ilili

I love palindromes. "ilili" is a pretty one to look at, right?

This was the first time I was seeing R since she left Manila, and as she is very much a New Yorker by now, I let her take the reigns and choose a restaurant.

Although R admitted that she was unsure if it would be good or not, ilili was an intriguing restaurant she supposedly passed by frequently. I realized this was the perfect time to stir things up a bit and remain in the dark myself, so I resisted any sort of research. Besides, as long as I'm with R, it's bound to be a great time.

Such a storyteller

Upon entering, we were both in awe of the vast bar/lounge area that greeted us. It was almost as if the high ceiling and posh decor left me in a bit of a trance. ilili turned out to be a pretty fancy Lebanese restaurant.

We both wanted a light dinner so we opted for a bunch of small plates to share--as suggested by our waiter--which turned out to be a smart move as we weren't even able to finish everything we ordered!

Beef shawarma - beef & lamb, tomato, sumac onion, tahini

ilili's beef shawarma was so flavorful. I don't think I've ever known it to taste so rich -- it hit every type of taste known to humans -- sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (love that word).

Brussel sprouts - fig jam, grapes, walnuts, mint yogurt

The brussel sprouts were to. die. for. I would return everyday just for them. Everyday. Twice on Sundays. They were the perfect balance of sweet and salty.

Warm, puffy pita bread

Hommus - pine nuts, tahini, olive oil

I'm a sucker for Mediterranean food and ilili was definitely the most pleasant surprise I came across thus far. R agreed profusely and even gave herself a pat on the back in the middle of our meal.

ilili
236 5th Ave, New York

The Plaza Food Hall

Every time I come to New York and ask friends for recommendations, The Plaza Food Hall is always mentioned. So, when we met up with Q for dinner, we opted for a rather casual meal at the Plaza, which is located right by Central Park.

I was obviously too busy looking around to snap photos of my own:

Food_Hall_2013.jpg

img_2279.jpg

IMG_4493-1000x666.jpg

The Plaza Food Hall is a European-inspired gourmet food court that is basically a conglomeration of all the kinds of food you can think of -- sushi, lobster rolls, salads, flatbreads, soup, and, best of all, a HUGE selection of desserts. Including the raved-about Lady M cake boutique. You get to pick and choose from such a wide variety that it's hard not to circle around the hall numerous times in an attempt to narrow down your choices. I did this about five times and felt a little like Eloise in the process. Heh.

We weren't that hungry so we settled for salad and sushi.

Everyone who goes to the Plaza seems to go for Luke's Lobster. I've heard a lot of good things about this place, but I really don't think it's anything great. The branch in DC that I know of is about to close down or has already closed down, in fact. I guess it's interesting to see the discrepancies in how restaurants are received in different cities.

Ricotta and roasted beet pasta and a salmon roll

For dessert, we were excited to finally try Lady M's mille crepe cakes, specifically the green tea kind. Unfortunately, we arrived a bit past the stall's closing time (side note: different stalls have different store hours--make sure to get there before 8pm for Lady M), which explained why it had nothing out on display. Not even a menu. I was so confused and upset that I consciously and unconsciously complained, "I can't believe Lady M closed on us!!" the whole walk to our table. I think the table next to us heard my desperate cries because a man suddenly approached us with an "extra slice of Lady M's original mille crêpe cake from the owner herself" (what?!) accompanied by an éclair since it was, in this kind stranger's own words, "national éclair day." ANGELS.

The mille crepe was as good as I imagined it to be. It was fun slicing pieces off of it because you could really feel all the layers underneath your fork. The top of the cake tasted like the hard, cracked shell of a creme brûlée (except it was not hard, of course). I only wished I could've tried the green tea one, but that only means I'm coming back. The eclair was equally delightful. In Q's words, it was stuffed to the brim with filling.

Overall, the surprise at the end had to be the best part of the meal. Don't get me wrong, the food was great and simple, it was just too pricey for the quality. Of course, this is expected as eating at the Plaza means contributing to its insane rent.

The Plaza Food Hall
1W 59th St, New York, NY

Momofuku Milk Bar

I love being in New York. It means perpetually being simultaneously tired and alive. Too many things to see, do, and eat...and I've only got 2 months! With that said, I've been lagging on SO many food posts because

1) I am busy getting settled down with my internship and apartment 

2) i'm almost never home for hours at a time and when I am home, I crash

3) I have yet to find a reliable memory card reader (sigh)

I am still attempting to regulate my blogging routine in the midst of all the chaos and it WILL happen. What better to way to start than with the infamous momofuku milk bar!

