Just got back from Baguio and I have fashionable news for you. The double K logo says it all. Ladies who grew up with Kamiseta, the homegrown clothing brand, will be delighted to know that the kamiseta (shirt) has grown full-blown into an artful patchwork of beautiful patterns, both literally and figuratively. The just opened Kamiseta Hotel is a boutique hotel with themed rooms. It houses the Vanilla Cupcake Bakery and of course a Kamiseta store.

We were billeted at the Baguio Country Club for an event (Thanks, Yek Yeu!), so I don’t have photos of any room, but you could check out the dreamy rooms here. (Oh, love the toile de jouy room!) And because Irwin of the fab Kitchen Lab in Laoag told the Laoag attendees to try the Vanilla Cupcake Bakery’s strawberry shortcake, we stopped by the cafe on our way home.

The menu is not limited to desserts only, but you know the sweet tooth in me, strawberry shortcake was the first thing I asked. The waiter said it wasn’t available, so I told him it was that cake that brought us to the place, and as luck would have it, he came back to say one cake was given the go-ahead for slicing. Yippee!

The meticulous Irwin was right. I ordered an extra and actually wanted one more, ‘coz it was kinda light — perfectly spongy with a hint of cream, not too sweet, and layered with fresh Baguio strawberries and nice frosting. I think I love this strawberry shortcake more than the one I’ve blogged about in the past. Brandon says he likes it better, too, ‘coz the other one has gelatin.

Kamiseta Hotel for a vacation on steroids, why not?

Hope to see you again for my next post, a new discovery for authentic Cordilleran fare.

Kamiseta Hotel
20 Villamor St., Brgy. Lualhati, Baguio City, Philippines
(074) 442-4613 / +639217612872 / +639153846987
kamisetahotels.com

© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2016

Thanks to the digital world, we are now able to access something fast and easy, whenever, wherever. Like in the case of a crazy craving for authentic, traditional Ifugao etag (cured, smoked and aged pork), which brought us to Cafe Yagam, a homey cafe specializing in Cordilleran fare.

At Cafe Yagam, etag is used to boost an otherwise bland pinikpikan (smoked chicken soup), and best eaten with their tapuey-based dipping sauce. I’ve never really enjoyed the controversial pinikpikan this much. A diverse spread of flavors from the mountains of Cordillera went next.

We had Kalinga binungor, a spicy vegetable stew with agurong (or what we call birabid in Ilocos), and pinuneg, a Kankanaey blood sausage that went well with the default sweetish, spicy vinegar dip. Just to differentiate kini-ing from etag, we also ordered kini-ing pasta in yogurt sauce. Etag is more gamey as it undergoes fermentation.

Pressed ethically sourced mountain coffee is a specialty here, so we didn’t leave without a fill. I had it dark and it was really good with the sticky rice dessert that was served with the meals.

If we base good indigenous food on the decent-sized local crowd present enjoying tradition, then Cafe Yagam does it well.

Service was nice and prices were reasonable.

Never had mountain food this exotically tasteful.

Café Yagam
#25 J. Felipe Street, Gibraltar, Baguio City
09464550364 / 09212565677 / (074)423-0839

© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2016

Just a quick review of Kumori’s signature Hanjuku Cheese before going to the last of my latest Baguio series. I have to thank my best friend Marla for the box of sweetness. Since New York cheesecake is the only cheesecake I will have over and over again, a fluffier, creamier Japanese cheesecake will hand over a bit of heaven as well.

The size of this very Japanese cheesecake is just right to whet one’s appetite for something sweet and cheesy. To my taste, sugar level is not that high. The texture goes from pillowy to silky. It’s half-baked I read. Considering that the bakery originated in Japan, and the Philippine Kumori uses imported ingredients, except the eggs, the goodies are on the pricey side (again, I had to probe). You can find them, and perhaps fall for other Kumori goodies, at SM and Landmark Makati and SM North Edsa.

On cloud nine for now.

© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2016

Classic. The one word to describe Baguio. It has everything the family will mutually love. Behind the threatening traffic and the hustle and bustle of a loaded city, you can find your own peaceful spaces — at the end of the day, the heart and soul of the summer capital of the Philippines — a cheerful spot for everyone.

Cool mountain weather, nature, fresh food, diversity, indigenous cultures — what’s not to love?

