Munchbuckz: Definitely a Must-Try in Laguna

Munchbuckz, located at F. Reyes St. Brgy. Balibago, Santa Rosa, Laguna || Contact: 0905 338 1203

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Heads up, Manila people (or basically everyone haha)! Planning to go to Enchanted Kingdom for some barkada fun? If you’re nodding your head right now, then I recommend a good place for a quick merienda or dinner after spending the whole day trying out all of EK’s cool rides and screaming your lungs out. Haha.

But before that, here’s a brief story (lol): after our perfect EK date, Mark and I started choosing an equally-perfect place for dinner. We checked out two restos before our feet led us to Munchbuckz. While scanning their menu outside, we noticed that the place was empty— not even a single soul eating there— that alone gave us the notion that maybe the food there isn’t good. And because we have a lot of trust issues regarding some restos that are not worth it for the price, we were a bit hesitant to go inside and give it a try. Fortunately, our curiosity got the best of us and we decided to check the place out.

Aaaaand our trust issues were gone… at least for now. Haha!

(Yes, feel free to write on their wall… if you see any space left. Haha. Or just ask for a post-it note!)

Munchbuckz is actually easy to see— it’s located right by Balibago Road and quite adjacent to Caltex gas station and Waltermart (your drop off point if you’re travelling by bus). The area is a bit small— it can seat up to roughly 20 people only— but it’s actually an ideal place for people who just want to enjoy their food and relax… just like their slogan, “Chill. Eat. Repeat.”

(They also have rice meals and other grub, if you don’t fancy a burger)

Okay, so for the main reason I’m blogging about Munchbuckz: their food. We ordered their two best-selling burgers, the Fili Cheeze Steak (Filipino-style Philly cheesesteak, with veggies and mushroom my love) and Muncheeze Burger (thick, double-burger patty with veggies and bacon my love also lol). I also tried their Choco Fudge Milkshake cos, for some reason, I was hankering for milkshake at that time. Haha.

(Muncheeze Burger – P140 with fries)

(Fili Cheeze Steak – P100 with fries)

(Choco Fudge Milkshake – P75)

And our verdict is… “PIGGIES APPROVED!” *insert a pig thumbs up badge here*

I personally love the Muncheeze Burger— super tasty and worth the price! Actually, they’re all worth it (including the milkshake which satisfied my hankering haha), but the Muncheeze is my favorite. ❤  The burgers were big enough to fill our tummies (and souls) for a long journey back home. For two piggies who’ve tried Zark’s (the home of greatest and greasiest burgers ever), this little gem in Laguna comes pretty close to that. 😉

My only complain? Not enough fries! Haha. Mark and I are big on fries, so it would be nice to double the quantity of your fries. But other than that, we are sooo going back for more!

For more information about Munchbuckz, please like their Facebook page and pay them a visit! You won’t regret it, I swear. 😉  (Guys at Munchbuckz, please make an Instagram account— your business might pick up)

Happy blogging (and eating!)

 

#BakeDaySunday: Cinnamon Loaf

 

Yesterday was #bakedaysunday for me (also #imnotbrokesoicanbakeday and #ihavealltheingredientssoicanbakeday haha), so I decided to whip up something nice for me and my loved ones. 🙂

Actually, the original plan was to make chocolate chip cookies dipped in chocolate ganache (YES, chocolate heaven), but I scrapped that one cos I’m too lazy to buy one missing ingredient. So, I had to make do with what I already have in the house and, fortunately, there are just enough ingredients to make a cinnamon loaf.

So, why cinnamon?

Good question… and the good answer is: I LOVE CINNAMON! ❤ There was a time in my life that I didn’t have a thing for cinnamon, but when a friend from Sweden suggested that I try it with my coffee, that’s when everything changed. Now, I put cinnamon in my coffee, in my oatmeal (all the time), and now, in my baked goods!

Okay, I won’t bore you with the declaration of my love for cinnamon. Here’s the recipe, fully credited to Taste of Home. It’s so easy and convenient and I love it!

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Cinnamon Loaf
(Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (I used two Yakult)
2 eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Also set aside.
4. Beat butter for about one minute, until light and fluffy. Gradually add the one cup of sugar, then add eggs one by one, making sure to beat well with each addition. After that, add the vanilla extract.
5. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the creamed mixture. Beat until just mixed (don’t overdo it!).
6. Transfer half of the batter to your loaf pan (preferably a 9×5 pan), which should be coated with cooking spray (I don’t have that, so I just spread some butter all over it). After that, sprinkle 3/4 of the sugar-cinnamon mixture over the batter.
7. Finish off by putting the other half of the batter and sprinkling the remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester/toothpick inserted comes out clean (in my case, it took me a little more than an hour).
9. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack.

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Verdict: soooo yummy! *thumbs up*

I’m not carrying my own chair or anything. Haha. It tastes so good— not too sweet nor too bland— and I have people to support my claim! Haha!