Sacred menu

We were eyeing the crack pie and the birthday cake (which, by the way, consist of a gazillion hours of baking and complex layers--i've checked the recipes) but were craving cookies. We settled on the compost and corn flavor, which were devoured in lightning speed. Hence, no pictures (gah).

I spy crack pie

And finally....

Cereal milk soft serve topped with added crunch

I was skeptical at first since I am not a fan of having milk with my cereal...so the concept of a 'cereal milk' flavor wasn't something I was too excited about. It was great, though! I also casually stole a bit of D's miso butterscotch soft serve and I may have liked it a tad more. Next on my list: momofuku birthday cake truffles.

Banana Foster Cupcakes

There is nothing I like more than banana cupcakes cooling on the counter.

Drizzled with our secret glaze

R and I walked into the kitchen one morning and saw a sad bunch of overripe bananas just begging to be made into something. Although chonana banana bread would be a no-brainer, we wanted to expand our 'mental' recipe index. I suddenly thought back to the amazing banana foster buttermilk waffle we shared at Founding Farmers in DC. Why not make a cupcake version?

The messy setup

We were pleasantly surprised by how good this recipe turned out!

Over medium heat, add packed brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. R and I are big fans of healthier substitutes, however, so instead of butter we used applesauce. Add the sliced bananas and cook until tender. The recipe also asked for dark rum and vanilla extract, but we did not have rum since we decided to bake on a whim and so we substituted it with a mix of pineapple juice and almond extract. Set aside.

Dry ingredients

Cream together the butter and granulated sugar. Again, we used applesauce instead of butter.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add eggs, sour cream (we used yogurt as a substitute), and vanilla extract to the banana mixture.

Combine the flour, butter, and banana mixtures in one large bowl and stir thoroughly, but be careful not to over mix.

Finally, the best part -- spoon the batter into muffin trays and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Don't forget to bask in the divine smell of bananas baking. 

Instead of going with the typical caramel frosting (which is included below), we decided to improvise and create our own glaze since we preferred it over a tower of frosting. We started with a cream cheese base but threw in whatever we felt like including. The outcome was delicious!!

Cool the cupcakes...

Then frost/glaze with cute frosting containers. You can easily use a large ziploc bag and snip one of the corners to create a piping bag, too.

Devour.

Bananas Foster Cupcakes

(16 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS

Banana Mixture

*3/4 cup unsalted butter

*1/2 cup brown sugar packed

*1/2 tsp cinnamon

*2 firm but ripe bananas, sliced

*2 tbsp dark rum (we added 4 tbsp for more flavor)

*1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cupcakes

*2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

*1 tsp baking soda

*1/4 tsp salt

*3/4 cup butter, softened

*1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

*3 eggs

*1 tsp vanilla extract

*1/2 tsp dark rum

*3/4 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS

For the Bananas:

1. In a saute pan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

2. Cook until butter melts and sugar is dissolved (4 to 5 minutes).

3. Add the banana slices and cook until tender, turning once for 1 to 2 minutes per side.

4. Stir together rum and vanilla.
5. Turn off the burner and add the rum mixture to the pan.
6. Using a long match, light the alcohol by placing the flame just in the outer edge of the pan.
7. Stand as far back as possible. The flame should extingish in a few seconds.
8. Gently shake the pan from side to side to coat the bananas with the sauce.
9. Spoon the bananas into a bowl and set aside.

For the Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add eggs, vanilla, rum and banana mixture. Mix well.
5. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream; blend thoroughly but do not overmix.
6. Pour into prepared cupcake pans.
7. Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
8. Cool for 1- minutes in pan on rack. Remove and cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting: Recipe by Joelen's Culinary Adventures
*2-3 tablespoons homemade or store bought caramel sauce
*4-6 cups confectioners or powdered sugar (we used 3 1/2 cups because we hate overly sweet frosting)

*1/4 cup unsalted butter

*4 oz. cream cheese, softened

*1-2 tablespoons half & half

*Optional: We added 1-2 tsp of cinnamon

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until fluffy; add the caramel sauce and beat until fully incorporated.

2. Slowly add confectioners or powdered sugar into the bowl, 1/2 cup at a time and beating after each addition. Continue adding the sugar until you have a thick frosting of your preferred consistency. 

