It's All About Green Tea

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Green tea's advantages have been completely recorded everywhere – in inclusion to fighting free radicals, adding green tea to your eating routine can clean the body and benefit from issues like high pressure and exhaustion. Thinking about its (well deserved) (benefits), however, there are quite a few kinds of stuff that might surprise you about green tea. Below, we address a few of them in detail feature.


Benefits of Green Tea: -

If your day by day cup of green tea tastes severe, all things considered, it hasn't been brewed effectively. Maybe the water was excessively hot – green tea tastes best when it's prepared with cooler water. In China and Japan, green tea is generally made with boiling water, yet the tea is soaking for anyplace between 15-60 seconds. For best outcomes, we suggest utilizing a lower temperature for a better, non-unpleasant tea.


Green tea does not require any extraordinary accessories to brew.

You can brew green tea with as meager as a pot – you needn't bother with extravagant dishes or pots to brew green tea. To make things significantly simpler, use UdyanTea Green Tea sacks, which are intended to be used simply like customary tea packs.


Green tea can change your mood.

Green tea has L-theanine, an amino corrosive that goes about as a relaxant, which clarifies why you may feel so loose after drinking your everyday cup. And keeping in mind that green tea contains caffeine, L-theanine moderates the ingestion of it into your body, so you won't need to stress over a similar spike and crash in energy levels that originate from most other jazzed drinks.


Interesting Facts About Green Tea: -

The green tea colour isn't constantly green
While it’s right that some green teas, similar to the Japanese sencha, can seem brilliant green after they're prepared, some green teas are meant to look light yellow when brewed accurately. So don’t worry in case your green tea isn't actually green – it isn't meant to be!


Green tea packs or leaves shouldn't be left in the mug or tea kettle.

This returns to our point prior to bitterness – leaving green tea packs or leaves in water for longer than 4-5 minutes will raise the amount of naturally happening chlorophyll from the tea in the water, which will make it incredibly bitter. For best outcomes, let the sack soak in the water for close to 3 minutes.


Some Proven Facts About Green Tea: -

Green tea is useful for subjective capacity. Research from an organization showed a positive connection between the utilization of green tea and improved memory.

Green tea can be taken as an enhancement in case structure or as a fluid concentrate.
Green tea can be (beneficial) for your plants as well. Simply add some to your water and watch your plants bloom!

Due to its antifungal and antibacterial properties, green tea makes an incredible foot shower. Make a solid green tea brew for your feet, sit back, and relax.

Feasting on Our Chicken Inasal Dinner at Aida's Manokan Country in Bacolod

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Our culminating meal for almost an entire day's tour around Bacolod city is Chicken Inasal dinner at Aida's located at Manokan Country,  a complex of a couple dozens of stalls serving Bacolod's most sought-after gastronomic delight, Chicken Inasal - a Filipino variant of roast chicken, marinated in a mixture of Calamansi - a Filipino citrus reminiscent of lemon, orange and lime, pepper, coconut vinegar and annato, then grilled over hot coals while basted with the marinade. Now there may be some secret ingredients added to make each uniquely their own taste but basically that is how they are prepared.

Aside from the ubiquitous chicken inasal, there were also other grilled options for chicken innards or entrails like isaw (intestines), atay (liver), puso (heart), and isol (chicken tail). I let my companions order them for photo ops but I only prefer to eat the chicken. Some readings tell me innards are questionable with regards to our health. Though called superfoods, since organ meats are dense sources of vitamins and nutrients, they do carry some risks, as well as benefits, when they are consumed, despite their nutritional value. They are very high in some vitamins and nutrients, however, there are issues with harmful bacteria in intestines if not cleaned properly.

Better be safe than sorry? Well, if given a choice I would rather go for the muscle meats. Across the world, many different cultures like to use an animal in its entirety for food, including making use of the blood, bones, and organs...and the chicken and it's parts, except for its feathers, is the most popular when it comes to being eaten in it's entirety. Just like our coconut tree, the chicken is the most convenient and less wasteful because you can almost cook and eat it's every part for your meal.

