Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Jack’s Blue Plate Diner Pili: Return to the Original Blue Plate

Jack’s Blue Plate Diner Pili 
Return to the Original Blue Plate 

Somebody told us that there was a good seafood restaurant in
Del Rosario, but when we found out that it was an open- air
ramshackle by the busy highway without a decent parking area,
we decided to drive to Jack’s Blue Plate Diner in Pili instead.



Although we have dined several times in the past on
Blue Plate Magsaysay and Panganiban Drive in Naga,
it took us a while to dine on its original store in Pili,


…and it wass the very first Jack’s Blue Plate Diner that
my family fell in love and we were happy to be back.


We always order Fish and Chips in any restaurant
whenever this dish is available. It’s my family’s
favorite appetizer and nothing does fish and chips
better in Naga  than Jack’s Blue Plate Diner. This
one was no different- still the very best in Bicol.

 

In is interesting to note that it took an American chef
to create one of the best Sinigang na Baboy in the city.
It had the right degree of sourness that one could sip
and enjoy the delicious sinigang broth without having
to wrinkle your face or choke in acerbic repugnance.



The Garlic Chicken is tasty twist to our all time favorite
orange chicken dish. This version had a delightful garlicky
aftertaste aside the usual tangy, sweet and sour flavor.

 

We found out that Jack’s Blue Plate Veggie Lumpia
was delicious when we dined in the Naga- Panganiban
branch so we order one in their original store in Pili.
Just like the one in city, this one was just as delicious.

 

We also liked Wild Sea Shells Adobo which was served in a
hot plate. A variety of fresh sea shells and seafood was bathed
in a delicious spicy and sweetish cream sauce, not with a briny
soy sauce like other traditional adobos. It was very delicious.


Of course, dining in Jack’s Blue Plate Diner
is never complete without trying their  burgers
and pizza and we ordered the Jalapeno Burger



...and their mouth-watering perfectly baked
deliciously chewy Italian Pepperoni Pizza 

 

Dining in Jack’s Blue Plate Diner  is a pleasurable 
experience as it dishes out superb Pinoy dishes side
by side with well loved, all time American cuisine, 


 …that we only get to enjoy in some of our favorite
restaurants in the US like Denny’s, Tony Roma’s,
Panda Express, Sbarro’s, Nathan’s and IHOP


We have three branches of Jack’s Blue Plate Diner close to
home and we do not have  to travel halfway around the globe
to enjoy good old American dishes whenever we miss them.



Saturday, November 26, 2016

Café Plazuela: Sophisticated yet Non- Intimidating Elegance

Café Plazuela 
Sophisticated yet Non- Intimidating Elegance
 
Some hotels, in an attempt to please their costumers,
come up with sophisticated services, that could become
inconveniently daunting and make guests uncomfortable.
This is where Avenue Plaza Hotel in Naga City excels.



It s a beautiful and elegant hotel, yet with  non- intimidating refined
service, not the restrictive and scripted hospitality, as the warmth   
comes out naturally from the staff would make you feel at ease.

 

This awesome conviviality is also true in Café Plazuela,
so drop- in hotel guests would be able to experience this
distinctively cordial hospitality even without checking- in.

 

We dined at Café Plazuela on my daughter’s birthday,
and just as expected, we again had one of the best culinary
excursions, just like our past experiences in this restaurant. 

 

We started our dinner with Gambas Ala Venetian for appetizer. 
The fat prawns were marinated in garlic and olive oil and sauteed
in light spicy tomato concasse with basil. It was addicting and a
perfect prelude to what would be a splendidly wonderful dinner.

 

We were all agog on the Luxurious Crab Louise. 
A very tasty crabmeat and ripe mango salad, rolled in
thin crepes and served with lightly spiced cocktail sauce.
It was  so  good that we decided to order another serving. 

 

The Creamy Shellfish Veloute Flavoured with Saffron and Basil, 
a very creamy and delicious soup which could be a dish on it’s own. 

 

For the main course, we had Pan-Seared Chicken Supreme. 
It had a delightful fruity and slightly sweetish sharp aftertaste
brought about by the mango stuffing and martini apricot glaze.
It was served with white rice and sauteed fresh vegetables. 

