Last night we were brought to Indonesia via Saté, an authentic, I repeat, a real deal Indonesian restaurant that opened in San Nicolas just a few days ago. Of course, nasi goreng and sate (satay) ring a bell, but on my latest gustatory adventure, my taste buds were treated to a higher level — a full course dinner prepared by Indonesian Chef Robby Satiawan, a former executive chef at Banyan Tree in Macau, who has also worked in other parts of the globe like Maldives, and Qatar, where he met his Filipina wife, Marie. Looks like they are loving their new home, as I feel the excitement radiating from them.

How we found ourselves at Saté was by accident, utter serendipity, as my besties Marla and Louie and I planned to go to another resto, then we changed our minds in the car ‘coz someone said there’s a new Indian or Hindustani resto in the next town, then we were thinking yogurt-based, masala and so on, and then I realized Brandon told me about an Indonesian restaurant he saw last week, but couldn’t remember the exact location (he said he went to so many places that day, if that’s not premature Alzheimer’s).

The diverse menu says a description of every dish, so ordering is easy. Found Ilocano gado (gado-gado/salad), but desired all traditional. We started with brief dishes (a la banchan) of veggie appetizers. Our fave was the pickled Ilocos ampalaya (bittermelon). By the way, Chef Robby buys everything from the tiendaan (public market). Another appetizer, perkedel, a fried corn dumpling that reminded me of our very own squash okoy, when topped with the shallot-sambal condiment (something like a spicy atchara), made beautiful contrast.

I love unusual drinks, so hot bandrek, a black pepper pandan drink with coconut bits, traditional in Indonesia the chef said, was surprisingly refreshing. Imagine a spiced sago at gulaman (the liquid).

Chicken sate and kukus (steamed chicken marinated in chili and sambal) went great with coconut rice. If you’re a chicken lover or on a diet, I highly recommend kukus, easily our favorite. Isi tahu (stuffed tofu) was also light and lovely.

The langka (jackfruit) sweet course on the menu was not available, but my discontent vanished as soon as we scooped out the flavors of the two other desserts. Penyet, grilled bananas with toasted coconut flakes and cubed jelly (with the texture of Turkish delight) sent me to cloud nine. A West Javanese treat, sarang burung, which means bird’s nest, but had pseudo bird’s nest (agar-agar) has Chinese influence. I remember to have tasted a cold sweetened bird’s nest soup back in the days when I was eco-ignorant.

Chef Robby’s cooking has fantastic balance, nothing overly seasoned nor cloying, aromatic yet delicate. And spiciness was tempered as he is still in the process of feeling the local palate. But I’m sure you can request your level of hotness.

Had to have a photo with my FB friend Trixie Ablan, who was apprenticing with the Indonesian chef.

Ending this post with a message to Chef Robbie and Marie, naragsak a isasangbay idtoy Ilocos!

Sate Modern Indonesian Dining
NationaL Highway, Barangay 1-San Francisco, Ilocos Norte, Philippines

© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2016

Seeing family is like chancing upon a Fil-Am ube cheesecake at Cafe 86 in Pasadena. Sometimes it’s there, and some days you see ube leche flan cupcake, like this week, I was able to touch base with Ericke, and two days later, with my beautiful cousin Samantha, who celebrated her birthday last week. Failed to attend any of her 3 parties ‘coz I was working that weekend. God, please create another weekend for those who work so others can have their weekends always.

Ericke’s office is in Pasadena, so she’s tried the new Asian fusion Fig Sprout that specializes in roasted chicken. I regret I didn’t take 1/2 ‘coz it was truly so delicious with the mint sauce and herbed rice. I am not a fan of chicken, but this one’s rare, like saying I have so much respect for El Pollo Loco. Ericke had Coco Pasta, very Asian with coconut cream, lemongrass, and so good that it was telling me to have my own full serving.

Before working another long weekend shift, had one more spontaneous date with Samantha at Market Provisions, a quaint restaurant in the LA Fairfax District near her office in Beverly Hills, and then she dropped me off to go walking down Rodeo Drive.