I was a bit worried of being late for my flight that I forgot to do a selfie with the peeps I was with....Well, they know who they are...and I happily shared a very fulfilling day with them.

My flight was scheduled at 10:55 pm, the last flight out of Bacolod, via Cebu Pacific. We started eating our Chicken Inasal dinner at around 8:15pm. As instructed by the airline on our digital flight tickets, arrive two hours before  the flight, so counting the travel time to the airport, it was understandably worrying. However, I was a bit comforted because I'm sure the LGU of Bacolod would take good care of me just in case I missed my flight...and would give me a reason to stay longer and even find the opportunity to watch the Philippine Football team Azkals play against the Vietnam team at the Panaad stadium scheduled on the night of December 2, just only a day after my flight out of Bacolod. If I knew Bacolod was the host city of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018, I would have requested my extended stay until December 3.

By the way, Aida's is now in Manila at Makati (Cinema,) Square. I learned about this because there was a small tarpaulin posted on the wall fronting the table where we ate and announcing the brand is now in Makati, so If you want to try one of the most popular, if not the most patronized, at Manokan Country, you know where to go.

Their chicken is undoubtedly a bigger cut, of different taste than the popular Mang Inasal, that is now also owned by Jollibee Foods Corporation after they bought it from the original owner, which originally came from Iloilo but my designated tour guide said that the Inasal way of cooking originated from Bacolod.

At this restaurant, all the grilled chickens you ordered are served in one plate, the same with the rice topped with fried garlic, and kalamansi / sili. It's your job to divide them among your group.

During that night, it seemed all seats were taken! I do not know if it was because of the Festival of Lights Parade, but the Masskara mask-adorned restaurant was full of people of all ages that were all wanting a piece of Aida's chicken Inasal. Night time is when most people come to feast on the chickens, so it's the busiest time of the day. If you don't want the long wait, better arrive early. 

Yet, for me, seeing a lot of people filling themselves up, is more appetizing and makes you want to eat more than the usual. Though they do not have the "unlimited rice" option like that of Mang Inasal, and other chicken inasal restos in Manila, their genuinely tasty chicken is all worth the P565 I paid for our group of three. Our order composed of two "paa" and a few innards, three or perhsps four cups of rice, two bottled water and one small bottle of softdrink.

When we arrived at Manokan Country and saw the numerous lineup of chicken Inasal restaurants, situated side by side each other, the curious me asked a group of teens by the road "Which one is the best?" and they all said Aida's....so when my designated tour guide Jang C Yap chose to eat there, that was sort of a confirmation that the brand is probably the best at Manokan Country

I am not entirely sure of the waiting time but in our case, we let Joey, our van driver, ordered in advance while we set off to watch the arrival of the parade at the plaza. So when we left the plaza and arrived at the restaurant, (I couldn't really say it was a stall since the floor area was too big if compared to the stalls in Manila). It was like a typical un-airconditioned restaurant in the provinces that you can find along the highways, but in this case, there were so many all serving basically the same star of the show, chicken and it's innards prepared and grilled the Inasal way.

You can find Aida's at Manokan Country located at Nenas Rose II, Father M. Ferrero St, Bacolod, 6100 Negros Occidental.

And as mentioned earlier, at Makati Square in Makati City. Hhhmmm, I might drop by there soon and see how their resto looks like, and if their chicken is similarly marinated and grilled.

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Special Italian Buffet During Weekends at Buona Vita Ristorante Italiano

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Businessmen and entrepreneurs like restaurateurs know that Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday, or otherwise known as the weekend or the busiest days of the week when most people spend longer hours outside because the usual work at the offices are done, and school is of course on a break. It's an opportunity for both young and old to extend their time outside to eat, meet and be merry.

With emphasis on eat because everyone do need to replenish their energy by consumption of food, and if ever, we would always want the best out there to satisfy our cravings at the most worthy price fair for our money.