Enjoyed the weekend at the Baguio Country Club, compliments of Yek Yue. Service was great as usual. Japanese food at Hamada was excellent, and Cotterman Room (where we had most of our meals) never fails to satisfy especially their famed steaks.

Made time for our own family adventure. Ahmad Brothers Cafe was nowhere to be found. We actually found the signage somewhere near their old location, but couldn’t locate the cafe and the traffic was crazy, so we went to Ozark Diner instead. Known for authentic Southern cooking, the smoked crispy pork rib was succulent inside, just fantastic! Brandon went to Amare with his friends, really missed that one, particularly their original foie gras pizza.

Before leaving the city, we had native food at Cafe Yagam (here) and amused ourselves at Kamiseta Hotel (here). Strawberry Shortcake was first-rate at the Vanilla Cafe.

Lovely time!

© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2016

Was actually billed 101 pesos, but made tawar (haggled) the 1 peso. And a plate of rice was included.

Kristina’s Carinderia (facing the Jehovah’s Witnesses church on the western portion of Rizal St., and near the Iglesia ni Kristo) was Brandon’s find. Local senior citizens, families, office employees and policemen were fixed on their food when we arrived. You enter through a kitchen, (neat, btw) and point at your chosen items from among a see-through cabinet of noticeably freshly prepared viands.

Presko a baka (raw beef), also known as kilawen here, flavored with light papaitan, was delicious. The subtle use of seasonings such as sukang Iloko, salt, etc., let out the natural flavors of the main ingredients, like dinardaran was not overly sour, but rather naturally came out with that hint of sweetness (from the pig’s blood), and the katuday (katuray/corkwood flowers) salad was not too vinegary nor salty. I’m not sure, but I didn’t detect any use of MSG.

Yes, satisfying Ilocano food this cheap still exists.

Kristina’s Carinderia
Rizal St., Laoag City

© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2016

Last night we were brought to Indonesia via Saté, an authentic, I repeat, a real deal Indonesian restaurant that opened in San Nicolas just a few days ago. Of course, nasi goreng and sate (satay) ring a bell, but on my latest gustatory adventure, my taste buds were treated to a higher level — a full course dinner prepared by Indonesian Chef Robby Satiawan, a former executive chef at Banyan Tree in Macau, who has also worked in other parts of the globe like Maldives, and Qatar, where he met his Filipina wife, Marie. Looks like they are loving their new home, as I feel the excitement radiating from them.

How we found ourselves at Saté was by accident, utter serendipity, as my besties Marla and Louie and I planned to go to another resto, then we changed our minds in the car ‘coz someone said there’s a new Indian or Hindustani resto in the next town, then we were thinking yogurt-based, masala and so on, and then I realized Brandon told me about an Indonesian restaurant he saw last week, but couldn’t remember the exact location (he said he went to so many places that day, if that’s not premature Alzheimer’s).

The diverse menu says a description of every dish, so ordering is easy. Found Ilocano gado (gado-gado/salad), but desired all traditional. We started with brief dishes (a la banchan) of veggie appetizers. Our fave was the pickled Ilocos ampalaya (bittermelon). By the way, Chef Robby buys everything from the tiendaan (public market). Another appetizer, perkedel, a fried corn dumpling that reminded me of our very own squash okoy, when topped with the shallot-sambal condiment (something like a spicy atchara), made beautiful contrast.

I love unusual drinks, so hot bandrek, a black pepper pandan drink with coconut bits, traditional in Indonesia the chef said, was surprisingly refreshing. Imagine a spiced sago at gulaman (the liquid).

Chicken sate and kukus (steamed chicken marinated in chili and sambal) went great with coconut rice. If you’re a chicken lover or on a diet, I highly recommend kukus, easily our favorite. Isi tahu (stuffed tofu) was also light and lovely.

The langka (jackfruit) sweet course on the menu was not available, but my discontent vanished as soon as we scooped out the flavors of the two other desserts. Penyet, grilled bananas with toasted coconut flakes and cubed jelly (with the texture of Turkish delight) sent me to cloud nine. A West Javanese treat, sarang burung, which means bird’s nest, but had pseudo bird’s nest (agar-agar) has Chinese influence. I remember to have tasted a cold sweetened bird’s nest soup back in the days when I was eco-ignorant.

