The Sunny Side Cafe Boracay

The Sunny Side Cafe is located at The Sands Hotel in Station 3. Quite a travel from Station 1 but it was worth it! You can ride a tricycle going to E-Mall at Station 3 area, follow the path to the beach and then turn right. You will see The Sands Hotel where both Supermagic and The Sunny Side Cafe are located.

We ordered the The Sunny Side Chori Burger, Bacon and Mango Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Espresso-Caramel Pancakes!

I tried the Chori Burger first. The Chori patty is house-made, served with lettuce, tomatoes and onions, on a Brioche bun. You can add the BBQ sauce on the side before eating your Chori Burger. It's not the same Chori Burger you can buy from the stands near the beach but this one is a MUST TRY! 

The Sunny Side Chori Burger

I love Bacon, I love Mango and I love Cheese. Put them together for a great dish? Yes, please! Owner, Nowie Potenciano, came up with Bacon and Mango Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Can't go wrong! Sarap! Oh, it also came with the yummy Tomato Soup and made-from-sratch Potato Hay. I finished my meal not with Coffee but a Coffee-based Pancake, Espresso-Caramel!

Bacon and Mango Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Espresso-Caramel Pancakes

I will definitely go back on my next Boracay trip!

The Sunny Side Cafe
Boracay Sands Hotel
Station 3 Beachfront
Boracay Island
(036) 288 2874

Supermagic: Freshly ground Burgers!

I visited Boracay with my husband last month, he was there for work. That means I would have my "alone time." What I did was to visit my friend's restaurants. First stop was Supermagic Burgers.

It is located at The Sands Hotel in Station 3. It's on the same hotel of the sister restaurant, The Sunny Side Cafe. I loved the vibe of this restaurant! Loved the colors, loved the interior!

We ordered the Supermagic Umami Bomb with Chipotle Cheese Fries and Shrimp Roll.

Let's talk about the Burger and Fries first. I looooved them! Where can you get the yummiest Burger with freshly-ground beef served with house-made Umami Butter and Smoked Cheese on a freshly-baked soft bun? Only Supermagic can offer that! 

Taken from their website:

Our burgers are freshly-ground upon order with prime imported beef cuts and absolutely no extenders. Each quarter-pound patty is then seasoned  with our signature Umami Dust, a blend of Kampot Pepper, sea salt and secret umami-laden ingredients, and cooked medium. Our soft buns are made daily by The Sunny Side Cafe.

They can also serve the Burger with freshly made Fries with Chipotle Cheese. 

Supermagic Umami Bomb

Chipotle Cheese Fries

The Shrimp Roll was very light and flavorful. It tasted like a Japanese dish served on a yummy soft bun. Sarap!

Shrimp Roll

I got the Peanut Butter Shake for my drink and the Mango Frozen Custard for dessert.  Both were yummy and refreshing!

Peanut Butter Shake

Mango Frozen Custard

Meet the young and creative couple of The Sunny Side Group, Nowie and Odette Potenciano!

If you are looking for quality, fresh and delicious Burgers on the island, Supermagic is the place to be!

Supermagic Burgers
Boracay Sands Hotel
Station 3 Beachfront
Boracay Island
+63362881592

Catch: Premium Modern Seafood Restaurant

Catch opened last December 2015. It's a Premium Modern Seafood Restaurant at the heart of Salcedo Village, from same owners of Smith Butcher and Grill Room, Ampersand, Poulet Manille and Ebeneezers.

I was lucky to be invited to a special dinner to introduce their new menu. We started with the appetizers: The Trio and Kinilaw. The trio appetizers are ceviche dishes. Amarillo Tigers Milk is made with Norwegian King Salmon, yellow pepper, Scottish bonnet, green mangoes, lime, ginger and coriander. Rocoto Tigers Milk consists of Line caught Mahi Mahi, chili rocoto, lime, ginger and ginger. Lastly, Nikkei Tigers Milk is made with Queen Scallop Seville orange, wild ginger, lime, chili and sesame. I loved how the sauces accentuated the freshness and flavor of the fish or scallop. All three were good. I can't decide which one I liked the most. As for the Kinilaw, hands down, one of the best Kinilaw I've ever tried! I loved the perfect balance of flavors coming from the ripe mango, pickled Baguio vegetables, caviar and vinegar. Not too sour, just right to highlight the Tanigue.