This is why weekends are often filled with promos and special discounts to attract the attention of the consuming public. Each one of us wants value for our hard-earned money and so we look for the best food offer out there that would truly fill us up with no regrets.

Buona Vita Ristorante Italiano recognizes the need to serve satisfying meals, and in order to please its customers, it has offered a special weekend buffet for only less than P200.

With quite a number of dishes included in the buffet menu, we get to eat authentic Italian favorites led by pizza and pasta choices.

From the freshly mixed salad with Italian dressing called Insalata Mista all Italiana or the awesome breads of many kinds, to the homemade Pumpkin soup called Zuppa di Zucca all Aceto di Balsemico,

Have some pasta  such as the Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino, or pizza with the Pizza all Trancio (Five Cheese, Capprisiosa, Salome, Romano).

The Aranchini di Riso or the Deep-fried Risotto balls with meat, cheese and Pomodoro fillings, is also best paired with the Penne Bolognese al Forno that is with ground beef with red wine tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.

Fill up with Porchetta served with mashed potatoes or Pollo Arrosto with roasted potatoes, or choose the plain white rice Riso Bianco.

These servings are more than enough for its price. If you're a big eater, you'll definitely get your money's worth. But it is also important to take note that these are authentically prepared under the supervision of a real Italian Chef and not just anybody who learned Italian cooking from a culinary school. Chef Davide is purely Italian and understands how to cook real Italian delicacies as it was originally prepared.

So if you want to experience how it is like to be in Italy, start with eating their cuisine, and the taste may let you immerse yourself in an authentic Italian food trip.

Thank you to Thomas of Buona Vita Ristorante Italiano for a buffet weekend coupled with game night (If I joined in I could have won) where some of us won additional GCs to let us return to the restaurant and try again the food. But next time is an opportunity to bring along some friends or families so we could share the Italian experience with them as well.

Quiz night tested our knowledge of the restaurant based from the talks of Thomas. But the others at the farther end of the table were contesting they couldn't hear the talk...hehehe... Excuses, they should have just stood up and listened attentively coz the quiz was announced from the start of the event! Seriously, they have another chance to seat nearer Thomas during the next event for bloggers - Pizza night!

Let us also not forget the bonus Pinocchio pizza that they let us try. These treats are ideal for kids who identify the shape similar to that of an ice cream cone, but instead they have pizza filling instead. Maybe they could really put some ice cream on the cone. In reality, it was named as Pinocchio because the original hat shape of the wooden boy toy of Geppetto that came to life was really cone-shaped.

Hhhmmm...nice! But I knew that already so it was not so much a surprise for me. I am insatiably curious and my quest for learning never stops so I keep in mind as well all these trivia especially if it concerns my well-loved animation or cartoon characters from the cutesy Disney to the cool hi-tech anime robots.

So I also remembered a fact they also stated during the buffet weekend - that their tables are uniquely designed. Those tiles that decorate the tables are specially handmade or painted that makes it all different from each other. But this information is just one of the reasons why you should take note of how the owners value the importance of creativity and appeal aside from the comfort they assure their customers that when they dine at Buona Vita, they are to expect quality service matched with an ambiance conducive to a satisfying dining experience.

Buona Vita Ristorante Italiano is located at the Molito Lifestyle Center in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

Experience Dining at The Coast Food Park in Malabon

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Food parks have continued trending that nearly every city has more than one of these food hubs with several food choices to choose from. Since they are managed centrally, the food park could offer various kinds of treats to satisfy the cravings of their customers. So aside from the usual comfort foods, they could throw in a mix of other dishes that are either new or popular among the common food hub patrons.

The biggest advantage of food parks is the affordability of the food prices and since stall owners do not need to worry about the other business requirements because the food park owners would deal with that, it is a lot more convenient and easy to operate for even small entrepreneurs that are just starting and hoping their small business will eventually boom.