Chef Robby’s cooking has fantastic balance, nothing overly seasoned nor cloying, aromatic yet delicate. And spiciness was tempered as he is still in the process of feeling the local palate. But I’m sure you can request your level of hotness.

Had to have a photo with my FB friend Trixie Ablan, who is apprenticing with the Indonesian chef.

Ending this post with a message to Chef Robbie and Marie, naragsak a isasangbay idtoy Ilocos!

Sate Modern Indonesian Dining
NationaL Highway, Barangay 1-San Francisco, Ilocos Norte, Philippines

© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2016

Only until I was able to confidently hop on a train to go to Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA), and take the bus without really looking at the bus app anymore, that I was able to fully enjoy exploring the hidden gems of the city. I have company on Thursdays, but otherwise, it’s a better idea to have your own loose schedule, making room for randonimity.

I have my favorite spots like I’d want to go back to over and over again, and share it with friends.

The Last Bookstore on Spring St. is walkable from my other fave places like the Grand Central Market.

The Los Angeles Arts District is for someone who doesn’t mind walking blocks of old warehouses converted to galleries, hip bars and cafes and trendy boutiques. If Instagrammable settings are your thing, then you should be hawk-eyed for catchy street art.

Hipsterdom Silver Lake also happens to be a foodie heaven. Too many options, but so far liking Pine and Crane for Taiwanese food, Millie’s breakfast plates, El Cochinito for Cuban homestyle cooking,  kitschy Thai restaurant Night + Market Song, Milk for desserts, and on the border of East Hollywood, there’s Sqirl which I never tire of. If you eat only organic, you will love the weekend market.

Not your ordinary vintage shops abound in this neighbornood.

Any Chinatown in the world is interesting, but what makes the Los Angeles Chinatown more interesting is the fact that the Far East Plaza, which used to house Chinese cultural art and traditional products, has opened its doors to an insane hodgepodge of globally liked dishes, like there’s a good ramen spot, a Chego, which creates modern Korean rice bowls, a banh mi and pho place, a bao house owned by actor Eddie Huang (they have the best coffin bao!), an inexpensive but fantastic Chinese restaurant, Scoops with the most original ice cream flavors, the newly opened contemporary Filipino Lasa, not to forget Howlin’ Ray’s which has an impossible long line always.

Not far from the Far East Plaza are great dim sum restaurants like Ocean Seafood (if you find the San Gabriel Valley out of the way).

The Grand Central Market. Yes, the iconic 1917 Grand Central Market is better than ever, what with the new Los Angeles food culture. And then mixing the old with the new makes the experience more evocative.

The long line leading to Eggslut is still there. I always get the Fairfax with avocado and bacon add-ons. Sari-Sari Store is good news to Filipino food lovers. Liking the sisig bowl, super nakaka-nostalgia.

A lot of food for the soul here.

Right across the Grand Central Market is the Bradbury Building, a living proof of stellar historical preservation. If it looks familiar to you, it is because it was used as filming location to scenes in the original Blade Runner.

Something I enjoyed was tracking down the Camera Obscura that gives a pinhole view of the Santa Monica beach.

Discovering the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine on Sunset Blvd. in Pacific Palisades was serendipity. So Zen, it is a place to forget all your worries, or just be away from the urban wild.

I like spending my time in museums. I love LACMA where Picasso made me cry. And The Broad was so much fun. Across The Broad is the Disney Concert Hall.

They say the best thing about LA is Koreatown. If you like Korean food you will definitely agree, but there’s more than Kbbq and bibimbap and jap chae here. The busiest Boiling Crab is in Ktown. It’s also home to Sun Nong Dan, which serves the best sullungtang bone broth and cheesy galbi jjim. I swear by Cassell’s Hamburgers at the Hotel Normandie. And the best bingsoo, to me, is at Anko. Wako Donkasu, for its  cold soba and pork katsu, is another personal fave. I’m having an affair with a Korean hairstylist. I buy my green tea here, and checking out the latest in Kbeauty is therapeutic.

I’ve never enjoyed Los Angeles like this before.

Got into a fight before the holidays ‘coz my friend looked dazed after that last big lunch at Baroo, and we missed the stop going to the ice cream place, which meant I had to go on a month-long hibernation without getting my ice cream fix.