In fact, there’s nothing left of it anymore… *wink*

I’ll definitely make this again. No excuses because the instructions are so simple and the ingredients are easy to find. Plus, having a very tasty cinnamon loaf around sure is useful— I can definitely eat it for breakfast or dinner. ❤

Happy blogging (and baking!)

(PS: All photos are mine; please do not use without my consent. Thank you!)

May Bake Day: Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ever since I discovered Jessica (of What Jessica Baked Next) and her wonderful (and amazingly-photographed) concoctions, I made a promise to myself that I’ll try some of her recipes. I follow her blog and Instagram account, and almost every day, my feeds (especially IG) are filled with mouth-watering treats of all sorts— from focaccia breads to cheesecakes, to ice cream recipes and even rice meals! This girl sure knows how to bake… and cook. 😉

Which brings us to the topic at hand (lol). Yesterday (which I fondly call #bakedaysunday), I finally got the chance to try one of her cupcake recipes: Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. What made me try it? Well, first of all, they consist of bananas, chocolates and cream cheese— which happens to be some of my favorite things to eat. Second, the ingredients are really easy to find! I always come across recipes with unfamiliar ingredients, which sadly decrease my interest in making them. Third (and lastly), it’s been a while since I made cupcakes. 🙂  Honestly, I missed it so much.

Okay, I won’t bore you with the details. Obviously, this is entirely based on Jess’ recipe, but I had to modify it a bit because of ingredient unavailability and my curiosity to try stuff. Haha.

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Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
(Recipe courtesy of What Jessica Baked Next)

Ingredients

Banana Cupcakes:

– 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)

– 1 cup granulated sugar

– 2 eggs (room temperature)

– 1/2 cup sour cream or buttermilk (I used Yakult as my buttermilk; about 1 1/2 bottles of it)

– 2 ripe bananas (mashed)

– 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)

– 1 tsp baking soda

– 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

– a pinch of salt

– 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

– a little more than 1/4 cups (60g) unsalted butter (softened)

– 1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted)

– 1 tsp vanilla extract

– 1 3/4 cups (14 oz) cream cheese (softened)

Decorations:

– banana slices

– chocolate chips

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. Cream the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla in medium speed until pale in color and fluffy. Then, add the eggs one by one.

3. Add the buttermilk and mashed banana into the butter mixture and mix until combined.

4. Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the mixture and mix for 1-2 minutes (medium speed).

5. Fill the cupcake liners with 2/3 of the batter, then bake for 18-22 minutes (or until an inserted toothpick/cake tester comes out clean). In my case, it took me more than 30 minutes. Haha.

6. Once baked, let them cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

7. Now for the frosting: cream the butter for 2 minutes on medium speed. Then add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and mix starting on low speed. Cream for about 5 minutes or until it’s pale in color— and don’t worry if it gets too crumbly; it will soften once the cream cheese is added.

8. Which brings us to the cream cheese. Lol. Add it to the mixture, set the mixer on high speed, and cream for about 2-3 minutes or until the frosting is creamy yet thick enough to pipe.

9. Finished? Then pipe away, my friend! Top with chocolate chips, banana slices, or anything you can think of— as long as it still goes with the recipe. Haha.

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The result? Two words: soooo good!

The cream cheese frosting was on fleek (so smooth and it didn’t take me a long time to make it!) and the cupcakes were so moist and fruity. Overall, I love it!

Oh, and I tweaked some of the cakes a bit— I took out a separate bowl of batter from the main one and added 1/4 cups of chocolate chips into it. So some of the cupcakes have chocolate chips not just on them, but in them. At first, I was afraid it would ruin the output, but thank goodness it didn’t! The result? Chewy cupcakes with bits of chocolate that you can actually bite!

I just love it. 🙂 Thank you so much, Jess, for this wonderful recipe! I can’t wait to try your other goodies soon! ❤

Happy blogging (and baking!)

 

(PS: All photos are mine; please do not use without my consent. Thank you!)

Food Quickie: Plato Wraps’ Beef Gyros

With my weight skyrocketing to a number I won’t mention (haha) in just a span of 2 months, I’ve imposed a “strictly no rice for dinner” policy on myself. So last week, when my food buddy and I were hankering for something delicious inside Alphaland Southgate Mall in Magallanes, our feet led us to Plato Wraps.

I’ve decided to try their new (I’m not sure if it’s really new, but it’s not included in their default menu so I figured it is) wrap, the Beef Gyros.

In fairness, I liked it! You can really taste the seasoned beef just on the first bite. It’s so flavorful and really beefy. The crunchy cucumber gave a great contrast to the softness of the beef. The sauce was a bit runny, but I didn’t mind, as long as the food’s worth the price (P65.00). 😉

Surely recommended! Try their Beef Gyros and tell me your thoughts!

Happy blogging (and eating!)
Jane

101 Hawker Food House: Eat Heavy, Pay Light!

101 Hawker Food House, located at Unit 102 Campos Rueda Building; 101 Urban Ave., near corner Buendia and Ayala Ave., Makati City. Phone: 886-7329

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I’ve been meaning to blog about this place since last year, but I haven’t got any good pictures… until now. Haha.

