Restaurant Review - Byron

Restaurant name: Byron

Location: Old Brompton Road, London

Description: Gourmet burger chain

Reason for visit: Dinner before going to the nearby Science Museum Lates one evening after work

I ate: One of their specials - I can't remember the name but it consisted of two 3oz burgers with double cheese, onions, burger sauce and in a potato bun, with fries. I also had a coke float - coke with a scoop of ice cream, which really takes me back to my childhood.

My companion ate: 6oz hamburger with American cheese and fries

The food was: Really tasty. I found my burger very filling and couldn't finish it; I thought that was because it was a double burger so was surprised when the waitress said it was two 3oz patties and their standard burger is one 6oz patty so exactly the same amount of meat! The potato bread bun tasted quite similar to normal bread but did start to fall apart while I was eating it.

The atmosphere/service was: Good, it's a nice casual chain and always a pleasure to visit

Price range/value for money: Good - a classic burger is £6.95 and a cheeseburger is £7.95. Fries are £2.95.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I've been here several times, they do a really good burger, there aren't too many choices or strange flavours on the menu so it's easy to choose and good for a quick meal before a show or when you haven't got a lot of time but want to sit down somewhere nice.

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Braised Pork Knuckles and Tofu with Black Beans

Braised Pork Knuckles and Tofu with Black Beans. Pork leg knuckles are always a winner to most pork loving Pinoys. This pork is nothing to do with the pork barrel that we Pinoy want abolish. This pork is however sinfully delish.

Braised Pork Knuckles and Tofu with Black Beans is another OPC original dish that I would like to share. Tokwa or firm tofu goes best with braised meat dishes beside being healthy it is also good as meat extenders. I have been regularly using firm tofu on my recipes both as meat extender or as an healthy alternative to meat. For today’s Braised Pork Knuckles and Tofu with Black Beans, tufo is used or added because I thought it will best compliment the fatty fork leg. As expected the dish came out extremely delicious. Here is the recipe of my Braised Pork Knuckles and Tofu with Black Beans.

Ingredients:



1 pork leg, knuckle, sliced/cut crosswise

1 piece big block tofu, sliced into thin rectangles, fried

1/2 cup tausi, salted black beans, drained and rinsed

1 head garlic, chopped

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp. Hoisin sauce

2 tbsp. Black bean sauce

2-3 pcs. star anise

1/2 tsp. cracked peppercorn

2-3 pcs. bay leaf

2-3 tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

4-6 hardboiled eggs

salt





Cooking procedure:



Put in pork leg in a large saucepan, add water to cover, bring to a boil and simmer for a minute. Now drain first boiled water and rinse off all scum. Return cut pork leg in the saucepan add in fresh water to cover, add in garlic, soy sauce, cracked peppercorns, bay leaf and star anise. Bring to a boil and simmer at low to medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, add more water as necessary. Add sugar, hoisin sauce and black bean sauce and fried tofu, simmer for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the meat is tender and the pork skin is soft like gelatin and the liquid is reduced to about half. Add in the boiled egg and black bean, cook for another minute. Thicken sauce with cornstarch diluted in 1/4 cup water. Season with salt to taste if required. Serve hot with a lot of rice.





See other related pork pata recipe;



Braised Pork Leg with Tausi

Pata with Coke, Pork Leg Braised with Coke

Pata Tim

Braised Pork Leg with Hoisin Sauce

Paksiw na Pata ng Baboy

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Kare Kare Recipe

Kare Kare

Estimated cooking time: 2 hours


Kare Kare Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of beef (round or sirloin cut) cut into cubes, beef tripe or oxtail (cut 2 inch long) or a combination of all three (beef, tripe and oxtail)


• 3 cups of peanut butter


• 1/4 cup grounded toasted rice


• 1/2 cup cooked bagoong alamang (anchovies)


• 2 pieces onions, diced


• 2 heads of garlic, minced


• 4 tablespoons atsuete oil


• 4 pieces eggplant, sliced 1 inch thick


• 1 bundle Pechay (Bok choy) cut into 2 pieces


• 1 bundle of sitaw (string beans) cut to 2" long


• 1 banana bud, cut similar to eggplant slices, blanch in boiling water


• 1/2 cup oil


• 8 cups of water


• Salt to taste

Kare Kare Cooking Instructions:

In a stock pot, boil beef, tripe and oxtails in water for an hour or until cooked. Strain and keep the stock.

In a big pan or wok, heat oil and atsuete oil.

Sauté garlic, onions until golden brown, then add the stock, toasted rice, beef, oxtail and peanut butter. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Salt to taste.

Add the eggplant, string beans, pechay and banana bud. Cook the vegetables for a few minutes - Do not overcook the vegetables.

