I can't believe it's already been more than a month since my last blog entry. It just goes to show how busy I've been lately. My blog obviously needed some loving, and what better way to get me back on the blogging wagon than to overwhelm my senses with two kilometers worth of food at Maginhawa Street during the Quezon City Food Festival.
We arrived there around 3:30pm, and there was already a crowd building up. With so much food to choose from, we needed a strategy. We decided to explore everything first before locking in on some heavy meals. Trust me, it was hard to see so many delectable food, and have to just walk by past it because something better might be in the next stall.
However, with all the walking involved, we need some gas or as we creatively coined it -- appetizers. I normally don't go crazy on siopao (unless it's Kowloon's Jumbo Siopao with chorizo and the works) but Toasted Siopao is on a whole different playing field. Toasting it gives it a unique crusty exterior but chewy interior as compared to its usual wet, sticky texture. Next we saw some grilled corn on the cob from Chabby's which is literally the best corn I've ever had in my life. It's the first time I've had grilled corn that's seasoned with salt, lime juice, lime zest, and sprinkled with some cayenne pepper. All these elements give the corn a complex flavor in addition to the beautiful smokiness it has from the charring on the grill.
We, of course, couldn't reach the end of Maginhawa Street without dropping by my cousin's cookie place which is on its soft opening. I'm not really into cookies but Chocolate Chip Army's Morphine Cookie is literally the best cookie I have ever had (and I'm not just saying this because the owner is my cousin). Loaded with Belgian chocolate chips, buttery cereal crunch, and gooey marshmallows, it's no wonder why this sweet and salty best-seller is so comforting and addicting! Just try it and you'll understand why I'm hooked on this cookie.
On our way back, the heat was getting to us so we had some authentic Vietnamese iced coffee as a refreshment. I had to wait for about five minutes though, but having patience for its slow drip process definitely paid off. The coffee was bold, and the condensed milk made it very creamy without being too sweet. It was so rich that it almost had a chocolatey flavor. Even my boyfriend Martin who's not a coffee drinker loved it.
The free taste of Chick en Chops' Porchetta had us going back there for more so we each got 200g of their Boneless Lechon Belly. Tender, juicy, and well-seasoned, it's a meat dish you'd want to splurge your calories on. After buying, Martin saw a guy eating some classic Filipino street food, and asked him where he bought it. Next thing you know, we were placing our choices of skewered pork inards on a paper plate. I had my favorite pork isaw, while Martin had pork barbecue and had me try betamax (pork blood) for the first time. Not as bad as I though it was gonna be. We washed it all down with some cold buko juice.
By the time we finished walking around, it was night time and the streets were full of people. In fact, there were so many people that by night time, the concessionaires already ran out of food to serve. We were actually lining up for some burgers when we were politely told that they ran out already. But despite the shortage of food towards the end of the day, I'd have to say that I had a great time at the Quezon City Food Festival. While we barely scratched the surface considering how much food there was to try, I'd say the ones we were able to eat are some of the best I've had.
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