Recipe: Roasted Okra
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On January 15, 2014
I want to eat vegetables as much as possible,. It’s because I want to be fit and healthy especially since I’m not getting any younger. Apart from that, I also want to try using my stove. It has been there for almost a year and I haven’t really used it that much. So when I stumbled upon a baked okra recipe online, I immediately took note of it. Then I made the roasted okra as a snack one day.
Thanks to my best friend Christina for accompanying me and watching me prepare the roasted okra. Honestly, it was very easy to cook. However, being such a newbie, I had to spend so much time. Of course, taking photos while doing so took some time too. Read More
Ramen Nagi
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On January 13, 2014
Ramen restaurants pop out like mushrooms all of a sudden. I do not know how the craze started but I do seem to be influenced by it. Almost every week, I have to have my own dose of ramen. Since there are so many Ramen restaurants in Metro Manila, I have so many places to pick from.
Last week, our pick was Ramen Nagi. I’ve heard of the place because a lot of people have been raving about it. I checked out some reviews on the net prior to going to the restaurant. Wow, 100% of the reviews that I read were positive! My gosh, every single review of the ramen was good! How could that be?
I got more excited to try Ramen Nagi out. We met up at around 5:30PM at 5th floor, SM Aura.
WAITING IN LINE
Yeah! We were 21st on Ramen Nagi’s list. Imagine it was even before 6PM and we were already number 21?!?!?! :O My expectation for Ramen Nagi just went up further. Why would people spend one hour of their precious time waiting in vain for a table at Ramen Nagi?
There’s even a catch. You can’t leave the line or else, they will give your slot to someone else.
While waiting, I took some pictures of the restaurant. I laid my eyes on the poster in front of Ramen Nagi. There were four different types of ramen displayed. I stared at those mouth-watering pictures for awhile before deciding which ramen to choose for ordering.
The excitement was killing me at the time. I was hoping that our number would be called out soon.
RAMEN NAGI RESTAURANT
Finally, entered Ramen Nagi. The servers were fast at work. Going around serving orders, cleaning tables, getting payments, and greeting customers as they enter and leave the restaurant.
As for me, I just wanted to sit down, order, and eat Ramen Nagi’s specialties. There were so many things that made me want to indulge quickly. I couldn’t wait any longer! 😀
ORDERING
We were given a paper and pen each. I looked at the paper and was pleasantly surprised how much flexibility Ramen Nagi is giving their paying customers on how they want their ramen to be!
We can choose the richness of the broth, the strength of the special sauce, how much garlic should be placed in the ramen, what part of meat they will put, and the type of vegetable we want. We can even ask Ramen Nagi how soft we want the noodles to be. Based on reviews, we should be choosing extra hard.
Lastly, we can order extra toppings for a fee. Of course, we can order drinks too! I didn’t order any drink as I was already satisfied with the service tea.
We passed the papers to the waiter. I felt like submitting a test paper to a teacher for testing. Hahaha, I even joked the waiter about it.
THE RAMEN
Ramen Nagi has four staple ramen in their menu. They have a 5th ramen which they call Limited King which the restaurant choose to offer based on season. During our visit, the Limited King was the Shrimp Ramen. We were 6 in the group. We agreed to order one of each so that we can try out everything. Since I was the one who really wanted variety due to my wanting to post in this blog, I ended up getting the Limited King (while I really wanted to try out Butao King).
We got to taste a spoonful of broth for all our orders. Based on my palate, I think I liked the Black ramen the most. Let’s see, I’ll order that next time I visit Ramen Nagi.
- Original King (Butao) – Php 390
Fire sauce + Seabura + Tonkotsu
This is Ramen Nagi’s original ramen and is quite popular in Hongkong. According to my friend, this tasted just the same as the one in Hongkong. This further validates the authenticity of the ramen which is cool!
- Black King (Kuroo) – Php 410
Black ball + Garlic + Tonkotsu
Awwww, the Black King. You m.u.s.t. wear black or bring extra shirt when you order this because you’ll see streaks of black in your outfit after eating this. It’s unavoidable.
I must suggest to Ramen Nagi that they offer aprons for Black King customers. It’s a must!
- Red King (Akao) – Php 410
Red Ball + Spicy + Tonkotsu
You want spicy, this one is for you!
- Green King (Midorio) – Php 410
Basil + Cheese + Tonkotsu
The Green King is an acquired taste but some friends do prefer this over the other Ramen Nagi dishes.
- Limited King (Ebio) – Php 410
Shrimp Powder + Shrimp + T0nkotsu
This was my order. Funny that I was looking for shrimps in my order. But apparently, the shrimp taste was embedded into the soup. There was NO whole shrimp included. However, when I tasted it, oh my gosh! It tasted like shrimp that was made into soup. It was so tasty, I couldn’t even describe it anymore! If you love the taste of the shrimps, then you should order it!