Serve with bagoong on the side and hot plain rice.

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Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

Sweet and Sour Pork

Estimated cooking time: 45 minutes


Sweet & Sour Pork Ingredients:

• 1/2 kilo pork loin, sliced into pieces


• 1 small can pineapple chunks


• 1 large onion, quartered


• 1 red & 1 green bell peppers, sliced into strips


• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce


• 3 tablespoons of peanut oil


• 4 tablespoons of cornstarch


• 3 tablespoons of ketchup


• 1 tablespoon of sugar


• 1 teaspoon of salt


• 3 cloves of minced garlic

Sweet and Sour Pork Cooking Instructions:

In a pot, boil pork in 2 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt until tender, then drain (keep the pork stock for later).

Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and soy sauce then coat the pork with the cornstarch mixture.

Fry the pork in a skillet until golden brown, set aside.

Dissolve the remaining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch on 1/2 cup of pork stock - set aside.

Sauté garlic and onions on oil, then add the bell peppers, pineapple chunks (including the syrup), ketchup, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the dissolved cornstarch. Stir until sauce thickens.

Pour over fried pork then serve with rice.

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Cat and Mouse Birthday Card

I'm not sure I like this card all that much but I thought I would share it anyway - maybe someone has a suggestion for how it could be improved. I used a little wooden cat and mouse, which are three-dimensional but flat on one side so you can stick them onto the card, and some cardboard button stickers. I also have a small cat hole punch which I used to punch cat shapes along the bottom of the card. I mounted the cat and mouse on a piece of spotty blue backing paper and added a 'happy birthday' outline. The only problem is that the size of the cat and mouse means this card isn't a standard price to post and counts as a 'large letter'!

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Inihaw na Bangus sa Grill Plate

Inihaw na Bangus sa Grill Plate. Most of our readers have probably seen or have cooked our version of inihaw na bangus wrapped with aluminium foil. That version was something special and original to Overseas Pinoy Cooking due to the addition of bagoong alamang on the tomato, onion and ginger fillings.

Today I would again want share another version of inihaw na bangus. Although you may wrapped the fish with aluminium foil, but this time I decided not to wrapped the fish with aluminium foil for the reason that I am using a grill plate and I wanted the grill marks on the grilled bangus. For this version I again introduce another ingredients, sampalok sinigang mix. The sourness of the sinigang mix will complement the already rich flavours of the filling with bagoong alamang. Here is the recipe of my second version of Inihaw na Bangus.

Ingredients:

2 large size bangus, milkfish
3 medium size tomato, chopped
1 large size onion, chopped
2 thumb size ginger, chopped
1/4 cup bagoong alamang
2 pc. green sili, chopped
3-4 stalk spring onions chopped
2 tbsp. sampalok sinigang mix
salt

Cooking procedure:

Remove gills of milkfish, keep scales intact. Make a slit at the back of the milkfish and remove innards leaving the stomach fats. Wash milkfish including cavities and drain. Rub skin and cavities with salt and set aside. To prepare stuffing, in a bowl toss onion, ginger, tomato, green chili, spring onion, bagoong alamang and sinigang mix. Stuff milkfish cavity with the mixture and stuff the green sili at the middle of cavity keep aside. Heat the grill plate over the largest gas or electric stove at high heat. When the grill plate starts to smoke reduce heat to medium setting. Grill fish for 10 to 15 minutes, then at high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, cover the fish with pot lid during the entire grilling. Now using a stainless or aluminium turner carefully flip the fish to grill the other side. When done serve the grilled fish with your choice of dipping sauce mixture.

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Sinigang na Hipon (Shrimps Sinigang) Recipe

Sinigang na Hipon

Sinigang is a Philippine dish famous for the variety of ingredients. Sinigang often incorporates fish, pork, chicken, shrimp, or beef. This time we'll use Shrimp for our recipe. Sinigang's characteristic taste is attributed to the ingredient that gives its sour taste and most commonly use ingredient is Tamarind or Sampalok for its sour taste.

Ingredients:
- 1 Kilo Shrimp
- 1/4 kilo of Tamarind/Sampalok
- 1 Onion, diced
- 3 Tomatoes, quartered sliced
- 2 pieces Radish regular size, sliced
- 1 bundle of Sitaw
- 1 bundle Kangkong, cut into 2" long
- 3 pieces long green chilli
- Salt or Patis to taste
- Water

Cooking procedure:
1. Boil Tamarind in water to soften. Mash and extract all juices and set aside.
2. In a casserole, boil water and Tamarind juice, onions, tomatoes and Radish.
3. Lower fire then add in Shrimps, Kangkong, Sitaw and green long chilli. Simmer it for 5 minutes.
4. Season with salt or patis.
5. Serve it hot on a pot or palayok.

