TIME OUT: Philippines - Tubbataha Reef - worth diving for

Aside from eating, HT couple loves diving.  Diving had played a significant role to HT couple's road to love.  From our first out-of-town date, the underwater marriage proposal up to our honeymoon, sharks and fishes were our underwater witnesses.

We were lucky to have the opportunity to dive in tropical waters again after almost a year.  And we didn't think twice where to go and immediately booked The Tubbataha dive trip in the Philippines.

Tubbataha reef, for your information, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the Sulu Sea of the Philippines.  This is one of our country's pride.  The only way to get here, is by taking a boat, spending days and nights in the middle of the sea with big waves.

There are several boats that goes to this marine park between the months of March to June.  We took Expedition Fleet's Oceanic Explorer first trip for the year to Tubbataha.

this was our home for 6 days

our dive suite...the best room we ever had in liveaboards

this is what i like about liveaboards, no fuss but comfortable living (from left to right - the dining area, dive baskets for each divers so we don't mix our stuff with others, a library and a bar area where we can get our dose of beer or cola after a long day.)

the marine park is well-protected...no fishing, no anchoring thus, we used these chaser boats to go to the dive spots. 

What I hate in diving? 

Wearing the wetsuit is such a pain.  It already consumes half of my energy.  I'll start sweating to death just gearing up.  Then the remaining energy goes to carrying the tank before going underwater.

But as soon as I see this...

the breathtaking view just makes me feel light and naked

And seeing these sea creatures...i almost forgot that I need to breathe

aside from fish watching, i love dancing underwater too...

And what i love the most in diving?  Every after dive, I am able to do my other hobby...

we were well fed in the boat - which contributed to the 2 kg i gained from my vacation...but it was worth it.

I haven't seen much pelagic fishes and sharks in my dives around Southeast Asia until this trip.  So this is definitely recommended by HT Couple.

Try diving...where else can you have an eye to eye contact with nemo? :)

*Thanks to Mark for lending us his underwater camera case for the whole trip. :)

P.S.  In this trip, HT wife reached her 100th dive and counting 'till her 200th :).  Hurray!

1 year - a facelift of The Hungry-Trotting Couple...

During the vacation, there were days when i'm just sitting under the sun, doing nothing, I realized that our blog is now a year old and decided to give it a simple facelift.  A fresh aura that still signifies how Hungry-Trotting Couple enjoys exploring the world of food.

There were times we thought of letting The Hungry-Trotting Couple goes to sleep...forever.  But everytime we read the posts,  we remember the joy of eating, taking pictures, writing about food and the friends that we connected with through this blog, inspires us to write more and more.  So i guess, you still have to hang on with us for another year. :)

HT wife is almost a year in Holland now, and "The Hungry-Trotting Couple...goes Dutch!" are already "dutch-adjusted".  And for a new feel of this blog...I present to you...the same couple you love...

"The Hungry-Trotting Couple...goes ANYWHERE!"

Whether, it's in Philippines, Singapore, The Netherlands, or other countries...near or far...HT wife and HT hubbie will be ready to go anywhere and bring their same appetite with them.  Definitely, the HT Couple will continue to share their love for food to you...wherever they may be.

Come and join us as we explore together the world through

THE ART OF EATING...

'Till the next post...ta ta!

TIME OUT: Where's HT couple?

under the sea...

outerspace?!?

in a barrio...

in a nice resort...

wherever we are....we'll be back SOON...stay tuned!

Manila: What HT couple have been enjoying back home

Our first few meals in PH...

Max's Fried Chicken - look how happy HT wife was, holding her first meal in PH.  Max's Fried Chicken for Filipinos is no-ordinary poultry.  It has taste almost similar to crispy pata (fried pork knuckle) which is very tasty compared to white meat and with its goodness, their slogan is deliciously good up to the bones...and indeed, if you can eat the bones, you would polish your plate like it was newly washed.

Banana ketchup with worcestershire sauce goes well with this chicken.  Banana ketchup, well-known in PH is made of mashed bananas instead of tomatoes.  It give lighter and sweeter taste.  This is also being used for pasta dishes.  If you see a sweet-style spaghetti sauce, that is inspired by this banana ketchup and for sure you'll have a sweet, tangy flavor pasta...a Filipino recipe.

Fried Pork Knuckle aka Crisy Pata -We,  Filipinos love our pork and treats it very well. A dish served on Filipino's table during parties and festivities.  The crunchy skin, dip in the special made soy sauce was worth every crack and even though it's fried, the meat remains tender and tasty.  What I don't like in this dish is the process of scraping out the fats from the skin and from the meat, but otherwise, eating it, is like in heaven. 

