TIME OUT: Madrid, Spain Part 2: Oldest restaurant in the world (Guinness)

HT wife, being a true blue Filipino, loves eating pork.  Pork dominates most of our dishes.  Whether it's simmered in soy sauce, broiled, fried or barbecued, you would not miss at least a part of a pig in a Filipino's plate.

From whom do we inherit our love for this meat?  Who else, other than the Spaniards! 

Restaurante El Sobrino De Botin, is the oldest restaurant in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records.  The restaurant started way back 1725 and had been significant in Ernest Hemingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises (I heard there is a Hemingway's table - in one corner) which you can book for a quiet, romantic dinner.

And in a restaurant as famous as this...

This long queue was to be expected.  (It was 730 pm and the restaurant opens at 8 pm).  Reservations are recommended, I actually booked ours 2 days before our trip to Madrid.  And if you weren't lucky to make a reservation, most diners were tourists so there is a high turn over of customers and for sure you'll get a table (as long as you don't mind eating late just like the Spaniards). 

As soon as the door opens, diners are accepted one by one (yeah just like they're checking if you have a ticket).  Once you enter the place, you can never miss this counter of bottles of wine and a big slab of jamon (look closely).  It drove away my boredom waiting in line.

We got a table at the 2nd floor (I think this place has 5 floors in total).  No fancy chandeliers or porcelain display, but they lived to being the oldest restaurant and gave the place an old-school atmosphere.  (that means no dress code).

HT couple already knew what to order before we stepped into this restaurant (at least HT wife did!)

Sopa de Ajo - a Madrileno style of onion soup, this bowl consists of onions, chicken broth, and bread with an egg swimming on top.

I broke the egg yolk and mixed the soup just like in congee.

HT hubbie's expectation of this was somehow close to French onion soup which has a very strong, aromatic taste of the bulbs.  However, this sopa, was quite bland but was saved by few pieces of salty jamon.  The egg dominated the soup taste which fitted my mood that night.

HT hubbie's order for the night...Botin's Fillet Mignon.  This is one of their specialties (letters in bold in the menu), but was not an adventurous dish.  This was not HT hubbie's first time in Spain, and he was able to experience a friend ordering a young pig which was almost like embryo in texture.  Thus, he skipped being a local this time.

The meat was succulent and tasty (thanks to almost a pond of mushroom sauce). Both of us do agree that  Morton's steakhouse is still at the top of our list.

And now...what did HT wife got?

A good portion of Cochinillo!  Tracing my roots included making myself at home in this country.  And food is a good medium of transporting me back to my home.  This roasted suckling pig, was perfect for my tastebuds just like our lechon (roasted pig) in the Philippines. (we just made our version of cochinillo bigger...the more the merrier).

And for Filipinos, we consider a lechon perfectly cooked when....

the pig skin is crispy at its finest!  The skin was thin and gave good crack sounds everytime I bite on it.  I didn't mind acting like a scavenger when HT hubbie threw a few pieces at the side of his plate.  (he's not fond of it)

The meat was very tender and not dry.  It was full of flavor from it's own juice.

The other table was amazed by my eating skills of cochinillo.  They had difficulty eating it and I ate mine up to the bones.  Yum!

HT hubbie witnessed my biggest smile ever after I took the last bite of my meal.

If ever you'll be in Madrid, I highly recommend this place...it might be famous for tourists but prices are reasonable (20+ euro per plate).  They served tap water (agua de grifo) and do keep in mind that nothing is for free in Europe (and Spain is not an exception)...so if you're not eating the bread they served at the start of your dinner, let them know so you won't be shocked when your bill arrives.

Price Summary (in Euros)

Sopa de Ajo: 8+ euros

Main courses: 20+ euros

*wide range selection of Rioja wine

Restaurante El Sobrino de Botin

Calle de los Cuchilleros 17

Madrid Spain (near Plaza Mayor)

+34 913 664 217



TIME OUT: Madrid, Spain Part 1 : Mercado De San Miguel

HT couple hopped on a plane last weekend to trace HT wife's roots.  (for those who are not aware, Philippines was a Spanish colony and its name is taken after King Philip II of Spain.  Though, with the invasion of the Americans much later, some of the influences that the Spaniards instilled to Filipinos had been altered or had been slowly diminishing).  This was what I thought before stepping into this wonderful city.