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Chicken Adobo, Food Safari Chef Ricky Ocampo's Recipe

Chicken Adobo, Food Safari Chef Ricky Ocampo's Recipe. One of the recipes that intrigue me on the recent episode of SBS Australia TV’s Food Safari - Filipino Food Episode was the chicken adobo by Ricky Ocampo. On that episode Sydney cafe owner Ricky Ocampo shares his grandmother's recipe of chicken adobo.

I was fascinated by his cooking method of chicken adobo which involves frying the chicken first before adding the soy sauce, vinegar and other aromatic ingredients. Below is the segment where Chef Ricky Ocampo shares in details how to cook his grandmother's chicken adobo.

SBS Food Safari Chef Ricky Ocampo's Chiken Adobo

Now if you are interested in watching the full episode of the SBS Australia TV’s Food Safari Filipino Food episode click the link below.

SBS Food Safari - Filipino Episode

Today I tried to replicate Chef Ricky Ocampo’s Food Safari’s chicken adobo. First of all I would strongly recommend using only the freshest chicken that you can buy. The aroma of the adobo cooking in our kitchen was very evident I tough even our neighbours would have smelled it. The chicken adobo was indeed taste good as claimed. The only negative comment is the final product was very oily because of the generous amount of oil during frying and the oil that rendered from the chicken skin and fats during frying. I would suggest reducing the amount of oil used in frying and if one is really a health buff use skinned chicken. Here is the recipe of my adaptation of Chicken Adobo, Food Safari Chef Ricky Ocampo's Recipe, go ahead have a try.


Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken, cut into large servings
1 cup apple cider or white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 head garlic, peeled, crushed and chopped
2 tbsp. freshly coarsely ground black pepper
3-4 pcs. bay leaves
1/4 cup cooking oil


Cooking procedure:

In a large frying pan heat the cooking oil until it start to bubble.

Lightly fry the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes on all sides or until golden brown.

Add in the garlic and continue to fry for 2-3 minutes until the garlic are lightly browned.

Add the bay leaves, coarsely ground black pepper and soy sauce, continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add in the vinegar, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to moderate to low.

Cover and let simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the liquid is reduce to an oily sauce. Serve with a lot of hot rice.

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Pakbet or Pinakbet Recipe

Estimated cooking time: 35 minutes


Pakbet Ingredients:

• 1/4 kilo pork with fat, cut into small pieces


• 2 Amapalya (bitter melons) sliced to bite size pieces


• 2 eggplants, sliced to bite size pieces


• 5 pieces of okra, cut in two


• 1 head garlic, minced


• 2 onions, diced


• 5 tomatoes, sliced


• 1 tablespoon of ginger, crushed and sliced


• 4 tablespoons bagoong isda or bagoong alamang


• 3 tablespoons of oil


• 1 1/2 cup water


• Salt and pepper to taste

Pakbet Cooking Instructions:

In a cooking pan, heat oil and fry the pork until brown, remove the pork from the pan and set aside.

On the same pan, saute garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes.

In a casserole, boil water and add bagoong.

Add the pork in the casserole and mix in the sautéed garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add in all the vegetables and cook until the vegetables are done, careful not to overcook.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot with plain rice.

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Meal Planning 2013- Week 37

I wanted to post something today so I don't skip a week in numerical terms - this is week 37 and I will just get confused if I leave it out! But there is no meal plan this week as I'm on holiday in Cambodia, Singapore and Malaysia. See you next week!

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Pinoy Food Kuala Lumpur?

Pinoy Food Kuala Lumpur? One of the popular overseas cities that Pinoy usually go both as tourist and OFW is Kuala Lumpur the capital city of Malaysia. Just recently I have visited Malaysia for a job related travel. It has been almost ten years since the last time I was in Kuala Lumpur, I used to work in the Oil and Gas Construction in Malaysia with a multinational inspection company that was based in Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur has change ten folds since then.

OK this post is about my Pinoy food travels so let’s limit our subject matter to Pinoy Food Kuala Lumpur? Having not visited Kuala Lumpur for some time, I have to ask around from some Pinoy that I have met on the streets and in the Hotel that I have stayed, for the reason that I was not able to get sufficient information from the internet.

All pointed to Kota Raya an old Shopping Complex opposite the famous Petaling Street in China Town. The place is where most of the maids and OFWs will spent their Sunday day off. The complex is not limited to the Filipino Restaurants and Carinderias, it is considered the unofficial Little Manila, it is a one stop collective place in Kuala Lumpur where business establishment that are related to overseas Pinoy can be found.

