Sumptuous Sunrise Buckets!

There's nothing more comforting than the mere thought of deep fried chicken wings tossed in good old buffalo sauce, a cold drink in one hand, the sun kissing your skin, and the music of ocean waves crashing upon the rocks and sands.  Ahh, such an idyllic moment.

Sunrise Buckets seem to capture this snapshot, despite no trace of ocean for miles around it.  The shop has been a fixture in the Ortigas area for quite some time now, a regular haunt for budget conscious students, weary office workers, or simply those longing for a piece of the beach, and good times. 

The place is a portal that whisks one away to another place.  One that's sunny, happy, bright and gay.  The walls are studded with beach-themed ornaments, complete with surfboards.  The only thing that seems lacking is real beach sand.  The shop was quite small but cozy, comfortably seating around 40 people or so.

The menu consists mainly of American comfort food, but the wings are the centerpiece, of course.  Only a few can rival Sunrise Bucket's vast array of wing flavors, surpassing even that of Wingman.  But is the quality at par?

Frings, P295 (+10% service charge)

The perfect way to start any comfort dinner is to chow down some potato fries and onion rings.  Dubbed as Frings, this huge basket arrived with a gargantuan sized onion rings!  Breaded and deep-fried to perfection, the onion rings were succulent and delectable.  The fries were crisp and plenty, but lacked some flavor.  The blue cheese dip should have added some punch but seemed to be tamed and watered down.

Picking the flavor of the chicken wings seems like a daunting task, with over 15 flavors to choose from.  The menu, though, helps you out by dividing flavors into 3 categories.  "Awesome" includes the tamer and milder flavors.  "Wipeout" amps up the spice a notch higher, including the original buffalo mix and Sunrise's own concoction.  The category also encompasses other more adventurous flavors: hickory, black pepper, and garlic.  The last, more flamboyant category, dubbed as "Cloud 9", truly is the heaven of wings.  With unique mixes infused with liquor such as Jim Beam and Jack Daniels, the taste is out-of-this-world.  We picked at least a flavor from each category for variety.

Spicy Jack, Half Pound, P245 (+10% service charge)

The distinct taste of liquor was evident but not overpowering in their unique, Jack Daniel-infused Spicy Jack.  The fruity overtones of alcohol blended well and was tame enough to let the zest and spice of buffalo sauce shine through.  It's nearly inexplicable, yet it works.  The chicken meat itself was crisp on the exterior, but a little dry within.  Nevertheless, the sauce is enough to make it finger-lickin' good, to borrow that famous punchline.  Trust me, there's no other flavor in this world like this liquor infused Spicy Jack.  Hands down, the best of the night.  For that price tag, it should be.

Smokin' BBQ, Half Pound, P165 (+10% service charge)

A simpler, more straightforward choice, the Smokin' BBQ was probably lost in the limelight hogged by the Spicy Jack.  The smokey flavor was nearly non-existent, although there were a few traces of a grilled taste.  Too tame or too watered down?  This one was a bit disappointing, tasting just like a lowly common fried chicken.

Garlic Parmesan, Half Pound, P245 (+10% service charge)

I'm a sucker for any garlic and cheese flavor combo, and this pick looked promising.  My palate has since been longing for this taste ever since I grabbed a bite of Wingman's own parmesan mix.  My expectations were thus high for this flavor.  Sadly, Sunrise's version was overboard salty.  The saltiness was overpowering, perhaps due to an overflowing seasoning as evidenced by the leftover powder in the bucket.  The garlic taste was hard to find, subdued by the oiliness of the butter and the overeager flavor of the parmesan powder.  This would have been mind-blowing, had it been executed carefully.

Real American Buffalo Hot, Half Pound, P175 (+10% service charge)

We opted to sample their version of the original buffalo flavor, and it was spot on.  The zest and kick was evident, along with the familiar sourness of the buffalo wing taste.  Available in 3 degrees of spiciness, this should be the usual pick for those who prefer no-frills buffalo wings.  

One fact about Sunrise Bucket's wings is that the serving is small - too small for the price tags.  The cheapest bucket comes at a tad above 150 bucks, but the wing joints appear minuscule.  Some pieces appeared thin and lacked enough meat.  This is in contrast to bigger wings seen in Buffalo's Wings and Things, Wingman, heck even the budget B. Wings.  

Pound for pound, it's not the best bargain in the metro out there.  But what Sunrise Buckets offers and keeps hooking and reeling in their customers is the wide variety of flavors and their really unique alcohol amplified concoctions.  I would be willing to shell out a few bucks more just to sample their Jack Daniels or Jim Beam wings again, even if the sizes are less than average.  It's as ground-breaking and other-worldly as that.

Jones

Sunrise Buckets

Madison Square, Madison Street corner Ortigas Avenue

San Juan City

https://www.facebook.com/sunrise.buckets

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Yen Yen: From Hole-in-the-Wall to Casual Street Food

There is almost a dirty connotation with the term "street food".  The mere mention of the two words conjures images of a wooden street cart being pushed around by a sweaty and grimy street vendor, complete with tall glass bottles with murky sauces, a sloppy stainless steel wok and recycled barbecue sticks.  Clearly not for the faint of heart (or stomach). 

