Friday, September 24, 2010

Yummy Happy Food

These were the exact words the husband used to describe the food of this nondescript restaurant he was bringing me to.  He was always talking about it and promised to bring me there when the opportunity arises.  That day finally came so we headed out immediately as lunchtime was always a busy time for the restaurant and we might have finding a free table if we came in later.

The Facade
You will clearly see that this is a no-frills restaurant.  No airconditioning, mono-bloc chairs, no uniformed waiters serving you.  Its all self-service.
The Grill
This is what will greet you before you enter the restaurant.  You have to choose the food that you want to eat from what is available on the grill.  Their specialty is Tasik which is a white-flesh fish.  Almost like tuna but lighter and for the lack of a better term "malinamnam".  The price depends on the part of the fish as well as the size.  You can choose to have a huge chunk of the belly or a steak-cut size of the tail end.  Squid is also available.  For the meat-lovers, sorry but they only have seafood here.  You then go to the counter to get your rice and you may opt to order Tinola which is a clear fish soup flavored with lemongrass, onion leaves.  Kamias and tomatoes are used as souring agents.  

Grilled Fish
It looks small in the picture but it was a huge slab of fish about 2 inches thick. Perfectly grilled:  slightly charred on the outside but cooked through yet still moist and soft on the inside.  

Side Dishes
Each person gets a small saucer with sliced tomatoes.  You can add soy sauce, vinegar, calamansi and chili depending on your favorite combination for your dipping sauce.  For me, grilled food has always have to have a dipping sauce.  There is also a small serving of papaya atchara or shredded pickled papaya which was a nice addition to the meal.
Free soup
If you do not order the Tinola, you can actually ask for a bowl of the soup.  Its free of charge! Clear fish broth slightly sour but not overpowering.  
lunch crowd

Total cost for all that? PhP 200. Not bad at all!  the husband and I did not even order another serving of rice so that we could finish the fish yet we were so full after finishing off everything including the atchara and the soup.  And to think we were planning of having halo-halo for dessert!  There was no room left after eating that fish. 

We will definitely go back there again although not with the kids though.  It would be hard to chase them around in a crowded restaurant.  But if you are thinking of experiencing an honest to goodness sutukil restaurant here in Cebu, this place is definitely worth the try.

Parttebelle Tinola
Cebu North Reclamation Area
Across SM City Cebu 
Near Razon's Halo Halo




 


Monday, September 6, 2010

Durian Pie

I had a stash of frozen durian.  I had to think of other ways to eat it as eating fresh durian was becoming too common for us. The husband suggested that I make a pie.  It's been ages since I last made a pie.  It was my one and only attempt in making one.  So I had no recipe for a pie crust that I could use.  Of course, the Internet being my source of all information, I immediately searched for a pie crust recipe that is easy and no fuss.

I found one in allrecipes.com that said no-roll pie crust.  It seemed easy to do and the ingredients were all on hand.  I was out of butter so it was the perfect recipe for me to try out.   I pre-baked the crust first as recommended by some of those who have tried the recipe.  I always check on the comments whenever I use a recipe from the Internet.  The information you get from reading the comments will really help you get the perfect recipe.

For the filling I used 3 ingredients: durian flesh, sugar and cream.  I only eyeballed the proportions that is why I had some extra filling after filling the pie crust.

This went to the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Durian Pie

A Slice of Pie

Not bad for my second try in making pie eh? :D