PAMPANGA: Where to buy Kapampangan Tamales

January 19, 2014


PAMPANGA: Where to buy Kapampangan Tamales

What is the Kapampangan Tamales?
The Kapampangan Tamales is a Filipino dish originating from the province of Pampanga. It is made of ground rice, peanut and coconut milk cooked into a paste and then wrapped with meat, usually chicken and egg, in banana leaves then boiled.

This is a totally different dish from the Mexican tamales both in flavor and ingredients. The only similarity is the way it's cooked. The ingredients are wrapped in banana leaves and boiled in water.

Where to buy the Kapampangan Tamales?
Residents of  Pampanga usually have regular suppliers in markets or from home industries. For tourists like us, here are three places I discovered where you can find a regular supply. 


RAZON'S OF GUAGUA RESTAURANT
MEGA CALTEX STATION at the North Luzon Expressway, Southbound Lane, after the San Fernando Exit

It's not Razon's restaurant who's selling the tamales. A vendor was allowed to put up a small stall/desk inside the restaurant and sell the tamales.

My tip: Be there from 11:00 AM onwards. The vendor arrives at 11:00 AM




View City of Sn Fernando in a larger map



PRICE: 70 pesos per tamales (if you're one of the first buyers, they give it at 50 pesos per piece as "buena mano" price for good luck)







SUSIE'S CUISINE
MacArthur Highway, San Fernando City

This is the branch where we bought our tamales. I'm not sure if other branches sell tamales too.





View City of Sn Fernando in a larger map







PRICE: 70 pesos per tamales 


SAN GUILLERMO PARISH CHURCH

There's an ambulant vendor in front of the gates of the Church who's selling tamales. We found her  there when we arrived around 1130 AM on a Sunday, but left before we finished visiting and exploring the Church. So we weren't able to buy tamales from her. Perhaps she sells the tamales when there's Mass.




View City of Sn Fernando in a larger map






My tip: 
To me, the Kapampangan Tamales sold by the vendor inside Razon's of Guagua restaurant at Mega Caltex Station, NLEX tastes much better than the tamales sold by Susie's cuisine. This is not to say tamales sold by Susie's cuisine tastes bad. Susie's tamales tasted good too. I just prefer the tamales sold inside Razon's because it's less salty and more flavorful.

CASA XOCOLAT: Ending the Christmas Season at Our Favorite Restaurant

January 5, 2014

CASA XOCOLAT: 
Ending the Christmas Season at Our Favorite Restaurant


It's the last day of our Christmas vacation and what do you think is the best way to end it? With pasta and lots of chocolate at our favorite chocolate restaurant. Yup, we're seated at the right corner in the photo above.








OUR FAVORITE MEALS


Meaty Lasagna (P175.00)

Xocolat Chicken Pasta (P195.00)

Pasta Alfredo (P175.00)

Chicken Pesto Pasta (P175.00)


OUR FAVORITE DESSERTS

That Xocolat Cake (P95.00)

Xocolat Oreo Cheesecake (P125.00)

Aztec Xocolat (P145.00)

Taza de Xocolat (P145.00)

Frozen "Hot Xoco" (P165.00)



THE COUNTER WHERE YOU ORDER


THE MENU





CASA XOCOLAT
172 B-Gonzales St., Loyola Heights,Quezon City


HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!


My NEW YORK Itinerary with Kids (Day 4: Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Plaza Hotel, Central Park)

January 4, 2014


My NEW YORK Itinerary with Kids
(Day 4: Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Plaza Hotel, Central Park)


DAY 1. MONDAY: 
ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK




DAY 2. TUESDAY: 
MIDTOWN MANHATTAN TOUR by FREE TOURS BY FOOT
TIFFANY'S STORE FEATURED IN "BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S"
FIFTH AVENUE

DAY 3. WEDNESDAY: 
STATUE OF LIBERTY, LIBERTY ISLAND, ELLIS ISLAND 
911 MEMORIAL 
BROADWAY SHOW: LION KING


DAY 4. THURSDAY: 
MUSEUM OF MODERN ART (MOMA)
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
PLAZA HOTEL
CENTRAL PARK


The map below shows our itinerary for the day:


View New York City in a larger map


11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Since we had a very late night at Times Square the day before, we started late today.

