California Pizza Kitchen's #CPKNewMenu2015

Last month, I had the privilege of being one of the invitees to CPK's New Menu Media Launch.  California Pizza Kitchen, or CPK, has always innovated themselves; coming out with new menu items every year.  This year is no exception.  With the theme 'California is a state of mind', not only does it remind you of the adventure, but also of the delicious and diverse food that California has to offer.  And I'm one of the lucky ones that get to try it first!  So... let's get started!

New Items 2015

Apple Grape Combo Shake

I was offered a number of new drinks, and this was what caught my attention.  Good choice too, because I loved it!  Whoever thought of combining this is a genius.

Mexicali

For starters, we had the Mexicali salad.  The name is spot on.  I loved how they innovated the salad and had us eat it nacho-style.  Just scoop up a bit (or a lot!) of the salad into the tortilla and eat!  Or you can also opt to crush the tortilla and mix it into the salad.

Fruit N' Nut

Mixed fruits, nuts, avocado paired with orange herb vinaigrette.  I have just one word for this: refreshing.  This is perfect for those who are not so fond of salads.

Vegetable Primavera

My first reaction:  Meh.  After eating a forkful: Oh wow.  LOL.  I don't know how, but what seemed like a boring pasta has managed to be oh-so-flavorful.  Not normally a fan of oil-based pastas but this one has me converted.

Puttanesca

Now, we're talking.  A bit spicy, but tolerable for people like me who can't stand spicy stuff.  And they sure didn't scrimp on the tomatoes.  Chunkful of tomatoes in every bite!

Steak Mushroom + Truffle Pizza

My favorite of the entire lunch.  If you've read through some of my posts, you'd know that I'm a true blue truffle lover.  But steak + mushroom + truffle?  What sorcery is this?! I'm hooked!  Definitely going back for this one!

Caramelized Apple, Bacon + Gorgonzola Pizza

A mix of sweet and savory.  My seatmate cannot stop gushing over this, and I must admit it was pretty good too.  Bacon lovers will definitely dig this.

Baja Shrimp Pizza

This one, I felt, had too much going on.  But it really does live up to being a Mexicali pizza, with a mix of bold flavors and all.  If you love spicy, then the jalapenos will hit the spot.

Salted Chocolate Cake with Caramel Sauce

From the looks of it, the cake looks dry.  But I was surprised to find out that it actually wasn't.  And for those who are afraid that it might be too sweet, fear not!  Because it isn't.  The hint of salt perfectly complements it too.

Queso de Bola Cheesecake

If you love queso de bola, then this is for you.  Imagine slivers of thinly shaved Queso de Bola incorporated with the creamy cheesecake.  Oh the texture!  Trivia:  CPK wanted to inject a bit of Filipino into their desserts and had a well-known Filipino pastry chef come up with this queso de bola cheesecake.  Truly Filipino indeed.

So... the verdict?  It's been quite a while since I've been to CPK, but I'm glad to know that it's still the same CPK I've loved over the years, and with new scrumptious dishes too!  My favorites include the Steak Mushroom + Truffle Pizza, the Fruit N' Nut Salad and the Vegetable Primavera Pasta.  But don't just take my word for it, go try them out and let me know your favorites too!  

California Pizza Kitchen is at Unit 2302-2304, Mid-level 2/3, East Wing, Shangri-la Mall, Mandaluyong City.  They also have branches in Alabang Town Center, Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 5, Greenhills, Power Plant Mall, Mall of Asia and Century City Mall.

Tim Ho Wan in Manila

Speaking of barbecued pork buns...  I realized I totally forgot to blog about my Tim Ho Wan experience here in Manila!  Argh!  But better late than never, right?  A few months ago, I finally got the chance to try out Tim Ho Wan.  Been wanting to try it out ever since they opened, but the long lines always prevented me from doing so.  So on an extremely rare and early trip to SM Megamall a few months back, I finally got my chance! 

Tim Ho Wan Manila, like their Hong Kong counterpart, has a very simple ordering process.  Each table is given a sheet of paper which lists down everything they have.  Just put the number of orders you want for each dish, give it to your server and wait for your orders to arrive!

