Traveling Tummy-Sydney: Shenkin

In Erskinville, just a few blocks from the busy King street, there is a little cafe that serves Israeli breakfasts (and others but you go there for this)My sister took the whole family to Shenkin last week for some quality time and yummy food.

My brother's big breakfast. This came with bread and jam too. Growing boy!

My dad's kebab!

Ananda's banana pancakes. So goood. Not fluffy like how I usually like it. They were layers of thin ones with banana slices in between. YUM!

Shakshuka with chorizo and pita---> what you MUST order when eating here. It was SO good. I can imagine it being really good in the winter. It's basically a spicy tomato stew with poached eggs and this one with chorizo slices. You can throw in whatever you like though!Traditional Israeli brekkie.

Shenkin, 53 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville, NSW 2043 Call: 02 9550 5511

Traveling Tummy: Bits and Bites of Baguio

I was not expecting this gigantor dessert (this is huge in Philippine Standards)--2 big scoops of ice cream, 2 brownies and fresh strawberries

Galbi Gui from Kung Jeon. It was OK. I've had better but I was ok with it. Abdul didn't like it.

Abdul, who used to live in San Francisco said "Hey look, it's Daly City" haha! This was on the way to the strawberry fields in La Trinidad.

Strawberry Picking in La Trinidad. My daughter was on a mission.

Cute little hot chocolate place in Camp John Hay also has REALLY good Palabok and Arroz Caldo!

Seriously, Yum.

Corn at Mine's View

Horrible frog's head coin purses

Is this too explicit for a food and travel blog? Perhaps, but it clearly isn't too explicit to be in broad daylight in a tourist spot in Baguio.

A trip to Baguio is never complete for us without a final meal at Cafe by the Ruins

Zucchini patties with parmesan and kesong puti

Kamote bread with herbed cheese spread

One downside to our trip: This diner used to be our favorite place as kids, when it was still downtown. Now it sucks. Everything sucks except the pancakes and I'm not even exaggerating.

This cheeseburger for instance, looks big in size but was filled with extenders, had no taste except for the SWEET mayo. It was pretty disgusting. Someone else on the table got a BLT, took one look at it and called it a Bread Sandwich.

My childhood is now ruined.

Sarah was seriously everywhere we looked.

K,D and A :)

...and they mommas!

I LOVE Baguio! Hopefully another trip up the mountain soon!

Traveling Tummy: Grill'd

Grill'd in Darling Harbour (They also have other branches)

Ala's cheeseburger with bacon in a traditional bun

My burger- exactly like Ala's but in a different bun

Hand Cut Chips tossed in salt, pepper and oregano I think. So good!

The words "Healthy" and "Burger" are never to be spoken in the same breath, and those that do are probably lying. Seriously, how can a quarter pound of ground beef, gooey cheese, bacon and condiments be healthy? No matter though, because for people like me, it's all about the flavor and general satisfaction food gives me. At my age, I should probably be more conscious of the health benefits I get (or don't get) from the food I eat, but before you crazy fitness freaks start preaching--I DO have my share of salad and fish marinated in nothing but lemon, pepper and garlic, but WHY would I write about boring things like that?

Anyway, this burger joint Grill'd in Sydney claims to have healthy burgers. Whether or not this is true really doesn't matter to me. They have yummy burgers in creative flavors like "Kung Fu Fighter" (with shredded carrot, satay sauce, herb mayo and coriander) and "Hot Mama" (with roasted peppers, tzatziki, cheese, salad and harissa paste) as well as a wide selection of Lamb, Chicken and Veggie burgers. You can even choose between a panini or traditional wholemeal bun and please don't miss out on their hand cut chips- they are awesome with the herbed mayo dip.

More on Grill'd here---http://www.grilld.com.au/

PS. To be fair, both my sister and I agreed that the burgers didn't give us that sick feeling after we ate it and it wasn't oily...I still don't know about "healthy" but I would go back :)

Traveling Tummy: Mamak

I can never resist ROTI. I think our Indian friends actually created the PERFECT bread when they invented this one. It's nice and flat, crispy then chewy and a perfect accompaniment to food, but also good eaten alone with nothing but dips.

When we planned a Ramen night in Crow's Nest last week that didn't push through because the place was closed for the holidays (I don't remember Australia having so many, It feels like the Philippines with all the holidays and long weekends!)my friend Geraldine suggested we go to Mamak in Chatswood instead. The original Mamak branch is in the city and apparently people line up outside for over an hour sometimes to get a seat. It's been touted as the best and most authentic Malaysian restaurant in Sydney.

I am very picky with my Malaysian. I usually find it too spicy. I spent a week in Kuala Lumpur looking for chicken rice for each meal because my weak tongue couldn't take even their "mild" heat.