A true blue Filipino, HT wife enjoyed her chickenjoy!  All Filipinos know how much this chicken gives joy to Filipinos going home from abroad.  Jollibee, the store that serves this poultry, is our Filipino version of McDonalds.  Its crispy skin, oozing oil and tasty gravy are unhealthy but coming home after 7 months, makes this calories intake worth it.

This might not be exclusive in the Philippines, but Green Tea Frappuccino doesn't exist in the Starbucks' european scene.  My favorite drink if I'm not in the mood for caffeine.  Aside from loving its color, i just love green tea per se.

Biko - is a Filipino delicacy made of sticky rice and coconut.  This sweet rice cake is such a delight.  I took this for granted when we would have it at home when I was young.  I guess, absence really makes the heart grow fonder.   I enjoyed every bite of this chewy and lip smacking good biko.

If HT wife had her cravings, HT hubbie sure has one for himself...

Tempura Tuna Sashimi Tartare - A mixture of tempura skin, tuna sashimi pieces mixed in a special mayo sauce.  Teryaki boy, a Japanese chain in the Philippines has introduced this dish a few years ago and became a hit.  It hit HT hubbie's heart too!  The special sauce was a mixture of zest, spicy and sweet taste which goes well with bland raw tuna pieces and the fried tempura pieces added flavor to it.

HT Hubbie didn't think twice of having his picture taken with his favorite dish...he can't wait to have his first bite!

I noticed, being in Manila, is a very good weight gain program.  It's time to take a break...so off we go to Apo, Tubbataha Reef and Puerto Princesa for our dive expedition and going-around-other-than-in-manila trip...and for sure, food would be a part of this journey.  Ta ta for now! 

Utrecht, Netherlands: Tai Soen - a prelude

It's funny how ironic HT couple was the past few weeks.  We've been cooking asian dishes, dining in asian restaurants and unknowingly, we were starting to express our excitement for our 1-month vacation in PH and SG through our palates.

And aside from eating, I noticed these past few weeks, i'm being surrounded by my friends here.  It's like a feel of how I will be spending time with my friends and family back home.

Tai Soen is yet another chinees-indisch restaurant (chinese-indonesian) in Utrecht which has been standing at Hoog Catharijne, the mall connected to the train station, Utrecht Centraal.  It's difficult to miss this place when walking around especially on a Saturday noon, this place might not have long queues from outside, but once you get in, it's definitely crowded with a mixture of Europeans and Asian diners.

We met up with a friend who suggested this place to us.  She had been here several times even though she's not living in Utrecht.  And she vouched for the dimsum here...

Chee Cheong Fun - our friend was craving for this.  We even can't find it in the menu and she thoroughly explained it to the waiter to make sure we're getting the right dish and then I learned that she was looking for cheong fun.  I was not a fan of this dimsum as the impression to me that it was just skins.  We got the shrimp filling, which were pretty big and tasty.  The skin was smooth and it was not too thick nor too thin.  I actually like it so I will definitely have one in SG.

 

It's funny, but as far as I can remember, i think this was my first cheong fun in my life...and I got it in Holland.  :)

Har Gaw - an all-time favorite...steamed shrimp dumpling.  I learned this even before i learn to talk.  Just like how dutch learned to cycle before they can even walk. :)

Pork Siomai - I love siomai if they're not dry and packed with more meat than fats.  I get goosebumps when I accidentally chew on pork fats.  My mom trained me and my sisters pretty well not to consume fats to the fact that we dislike eating them.  But my dad was a good father to my only brother, he taught him how to eat fats smackingly and letting us feel that we're missing something.

Spareribs in black bean sauce - This was so-so and bland.  I thought the taste would be the same as chicken feet but I guess nothing beats slurping the sauce, skinning the feet and leaving bits and pieces of small bones and finishing a plate is considered an achievement. :)

Babi Panggang - an indonesian dish, typically seen on indonesian-chinese table, is made of pan fried pork (similar to lechon kawali in PH), smothered with tomato-based sauce.  It was my first time to try this dish and I was surprised it looks simple but taste was amazingly good!  The pork was not to dry yet crispy and the sweet tangy sauce went well with the meat.  Ask any Netherlander, for sure, they know what Babi Panggang is (they even have Lay's Potato Chips in Babi Panggang flavor :D).  This is easy to get around Netherlands, as every chinese-indonesian restaurants for sure, serves their own variety of this babi.  (according to wikipedia, this is indo-chinese version of char siew)

I would recommend to try this place when you're around the neighborhood of Utrecht.  Thanks Rei for the recommendation and for stopping by.