Menu Page 1

Menu Page 2

Baked Bun with BBQ Pork

Say hello to the very item that "made" Tim Ho Wan.  I've already raved and salivated over the one in Hong Kong, so trying out the Manila counterpart is a must.  Sad to say, I didn't find the Manila version as appetizing as the original.  It was good, yes, but paled in comparison to Hong Kong's.

Vermicelli Roll with Sweet and Sesame Sauce

Loved this.  Reminded me of the sidewalk vermicelli roll I usually get whenever I'm in Hong Kong.  It was both sweet and nutty, which was perfect.

Prawn Dumpling

Again, another winner.  The skin was thin but doesn't break easily, and the prawn pieces are huge!

Beancurd Skin Roll with Pork and Shrimp

Not bad.  The beancurd skin was very soft.

Vermicelli Roll with Shrimp

If I could stuff my face with Tim Ho Wan's vermicelli rolls every single day, I would.  Hats off to their vermicelli roll maker.  Theirs is one of the most delicious ones I've tried.  The skin was oh so thin, and the insides was plump and juicy.

Vermicelli Roll with Beef

Again, vermicelli roll.  Guess I'm on a roll! (pun intended)  LOL.  But seriously, Tim Ho Wan Manila's vermicelli rolls are highly recommended.  Even better than Hong Kong's, I daresay.

Beef Ball with Beancurd Skin

Pretty good too.  Is there anything that Tim Ho Wan can't do well?!

Pan Fried Carrot Cake

And don't get me started on their pan fried carrot cake.  Ok, this is actually what we commonly know as the radish cake.  For some reason our Hong Kong and Singapore neighbors like to call them as carrot cake.  No biggie.  They can call it whatever they want as long as it tastes goooood!  Tim Ho Wan Manila's version is a definite must!  Absolutely loved biting into the huge radish chunks.  Yum!

So the verdict?  Oh what they heck, just take all my money.  5 out of 5 stars!

Tim Ho Wan is at UG/F SM Megamall Fashion Hall, Julia Vargas Ave. cor. EDSA, Wack Wack, Mandaluyong

Sakura by Edo-San

A few months ago, Hubby mentioned something about a Japanese restaurant in Alphaland Southgate Tower.  He was in the area, and the interiors of the restaurant caught his attention.  Thus, he wanted to try it.  Months passed we both forgot about it.  That is, until I saw the post of Jin Perez, one of my ever favorite food bloggers.  And if she says it's good, then it's good.  Of course, I had to try it!  

One Saturday night, I dragged Hubby out for a mandatory date.  LOL!  Contrary to other popular Japanese restaurants, Sakura Edo-San is not one of those hyped up restaurants with about a thousand other noisy people in it.  It's a perfect date place; cozy and quiet.  But the more important question is, what about the food?  Let's take a look, shall we?

Appetizer

Uni Sashimi

Shake Sashimi (Fresh Salmon)

Shime Saba (Marinated Mackerel)

...and because I don't eat anything raw (I know, BO-RING!), I'll skip the raw stuff and go straight to the others.

Aburi Uni (Lightly grilled sea urchin)

I've never been a fan of uni, but I got a bit anyway.  Well, it didn't appeal to me in any way, but in Hubby's books, this was really good.  

Gyoza (Pan fried Japanese dumpling)

Nah, this was the major fail of the night.  See the dumpling wrapper?  It was torn even before we got to it.  Tastewise, it didn't do anything for me either.

Kaki To Papaya Yaki (Grilled oyster in papaya with special sauce)

 And now we get to the three best dishes for the night.  First one is the Kaki To Papaya Yaki.  OH MY GOODNESS.  I rarely eat semi-raw oysters, but this one was simply mind blowingly amazing.  The mixture of the big, fat, juicy oysters with the sweet papaya was simply an explosion of orgasmic proportions in my mouth.  I had to close my eyes and moan in pleasure with every bite.

Edo-San Maki (Cream cheese, kani, avocado, tobiko, anago with sauteed shrimp on top)

As for the Edo-San Maki?  This reminded me of the Tempura Maki I had at Yanagi in Midas Hotel.  Just when I thought nothing could compare to it, here comes a contender.   

Unagi to Mango Tempura (Eel, mango with special sauce)

And finally, the Unagi to Mango Tempura.  When I saw this on the menu, I just couldn't pass up the chance to try out a dish which was made from two of my favorite things.  Good thing too!  Because it was sooo good!  The strips of unagi was creamy and crunchy at the same time, and the mango was oh so sweet.