Yeah, ice cream is the happiness you can buy that won’t make you go broke. It’s actually better than sex.

And at Gresescent you can have a multiple orgasmic bouquet of different flavors. So I had a cone filled up with lychee rose, blackberry mint mojito, lemon bar, salted caramel buttercake, and rosemary toffee — how does that sound? I-scream’ed lychee rose!

Spent two days-off to go to Quenelle, in Burbank, trying to have funnel cake ice cream sandwich, available only on Wednesdays, at a certain time of the day, but wasn’t really lucky in love. Got to try a scoop of Hot Cheetos, though. But the revelation was the cheesecake ice cream bar. Had a twosome.

At Saffron and Rose, in Westwood, where I had the signature saffron pistachio, ice cream in Middle Eastern flavors is all organic, and very dense, which I enjoy more.

One of my most memorable ice cream flavors in LA is amaretto from Eatalian Café.

The Grom gelato shop, at the Dolby Theater on Hollywood Blvd., proved to be less than a tourist trap. I got my money’s worth. Not content with just gelato, I also tried their refreshing fruit granitas.

Filipino ice cream is well-represented in LA, and ube is honored at Wanderlust Creamery, which specializes in travel-inspired artisanal ice cream flavors.

I’ve had an awful lot of ice cream in Los Angeles. Some were uninteresting, some were too sweet, some were not worth the hype, some were too fancy, but there are those that keep haunting me like I keep going back to Sonny’s Amazing Italian Ices and Creams for balsamic strawberry, maple pecan and salted caramel, Bennett’s for cabernet sauvignon sorbet, Coolhaus for Thai iced tea (oh, Netflix with cheddar popcorn and Doritos nacho notes was suprisingly good), and Scoops has very interestingly unique flavors like Korean creator Tim Kai has already created more than a thousand flavors that were featured in their shops over the years. But it’s always a good idea to have Häagen-Dazs or Thrifty Vanilla and Baskins-Robbins Old-Fashioned Butter Pecan in the fridge.

‘Coz I can relate to very Asian flavors, but nowadays, Asian feels are becoming more and more universal, I can appreciate flavors like plum, or mango and sticky rice, or Thai iced tea, or cocoa curry coco, or ginger whatever, but I swear by Tamashii Ramen House’s red bean ice cream, wherever it was made.

There’s a current trend for making simple soft-serve ice cream into Instagram-worthy subjects. A whole lot of Korean and Japanese style ice cream are being introduced like the taiyaki with a fish-shaped waffle cone, the cotton candy-covered ice cream, and the powder-dusted cremia.

Ta-da! Buko ice cream that is presented like traditional Filipino buko ice candy is a hit at Rice Bar on 7th St. in DTLA.

Worth mentioning, the cassata Milanese at Spumante Restaurant on Magnolia Blvd. at the Noho Arts District was ambrosial.

An awesome find, Mateo’s Ice Cream and fruit bars, in Culver City, satisfied the Mexican in me. Had too much tamarindo popsicles there.

Well, after all is said and done, if I’d be asked to pick an ice cream flavor to be my lawfully wedded husband, then it has to be Salt ‘n Straw’s masterfully crafted black olive brittle and goat cheese, with the perfect texture and all the right ingredients.

Tomorrow, I’m ending my hibernation, and back to eating what makes me happy.

Have to be thankful for the fact that I still have a day each week, happily exploring my current home.

I’ve added Vicious Dogs at the Noho Arts District to my top hotdog joint collection. Krusty Krab with crab cake-topped hotdog, Chicago dog and the last of the limited edition (as in only one left) bbq pulled pork were good choices for a first time customer.

No Thursday is complete without sweetness. I was thrilled to see avocado paleta at La Michoacana. Got guava and wanted more like I saw eggnog, cucumber and a lot more in exciting colors.

‘Coz it’s LA, also had raspados con lechera and a dulce de leche-filled churro.

I was expecting a teddy jacket kind of season, but this is how we do winter in LA.

For my next post, I’m doing my current fave MLBB.

There’s no place like home, but with no lola or nanay or hubby’s cooking to come home to, Rice Bar is home to me. And Chef Charles Olalia makes pancit luglug and longaniza (the hamonado kind) so much better than anyone else I know. And on my most recent visit, Vigan longaniza (in top photo) and pancit devil eggs were so new on the menu.

