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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Top rated tourist attractions in Melbourne

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Melbourne is the Australia’s second largest city which is very vibrant, elegant and multicultural. Am convinced that these are the main reasons why this city tops our list of the best cities to visit in Australia. 

The city also features some of the best hidden lane ways and some of the oldest and historically significant buildings. This short brief will cover some of the best Melbourne attractions that you need to visit and see in 2019.

Federation square

Federation square was opened in 2001 to commemorate 100 years of federation. This means that most of the tourists today want to see what is happening and at the same time have a connection with it till the end of times. When the square was being opened, there were those people that hated it and those others that loved it. 

The square is located opposite of Flinders street station which is a major public transport hub. This means that you may not have a hard time to locate it in the city even if you are visiting the city for the first time.

Royal Botanic Gardens

This garden is located just next to Yarra River which is just two kilometers from the Central Business District. This garden is among the finest gardens in the whole world with a beautiful and an educative touch. The garden was established about 150 years ago and that’s why most of the tourists are coming to see and have some good time in the garden. 

The park covers an area of about 38 hectares and hosts over 8500 species of plants. Most rare species of plants that you don’t see out there are found in this garden. What this means is that visiting this garden is both educative and fun.

Royal exhibitions Building

This building is situated at the district of Cariton. It was constructed in 1880 and served as the meeting place for the Australian Federal Parliament. However, most of its parts are destroyed by fire but the main hall stands tall. You just have to spare two hours of your time to visit this building before you close your tour in Australia. 

This place is also a very common place for local events and even convictions. What this means is that you can actually attend any of the events here at any time you want.

Melbourne Zoo

Sometimes it gets very hard to go see world creatures in the forest. Though, there’s now hope because you can pay a visit to this zoo and you will see several wild creatures. Most of the people are used to seeing Kangaroos, 

Koalas and Emus but there are several others that you can see. There are some elephants and even Lemurs. The elephants here are sourced from Asia and Lemurs from Madagascar.

Eureka Tower

Now you don’t have to leave Australia before you got to the tallest building in the city. It gives you the best view of the city and at the same time affords the visitors the best bird watching point. The building is not only known as the tallest building in Australia but in the southern hemisphere.

Eden Celebrates National Cheese Day in Advance

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Just like bacon, almost everyone loves cheese, well.maybe not those who ate lactose intolerant, since it does come from cow's milk too. But majority of us would agree that cheese has become a significant part of our lives especially when preparing feasts for our families and loved ones.

It is my first time to hear about a National Cheese Day. It seems they have invented a day for almost everything nowadays. May it be for commetcial intentions or to commemorate a special event or personality, celebrating a day for something is an opportunity that could be beneficial for us one way or the other.

National Cheese Day could have been invented to encourage the purchase, use and consumption of cheese, but why not. It is not everyday that we get to splurge on cheese.

Cheese works great for many sandwiches and viands, and our spaghettis are always better with cheese mixed or on top, and Eden is identified as the number one cheese brand in the country. "Pang-masa" for its price, not intimidating for most of our kababayan.

In celebration, Eden invited the Adobo Queen herself, Nancy Reyes Lumen, to talk about some popular cheese trivias and the reasons why we all love to add cheese on our usual meals.

Rafael Baradas, the Assistant Brand Manager of Eden, also shared the brand's commitment towards more satisfying purchase of the cheese brand, and Chef Rosebud Benitez, another popular personality in the culinary industry, also dropped by to share her thoughts.

Watch our exclusive interviews with them to get to know more!

This June 4 is the actual National Cheese Day, so do you have some interesting  cheese-based dishes to flaunt on that special day?

Share with us your recipes and who knows, maybe Eden could give you something special for all that effort.

Below is the official press release from the event:

Eden celebrated National Cheese Day on May 31, 2019. The event took place at Relish Luxe Café in Ortigas Center, Pasig City. The brand took the opportunity to share its story and the heritage of cheese in the Philippines.

Today is National Cheese Day! This internet phenomenon may have unclear roots. But what’s clear is everyone can relate to celebrating the deliciousness and creaminess that cheese, particularly the country’s #1 cheese, Eden brings to the dishes we serve our families.

Today is the best day to ask, what’s your favorite way to enjoy Eden cheese? Do you like to eat it in the morning for breakfast, with the solid combination of freshly toasted pan de sal? Or maybe you like to mark your birthdays as many do, with cheese grated and melted over Mom’s or Lola’s delicious Pinoy Spaghetti.  Better yet, you might enjoy cheese when it’s part of traditional fiesta dishes you devour with rice, like Tita’s Caldereta, Mechado or your Ate’s special Buko Salad and Leche Flan for dessert. There are so many ways and occasions we use Eden cheese in our daily lives, that it has become part of our traditions and cultures much like the dishes we love. Whichever way you like to enjoy Eden cheese, you can be assured of its deliciousness and creaminess every time.

Shares renowned Food Journalist and “Adobo Queen” Nancy Reyes Lumen, “Cheese is such a wonderful food that you can’t outgrow it. It is indispensable to our culture and daily lives as Filipinos. Cheese is one of the earliest foods we taste and the delight of it stays on from infancy to adulthood. We have grown up with it and it has been part of our lives all these years. Cheese is practically a “no-fail” ingredient…you can even burn it and it still tastes good. We love cheese because it blends creaminess into our taste buds. It is comfort food!”

“Eden has been helping moms make her dishes more delicious with creaminess and goodness for the past 38 years,” shares Kristen Mendoza, Brand Manager for Eden cheese, manufactured by Mondelez Philippines. “Since the brand was launched in 1981 until now, moms can continue to enjoy the quality and deliciousness she and perhaps her Mother or Grandmother have loved for many years. It’s a promise we make to Moms, that when she uses Eden cheese for the dishes she serves her family, she is able to choose goodness for them.”

Celebrate National Cheese Day today by making your favorite dish or snack with Eden cheese.

To know more, like Eden on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EdenCheesePH)
and follow @edencheeseph on Twitter and Instagram.