Friday Brunch at Caffe Nero

The Caffè Nero philosophy is really very simple: Premium Italian coffee. A warm and welcoming  atmosphere. Good food and great personal service.

My mother and I decided to have a Friday brunch or what I call a 'mother-daughter bonding' because we haven't seen each other for a very long time. So, we decided to go to Caffe Nero because a) this Italian cafe produces delicious goods, and b) it's the nearest cafe in our house. Caffe Nero is inspired by Italian recipes using fresh and premium ingredients. The brand is known for its coffee, but mum and I decided to try their other products.  

Caffe Nero goodness :) 

Tea for mum, Hot choco for moi :)

My hot choco with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles and my lovely tiramisu cake <3

Perfect for a rainy day! :)

Finished off everything. 

Wasabi - Dinner for Two

Yes! Mother and daughter sushi cravings has finally been satisfied! And this is not only sushi we had for dinner, it's the best sushi from our favourite sushi and bento restaurant that is Wasabi.

- "In 2003, Wasabi became the first company in the UK to sell individually wrapped pieces of sushi, offering customers a beautifully wide choice and the chance to truly experiment with the fresh delights of Japanese cuisine." 

Wasabi is my favourite Japanese restaurant because it offers a variety of fresh Japanese dishes from sushi, nigiri and temaki to noodle soups and rice dishes. To find out more about Wasabi and the menu, then click this! Furthermore, scroll down to check out my Wasabi savoir-faire! 

Dinner for two from Wasabi.

Pickled ginger sachet, soy sauce (both suitable for vegetarians) and our chopsticks. Healthy Japanese Green Tea for just £1.95

Hana Set:

One of our sushi dish is a Hana Set, which is a selection of Wasabi's popular nigiri, futomaki, hosomaki and gunkan sushi. This set is affordable with a price of just £6.95. 
From top left to bottom left:

• Two pieces of Salmon Nigiri - a slice of salmon on sushi rice.
• Tuna Nigiri - A slice of tuna on sushi rice.
• Shrimp Nigiri - Cooked sushi shrimp on top of sushi rice.
• Tofu Nigiri - A slice of inari-style marinated tofu on sushi rice. This is suitable for Vegetarians. 
• Omelette Nigiri - A slice of Japanese omelette on sushi rice.
• Tuna Mayo Gunkan - Tuna in mayonnaise, seasoned with spring onions and lemon juice,packed on top of sushi rice with a seaweed wrap.
• Salmon Sesame Gunkan - Chopped salmon seasoned with sesame oil packed on top of sushi rice, wrapped with seaweed.
• Salmon Hosomaki - two small salmon sushi rolls.
• Cucumber Hosomaki - two small cucumber sushi rolls. Suitable for vegetarians.
• Avocado Hosomaki - two small avocado sushi rolls. Suitable for vegetarians.
• Two pieces of California Futomaki - A roll packed with salmon, seafood stick and avocado, coated with white seaweed and sesame seed. 
• Pickled ginger (at its best with soy sauce)

Spicy Chirashi Salad:

Our second Wasabi dish is a Spicy chirashi salad which consists Japanese chirashi *scattered* sushi with sticky rice underneath and a spicy chilli sauce pot. If you thought that Hana set is affordable then you'll be pleased to hear that this set is even more affordable with the price of just £5.95! 

• Cooked tuna with sweetcorn and spring onions
• Tuna with spring onions, cucumber and lemon juice
• Slices of Japanese omelette 
• Crab sticks and shredded crab sticks
• Salmon with white sesame seeds and lemon juice
• Spicy Chilli sauce pot 
• Japanese sticky rice underneath

Eat this healthy dish for lunch or dinner and your belly will be satisfied for hours. This is good because it can stop you from snacking throughout the day or during the night.  

Fancy Baklavas

It was one of my 'day-out' with mama in Central London when I got these little treats from Cranberry in Charing Cross Station. Cranberry is one of my favourite snack shop because they promote healthy living. Normally, I would get varieties of dried tropical fruits and nuts such as dried mangoes, pineapples, banana chips, cashew and pistachio nuts. (If you want to find out more about Cranberry then click this.) Anyway, as I was looking through the different goods, I thought why not get something different? Then my eyes lit up when I saw these Baklavas and my taste-buds were tingling as I looked at them!