Now, do you think HT couple are ready to fly back to Asia? Yes, we are!!!

 Price Summary(euro)

Dimsum - 3+ to 5+ euro per plate

Babi Panggang = 12+ euro (includes rice, i think)

Tai Soen

275 Godebaldkwartier

Hoog Catharijne

Utrecht,

Utrecht, Netherlands - Badhu: Arabian Mezze

If tapas are for Spain, mezze are for the Medittereneans.  Around the globe, small bites have been a staple in the food scene.  And this place were HT couple recently dined proved that.

Badhu aka (Badhuis), was a former bathhouse and now a hotel and restaurant in the inner city (binnenstad) of Utrecht.  You can't miss this place especially at night as this can be the so-called "green light district".  Here's why...

Check out how the green lights reflect from outside. I heard from a friend that even the hotel rooms have their own dominant color that you can choose from...the red room, the gold room, etc.

Photos were taken from http://www.cybevasion.com/hotels/monde/hotels_badhu_utrecht_netherlands_157792.html (We didn't had the time to take pictures of the place as we were in a rush to go home for a meeting..unfortunately, one of the other lives of HT couple)

We were sitted in that purple room...and the place was really crowded even for a night that is not considered shopping night (koopavond).  Trivia: In the Netherlands, most shops or maybe all shops closes at 5 pm except on Thursdays which is at 9 pm.  Most restaurants are crowded after long hours of shopping (yes that's already long for the dutch) and enjoying the lively weeknight once a week. 

Living up to the tapas/mezze concept is the checklist sheet to mark your orders...

And they offer 2 types of bread:

Moroccan bread (fluffy)

Lebanese bread (flat like wraps)

On the side we got Muhammara Labna a yogurt dip spiced up with paprika, chilis, garlic and dill.  The dip was so-so.  I guess we were expecting so much as HT couple associates arabian dishes as full of taste.

Batinjan was part of the Mahsji (stuffed) in the menu.  The tasty Merquez mini-sausages (well-known to the moroccans) were wrapped in good slices of roasted eggplant topped with tomato puree with lemon.  It was tasty and delicious.

Lahm Meshwi - a must-have!  Small pieces of beef marinated with parsley, sesame and sumak (click on the word to learn more about it) that were grilled to perfection!  The beef pieces were very tender, perfectly red in the center and nicely done on the outside.  We gave thumbs up to this as they made each pieces a masterpiece despite of its size.  The sweet tangy taste of the tomato puree was a great add-on to the meat.

Tajines has always been on the the tables of the Moroccans.  Dishes are cooked in a huge plate of claypot covered with an inverted cone shaped made of clay as well. According to my wiki-hubbie, tajine cooking is a traditional way of making stews or infusing dishes with its own flavor, by letting the vapor condensed and set aside on the clay plate.  We have one at home (a gift from a friend), and we're planning to use it one of these days. :) Check out also our tajine dine-out in Singapore click here.

Lham Bel Teffah - stewed beef in dates, apples, cinnamon and honey  was one of our tajine choices for the night.  We, somehow like how honey and fruit sugars worked well in stew.  (We always use apple pear syrup - (maastrichter stroop) when we do it at home).  The dish didn't disappoint us as the beef were succulent and scrumptious.  I was happy seeing the waiters carrying this small tajine serving plate.  It made the presentation special and somehow letting the diners feel they're up for something moroccan and authentic.

Tajine Ihamed - this was our second order of tajine as we can't have enough of it.  I really wanted to order again the kebab we had, but we were both enthusiastic to try something else.  This tajine was made of chicken pieces, garlic sausages and olives with zest of lemon.  It was also yummy even though lighter in spices.

Enjoying these authentic dishes always go along with good wine.

Domain Larroque cabernet sauvignon - this 2007 full-bodied moroccan red wine is recommended by HT couple for its firm taste.  We just randomly picked in the menu and we glad we made a good choice.

I adore who's the people behind Badhu.  The food, the concept and dining experience were such delights and i'm sure HT couple would be back for more.

Prices in euro:

dips = 3.75  euro

bread = 1.50 euro

wine glass = 3.90 euro

mezze are ranging from 7-9 euro 

assorted arabian red wine bottle = ranges from 25-30

Badhu

Willem van Noortplein 19

3514 GK  UTRECHT

Opens from 11 am onwards

Tel: +3130-2720444 (reservations are recommended)

http://www.badhu.nl

Pre-Valentine and Post CNY in Holland

HT couple were invited by friends to celebrate the love month and the year of the rabbit on its 10th day.  We didn't think twice and accepted the invitation.  Aside from these friends are really nice people(HT hubbie agrees with me), we just feel comfortable being with them without too much effort.  And they might not have a food blog yet(who knows they might have one tomorrow), but one thing is for sure, they love food as much as we do.

