Tostitos Porkchops

It was a lazy, rainy day on Friday, June 24th. Mom wanted some comfort food and papa suggested pork chops. But we did not have breadcrumbs so I looked for something as crunchy. I looked into our old cabinet and found some Frito Lay Tostitos.

Tostitos Restaurant Style

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients:
10 pcs. pork chops (flatten)
3 eggs, beaten
2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp of salt
1 1/2 tsp of black pepper
1 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
6 tbsp. of flour

cooking oil, for deep frying
A bag of Frito Lay Tostitos Restaurant Style

I was cooking for 7 people so I prepared 10 porkchops. Here’s what I did:

Add eggs and worcestershire

First, I mixed the eggs and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.

Flour the pork

Second, I mixed all the dry ingredients together on a small bowl. (flour, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper)

Put tostito in blender

Third, I put the Tostitos chips in a food processor and processed it until they were as small as bread crumbs.

Flour the pork

Fourth, I coated the pork chops with the dry ingredients.

Add egg

Fifth, I coated the pork chops with the egg and Worcestershire sauce.

Put pork in Tostito crumbs

Then finally, I coated the pork chops with the Tostitos chips.

Fry pork

Heat up a large skillet and add the oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the pork chop. Cook each side for 4 min. Place the cooked pork chops on paper towels.

Finished

Serve with gravy.

Sarap!

Celebration of Filipino Flavors by Chefs Jackie and Roland Laudico

We were on vacation at Diamond Hotel for Father’s Day weekend,  but I ended up having  fever that morning. Not only was I sick, I was also feeling down lately because of certain events that week. To add to that, I knew I would be unable to go swimming that day, although I had been excited about it since last week. Then my father told me that Chefs Roland and Jackie Laudico  will be holding a lunch and dinner buffet downstairs at Corniche, titled Celebration of Filipino Flavors.

Me and Chef Roland Laudico

My mom said my face lighted up all at once. I had met Chef Roland Laudico previously and ended up a fan of his. I knew I had to see him. At the elevator heading downstairs, my mom said he might be really busy so we must not expect him to see us.

The superstar that he is, Chef Laudico spared us a moment of his time by meeting us at the entrance to the buffet. I was extremely happy to see him. He even wrote me  a note on the flyer for his buffet which we got at the concierge. Mom was so happy that he kissed him on the cheek too.

That afternoon , we decided to partake of his dinner buffet – all 7 of us- my mom and papa, and us 5 kids. We did not have  reservations so the waitress said she could not accomodate us. Then the manager showed up and asked for 60 seconds to get us a table. And he did- in only 45!

I was very happy about this. As a bonus, we found not only Chef Roland Laudico, but also his wife, Chef Jackie Laudico behind us at the entrance, to whom we said our hello’s with delight.

Lumpia in a glass

As expected, it was Filipino food galore…..but with exciting twists here and there. My first and what turns out to be my  favorite dish was the delicious grilled vegetables spring roll. The skin is crispy and its flavor of its filling, traditional but very much more exciting than the regular lumpia. Maybe it’s the  presentation. The spring roll was shaped like  an ice cream cone, and inserted  in a small glass, with the  vinegar placed right under it. Hey, it comes in different varieties too.

Scallop kilawin

There were other compelling appetizers as well – the  scallop kilawin,  conveniently already sitting on a white spoon, and the inasal wrap, sealed with a toothpick , which you can quickly munch upon while deciding which dish to devour first.

Inasal wrap

I also ate mixed seafood, chicken teriyaki, vegetable curry, goan curry, chorizo with mushroom spring roll, chocolate tart and japanese fried rice. The mixed seafood had mussels and shrimp, which I loved. The chicken teriyaki has a subtle taste , so my thoughts were to add a  little salt.  However, I do prefer the juicier chicken parts like the wing and thighs so I found it  a little dry for me  . The vegetable curry had a thick sauce, and the vegetables are crunchy. The goan curry had  fish fillet and a spicy, thick sauce. It was too spicy for my taste buds so I was unable to finish it. But I know my grandpa would have loved its raw spiciness.

I also liked the chorizo with mushrooms. The subtle taste of the mushrooms complement the richness of the chorizo.

Tender, suckling pig

The lechon de leche was interesting because it was lighter in color than the regular lechon we buy often. My papa says it is probably cooked in milk. I did not get to taste it but mom and my siblings loved its crispy skin, and soft meat. My little sister only wished there was more fat! There were a lot of sauces to choose from:  bistek sauce, bicol express , taba ng talangka, among them.

Roast Duck and Beef

I tried the  roasted beef and duck.  The roast beef is soft and juicy  and  it also has its own sauce. The duck is tender and has a crunchy skin. My papa feasted on the duck all night!

Mini Halo Halo

Tart, Deconstructed sans rival and yema balls

I had chocolate tart for dessert.  It had a simple but charming  presentation, with a tart base, chocolate filling in the middle and chocolate shavings on top. It was, overall,  a delicious tart . The deconstructed sans rival was a welcome surprise , since  I hadn’t eaten any deconstructed dish in my life. The mini halo halo looked cute because it is served on a 3 inch tall glass,  with a few beans and  jello at the bottom and a small serving of ube and leche flan on top. The size is just right – for one must leave space for a buffet with so many other delectable desserts to feast on.