But I adore street food, in the purest sense of the word.  I remember my college days along the hidden back streets of the DLSU Manila campus, behind the Gokongwei Building, there was a popular push cart vendor who sells anything from the ordinary fish balls to a complete pork chop rice meal.  Curiously, his loyal followers were a diverse mix: from conyo Lasallistas to geeky computer majors, to the average college student scraping the bottom of his allowance.  I loved the pork chops there - it had a homey and greasy taste, just like how anybody's Mom used to cook.

This is street food. I kid you not.

Apparently, street food can be transferred out of the streets and into an actual restaurant setting.  This has long been championed by Yen-Yen, a quaint nook that dishes out delicious Taiwanese street food fare.  Its original branch was a virtual hole-in-the-wall: occupying an area barely the size of a regular classroom, and beside a messy and dirty auto repair shop.  The only clue that what's inside was edible was the yellow signage that often misleads customers: "Taiwanese street food".  I'm pretty sure quite a few would have imagined exotic fare like scorpions or sea horses and other stuff only consumed by the bizarre, say perhaps Andrew Zimmern.

But that did not deter me to try out their original branch.  I have not regretted it since, and it was my little San Juan secret, a place I frequented whenever I wanted a quick and delectable meal.  The menu was unique, the taste unfamiliar yet sumptuous, and the prices were (pardon the pun) dirt-cheap.  Yen-Yen has since moved on to a brighter place, a larger area, and a more inviting vibe.  A minor tweaking of the menu, a little modern decors here and there, and Yen-Yen is back in business.

The new menu is bright and colorful, with new exotic additions.

In our numerous visits in both their old and new branches, there were practically only 2 items that we regularly ordered.  Blame us for the lack of adventure, yet these two items were off-the-charts delicious.  Nevertheless, Yen-Yen is a full-board restaurant, complete with noodles, dimsum, and main courses, each with its own unique and exotic twist.  It's just that we always preferred to order the dish that we came to know Yen-Yen for: the Taiwanese chops!

Pork Chop Rice, P170

Unlike any other pork chop, the Taiwanese version is relatively flatter and crunchier.  I'm inclined to believe that the meat is pounded into a thinner cut, and then coated with a crunchy breading.  The end-result is a tantalizing texture of soft, juicy meat within and a crispy outer skin.  Nearly devoid of any fat trimming, it is indeed a healthier version of the cardiac pork chop common in our households and a sexier model of the Japanese katsu.  The breading itself is spiked with secret spices, rendering a zesty appeal to an otherwise ordinary chop.  The blend of favors doesn't end there, with a peculiar side dip that flirts between a tomato ketchup and sambal sauce.  It's that dip that I'm most baffled - it has a tangy taste yet at the same time exudes a sweet-spicy feel.  Whatever it is, it is the perfect complement to the pork chop.  Available in a budget meal or a la carte, no visit to Yen-Yen will be justified without sampling their famous chops.

Chicken Chop Rice, P185

Long before milk tea shops had the bright idea of serving chicken chops, Yen Yen was already pioneering the trend.  These chicken fillets were similarly prepared, flattened and then coated with that spicy and crisp breading.  The Chicken Chops were perfectly deep fried, with the meat within fresh and juicy.  Again, its that queer red sauce that amps up the flavor.  If only I could grab a jar of that, it will make the world a better place.  Budget meals come served with a hefty portion of rice and generous mixed chopped veggies, a certainly filling treat all for less than 200 bucks.

Spicy Wonton, P88

Among the myriad of dimsum treats Yen-Yen has to offer, it's the spicy wonton that always wins out for us.  Served drenched in a bowl of chili chiu chow oil, these dimsum wraps are a meal in itself.  Six plump pieces filled with ground meat and kuchay, and then drowned in a spicy oil.  There's absolutely no way that we pass up on this on every visit.  In fact, we even ordered a modified version, having the dumplings deep fried instead of steamed, and then drenching them in the same oil.  Talk about flexibility.

Definitely, there are no tell-tale signs of street food aura within the new Yen-Yen branch.  Yet Yen-Yen assures us that what they serve here is actually being served in the streets of Taiwan, even using the same cooking gear and methods to preserve authenticity.  The taste speaks the truth, clearly divergent from the all too common MSG-infused Chinese restaurant fare.  If Taiwanese street food was this good, I wonder how the actual restaurant food tastes like.

Yen-Yen has seamlessly bridged the gap between mainstream cooking and street food.  With its new branch now more lively and earning a reputation among foodies and San Juan residents, it appears that the next step is expansion.  I hope though they keep the prices reasonable (prices had increased when they made the big move to the newer location).  Yen-Yen has successfully transformed hole-in-the-wall street food to a more casual experience.

Jones

Yen-Yen Taiwan Street Food

198 Wilson Street, corner P. Guevarra Street

San Juan City

https://www.facebook.com/yen.yen.food

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A Whole Lot of Chow and A Whole Lot of Fun!