One watch out I would like to give you is that the pork belly is 80% fat. So if I am you, I will choose the pork shoulder instead. To each his own, of course.
Other Limited Kings: Genkio (curry), Sakanao (tuna), Sansyoo (Japanese pepper), & Kosyoo (black pepper).
VERDICT
Ramen Nagi has the richest broth I’ve ever tasted among the ramen places here in Manila. Ramen Nagi is now one of my top 3 ramen in the Philippines. My friends agreed as they also consider Ramen Nagi as a new favourite.
Honestly, while there were spices available at the table. I do not think you will need any of them.
The service was pretty good too! Our ramen was served within 10 minutes. Plus, the unique experience in ordering was awesome!
You have to know that you cannot bring home your leftover ramen. Ramen Nagi is pretty strict with that because they are following Japanese tradition. Conservative as they are, they do not want to sacrifice quality and taste. When we eat Ramen Nagi’s food, they want us to eat it fresh from their kitchen.
I will be going back to Ramen Nagi again because I just couldn’t stop craving for it after our visit. I will make sure that I arrive very early. Ramen Nagi’s food easily goes out of stock. While we were there, Ramen Nagi stopped accepting customers around 7:30PM because they didn’t have anything to serve anymore.
The long lines and the rapid flow of customers just proved how successful this new ramen restaurant is. Congratulations Ramen Nagi!
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Ramen Nagi
5/F SM Aura Premier, McKinley Parkway, McKinley Hill, Taguig City, Philippines
Monday to Sunday, 10AM to 10PM
Crumpler End of Season Sale
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On January 13, 2014
Looking for a bag for your laptop? How about a bag for your camera? Or maybe you’re currently on a look out for a backpack, an overnight bag, or even a luggage?
You’re in luck because one of the popular bag brands is having an End of Season sale this month! Yes, Crumpler Philippines is having a sale this January 15-31, 2014.
Guess what? 30% to 80% off on their products! Am very sure that I visit one of their branches so that I can get myself another awesome bag for my gadgets! I’ll definitely drop by within the week so that I get first dibs! hehe!
If you’re new to Crumpler, let me share with you some reviews I’ve done for the products that I own:
Convinced now? Then head on over to Crumpler’s branches in Metro Manila to get your dose of Crumpler bags & accessories. See you when I see you!
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Crumpler End of Season Sale
30-80% off
Participating branches: Bonifacio High Street, Robinsons Magnolia, Shangri-La Mall, Trinoma Mall
https://www.facebook.com/CrumplerPhilippines
Recipe: Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On January 12, 2014
I enjoyed cooking the meatballs that I couldn’t stop myself from finding new ways in preparing it. So far, I’ve done it as is – baked meatballs dipped in sweet chill sauce. I’ve also prepared meatball sotanghon soup. Now, I tried my hand on sweet and sour meatballs!
After I’ve tasted the finished product, I think this is going to be my favourite meatball preparation. Have you tried sweet and sour meatballs? If not, I highly suggest you do!
Thankfully, Panlasang Pinoy’s recipe was spot on! I was so proud of myself for being able to recreate the sweet and sour sauce from scratch, hehe 🙂
The sweet and sour meatballs is perfect to eat with steamed rice. I’m happy to say this is one of my successful creations. Believe it or not, I have more failures in the kitchen than successful ones. haha!
RECIPE: Sweet and Sour Meatballs
adapted from Panlasang Pinoy
Ingredients:
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 cup pineapple chunks
1/3 cup vinegar
1 cup bell pepper
1 pc onion
1 cup water
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup carrots, sliced
1 tbsp cornstarch diluted in 3 tbsp water
1 lb. cooked meatballs
Instructions:
- Heat oil in a frying pan.
- When oil is hot enough, sauté garlic.
- Add onions, carrots, and bell peppers and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add pineapples, and cook for another minute.
- Add tomato ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar then stir everything.
- Add water, and let boil.
- Add cornstarch, and cook until desired thickness is achieved.
- Pour cooked sauce over cooked meatballs.
- Serve and enjoy!
Photos:
Pear Mobile Training Intelligence System for iPhone
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On January 7, 2014
I’ve been wanting to be physically fit for quite some time now. Honestly, I really tried but I couldn’t sustain it. Running has been my choice because it’s the cheapest form of exercise. I don’t have to drive to a gym and pay super expensive monthly membership fees. Since I don’t know how to use the exercise machines in the gym, I have to find myself a physical trainer which will cost me another few thousand bucks a month. So yeah, running wins my vote.