Even the provinces and cities outside Metro Manila are already being penetrated by food parks but we are yet to see if they are equally successful.

Though some food stalls of a food park may not click with the patrons, they could easily redevelop new concepts or accept other food offerings. Packing up is not a hard thing to do when all their concern is within their stalls. There are several other business savvy individuals who would be willing to try their luck in the food business.



After all, everyone eats at least three times a day that this basic necessity could easily be addressed by providing tasty enough cuisines that would keep people coming back for more. Great customer service could also be a key since many would prefer to dine at a place where customers feel more comfortable and welcomed. Of course, additional value-added services like providing entertainment for the enjoyment while enjoying a meal could attract patrons to hang out and eat at the food hub often.

One food park that is quite new, and should be among the foodies chosen destination soon, is The Coast Food Park located in Malabon city. We were invited to try out some of their specialties a few days ago, and so now I'm delighted to share to you these offerings so you could at least be aware of what to expect at this food park.

My son and I were invited to join this food tasting along with other bloggers. We went as far as Malabon to see if this particular food park can match up with the other existing food parks we've been.

We asked them to serve the dishes all at once so we could do a flatlay of the entire feast. However, there's just no room to take a photo of everything from the top, so more of our photos show the dishes per food stall, aside from the individual shots of the dishes. We also have videos of each food and stall that we plan to compile into one preview of the food park. As of this writing, it is still a pending task since work obligations are not being cooperative and requires me to work even during weekends. Just stand by for the video on our YouTube channel or Facebook page as soon as we have ample time to work on it.







Which ones among the dishes served were my personal favorite? I have to stay that the Longanissa Party of Salongganisa Atbp was my favorite since it allowed me to experience tasting around 10 kinds of these yummy treats from different provinces of the Philippines (Guinobatan, Batac, Cabanatuan - Batutay and Recado, Cebu, Lucban, Calumpit, Tugeugarao, Baliwag - Garlic and BBQ), and best eaten with their special fried rice. The dish is meant for sharing with someone else but I could eat the entire thing on my own. It would be a great first choice for new visitors of this food park.



I'm also a pizza lover so I love all kinds of pizza whatever toppings you put on them. This is why I chose pizza as one of my take-outs so I could share the blessings at home. When I said "blessings," it was meant to emphasize my love for the Overload Pizza of Rox to Go that I want my loved ones to taste it too.



I would have also taken home another batch of the Longganisa Party but I ordered the monstrous Giant fried squid from Hungry Pirate instead which is also another favorite though it lack the spices I am looking for. They could improve on it by adding more herbs and spices to the breading or marinade the squid longer to taste better. I didn't choose it because it was big, but more likely because I prefer to eat seafood which is less fatty than meat.





If I'm really hungry, I would also choose to buy Pancit Canton or Pata Tim at Chelle's Diner. These are comfort foods for me since I always love pancit of every kind. However, theirs was just the right mix to satisfy our taste buds. The Pata Tim was a bit too sweet for me, but it's something too easy to fix, and you'll have a great meal already.





The steaks from Steaks & Sizzles could have been better if they sizzled it. The Beef Porterhouse and T-Bone steaks were quite cold already when we ate it so it became too dry to be appreciated. Maybe when I return there I could try a newly-cooked and still sizzling one.





Hot & Ready Buffalo Wings served two kinds of buffalo wings: Signature (Parmesan) and Garlic. Between the two, I prefer their Signature because it's a lot more distinctive and delectable in taste.







The Ramen and Takoyaki from Hanabi was not that too special to stand out but I could be wrong again since they were already too cold when we got to them. We all know that Ramen, and Takoyaki, are better when hot and freshly-cooked. That's the problem with the need to take photos., or even videos, before trying out the food, you'll end up not knowing the actual taste when served at its best.











