Tuesday, June 26, 2012

4 Fingers Crispy Chicken in Manila

By Lea Paz Torre

Almost everyone loves chicken, be it chicken ginger stew (tinola), roast, adobo, or just plain fried chicken. I bet anyone, minus the alektorophobic and those allergic to chicken, has a favorite chicken dish to picture in mind.

With the opening of 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken in Manila this year, chicken lovers have yet another addition to the loop of their must-try chickens in town. 4FCC boasts its double deep-fried chicken. As the name suggests, the chicken is twice-cooked, evenly fried to eliminate fat from skin. 



“It involves Korean-style which is double deep-fry, but some elements are Singaporean,” says Alfonso Hortaleza, President of Mindblowing Delicious Food and the first Manila franchisee of Singaporean food chain 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken.  Korean-style fried chicken involves deep-frying and various seasoning before and after it is cooked, another food craze that hits Filipino taste.

4FCC’s chicken wings are individually hand-painted and coated with special soy garlic sauce.
 You can request if you want it spicy. I always want my chicken in that way.  


Best moment is when you bite the juiciest part of the chicken. Somehow it’s crisp on the outside and soft in the inside.

All about Chicken

Spicy chicken katsu sandwich with kimchi coleslaw is another favorite. The sandwich is filled with chicken bits and healthy concoction, and it’s similar with our own empanada.

If you want a lighter meal, try the chicken wrap with perfectly mixed avocado, lettuce, cheese and tomato salsa.


Their double deep-fried chicken is in a burger too.


Enjoy it with fries or crispy calamari.
4 Fingers Crispy Chicken
SM North Edsa Ground Floor

Read more ...

Monday, June 18, 2012

Aubergine Restaurant and Patisserie


By Lea Paz Torre

Authentic French Cuisine at its finest is what the Aubergine Restaurant and Patisserie  endeavors to offer to its customers.  Located at 32nd St. of  Fort Bonifacio in Taguig, the Resto always becomes the target of dating couples and even families on celebrations, for its romantic and cozy ambiance.


At times, it serves specialty set menus perfectly crafted for an occasion. I've once tried their Valentine's Day Degustation menu. I know this is a bit overdue, but their food is pretty worth the post! 

First on the list is the red salmon "Amuse Bouche".  Apparently, in French degustation, you have to delight on bite-sized starter first before taking the appetizer. Wiki says it literally means "mouth amuser" in French.


The very tender duck foie gras was served together with fig confit cake as appetizers. Yes, I've got to taste duck liver again after ages.

For the soup, you can choose between corn soup with scallop and lobster soup with crayfish. I choose... both!

Finally, the star of the menu, the oven-roasted lamb rack for main course was served. And this time, with wine.




I enjoyed watching this smokey Red Berry and Champagne Sorbet. This was served before the ricotta cheese with strawberries, the dessert. The sequence is actually crucial because your taste buds need to get some variation to better appreciate each fare.



The menu is "more on the sweet side, " says European Chef Stefan Langeham of Aubergine. There's really no need to complicate the taste. They make dish as authentic as possible. 

For reservations, you can e-mail the restaurant at dine@aubergine.ph or call (+632) 856-9888 or (+639) 17-557-1675/ (+639) 49-641-
9468.
Read more ...