serves a variety of Filipino merienda favorites. The restaurant is open from 11am to 12 midnight. For reservations and inquiries, call them at 901-5691 to 92.

Alternately, you may want to visit the Abe at Serendra- located at the ground level of the Serendra Court. The number there is 856-0526.

Renzie Recommends is a continuing series of personal reviews of restaurants, food items and other dining experiences I think you should try out. Eating is one of the simpler pleasures we enjoy, wherever we go- and good food is definitely the the way to go.

Cheers, everyone!

Renzie Recommends: La Maison

This post was initially published on Renzie's Online World of Awesome, which at the time was known as Renzie's Rants and Raves. I have since then decided to make a separate blog on food, cooking and all sorts of dining experiences (this blog, Renzie on Food), and so transferred this post from its original location. Read on!

I was fortunate enough to have been given the chance to check out several restaurants in TriNoma at the Yehey.com-organized Bloggers' Food Tour. Some thirty-four restaurants signed up for the event and opened their doors to more than a hundred bloggers to sample their wares and get them to be happy enough to blog about- which is pretty much what I've done for several blogs of mine.

I have to say though, out of the thirty-four restaurants I tried out that afternoon, there were only a few that stood out. One of them was this cozy little spot on the second level- La Maison.

"La Maison" is actually French for "the home"- which is pretty much what the restaurant is trying to go for, and you can see the effort put in to making the place feel more casual and relaxed. So you still have a fairly classy place, but then you notice the denim placemats on the table and the umbrella-looking ceiling lamps above you- and for some reason, the combination of design elements makes you feel comfortably laid-back.

Recommended Eats at La Maison.

The restaurant officially positions itself as a "modern cosmopolitan brasserie-style restaurant and cafe"- so they have this edgy mix of classic and modern tastes. Dishes are served to encourage sharing- with generous portions enough for you and your friends to try out.

The menu features a fairly wide selection of meat, fish and fowl, but also has gourmet sandwiches, pasta, salads and dessert. They pride themselves as the home of best ribs, steaks and seafood. My fellow bloggers and I were given the chance to sample some of their best-sellers, but personally, two things really stood out for me: The Barkada Ribs, and the Dover Sole Fish Fillet. Absolutely love 'em. I've had the pleasure of trying them both out, and- I gotta say it again- I absolutely love 'em.

The good people at La Maison brought out a few kilos of the Barkada Ribs- which was a good move on their part, I must say. Every blogger at that event must have had seconds (or thirds, in my case)- easily finishing off the whole tray. Fortunately, I was able to take a picture of the impressive amount of meat set in front of me, just before everyone had their way with it.

Beef ribs are beef ribs, you'd think- but these ribs are so tender, they're falling off the bone. It comes served with honey chili sauce, which adds a delightful flavor to the beef.

Another easy favorite was the aforementioned Dover Sole Fish Fillet. I thought I was already happy with the beef, but I had to try some of the fish when the staff brought it out.

Chef Myra, one of the bloggers, I remembered, was one of the first to try the fish as one of the store supervisors was talking about how the fish guarantees to "melt in your mouth." She obviously was impressed. I didn't think it's easy to impress a chef, so I tried some myself- and was instantly bowled over.

I'm not a huge fan of fish personally, but if I had to have some, I'd say this is how it should be prepared- soft, flavorful and well, they said it: melts-in-your-mouth.

I've already been sold on two of the dishes they presented to us that afternoon, and I would suppose that their other bestsellers are worth coming back for. Next time we drop by, they recommended we try their Chef's Duck Liver Pate, the Quesadillas, the Salmon and Mango Salad, the Blue Cheese Steak, the Fillet Mignon and the Fillet Oscar. For dessert, they said we should go for the Choco Lovers' Cake and the "to die for" Creme Brulee on our next visit.


Where to Find La Maison.

I visited the La Maison establishment at TriNoma. You can find it on the second level, along with a few other restaurants. I've been told by branch manager Robi Caguiat that there's another one in Greenbelt 5. So whether you're in Quezon City or in Makati, there's a La Maison in an Ayala Mall near you.

Besides, it gives you a chance to visit TriNoma or Greenbelt 5 while you're at it.

Renzie updates (19 July 2008): You can also visit the newest La Maison branch at The Podium!

The Bottom Line.

You gotta love La Maison. For such good food, it's more than reasonably-priced. The dishes are presented fairly well- just enough for you to appreciate the food in front of you, and give you a tease of what you'll be eating soon enough.

The menu has a wide selection of meal plates or dishes to share, many of which are easy favorites. A great dining experience not just for those on low-carb diets like Atkins and South Beach, but for just about anyone on the lookout for something out-of-the-ordinary.

Easily, La Maison could very well be my favorite restaurant in the TriNoma area, or at least one of my few new favorites.

La Maison is definitely a place you'll want to keep coming back to. You could easily drop and relax with a date on a weekday night, and then go try a different set of dishes with family on the weekend. It's a place you'll want to recommend to your friends and colleagues, and you know for sure that they'll be having a good time as well.

Renzie Recommends is a continuing series of personal reviews of restaurants, food items and other dining experiences I think you should try out. Eating is one of the simpler pleasures we enjoy, wherever we go- and good food is definitely the the way to go.

Cheers, everyone!