06.27.09
FOOD TV
This program in QTV called Secrets of the Masters invites the supposed leading chefs Manila has to offer. One should never let a chance to learn from the best pass, so I always find time to watch.
So far, no spectacular secret has been revealed by the “masters” lol. Some chefs there do the basics (stuffs that noobs would know like the back of their hand na); some seemed to like the sound of their voices, and so forth. The only remarkable episode that I was able to catch was probably the one by Chef Jessie Sincioco and the episode this morning with Margarita Fores of Cibo renown.
I am particularly amused by the Fores episode. One, because it was insightful. The chef knows her Italian and certainly demonstrated why her Cibo is well-loved. ^^ Second, the amusement came from the host – Izzy (or was it Issa?) Litton. She was offered the finished food for the routinary tasting and was about to launch her food critique with this spiel: “Okay, I would be having first-hand taste…”
Eh? Ano daw?
Medyo naguluhan ako sa phrase na ito. First-hand taste sa pagkain? Parang the context went awry a. Meron din bang second-hand taste ito? Waa.
06.20.09
THUMBS UP
Yesterday I went to the NBI office in Carriedo to get my clearance. I was actually bracing myself for the much-maligned bureaucratic queue that government offices are notorious for. Back when people have to get their clearance in Taft and I used to pass that way, I could always see the teeming masses camped there as early as 5. So you could just understand why this is the first time in my entire life that I would be applying for an NBI clearance. Dunno how I was able to get away with it – not having a clearance – and work. Lol.
Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised that the process now takes so less time! My brother assured me that such was the case na for a considerable period of time. They have these “7 steps” to get you through. I went there Friday, so I don’t know if that’s peak or off-peak day. But I got my clearance after about 16 minutes or so. I could scarcely credit my senses.
Wow. That’s mighty good work, I think. ^^
06.08.09
MANDARIN WOK AND SOME CHICKEN TALK
I lost a bet yesterday so I had to pay for a meal we’ve had in Mandarin Wok in the Mall of Asia. Now this restaurant supposedly offer gourmet Chinese food, or something to that effect. But that’s not the reason why we came there instead of Don Henrico’s, which is just a stone’s throw away or the ritzier Azul which I want to go to. My friends were raving about a roasted chicken (The friggin chicken aroma was wafting all over the place) and I think the Chinese does this dish best.
I got the Mandarin Orange and their seafood rice. I could not remember how much I paid. What I do remember, however, is that for the price I shelled, I was mighty satisfied with the serving of the rice.
Now, their chicken was good, something different from the other chicken I’ve had before. This is mainly due to the skin. See, when you have a bite, there’s the proverbial crunch and then it crumbles! You will actually feel that. I have been racking my mind how the cooks there achieve that kind of effect. Anyway, I have no complaints except for the iced tea and the hard seat. Had the service been just a tad faster, I wouldn’t have whined about the latter ^^.
Now this brings me to another conclusion I made. I do like KFC chicken and I’ve been trying to figure out how their chickens are made and fried. As you probably know, KFC chicken are moist and the inner flesh is flavorful so I thought, they must be soaking it in brine. I tried this method already, and it seem to achieve its objective. lol. However, what I could not quite get was the outer part. I initially thought they were using a batter instead of dredging it (breading is out of the question). So, what…
Yeah, what the heck am I talking about, lol. The thing is I was not able to duplicate the feat via my taste buds alone. And since we could not eat chicken all the time, it is only sensible for the other attempts to be relegated in the future. 
Oh, by the way. One of my favorite chicken is the Cajun Chicken of Bigg’s Diner back at home. It’s delicious.