Amarillo Tigers Milk

Rocoto Tigers Milk

Nikkei Tigers Milk

Kinilaw

Moving on with our dinner, they served us with Oysters, Scallops and Mussels! There was Duo of Oysters, fresh and baked Rockefeller. Too bad, I wasn't able to take photo of the fresh Oyster. They were huge and yummy! I was surprised to know that the Oysters are from Caticlan, cultured by a French guy. The Scallops were the bomb! I loved the delicious Baked Queen Scallops in special Japanese sauce. Definitely, a must try! The next one, Fresh Moulle Frites, is another must try. It's made with steamed plump imported mussels in cream sauce, with French fries and Aioli. I remember eating at Leon's in Paris. Sarap!

Baked Rockefeller

Baked Scallops

French Moulle Frites

Next are Lobster dishes. If you love classic Shrimp Tempura, you will also love the Lobster Tempura.  And if you feel like eating sandwiches, you might want to try their Lobster Po Boi, Lobster claw in buns with coleslaw, sliced cucumber, tomato and biodynamic greens.

Lobster and Prawn Tempura

Lobster Po Boi

After eating several seafood dishes, the Surf and Turf was a welcome break. I loved the tenderness, juiciness and yumminess of the Ribeye steak paired with Prawns and Scallops. Last on the list was the Turbot. It's fresh air-flown French seafood in lemon, capers, parsley and butter.

Surf and Turf

Turbot

Finally, the yummy dessert, Cheesecake topped with Strawberries! A sweet treat after my seafood fill.

Cheesecake

It's time to drop the anchor for the fresh Catch! Experience the Premium Modern Seafood Cuisine from Europe, South America and Asia at CATCH!

Catch
G/F V. Corporate Center
125 L.P. Leviste St. Salcedo Village
Makati City
0926-8518030

Doña Maria Spicy Tuna Rice Recipe

Recipe serves: 2     Prep Time: 10 minutes     Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked Dona Maria Jasponica White Rice
Olive oil
15ml Liquid Seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 cup white onion, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 Chicken Cube
1 small can of Spicy Tuna
1 tsp spring onion, chopped for garnish (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Saute onions and garlic in Olive oil.
2. Add the mushrooms, red and green peppers. Then crush the 1/2 chicken cubes into the pan.
3. Drain the water from the Tuna then add to the pan. Mix for a minute.
4. Add the cooked rice. Mix for a minute. Then gradually add the Liquid Seasoning. Mix to evenly coat the rice.
5. Place the rice in a serving bowl. 

#LevelUpYourRice with #DonaMariaRice Instagram Promo

Doña Maria Premium Quality Rice welcomes their newest endorser, Alden Richards! 

Alongside, they are running an Instagram Promo. Doña Maria is giving away cash prizes, Doña Maria rice and VIP passes to meet Alden Richards.

It's easy to join!

Mechanics:

1. Take a photo and share your own creation of your most appetizing dish using Doña Maria Rice whether be it a #LevelUpYourRice Fried Rice, Arroz Caldo, Paella or Risotto etc. You have to include the Doña Maria rice packaging in the photo.

2. Caption: How Doña Maria Rice changed/improved your dining experience with your family.

3.Follow and tag @DONAMARIARICE and use the following hashtags, #DonaMariaRice #LevelUpYourRice #PremiumQualityRice.

Prizes:

9 Minor Prize Winners

-Php 5,000 cash

-Doña Maria Rice

3 Major Prizes

Php 10,000 cash

Doña Maria Rice

VIP Pass to meet Alden Richards

Contest will run until end of March 2016. Dona Maria will choose and announce the winners on Tim Yaps’s (@OfficialTimYap) and Phoemela Baranda’s (@PhoemelaBaranda) Official Instagram Accounts and on their official Facebook page and Instagram account. Don’t forget to follow @DonaMariaRice and Facebook page for more details.

