Shuttered Identity » Food

Unique Latte Art

Chattee — Wed, 05 May 2010 08:33:26 +0000

I’ve been to many coffee shops, but sad to say, not many serve the kind of latte I want. In Davao, I frequent Kangaroo Coffee Company for my dose of caffeine. IMHO, they serve the best cafe latte. A 12oz mug costs Php71.00—quite cheap compared to the other fancy coffee shops. Aside from the great coffee, what I look forward to every time I order cafe latte at Kangaroo, is the unique latte art that John, the barista, would make for me.

Latte art is an art of creating patterns or designs on the surface of a latte. It can be done by either free pouring or etching. Rosetta (or fern), the most common latte art that you’ll see is done by free pouring. Etching on the other hand is done after the steamed milk has been poured. With the use of a coffee stirrer of some sort, the barista then etches a design on the surface.

Below are some of the latte art that John has made for me. I’m sure there are more, but I have yet to scour my archives for the photos.

Swan

Moomoo?

Mr. Sunshine

Love!

Love Without Fear. Naks!

Curly Boy?

Flower

Jupiter

Sunrise

Woman

I’ll post another batch of photos after a few more trips to Kangaroo.

Johnny Cupcakes

Chattee — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:48:51 +0000

It has been a habit to have dinner together after a badminton game. Last night’s restaurant of choice was Johnny Cupcakes.

Before dessert comes a meal of course, so each of us ordered pasta.

I had the grilled veggies pasta. It’s pasta with grilled zuchinni, broccoli, bell peppers, tomatoes (that’s all I can remember for now), sauteed garlic and onion in olive oil. Talk about a guilt-free, post-badminton dinner. :)

Grilled Veggies Pasta

Here’s what the rest of the gang ordered:

Shrimp Pasta

Pasta Alfredo

Spanish Chorizo Pasta

When it was time for us to nom cupcakes for dessert, they brought in a vanilla cupcake with a cute red candle on it. Surprise!

The Surprise Birthday Cupcake

I turned 27 today, but my Avatar Media friends decided to give me an advanced birthday surprise last night. Aside from the yummy cupcake, the gang also gave me this vintage necklace with a camera pendant. Just perfect for the shutterbug me.

My surprise gift: A super cool bling bling.

I told my friends beforehand that I wouldn’t treat them to food on my birthday, but that I’d give them Swish wallets instead. It’s been months since I told them that, so I thought of giving it to them yesterday as a surprise treat. Little did I know that it was I who was going to be surprised. Crybaby me tried so hard to hold back the tears. LOL

The Swish wallet gang at Johnny Cupcakes

There goes my 27th birthday celebration. We actually went somewhere else for coffee and pancakes, but that’s going to be another post.

So, if you’re looking for hefty servings of pasta and delicious cupcakes at a modestly-priced, sit-down restaurant, then go to Johnny Cupcakes. The shop is located at Door 2, Valencia Corporate Center, Arellano Street, Davao City. For orders, you may call (082) 2245060 or 63908 860 6925.

Rewind: DFAT 2009

Chattee — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:24:42 +0000

Here are some photos from the Davao Food Appreciation Tour last March 13-16, 2009. Because I was “busy” (also read as lazy), it took me almost a year to post these. Gawd, I must have been too “busy” that I didn’t even have the time to post these on Facebook.

Seriously, I just found these photos in my desktop computer’s hardrive which I haven’t used for 10 months. So last night while I was trying to clean the drives, lo and behold, these pictures!

I’m not good at describing food, so I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves.
TADAKUMA JAPANESE RESTAURANT
11 Damosa Business Center, Mamay Rd., Lanang, Davao City
(082)234-8813

Gyoza

Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki - Perfect for rainy days.

Agadeshi Tofu - I love everything tofu. So this one was a hit.

California Maki - My all-time favorite Japanese food. I almost didn't want to share. ~.~

Yakisoba

Spirale Ristorante

Damosa Complex, Lanang, Davao City

(082) 234-6298

SPIRALE RISTORANTE
Damosa Complex, Lanang, Davao City
(082) 234-6298

Puttanesca

Vongole (Spaghetti with clams in white sauce)

Gamberi Ali Olio (Gambas)

Spaghetti Carbonara

Capricciosa Pizza

CAFE ANDESSA
#2 Carpio Subdivision, Cabantian Road
Buhangin, Davao City
(082)302-9314

Bicol Express Pasta

Iced Tea

Binutong - Sticky rice served with native hot chocolate.

Turon Ala Mode - Your good ole turon drizzled with chocolate syrup, topped with vanilla ice cream plus chocolate shavings and cherry!

LACHI’S SANS RIVAL ATBP.
Door 1-H VAL Learning Village, Ruby Street, Marfori Heights, Davao City
(082)224-5552

Sans Rival - The world

Blueberry Cheesecake

Durian Cheesecake

Cream Dory in Thai Sauce

These are the only food shots that I think are worth posting. DFAT 2010 is going to be on April. Hopefully this year, I’ll get to post the photos ON TIME.

