Food Adventures: Balkan Kitchen - Yugoslavian Home Cooking

Yugoslavian cooking is definitely something foreign to the Filipino palate - something we are not used to eating as evidenced by how foreign the names of the dishes were. I only came across one famous dish called goulash in my readings but never really got to try one until now.

So the first time I saw the Balkan Kitchen in the building where I work, I couldn't pass the opportunity. It definitely piqued my interest.

And I'm happy to say that their goulash did not disappoint. In fact, I would say this is my new favorite - hearty and savory, with meat tender and succulent, what more could a hungry carnivore ask for?

Then there is this other dish I ordered whose name I couldn't even pronounce - "pljeskavica".  The lady at the counter pronounced it like a true, blue Yugoslavian, but all I can hear was something sounding like "escaveche". It was a funny experience for me and I had to to tell her I couldn't pronounce it and she was more than happy to save me from the embarrassment.

Maybe the simplest description I could give about this dish is that it's a steak stuffed with cheese (my best guess is mozzarella), and with fries on the side. Now, I'm not really a big fan of it. I find the beef a little "malangsa" but I do like the fries, though. Maybe it's not what you would consider "awesome" fries but I think they were cooked perfectly - not soggy, not overly cooked, just perfect. And it blends well with the mayo/ketchup dip. I can be simple and uncomplicated just like that.

There's still lots of dishes on the menu I am yet to try, so I suppose this is not the last time I will be seeing this interesting mural of famous Yugoslav personalities :)

Cheat Day Weekend: Cajun Roasted Chicken & Jambalaya Rice

Today I go to The Old Spaghetti House and tasted this plate of delicious, plus iced tea.

Best Caldereta Ever

I'm sure there are others out there that equally merit the same, if not more, praise. But in my scheme of things, this is at the top of the list, at least for now, until another one comes along. Extra points for the umami taste and affordability.

Fish Katsu

by karate kid

Oyakodon

by yasu

Literally "parent-and-child donburi", is a donburi, or Japanese rice bowl dish, in which chicken, egg, sliced scallion (or sometimes regular onions), and other ingredients are all simmered together in a sauce and then served on top of a large bowl of rice. The name of the dish is a poetic reflection of the fact that both chicken and egg are used in the dish. - wikipedia

A Feast of Seafood

A "Last Hoorah" dinner (for former and current shops crew). The former tribe is changing citizenship and so the parting of ways. A bittersweet moment indeed.

And yes, it was a feast of seafood, though there is also pork meat served. But still, it's an overwhelming 5:1 ratio. Not included in the photos are sinigang sa miso, grilled tuna, calamares and grilled pork.

all courtesy of zee former boss
clockwise from left: baked oysters, buttered shrimps, sweet chili crabs, and scallops

It's the Rainy Season Once More

And in this country, it's almost certainly followed by heavy floods. So, what does one do when stranded due to a heavy downpour?

Luckily for me, I'm at the mall, and as you might have guessed by now (this is such a no-brainer for people who know me), I would indulge in my favorite past time - food!

What better excuse one could have, huh?

Tara! Let's eat.

FaBurrito? (Favorite?)

Nah!

The colleagues did not like it either.

To its credit though, it's not really a bad concept incorporating 'healthy' in its ingredients and processes - it's just that it didn't make the spectacular meter. It ended being a blah establishment despite the supposed unique concept.

If it's any consolation however, I might come back for the quesadilla.

mango bbq chicken burrito

A Day at the Mall

This is what happens when I lose myself - I eat, eat, eat, ...and eat. I forget how much I'm spending and get home empty handed. Damn those malls.

Here are some food I splurged on. And they're not even that superb.

filipino-style spaghetti from kxp

macha flavored yogurt from red mango

BonChon's Shot at Redemption

The first time I tried BonChon's chicken, I was a bit disappointed because it was so small. We had it delivered and we were all careful not to go beyond our share.

I decided to try it again today and was relieved to see that the size has improved. Or maybe because what we ordered before was chicken wings which has the tendency to shrink in size when cooked (?). Well, that's debatable. How do you explain Buffalo wings then? <evil grin>

I ordered the spicy chicken and I must say, it was good. I love the chicken skin's crispiness and the sweet, spicy combination.

My only concern was that the chicken was a little under-cooked, which is kind of funny because it's supposed to be double- or thrice-fried, if I'm not mistaken?

I also tried the chapchae, which was good, although I can say I am not a big fan of. Not something I would crave for or come back to over and over.

chapchae

Warung Indo Revisited

It was Q's send off to her new endeavour as Med Rep and we decided to celebrate it at Warung Indo. This would be my second time in Warung, and this time around, I am trying a different dish - pecel lele (fried catfish, rice, vegetables and sauce). I guess the sauce can be requested to be whatever sauce you feel for your fish. Chili sauce works for me best, though. Indonesians create some of the best chili sauces, so it couldn't be more appropriate.

Pecel Lele

Another thing I like about Indonesian food is the way they prepare and incorporate vegetables in their dishes. Not much fanfare, just some simple blanching, better yet served fresh, and that's it - which are actually healthier. And the colors are just vibrant - all the fresh greens, and reds, and oranges. So nice to look at.

Some would argue though, that Warung's isn't as authentic. It advertises "Indo-Chinese", after all. In any case, there isn't enough, if any, authentic Indonesian restaurants in the country. This is the closest we can get, so why don't we just shut it and eat, yeah?

The last time I was here I tried mi goreng and ayam penyet, which were a good introduction to their cuisine. I instantly fell in love with mi goreng. It's like a different take on our pancit canton, albeit less salty and just a little sweeter, and healthier. There's something in the way they prepare the chicken that doesn't seem to be that oily as its Filipino counterpart.

The other colleagues ordered kwetiau goreng and some kind of a spicy chopsuey, which I forgot what the name was, but something like chicken with mushroom, I overheard.

I find the spicy chopsuey delicious. I love the mild spicy kick. The colleague, unfortunately, is not a big fan of spicy food so I get to taste some of it, so as not to be wasteful. Well, you know what they say (and I warn that this could really sound unbecoming) - "One man's garbage is another man's treasure".

Sorry for the not-so-appetizing analogy.

Kwetiau Goreng

I wasn't able to taste the kwetiau goreng, but no worries, there's plenty of time for that next time. It's not like it's the end of the world, yeah?

I may love food that much but I ain't a glutton - well, not yet, at least. LOL!