Doña Maria's Japanese Fried Rice and Chicken Yakitori Recipe

Recipe serves: 4     Prep Time: 2 to 4 hours (with marination)     Cooking Time: 15 minutes (for rice), 15 minutes (for yakitori)

Ingredients:
Japanese Fried Rice
4 cups cooked Dona Maria Jasponica White Rice
Olive oil
2 Tbsp Japanese Soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, diced
2 medium eggs, beaten
1 tsp spring onion, chopped for garnish
Salt and Pepper to taste

Chicken Yakitori
500 grams Chicken Thigh Fillet (cut into BBQ size)
1/4 cup Japanese Soy sauce
1/2 cup Mirin
2 Tbsp Sake
1 Tbsp Sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed and sliced
1 Tbsp ginger, grated
Bamboo skewers

Procedure:
Japanese Fried Rice
1. Saute onions and garlic in Olive oil.
2. Add the cooked rice. Mix for a minute. Then gradually add the Japanese Soy sauce. Mix to evenly coat the rice.
3. Set the rice on one side of the pan. On the other side, cook the scrambled eggs. Once done, mix together with the rice.
4. Add the carrots, salt and pepper. Mix until cooked.
5. Place the rice in a Japanese bowl. Garnish with chopped spring onions.

Chicken Yakitori
1. In a saucepan, add all the ingredients. Simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Marinade chicken with the mixture. Chill for 2 to 4 hours.
3. Place 4 to 5 BBQ-sized chicken pieces in a skewer. Grill until cooked on both sides.

#LevelUpYourRice with #DonaMariaRice: Recreating our Japanese Food experience!

In 2013, we brought our eldest son, Miguel, with us on a memorable trip to Japan. Japan is such a lovely country, and for my family, the highlights of this trip were: (1) Cherry Blossoms, (2) Mt. Fuji, (3) Snow, (4) Temples, and of course, (5) THE FOOD!

Cherry Blossoms

Mt. Fuji

Minakita Kogen Ski Resort

Golden Pavilion

Japan has great food selection from Tonkatsu, Ramen, Rice toppings to Kobe beef and Fried Rice. Most of their dishes are best paired with Rice. And as we all know, the Japanese knows best when it comes to their rice. They only use premium, high quality grain for their rice dishes.

Pork Tonkatsu

Rice Topping

Wakkoqu Kobe Beef

Fried Rice

Ever since that trip, I've been looking for the same high grade rice here in the Philippines. Fortunately, I've found one with Dona Maria Premium Quality Rice. Dona Maria Rice has grains that are white and whole, clear signal of high quality. And when you cook it, you can smell the fragrant aroma and see the right texture and fluffiness. 

Dona Maria Premium Quality Rice is one of the leading rice brands in the country. It has five  variants—Jasponica, Jasponica Brown, Miponica, Miponica Brown, and Jasponica Plus rice. Jasponica is a variety that combines the aroma of Jasmine rice and the excellent eating quality of Japanese rice while Miponica has the unique texture of Milagrosa and Japanese rice. The brown rice varieties are healthy and rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamin B complex, magnesium, and selenium. Jasponica Brown possesses a nutty and chewy texture whereas Miponica Brown is soft and full to the bite.
What makes the brand unique from the other brands is it is the only rice brand in the Philippines who does all the process from planting, harvesting, milling, packing, and distribution. Not only is it proudly Philippine-made, its quality is compatible with imported rice. Grown in the choicest farmlands and having the best rice breeding technology in the Philippines, SLAC ensures the quality and benefits of its rice.

Since we really miss our Japan food experience, I made Chahan or Japanese Fried Rice for my kids. I used Dona Maria Jasponica White Rice, and paired it with Chicken Yakitori. 

Naturally fragrant with a deliciously soft texture, Doña Maria Jasponica variety combines the wonderful aroma of Jasmine rice and the excellent eating quality of Japanese rice. Indulge in an all new experience of eating rice as you expose yourself to the fragrance and hi-grade texture enveloped in each bite. Ideal for congee, fried rice, garlic rice, or just plain rice, Jasponica Rice is a standout in every meal. Available in 300g, 2kg, 5kg, 10kg, and 25kg.

Chahan (Japanese Fried Rice)

Chahan and Chicken Yakitori

My kids loved it! I will share my recipe on my next post.