Here is a shot I took of Cranberry shop in Charing Cross Station. I think the group of people in the photo are exchange students. 

The last one caught my eyes the most .

It's a 'help yourself' service.

Moving on to my Baklavas, the first time I had them was when I went to Westfield with my girls and we were thinking of going shisha. Luckily, there was one restaurant that did it. It’s called Mandaloun. We were thinking that it's gonna be expensive and all so we thought of going to Camden instead. I don't know if it was some sort of our lucky day but there was this kind Filipino man who was working there and he kindly offered us a discount. How about that huh? We only paid £15 between the three of us (Danica didn’t want to try it) and on top of the discount, we were given two plates of FREE baklavas and FREE tea! Yes you heard me right - FREE! So there I was looking at these little treats on the plate, trying to figure out what they were and I couldn't! I took a bite and my gosh it was sensational, I quickly asked the waiter what they were and that's when I discovered Baklavas. 

So there you go, my first experience of Baklavas. Was it pure luck? I don't think so, I think it was destiny. I couldn’t think of a better place to try it. It was absolutely delicious. You can taste the sweetness coming from the filling of crushed pistachio nuts and the pastry was perfect and crunchy. I love the Greeks for inventing these little treats! I’m hoping to try them again soon (& hopefully I will learn how to make them too). 

Moving swiftly on, my wish came true and I got to try Baklavas again, but this time, I bought them from Cranberry! I got four different types of Baklavas and each one contains different nuts and other ingredients. There are more than four Baklavas but I bought the ones that appealed to me the most, so scroll down and check them out! 

Baklava- Bird Nest Pistachios:

This is the one that caught my eyes the most! The name of this Baklava says it all! BIRD NEST appearance from the shredded pastry did the trick. The sweetness from the sugar syrup with honey is mixed with the pistachios, balancing the nutty flavour from the pistachios. 

• Baklava Bird Nest Pistachios
• £1.99 for every 100 grams
• Ingredients:
• Kataifi (shredded pastry)
• Pistachio  nuts
• Sugar Syrup with honey & glucose
• Clarified butter  

Baklava- Boukage:

This one also caught my eyes because of its star-shaped appearance in the middle. The name of this Baklava confused me! I had no idea what it meant. Anyway, this Baklava includes pistachio nuts too, I have a fetish with pistachio nuts hence why I also bought this one. However, unlike the first one, Boukage is made with filo pastry and it's not as sweet as the first one. There is a little bit of sweetness coming from the pastry and this again balances the nutty flavour from the pistachio nuts. 

• Baklava: Boukage
• £1.99 for every 100 grams
• Ingredients:
• Filo pastry
• Pistachio nuts
• Sugar 
• Water
• Vegetable gee

Baklava- Kulwuskur:

Kulwuskur, another Baklava that baffled me! I had no idea what it meant. This Baklava is quite similar to Boukage as it is made with filo pastry. The only difference is that it contains cashew nuts instead of pistachio nuts. It's also a bit sweeter than a Boukage because it contains butter gee (whereas Boukage only contains vegetable gee). I would probably say that this is my least favourite because it had an exotic taste to it. I'm not saying I'm not keen on exotic flavours but it was too extrinsic for my liking. But hey ho, do try it because you might have a different palate from mine! 

• Baklava: Kulwuskur
• £1.99 for every 100 grams
• Ingredients:
• Filo pastry
• Cashew nuts
• Sugar 
• Water
• Vegetable gee
• Butter gee

Baklava- Almond:

Another Baklava with a straightforward name. ALMOND. I'm guessing it contains almond nuts ey? Yes it does. Filo pastry is used to make this Baklava, but it's flakier than the other two (Boukage & Kulwuskur). The sweetness is quite similar to a Boukage but the taste of almond nuts is not as nutty as cashew nuts. This is my second favourite because it has a distinctive flavour. I think the hint of rose water made this Baklava extra special.   