Go to 34th St - Penn Station. Board   E   going towards Jamaica Center, get off at 5Av/53 St. Walk to the Museum of Modern Art at 53rd Street


12:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Museum of Modern Art
Finally saw Van Gogh's "Starry Night" at the Museum of Modern Art



2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

From the Museum of Modern Art, walk to Madison Av/East 52-53 St. Board M2 bus going towards Washington Heights Broadway -168st via Madison. Get off at Madison Ave/83rd St. Walk towards 5th avenue to the entrance of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.



3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Metropolitan Museum of Art
Arrival at the Met


Before going in, we had a 15 minute hotdog sandwich lunch at the steps of the Met.
Hotdog stand in front of the entrance of the MET

My tip: DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF PAYING FOR ADMISSION TICKETS AT THE MET. 

Contrary to what people think, tickets at the Met are FREE!!! The entry desk indicates that adult tickets are $25 but it's also stated below that they are only recommended, which means it's optional. New Yorkers know this but visitors are misled by the signs.

Check out these two articles:
Don't Pay the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 'Recommended' $25 Fee
Seeking Clarity on Fees at the Metropolitan Museum

  3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Metropolitan Museum of Art
The collection of the Met is so vast that it's not possible to see them all. 

My tip: The best way to be satisfied with your visit to the Met is to know beforehand what particular collection you want to see and go see it. This means you must read about the Met before your visit to know where to go. In our case, even if we knew what we wanted to see, because of the sheer size of the museum, it took a while to find it. I wanted to see the works of my favorite painter Johannes Vermeer, but I couldn't find it on my own. I had to ask for assistance of one of the museum employees stationed in the area to find it.

On the other hand, one of  my daughters wanted to see the Egyptian collection where all the sarcophagus and other artifacts were, another wanted to see the sculpture section, but all of them unanimously enjoy looking at the work of Impressionists: Monet, Renois, Cezanne, Latour. 


Self-portrait in a Straw Hat by Vincent Van Gogh


Bouquet of Sunflowers by Claude Monet


Marguerite-Therese (Margot) Berard by August Renoir

 


Young Woman with a Water Pitcher by Johannes Vermeer

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Walk to 5th Av/East 80th St. Board the M@ bus going to East Village 8th st via 5th ave. Get off at 5av/West 60-59th St. Walk to the Plaza Hotel

6:00 PM - 6:30 PM 


The Plaza Hotel



WHY THE KIDS WANTED TO SEE THE PLAZA:

Because my kids watched the 2003 Disney TV movie "Eloise at the Plaza". The film was based on the famous Eloise series of children's books.


Eloise at the Plaza (2003) Poster
Photo taken from IMDB

In front of the Plaza Hotel



Inside the Plaza Hotel


6:30 PM - 7:30 PM 


Central Park


At the Pond


My kids pretending they're at the movie "Enchanted"





7:30 PM - 8:00 PM
From Columbus Circle, walk to 59th st - Columbus Circle. Board   to Gar Rockaway Mott Ave. Get off at 34th St - Penn Station



DAY 5. FRIDAY: 
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

My NEW YORK Itinerary with Kids (Day 3: Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, Ellis Island, 911 Memorial, Broadway Show, Times Square)

January 3, 2014


My NEW YORK Itinerary with Kids
(Day 3: Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, 
Ellis Island, 911 Memorial Site, 
Broadway Show, Times Square)


DAY 1. MONDAY: 
ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK




DAY 2. TUESDAY: 
MIDTOWN MANHATTAN TOUR by FREE TOURS BY FOOT
TIFFANY'S STORE FEATURED IN "BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S"
FIFTH AVENUE
DAY 3. WEDNESDAY: 
STATUE OF LIBERTY, LIBERTY ISLAND, ELLIS ISLAND 
911 MEMORIAL 
BROADWAY SHOW: LION KING
TIMES SQUARE




The map below shows our itinerary for the day:




View New York City in a larger map


9:00 AM -10:00 AM

One hour travel time from the  A  New Yorker hotel to the  B  Battery Park.