At the high point of its popularity, Filipino cooking in LA gets more and more powerful, and Rice Bar is one of the few innovative ones who has successfully defined Filipino food with just a handful of dishes on the menu. There will always be pancit, lumpia and adobo anywhere else, but Rice Bar has also other things like tinola is unexpectedly a bestseller, and the longaniza rice bowl is so good that I had two the first time, and buko ice candy for dessert? That’s so brilliant.

Pancit devil eggs taste so much like palabok with a zing of lemon.

If you happen to be in Downtown LA, Rice Bar is located on 7th Street. The space is tight and I liken it to a carinderia, but that’s part of Rice Bar’s appeal.

Just like home.

At last, a convenient stop for silog in Los Angeles! Just like its name, Sari Sari, which is the Filipino word for variety, the store or stall that opened last summer at the iconic Grand Central Market, offers notoriously liked traditional mainstream items, and lechon manok, arroz caldo and halo-halo are the Chippy, Halls and Coca-Cola here.

Caught Chef Margarita Lorenzana Manzke, one of the owners of Sari Sari Store, also a co-owner of the crowd-pleasing République on La Brea, and Wildflour Bakery & Cafe in Manila, a James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef nominee, fervently working on  buko pie, a mainstay at Sari Sari. Husband Chef Walter Manzke was also around.

Located in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA), the Grand Central Market, a 1917 landmark, houses the many different flavors and cultures of the city. Eating here is a must-do when in LA.  Eggslut, Wexler’s Deli, Mc Connell’s Fine Ice Cream, La Huerta Candies, and lately, Sari Sari Store, are my frequent stops.

Arroz caldo is a hit among non-Pinoy guests here. With mushrooms, it’s a delicious modern rendition of the original arroz caldo back home. So far, I’ve tried tortang talong, studded with corn, and best eaten with patis; sisig rice, which is more liver than pig face, but definitely, the way I like it, like the original Kapangpangan Aling Lucing style; the Americanized buko pie; halo-halo with frozen watermelon and caramelized rice crispies; and homemade calamansi soda — all fun and still Filipino, notwithstanding the fresh twists on the basics.

Absolutely, unlike a sari-sari store in the Philipines, no pa-lista here, cash and credit cards only.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth All Rights Reserved

I just realized I posted about machang, those Chinese pandan leaves wrapped sticky rice cakes you may have seen in specialty stores in any Chinatown in the world, but I never really mentioned how to make them last longer to save you on trips to the store, especially if you live in the province. But in my hometown of Laoag,  machang is on the Macy’s Diner menu, but because my husband knows where to buy it by the dozen in Manila, he not only saves time, but money as well.

Now that I’ve been living a schizo life in LA, I actually don’t have much time for too many things such as going to the Kang Kang Food Court, in Alhambra, where machang (zongzi, bah-chang, jung, dong, Chinese suman, or however you call the sticky rice cake) tastes like the one I’ve grown up eating in the Philippines, however, I can bring home a bunch, store them and enjoy them later like they are newly made.

Machang can stay in the fridge for up to 3 days, and beyond that, store them in the freezer. To recook frozen machang, straight from the freezer, boil it for one hour, a little longer if you are cooking more than one piece. Don’t be impatient and open the lid frequently. For cold machang, boil for 20 minutes. Unwrap before serving.

Guaranteed, it will taste as fresh as the day you bought it. Enjoy!

This machang from Kang Kang was insanely good!

Til my next post.

Photographed by Blauearth COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

We like to Instagram everything, and the so-called breakfast photographers are now the influencers of the world. Yassss, bowls are the new plates! Next to rice, what about spooning our smoothies from a bowl?

According to Earth Bowls, set to launch a pop-up stall at the iconc La Paz Sand Dunes, in Laoag, at the start of summer, this coming March 30-31, a healthy eating lifestyle change should be fun and delicious. Barely out of college, Laoagueños Modesty Eugenio and Brandon Tan have partnered to introduce the smoothie bowl as well as promote nutrient-dense eating.

Q&A WITH MODESTY AND BRANDON

BlauEarth: I know you two are foodies, like always in the kitchen, or eating out, and now, you yourselves are making food a business. What made you fix on smoothie bowls?