• Baklava: Almond 
• £1.99 for every 100 grams
• Ingredients:
• Filo pastry
• Almond nuts
• Sugar syrup with honey
• Clarified butter
• Rosewater 

I would recommend Baklavas for those who have a sweet tooth, and also to those who are a nut-lover (like me) coz golly gosh they were nutty! They were such a lovely treat for myself and so much better than giving myself a pat on the back. I can definitely say that I'm coming back there any time soon, and hopefully in the next few months, I would be able to learn how to make these sweet treats! If you want to experience a Baklava savoir-faire then I would recommend you to stop by to your nearest Cranberry shop anytime soon! As for me, I would continue to delve deeper with the other different types of Baklavas.

Happy Birthday to my favourite chef Jamie Oliver!

I decided to dedicate this post to my favourite chef that is Jamie Oliver, by celebrating his success. Ohh and it's his birthday today sooo Happy Birthday chef! For those who are not that familiar with Jamie’s early work as a foodie, Jamie has begun his career at a very young age. His passion for food started to grow when he was found helping at his parent’s pub, The Cricketers in Clavering. At the age of 16, he left school and completed his training at Westminster Catering College and had a lot of experience in different restaurants such as the River Café. Just like Jamie, I have always been interested in the world of food from a young age. In my 18 years of existence, I have experienced different flavours and dishes from around the world and I tend to continue this hobby for a long time. I have a great passion for food, but not to the point where I want it to be a career. I also enjoy watching food shows, but out of all the food shows I’ve watched, I’ve always been keen on Jamie’s shows because of his blasé attitude towards cooking.

Today, we see Jamie Oliver as one of the most famous celebrity chefs worldwide. He is well-known in the media as he not only appears in his own food shows, but I have also seen him appear as a celebrity guest in talk shows such as The Jonathan Ross Show and Chris Moyle’s Quiz Night. Furthermore, Jamie Oliver has evolved his brand image from being a laid-back chef to an international chef tackling different aspects in other parts of the world. Although Jamie is known as one of the most controversial chefs in Europe, Jamie has introduced a healthy way of eating which is attested from his food shows and his brand restaurants across the world. This is also one of the reasons why I adore his recipes because of his healthy approach to cooking by using fresh ingredients.

Jamie’s different approach to cooking with his laid-back attitude inspired a lot of people, including myself, to cook and enjoy food. It was Jamie’s honest unique selling point from his relaxed style towards cooking that made him known to be one the world’s best-loved television personalities. Not only he inspired everyone, but he also won a BAFTA Award for the best television series in the Features Category in 2000. In addition, his company, Sweet As Candy, has made Oliver successful making it to the list of richest Britons under 30 on The Sunday Times.

Jamie still continues to delve deeper with food and he expresses his research and own knowledge of food through a range of promotional materials. He had huge success with a variety of different television shows. One of Jamie’s first successful TV programmes is ‘Jamie’s Kitchen’ which was aired in 2002, broadcasted by Channel 4. It’s a five part documentary series, targeted to young people, especially those who doesn’t have any motivation with school work, or those who didn’t finish GCSEs and doesn’t have enough qualifications. In the show, Jamie attempted to train disadvantaged youths, and once the course is completed, they will be offered jobs at Oliver’s new restaurant “Fifteen”. I think that this is inspiring and that it follows the need for social and self-identity because audience of young people will find reinforcement for personal values as well as finding role models from the show. This is due to Jamie being a good role model by giving second chances to disadvantaged youths as he experienced the same situation in a young age. Youths in the show are also seen as good role models as they try their hard to succeed. Moreover, ‘Jamie’s Kitchen’ will give the ideology to young people like me as well as older people, that there are other choices in life as long as you don’t give up. The show also creates an ideology of moral authority as he can inspire those who think lowly of themselves. In addition, ‘Jamie’s Kitchen’ became a huge success as the achievement of the restaurant won Tatler Best Restaurant Award and the Academy Award of Excellence at the TioPepe Carlton London Restaurant Awards in 2003. After the show, Jamie also won an MBE award in 2003 for his generosity contribution within his work.