In my head debating whether to get rigatoni with crab and shrimps or linguini with lobster. Happy I listened to the waiter.

Life is an ube cheesecake, enjoy it when it’s there.

There’s no place like home, but with no lola or nanay or hubby’s cooking to come home to, Rice Bar is home to me. And Chef Charles Olalia makes pancit luglug and longaniza (the hamonado kind) so much better than anyone else I know. And on my most recent visit, Vigan longaniza (in top photo) and pancit devil eggs were so new on the menu.

At the high point of its popularity, Filipino cooking in LA gets more and more powerful, and Rice Bar is one of the few innovative ones who has successfully defined Filipino food with just a handful of dishes on the menu. There will always be pancit, lumpia and adobo anywhere else, but Rice Bar has also other things like tinola is unexpectedly a bestseller, and the longaniza rice bowl is so good that I had two the first time, and buko ice candy for dessert? That’s so brilliant.

Pancit devil eggs taste so much like palabok with a zing of lemon.

If you happen to be in Downtown LA, Rice Bar is located on 7th Street. The space is tight and I liken it to a carinderia, but that’s part of Rice Bar’s appeal.

Just like home.

At last, a convenient stop for silog in Los Angeles! Just like its name, Sari Sari, which is the Filipino word for variety, the store or stall that opened last summer at the iconic Grand Central Market, offers notoriously liked traditional mainstream items, and lechon manok, arroz caldo and halo-halo are the Chippy, Halls and Coca-Cola here.

Caught Chef Margarita Lorenzana Manzke, one of the owners of Sari Sari Store, also a co-owner of the crowd-pleasing République on La Brea, and Wildflour Bakery & Cafe in Manila, a James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef nominee, fervently working on  buko pie, a mainstay at Sari Sari. Husband Chef Walter Manzke was also around.

Located in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA), the Grand Central Market, a 1917 landmark, houses the many different flavors and cultures of the city. Eating here is a must-do when in LA.  Eggslut, Wexler’s Deli, Mc Connell’s Fine Ice Cream, La Huerta Candies, and lately, Sari Sari Store, are my frequent stops.

Arroz caldo is a hit among non-Pinoy guests here. With mushrooms, it’s a delicious modern rendition of the original arroz caldo back home. So far, I’ve tried tortang talong, studded with corn, and best eaten with patis; sisig rice, which is more liver than pig face, but definitely, the way I like it, like the original Kapangpangan Aling Lucing style; the Americanized buko pie; halo-halo with frozen watermelon and caramelized rice crispies; and homemade calamansi soda — all fun and still Filipino, notwithstanding the fresh twists on the basics.

Absolutely, unlike a sari-sari store in the Philipines, no pa-lista here, cash and credit cards only.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth All Rights Reserved

First time I walked past the more striking sections of Beverly Hills, and it was worth precious time.

On Santa Monica Blvd. where Saint Laurent and Sprinkles are so noticeable, Harajuku Crepe is not easy to spot. I had to use GPS, actually.

So un-Beverly Hills, the Japanese crepe place is tiny with only a couple of tables.

Harajuku in Japan is known for crepes that are rolled like cones.

Thanks to wonderful service, it was easy customizing my order. First, I got a sweet crepe with green tea skin, mochi, asuki beans, strawberries and a scoop of strawberry ice cream. The whole thing turned out nice, not overly sweet like I initially thought it would be.

But I wouldn’t leave without satisfying my curiosity for a savory crepe, the yakisoba crepe in particular. Delicious!!! Thanks to the helpful server, or owner, I was led to great choices.

You don’t have to spend a fortune for interesting food in Beverly Hills. Spent less than $20.

Photographed by Blauearth COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

What started as one Korean grocery store on Olympic Blvd. in the 70s turned into a full–blown town. Not anymore LA’s best-kept secret, food-driven Koreatown is so huge in terms of cultural evolution. Not limited to bulgogi and bibimbap, there is a lot to be obsessed about in this town. I come here a lot, like 2-4 times a month. I have my hair done here, I love the melting hot oil massages here, I check what’s new at the trendy Korean stores and specialty markets. Even the Philippine Consulate is on one of the buildings on Wilshire.

