Rehearsal Dinner

My mom wanted me to make dinner for her friends in Manila so while I was here I asked some of my friends to be my test subjects. I knew my mom wanted to impress so I had to make sure I didn't disappoint. I agonized over the menu...I had it all planned out (after a week of deciding what to make, changing my mind, asking my husband, making my mind up, changing my mind...oh you know...being a gurl according to my husband) and I'm not much of a pastry chef... So finally, the menu...

Canape: Parma ham and watercress
Starter: Tigerprawn salad
First Course: Saffron and wild mushroom risotto
Second Course: Foie Gras, balsamic and port reduction with toasted brioche
Main Course: Lamb cutlets with herb crust, ratatouille and french beans
Dessert: Fruit Crumble with vanilla ice cream

Wine pairing and pictures were fabulously done by the magnificent Ray.

I even made a market and mise en place list to make sure I had everything covered.

Here's to dinner!


Mise en Place



Making prawn oil and lamb jus


Preparing the fruits...thank you to my bestfriend Winnie (muwah muwah) for lending her skills while I watched and learned how to make a perfect (hers) and decent (mine) fruit crumble


And dinner is served...

Parma ham and watercress


Tigerprawn salad with grapefruit and avocado; basil dressing and prawn oil


Saffron and Wild Mushroom Risotto


Foie Gras with balsamic port reduction and toasted brioche


Lamb cutlets with herb crust, ratatouille and french beans

And finally...


I had a blast. It was one of the most memorable nights of my life...cooking for friends...enjoying the food...and most especially...the company.

Thank you Ray for letting me use your kitchen, and for your unending hospitality.

The dinner in Manila turned out great...Michael did most of the work (thank you babe), and I took all the credit. My mom and her friends loved it.

Korean food at its finest

I'm back and, as promised, took loads of pictures of food. These ones are from the lovely restaurant of my very much loved friend Tinah. It's a korean restaurant, for singles, couples, and the whole family. The place is clean (very important), relaxed (no stuffiness required to enjoy your meal), and the amenities are so clean (the toilets were so clean...another very very important thing to check). It's a good time to check it out since I have been introduced to the mania sweeping the nation...korean soap operas. They have been a long time secret passion of my friend and now that everyone is going nuts over it, she can finally come out in the open (just kidding Tinah!)

Enough about the place, now to talk about the important part...the food. I've been eating korean food since I was 6 (courtesy of my mom who loves the cuisine) so my palate is quite accustomed to the food. I've had the priviledge of eating Tinah's mom's cooking, and you can't beat eating home cooked korean food. The restaurant's dishes did not dissapoint. It was an explosion of flavors. The staple things to order for me are the things that I've tried in other places; if they're good that's how I know that the restaurant is good (I'm not korean so I have to do it this way)

Korean Appetizers - kimchi, beansprouts, eggplant, sayote, upo or marrow, and the restaurant's special kimchi (so good my mom ordered half a kilo to give away to friends)


Chap chae - The korean noodle dish, which is usually vegetarian. Meat eaters do not be put off by this fact. The glass noodles are silky smooth, coated with oil but not at all greasy. The vegetables are cooked perfectly, with a tiny bit of crunch (none of that al dente fad going around) I wasn't quick enough to take a picture of it, it disappeared as soon as it was put on the table. Slurp.

Yuk hoe - Raw beef...yummmm. Not to everyone's liking, but if you like steak tartare then you'll definitely love this. The beef is minced into spaghetti-like strips, mixed with egg yolk and pears (most restaurants use singkamas or sweet radish and it works equally well)


Korean bbq - Only good if the meat used is fresh, that's all I can say. Partnered with spicy leeks ("Do not eat them as is!!!" scolded Tinah) the meat is dipped in salted sesame oil, topped with the leeks, a bit of raw chilli without the seeds and dipped in chilli sauce (heheh) then wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves. I'm salivating....


Kimchi soup with sesame paste and tofu - Again a vegetarian dish. It is usually an accompaniment to the meal and not intented to be eaten alone. This is another thing to try if you love kimchi, it's another way that it's served and gives it a whole new look and taste.


The food was amazing, one of the highlights of my trip back home.

Bi Won Restaurant
Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Philippines
look for Cristina Hong or if she's not there one of their courteous staff members will gladly assist