Mighty Quinn's: BBQ Cooked the Old School Way

The holiday season is all about reuniting with good friends over some great food which is why when my friends and I wanted to have our annual Christmas get-together, we were lucky enough to catch the opening day of one of the newest restaurants at the Mega Fashion Hall -- Mighty Quinn's.

One of the best barbeque chains from New York has now made its way to Manila to give us a taste of what old school barbeque cooking is all about. Mighty Quinn's pride themselves in using only the finest ingredients, and cooking it with wood and time which grounds you to the basic elements of making great food.

The wood interiors gives it a rustic feel, making you feel like you're just in a friend's backyard, having some barbeque and cold drinks. The ordering process is self-service so you basically just go up to the counter and tell them what you want. I really liked this because you can talk to the people preparing your food, and you can really see the side dishes which help you decide what you want to order. Also, seeing the big chunks of meats being carved right in front of you is so entertaining, and surely whets your appetite.

Since we were a big group, we ordered a full rack of their ribs, a pound of their brisket, and some dirty rice and potato salad for sides. Unlike the usual fall off the bone ribs you'll find in other restaurants, Mighty Quinn's emphasizes that their ribs are not that, and rather have a little bite to it so that you can literally hold the rib bone, and tear the meat with your teeth. I liked how the ribs are not drenched in sauce so that you can really appreciate the smoky flavor from the barbeque process.

Just like their ribs, their brisket was spectacular. It was so moist and tender, and I really liked how it was meaty but had a thin lining of fat to keep it juicy. It's good as it is, but I recommend that you try their signature barbeque sauce with it which has a nice balance of tanginess and spiciness.

For the sides, we had the dirty rice which is rice mixed with the rich, flavorful drippings of the meats. They showed us how they did this and they literally squeeze the cling wrap used to wrap the meat to extract all the drippings into the rice. They also scrape off the excess sauce left on the carving board and add it into the rice. We also liked the potato salad because the potatoes were not too mushy and it had a refreshing spiciness to contrast the creaminess of the dressing. 

I don't know how we managed to make room for dessert considering how stuffed we were, but we all shared some of their bread pudding which is banana pudding topped with vanilla ice cream. The warm, gooey banana pudding paired so well with the cold vanilla ice cream, and was a great finish to an incredible meal.

Check out my video below to see some mouth-watering clips of my experience there!

Ippudo Vlog

If you ask me what restaurant food I always crave the most, it would have to be Ippudo's Shiromaru Motoaji Ramen paired with their classic Pork Bun. Aside from the fact that a big bowl of hot noodle soup is one of my ultimate comfort foods, Ippudo's ramen dishes are just so clean-tasting yet bursting with flavor which is why I just can't seem to have enough of it. On our last visit there, Martin and I vlogged our dining experience so we can share with your our usual orders, and why you should definitely try it out for yourself. I seriously never thought I can talk that much about ramen but I guess that's just really how great it is. You can watch the vlog by clicking the link below!

Potts Point Cafe Vlog

I always love finding restaurants that serve organic, healthy, delicious food, and one of my favorites is Potts Point Cafe in Eastwood. The ingredients they use are mostly organic, are sourced locally, and the freshest that they can get their hands on. My boyfriend, Martin and I, have eaten there before but we wanted to try other dishes on their menu since we were impressed with how delicious the food was during our previous visit. We, of course, had to vlog the experience so we can share with you some recommendations if you want to eat there sometime. Just watch our vlog below!

A Day in Paris

As I'm going through my photos in Paris and writing this blog post, I can't help but wish I was back there. Much like my first trip there before, we only had a day to explore Paris but a day trip there is enough to make you realize that this city really is one of the most beautiful in the world.

From Brussels, we took an early morning train to Paris which only lasted about an hour and a half. Since we didn't have a guide to tour us around, we were supposed to get on a hop on hop off tourist bus that goes around tourist attractions so that we could cover as much ground in our limited time. We took a cab supposedly to go to the bus terminal at the Louvre but we were fortunate enough to have met the nicest taxi driver. He immediately recognized that we were Filipinos because he met some while working in Bangkok and Malaysia teaching French. When he found out our itinerary, he gave us a lot of helpful tips on how we can go to all of the major sites just by walking and short taxi rides instead of the tourist bus. It ended up being a great decision because we were able to leisurely explore the streets on foot and get a more local feel of the city.

He dropped us off at the Louvre Museum which was the perfect starting point for our tour. We didn't have enough time to go inside the museum but the exterior of the Louvre is already a masterpiece itself. We definitely spent too much time there taking pictures but you really can't help it because of how beautiful it is. 

From the Louvre, we made our way to Champs-Elysees. We had a choice between walking through the Jardin de Tuileries but we opted to walk along the parallel streets where the shops and cafes were. We also passed by the Luxor Obelisk at Place de la Concorde. 

