A New Find in Makati- A restaurant without a name

There is a new restaurant that is about to open in Makati. According to Goo Simplicialo, one of the chefs who I interviewed while we were  waiting for our meal to be served, the restaurant just opened its doors to the public last April 1, 2011. It was Iggy and Cris who stumbled into this restaurant one evening while  they were working late at Cinematic Studio. All the other restaurants at LRI Design Plaza Building were closed. After their dinner, they called me up and suggested that I should go and try out the new restaurant .... which doesn't have a name yet at the ground floor of the building. What got me interested in trying out this restaurant ... was --- Iggy told me ... the crew of LOLO DAD'S was there.. At first I did not believe him .. but he said... that the sous chef, Marge Villena , and  chef Ariel Manuel was there inside the kitchen.

Those paintings which caught my eye were done by one of the students of AMORSOLO.

So today, after work -- Iggy, Cris, Rommel and I decided to go and have dinner at this restaurant. Iggy told me to try their Hainanese Duck Rice. He said it was really good!!

When we got there.... the place was empty... but I liked the ambience of the place immediately. It was the old RICCO RENZO restaurant under new management ( that is the reason for this restaurant not having a name yet ). I quickly looked at their menu to check out their prices. Their prices were reasonable.. and the dish that Iggy wanted me to try was not available anymore. They had instead Hainanese Chicken Rice and Hainanese Fish instead of the Hainanese Duck.

My Homemade Deep Fried Shrimp Wonton Recipe

If you are craving for something light, appetizing , yet not too complicated to make.... here is an easy recipe to do... Deep Fried Shrimp Wonton Recipe. These wontons may also be boiled and served with chicken soup. My grandchildren loves it! I decided to try and concoct my own recipe of these shrimp wontons and share it with you.

INGREDIENTS:

Wonton wrappers ( the ones used for siomai )
1/4 kilo shrimps ( shelled and deveined ) - then chop finely
2 tsps. of finely chopped green onions
1/2 tsp. finely chopped ginger

MARINADE:

1tbsp soy sauce
1tsp Chinese Rice Wine - you can buy this at the supermarkets or you can use dry sherry wine.
1tsp sesame oil
1tsp sugar

In a deep bowl mix all the ingredients above into the marinade and let it stand for at least an hour. You can prepare this ahead of time and keep it in the freezer till it is time for you to use it.

Wrapping wonton is actually quite easy and fun. You have to work with one wonton wrapper at a time. Simply separate them and lay them side by side on a damp paper towel to avoid them from drying out. Place a teaspoon of the shrimp filling onto the middle of the wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper and gather to seal. Another way to seal is -- to twist gently with wet hands. The easiest way is like the photo above.. you just pinch the edges of the wonton wrapper but what I do is to shape it like little pouches which makes it easier to eat.

Heat enough cooking oil on a deep skillet and drop wontons one by one. Since my skillet was not that big I dropped 5 at a time. You can also use a pair of wooden chopsticks while doing this.

Fry for about 2 - 3 minutes until golden brown. You will know when they are done .... is when the wontons float upwards.

Serve with soy sauce. There are different sauces you can use with these wontons. You can either use sweet chili sauce, mango chutney ( a must try !) , or you can eat it plain.

Well, wasn't that as easy as pie??? Try it out today and let me know what you think about it!

Happy Cooking Everyone!

XO KITCHEN is an Xtra-Ordinary Kitchen after all

My family and I would often go to Jupiter Street in Makati whenever we decide to look for a good place to eat. We have tried several restaurants along that street serving different types of cuisine... We would discover new places to eat all the time. Last week, Iggy and I were cruising down Jupiter street looking for a new place to have lunch... Iggy noticed this sign... XO KITCHEN... We decided to go and try it out and if we liked it--- we will be back with the rest of the family. Yes, Iggy and I enjoyed our meal so.... today... I took my family and my grandchildren to have lunch at XO KITCHEN. 

The place looked small compared to the other restaurants along Jupiter Street. There was ample parking beside it -- which is really a BIG PLUS for all customers who want to dine out. Traffic along Jupiter Street during lunch is really a nightmare! You can never find a place to park. 

As we entered the restaurant... On the walls were pictures of the food they have in their menu. The place was very clean... Iggy even commented that it smelled like some of the restaurants in Hongkong. I noticed this red dragon dressed up as a chef painted on their wall...