If being food lovers is something we have in common, we have something uncommon.  They rock in the kitchen and I mess in the kitchen. (still a long way to go honey, but you can do it - the usual phrase HT hubbie would tell me everytime i throw away a not-so-edible dish or when i burned my pinkie).

To prove how these friends of mine rocked the kitchen and our tummies...

These ain't ordinary dumplings!  The skin was even made with personal touch(it's not those skins you can buy in the groceries or asian stores).  She shared her recipe of just combining salt and flour with water to make the wrapper.  And the filling was a well-balanced taste of ground pork and shrimp.  The filling was very tasty and moist.  Just like having xiao long bao without making a mess of sipping the soup inside but still gives you the "oomph" taste.  The dip (not in the picture) was a mixture of shaoxing wine, soy sauce, salt and pepper...voila!  It was perfect.  Check out the presentation...isn't it wonderful how the sesame seeds and spring onions made a difference?

Rujak Pengantin (wedding salad) - Indonesia and Malaysia are known for it's different type of Rojak.  The mixture of veggies, tofu, potatoes with a special type of dressing made of ebi (dried shrimps), peanut butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Emping on the side is a must as it goes well with the dressing too.  My friend even acclaimed it was under-seasoned...but i wouldn't mind eating this everyday especially during those health monster moments as taste is not sacrificed at all.

Quekiam or He Keng (teo chew) - It's been almost a year since I had this, and i ate it like i haven't eaten for days (we even got a roll to take home which of course didn't last for 24 hours).  I love the wrap as I am a beancurd skin addict.  The same filling of the dumpling were used except that this roll was flavored with bouillon and seasoned with a dash of paprika for that mild kick in every bite.  The citrus sauce(not in the picture) went very well with it.

Red Yeast Chicken - It was scary to look at because of its hue, but when i took the first slurp, the goodness of chicken and ginger were prominent but somehow there is this pleasant taste that I cannot describe until a red yeast bag was shown to me by my friend.  All along, i thought it only gives food coloring and now I know that it contributes to the goodness of the taste this dish.  And being so interested where i can use red yeast, aside from the drunken dishes and char siew, I also learned that it helps to lower our bad cholesterol.  Nothing beats the 3-in-1 benefits of red yeast.

Baby Kailan - a plate of veggie is a must on the table of every chinese meal.  This was sauteed with salted fish, dried garlic and ginger.  Yum!

Our dessert Leche Flan!  I volunteered to make dessert as I don't want my friend to be too tired of preparing a full course (as you can see she has prepared a lot).  As you can see, presentation wise, it was not very successful.  The sudden change in the temperature (baking it in the oven at 200 C for 45 mins with a steamed bath of the leche flan container if put in the fridge without letting it cool down) gave the flan the crack.  (I learned it after 2 attempts of making this).  Yes, this was my 2nd try as the 1st one was overcooked giving a rubber consistency.  (I was afraid that it won't be cooked so i thought 15 mins more shouldn't hurt).  It was tad sweet for my tastebuds (I followed the recipe of using 1 can of condensed milk for 10 egg yolks).  Working on the 2nd one, I minimize the egg yolks to 8 and using only half of the condensed milk and 1/4 cup of fresh milk.  And it might still be on the sweet side, (but not as sweet as how we Filipinos eat it), but I'm proud to say that it was smooth(right amount of mixing), creamy and delicious.  And it didn't had that very overwhelming taste which usually can't be avoided in this Filipino version of creme caramel.

And the highlight of the day for HT wife...

I HEART PINEAPPLE TARTS!!!  I mentioned to HT hubbie and to some SG friends on how I won't be able to have my fair share of this tart this CNY.  So i can't help myself but ate it like a monkey (I was exaggerating as i tried to be modest that time) 

Just 2 words: Delicious and Satisfied!  It was one of the best pineapple tarts I had.  I didn't bother asking how it was done though when I heard it was not easy. :D (lazy me)  I guess, for now, I just prefer popping it inside my mouth.

After almost 5 hours of lunch, stories and laughters...we went home with contented tummies and a bottle of this...:) *bliss*  

Thanks again friends (you know who you guys are).  We are very grateful for the wonderful pre-valentine/post CNY lunch and for your wonderful company.

'Till our next hang out session...maybe the making of hokkien mee...:D