For drinks, you have three choices here: either at Street Shakes for different kinds of shakes like their Shawberry Boulevard and Macha-ti avenue (all named after popular Philippine streets), Sebastian's Fish Bowl who has specially prepared drinks like the Peppy Flounder (Green Cucumber) and the Dazzling Ariel (Pink Lemonade Sparkling Punch), and Rox Gastropub for concoctions with alcoholic content like the Chokeslam and the Love Potion.

Each one among the three would work to satisfy my thirst, especially the drinks inside the huge fish bowl-like jars from Sebastian's Fish Bowl. Sweet-tooths would probably choose from the Street Shakes menu especially that the shakes are attractively decorated and generously filled with sweet treats, but the more adventurous peeps would go for the drinks at Rox Gastropub.







For dessert, Scoops and Drizzle serve sweet treats that are quite new in the Philippine market. Examples of their creations are the Customized Egg Waffle and Cake Balls with Nutella. The one they served with strawberry is a favorite since you don't see that choice very often and it is only in Baguio where you could almost only see strawberry-filled dishes as affordable as here.

For more details, below are the names of the stalls and the dishes they served to us for sharing. Also listed are the prices of each:
Hot & Ready Buffalo Wings
Signature Buffalo (P79)
Garlic Parmesan (P79)

Rox to Go!
Overload Pizza (P350)

Scoops and Drizzle
Customized Egg Waffle (P145)
Cake Balls with Nutella (P105)

Steaks & Sizzles
Beef Porterhouse Steak (P134)
Beef T-Bone Steak (P134)

Street Shakes
Shawberry Boulevard (P130)
Matcha-ti Avenue (P130)

Rox Gastropub
Chokeslam (P199)
Love Potion (P199)

Hungry Pirate
Giant Squid (P350)

Chelle's Diner
Pancit Canton (P120)
Pata Tim (P299)

Sebastian's Fish Bowl
Peppy Flounder (Green Cucumber) P89
Dazzling Ariel (Pink Lemonade Sparkling Punch) P89

Hanabi
White Ramen (P140)
Takoyaki

Salongganisa Atbp
Minaisang Longganisa (P90)
Longganisa Party (P245)
Hinilongganisa (P125)


As I've said earlier, the food park trend is still booming right now that you may want to join in on the bandwagon while it's still hot. People would always want something new eventhough there are already several choices to choose from. So my advise to the owners of the food parks, including each individual stall, is that they should always come out with something new. We want to keep our customers' interests sustained so that they'll definitely come back for more. It is therefore advisable to always innovate and introduce additions to the existing list of dishes in their menu, even for just a short time so frequent visitors could expect to find something different to try.



The inclusion of entertainment like a band, some singers, stand-up comedians, or even monologues from "hugot" lines or what is known as the spoken word, are a great way to attract attention and keep diners glued and awaiting for more so they could order more, but not too much because just as how free Wi-Fi access divides the attention of customers, too much entertainment could also keep them from eating at a normal pace and thus leaving their seats for the next diners would take a considerably crazy amount of time.

But in my case, I would definite want to see more stunning performances from the likes of Two Way, and the other emerging artists out there that definitely need breaks to be discovered. It would be such a waste to keep that talent hidden. It is also amazing that some of the tenants participate in providing entertainment since we were surprised to see our host, one of the owners of the stall there, who sang a song for the crowd. Now with that voice, she could totally add more brilliance to an already exemplary act.

My son and I enjoyed a fairly good dinner that night. If you were to ask him, he was not that impressed with the overall experience since we've been to better restaurants with extravagant ambiance with highly decorated and generously spiced dishes. However, the price comparison would tell you the exact reason why. 

Good luck to The Coast Food Park for entering this business venture. We hope that you'll be among those who would survive a very competitive industry. The taste preferences of Filipinos are becoming more sophisticated but there are many who still go back to the comfort foods, just like me, when I'm too hungry to dare to experiment. However, when Filipinos find and discover new favorites, they would stick longer with you. Thus, it is up to these food stall owners to find ways to sustain their quality and also come up with ideas to keep their customers.