We actually got a bit lost because instead of going all the way straight to find Champs-Elysees, we made a wrong turn but it was okay because we were able to walk along the River Seine. We also got a glimpse of the Pont Alexandre III (bridge), the Military Museum, and the Grand Palais and Petit Palais. That's one of the nice things about Paris - I feel like there's no such thing as getting lost because every corner you turn, there's always something beautiful to see.

After consulting google maps, we finally made it to Champs-Elysees and window shopped in all of the designer stores. A girl can dream right? At the end of the of the street, we were greeted by the Arc de Triomphe, which after our long walk was kind of like our pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 

From the Arc de Triomphe, we walked going to the Eiffel Tower. It's my second time seeing it and yet I still found myself smitten with it. There really is nothing like seeing the Eiffel Tower to make you realize you're not dreaming, and that you really are in Paris. 

By the time we got there it was already past lunch time so we decided to grab some sandwiches and have a casual "picnic" by the river Seine where you'll find the Bateaux Mouches (boat tours).

We then took a taxi to go to Notre Dame Cathedral. I was actually more familiar with the Sacre Coeur than Notre Dame so I didn't really know what to expect but we I saw it, my jaw just dropped. It's probably the most beautiful church I have ever seen. I love how structure-wise, it's one of the largest cathedrals in the world, and yet the design of the carvings and stained glass are so small and intricate. Now I know why it's one of the most famous church buildings in the world. It's so beautiful I just couldn't stop looking at it.

As much as I didn't want to leave Notre Dame, we had to go our final stop - the Sacre Coeur Basilica in Montmartre. It's located at the summit of butte (hill) Montmarte, which is why aside from seeing the Basilica itself, it's the best place to get an overlooking view of the city. By this time, we were already so tired not only from touring Paris but from the non-stop travelling that we did touring other cities in Europe. Just as the sun was about to set, we found ourselves just sitting by the steps, looking out into the city, and feeling absolutely grateful for the amazing trip that we had.

To see more of our Paris trip, watch my vlog below!

The Grandeur of Rome

You have no idea how much I have always wanted to go to Rome, and in Italy in general. As a student who's favorite subject was world history, I have always been fascinated with the Ancient Civilizations, most especially the Ancient Roman Empire. The history, art, culture, architecture, food, and the basically the La Dolce Vita way of life - I could just go on and on about everything that I love about Italy. Being able to go to Rome was definitely a dream come true for me. It felt so surreal to see the grandeur of Rome in real life. 

As Catholics, naturally our first stop had to be The Vatican City. Since we went there without a guide or without doing enough research beforehand, we actually ended up cueing for four hours only to realize we were in line for the Vatican Museum when our priority was really St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica. Despite that unfortunate incident, everything turned out well, and we were even lucky enough to have gotten tickets to enter through the Holy Door which is only opened on a Holy Year (Jubilee) and only happens every twenty five years.

The moment I set sight on St. Peter's Basilica, what caught my attention was how beautifully the sun shines on Rome. The Basilica is enveloped in honey-colored light as if it had a halo around it. When I saw its interior, I honestly couldn't wrap my head around how such a structure could have been built. Every single inch of the Basilica was covered in artwork with such intricacy. I feel like no picture or video could ever do justice to its magnificence. It's something you just really have to see in real life.

After touring the Basilica, we went around St. Peter's Square to buy some souvenirs, and to try some gelato.

I've seen the Trevi Fountain so many times on travel shows and movies, but trust me, there is no show or movie that can ever prepare you for how beautiful it really is in real life. It's a lot bigger than what you would imagine it to be. We went there at night so it was already lit up which makes it look so magical that it's as if your wish when you throw a coin in it would surely be granted. It's one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen.

From the Trevi Fountain, we walked going to the Colosseum and on our way there we passed by the Il Vittoriano which is a monument built in honor of Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy. We actually didn't know what the structure was (I had to google it) but it's massiveness demands to be noticed.

Right next to it is the Roman Forum where you will find ruins of the ancient city. I was so giddy when I saw this because as I said, I love anything related to Ancient Rome. I'm just so amazed by the fact that these ruins have survived to this day despite being built as early as 7th Century BC. 

We only had a day to tour the city and since we lost a lot of time waiting in line at the Vatican, we didn't have enough time to see the other tourist spots in Rome. However, something I couldn't miss seeing was the Colosseum. I've watched the movie Gladiator too many times that I would be crushed if I didn't see the Colosseum in real life. It's one of the most iconic sites in Rome and much like the gladiatorial games that were held in it before, it truly is a spectacle to see. You just feel like you're transported back in time when you see it, and its presence is truly a testament to the greatness of the Roman Empire. 

Everywhere I looked in Rome, I honestly couldn't help but think "How were they able to build these beautiful grand structures way back when they didn't have the construction technology that we have today?" I'm so glad I have finally ticked Rome off my bucket list, and I really hope I can come back to explore the other cities of Italy as well.

Watch my Rome vlog below to see the grandeur of Rome for yourself!