Modesty: Bran and I always love eating, but for the past year, we started to eat clean as frequently as we can, and smoothie bowls are yummy healthy snack that we think everyone can actually enjoy.

Natural and/or organic are on average costly. Will an earth bowl be affordable?

M: Healthy eating has always been perceived as costly, but with great effort, we managed to source locally made ingredients to make every earth bowl affordable and healthy because we believe that these two can go hand in hand.

Brandon, were you also part of recipe development?

B: Yes, Modesty and I both gave our own list of recipes. We made a total of 12 recipes and cut it down to 5 with the help of family and friends. We spent two straight days tasting every recipe and there was no guilt eating through all those bowls of fruits.

What is your favorite earth bowl?

B: My favorite earth bowl would be the one with mango, spinach and strawberry (there’s no name yet). I never knew this three could go well together. Definitely love at first taste.

Food preparation as a business can be very demanding, it is also an art that requires skills, how prepared are you trying your hand at something new?

B: I’m the type of person who loves trying new things. Being the first to introduce smoothie bowls in Ilocos is exciting, and to sustain the trend is challenging.

I see it’s a pop-up stall, do you imagine it as a brick-and-mortar business soon?

M: Yes, definitely, the original plan was a cafe-like establishment but we didn’t have much time to plan due to conflicting schedules. We are planning to launch it before the month of August. And once it’s put up, we have our fingers crossed that it’s going to be the go-to snack stop in Ilocos.

(Follow earthbowlsph on Instagram and Facebook)

COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

First time I walked past the more striking sections of Beverly Hills, and it was worth precious time.

On Santa Monica Blvd. where Saint Laurent and Sprinkles are so noticeable, Harajuku Crepe is not easy to spot. I had to use GPS, actually.

So un-Beverly Hills, the Japanese crepe place is tiny with only a couple of tables.

Harajuku in Japan is known for crepes that are rolled like cones.

Thanks to wonderful service, it was easy customizing my order. First, I got a sweet crepe with green tea skin, mochi, asuki beans, strawberries and a scoop of strawberry ice cream. The whole thing turned out nice, not overly sweet like I initially thought it would be.

But I wouldn’t leave without satisfying my curiosity for a savory crepe, the yakisoba crepe in particular. Delicious!!! Thanks to the helpful server, or owner, I was led to great choices.

You don’t have to spend a fortune for interesting food in Beverly Hills. Spent less than $20.

Photographed by Blauearth COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Thank you to each and everyone who has been a part of BlauEarth since day one! The blog is exactly 9 years old today!

To all that have read a post or scrolled up or down this maze of slipshod stories reflecting the capricious moods of the author, my heartfelt thanks, and hoping you’ll be around for more of my adventures in Los Angeles, or in Ilocos, or anywhere else in this frigging awesome world.

I still do and enjoy the same things, like in this post, I rode the Metro, went to random places like the Hammer Museum of UCLA, and walked through a block of fresh produce and social enterprise goods (benefiting  the marginalized like former gang members) at the Westwood Village Farmers Market, open only on Thursdays (12-6PM), before hopping the bus, again, to an extremely fashionable neighborhood for the previous post.

Here, buying my favorite diet food. Beet me up!

Admission to the Hammer Museum is free. It also has a theater. A lot of private Hollywood events happen there as well.

Van Gogh’s 1889 Hospital at Saint-Rémy  where he voluntarily went in for recurring mental illness.

Again, it’s been wonderful sharing my discoveries and snippets of my daily life with you.

Love,
Tina Tan

PHOTOGRAPHED BY BLAUEARTH COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Earth Bowls successfully launched its first pop-up stall at the La Paz Sand Dunes in Laoag, Ilocos Norte.

In harmony with its eco-friendly country-living theme, paper bowls and biodegradable spoons were used.

Five Earth Bowls smoothie bowls, namely, Adams (their bestseller), Burgos, Badoc, Laoag and La Paz were introduced.

In the planning stage is their next pop-up. Follow earthbowlsph on Instagram and Facebook.

Congratulations, Modesty “Chin” Eugenio and Brandon Tan, on the great start of your innovative green idea with healthy eating in mind!

Photos courtesy of Earth Bowls and @didjuan on Instagram

COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I can be a pretentious eater on occasion, like trying to go all the way vegetarian or strict vegan, until back to being the foodie that I truly am.

I had unforgettable seemingly healthy meals like in the top photo was a Sozai Mixed Bento from the kitchen of Delicatessen by Ozawa in Pasadena. That was so tasty and always a great idea to have a lot of variety in one meal.

Then making an effort to try the intriguing Baroo at a drab LA neighborhood was like a lucky treasure hunt. This tiny hipsterish Korean restaurant specializing in fermentation is so big in flavors. I liked everything I tried — from the ragu pasta with faux oxtail and tendon pops to traditional Korean salads imbued with beautiful modern twists. It deserves the spot in LA’s best, appearing frequently in lists since it opened.

I now know what it’s like to be in an uncompromisingly vegan restaurant like Cafe Gratitude on Larchmont Village. Ordering is reciting affirmations (hahah!) making the mood zany, yet light, in this always packed healthy spot.

Vegan can be very tasty like Cafe Gratitude’s samosas.

Having breakfast at Sage Organic Vegan Bistro on Sunset Blvd., in Echo Park, was accidental, nevertheless, a wonderful discovery with the corn pancakes I found strange, yet enjoyable.

I love the use of rusty corrugated metal panels with clean white, something akin to earthy and fresh.

Talking about natural and fresh, I’m big on fruit juices, a luxury, like fine wine. I frequent juiceries for potent mixes, preferably those with spinach, lemon, ginger, turmeric, kale and beets. Not to mention, Mexican shops for agua frescas, but they tend to be too sugary.

Have you ever tried a kombucha? It’s fermented tea, with probiotics, often flavored with natural fruit juices. The first time I had it, I got hot and red, like I drank champagne. I read it’s a good way to cleanse.  You can find the fizzy tea beverages at health food shops and better juice bars.

And then my current breakfast obsession.

Backyard Bowls, Ubatuba, and The Harvest Bar top my list for breakfast bowls.  It’s fun that you are able to customize your own bowl or add more to your typical acai, fruit and grain bowl.

Also, loving the vegan Superfood Nachos at The Harvest Bar with jackfruit (langka) meat stand-in for the carnitas. It’s a great tasting vegan version of the original, which ends up even better with its winning makeup.

Savory bowls as lunch options for the healthy eater make breakfast bowl places pleasurable all day. Qwench Juice Bar has vegetarian burritos.

I am discovering so much about a better, more healthy eating lifestyle. Give me a little more time.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Photographed by Blauearth COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

A craving for ramen brought me to Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles. Had an authentic one at Men Oh Tokushima on 2nd St.. The umami-rich broth of the Tokushima special was so delicious it was worth walking three blocks away from the Japanese Village Plaza where Sanrio and good mochi are.

Discovered ube getting global through the Blue Nova food truck parked on 1st St.. The specialty of this ice cream truck is organic ice cream rolled into pretty creations. Really got excited with my Ube Crunch, which turned out yummy.

I couldn’t leave the Sanrio store without anything My Melody or Hello Kitty. Oh, and before I forget, Twinkle Brown Sugar Tea (in the collage below) was a fine discovery.

The Japanese American National Museum

Enjoy your weekend, friends!

Photographed by Blauearth COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

What started as one Korean grocery store on Olympic Blvd. in the 70s turned into a full–blown town. Not anymore LA’s best-kept secret, food-driven Koreatown is so huge in terms of cultural evolution. Not limited to bulgogi and bibimbap, there is a lot to be obsessed about in this town. I come here a lot, like 2-4 times a month. I have my hair done here, I love the melting hot oil massages here, I check what’s new at the trendy Korean stores and specialty markets. Even the Philippine Consulate is on one of the buildings on Wilshire.

Food in Koreatown is quite complex. Other than bbq and other traditional Korean food that we know too well like in old reliable joints like Park’s Barbeque and Kubawoo, Koreatown is home to one of the best American burgers in the entire Los Angeles. At Cassell’s Hamburgers, in the revamped Hotel Normandie, you’ve got to try the juicy burgers!

Not to be outdone, hotdogs, a more spirited kind of hotdog sandwiches, a specialty of Japanese Sumo Dogs on Western Ave. to be precise, has a cult following. I’ve already tried three kinds, and I’m getting addicted to the signature sumo dog with pork dog, topped with pickle relish, strips of nori and a special teriyaki sauce.

