Pike Place Chowder (http://www.pikeplacechowder.com/)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Other
Location:	1530 Post Alley, Seattle WA

I met up with my friend Manolet last January 4. He just moved to Bellevue, Washington last end November 2008 and has never been to downtown Seattle. So I decided to take him to the famous Pike Place Public Market as he's never been there. (Naks! Ako na tourist guide. hehe. It's only my 2nd time there. And my brother-in-law and sister actually dropped me off on their way to Costco. hehe.) We met where his bus tops at West Lake Center.

Anyway, walking 4 blocks in the cold winter, one starts thinking of hot soup to warm up. And when you're in bay area Seattle, the answer is simple Pike Place Chowder.

It's multi-awarded New England Clam Chowder made the place famous so of course I had to try it. Clam chowders I've tasted before tend to be watery and too fishy tasting and so I was not exactly a fan. But this was creamy and thick and yummy to perfection. The creamy soup covered the fishy taste of the clam but without losing it altogether. The 8oz cup size was actually quite filling. They have it available in other cups too and if you want it, it can also be served in a bread bowl. Manolet got the Scallop Seared Chowder instead.

Ordering at the counter, they have several chowders to choose from and if you can't decide, you can actually taste a spoonful to help you make your choice. Hmmm...maybe I'll try the other chowders next time I head out to Seattle.

Ivar's Salmon House (http://www.ivars.net)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Seafood
Location:	401 NE Northlake Way Seattle WA

Day before I went back to Manila, my brother-in-law's Uncle Ted and Auntie Elsa were so sweet and kind to take me to Ivar’s Salmon House for dinner. They had hoped to bring me there for Sunday Brunch Buffet but unfortunately time did not permit.
Ivar's Salmon House is wonderfully located at the shore of Lake Union where guests can arrive via car or boat! It also has a wonderful view of Seattle’s skyline and you can also enjoy watching boats cruising the lake when you sit outside near the shore (when not too cold) or even inside (where we sat) by the shore-side windows.
The website describes the restaurant interior as a "wood cedar replica of a Northwest Indian Longhouse." To those like me that don't know what this means, the interior consisted of Indian wood carving, art and drawings, historical pictures of Indian tribes people, and pretty much everything you need to know about Salmon. It even has real long canoe-like boats hanging from the ceiling. I wish I brought my camera to take pictures. It almost felt like a museum but just the same it had cozy, homey feeling to it.
I ordered the Banana Squash Soup and of course, salmon, in the form of Alder Grilled Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (pancetta wrapped, served over spinach salad with mushrooms, onions and slivered tomatoes). The soup a bit spicy and gingery. It was good but it's not going to be my favorite. And though I've been eating salmon pretty much every other day since I got to Seattle -- from grilled salmon to sinigang salmon---I really enjoyed the salmon dish I got. I'm told by the waitress that the salmon was topped with bacon strips and spices, wrapped in paper before it was grilled to perfection. It gave a twist to the salmon without losing the creaminess of the fish. The spinach salad allowed me to refresh my tongue in between bites of the salmon. Yes it was good though a bit pricey - $28 for the salmon!
Anyway, 3 stars for the food + 1 star for the great location and interiors. I hope next time I can try the famous Sunday Brunch.

Tempero do Brasil (http://www.temperodobrasil.net/)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Other
Location:	5628 University Way NE, Seattle WA

Part of what I enjoy about traveling is trying out new cuisines.
Tonight, I met up with my old college friend Le, who's based in Seattle. He and his partner Mike brought me to this authentic Basilian restaurant along University Way. They've been there about 4 times and love how authentic the food tastes.
It's a quaint little restaurant much like a small house converted into a restaurant. It's quite a small structure compared to the other small buildings in the vicinity so one can easily miss it when you're driving by. But just the same the space is adequate and cozy with nice dark wood chairs and tables that give the place an intimate feel. (Picture here is from their website and not sure if it's due to the winter that the front porch-like area is currently covered with temporary walls so as to keep the place free from draft.)
Anyway, Le and I shared an order of Moqueca de Camarao (prawns simmered in coconut milk, onions and tomatoes, palm oil) as well as the House Special (stew of 3 types of meats with black beans and some greens on the side). Both served with rice. The prawns were perfectly creamy to my taste and the stew had such tender meats and sausages that easily complemented the black beans. Really mouth watering. I didn't know which was the last taste I wanted to leave in my mouth! Really yummy!
Only reason I rated it 4 stars is that I have yet to try the other dishes. And well, it's a bit pricey with appetizers at around $6 and the main course at $19 but just the same, I wouldn't mind going back once in a while. :-)

Thanks again to Le for treating me to such a wonderful, memorable meal.

Like an Aristocrat in Old Manila

Last August 31, the Company's SVP for Brand Marketing visited us and our Division President decided to treat him to dinner together with the entire Marketing team, heads of our Agency partners and our Bottler's President at La Cocina de Tita Moning located at San Rafael Street , Manila near Malacanang Palace. Kandy chose La Cocina not only for the Filipino-Spanish dishes it served but also for the turn of the century dining experience that the Legarda ancestral home provided its guests.
The evening started with cocktails as we waited for our party to be completed. During cocktails, ladies in uniform served vegetable sticks with a creamy sauce, some kind of butter and cheese spread mildly toasted on soft bread and a gingery tasting juice (failed to ask what it was). The servers constantly, albeit graciously, kept going around offering us the snacks as we chatted about the evening's traffic incident.

After a few minutes of waiting, we were then led by our guide, Edel, to the entrance of the main house. She told us about the Legardas who lived there and how San Rafael Street was like when the house was built. First room to your left as you enter the house is the Train Room. Dr. Legarda had bought a collection of model train set in 1970 which was originally from the late 1930s but never opened it. I think it was in 2001 when the granchildren decided to build the train set. It continues to be a work-in-progress. The room across the Train Room was turned into a selling area for their recipe sauces and dips. Next to this room is the Library. Musty smell of old medical books and Life magazines from the time filled the room. Across the Library entrance is a small hallway that led to Dr. Legarda's Clinic and Camera room. To this day, the Clinic still had his examination table, x-ray machine and actual human skeleton. We were told that at the time, medical students had to source their own cadavers thus the skeleton in his clinic. It also still had several bottles which had unborn fetuses of unsuccessful pregnancies but you could hardly see them as these were at the top of high shelves. Meanwhile the Camera room boasted of antique and different types of cameras. And pictures of the family were displayed all over the house as a manifesto to this lifelong hobby of Don Legarda.

Following this was the tour of the upstairs of the house. The living room area had original Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo paintings. The house also featured a bedroom and a dressing room. The dressing room featured a designer's body form that wore a wedding gown with a long intricately embroidered veil and other wedding accessories around the room. I would have appreciated the lovely dressed but since the body form was made to face the wardrobe mirror had a really creepy effect matched with the old musty smell of the room. It's really quite an elegant spaceous house.

Finally it was time for the meal.

As there were about twenty of us, we were seated in two long tables at the main dining area. It was a sit down dinner with complete table settings. I've lost the copy of the menu that evening but needless to say it was satisfying. Not great but satisfying enough. Personally I think one really pays more for the experience of being waited on, having a bell to ring to call the "help", using the antique table settings and being in an almost majestic old house in Manila.

It was indeed a different dining experience but only if you have the cash to spare.