There are shops for Pinoy food and other Pinoy domestic products, money remittance and door to door couriers, travel agencies, employment agencies, beauty parlors and shops that cater to the OFW’s. It is similar to Lucky Plaza in Singapore but in a very much smaller scale.

The two Filipino restaurants that I have visited offers a wide choice of Filipino Food, served Carinderia style, I was surprised by the large selections on food that are available and I was there on the weekdays, I was told that they have bigger selections on Sundays.

As I have mentioned earlier that the place is just opposite Petaling Street. Petaling Street is the hearth of China Town in Kuala Lumpur. The street have converted into a permanent street market complete with canopy on the whole stretch of Petaling Street. Now if you are in Kuala Lumpur and looking for cheap or bargain items this is the place, but be ready to negotiate.

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Sizzling Pork Chop

Sizzling Pork Chop Bacolod Style

One day when I was in one of the mall here in Bacolod, I have the chance to drop by in its food court thinking on what to eat. I’m not sure why that thought came into my mind then I realized that I’m craving for Sizzling Pork Chop.

Sizzling Pork Chop tastes good and is easy to prepare. The sizzling effect makes this dish more appealing. Aside from the pork chop, mixed vegetables, yellow rice, and gravy are necessary to complete this dish. For the vegetables, I used the fresh frozen mixed vegetables. I placed it in the microwave oven for 2 minutes to cook a little. I was able to come-up with great tasting yellow rice by combining steamed rice with margarine, garlic powder, salt, and a little paprika.

I want to write more about this dish but I can’t resist its inviting aroma. I better start eating while the plate is still hot. Happy cooking!

Try this Sizzling Pork Chop recipe and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 1 piece (8 oz) pork loin chop


• 1 cup beef broth


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder


• 3/4 cup mixed vegetables, cooked


• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour


• 4 tablespoons butter


• 1 cup yellow rice

Cooking procedure:

1. Rub salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder on the pork tenderloin chop. Let it stay for at least 30 minutes.


2. Make the gravy by melting 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan. When the butter melts, gradually add the flour and whisk until the color turns light brown. Pour-in the beef broth and stir. Add salt and pepper according to taste. Continue cooking until the texture becomes thick. Set aside.


3. Heat a skillet of frying pan then put-in 2 tablespoons of butter and let melt.


4. Pan-fry the pork loin chop in medium heat until the color of each side turns light brown (approximately 7 to 8 minutes per side). Set aside.


5. Heat a sizzling plate or fajita plate then put-in 1 tablespoon butter.


6. Distribute the butter around the plate then arrange rice, mixed vegetables, and pork loin chop.


7. Pour gravy over the pork loin chop then turn-off heat.


8. Serve. Share and enjoy!

Watch the Video on how to cook Sizzling Pork Chop here:

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Sinigang na Corned Beef

Sinigang na Corned Beef. I was tempted to try to make sinigang na corned beef, which has been a subject of a lot of Pinoy foodies for some time now. Yes corned beef in sour broth, not that canned corned beef that most Pinoy are familiar with, but firm corned or cured beef meat against the mushy canned corned beef. Here in Australia corned beef silverside are readily available in most supermarket and meat shops, therefore making a good sinigang na corned beef here is one step less, the curing or the process of making corned beef out of fresh beef meat.

I have seen a lot of sinigang na corned beef in the net using the canned corned beef and would say it looks awful, the sight of disintegrated corned beef swimming on the sinigang broth seem not right. However I still believed that it may taste better than its look, perhaps I could try to make one in the near future, besides I have already tried to use canned corned beef in a soup dish, the corned beef sopas and it was very yummy.

For this sinigang na corned beef, for the vegetable ingredients I just used eggplant and some napa cabbage, these are the usual sinigang vegetable ingredients that most Pinoy used in the absence on the usual Pinoy sinigang vegetables when overseas. Here is the recipe of my version of Sinigang na Corned Beef.

Ingredients:

1 kilo corned beef silverside, rinsed, cut into large cubes
1 medium size napa cabbage , trimmed, cut into four sections
1 large eggplant, cut into large wedges
1 small bundle spring union or leeks, trimmed, cut into 2” lengths
4 medium size tomatoes, quartered
2 medium size onions, peeled, quartered
3-5 pieces long green chili
1 small packet sampalok sinigang mix
salt to taste

Cooking procedure:

Pill a large sauce pan with water to about half full and bring to a boil. Add in the cubed silverside corned beef, tomato and onion. Simmer at moderate heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, remove scum that rises, add more water as necessary. Add in the sampalok sinigang mix, half table spoon at a time until the desired sourness in achieved. Season with salt to taste. Now add in the eggplant and long green chili, continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the napa cabbage and spring onion and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot with a lot of rice.

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