Persia Grill: Iranian Comfort Food That Filipinos Would Love

Wazzup Pilipinas!

It would be safe to say that curiosity was what really drove us to try Persian cuisine this time. My blogger friends and I have tried so many kinds of dishes inspired from many different countries and their traditional cuisines, many of which were modified through a fusion of cultures and family heritage recipes.

First impressions for Iranian or Persian cuisine was all herbs and spices, and it may be so true. But for me that's their strength since it makes up for a more flavorful dining experience. You'll know you're eating Persian when you taste a distinctive sourness in the dishes and you see the most popular ingredients are wheat, lamb, poultry and yoghurt.Wheat is their staple food,as we are to rice. However, rice dishes are also among the true specialities of the region. Kababs also form part of the traditional cuisine.

Half-Filipino and Half-Iranian Pinoy Big Brother ex-housemate Kian Kazemi was all excited to have us dine at the Kapitolyo, Pasig branch of Persia Grill. This branch is located at the ground floor of Ace water Spa and Hotel. Kian personally welcomed us at his restaurant so we could experience a very rare treat since many of us have not tried Persian food yet except for one who grew up somewhere in the Middle East.

As per their website, "The Kazemi family's deep rooted heritage and culture created exquisite, authentic & distinct Persian dishes that started from family traditions of cooking a feast at home & inviting friends & family over to share the delicious food and capturing lasting memories. Today they share their vision and love for exceptional food with the world through the doors of Persia Grill. You are not only eating great food, your having a taste of history."

Reading it made me realize this will be a great dining experience, and is so happy I now have the opportunity to go Persian with my friends.

Manila-Born Photographer Wins Epson International 2014 Pano Awards

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Earlier this year, global digital imaging leader Epson invited professional and amateur photographers around the world to enter The Epson International Pano Awards (www.thepanoawards.com) and compete for approximately $40,000 in cash and prizes.

This year, the competition received 3,971 entries from 870 photographers in 54 countries. The fifth Epson International Pano Awards is dedicated to the art of panoramic photography.

The overall winner of the 2014 Open competition is Manila-born Dennis Ramos from the USA. His winning image is also first in the Open – Built Environment category.

Dennis said, “It was a beautiful cloudless day with some patches of rolling fog over the bridge. My friend and I decided to go fishing that mid-afternoon. I found out that my reel wasn't working so I grabbed my camera gear instead. I took a lot of shots around including this long exposure panoramic shot of the bridge. It took me a lot of time waiting and shooting in between the fog to get a good exposure. While waiting during long exposure times, I wished I had my fishing rod as well.”

RC Jamaican Patties: A Few Reasons Why You Need to Try It Out

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Jamaican patties are originally found in the Caribbean islands, specifically in Jamaica, as the name implies. The pastry may contain various fillings, like ground beef, and spices like curry or chili, baked inside a flaky shell, often tinted golden yellow with an egg yolk mixture or turmeric. We Filipinos refer to it as "empanada" of which we also have our own version among which is the more popular Ilocos type of cooking.

My son and I visited this small food stall named RC Jamaican Patties located at the top floor of Market Market in Bonifacio Global City. RC stands for Royal Caribbean and have several outlets or kiosks all over the country including Cebu, Bacolod and Iloilo. It was very near the cinemas so I imagine people flocking to this place to buy it as an alternative for the common popcorn. It's either that or the place will be a good choice to drop by after watching the movie.
The place was quite small but good enough since I think it was the only one at that floor that offers their customers a more comfy seating. The rest of the food outlets there were just kiosks and hole-in-the-walls.

From their menu, it can be seen that they have a total of 8 flavors (5 Classics and 3 Premiums)to choose from: