Product Review: Mrs. Lam Premium Sinandomeng Rice + KIMCHI FRIED RICE, KIMCHI BOKKEUMBAP Recipe

Rice is a Filipino staple food. Most of us cannot live without eating rice. In fact, when I went abroad for the first time, I felt that my meals weren’t complete because there was no rice available. There are lots of rice variations: brown rice, red rice, black rice, yellow rice and of course, white rice. I recently received 2 kilograms pack of rice brand called Mrs. Lam Premium Sinandomeng Special rice for a product review from Ad Garlic. 

Mrs. Lam’s Rice is guaranteed 100 % locally harvested and carefully selected over-milled crop from the best regions in the country. What makes Mrs. Lam’s rice different from other rice is its naturally fragrant aroma, white, long grain, smooth shiny and silky in appearance. When cooked, Mrs. Lam’s produces a white soft long grain with a slightly chewy texture.

Produced utilizing the state-of-the-art innovative technology of rice-polishing along with its advanced laser sorting machines, Mrs. Lam’s Rice ensures the best quality rice. Guaranteed to deliver the best rice but sold at a very reasonable price, it ensures every customer’s satisfaction and continues patronage.

Mrs. Lam's Premium Sinandomeng Special Rice after it's cooked

 Aside from its longer, slimmer grains, what distinguishes Mrs. Lam’s long-grain white rice from medium or short grained white rice (the kind used in risotto or sushi respectively) is that after cooking it remains fluffy and separate. Long grain rice such as Mrs. Lam’s contains less of starch called amylopectin, which is what makes rice stick together.

Celebrity mom Danica Sotto Pingris endorses Mrs. Lam's Rice

Mrs. Lam's Sinandomeng Premium Rice is neutral in flavor, perfect for providing backdrop in other foods. Nonetheless, high quality white rice such as Mrs. Lam's rice--like good white pasta, or a real French baguette--offers pleasingly chewy "al dente" texture and a slightly fragrant aroma on its own. On my last trip to the International Rice Institute, I was able to learn that processing per se affects the rice flavor. All rice starts out brown' to become white, it is milled. It goes a process that removes the husk, bran, and germ, which contains flavor compounds as well as nutrients. The longer the rice is milled, the whiter the rice becomes--and the more flavor is removed. Most brands of rice are then enriched to replace the lost nutrients. Overall, I loved Mrs. Lam's Premium Sinandomeng Soecial Rice. It had subtle notes which reminds me of "nuts" or "barley." Even with added flavors in rice pilaf or Korean bokkeumbap, I prefer Mrs. Lam's rice for its winning brand quality in both taste and texture. 

Win Unilever Food Solutions Limited Edition Cookbook and Leann's TeaHouse Korean Casual Dining Restaurant Gift Certificate

        The Limited Edition Sooo Pinoy Cookbook by Unilever Food Solutions

I have long wanted to hold a giveaway for my food blog. The last time I did was ages ago when I gave away Nestle's 100 Years Limited edition cookbook. Now, since there have been an abundance and so much blessings has kept coming our way, I'd like to share with you a simple giveaway for Security Blanket. 

For my loyal readers and hopefully, new blog followers, let me share with you a chance to win another limited edition Sooo Pinoy Cookbook  published by F and B World for Unilever Food Solutions. One lucky winner will have this cookbook. And I assure you, you'll love to have this book. It teaches al ot of cookng tricks and techniques in the kitchen. 

I'm also giving away Php400 worth of Gift Certificates from Leann's Tea House. It's a Korean Casual Dining restaurant located in Mother Ignacia Street, Quezon City. Even if you haven't tried Korean cuisine, I can assure you that there's definitely something you'll fancy at Leann's. Try their best selling Tonkatsu Kimbap---breaded pork roll with rice, seaweed wrap, crab stick, cucumber and spices. Plus they'vvgot unlimited samgyupsal--grilled thinly sliced pork belly. They have the all-time favorite Bibimbap (vegetables, beef strips, egg and kimchi on top of steaming rice). For more information, please Check out my blog on Leann's Tea House.

Joining is so easy. Just make sure to follow the instructions below and you'll be fine. Contest ends on October 9, 2014 at 12pm. 

Contest Mechanics:

Note: Those with an asterisk (*) are Mandatory: 

1. Follow Security Blanket via Google Friend Connect.*

2. Follow Security Blanket via Google Plus (found of the right side of the blog)*

3. Like https://facebook.com/dolcecerise on Facebook*

4. Follow @yapashing on Instagram

5. Follow @purpleplumfairy on Twitter

6. Comment below with your name, location, email,  Google Friend Connect name, Twitter handle, FB name and IG account name*

Winners will be receiving an email from me an please acknowledge within 48 hours. Failure to do so will forfeit their prizes. Winners must be willing to claim the prizes personally. Thank you. 

Good luck!

Special thanks to Leann's Tea House for the sponsored gift certificates for our readers. 

YOOGANE: KOREAN DINING EXPERIENCE TO REMEMBER!

Have you caught the latest Hallyu? For those living in the boondocks, Hallyu means Korean wave or anything that describes Korean culture’s growing popularity. Undeniably, K-POP fever is everywhere and so does Korean-inspired restaurants that cater to both fans of Korean cuisines and those that are just curious what the hype was all about. Joining the hallyu craze is a newly opened restaurant called YOOGANE (pronounced as Yoo-guh-nee), located at the ground floor of Il Terrazzo Mall in Tomas Morato (just a few steps from the Morato Boyscout Circle, near ABS-CBN).

The K-POP bug must have bitten me recently that I seemed to frequent Korean dining establishments lately. If you’re looking for a break from the usual fare in the metro, treat your taste buds with something new and exciting from YOOGANE. Savor lip-smacking Korean dishes that are sure to titillate the senses without costing a fortune. With its inviting K-Pop inspired interiors that seemed to have come straight out of an MTV Korean version—it spells adorably C-U-T-E loud and clear! Yoogane’s perfect laid-back ambiance and excellent food cooked right in front of you, makes it truly a perfect dining destination not just for the whole family but also for the whole barkada or clique. The resto even plays K-Pop music videos on their flat-screened TV and you’re sure to find their colorful walls awesome.

K-POP videos can be seen from the tv.

The walls scream K-POP!

Colorful walls + comfy seats make this resto a must-visit!

But what I liked best about Yoogane’s interiors are their couch seats—they are arranged in such a way that each customer had some sort of privacy of their own as they watch and wait for their meals to get cooked. 

The staff makes sure your food is served right before you. 

 An establishment may have the most spectacular views and facilities, but if the food is crappy, chances are your guests may not be returning anymore for a visit. Luckily, for Yoogane, that wasn’t the case. It looks good and tastes good as well.

Discover Yoogane’s best-kept secret as you sample Marinated Chicken Galbi Rice. It promises to fill your tummies without hurting your pockets. There’s char-grilled chicken galbi, marinated seafood galbi, and Chapchae—the glass noodle dish we all love. A variety of side dishes complement your meal such as golden mushrooms, my favorite Ddukboki (Korean rice cake), Mozzarella Stuffed Ddukboki, plus they also have noodles like Udon noodle, ramen noodle, and potato noodle. Never miss an order of Korea’s famous Beef Bulgogi with sesame seeds—premium thinly sliced beef, worthy of pleasurable devour and greed. 

Marinated Chicken Galbi rice with melted Mozzarella cheese!

The Marinated Chicken Galbi rice reminds me of Jambalaya—a Cajun dish of rice, shrimp, chicken and vegetables. But Jambalaya is a dish originated from Louisiana, France, not Korea. They had the same spicy flavor; both had vegetables (although Marinated Chicken Galbi only had Ddukboki and loads of onion leeks) too. I guess the only difference was the addition of mozzarella cheese on the rice itself. The oozing cheesy goodness of mozzarella on top of the rice perfectly goes well with its burst of flavors and aroma. It makes the rice a bit sweet and salty, and in the process lessens the hot spicy taste of the said dish. The minute I had a spoonful of it, I knew I was hooked right away! That was how good it was. It felt like I was eating pizza with some textures and I had to constantly remind myself that I was putting on rice (that means carbs!) and loads of them. I am amazed how the fork-tender chicken became soft when it’s only stir-fried by the waiter for about seven to ten minutes. And I’d have to say that it actually penetrates all the flavors of its meat and gochujang chili pastes.

Marinated Chicken Galbi with onion leeks. 

Sweet and salty Chapchae.

Again, for those who do not like spicy foods, maybe you could skip this one and order Chapchae instead. But for Koreans and those who like their food spicy, this marinated chicken galbi rice wasn’t really that spicy. In fact, some even use the complimentary kimchi (a Korean staple dish of fermented green leafy veggies in gochujang chili paste) to add some more spice to this dish. If a spicy appetizer isn’t your thing, apart from kimchi, there’s complimentary turnip slices and shredded cabbage with mayo for you to munch on. Yoogane even had Yakult  (yes, that lactobacilli shirota-strain mini bottle drink) to help diminish the spicy after-taste. 

Kimchi, Slaw Cabbage Salad and turnip sticks as appetizers. 

Beef Bulgogi

Experience the best gastronomic flavors in town as Yoogane serves authentic Korean dining food with Korean dining experience for everyone any day of the week. You’re sure to get your cravings fulfilled with its delightful offerings.  Starting from the appetizers all the way down to the beverages (they have Soju too!), get absolute value for your money as you indulge in nothing but ultramodern Korean dining experience, only at Yoogane.

Yoogane is located at the ground floor of Il Terrazzo Mall, Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Security Blanket thanks Yoogane and Barbie Barbieto for the invite.

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this post. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Mr. Kimbob's Budget-friendly Korean Meal at SM Megamall Foodcourt

If you guys are searching for the cheapest Korean meal in this side of town (in between on North and South actually),  then Mr. Kimbob is the perfect place for you. Located at the ground floor of SM Megamall Food Court, Mr. Kimbob offers a variety of Korean specialty at an affordable price. Starting off at Php 69 (VAT inclusive), this plate consists of the following: four Japanese Nori wrap rice sushi-like rolls with vegetables slices, a small serving of Korean's spicy starch treat (I'm sorry I forgot what it's called) and Korean's favorite Chapchae noodles. Although this meal does not come with a drink (but it should, given the fact how spicy the red sauced starchy treat was), it is already filling and it's really tasty. You should give this Korean meal a try especially on a rainy day. 

There's more to explore at Mr. Kimbob in SM Megamall Foodcourt. The only thing i hate about this store was the cashier. I wish she could be a little friendly to her customers. I had been going to this Korean kiosk twice, but during those times, it's as if her smile was worth a million that she couldn't give me one. If the owner of Mr. Kimbob would read this, please hire someone else if the lady at the cashier can't even afford to smile at her customers. i wonder what was wrong with her...

Well, still, I admire Mr. Kimbob's food and will continue to do so despite of the not-so-friendly-cashier personnel that they had. So my advice, if you guys would like to try this food, make sure to have patience because that lady at the counter might not be so friendly.  It's a good thing that the food compensates well for the restaurants frontliner's attitude.