Jamie’s shows also illustrate problems in the food industry such as not using organic food, increase of obesity, unhealthy eating habits, and unhealthy food in school diners. I think that the way Jamie tackles these problems is helpful for everyone to be aware of. I also love the way that Jamie’s shows are also relaxing as it includes comedic scenes which are very entertaining. 

Jamie Oliver was also known for his controversial work, which made him even more successful worldwide. One of the most polemic shows that he had was ‘Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution’, which represents America negatively as it the show illustrate scenes of how America produces their food, and how they deliver these unhealthy produce to the society. Unhealthy habits that are shown in his campaign represent that society are not aware of what they are eating and this increases the number and cases of obesity.

‘Jamie’s Food Revolution’ was one of Jamie’s controversial works but he ensured that nothing obscene should be represented in the media. It was seen as offensive from America’s point of view because they are being stereotyped as obese and unhealthy. Unfortunately, this lowered the ratings in the second season and it was announced that the show will not return for a third season. But for me, the show was a good starting point for people to see that eating healthily is important. In addition, Jamie also initiated a campaign called ‘Feed me Better’, which inspired a lot of adults to encourage school children towards eating healthy food. As a result, the British government perceived his work and promised to address this issue. This shows that Jamie’s work has a big impact towards the society. Due to his inspiring work, Jamie was voted the ‘Most Inspiring Political Figure of 2005’.

To finish this post, we all know that we have our own favourite cooks, but for me, Jamie Oliver will always be my ol’ time favourite. He’s exceedingly successful at promoting himself as a media brand as he now owns his own magazine and books as well as a website that focus on his shows and successful work (which I am a subscriber CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!). Recently, Jamie is working in new series of 'Jamie’s Great Britain', which I found educational as it gave me an insight that original ‘British recipes’ like Fish and Chips are originated from different countries and origin. This represents how Britain has changed and had become more diverse and global. He introduced healthy eating by setting up his own restaurants in different countries and it was reported in 2009 that he raised US$22 million to fund thirty of his Italian restaurants in Asia. Oliver also has many campaigns which include teaching different parts of the world how to eat and maintain healthy by buying organic food and teaching them healthy, quick recipes that we will enjoy. I believe that Jamie will continue to delve deeper with food as well as teach the society about healthy lifestyle, and I’m looking forward to it! Best wishes to Jamie and his family! Happy Birthday!

Strawberry & Banana Smoothie

My mum and I came up with this smoothie yesterday because it was perfect for a sunny day and also, the strawberries and bananas we had were overripe so we didn't want them to go to waste. This smoothie is quick, fresh and super healthy! It's an amazing breakfast to boost up your energy levels in the morning and it can be a substitute to your 'supermarket juice' during lunch and dinner. This smoothie includes of just THREE ingredients: 

• Frozen strawberries 
• Frozen bananas
• Cranberry & pomegranate juice
• NO SUGAR. The natural sugars from the fruits is all we need. 
• NO ICE. Since the fruits are already frozen, they are able to create that 'smoothie' consistency that we're looking for.   

To be honest, this smoothie works well with all different kinds of fruits. If you're a banana and a strawberry lover then this recipe will tingle your taste buds. However, if you're not a great fan of these fruits, you can always substitute them with other fruits such as raspberries, kiwi, apples, oranges and many more! You can even do a veggie version by adding celery, tomatoes or spinach. Try to be open-minded by exploring different kinds of fruits and veggies. It'll open you to different flavours, which makes fruits and veggies even more exciting.     

Moreover, I didn't really need any measurements for this smoothie because I just stirred and tasted throughout the process of making it. It all depends on your likes on how you want your smoothie to be. Some people like it sweet, so add more fresh fruits (not frozen), for those who likes it a bit sour then add a bit of lemon juice (or just leave it because some fruits can be sour)

This is all you need to make a tasty smoothie!