Okay, so it's been a while since I blogged about food! I've been too busy (lazy is a better word) to put up a good blog and a few pictures, so there, I haven't been up here in a while.  Although I have been trying a good number of Gyudon dishes in the time I was away, I suddenly thought, why not blog about my other food adventures too?  Although the sacred Gyudon will always be my first love, I guess there's a whole culinary world out there to discover...

So, I found out about this new joint in San Juan, through reading food blogs! I was greatly intrigued by their concept (actually, it was their dessert that caught my fancy).  So, on an important occasion (my Mom's birthday!), I decided to bring them there and try it out!

And Chow Fun was surely a lot of fun!  Still in its infancy at barely 3 months old, this modern Chinese restaurant is really standing out amidst the increasing boredom of Wilson Street in Greenhills.  Sure, the area is packed with Chinese restos left and right, but they all seem so.. mundane.  But here is where Chow Fun becomes unique.

Shedding the traditional look of Chinese fare, it offers a different take.  (Damn, I forgot to take pictures of the place, I was so engrossed at capturing the food!).  Along with my mom and dad, we arrived relatively late, just past 8PM, and there were no other people inside.  That was a good thing actually, since we had the place to ourselves.  Anyway, we didn't waste time and I proceeded on selecting their best-sellers, as attested to by food bloggers.  So, here's what we ordered.

Oriental Duck Rolls, P165

This was supposed to be an appetizer, but I ordered it last haha!  It was way too good to pass up.  Each piece was crispy and fully filled, with the duck meat exuding its flavor, even without any dip!  It comes with 3 dips though, an orange dip, a chili sauce (which was just plain hot sauce, I was told), and a chili vinegrette.  It goes well with all three.  The best thing was, at first bite, I immediately knew this was freshly prepared and not just a ready-to-fry frozen piece of disappointment.

Hot and Sour Seafood Soup, P195

+10% service charge

In any food trip at any Chinese restaurant, this is an ubiquitous part of my menu! I had to try this out, and it was the perfect time, with the cold weather and dreary rain and all.  Anyway, it didn't disappoint, except for the fact it was practically just good for 1-2 persons with quite a pricey tag.  But it packed a lot of punch and was really hot and spicy!  Too bad though that it was mostly filled with tofu (maybe they should have changed the name to hot and spicy tofu soup) and I had trouble dredging around the bowl searching for any semblance of seafood in there.  But the taste was great, I could feel the sting on my tongue, with the red and green chili morsels in between my teeth.  What was surprising is that my mom, who doesn't fancy chili food, actually enjoyed this one! (with the occasional cough here and there).

Broccoli XO, P225 (i think)

+10% service charge

Sorry I forgot the actual price tag, but I wouldn't forget the name of this dish!  Just by its looks, I knew the broccoli was also fresh.  It wasn't soggy, and it retained its crisp texture, even when the XO sauce practically drenched it.  But hey, I wasn't here for the veggies! But it was a good hit with my parents anyway.

Sour Caramel Pork, P255

+10% service charge

At first glance on the menu, I thought this was quite pricey.  Especially when the dish was set down on our table, I thought I was hoodwinked.  But no, this was also the star of the night.  Served with a siding of spinach, this was unique take on the common sweet-and-sour thing in Chinese food.  The caramel touch was a welcome blend to the sour aspect, and the meat itself was soft inside with a crunchy exterior.  It was definitely a winner!

Chow Fun Chicken Fry, P290 (half order)

+10% service charge

And who would say no to fried chicken fried the Chinese way?  No, this was not your typical Savory chicken / crispy chicken with Kropek flakes on the side.  Covered in peppercorn and spices, each piece was a slice of heaven.  No, this was neither your Korean chicken fry drenched in oily sauce.  This was like KFC.  With pepper.  And vinegar.  Okay, that was an understatement.  But the chicken was so good, you'd forget the sauce altogether.  Each piece was fried to a crisp, but the inside was tender and fresh.  The vinegar just added a mild twist on the taste, but it was perfect.  I wonder if they'll come up with a 1 piece value meal for this haha! Now that would really be worth it!  And if you just had one dish to try in Chow Fun, you simply cannot, and should not, pass this up!

Overall, I did a lot of chowing and had a lot of fun in Chow Fun.  Not only that, the staff was courteous and accomodating, even offering us small plates and a knife the moment they saw us bringing out a birthday cake! (no corkage here, fellas).  Furthermore, when I asked for a microwaveable container to bring a slice of cake home, they readily obliged (at no extra charge).  They still have to improve in a few points though, since they ares still barely out of infancy.  It would help to put a few pictures on the menu, since I only knew what to order immediately just because I saw them on blogs.  Also, I hope they come up with more choices for soups and noodles (I would love to see how they twist the taste of hototay soup haha!).  Chow Fun really stands out amidst the long line of restos along Wilson street and its immediate vicinity.  No frills here, no incense smell in the air, no creepy Chinese chant music around.  It's just a whole lot of chowing and a bundle of fun!

Jones

Chow Fun Modern Chinese Bistro

Ground Floor, 103 J. Abad Santos Street, Little Baguio, San Juan

www.facebook.com/itsmorefunatchowfun

P200-499 per oder

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