I originally wanted the Nasi Lemak with Ayam Goreng (Malaysian fried chicken) but guess what, they were out of chicken----WHAT!!!!! So I got it with lamb curry instead. We got a few orders of Roti Canai as well w/ curry and sambal dips.

My adorable little god daughter Kala...hungrily but patiently waiting for our food (Our order came mad quick by the way!)

World Bites: The best chicken you've never tasted!

I know I used to talk a lot about Bon Chon on Facebook and Twitter, but the true love of my chicken life is El Jannah, a hole in the wall Lebanese Charcoal Chicken place located right outside the Granville station here in Sydney.

I first tried it at a party and it instantly raised the bar for all chicken ever to enter my life. I'm not being dramatic. It's the truth.

Up close and personal

Eat With...

Hot Chips. The best ever, liberally sprinkled with Chicken Salt.

Yes, I call "fries" chips when I'm in Australia.

Tabbouleh to cleanse the palate

and...this. OMG. This is what makes this chicken a winner- forever.

Garlic Sauce. I could eat this alone. With a spoon. Disgusting I know but really, I could.

This is what I miss most about Sydney. (Sorry Friends)

Traveling Tummy: Hill Station, Baguio

My ex co-worker and friend Andrea got married to her boyfriend of FOREVER in Baguio last Thursday. She asked Ananda to be one of her flower girls months ago so we drove up the mountains last Wednesday with 7 other friends to hang out, enjoy the cold air, have Christmas dinner and to go to the wedding (some of us, at least)

Since we were all there together, we decided to have Christmas dinner and do our Secret Santa gift exchange there. Our usual Baguio haunt is Cafe by the Ruins but this time, we decided to try Hill Station at Casa Vallejo instead.

What we ate:


Complementary bread with olive oil and dukkah


Chorizo with bread...mmmmmmmm....super yum.


Tuna Tataki


Spinach Artichoke Dip (Good but I've had better!)

Our Mains:

Sarah and I had the Cocido Mexicana, a hearty beef stew with cinnamon and fried bananas on the side. It hits the spot when paired with mashed potatoes!


Abdul had the Short Rib Ragu with Fettucine---with shaved bittersweet chocolate on top.


Margaux had the baked salmon

Sorry, we started eating after and I didn't get to take any more photos! haha! The food was generally good, although service was a bit slow, considering the place wasn't even packed. I liked the whole look of the place- it fit December in Baguio perfectly.

The rest of the time, we:


Exchanged Secret Santa Presents!


Went to a pre-Wedding Barbeque


Went Ukay-ing!


Went to Andrea and Darwin's wedding


Group photo!

Baguio again in January, but first, Sydney for the Holidays!

Restaurant Rave: Zuma

After many days of Chinese food binging, I was so ready to eat at a proper restaurant with more refined food. My favorite aunt was in Hong Kong towards the end of my trip and told me she would treat me out to lunch.

I was given a choice between Zuma and Sevva, and since I can never say no to Japanese food, I picked the former. It's a nice (and pricey) place but I thought the food made it worth it.


We started off with Hamachi and Toro Sashimi-- two of my favorites (as well as salmon- sashimi is the only way I really like it) A few bites of fresh raw fish was exactly what I needed. I was hungry, I was sick of Chinese at that point and I wanted something that tasted clean.

When I was pregnant, I don't know how I survived without being able to eat raw fish. I remember going out for sushi almost immediately after I gave birth. Some things are just so good, you only really need to slice them up and put them on a plate for people to enjoy. I think I will go out for sushi tomorrow.


Next up, we had crispy salmon skin sushi. OMG so good. I remember when I was younger, sushi was really just kani, tuna, tamago, uni, salmon or california maki. Thanks to progressive and fusion cuisine, we now have all sorts of yummy things in sushi! Others on the menu were their Vegetarian Sushi and Zuma Nigiri Zushi.


I know it is very Un-Pinoy like to enjoy bloody beef, but honestly, unless Medium Rare (medium AT MOST) I would rather not eat steak. This Australian steak was cooked to perfection- seared on the outside and nice and practically raw on the inside. I was going to get the Wagyu, but the price difference was HK$700! Whoa.

I can't wait to get to Sydney in December. All the steak and lamb I want at extremely low prices!


Lastly, we had this. I was extremely full but a meal is not a meal without dessert. I can't remember exactly what this is called but it was some sort of souffle, wafer chocolate raspberry thing that was soooooooo good. I had it with a glass of dessert wine and it was heavenly.

I wish I could eat the way I ate in Hong Kong here in Manila. Sadly, i don't walk 6 hours a day here :(

Tomorrow, I will post the last of my Hong Kong food posts and it will be on street food! Yipee!