MUST BUY "PASALUBONG" FROM FRANCE: Agerria Foie de Canard Entier a la Truffe (Whole duck foie gras with truffle)

MUST BUY "PASALUBONG" FROM FRANCE: 
Agerria Foie de Canard Entier a la Truffe
(Whole duck foie gras with truffle)

Agerria Foie de Canard Entier a la Truffe (whole duck foie gras with truffle). So worth it! It's a must buy to bring home from France. This has truffle on top but you can buy the "cheaper" version without the truffle. Unlike the pate, the foie du canard is a whole duck foie gras. Agerria Foie de Canard a la Truffe costs 24.90 euros. Without the truffle (the black thing shown in the photo), it will cost 18.50 euros.

My brother bought this item at St. Jean-de-Luz during his Best of France tour with Trafalgar.

Website: https://www.agerria.com/

YOSHINOYA EASTWOOD: MY REVIEW

Photo courtesy of Grab

YOSHINOYA EASTWOOD: 

MY REVIEW

Craving some Gyudon today and remembering the meals we had at Yoshinoya Japan. Our first meal upon arrival at Tokyo in 2018 was at the Yoshinoya Narita Airport branch. 

The newly opened branch of Yoshinoya Eastwood where we ordered our meal today didn't disappoint. It brings back memories of meals we had when we visited Japan before the pandemic. We ordered Gyudon and Gyudon with cheese via grab food. We also had red ginger and togarashi/7 spice as condiments. I usually get Gyudon with cheese and it's as flavorful as the one I ate in Japan.

Photos below show what we ordered in Yoshinoya Eastwood in Manila today and Yoshinoya in Narita Airport, Japan in 2018. Check it out.

Gyudon in Yoshinoya Eastwood

Gyudon (right photo): Thin strips of tender beef, slowly simmered in our signature Gyudon sauce served over Japanese rice

Regular: 205 pesos , Large: 251 pesos

Gyudon with cheese (left photo): Thin strips of tender beef, slowly simmered in our signature Gyudon sauce served over Japanese rice topped with melted cheese
Regular: 239 pesos, Large: 299 pesos

With togarashi/7 spice and red ginger as condiments

Gyudon with cheese

Dimensions of Large Gyudon

 Gyudon at Yoshinoya in Narita Airport, Japan in 2018

My gyudon with cheese

My tip: If grab food does not deliver Yoshinoya in your area, put an address that is near the branch location and choose self-pickup. This branch allows purchase by self-pickup via grab food. Then use grab express to pick up the food to deliver to your place.

RODDEEDED PHILIPPINES: Superb Thai Food in Manila

RODDEEDED PHILIPPINES:

Superb Thai Food in Manila

I have yet to return to Bangkok since the pandemic started. Craving for authentic Thai food, to my delight I found Roddeeded in Manila. I never tasted Roddeeded in Bangkok. They are said to be famous for the beef noodle soup. Instead what I ordered for delivery are (1) Pad Thai, (2) Green Chicken Curry and (3) Larb Moo salad. They were all as great as the food we tasted during visits in Bangkok.

Thai food is very spicy but it is unique in that the spiciness comes with so much flavor. The "hotness" and the flavor reminds me of the quality of food we ate at Bangkok Bold Kitchen in Thailand in 2019. My standard for good Pad Thai is Thipsamai in Bangkok. And Roddeeded's Pad Thai didn't disappoint. The Larb Moo salad reminds me of the Larb we ate in Luang Prabang. Larb is apparently both a Thai and a Laosian food. And I don't need to rave about the Green Chicken Curry. You need to taste it for yourself. If you're not into spicy food, you can choose "Manila style" when you order. I chose "Bangkok style" because we like it spicy.

We ordered for delivery through roddeededphilippines.pickup.ph. You can order up to 7 days in advance, and select the dispatch time from 11am to 8pm. Payment online is via card (mastercard or visa), GCash or Grab pay. They were efficient and on time when they delivered the food and quality was maintained. Alternatively, you can also order via Facebook messenger.