Filipino Desserts

Traditional Filipino desserts

The service was excellent, too. Our plates were quickly replaced and our water was refilled once the glass is half full.  Chefs Roland and Jackie were hands -on. They were carving the meat, refilling the dessert buffet, and even entertaining guests like they probably would at their private dinner parties.  It added a warmth to the occasion that money can’t buy.

Celebration of Filipino Flavors exhibits the joy of the Philippine fiesta. The atmosphere was bright and  festive. The food was everything Filipino, but so much more. It brought to my tummy that night, what Filipino spirit lingered in the air as the nation celebrated Jose Rizal‘s 150th birth anniversary.

Sombreros off to you, Chefs Jackie and Roland Laudico!

Here are my ratings:

Kid friendliness- 4
Food – 5
Place -5
Service – 5

Ratings Guide:

1- mediocre
2- fairly satisfactory
3- good
4- great
5- excellent

The rest of the gang gave an average  of 5 points  for food, service , place and kid-friendliness.

Thanks for reading my blog. Bye!

Corniche

Corniche Restaurant – Day 1

I wanted breakfast in bed

We went on vacation at Diamond Hotel on June 18 after months of hard work had come to an end . I promise to tell you more about this as soon as I am allowed to do so. As for now, it’s all secret.

I had fever that morning but even if I was feeling tired, I still had to go downstairs to   Corniche restaurant for breakfast. As we entered, the waitresses and waiters  said “Good morning, table for how many sir?”. We didn’t have to wait at all . They seemed very happy to have us there. They even gave us a valuable freebie.  While everybody seems to be having a good time eating, I felt really sick.

Despite all the mouth watering food around me, I only had   miso soup, bread, waffles and grapes.  I may be sick but I know good food when I taste it. The miso soup was well seasoned and  delicious. My mom burned the bread at the grill   but it’s still good enough for me. The waffles are my favorite because  it has syrup and whipped  cream. The   grapes were sweet but it had seeds.

Spacious and clean dining area

My little brother had the siopao, which was small enough (2 inches wide) for   little kids  with little hands to handle.

Corniche is  clean and spacious. The decors are also elegant and there is a waterfall fronting the restaurant, which I think is awesome.

The toilet was very clean and I love that they have bidet shower in the toilet. We don’t see that much in other hotels in Makati or Ortigas. However, I noticed that there were no diaper changing stations for babies.

Glorious shower bidet

Corniche Restaurant – Day 2

The second day at Corniche, I was feeling better. We went down stairs to eat breakfast at 6:30 am.

We ordered hot chocolate but the waiter said they run out of hot chocolate so we just had water and mom had coffee. I ate buttered mixed vegetables, roast pork sirloin, waffles, grapes, watermelon and steamed rice . The buttered mix vegetables were tasty  and it’s not dry. The roast pork loin was a little dry   but it’s well seasoned. The steamed rice was cooked just right.  As usual I had my favorite- waffles with syrup and whipped cream.

Sausage, omelet and crunchy bacon

My brother and sisters ate longganisa, bread, rice, grapes ,  watermelon, yogurt, bacon, egg, pork, rice, yogurt and cheese quesadilla, . The longganisa is sweet but my sister loves it.  Everybody loved the  bacon – crispy, neither salty nor sweet. The chef will cook omelet on request. My brother, Oz , chose to have  cheese, tomato, and onion omelet. It was delicious because it was so cheesy. The pork was delicious too because it had a smoky taste. Oh and did I mention there was sushi in the house?

Sushi in the house

A variety of greens and toppings at the salad bar

My mom ate beef with snow peas, fish with mango salsa, french toast and salad – and she says she is giving them all an excellent 5 rating. The salad bar boasted of variety.  Among the greens were Romaine Lettuce, Iceberg lettuce, Frisee, Salanova Butter Red and Salanova Butter Green.  Among the toppings were radish, cucumber, sweet corn, crunchy bacon, quail eggs, capers, bell peppers, croutons and cheese. Salad dressings include italian dressing, thousand island dressing, ceasar salad dressing, ranch dressing. Seasonings include  olive oil , red wine vinegar and thai fish sauce.

Baked delights

Bread and pastures were just as abundant- muffins, cinnamon swirls, donuts, croissants-you name it. There were also various kinds of cereals to choose from.

cereals

 

Mom was happy that they had a high chair and a small spoon available for my  2 year old sister, Happy .  The plates were so big and a little heavy , and scary to break because they looked expensive.

Fresh fruits

The buffet counters were a little too high for kids like my 9 year old brother and 7 year old sister. My brother couldn’t see what he was getting from the fruit bar that he just grabbed what he could get with his hands outstretched up high.  Well, until mom caught him and got him the fruits instead.   My sister tiptoed to see what’s inside the food pans.

Counter tops are too high for little kids

The food was great , the place was clean and the service was excellent. As for kid friendliness, it had its good and bad points.

Here are my ratings:

Kid friendliness- 4
Food – 5
Place -5
Service – 5

Ratings Guide:

1- mediocre
2- fairly satisfactory
3- good
4- great
5- excellent

The rest of the gang gave Corniche a total of 3 and a half thumbs up  for food, service , place and kid-friendliness, and one half thumb down for kid friendliness.

Three and a half thumbs up, half thumb down