Just follow these easy four steps & you can have a fresh smoothie in just minutes!

Step 1:

Blend half of the juice and all 
of the frozen strawberry in a 
blender until some of the 
strawberries has been crushed 
and smoothed.

Step 2:

Then, gradually add the 
rest of the juice and blend 
until it reaches the 
right consistency.

Step 3:

Pour half of the smoothie 
in a jar to leave some 
space for the bananas.

Step 4:

Gradually add the bananas 
until all of it has been 
blended. Then mix the rest 
of the smoothie in one jar. 

3 ingredients, 4 steps and you got yourself a smoothie! That's one of your 5-a-day sorted!

Perfect for a sunny day! :)

Top Fryers: Lamb Doner Kebab

The day has come when I finally cured my craving for one, hearty kebab! There are different types of kebabs but one of my favourite ones is a lamb kebab. This one in particular was from our local fish and kebab shop called ‘Top Fryer’ in Sidcup high street. This lamb doner kebab is specially prepared on an oven spit served in pitta bread and a concoction of salad of your choice. I got the large portion which only costs £4.80 (small is £4.00). For me, the large one was too large since I couldn't finish it all! Yes I know, even I’m quite shocked to say this since I have a BIG appetite! The good thing though was that I got to share it with mum and dad. To be fair, I wasn't exactly feeling hungry at the time, but I reckon this kebab will be an amazing hangover treat! 

Top Fryer's Lamb Doner Kebab!

I chose a mixture of fresh veggies for my salad including red and green lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and chilli. Some veggies you cannot see because they’re hidden under the kebab. The pitta bread was nice and hot, and it also balances the meaty flavour of the lamb – indeed a perfect combination for a lamb kebab. For the sauce, I chose garlic sauce because I think it complements the kebab just right due to its mild flavour and also, it doesn’t overpower the flavour of the lamb.

Fresh salad, pitta bread and garlic sauce to accompany my lamb doner kebab.

Holding my lamb doner kebab

In my opinion, this lamb dish is a healthy lunch because it covers all the nutrients you need for a balanced meal. Lamb for protein, pitta bread for carbohydrates and salad for vitamins and minerals. Overall, I really enjoyed eating Top Fryer’s lamb doner kebab! Next time, I hope to try their Fish and Chips! When we were ordering, I saw this man eating a large portion of Cod and Chips, immediately I thought that’s what I’m getting next time! Happy tummy!

I Crave Omelette, I Get Omelette!

Today on my way to church, I keep blabbing out all the food I crave to my mum. Then after church, the list continues then I thought of something that she can easily make for me. AN OMELETTE. Every household has eggs as one of their kitchen necessities so my craving for an omelette can be easily satisfied. As soon as we got home, I went to my room and as usual, I turned on my laptop and did all sort of social networking bladiba. A couple of minutes later I hear my mum calling my name, 'Maiko Maiko luto na ulam!' (Maiko, Maiko food is ready). I went to the kitchen immediately and I saw the pan with a massive seafood concoction omelette! Then my mum goes to me 'You crave omelette, you get omelette!' Ahhhh there goes my shock face! But the twinkle in my eyes was also present. 

Holding a massive seafood concoction omelette in a pan!

Yummy seafood concoction omelette! Thanks to mama dear :)

With crab sticks, shrimp and red onions

Help yourselves! Yes we nearly finished the whole lot!
(Mama & I since kuya doesn't like seafood and daddy's at work) 

Truly enjoyed this omelette! I love seafood, I love eggs! What else can I ask for? CRAVING HAS BEEN SATISFIED. Happy tummy, blessed Sunday! :)

6th April 2012 - Good Friday

It's Good Friday and the consequences of not having meat has its advantages! Not only we get to eat delicious meat free meals but Good Friday here in UK also means it's bank holiday which means that mum and dad get the day off. Yes, with our busy lives, we hardly get to spend time as a whole family and I'm grateful that we get to spend some days together during our Easter holiday. 
I do love it when both mum and dad are day off, because there's more food laid on the table. Even though the kitchen will be occupied and pretty maniac the whole day, the fun of being together makes it all worth it. 