As soon as we stepped out of the airport, we're ready to know the city to its fullest.  Madrid's metro is quite extensive and lots of interchanges.  I can somehow compare it to Singapore's MRT ease of use and accessibility (cleanliness is another topic).  And for just 1 euro for every single trip (regardless of the distance), we, coming from the Netherlands can't complain more about that.  (ok there is a 1 euro surcharge going to/from the airport). 

The hostel (Hostal Oriente, to those who are interested, it's about 50 euro a night-> cheap) we stayed in was just less than 100 steps away from the Opera station.  The location was excellent and the room was pretty neat and new.  One of the hostel keepers is a Filipino, who's the only one who can speak English among the people there (This made me appreciate the Netherlands as everyone at least can understand English...in Spain, no matter how hard you try, sometimes even sign languages doesn't help).  Being a Filipino, I was amazed on how much words we have are the same in Spanish (just different spelling), and this kinda helped me and HT hubbie to wander around without much needed help from the locals.

Since we have to transfer 3 metro lines going to the hotel from the airport, (about an hour trip), We ended up getting hungry during the times that the Spaniards are used to having pinchos or tapas (small portion) while gulping down glasses of sangria. 

Mercado De San Miguel was our first stop.  This architecture of glass is a market cum tapas place where you can get your food and eat it on the bar of the stalls or tables in the middle while standing no matter how high your pair of heeled shoes are (take it from the Spanish ladies).

name your choice, you'll get it here (olives, ham, home made pasta, 1 euro oysters and fresh seafood)

Our first stop: Olives

It was already 2 pm and we didn't grab anything since 4 am, so we were really famished.  We immediately grab a few pieces and 2 glasses of sangria in this olives stall (no long queue).  Those ham and pimiento (peppers) in between the olives were really great.  The others had octopus pieces which we kinda didn't like.  (1 euro a stick and 2 euros for a glass of Sangria) - not bad for starters.

a plate of seafood tostas.  Our favorites were the caviar, crabmeat and the smoked fish.  They do have octopus and mussels as well. ( a good deal of 1 euro a piece)

As a true Dutch, HT hubbie tried the croquettas in Spain (that black piece contains squid ink, i think).  It tasted weird.  But most pieces have seafood and meat fillings.  It was way too oily for us.

Who can resist this homemade potato chips?  I can't!!! (They eat chips a lot maybe I inherited this from them too :D)

These bocadillos (sandwiches) were the highlights of our food expedition in this market. With delicious chorizos and jamon iberico (smoked ham Iberico) as fillings, we both concluded Spain is really a food haven. (3 euros a piece - it's quite pricey for a small sandwich but worth to try).

While queueing for these tiny sandwiches, I was pushed by a Latina-looking lady and I turned around and look at her(she was standing at my back).  Little did I know that rudeness I got was a modus operandi which brought us to this next stop...

my wallet was gone...sniff

Yes I was a victim of pickpocketing despite my bag was in front of me.  If you're gonna visit this place, it's not enough that your bag is only at your sight but better hold on it (later we notice how the locals hold on to their bags tightly).  They're not violent but they're experts. 

What we are addicted to...

I've been experimenting quite a lot in the kitchen since I moved to this side of the world.  And I'm actually enjoying it.  I spend half of my evening in my favorite area in the house making sure HT hubbie gets a satisfying meal.

Desserts are not a normal part of our dinner until we remember, we had this at one of our friends' place and decided to whip it up at home.

Looks can be deceiving...this bowl is made up of yogurt which is not your 0% or 2% fat type.  Greek yogurt has a high percentage of milk fats and is filtered to remove most of the water giving it's creamy texture (and delicious taste too!)  Add 3 teaspoons of honey (or more) and chunks of walnuts...ta dah!  You have yourself a simple yet authentic Greek dessert! (as long as you don't use a "no fat" cup of this dairy)

And this is what HT hubbie and I've been addicted to lately.  We forgot that calories exist in this world.

