3.30.09: Chateu Hestia part 2

Took my lolas, my sibs and my mom officially to Chateau Hestia for 1) for my mom to see the ambiance, get ideas and 2) for my lola and sibs to taste the food.

My mom told me to order light, so I just ordered two pastas and two pizzas, suffice it to say, the table was empty and they loved it.

Chateau Hestia’s always been one of those —wish I had a place like that, haha, but my dreams are more commercial, well, a little, not to say that a girl can’t absolutely fuckken dream of it, perhaps when I’m rich enough and have that little bistro thing it’ve been wanting all my life. Camown!

haha, so in memory of the great meal that we had, here’s some pictures of Hestia and osso bucco from the first time I was there last February 15 with good friends.

Things You Must Absolutely Order:
1) The two pizzas
2) Pasta di mare
3) Osso Bucco

We had carbonara and I didn’t like it, sorry, but the pasta di mare was GOOD, so good!

3.20.09: The Big, The Bad, and the Brownie

THE BIG

I’m excited about buying a sealer and getting the production of Choco Loco Squeeze up and running. It’ll be available for shipping and will hopefully be a hit in your local manongs and manangs.

THE BAD, and THE BROWNIE

Okay, the bad really ain’t that bad. I’m just finding it such a hard time to get people to consign our products because they are kinda higher end than what I want them to sell for. Enihoodles, we will address and we will be awesome.

I made a pretty awesome brownie recipe by the name of LUCKY. I’m calling the brownie lucky because i considered myself awesomely lucky for coming up with this recipe from a near disastrous brownie recipe I made before. Hmm, awesome!

LUCKY brownies will be the first product under the 33CAKE line and i’m excited!I’m still wondering if i’ll package them in tins or in boxes. I’m thinking tins, but they will cost more. I’m thinking of selling them either in small bite size pieces or big slices. Enihoo one box of 9×6 is to be sold at P200/box. I’m not sure if that’s more or less than what Becky charges hers, but one thing’s for sure, I think quality wise, P200 is okay.

I hope I can borrow a camera soon (sorry buying a new camera ain’t my priority these days) and take awesome food pictures. I kinda miss em, food photography, at least.

Toodles, and have a great weekend!

Joko

PS. Eating at little tokyo later! i’m excited!

3.18.09: The birth of LocoChoco

And we’re making another addition to our happy products in MTC.

We’re introducing Loco Choco, a version of our ganache available for consumption to our consignees today, only at P5.00!!!  We’re going to put on a sticker and yes, i f0reseee your local manang selling that to you real soon! Ayt!

Hamazing what you can do with a day to think and test. And pardon the picture, I need to buy myself a camera, and yes, that’s a nightgown. haha!

PS> I also tried making LOCO Brownies Today, and they were moderately good, but not awesome. I have to cut back on some ingredients, I went overboard with the cocoa methinks.

Enihoodles, here’s to the start of good things, and the need to buy a sealer, ayows!

3.16.09: SOMS

I’ve been a regular of SOM’s since it was opened, as location wise, I’m just a few steps away from it (or at least my office is). Suffice it to say, my favorite dishes in SOM’s is this combination:

– CATFISH SALAD
– SPRING ROLL
– TOM YUM SOUP
– THAI TEA
– and ANY COLOR OF VEGETABLE CURRY

for me that combination is perfection, and in fairness to moi, everyone that tastes that combi agrees. So I suggest you guys go and try Som’s near rockwell already and try that combi okay?

PS. For some reason, yesterday the service was pretty slow, maybe because the SUNDAY CROWD at Som’s was non-stop. Made me want to open a restaurant.. almost. hehe

Ps. That’s my friend iya, read about her and her awesome mind at http://psychosomaticaddictinsane.wordpress.com

3.11.09: Jollibee Palabok

One of my cheap (well, it used to be cheap) thrills foodie wise is Jollibee’s Palabok. I like it because it doesn’t taste fastfood-ish.

Lo and behold our househelp made me some palabok today and it tastes exactly like Jollibee’s Palabok?

The secret? MAMA SITA’S PALABOK SAUCE.
And that’s how you get cheaper than Jollibee tasting palabok for breakfast.

Today rocks ass! 🙂 c yah!

AN ODE TO FROZEN YOGURT

Sour

Sweet

Crunchy

Salty

&  Smooth

You are all of that.

And you complete me.

hehe, i’m in a frozen yogurt mood and the nearest one is miles and miles away.. 😦

3.4.09: How goes it the chocolate front?

My partner and I, split responsibilities somewhat. I’m in charge of making the chocolate/confections and she’s in charge of selling and marketing. So, which brings us to this crux.

We’re looking at bazaars for this summer or places that we can consign our stuff. Any ideas/numbers that we can call?

I love you world!

Joko

2.28.09:Another One of those Defining Moments

I’ve been lucky enough to find myself in situations wherein I think to myself, I AM SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.

If you’ve read Prof Pausch’s book or have watched his talk online, you’d remember him talking about brick walls.

Brick walls are things that stop us from going for what we want, mainly because they are supposed to stop those who don’t really want it and let in to those who really do.

I had my share of brick walls last Saturday getting to that Pampanga food trip—from a flaker, a driver that I couldn’t use, a driver who didn’t know the location, and errands that I had to finish.

But I did go, and I enjoyed it immensely.

So the defining moment for me was in Cold Spoon and we were all talking about the next trip. I realized I feel comfortable, I love the subject, and I’m damn excited. I AM SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.

And in my world, wherein it’s a constant barrage of how easy it is to just doing the easy thing and going back to the recruitment-C.O.O dom mode, these things are damn beautiful to me.

Almost as beautiful as that amazing crispy sisig we had which the tenga-eating fiend that I am, loved every morsel of, and for the first time, ISOL was a friend.

What a day, indeed.

Inkblot: I know this isn’t a typical entry to a Pampanga food tour. 🙂 I’ll make a proper one, I promise, if not soon, but surely someday.