 

We also had the very delicious Prawn Pascagoula. 
The huge prawns were pan seared in light garlic, basil
and tomato sauce and bathed with creamy  pumpkin-
potato puree and swerved sauteed vegetables. It went
well with rice. I believe this sophisticated dish would suit
the Pinoy palate and would make one crave for more rice. 

 

The Salmon Supreme Chassuer was beautifully plated
and it tastes just as good as it looks. Made of perfectly
grilled crispy salmon fillet in a bed of potato mousseline,
and served with crunchy spring vegetables and saffron. 

 

We all loved the savory taste of the of Seafood Medley.  
A merry mix of different delectable seafood, like prawns,
salmon, and mackerel fillet, wrapped in creamy crepes.
It was served with jasmine rice and vegetable julienne. 
This is a must try and must order dish in Café Plazuela. 



We also ordered an unrecalled tasty dish made of two
big slabs of tender pork. The meat may have been pan
seared then baked, bathed in a sweetish tangy sauce
and topped with fresh tomato and ripe mango salsa.
It was served lying in a bed of fragrant steamed rice.    


The Cappuccino Chocolate Cheesecake was divine
 It has a heavenly rich smooth texture and made  
with combination of cream cheese and Irish coffee,
and beautifully plated  served with strawberry coulis. 

 

The Mango Crepe had a two triangular smooth and glutinous
pancakes that gloriously melt in the mouth when eaten, bathed
in sweet thick syrup, topped with wedges of ripe mangoes and
vanilla ice cream with varied fresh fruits on the side. This is a
carve- worthy dessert and we decided to order another serving.

 

When they learned that it was my daughter’s birthday,
the Café Plazuela staff came singing happy birthday song
and brought us a personalized, candle- lighted  birthday
cake improvised from a very delicious Cheesecake.

 

We had seafood from appetizer to the main course and
the wide selection of healthy seafood dishes in the menu
makes Café Plazuela a haven for seafood lovers and the
best and the most awesome seafood destination in the city.




Tuesday, November 22, 2016

The Coffee Beanery (TCB); Avenue Square, Magsaysay Naga City

The Coffee Beanery
TCB, Avenue Square, Magsaysay Naga City

The Coffee Beanery or TCB was the very
first coffee shop that opened in the once
isolated Magsaysay Avenue ten years ago.

 

It is also one of the few coffee shops that offer full meals,
and one of my family’s favorite dining destinations in Naga.

 

I had a chance to have a cookie- milk dunking snacks
at the coffee shop with my son after having a haircut,

 

…and found that the coffee shop was undergoing renovation.

 

While I ordered their signature house blend Iced Tea,

 

…my son had a mug- full creamy steamed milk,

 

…and tasty oatmeal choco- chip cookie,

 

…and the little cookie monster was ready
for his favorite cookie- milk dunking snacks.

 

TCB did not disappoint.

  

Read related links below for more: 

The Coffee Beanery Lunch

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Burger Home Cooking: Highlands Premium Beef Patties

Burger Home Cooking 
 Highlands Premium Beef Patties

I was happy to discover Highlands Premium Beef Patties, 

 

…as it is now possible to enjoy the big American burger
experience right in the comfort  of one’s own kitchen ,

 

...with ready to cook angus beef quarter pounder patties.

 

If there is one dish that could bring my family to agree
and sit down together for dinner fast and easy, it would
be the huge, tasty good old American style hamburgers.



It is the only food that transcends generation, taste, culture,
 economic class, and could be eaten any time of the day from 
morning until evening. It is the most maligned food among 
health buffs, but I DON”T CARE. I am a physician, yet I turn
calorie blind and also lipid blind on a fat and juicy Big Mac.

 

The grease could however be lessened by using a right grill,
and at home, we use the awesome George Foreman’s Grill
(yes, you heard it right-  he’s the legendary boxer folks),

 

…who invented this electronic grill
that cooks very succulent burgers,

 

 

…and drains all the fat on a basin at  the bottom of the griller. 


We love using Ciabata Bread as it is firm, it also does
not get soggy so the burger never falls apart on a bite.

 

 

The secret for every good burger is the dressing and there’s
no other worthy substitute for American Maid Mayonnaise.

 

 

The nutritional value of the burger could
also be improved by using fresh veggies,

 

 

 

…lots of veggies.

.
 





This calorie laden dish could kill, but I could not
live without it, and I’d would be willing to die for it. 

 

Burgers are to die for literally and figuratively.