Food in Koreatown is quite complex. Other than bbq and other traditional Korean food that we know too well like in old reliable joints like Park’s Barbeque and Kubawoo, Koreatown is home to one of the best American burgers in the entire Los Angeles. At Cassell’s Hamburgers, in the revamped Hotel Normandie, you’ve got to try the juicy burgers!

Not to be outdone, hotdogs, a more spirited kind of hotdog sandwiches, a specialty of Japanese Sumo Dogs on Western Ave. to be precise, has a cult following. I’ve already tried three kinds, and I’m getting addicted to the signature sumo dog with pork dog, topped with pickle relish, strips of nori and a special teriyaki sauce.

Among LA’s best donuts, California Donuts has the best maple bacon I’ve tried. They have a good selection of yummy sweet and savory donuts and cronuts. There’s always a line, so it’s best to go at off peak hours.

Soft serve ice cream gets a whole lot of different trendy treatments in K-town. It’s a mood thing, like you can choose from cotton candy topped (a specialty of CottonHi), to powder-dusted (in Creme), to honey cube topped (in Honeymee), and at Bumsan, organic milk ice cream is held by pretty candy-laced cones

Other non-Korean Asian food that makes me keep going back to Koreatown, besides the Taiwanese pastries, are Japanese curry at Coco Ichibanya, and katsu and cold soba at Wako Donkasu.

High-end, quality K-bbq to affordable all you can eat, there’s always a bbq place to suit your budget. Yelping is always a good idea.

Have you ever tried Korean dumplings? Move over XLB! I swear by Myung In Dumplings delicious buns! I also like Myung Dong Kyoja’s pork and shrimp dumplings. Not to mention, their vegetarian guksu (noodles) in milky kong (soy bean) soup is wonderful.

Manly sullungtang, ox bone soup cooked for days, is the specialty of Sun Nong Dan. But check out the video of galbi jjim below. It is the same hearty short rib stew that celebrity chef David Chang (of Momofuku and Majordomo fame) eats more than anything else when in LA. In a way, with cheese, it’s like caldereta back home in Ilocos.

Koreatown is not Koreatown without bingsu. My fave places to have this shaved ice dessert is Anko and Okrumong. There’s also Hwa Sun Ji for traditional patbingsu.

Injeolmi comes in toasts (like in photo above) or sticky rice cakes covered in bean powder. There are really so many kinds of Korean rice cakes. I’ve tried a few, but with their long names, it is difficult to memorize all. There’s savory and there’s sweet like mochi.  The baked ones, black and white bean-filled, from Okrumong are so delicious that I can forget about other sweet stuff!

Time at a Korean salon is deliberate in between food stops.

It was fun sharing with you my trips to Koreatown, a place I so love in Los Angeles. I hope you will love it, too.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY BLAUEARTH COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I’ve already posted about the newest baby of chefs Walter and Margarita Manzke’s Sari Sari Store, at the Los Angeles Grand Central Market, and its modern Filipino menu, which is attracting Angelenos and tourists alike. Now, here’s my latest visit (in fact, just an hour back) at République, their posh space on La Brea. The Manzkes are also part owners of Wildflour Cafe + Bakery in the Philippines. Btw, reclaimed wood from the Philippines provides an old world charm.

The last time I was there, I had croque madame and sticky bomb (yummy!). With an extensive brunch menu, I couldn’t decide what to get, so had breakfast like I’m not going back again. Got two toasts — the popular mushroom toast with house-cured ham, egg and gruyere cheese, and burrata and bacon toast, with poached egg, avocado and jalapeño. Both were delicious, making my Monday a great start of a new week. Finished with a glass of iced Vietnamese latte.

Bought some goodies from the bakery.

Hope to also have dinner here soon.

