Friday, July 24, 2015

Be a Man: Play Hard with Robust Extreme


A productive man's day is full of activities. Some engage in work, others in school, and for others in sports. Apart from that, he has  to fit in other tasks to his schedule.  Add to that the fact that he has to perform additional responsibilities for his wife, partner, or lover. How will he be able to perform at his very best when the need arises? Will he be able to deliver? Or will he cease to amaze?

We heard the phrase “be a man” too many times at the gym or sports arena but how can one actually start acting like a man. Is it by toughening up? Or holding back a cry? Society has forgotten that men have feelings too. ATC Healthcare is there to help. It has been a trusted life ally for everyone. It even has products that particularly caters to real men. Being a man is being able to break through the social norm, and being true to himself and his own limitations.




Gain back the confidence you had with Robust Extreme dietary supplement for men. Robust Extreme is safe and effective as it contains 100% all natural ingredients.  Robust Extreme helps boost a man’s sexual experience while giving him a powerful and long-lasting erection. People won’t admit it, but with Robust Extreme he could redefine the way he sees himself in a relationship with all the sensibilities that goes with it. Robust Extreme is priced at P125.00 per capsule and is available in all leading drugstores nationwide. To ensure effectivity, don’t drink alcohol. Robust Extreme is recommended to be taken one capsule two hours before intimate activity, best taken with warm water and an empty stomach. For more tips on how to make your relationship with your partner better, like Robust Extreme on Facebook – www.fb.com/RobustExtreme.

Part two of the BAHAY Buffet experience: a visit to BAGA at Lakefront, Paranaque City


BAGA (Barbecuers' and Grillers' Association) Manila was a well-known fixture in Makati City. It's the ingenious brainchild of Miss Dawn Mawis. It has seen commercial success in Makati for a while. For a number of years, they have been regularly serving up a night food market in the area. However, unforeseen circumstances have prompted them to transfer to Paranaque to continue the business. As a blogger, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit their new site in the area. After our July 18, 2015,  Bahay Buffet experience in MoCa Farm, our group went straight to the BAGA Night Food market located at Lakefront, a Vista Land residential development located in front of the scenic Laguna de Bay. 

Our agenda this time was to experience the culinary specialties prepared by BAGA's concessionaires. They are mostly eateries and entrepreneurs within the Paranaque area who are willing to showcase their dishes. There are about 18 food and drink stalls in the area.  About 4-6 of these stalls offer grilled specialties in line with the spirit of BAGA Manila as a barbecuer's haven. Some of these include Donna's grill and Sogah grill.

Other stalls offter a pinch of variety, though. There's one that sells juice drinks. Another concessionaire, Liquid Mobile Bar is the sole proprietor of alcoholic drinks in the area. There's also a unique stall that  cooks teppanyaki fresh on the spot. For Chinese food lovers, a Hainanese chicken stall serves the palate. The obligatory shawarma stall is also there, along with chicken wings. For burger lovers, a stall serves Jamaican burger patties complete with a load of spices. Those craving for light snacks can find some in a nachos stall beside them.

The venue, though, is in sharp contrast to the hustle and bustle of Makati. The area expresses a very laid back and chill atmosphere, together with the occasional cool breeze. The venue wasn't complete without a wide space compete with a huge, grassy field and a residential subdivision in front of the venue. To shield the customers from the harsh elements, BAGA has placed a good number of white tents together with the wooden dining tables and chairs. Apart from a semi indoor dining area, the place also boasts of outdoor tables complete with lanterns to illuminate the venue during the night.

After observing the place, BAGA showed us its generosity by offering us the ubiquitous specialties, namely: barbecue and isaw. These were provided by Donna's grill and Sogah Grill. We had a helping of these together with fruit juices from one of the concessionaires. The taste was truly excellent. Top class grilled meat was really given to us. This was in sharp contrast to Manila based grillhouses with highly commercialized and subpar barbecues. Donna's grill, for one, served us meat grilled to perfection. There wasn't a lot of burned areas, and the meat didn't not have a rubbery texture. On the contrary, it was firm and tender. The taste was just right. The sauce wasn't sweet enough to overpower the taste of meat. On the other hand, these two elements combined together to produce a really good mix of grilled flavors. Sogah grill, on the other hand, produced a barbecue with softer texture and a sweeter sauce. It was easier to bite due to the smaller cuts of meat. Both of these barbecues were good with spiced vinegar. I didn't try the isaw due to my dietary preferences, though. Overall, the food lives up to the establishment's reputation as one of the South's rising informal dining bazaars.

I do thank Miss Gigi Mawis and the BAGA team for their dedication and commitment in planning this event. I do appreciate the fact that they invited me and generously gave me an experience that I won't forget.

The city of Paranaque has a lot of hole-in-the wall eateries that are becoming popular; and BAGA Manila is fast becoming one of them. I do urge you to visit and support it when you're in the South. 