(Oh, a little secret, I heard this dessert is a good aphrodisiac!)  :D

Lasagna fixin'

The weather is getting more chilly and just getting at the doorstep with my jogging pants and running shoes becomes harder each day.

As a fix, HT couple decided just to have salad once a week.  We always made sure there's a lot of ingredients and good portion of meat so we can satisfy our tummies...nice and full. (But, those vegetables really digest fast and before we hit the bed, we started opening bags of chips...there goes our healthy eating!).

With weeks of religiously eating a plate of greens...somehow it lost its touch for HT hubbie.  As guilty as I am who brought up the stuff-ourselves-with-greens idea...I thought of making it up for HT hubbie.

I have mentioned how I adore Kayotic Kitchen on how she motivates me being HT hubbie's kitchen queen. 

Again, i pick up this nice but simple recipe from her blog.

a light but delicious lasagna!

This layered pasta casserole dish suits the weather that this country is slowly embracing.  With dashes of chilis on our plates, we almost find the heater useless.

I followed the recipe as it is, by using ricotta cheese with eggs and parmesan to provide its white creamy sauce instead of using ready-made bechamel sauce. 

Made with love...that's what you called the "lasagna fixin' ".  (and it did work for HT hubbie)

Click here for the recipe.  (I added mushrooms but i sauteed it first so it won't be watery and next time i'll get a better can of diced tomatoes for sure)

Prettig weekend allemaal! (Happy weekend everyone!)

The first battle of HT couple

HT couple had been very busy these past couple of weeks due to deadlines at work and finishing up of making more space at home (yes, we're still trying to touch up the bachelor's pad to make it more homey for 2).  With the little time we have, it's difficult to sacrifice the time in cooking dinner as we take our meals seriously (with conviction :D)

With that, HT hubbie and I thought of playing a game of cooking a dish each and taking note of the how long the preparation and cooking would be.  The shorter time wins this battle.

First is HT hubbie's dish...

using all of these ingredients...(though he cheated in using ready made dough, tsk tsk)

sauteíng and putting them all in this baking dish...he said it was a piece of cake (brushing off his palms together)..total time before it hopped into the oven...12 minutes.

Tick tock tick tock, after 40 mins in pre-heated (200 C) oven...ta dah!

Hubby's version of Quiche Lorraine!

look at this heavy-looking, chunky-licious slice...well done HT hubbie.

Now it's my turn....I love to eat but cooking is not YET my forte due to being spoiled by Singapore food scene.  but take note of the YET...i'm a chef-in-the-making (disclaimer: according to HT hubbie).

And besides, losing this game is not in my vocabulary...so...

2 cups of dry white wine, big stalks of leeks, bacon bits (chorizo sounds good as well), onions, garlic and 2 kg of mussels...sautee'd, then boiled until the shells open up!  After 15 minutes...the mussels were ready.

Oops, frites shouldn't be forgotten with this dish...

Ok..i cheated as well, i bought those frozen potato balls that can be cooked in the oven for about 15 minutes.

The results...

Quiche Lorraine : 52 mins.

Mussels in White Wine: 30 mins.

Wuhoo i won!!!!

And what's the prize??? HT hubbie would wash the dishes for a full week.  *bliss*

Now...HT hubbie, when is the next battle???

Happy weekend everyone!!!

TIME OUT: What's up?

What's up with HT wife lately?

Aside from being pretty busy with work which wouldn't be a part of this post (lucky you)...I went to the other 2 big cities (aside from Utrecht) here in the Netherlands.

The Hague (Den Haag)

where the parliament is situated, where the Queen lives and where most expats reside.  It has its own charm and plus factor...it's near to 2 beaches (Kijkduin and Scheveningen). 

We stopped by at Kijkduin  and just enjoyed the serene waves while sipping on our glass of wine and enjoying Dutch finger food.  Sorry, no pictures of bikinis, only ladies in boots and jeans for practical reasons. :)

Gotcha mix! - a smaller version of Dutch snacks (remember Dutch Snacks 101)?

To wind up our day, one of my blind dates in The Hague, RJ, cooked the perfect national dish of the Philippines!

nothing beats using Philippine soy sauce and vinegar...for authentic taste! 