Directions: Walk to 34th Street Penn Station, board the   1  to South Ferry. Get off at South Ferry and walk to Battery Park. 


10:00 AM -12:30 PM
Ride the ferry at  B Battery Park to go to  C  Liberty Island


This is the line that goes to Liberty Landing ferry.
People go through the white security tent before riding the ferry.
On the ferry going to Liberty Island


At Liberty Island, waiting for the Ranger tour guide


The 45 minute Ranger tour is a free guided tour of Liberty Island.





What to do on Liberty Island:

1. Do the free Liberty Island Ranger tour.
NOTE: Since the crown and pedestal were closed at the time of our visit, we were only able to do the Ranger tour, which is a free outdoor tour that introduces the visitor to the history of Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty.
2.  Enter the pedestal and the Liberty Museum

3. Go up the crown.


12:30 PM -12:45 PM
We left Liberty Island to go to  D  Ellis island


Approaching Ellis Island


12:45 PM - 2:30 PM

At the  Great Hall of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.
This is where immigrants waited to be processed before being allowed into the US


What to do on Ellis Island:

1. Make sure to watch the documentary "Island of Hope, Island of Tears" on the first floor. It provides a great introduction to the immigrant history of America and what occurred on Ellis Island.

2. Go through the different exhibits. The exhibit that my kids found interesting  is the Peopling of America exhibit.

  2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Ride the ferry from Ellis Island to  E  Battery Park

From Battery Park, walk to Bowling green station and board  4   towards Woodlawn, and get off at Fulton. 

Walk to Maiden Lane

Lunch at  F  Subway Restaurant or Papa Johns at Maiden Lane


3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
From Maiden Lane, walk to  G  911 Memorial Preview Site to get the tickets to the 911 Memorial Site.

Walk from Maiden Lane to Albany Street entrance of the 911 Memorial.


4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
 H  911 Memorial Site




4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
From the 911 Memorial site, walk back to Fulton Street, board  A   towards Inwood, then get off at 34th street Penn Station. Walk to  I  New Yorker hotel.


5:30 PM - 7:00 PM 
Rest at New Yorker hotel


7:00 PM - 7:30 PM 
Walk to 34th street Penn Station, board  A   towards Inwood, then get off at Port Authority Bus Terminal


7:30 PM 
Pick up Lion King tickets purchased online at will call window of  J  Minskoff Theater     


8:00 PM-10:30 PM
Watch Lion King
At the lobby of Minskoff theater


Inside Minskoff theater after watching Lion King


10:30 PM-1130 PM
Walk around  K  Times Square









Visit Hershey's store



11:30 PM-1230 PM
From the  L  Hershey's Store, walk towards 50th street and board  A   towards Ozone Park or  E   towards World Trade Center, get off at 34th Street Penn Station.


Passing by the Majestic Theater where Phantom of the Opera is shown
on the way to the Metro station to ride the subway back to our hotel.


Outside the Majestic Theater.
Phantom of the Opera is the longest running show in Broadway history.

Walk to the  M  Famous Famiglia Pizzeria right across the  N  New Yorker hotel and buy take out food to bring back to the hotel for late dinner

Famous Famiglia Pizzeria 
Open from Sun-Thurs: 10am to 1145 pm, Fri-Sat: 10am-245am 
Website: www.myfamousfamiglia.com

DAY 4. THURSDAY: 
MUSEUM OF MODERN ART (MOMA)
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
PLAZA HOTEL
CENTRAL PARK
Read more of Day 4 of My New York Itinerary with Kids 


DAY 5. FRIDAY: 
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
DEPARTURE FROM NEW YORK
Read more of Day 5 of My New York Itinerary with Kids