Coffee for Flowers

Chattee — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:53:15 +0000

What I usually do after brewing coffee at home is dispose of the filter and the coffee grounds thinking that there’s no more use for them. But just recently, Kangaroo Coffee Company introduced me to Coffee for Flowers, and the way I see coffee grounds has changed.

Aside from fertilizing plants, coffee grounds keeps ants, snails, slugs and even cats away.

You see, instead of throwing away the coffee grounds, Kangaroo is giving them away for FREE. The grounds are packed in foil packs with a sticker label that includes usage tips.

All you green thumbs out there, let your plants enjoy coffee too! If you don’t have coffee grounds at home, just ask for your pack of Coffee for Flowers the next time you drop by Kangaroo Coffee.

Kangaroo Coffee Company is located at corner Mapa and Tiongko Streets, Davao City

My Kimchi Ramen Recipe

Chattee — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:51:00 +0000

Kimchi wasn’t an instant hit for me. When I was a kid, I remember ma buying jars of kimchi and I wouldn’t even touch the jar. I didn’t like it because it was stinky, spicy and salty. Blegh!

Four years ago though, I caught the Kuryanuvellah bug. Suddenly, kimchi’s become oh so heavenly and even soju became a staple at home. The past months specially, I’ve had kimchi almost everyday. I like my kimchi eaten as is, with plain rice, and my favorite— kimchi ramen!

My kimchi ramen is nothing special. It’s just the cure for my kimchi craving at wee hours. At less than 30 bucks per serving, it’s cheap. Also, it’s so easy to make that you can ask a 5-year-old to cook it for you.

I don’t know if anyone’s interested with my recipe, nevertheless, I’m still sharing it. Lol

The Ingredients: Lucky Me Special Instant Seafood Flavor Noodles and 1/2 cup kimchi

1. Cook noodles in 2 cups boiling water.

2. Add kimchi when noodles is cooked.

3. Simmer for a minute.

4. Transfer noodles into a bowl and enjoy!

I don’t know if kimchi goes well with other noodle brands. I’ve only tried Lucky Me Special Seafood and Bulalo Flavors. Lucky Me Special noodles doesn’t become soggy, so it’s okay if you cook it a bit longer. It’s sold at supermarkets for only Php13. As for the kimchi, I usually get mine from Arirang. It’s this Korean shop located at Victoria Plaza compound. A kilo of kimchi costs Php190.

Jam’s Resto Bar

Chattee — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:17:51 +0000

Together with Blogie, Lyle, Brendel, Jim, and Angel, I revisited GenSan. The first stop for our trip was Jam’s Resto Bar.

Miss Sol Manangquil, the generous owner of the resto, prepared for us a bounty feast of uber delish tuna dishes.

Tuna Kinilaw

Bagaybay. It's so good, you wouldn’t even know it’s tuna roe you’re eating.

Grilled Tuna Belly - Everybody's favorite!

Sauteed Tuna Innards - sweet and spicy, you're definitely going to ask for extra rice.

Sizzling Tuna Tendons - Chewy, but nevertheless very good.

Tuna Kilawin is the perfect pulutan.

Deep Fried Tuna Buntot with Tuna Chicharon - Brendel just can't get enough of the chicharon.

Tuna Kebab - it's the tomato-based dip that makes it a winner.

Jam’s Resto bar is located at Nunez St., Purok Malakas, Barangay San Isidro, General Santos City. For inquiries and reservations, you may call them at 0917 708 1693 or (083)553 2763.

Special thanks to Sir Avel of Bariles Republic for taking us to Jam’s Resto Bar.

Potato Rolls

Chattee — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 01:37:02 +0000

Potato Rolls

The night before Davao Food Appreciation Tour (DFAT), Drew brought some potato rolls for us to try. They weren’t exactly how I thought they’d look like. I was thinking something like potato wedges or french fries but when I opened the box, I saw 50 pieces of baby ensaymadas!

I can’t help but ask Ria why these are called potato rolls. She then explained that these are made out of potato flour. Ooookay, potato flour— I still don’t understand why Drew’s raving about it. So, while waiting for our dinner to be served, I popped a piece to see for myself. After biting into it, everything seemed to stop. It was like I’m chewing on bite-sized heaven! Before I knew it, I was reaching for another piece and another and another. Lol.

To try the buttery-light goodness of these potato rolls, you may call (082) 227-8131. Last time I asked, the price was at PHP600/100 pcs.

Thank you for the treat Drew. I’ll order soon!

Ice-blended Espresso mocha

Chattee — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:45:27 +0000

At only Php88, this 16-oz treat is a must try at Kangaroo Cafe. :)

The Hamburger : Trial 1

Chattee — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:25:00 +0000

For the next Saturdays, I believe the gang will be meeting up to test what we have planned to include in our menu. First stop is Jude’s place for his burgers.

I brought the buns, Chunks brought the lettuce and white onions, Jim brought beer and Jude made the patties and chili con carne.

Fast forward…

After an hour or so of preparation, this is what we had:

(The burger and the wayward tomato. Pardon the presentation. LOL)

***5″ bun, chili con carne, salsa, lettuce, 3/4″ beef patty, onions, mustard, catsup, mayo, cheese***

We’ll be serving this with fries/potato chips and drinks.