Among LA’s best donuts, California Donuts has the best maple bacon I’ve tried. They have a good selection of yummy sweet and savory donuts and cronuts. There’s always a line, so it’s best to go at off peak hours.

Soft serve ice cream gets a whole lot of different trendy treatments in K-town. It’s a mood thing, like you can choose from cotton candy topped (a specialty of CottonHi), to powder-dusted (in Creme), to honey cube topped (in Honeymee), and at Bumsan, organic milk ice cream is held by pretty candy-laced cones

Other non-Korean Asian food that makes me keep going back to Koreatown, besides the Taiwanese pastries, are Japanese curry at Coco Ichibanya, and katsu and cold soba at Wako Donkasu.

High-end, quality K-bbq to affordable all you can eat, there’s always a bbq place to suit your budget. Yelping is always a good idea.

Have you ever tried Korean dumplings? Move over XLB! I swear by Myung In Dumplings delicious buns! I also like Myung Dong Kyoja’s pork and shrimp dumplings. Not to mention, their vegetarian guksu (noodles) in milky kong (soy bean) soup is wonderful.

Manly sullungtang, ox bone soup cooked for days, is the specialty of Sun Nong Dan. But check out the video of galbi jjim below. It is the same hearty short rib stew that celebrity chef David Chang (of Momofuku and Majordomo fame) eats more than anything else when in LA. In a way, with cheese, it’s like caldereta back home in Ilocos.

Koreatown is not Koreatown without bingsu. My fave places to have this shaved ice dessert is Anko and Okrumong. There’s also Hwa Sun Ji for traditional patbingsu.

Injeolmi comes in toasts (like in photo above) or sticky rice cakes covered in bean powder. There are really so many kinds of Korean rice cakes. I’ve tried a few, but with their long names, it is difficult to memorize all. There’s savory and there’s sweet like mochi.  The baked ones, black and white bean-filled, from Okrumong are so delicious that I can forget about other sweet stuff!

Time at a Korean salon is deliberate in between food stops.

It was fun sharing with you my trips to Koreatown, a place I so love in Los Angeles. I hope you will love it, too.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY BLAUEARTH COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

An all-you-can-eat was called smorgasbord when I was still the budding foodie in an apple haircut (or was it a mushroom?). The word became passé and buffet was in. That was in the Philippines.

Fast forward to today, I meet Smorgasburg in Downtown Los Angeles, an offshoot of the once a week open-air food market in New York, Smorgasburg, dubbed the Woodstock of eating by the NY Times.

Smorgasburg LA, which likewise attracts loads and loads of foodies, is a mammoth market at the back of the now defunct American Apparel headquarters, open on Sundays only since 2016. Under the Cali sunshine, it’s impossible to meet all the passionate artisans, crafters, chefs, visionaries, future entrepreneurs, fellow food lovers from all walks of life and ages.

So on my first Smorgasburg adventure, I had lobster from Lobsterdamus, and Ericke had Hawaiian shrimps from Shrimp Daddy.

The garlic noodles that came with my grilled lobster with Cajun butter sauce was supergood, tasting exactly like the “anemic” pancit in Ilocos. If I go back again to Smorgasburg, I’m going to get the same noodles, noodles only for 6 bucks, everything planted in my head!

I’ve already heard good things about Ensaymada Project, but never had one. I intended to try the bestselling ube, but was sold out. Queso de bola made me forget the slight dismay.

We bought more than a dozen. Quezo de bola and classic cheese with beautiful texture, were so good. I don’t like fancy ensaymada so much, but the salted caramel and mocha nutella, especially when warmed, were really nice with coffee.

Seeing a kababayan in a muticultural locale enlivened me because a lovely dimension of the Filipino food culture gets represented. The next natural thing to do, a photo with owner Chari Heredia-Reyes, a pretty and pleasant lady who happens to be related to the Savellanos of Ilocos Sur.

When in LA, Smorgasburg is the place to be for a single-day food exploration. All in all, there are 65 vendors. There’s beer at the bar and the ice cream alley is worth checking out. Don’t forget!

Till my next post. Bye.

Photos by Tina Tan COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED