STACKERS BAKED FRIED CHICKEN WITH 80% LESS OIL: BETTER AND HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE TO YOUR USUAL FRIED CHICKEN!

C’mon, admit it, who doesn’t love those sinfully tasty and crunchy fried chicken? It’s really a popular appetizing treat for ages and since it goes perfectly well with almost anything. So it comes as no surprise that Filipinos have found a way to enjoy it with rice, chips, fries or dinner buns. Even more scrumptious is the wide array of dips and sauces that bring out its unique goodness in every bite.  However, we are strongly advised not to eat fried chicken often because of certain health risks since these delish treats are deep-fried in hot oil (read: cholesterol + artery clogging saturated fats). I am personally fond of eating fried chicken. Fried chicken is something that I just cannot resist, regardless if it’s coated with breading or not. So when I first heard of a healthier fried chicken alternative from Stackers Burger Café called “Baked Fried Chicken”—I got really excited because I wanted to taste and see its difference from my favorite fried chicken.

Stackers' Baked Fried Chicken and Fries

Of course, I knew Stackers Burger Café as an establishment that’s been serving huge premium beef burgers in special sauces, shakes and coffee drinks but I had never tried their Baked Fried Chicken which they claim to be 80 percent less oil as compared to the regular fast food fried chicken. I had been curious to find out if it truly rocks—if I could really compare it versus the regular fried chicken. Will it have the same crunchy taste we all love? Will it not be that greasy? Hmmm…it took sometime before I finally had my hands on that chicken. Here’s my experience eating Stackers Baked Fried Chicken. Read on…

Lana Jones, a blogger enjoys her Baked Fried Chicken with her fingers. 

I enjoy eating fried chicken with my hands, even fellow blogger Lana Jones used her hands, so that’s exactly what I just did when I had my first taste of Stackers Baked Fried Chicken. The whole Stackers Baked Fried Chicken experience is not complete without licking your fingers clean and dipping them on a special gravy sauce it is served with—that’s why you better ask for the Stackers waiter to have copious of paper towels or napkins on your table before eating.

The Stackers' Counter--where all the aroma comes from.

The ambiance at Stackers Burger Café in Eastwood City was really inviting, and once can smell the unmistakable aroma of beef patties with mustards and ketchup or the chicken crackling in the oven, and of course, the pleasant sting of the butter-peppered gravy sauce as it hits one’s nostrils.

Baked Fried Chicken with gravy.

Although “healthy’ and “fried chicken” tend to be oxymoronic when put together in a sentence, Stackers Baked Fried Chicken had come up with the idea of baking the chicken which devoid of artery-clogging saturated fats, making it more wholesome alternative to its buttery and oily chicken fast food counterparts. But it’s quite surprising that the chicken does have that delicate crunch while the insides are fork-tender meat that somehow literally falls off the bones. 

I also love the less-guilty feeling as I devour on them. Knowing fully well that I am not ingesting high cholesterol grease. The large cut fries are also very good as they are not too greasy. If you don’t like the gravy, every table at Stackers Burger Café also had large Heinz ketchup, so you can enjoy it your own way.

Stacker's Burger Patties with sauce and veggies.

The Ultimate Burger!

How was the taste? Stackers Baked Fried chicken are tasty and flavorful enough to tickle one’s taste buds. One thing I liked about this, unlike the regular fried chicken at fast foods, Stackers Baked Fried Chicken does not have that icky “bloody raw part” in chicken. At relatively okay price (P205 for 3 pieces/P95 per piece with rice), one can enjoy eating guilt-free crunchy baked fried chicken. Also notable are the variety of drinks and shakes that goes well with the baked fried chicken.  And while you’re at it, sink your teeth to the huge Stackers’ burgers made from 100 percent imported beef patty. 

Stackers' Carbonara Pasta

For coffee addicts, they also have specialty coffee drinks brewed from Arabica beans with different toppings and flavors to choose from. Getting a table, especially when you are in a big group could be cumbersome, but they have a great delivery service and they are open 24 hours so you could either avail of that or drop by during non-peak hours. 

My favorite Strawberry Milkshake

Stackers Burger Café can be found in Eastwood City, McKinley Venice Piazza, Resorts World Manila, Alabang Town Center and at its newest branch in Promenade, Greenhills.

Security Blanket thanks Mr. Richard Mamuyac, Stackers Burger Café and IFoods Inc. President and CEO Mr. Bryan Tiu.

For more details about Stackers Burger Café’s Baked Fried Chicken and information on franchising, call 723-6033 or 0917-8779909 or email ifoodsincfranchise@gmail.com.

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

KING BEE CHINESE RESTAURANT: SERVING AUTHENTIC QUALITY CHINESE FOOD AT REASONABLE PRICE!

The King Bee mascot statue welcomes its guests.

Affordable Authentic Chinese Cuisine—This is the maxim that King Bee Chinese Restaurant continues to live by, in every location. It rings true for the spacious 400-seater in Commonweatlh Avenue, Barangay Holy Spirit, University District in Quezon City. Guests will be glad to know they have a spacious parking lot. Sleek Chinese-inspired red and yellow lamps were used for brighter lighting. 

Comfortable seating is possible with spanking red and yellow chairs, community tables and flexible banquettes plus exclusive function rooms with free videoke usage. All these create a warmer feel for the guests. King Bee Restaurant also had set menu for big groups. And with their “lazy Susan” (read: revolving round table), getting your share from a typical family Chinese Lauriat will never be a problem. You can also opt to reserve tables in advance just to be sure you won’t have to wait for one when you arrive, especially since the place gets pretty packed on weekends.

The name King Bee stemmed from the owner’s grandmother’s name Ama King Bee. They opened their first branch more than a decade ago in Governor’s Drive, General Trias, Cavite. Soon they began expanding and they now have seven different branches: two branches in Cavite and Quezon City, Antipolo City, Laguna, and Las Pinas. “We’ve quite established a name for our loyal patrons especially those who are looking for authentic Chinese dishes, and I can say most of them can be considered as best-sellers,” says King Bee Marketing Operations Manager, Ms. Andrea Ng.

Operations Manager, Ms. Andrea Ng

King Bee offers a wide array of authentic Chinese dishes. It has been popular for wedding reception, baptism, birthdays, business conference/meeting or just any simple family gatherings. They cater and accept reservations for all occasions.

 A fellow foodie invited me to sample and get a taste of King Bee’s authentic Chinese food. So off I went, as usual with my big appetite, ready to try something new. As soon as I was ushered to my seat, I was given a refreshing iced tea. Service was quite fast than I had expected. I quickly scanned a printout of the menu with a stapled photocopy bond paper with set menus on them. The printed letters looked really small that I didn’t had the interest to finish skimming them. “Oh, I’ll just wait for the food to arrive,” I told myself.

The dinner started out with a Wintermelon (read: Filipinos known them better as “Kundol”—in the traditional song “Bahay Kubo” it comes before “Patola” (Loofa)) Soup. Although I had eaten winter melon in the past, it had always been the dried and sweetened kind. This time, the soup had winter melon broth with shrimps, abalone and button mushrooms and green peas. It was the very first time I had actually seen the vegetable winter melon! I was so fascinated by its looks especially since it had been served with rings of shrimps around it. However, I had been a bit disappointed with its taste. Perhaps I had been expecting something else. I don’t know but I could not taste the winter melon broth properly because the Abalone mushrooms and the shrimps might be the culprit. They had been overpowering the taste of the winter melon and its broth. In fairness though, it’s a pretty good soup to prepare you for a sumptuous meal.

The Wintermelon Soup

See the shrimp and mushrooms on my soup?

I loved King Bee’s take on Chicken Feet—very tender and juicy. It brings out its sweet and spicy flavor as well as other spices with your every bite. The Birds Eye Siomai was good. But I had really enjoyed Shrimp with Cashew Nuts on Taro Basket.  The shrimps complement the crunch in the slices turnips and carrots with bell peppers. And edible the Taro basket tastes like the popular Filipino snack called “Shing-a-ling”. This dish had the natural crunchiness and sweetness of the vegetables.

King Bee's delicious Chicken Feet

Shrimp and cashew nuts in taro basket

I instantly fell for King Bee’s Fried Lapu-lapu with Mango in Thai Sauce. It amazes me that it is still crispy despite of being poured generously with the Thai sauce. The shredded mangoes surprisingly go well and complement the flavor of maraschino cherries. I super loved it and I could see myself ordering this same menu when I get back to any King Bee restaurant. I would definitely recommend this dish. Unlike other fish dishes, it had none of its seafood-aftertaste. All you’ll have are the sweet, salty and sour tangy flavors of the dish. I never thought mangoes and cherries complement each other until I tried this dish. I swear it was a taste of heaven upon spoonful. 

King Bee’s house specialty roast chicken was perfectly seasoned and marinated in what seemed to me was soy sauce. It goes well with the sweet and sour chili sauce it is served with.  As for the beef in oyster sauce and broccoli florets—the beef was tender enough and it had medium-sized cuts that are just right (unlike in other Chinese food establishments that only serves beef strips instead of cuts.)

Overall, I am quite impressed with King Bee Chinese Restaurant. They are assuring their guests with the freshest ingredients (they even have live fish at the restaurant) and with the huge serving (they offer small, medium and large sized), you are assured too of getting what you’ve paid for. And if you’re really looking for authentic Chinese dishes that won’t blow your pockets, then I would highly recommend you go for King Bee. There’s a wide range of choices for you to try. In case you aren’t familiar with it, the waiters will be more than happy to help and assist you. 

Indulge in deliciously filling dimsums, noodles, hotpot or roasted meats plus the freshest seafood cooked in authentic Chinese style at King Bee without the fear of blowing off your pockets!

King Bee Chinese Restaurants are located in four Metro Manila Branches:

Commonwealth—Lot 24, Blk. 11, Commonwealth Ave. Brgy. Holy Spirit, Q.C. Tel. Nos: 376-9492, 990-4688

E.Rodriguez—UG-2 Seneca Plaza, 1152 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave. Brgy. Mariana (near Christ the King Seminary), Quezon City

Tel Nos: 738-2046/412-0855

Las Pinas—Parklane Square, Daang-Hari Road, Las Pinas City

Tel. Nos: 359-5221/664-0957

Antipolo—120 Kingsville Arcade, J & F Bldg. Marcos Highway, Antipolo City

Tel. Nos: 681-9570/681-9608

Security Blanket thanks King Bee Chinese RestaurantMr. Marco Polo Demo and Angelyn Demo.

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

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.

BRINGING ILOCANO FOOD TO METRO MANILA AT ATTRACTIVE PRICES

Danny de la Cuesta poses in front of the Comida Ilocandia, the newest restaurant along Timog Avenue that opened recently at the height of storm Gener, that was graced by friends, relatives and associates of de la Cuesta and his four other business partners. For those craving endlessly for genuine traditional Ilocano bagnet, crispy dinuguan, higado, Vigan longganisa, and tinuno, they can order for take- out these dishes or buy their rich Ilocano meaty delights from Comida.  

The doors of Comida Ilocandia opened during storm Gener’s entry in the country, but foodies, business associates, and close friends of fashion Designer turned Chef Danny de la Cuesta and his four partners were undaunted and pushed through with the occasion.

This is because Chef Danny and his partners believed that their mission of bringing Ilocano food and delicacies into Metro Manila is far more important than the weather so they could satisfy those who are hooked to the rich taste of slow- cooked traditional Ilocano meals and even first- timers who eventually get hitched to this gastronomic experience.

Though one can find, here and there, genuine Ilocano bagnet or pinakbet, there is no consistency in the supply, price and quality of these food items. However, at Comida, anybody can order Bagnet, Adobo Seco, Crispy Dinuguan, Tinuno (barbecued ribs) and Higado, in-house or to go dishes for one or in bulk.

Chef Danny, a gracious host explains to diners the nuances of Ilocano dishes. Bagnet from Ilocos Sur are Chinese-inspired in the way lechon macao while in Ilocos Norte, bagnet comes of Mexican influence and is called chicharones.

To make these dishes more affordable at P98 per microwaveable box, Chef Danny made sure to prepare and serve value meal sizes also (consisting of any of these meat dishes plus rice and Ilocano- pickled vegetables).