3. If the frosting becomes too thick, add a tablespoon or more of half & half to thin out.

Grace Park

The first thing that came to mind when I read the words "Grace Park" was Korean food. I admit this was a very stereotypical assumption so I was surprised to find photos of what looked like organic American food.

It turns out, Grace Park, a new-ish restaurant, is characterized by its farm-to-table concept. The interior is also very interesting -- there's a lot of mismatch with the cutlery and table setup and the overall design is kind of rustic yet also very chic. I like it.

Dalandan shakes! I don't know where this recent obsession came from and I'm a bit upset I only liked it now...why not when I was still permanently living in Manila? I think it's quite hard to mess up a dalandan shake, but these were really good. Those cups are actually ceramic, believe it or not, but the straws are made of paper. It felt a bit awkward drinking out of them (I only know one other restaurant that uses these kind of straws) but I suppose paper straws are appropriate for a restaurant that serves organic food.

 I forget what salad this is...which probably says a lot about it.

3-cheese meatballs

The platter looks pretty small but don't be fooled, this was a hefty serving. The meatballs were very hearty as they came smothered in cheese and swimming in a warm, creamy marinara sauce. The dish was accompanied by thickly cut slices of grilled bread, which means dipping is compulsory! This had to be my favorite part of the meal.

River prawns in anchovy butter

These prawns had massive heads, which is great if you love its the innards and juice. They even give you a little spoon to scoop out all that goodness. With that said, the amount of meat from the body left us hanging.

Fish of the day

Again, I forget what kind of fish this is but it's not because it was not memorable. I'm crazy over seafood so I liked it but we dined in Grace Park quite some time ago so some details escape me, which only means you'll have to try it out yourselves!

Grace Park
Ground Level, One Rockwell, Rockwell Drive
Rockwell Center Makati

Lugang Café

Every time R and I are back in Manila, it is guaranteed that we have one meal with the grandparents at Lugang Cafe, a Taiwanese restaurant belonging to the Bellagio Group.

 As usual, when we eat with the grandparents, we order our weight in food...

Vegetable dumplings 

These two drinks have always been a family favorite. R and I have converted to kumquat tea lovers, though. Imagine a steaming cup of sweet black tea that tastes kind of like calamansi. I had no idea what kumquat was before Lugang, but in my terms, it's a kick-your-tastebuds-in-the-butt bite size yellow fruit that seems to be the Chinese version of the Filipino calamansi. The drink to the right is really more of a pitcher than a glass of cranberry juice with extremely soft mango chunks and tapioca balls.

Roast duck

Cold cuts

I've always associated a cold cuts platter with my grandparents, especially the jellyfish and the century egg. Ever since I was little, every time we would eat out or order in, there is almost always a form of jellyfish or century egg on the table.

Abalone mushroom and jelly fish

The abalone mushroom and jellyfish is my favorite appetizer because 1) I love mushrooms and 2) It's the kind of dish you can keep picking at.

Taiwanese stewed minced pork

I suggested this because it was a special on the menu and I've read about this raved-about dish numerous times. Needless to say, the family and I liked it.

Sweet and sour fish

The sweet and sour fish tastes just like the one that my cook can make.

Steamed fish

Xiao long bao

I think a chinese restaurant's fate is determined by how great their xiao long bao is. Lugang's xiao long bao is definitely up there and some say they're even better than Crystal Jade's. I lost track of how many orders we had of these little soup dumplings. My two 8-year old twin cousins (who are the cutest little boys) had about two baskets each. No kidding.

I loved how the shrimp balls had a very delicate but crunchy coating of what seemed to be toast bits. I'm not too fond of fried food, so when the coating of food feels very fried, I cringe a little. These were perfect, though. Cut it open and you'll find cheese, too!

Without a doubt, dessert at Lugang is something everyone looks forward to. R especially loves the peanut smoothie (shaved ice) on the left, which is probably the most perfect peanut dessert I've tried. R is a peanut butter addict and she gives it four thumbs up. The shaved ice to the right was complimentary  but it was nice to try other variants -- this was coconut and mango.

Pudding with red bean

Hands down, the best dessert was the taro dumplings! M first introduced me to these warm little dumplings when we had dinner at Lugang a few weeks ago, saying they are probably the best dumplings I'll ever eat. They are now the best dessert dumplings my family has tried.

Lugang Cafe
116 Connecticut St. NE Greenhills, San Juan