My next post is all about the latest Filipino spot in LA

PHOTOGRAPHED BY BLAUEARTH COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Lucky to have walked in with success to the barely three-week old Ma’am/Sir in uberhip Silver Lake.

For someone who has lived or visited the Philippines, ma’am and sir automatically follow every greeting to the point of amusement. Respect like hospitality is ingrained in the Filipino culture. For all that, a very cute name for a trendy Filipino food spot in Los Angeles showcasing the audacious flavors of the Philippine Islands.

Chef Charles Olalia, formerly of Patina, a Michelin star rated French restaurant at the Disney Concert Hall, among his other previous training grounds, creates contemporary Filipino fare inspired by his Kapangpangan roots. His sweet longaniza and pancit luglug, dishes I’ve tried at his thriving RiceBar on 7th Street in Downtown Los Angeles surpass even the best back home.

Pinoy Baby Boomers and also Gen Xers can relate to hanged framed magazine pages with basketball stars of the Philippine MICAA era, iconic Larry Mumar, Francis Arnaiz, Bogs Adornado, and Jaworski, to name a few.

When trying a place for the very first time, I always end up overordering. I was expecting the Ilocos empanada as inspo behind the Impossible Empanada coz it sounded like the empanada I grew up with, what with a longaniza and shredded papaya filling? Nonetheless satisfying, it arrived in a flaky pastry shell, more like the Spanish-influenced traditional Filipino empanada, yet with a unique longaniza and papaya atchara fill.

Kare-Kare comes, of course, with the essential bagoong (fish paste). It brings out the very best in oxtail stew, and white rice is the best accompaniment for this rich kind of ulam.

I was happiest with my banana-mango bibingka (sticky rice cake), very traditional with its texture and overall taste. The fancy Chantilly cream and edible flowers make the otherwise plain-looking bibingka luxurious.

Fil-Ams in the gentrified Silver Lake and Echo Park neighborhoods, not to mention the Historic Filipinotown, can’t be happier with the arrival of Ma’am/Sir. And all the ma’ams and sirs wanting to explore vibrant Filipino culture, or who have already embraced Filipino cookery.

Photographed by Blauearth COPYRIGHT © BLAUEARTH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I haven’t been to the Far East Plaza since 2019. Whenever I go, there’s something new. I don’t see some of the spots I used to frequent. And I also missed the opening of Pearl River Deli by the same chef of the famous Hainan chicken rice place in Arcadia, Side Chick. So Chef Johnny Lee is now closer with PRD, but his Hainan chicken is available only on certain days. I got lucky that one of his weekend offerings was something perfect for my special diet. Dieting was never in my vocabulary before. Now, it’s my number one concern. I literally want to live longer as in longevity is something I’m working on currently. It has turned into a full-time career, taking care of my health. Back to what I ordered, I was so happy with my lamb neck pancake wrap — well-seasoned, tender lamb bits with a nice, chewy, flaky pancake underneath.

Alex and my mom enjoyed char siu on rice and silky shrimp scramble. Amazing that they have vegan options, so I tried the healthier mushroom chow fun which turned out to be a great alternative for beef chow fun.

The cooking was distinctively Chinese, but you’ll know it comes from a different level, like it’s not your typical grandma’s style. It has that modern flair and youngish vibe to it that someone like my mom could still appreciate. Happy she was happy.

For dessert, we went to Lasita, the space that Filipino restaurant Lasa used to occupy. One of the chefs is still the same one running Lasita. I will need to go back for the chicken inasal which is a family fave.

I was drooling while looking at my mom’s white halo-halo with a modern mix of melon, sago, honey brittle, melon horchata (instead of milk), chia seeds and pinipig. It sounded definitely more interesting than the classic halo-halo with ube ice cream. She said it was good. Again happy that she was delighted with my pick. We were lucky to have chanced upon Tito Rudy’s halo -halo pop-up.

Until our next food adventure. I wish to blog more often now that I have more time doing nothing.

Oh, thanking you for dropping by BlauEarth after all these years. I hope you are all healthy, safe and vaccinated. Keep your masks on peeps!

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