If you’re looking for a resto that serves hefty meals without breaking the bank, head over to Urban Avenue (in the middle of Gil Puyat Ave. (Buendia) and Dela Rosa st.) and look for this Singaporean food joint!

101 Hawker Food House (or simply Hawker for me and my officemates) is a simple-looking restaurant that is patterned after food stalls in Singapore, and serves hearty and affordable Asian meals such as Nasi Goreng, Hainanese Chicken, Roast Chicken, Yang Chow Fried Rice, Beef Hofan, Laksa and many more.

So, to cap our tiring week off, my forever food buddy and I decided to dine here for the third time. Haha. I ordered the Hainanese Chicken meal (with rice, soup and cold tea), while my partner opted to satisfy his fried rice cravings with Yang Chow Fried Rice (again, with rice, soup and cold tea).

(Hainanese Chicken)

(Yang Chow Fried Rice)

As usual, Hawker had us hollering in our minds. Haha! In fact, we barely talked for the whole duration of the dinner, prompting me to joke “So, galit-galit tayo?” (So, are we mad at each other? – rough translation). The food was that good! I was satisfied with my Hainanese Chicken— very subtle and tasty, and tastes more awesome with its special sauce! I also liked the Yang Chow Fried Rice (huge serving of rice mixed with veggies PLUS three pieces of tangy fried chicken)— you’ll be needing lots of room in your stomach for this.

(Props to my boyfriend for having a good eye for this shot— and a clear phone camera to match!)

All in all, we were more than satisfied. This won’t be our last time here… I’m sure. Haha. Visit their website at www.101hawkerfoodhouse.com for more information!

Happy blogging (and eating lol!)
Jane

Food Quickie: KFC’s Pillow Puffs

Earlier this evening, my boyfriend and I were thinking of a “sorta” new place to have dinner in Waltermart Makati, where we did some Christmas costume shopping. It was kinda tough for us, considering that we’ve already tried all the affordable ones there. Haha.

Then we saw a newly-opened KFC on the other side of the mall… and I was like, “It’s not really new, but…” and he said, “But it’s newly opened!” HAHAHA. Oh, what the hell.

Good thing there was something new to try at KFC— Pillow Puffs. It was included in our Duo Meal (which was super sulit, by the way!), as a dessert. It consists of nugget-like bread pieces dusted with powdered sugar, and served with chocolate dip.

And the verdict is… surprisingly good!

It’s actually like Auntie Anne’s pretzels, except they’re not actually pretzels. Haha. It tastes good, especially with the thick chocolate dip. It’s also a perfect dessert for people on-the-go, too!

Try it now and let me know! 🙂

Happy blogging (and eating!)
Jane

Food Quickie: Mang Inasal’s Palabok

Mang Inasal is best known for its delicious chicken served with unlimited rice and toyo-mansi (and chicken oil, just sayin’ haha). But, just recently, I decided to order something different for a change.

I tried their palabok to, well, see if it’s worth coming back for. Prior to ordering, my friends warned me that it’s not that good, but I ordered it anyway.

(Okay, I should elaborate: palabok is a traditional Filipino dish, which consists of clear, thin noodles covered by thick shrimp sauce and topped with slices of egg, green onions, fried garlic, beancurd, bits of pork crackling, prawns, pork, and flaked smoke fish. Not complete without calamansi.)

Anyway… and the verdict is: good enough! 🙂

It’s actually yummy, but to be honest, it’s quite saucy. There’s just too much of the sauce going on in the plate. But I like the fact that Mang Inasal didn’t hold back on the ingredients (I don’t eat shrimp, but I appreciate the number of shrimps in my plate). I guess the only thing I don’t like about this dish is that it can be unappetizing in the end. Just the end. Haha.

But that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth a try (at least once)! Don’t take my word for it! 😉

Happy blogging (and eating!)
Jane

Food Quickie: Bon Chon’s Seoul Fried Rice

Starting today, I’ll be doing this “Food Quickie” whenever I come across new food in town. Though I’m not a food critic and really don’t have full rights to review food, I think this activity is going to be fun… and helpful to other people. Heehee. 🙂

So anyway, I just tried Bon Chon’s newest offering: the Seoul Fried Rice, which consists of ground beef, Korean spices and a bit of kimchi, topped with leeks, egg strips and toasted sesame seeds. I know most Korean dishes are spicy (and the fried rice looks a bit spicy in the ads), but I decided to go for it. What am I to lose, right?

Verdict: I enjoyed it. 🙂 In fairness, it tastes really good! I thought it was just another commercial deception, but it’s real delicious. I ordered the 1-pc soy garlic fried chicken and upgraded the rice to Seoul Fried Rice, so my dinner experience was even better. 😉

Oh, and the best part is… it’s not spicy at all!

I love Bon Chon’s fried chicken (it’s the only fast food chicken I like even without gravy haha), but now, I have more reasons to enjoy it. Don’t take my word for it— try it yourself!

Happy blogging (and eating)!
Jane