Good Friday lunch with the family

For this year's Good Friday, both mum and dad cooked two simple fish dishes. The first dish is called Paksiw, which is a family favourite and it was actually my brother who requested it because he said he misses it. Paksiw na isda means fish in vinegar sauce and in this particular dish, we used Sea Bass as the main ingredient.

The aroma of this dish brings nostalgia to the table! Sea Bass Paksiw

The second dish is a straightforward dish - Piritong Tilapia, simply means Fried Tilapia. Tilapia is a common fish in Asia and Africa. Very easy to make, simply coat the fish in flour, salt and pepper. Then fry in olive oil in a medium heat pan. Then voila! You got yourself a little treat, delicately cooked fish with crispy skin. 

Piritong Tilapia

Another ulam we had is a vegetable dish called Monggo, which is sauteed mung beans normally cooked with malunggay but we used spinach as a substitute. We can't get a hold of malunggay here in London! This dish is one of my favourites, it's normally partnered with galunggong but any fried fish of your choice will do! 

Monggo with spinach

Of course all these ulam are accompanied with plain rice. No dish is complete without rice in our home! :)


For dessert, we had Turon, which is one of my favourite sweet street food from the Philippines. Turon is a Philippine snack made of thinly sliced bananas (preferably Saba (cooking bananas) - this is a Filipino version of Plantain) and a slice of jackfruit, dusted with brown sugar, rolled in spring roll wrapper and fried. Turon is a popular street food among us Filipinos. They can be usually seen on the streets being peddled by vendors.

Let me introduced you Turon. Delicious treats & so easy to make!

I thoroughly enjoyed my Good Friday with the whole family! What a relaxing day and food trip indeed! Who said you can't enjoy a day without eating meat? Certainly not me. I do love Easter holidays, apart from exams and revision, this holiday is a way for my family and I to catch up.

I'm a Foodie Girl.

Who doesn't love a bit of an adventure every now and then? And I don't mean the type of adventure that associates extreme, risky sports and whatnot. Don't get me wrong I do love my sports too but not as much as food. YES, FOOD. My eyes light up every time I talk about food because it is a passion and a hobby to me. I wouldn't say that I'm a food connoisseur but I know some of the basics and that's better than nothing? Let's just all say that I'm middle of the road, getting there.

Now, my palate is not picky at all since I like to try and experience innovative flavours. I do love my usual Filipino/Asian food but I am open to eat the most exotic as well as the most disgusting food you can possibly think of. Not because I'm trying to prove something but have you ever heard of a saying 'Try it before you judge"? The quote says it all really. I can't say that I like nor dislike something unless I try it and also I'm not very fussy when it comes to food and I try to be as open-minded as possible. I guess it all started from a young age because food was a big part of my life. In my 18 years of existence, I have learnt to appreciate food in every way, shape or form.

Check out some photos of me :)

Me, myself and I with Mr. McDonalds. Ahhh the joy of being so young.

Holding a massive dish of Palabok.

Street food.

My family was also a big influence with my passion for food as it was a tradition to prepare, cook and eat food together. We were an average family, which means that any food that appeared in our dining table was a blessing as it is still now. My mum told me that from a young age I was obsessed with my food and I cried all the time due to my constant hungriness. I guess mi amor for food is in my blood and I am so not complaining at all! My dad's career as a chef for nearly 3 years ongoing also helped me to gain more knowledge behind dishes I've never heard of before and it also gave me opportunities to learn about different ingredients as well as witness their original form.

Everyone eating outside our house in the Philippines.

Dining with some of my cousins, uncles and aunties.

Throughout this blog, I hope to share my experiences and knowledge on food by posting some of my favourite and pet-hate dishes. I haven't had any gastronomic experience yet but I'm hoping 2012 will be nice to me and let me have my first gastronomic experience any time soon! *Excited much* Anyway, I've probably bored you all by now so I'm gonna exit now! By the way, feel free to ask any questions!

Let's all continue to enjoy our love for food! :)