And for dessert, RJ whipped up 2 batches of chewy and moist brownies with a piece of Venietta ice cream (this is Wall's in SG, and Selecta in PH).  And i was able to take home a big piece which HT hubbie and I finished in one go.  It was addictive.

I was amazed how RJ is so experienced in the kitchen in making all of these yummy items in less than an hour!  Thanks again RJ!  You know who you are!

Amsterdam, the busiest city in the Netherlands, was the next stop.  I've done sightseeing in this city 3 years ago and I'm not a fan of very busy cities so Amsterdam is not really my favorite place to hang out.  But this slanted house never lost its uniqueness and dutch-y architecture.

And whatever the owner's reason was to glam up his/her scooter, whether to make a statement in a city like Amsterdam, or to make it distinct to find his scooter easily in the busy parking spaces or to camouflage it like grasses so nobody steals it...it was indeed, an eye catcher.

Aside from going around NL, I've started carrying books again instead of laptop.  Yes!  I'm going back to school but not to do further studies...

but to start learning to speak like locals (nothing is more important as learning their language).  I wouldn't want to be doing sign languages when I go for a haircut :)

picture courtesy of english mass utrecht

And last but not the least, I joined a choir here in Utrecht so I can meet more people (it's not that i have a very great voice to begin with).  We sing, we drink, and hang out.  It was a nice way to be part of a community (just like the food blogging community in SG) *hi everyone*

And to end this post, HT hubbie and I together with RJ and friends met up for dinner in this hole-in-the-wall korean restaurant in Den Haag.

Seoul Garden - Bagijnestraat 8...it's hidden but once you get into the small alley, just follow your sense of smell to bring you to the right place.

We love how the meat was marinated and it brought us back to our wonderful foodie times in SG.  Everything tasted authentic and HT hubbie is very particular with his kimchi and this one didn't fail him.  And with a complete meal of rice, pancake, vegetable sides and a generous plate of sumptuous meat, I consider this a value for money (17 euros).  Great choice, RJ!  

Yes, I do agree, HT wife had been very busy...exploring and making steps to become a Netherlander...but she never forgets to eat good food!  Doei! (Ciao or bye)

TIME OUT: "BER" months here and there

We Filipinos love when the "BER" months hit the year. "BER" months are SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER and DecemBER.

In the Philippines, christmas carols will be played in the radio as early as September.  Department stores would start selling christmas trees so every family can put up their own as early as they can.  When i was a kid, the streets would be burning with christmas lights 3 months before the actual holiday (but i think nowadays, the lights are put up quite late due to the  cost cutting of electricity).  You can really smell that the holiday season is in the air.

Another thing that we are enthusiastic in a "BER" month is the Octoberfest.  We love celebrating this together with the Germans (not because of their influence in our country), but we (most of us) love drinking beers, so what's a better excuse than a festival like this?

In Singapore, the creative and lovely decorated Christmas log cakes start making a scene in bakeries and pastry shops (most of the time they're too beautiful to be eaten).  Christmas sale would be on and Orchard road is always busier during the "BER" months (not sure if you notice, but i did) :D

How about here in the Netherlands?  The 1st "BER" month has passed by and...

We can't help but switch on the heater!  It's getting colder and colder everyday.  And we knew it's "BER" when pussy spent more time sleeping in front of the heater instead of roaming outdoor. 

This electric blanket was on top of our shopping list.  Nothing beats having a warm, cozy bed for good zzzzzz's ( we don't want freezing our b*tt off)

Foot spa is out of the picture and this pair of pantoffels becomes our feet's best friend.

Speculaas  starts popping out in most supermarkets.  This biscuit is traditionally baked for consumption on St. Nicholas' Eve (Sinterklaas - Dec 5th: wikipedia) which is widely celebrated here in NL.  Though, i heard from a few friends that this can be available throughout the year.  But, we, HT couple, only started having this at home with our cup of coffee when "BER" hit so we have something to look forward to every year. *wink*

Autumn here in NL falls in a "BER"month...as a sign, mushrooms start sprouting everywhere...

And the most important preparation we are doing at the start of the "BER" period?

nothing...just savoring the remaining days of nice weather. 

Happy "BER" everyone!

P.S.  Do you have anything in particular that you do only during "BER" months?  Share it with us! :)