Before watching the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn part 1, I was treated to a very nice meal in Tokyo Café. It was our first time to dine in this restaurant, and all I could say is two thumbs up.

What is Tokyo Café? This is based from their website:

So on to our experience:

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During my cousin’s 2nd-to-the-last-day-stay-in-Manila-before-heading-back-to-China-to-“fetch”-her-German-bf day, we met up after she got her driver’s license, both hungry so we decided to try out something new around the area.

For the last 25 years of living around Chinatown area, it was unfortunate of me to never have tried the food in Café Mezzanine. It’s found in the second floor along the corner of Ongpin and Yuchengco streets, right in front of Shopper’s Mart (you won’t miss it).

photo from: http://mayniladailyphoto.blogspot.com/2009/01/cafe-mezzanine.html (forgot to take a picture of the place and its ambiance)

This place is also known as the Volunteer Fireman’s Coffee Shop and its proceeds go to the volunteer firefighters association in Binondo. By the looks of it, you’ll definitely know that this place is dedicated to the firemen as fireman’s helmets, hose, and other firefighting gadgets were used as decorations around the area.

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Mama cooked one of my all-time favorite Filipino viand last Sunday – Tortang Talong! So even though I’m starting (again) another diet, I can’t help but got myself one.

Ingredients:
• Eggplants
• Eggs
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedures:
1. Grill eggplants until skin is charred. Let it cool for few minutes then peel the skin off.
2. Beat eggs until frothy.
3. Flatten eggplants.
4. In a skillet (or frying pan), pour enough oil for frying.
5. Once oil is hot, put in an eggplant then pour beaten eggs until eggplant is covered. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Turn the eggplant to cook the other side then cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve hot.

My share for this week’s:

On our way to Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife, we stopped by Rustan’s Gateway to look for something to eat. Yes, we were dead hungry but we wanted to go cheap. So we opted for a whole chicken from Chooks to Go for less than Php 200 and I was very impressed with their Pepper Roasted Chicken (I love black pepper), plus the gravy was superb!

We ordered Rice in a Box to go with our chicken and it was a very hearty meal!

If you wish to try their chicken varieties, you can head over their website to check out their different products and store locations at http://web.chookstogo.com.ph/

A post of this week’s:

Dinuguan is one of the Filipino favorites during special occasions. It comes from the Filipino word “dugo” which means blood. Yes. For all non-Filipino readers, this dish is made from meat (usually pork) and / or offal (usually intestines, stomach, ears, or snout) simmered in pork blood, with chili and vinegar. No worries, it’s actually really good, despite the thought that you are going to eat blood (think vampirism), and it goes very well with plain white rice or rice cake which we Filipinos call “puto”

Ingredients:
• 4 cups Pork blood
• 1 kilo Pork belly (cut into bite size pieces: usually around 1” x 2”)
• 250 g Pork intestines (cut into bite size pieces) – optional
• 250 g Pork liver (cut into bite size pieces) – optional
• 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1 bulb Onion (sliced)
• 2 pcs Laurel leaves
• 1 cup Soy sauce
• Black pepper (crushed)
• 1/2 cup Vinegar
• Long green peppers

(Quantity is lessened compared to that of the one in the pictures since the amount of ingredients used in the picture is good for 10 – 20 persons)

Procedures:
1. Strain pork blood through a sieve making sure there are no lumps. Set aside.
Note: It’s best to ask if the pork blood that you are buying has already been seasoned with salt, that way you don’t need to add in salt later.
2. Sauté garlic and onion.
3. Add in pork meat, intestines, and liver. Don’t forget the laurel leaves. Season with crushed black pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the meat turns a bit brown.
4. Pour in soy sauce and simmer until it boils and meat has absorbed almost all the liquid. Once cooked, transfer to a container then set aside.

5. Using the same pan, pour in the pork blood, while constantly stirring. You’ll notice that it would start to turn black, during that time, slowly add in the cooked meat (do not include the oil).
6. Add in vinegar, and simmer until it boils.
7. Serve hot.

I know this is quite a different way of cooking Dinuguan as it requires you to make “adobo” first, but I love how my mom makes it and it tastes really good!