There were a couple of times I tried to run in popular jogging places like UP, Ayala & the Fort. However, just after 10 minutes, I couldn’t catch my breath. I felt that I really don’t know how to jog or run at all! I needed a coach to train me step by step. I asked around but I couldn’t find a coach that is available for a 1:1. If ever there is one available, it’ll cost me a fortune.
When I discovered the Pear Mobile Training Intelligence, I already know I found my answer!
Pear Training Intelligence is a smart, interactive personalised training system meant to improve our physical workouts. Whether it’s running or biking, we will be able to train efficiently with the accessory. We can do all this while listening to our favourite music!
What’s in the box?
- Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor
- Adjustable chest strap
- Pear Stride earbuds with inline mic & controls
- Two additional sizes of Earlock earbuds
- Nylon Ripstop Gear Bag
- Quick start guide.
3 Main Components of the Pear Mobile Training Intelligence System
Let me break down the Pear Mobile Training Intelligence System into its 3 main components so you can understand better how it works.
- Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor
Pear lets you analyse and track your workout through the Bluetooth heart rate monitor. All we need to do is connect the heart rate monitor with the adjustable chest strap through a button. Then you can simply go to the iPhone settings, enable bluetooth, then launch the Pear Training Intelligence iPhone application, connect the heart rate monitor to the app, and you’re good to go for your workout.
I also like that we can replace the heart rate monitor’s battery easily. We just need to remove the battery from the back of the heart rate monitor, then replace with a new one.
Lastly, the heart rate monitor + chest strap is comfortable to wear. This is especially important since our workout varies from 10 minutes to an hour or two. You don’t have to worry about the size because the strap is adjustable.
- Pear Stride Earphones & Earlock Earpieces
You need the Pear Stride earphones to be able to hear the coach train you on the training plans as well as listen to music while you work out.
Now, this is not your typical earphones because Pear Stride earphones were made to keep the earphones intact in your ears. They won’t fall out easily while you are exercising. Plus, you won’t be so disconnected from the world because you can still hear sounds beside the training plan & your music.
The Pear Stride earphones has a three-button controls which are MFI (Made For iPad) certified, meaning it works perfectly with your iPhone. With your earphones, you can control your music, answer calls, & access your live statistics for your workout.
- PEAR Sports Training Intelligence application for the iPhone
The Pear Sports Training Application for the iPhone is the brain of the Pear Mobile system. It’s basically where you can find all the interactive training plans, and where the workout statistics are tracked and reported.
The iOS application is FREE to download on the App Store. It works perfectly with the Pear Mobile Intelligence system but can also work with other heart rate monitors. But why will you use other branded heart rate monitors when the application is made especially for Pear Mobile accessories, right?
Various training plans are available for download. Some are free and some are available for a fee. Since I’m a beginner, there is already a number of free plans available suitable for me. Take note that the coaches featured in the training plans are world class (i.e., Matt Fitzgerald, Jenny Hadfield, Robert Reames, Matt Dixon, Fit chef Katy, Ben Greenfield, Chelsea Gutmann, Newton Campbell, Noelle Kozak, and Macca).
What I like about using Pear Sports Intelligence iPhone app is that it works with MyFitnessPal app which I use to track my food intake. With that compatibility, my Pear workout statistics are automatically sent to MyFitnessPal. Really awesome!
PEAR Sports Training Intelligence application for the iPhone is easy to use. You open the Pear application, pair the heart rate monitor, choose a workout, play your music, and you get an international coach who will help you every step of the way. The PEAR app uses the iPhone’s GPS to track the speed and distance of the workout.
After you finish your workout, you’ll see a report of your heart rate, route map, calories burned, distance covered, and exercise duration.
My Experience
I believe the Pear Mobile Training Intelligence System is perfect for my needs. It’s very easy to use and I just love the personalised audio coaching which really motivates me during workouts.
Before I started using the available Pear training plans, I ran with the heart rate calibration session first. It was a 20-minute workout that includes both walking & running. The calibration session aims to determine your level of fitness.
On that session, I experienced first-hand how effective the Pear Mobile System is. While I don’t have a physical coach with me, it felt just the same with the Pear iPhone app. The coach was providing instructions every step of the way and was motivating me all throughout. The voice was telling me to either increase or decrease the intensity of my run/walk and even telling me how I should feel at those levels.
With a press of a button, I can know my workout statistics at the time. At the end of the workout, I get to see a complete report. Since there are a lot of available training plans for download, I can definitely change my workout plan as I improve on my fitness level.
The Pear Mobile Intelligence System for iPhone is available at Php 4,450. I believe it’s decently priced considering you get the tools to help you reach your fitness goals. This is just like 1-2 months worth of fitness gym membership compared to the Pear mobile kit, you can use it whenever, wherever, with no time limit 🙂