You can visit BAGA Manila at their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BAGAManila?fref=ts 

The establishment is open from 4pm -12 mn , Thursdays to Sundays. It is located at Lakefront Sucat. To get there, one can take the Sucat Exit at the SLEX. The venue is at the back of the Lakefront Restaurant complex.


The story in pictures:


Donna's grill and Sogah Barbecue, the source of our taste test dishes



Note the expansive space provided to BAGA Manila




Fellow bloggers with BAHAY Buffet membership cards


The indoor dining area


Another shot of the indoor dining area


the outdoor dining area together with the parking





Chicken isaw



The ubiquitous pork barbecue


pork isaw


WE LOVE BAHAY BUFFET AND BAGA MANILA!!!

Photo Credits to:
Axl Guinto  (axlppi.blogspot.com)
Jacqueline Mercado (gotasteblog.blogspot.com)
Kay Almienda of BAGA Manila

The BAHAY Buffet Experience: a day with BAGA and fellow bloggers in MoCa Family Farm (Padre Garcia, Batangas)


Last July 18, 2015, BAGA (Barbecuers' And Grillers' Association) Manila launched its pet project known as BAHAY Buffet. The word bahay is capitalized to mean: Buffet At Home is Always Yummy. This new venture aims to introduce consumers to up-and-coming hole in the wall eateries, small farms, micro-entrepreneurs and other businesses in the food industry. The idea is to bring a group of private individuals to the homes or farms of food establishment owners and connoisseurs to have an intimate food buffet experience. The owners will be able to closely interact with the consumers and be able to promote their products to them. The customers, on the other hand, will be able to treasure a unique dining experience with their hosts and fellow consumers. The concept has already been in the drawing board last year, but it was only on this year that the project has been finally executed. 

To cap off the launch of this ambitious event, BAGA, under the leadership of Ms. Dawn Mawis, invited a select group of food and lifestyle bloggers from different age groups. The goal was simple. We were sent to document the first event held in MoCa farm. The property is owned by the Morris and Castor spouses who have long been into organic farming, small-scale agriculture, and micro-entrepreneurship. The farm made a mark in the exotic food scene by showcasing its rabbit meat made from the New Zealand variety of rabbits. 

Our contingent travelled to Padre Garcia, Batangas a rustic town near the city of Lipa. We met at the Intercon hotel in Makati, then we rode our respective vans. The journey took us 2 hours. The area is known to be a favorable farming locale. Big names in the food industry such as Andok's have chicken breeding grounds there. Even popular politicians and movie actors also have their respective farms in the area.

Upon arrival, we were shown into the farm by Ka Gigi Morris, the wife of veteran horticulturist Bob Morris. She told us the history of MoCa farm. According to her, the farm was originally a mango orchard in barangay known for mass producing mangoes. Upon the arrival of Bob Morris in the Philippines, he saw the potential of the land for more productive uses such as agro-tourism and animal breeding. Hence, the MoCa farm was born.

According to Ka Gigi, the farm uses purely organic methods of crop cultivation. It means that no chemical pesticides such as DDT are used to grow the produce. Apart from that, the volume of their produce is usually for personal consumption and their small agribusiness. This is evident in the fact that there are no heavy farming equipment present in the place. Also, there is no showing that large-scale crop placement methods like crop rotation are practiced. This is not to say, though, that the farm isn't remarkable. What delighted me was the variety of orchids, fruit trees, shrubs, and other plants that were present in the place. Add to the fact that the farm boasts of its unique native pig and rabbit breeding grounds. The most amazing part is that all these productive activities are included in a small 1 hectare area.

The tour wasn't the only thing that surprised me. The other thing was the food. I'm not keen on Filipino food, but after tasting Ka Gigi's specialties, I am strongly reconsidering my position. At about lunch time, Ka Gigi invited us to sample the delectable recipes made from the organic ingredients from the farm. For starters, we had the Suman coupled with Santan Sauce. The rice used in the dish was colored green. It had a good taste which even became better when dipped into the sauce. Another appetizer was the Kalabasa Soup with Malunggay Flakes. The soup actually had olive oil to give it a buttery taste without the bad effects of saturated fat. The malunggay leaves accentuated the buttery taste and provided the soup with more flavor. The final appetizer was the Garden Salad with Alugbati (Spanish Spinach), Pineapple, and Tomatoes. This salad, didn't use the typical lettuce. Instead, a lesser known type of leaf, Alugbati, was used. The leaves were crisp and a bit bitter. The pineapples and tomatoes served to provide sweetness to the bitter taste.