At Comida, there are also traditional Ilocano specialty drinks like Champola- guava or guyabana coolers, and Horchata- rice milk, along with innovations on rice coffee (dark roast) or rice tea (lighter roast) brews.

“Since we started last Saturday we have been selling Bagnet and our bottled pickled vegetables (inartem) so fast, our commissary is hard-pressed catching up with the orders,” Chef Danny said.

A true-blue marketer, Chef Danny explains to his guests what makes his Ilocano cuisine a cut above the rest, is because it is cooked based on universal cooking & tastiness standards. For one, we prepare our meats in slabs after brining, marinating and braising them a day at a time. There is no rush to cooking the meats. At all times, our Adobo are cooked slowly in very low fire for more than eight hours until they are very tender. After that we rest them for a day or two. Constantly, we use natural flavors of sukang Iloko, molasses, lots of garlic, peppercorns, laurel, oregano, pimiento and others.”

“Since adobo are cooked in slabs, we only slice and refry a small portion per meal then we freeze the rest. Only sufficient slices are served per meal. The longer the meat is kept, the better it tastes,” Chef Danny explained.

The process of cooking bagnet slabs is also as tedious as the adobo and so with the Higado and the crispy dinuguan. “We do not resort to short cuts,” Chef Danny added.

 One of the best-sellers is the genuine Ilocano bagnet from Ilocos Sur-the Chinese-inspired way of lechon macao while in Ilocos Norte, bagnet comes of Mexican influence and is called chicharones. At Comida Ilocandia this is served with rice and pickled mango or vegetables.

Crispy and tasty Ilocos Bagnet

 Diners can savor the taste of Tinuno(barbecued ribs) and eventually get hitched to this gastronomic experience. Meals are very affordable at P98 per microwaveable box, Chef Danny make sure to prepare and serve these in value meal sizes consisting of any of these dishes plus rice and Ilocano- pickled vegetables.

succulent barbecue ribs

Garlicky sweet Longganisa

"Ilocanos", he gags, prepare their meat in slabs because during every meal, each family member partakes a considerable slice of the meat while the bigger slab is displayed on the table for the members to visually feast while chewing the rice on the plates. This way the meat lasts for other meals, and this traditional joke is very true in Ilocos Norte, Chef Danny chuckles.

Why the meat is made to last long is because of the frequent and prolonged visits of storms in the Ilocos region, making life very hard and families are forced to make their food last until after the storms, he explained.

De la Cuesta, who spent 44 years in fashion designing and selling his brand of ready to wear clothes and made to order gowns before extending into business development and culinary arts, partnered with childhood friends, classmates and associates such that each investor is responsible for a specific aspect of the business. Chef Danny takes control areas on Conceptual & Product Planning, Business & Market Development.

His venture from fashion designing (where he had 72 employees under him) to cookery was upon the advice of his doctor after a heart attack in the United States. He joined a national competition of San Miguel. A short culinary course in Le Cordon Bleu in London that came part of the prize extended to nine months of learning more skills. Upon returning from London, he was consulted for food brands mostly for recipe development, cooking demos and mentoring. 

Then he ventured into business development with brands that are now very commercially viable. At Comida and its sister-enterprise, Spaoay, he has 25 people under him.

Spaoay, an Ilocos themed Wellness Spa, which opened, simultaneously with Comida term lay claim to Spa and Ilocos town, Paoay. Spaoay offer time-honored therapies from the Ilocos region that has a strong belief of the healing touch.

Spaoay traditional Ilocano treatment for massage and facials make use of herbs- tea tree, mint and coffee. Their body wraps, scrubs, and baths draw on mountain clays, sea salts, and balsamic vinegar.  These treatments not only smell delicious, they are also very beneficial for your body. 

Visit Chef Danny’s Spaoay and indulge in wellness rituals where only professionally trained & TESDA accredited hands perform wellness therapies that have a distinguished past.

 Located along Timog Avenue in Quezon City, you can call (02)9947596  or  (02) 7099041; and mobile 09189256603 for reservations.  For better appreciation, view these blogsites: spaoay.blogspot.com  and comidailocandia.blogspot.com.