Facebook page: Roddeeded Philippines

Location: 126 Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City (by the Sparta Sports Complex Food Hub)

Contact No. 09496734702

Open from 11:00 AM-8:30 PM

PAD THAI

This Thai street food dish is primarily made with small pieces of cooked chicken, eggs, rice noodles and an assortment of veggies and seasonings then it's all tossed in a sweet and savory sauce. (from the menu)

Price: 286 pesos

Good for 2

GREEN CHICKEN CURRY

Tender chicken simmered in creamy Thai Green Curry (RDD Curry) is the ultimate hot dish. Fragrant, rich and a bit spicy, a one-pot superstar. (from the menu)

Price: 276 pesos

LARB MOO SALAD

Made with minced pork, one of the most popular Thai street food. Combination of minced pork, lime juice, chili flakes, herbs and special RDD sauce which give a distinct taste. (from the menu)

Price: 297 pesos

WINE REVIEW: Elderton Neil Ashmead Grand Tourer Shiraz 2015.

WINE REVIEW: Elderton Neil Ashmead Grand Tourer Shiraz 2015

Slow Saturday afternoon watching The Sopranos with an Elderton Neil Ashmead Grand Tourer Shiraz 2015.

My review: Highly recommended. I would describe it as spicy with savory finish. Leather on the nose. Lots of character. Not the typical fruity shiraz. Peppery with herbal, eucalyptus finish. Very rich! Lots of berries, liquorice and oak on the palate.

True to the description at the back of the bottle: "the wine is exuberant lively and full of character."

Winery: Elderton

Region: Barossa Valley

Country: Australia

Grape variety: Australian Shiraz

Vintage: 2015

BEST TAKOYAKI IN ANTIPOLO

BEST TAKOYAKI IN ANTIPOLO

We found the best takoyaki in Antipolo that's comparable to the takoyaki we ate in Osaka. It's sold by Tako Tako Queen - Dalig branch. We tried other branches but only the Dalig branch meets ourexpectations. We usually order the 15 pcs Original Octo Bits (290 pesos) and 15 pcs Baby Octo (500 pesos). You can have it delivered through foodpanda or pick it up at 8 M. L Quezon Extension St., C Nail Salon, Brgy Dalig, Antipolo City. 

Opening hours: 1:00 PM - 8:30 PM

BEST EAR PLUGS FOR SLEEPING: Howard Leight Max-1 Pre-shaped Foam Ear Plugs

BEST EAR PLUGS FOR SLEEPING: Howard Leight Max-1 Pre-shaped Foam Ear Plugs 

I just found this fantastic ear plugs for sleeping. It blocks out outside noise so effectively you are guaranteed a good night's sleep. It's made of foam so it's soft and comfortable in your ear, even if you sleep on your side. You roll it and insert it in your ear. Then it expands and creates a suction that blocks out noise. Very effective if your roommate snores or your neighbors party noisily. It's also great for blocking out noise from fellow travelers when traveling on an airplane. 

This is the Howard Leight Max-1 Pre-shaped Foam ear plugs uncorded NRR33. It costs 20 pesos per pair. You can get it at Lazada and Shopee.

Step-by-step guide on How to Get your Covid 19 Vaccination Certificate in the Philippines

 Step-by-step guide on How to Get your Covid-19 Vaccination Certificate in the Philippines 

If you are vaccinated in the Philippines, this is the official government site issuing the covid vaccination certificate that is accepted by airlines when flying abroad. The vaccination certificate is issued by the Philippine Department of Health and the Bureau of Quarantine. To generate your vaccination certificate, you need to do the following:

1. Go to  https://vaxcert.doh.gov.ph/ and click request vaccination certificate, and then review and agree to the data privacy statement. 

2. You need to answer the questions in the same manner as below to be able to proceed. 

3. Enter your personal details. 

4. Enter your vaccination information. 

If you were vaccinated in a city, there are two ways it's presented as shown above. 

5. Review the information before continuing. 

6. You are asked to input auto-generated 7 random characters before continuing. 

7. Click "Generate Vaccination Certificate". You don't need to input a passport number to generate the certificate. 

8. Voila! You can now download your vaccination certificate or take a screenshot of your certificate.