Overall, Sakura by Edo-San has now edged out other Japanese restaurants in my book and has claimed the top spot.  Though the prices may not be for the faint of heart, I can assure you that the quality and taste of the food is top notch.  4.5 out of 5 stars!

Sakura by Edo-San is at 6/F, Alphaland Southgate Tower, EDSA cor.  Pasong Tamo, Makati

J.Co Donuts and Coffee

The very first time I tried J.Co was nearly three years ago, on a trip to Singapore with Hubby.  I've heard lots of raves online, and was only too happy when I saw a J.Co shop on one of the shopping malls there. My favorite doughnut will always be Krispy Kreme's original glaze, but the possibility that there's a better doughnut out there made me ecstatic.  Well, we tried it alright.  And the verdict?  It was a far, far cry from Krispy Kreme.  Truth be told, our local doughnuts were even better than what we had in J.Co.  

Fast forward to two years ago, J.Co finally reached our shores. Everyone went into a frenzy; lines were formed till outsides the stores, and people raided their stocks like there was no tomorrow.  This got me wondering, is it really THAT good?  Maybe we just got unlucky in Singapore and tasted a bad batch?  So off I went again.  Stood in line for half an hour just to get my hands on what was left on the display.  I even tried it in store just to be sure that I got it fresh.  And then, again... disappointment.  It had none of the chewiness I liked from Krispy Kreme.  And the worst part?  I took some home to eat the next day, and the next morning, it was hard as a rock and dry as the desert.  That was the end of J.Co doughnuts for me.

Late last year, J.Co opened a new branch in Greenhills.  This was near our place, so sometimes we'd just hang out there, because even though I don't like their doughnuts, I actually liked their coffee.  But then, the service sucked.  Big time.  I wrote them a message in their Facebook page, and this was what I said:

Surprise, surprise, they did not even bother replying.  Guess the apple does not fall far from the tree.  This only goes to show that their management simply do not care.  At all.  And even after all that, I remained loyal.  To their coffee, that is.  But the service is still bad.  Sometimes I'd order a cup of iced coffee and request for it to be less ice, only to be served with a half a cup full of ice. Happened a couple of times too.  Sheesh. 

And fast forward to today, I asked my brother to buy me an Iced Jcoccino.  When he came back, my senses were jolted with just one sip.  It was like drinking coffee flavored sugar!  I had to put in half a liter of water just to make the sugar level acceptable.  So now it seems that even the old favorite is no longer reliable.  I've given up on them.  Now I ask, what powerful spell does J.Co have over their customers?  A spell that makes them loyal to a ho-hum doughnut joint with bad service?  I just want to know what I'm missing here because two years after, lines are still long.  And frankly, I don't see the hype.

Teddy's Bigger Burgers

Teddy's Bigger Burgers, Hawaii's top burger joint, is set to open in Manila tomorrow, August 23, 2014.  Remember my post about Teddy's?   Mark your calendars, because tomorrow is THE big day.   But before I go any further, here are a few quick facts about Teddy's Bigger Burgers.

Teddy's Bigger Burgers, which began in 1998,  was founded by Ted Tsakiris and Rich Stula.  Both are burger lovers who failed to find burger restaurants who offer the same quality burger that they cook in their backyards.  Hence, Teddy's Bigger Burgers was born.  Since then, they have opened 11 locations in Hawaii, 4 in mainland US, 1 in Japan and now, 1 in Manila.  The Philippine franchise is brought to us by the same group who are responsible for local favorites such as Sumo Sam, Akira, and the like.  

Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of attending the Teddy's Bigger Burgers' exclusive media sneak peek.  Scroll down and see how it went:

Tiki Wings

My meal started with the Tiki Wings.  I wasn't able to eat it immediately when it was served, so it was already cool when I got to it.  Well surprise, surprise!  The wings were still crispy, with the sauce sweet and tangy. 