The appetizers themselves were already overwhelming. However, it didn't end there. The meat and fish viands were more generous. Our menu was comprised of Santol with Pork in Coconut Milk, Native Pig Lechon, Pinaputukang Tilapia wrapped in Galangal Leaves, and Three-colored Rice. The santol was ground and cooked to perfection with pork and chili. The fruit, at this point, had the texutre and the taste of animal meat. The taste was accentuated with a generous helping of chili and coconut milk, true to the Bicolano style of cooking. The dish made me unable to distinguish the difference between the pork and the santol. It also reminded me of the occasional Bicol Express cooked by our maid. The difference is that the ingredients were fresh and well-cooked. The Pinaputukang Tilapia, on the other hand, melted in my mouth with every bite. It was juicy and tender. The dining event was not complete without the crowning glory of native lechon. Its succulent flesh made me forget the consequences of high cholesterol. It was organic anyway. It didn't have the debilitating effects of commercial breeding chemicals. (and hence, healthier than Andok's) Apart from the succulent flesh, the meat tasted different from the Manila lechon I was accustomed to. It wasn't too greasy. The fat was also trimmed and the meat wasn't rubbery. Without time to recover from our generous helping, we were immediately served another tempting dish: Dessert!

The Hubad na Turon had a unique twist. It was served like a fusion cuisine dish. The lumpia wrapper served as the placeholder for supremely sweet caramelized bananas. The wrapper was fried to a crisp, while bananas were chilled. Talk about a perfect mixture of hot and cold. The bananas were cut to small servings so as not to overwhelm our taste buds.

All of these dishes were served together with a variety of drinks. We had glass after glass of bignay cider, santol juice, and organically grown Batangas coffee from dried Liberica and Robusta fruits. The bignay cider, commonly used, in making fermented wine, had a slightly bitter taste, but was still satisfactory as a cooler nonetheless. The Santol had the flavor of mixture of fruit juices, and yet maintained a well-bodied taste. It didn't taste like typical powdered juice we had in Manila. The coffee took the show. It showcased the strength of a fresh and popular Batangueno delicacy. Add to that the fact that the beans were not showered with pesticide. The drink was pretty strong; and I'd say it can keep a person awake for an entire day. 

The delightful showcase of food combined with a homey atmosphere truly showed me the success of BAHAY Buffet's wonderful concept. During the entire period of the tour and meal, BAGA and the bloggers had a wonderful time to interact with each other and network. After witnessing the generosity and hospitality of Ka Gigi Morris and Miss Dawn Mawis, I can already say that  the trip also provided me with pleasurable memories and experiences. I'm sure that after this successful launch, BAHAY Buffet will be a powerful tool in promoting agro-entrepreneurship in the country.

The excursion didn't end there. Our group also had the opportunity to visit BAGA's Lakefront establishment in Sucat, Paranaque. I'll feature it in the next post.

Check out BAHAY Buffet events, through their FB page at: https://www.facebook.com/bahaybuffet

MoCa Family farm has its website. Wisit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MoCa-Farm/144927215529014?sk=timeline

The story in pictures:


The 8 am meet up at Intercon Manila


One group picture before departing


The marker of Lipa City, Batangas


a left turn to the secluded farm


The arch of San Sebastian Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in Batangas


The arch of Padre Garcia, Batangas, the home of MoCa Family Farm

The welcome sign of the MoCa Family Farm


Another welcome sign


Ka Gigi Morris and kids



The start of our tour


a short merienda before continuing the tour



the participants enjoying the greenery



some of MoCa Farm's horticultural projects


Bugnay - the fruit for one of our drinks


a small campsite


the wooden throne


Formosa pineapple


Some pictures of the lush vegetation






A native pig serves as the breeding stock


one of the few rabbits harvested for their meat


The hungry bloggers waiting for lunch 


The venue of our lunch - the dining hall and kitchen complete with fly nets


Liberica coffee beans



pumpkin soup with basil and olive oil



an artsy shot of what to expect for our meal


Axl roasting the lechon for our meal





Ka Gigi and her staff, together with the sumptuous buffet



our garden salad with fresh pineapples, tomato, and Alugbati (Spanish Spinach)


a wonderful presentation of suman with bignay cider



suman with santan sauce


white rice, yellow turmeric rice, and blue rice 




a sample menu posted on the dining room



Bugnay fruit


The bloggers grabbing pics of the meal



Some of MoCa Farm's preserved delicacies for sale



The native pig lechon - note the 



another shot of the lechon roasting



Ka Gigi telling us the dishes and their ingredients



Pinaputukang tilapia in galangal leaves



another shot of the ginataang santol



a short prayer before eating


Ginataang Santol and minced Pork with chili - reminiscent of Bicol Express



bagoong sauce



a close up of the ginataang santol and pork


Hubad na turon - unwrapped lumpia wrapper and caramelized bananas



bignay fruit - looked like blueberries hehe



Santol juice in orange and bignay cider in violet



a mango tree stump. A reminder of the devastation brought by Typhoon Glenda


The bloggers, BAGA, and Ka Gigi



A pleasant reminder of our visit

Photo Credits to:
Axl Guinto  (axlppi.blogspot.com)
Jacqueline Mercado (gotasteblog.blogspot.com)
Kay Almienda of BAGA Manila