(Not so) Seafood diet

   We were at Buma Seafood Restaurant at Tiendesitas last Friday. Jerome, who is not fond of eating, picked the place. It was not because he was paying the bill because he was. His friends, US, who think food is a Passion (yes! with a capital P) and whom he gave the liberty of choosing the place, were late. I think he chose Buma because of the seafoods. Being a cardiologist he could eat there without worrying about his arteries and lipid blood level. He always reminds us of the calories and cholesterol when dining together. We never listen. 

   Buma is the kind of resto where you pick your food and let them cook it the way you want. It’s like a smaller but expensive version of Dampa.  

  
   I think this one is called mixed veggies in oyster sauce. The broccoli are not cooked in oyster sauce though. Just steamed and placed on the plate for effect. At least it made the this photo look better. 

   Calamares. The dip was some kind of a sweet and sour sauce. More sour than sweet. I wonder if they have mayo and ketchup. We never asked for it.

   Grilled liempo. I didn’t notice the atchara until much later. I was satisfied with my soy sauce with calamansi, sili and garlic. Not too fatty so my arteries were safe.

   This is the most wanted dish that night. Grilled tuna. The chunks were big but the meat was soft. 

   The pork sinigang was served in a pot. The broth tasted burnt. How could a soup taste burnt? Is that even possible?

Seafood diet

    From Seaside market at Baclaran to Dampa at Sucat,off to Palengke at Paluto sa Ortigas then to Dampa at Diosdado Macapagal Avenue. Yes,we are on a seafood diet.

   The first restaurant we tried at Baclaran,which name escapes me now, we learned from Jessica Soho. It did not earn our loyalty because we went to search for the best crab in oyster sauce and the best baked tahong. Sometimes it’s a search for the best calamares. For a time we frequented G-squared at the back of the market. A friend’s boyfriend pronounced it G squah -red so we called it such. When we moved to Aling Tonya’s the boyfriend has long became the ex. 

   When in Sucat, Trinity is the obvious choice. Not because it cooks the best crab in oyster sauce nor  the best in baked tahong but because it is Jaz’s favorite restaurant. She pays the bill you know. I’d prefer Ortigas or Diosdado Macapagal if I were to pay.

   The routine is - Aling Tonya’s at Diosdado Macapagal Ave., G squah-red at Ortigas and Trinity at Sucat. We even memorized the peak season for crab market. We don’t go there then. The prices are higher. We also kept the telephone numbers of our suki crab vendors.

   It is also always at lunch time. We are too scared to eat all those aligi (aka cholesterol) at dinner time. We fear we’ll all have bangungot. 

   Our latest discovery at Diosdado Macapagal is Igmaan. It is on the creek side of Dampa, near the parking area. All the indoor tables at immediate past favorite Josefina’s were reserved so Lisette and I took our chances on Igmaan. We were right.

   Crabs in oyster sauce. Just the right blend of leeks,onions,ginger some secret herbs and spices. Including the oyster sauce of course. That piece of paper behind the soy sauce is a notice that you can request for an adjustment in the taste of your food provided it has not been 25% consumed. We did not need an adjustment. The cooking fee per kilo is Php 160.

    We were thrilled of the bottomless iced tea so we ordered. Big mistake. We forgot we always drink soda when on seafood diet, to make us burp. Allowing us to eat more. 

    Calamares. Half a kilo of squid for Php 120 and a cooking fee of Php 120. Let’s eat.

    From Diosdado Macapagal we passed by Walter Mart Makati before going back to the office. Our dessert - gelato by Amici. 

Marta’s cakes

   You’ve probably noticed by now that we always move to a different place come dessert time. It is the most special part of the meal that’s why. Save the best for last. This time we went to Marta’s, still at Serendra,  for their colorful cakes. 

     Carrot cupcake. Creamy chocolate cake. Chocolate cake (background). Nothing special. I have learned recently that the nicer term for it is Classic. Don’t get me wrong. These are yummy but not sinfully good.  At least they only cost 50 pesos each. I will bring my daughter next time because they offer a "decorate your own cupcake or cookie" on the menu.

    Strawberry milk shake and brewed coffee.  I got the milk shake at 50% off from its original price of Php95. This is now the number 1 on my list of best shakes, beating the avocado shake from Jona’s at Boracay. Smooth, thick, creamy. I would have said sinfully good but then I thought - milk and fruits are never sinful, right? Another strawberry milk shake please. 

Italianni’s at Serendra

   Last Friday’s trip to Italianni’s was my first time in years. So I dined without expectations on the taste of its food. And was quite surprised that it is more pricey than most pricey restaurants.

   Sicilian chicken salad. Diced chicken breast, mangoes, ripe red grapes with pine nuts, tossed in a creamy lemon-dijon dressing served on a bed of crispy romaine. Nice combination of fruits that normally do not go with salad greens. Even people who do not eat chicken will love this because the minimal chicken bits can easily be set aside. 

   Creamed mushroom crostinis. Crisp bread slices topped with assorted mushrooms in truffle cream sauce. I think this is overpriced at Php 350. I was surprised to see six slices of crostinis in its official photo at Italianni’s website. We only had five slices. I feel more shortchanged than ever.

   Angel hair pomodoro. Chopped red tomatoes, sautéed with garlic in a light tomato basil sauce. Not for the garlic phobics. This has more garlic than aglio oglio pasta. It makes you desperate for Mentos afterwards. 

Classic confections

   After a the not-so-satisfying dinner at John and Yoko, we went to Classic Confections also at Greenbelt 5 for dessert. It was a good sight. We had to wait for a little while as all tables were occupied.

    Chocolate cake. You can take comfort  that this cake is your basic chocolate cake. No surprise flavor, add-ons or texture. Just the right sweetness so you won’t get sugar high.

  Nono’s chocolate oblivion. Curious name but well deserved. Layers of moist chocolate cake and ganache make each forkful a breeze that sends everything else to oblivion. The walnut pralines in the perimeter offer texture and a jolt that will send everything back to focus. Then the cycle begins again. 

    Our cheesecake’s photo wasn’t saved because Dondee’s Nokia N70 ran out of memory. It is better eaten than looked at anyway. Smooth as silk to the tastebuds, it is also in the comfort food category.

   They aren’t called classic confections for nothing.