As with all the other burger joints, the main focus will always be on the burger.  Teddy's Bigger Burgers' patties are bigger than the average, with sizes ranging from 5oz to 7oz, and up to a whopping 9oz!  They are made from 100% corn-fed US Black Angus ground chuck, with no binders or fillers.  It has zero preservatives and are not injected with flavors.  And since the patties are charbroiled, the oil drips off; leaving you with a less oily version of the patty.  This is all great news, because after all, less oil = less guilt.  And now I can eat in peace, and not to mention, eat more!  Ok, ok, I'm stalling.  Let me get to the mouthwatering part.

I went with the 5 oz. Cheese Burger with Swiss Cheese and Bacon.  What can I say?  It's the bomb!  The potato buns were soft and fluffy, the patty was big and juicy (not greasy at all!), my bacon was nicely crisp, and the sauce!  Don't even get me started on their special sauce!  I don't really know what they put in it, but it's really delicious!  It's the kind of sauce that makes you want to barge in their kitchen, grab the bottle (or the tub!) and just pour everything in your mouth.  Oops! 

A little trivia about Teddy's milkshakes:   Teddy's milkshakes are made from 90% ice cream and 10% milk. I tried their strawberry milkshake, and OH MY.  The only words that I can think of was that is was rich, creamy and oh so good.  Plus points for the strawberry bits, which reminded me of my favorite Haagen Dazs strawberry ice cream.

Meet the geniuses behind Teddy's Bigger Burgers, Ted Tsakiris and Rich Stula.  Really down to earth guys.  They went around and made sure everyone enjoyed their burgers and had a great time.  

So...  what can I say?  Overall I loved Teddy's Bigger Burgers!  Finally, a burger joint for the serious burger fanatics here in Manila.  I say it's about time.  4.5 out of 5 stars!  

Oh and don't forget! (I don't think you will, but just to be sure, I'll remind you again) Tomorrow is the big debut of Teddy's Bigger Burgers.  Make sure to fall in line early, because the first 5 in line gets a YEAR's supply of burgers.  6-10th person gets 6 months supply, and 11th-20th gets 3 months supply.  Free burgers for the first 100 in line too!  This is serious stuff.  So I say GO!  See you there! 

Teddy's Bigger Burgers is at 3/F, Greenbelt 3, Makati City

Marie France's iLipo and Physique Treatment

Call me old fashioned, but I've always believed that to be able to achieve something, you must work hard for it.  No cutting corners, no shortcuts.  So I've never been a believer of those slimming centers that promise you a great body after xx number of treatments.  It sounds too good to be true!  Well, fate must have sensed my hesitation because I joined a contest via another blog and won one free iLipo treatment at Marie France! 

So what's the iLipo?  Contrary to its name, the iLipo is not liposuction.  It's a non-invasive treatment using low-level laser energy to target all the unwanted fat in specific areas of the body.

The room

iLipo machine

What happens during an iLipo session?  Before anything, you are measured so that you'll be able to have a basis for comparison afterwards.  After that, squarish pads are placed on the target area, then secure with velcro straps. You are given safety goggles to wear, then you're set to go!  

The treatment comes in two parts.  First, red laser light emits from the electronic pads.  Don't worry, these are non-harmful lasers, and it does not hurt one bit.  The only sensation you'll feel is a bit of warmth, that's it!  And for the second part, a suction-like device is applied to the target area.  It will be rolled along the area, which will be a bit painful. The sucking sensation combined with the rolling feels like someone's pulling on your skin.  Again, don't worry, because the pain is minimal and tolerable.  After that, you're done! 

Aside from the iLipo, I also had the chance to try out their Physique machine.

Physique machine

So what's Physique, you ask? Do you see those circular white pads?  Those are placed on different parts of your body (arms, buttocks, legs and tummy) and secured with velcro ties.  What the machine does is that it emits different levels of vibration which helps tone up your body.  You will feel a bit sweaty afterwards.  

So... were the treatments able to change my mind towards slimming machines?  Well, I can't say much because I've only undergone one treatment, and results are not really visible on the first treatment.  According to the  consultant, I lost 1cm on my arms after the iLipo treatment.  Truth be told, I'm not very impressed with the results.  For someone who has gone through numerous diets her entire life, 1cm was way too small.  I once went on a self-challenge and was able to lose 20lbs. in one month.  So for me, the way to go would still be good old fashioned diet and exercise. But that's just me.  As I always say, you'd have to try something at least once to see for yourself :)  

Marie France is at 36/F, Robinsons Equitable Tower, Poveda St. cor. ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City