The Wholesome Table: Your place for organic selections!

Organic food is getting a boost in popularity  these days. I wondered what the craze was with pricey food untreated with pesticides and preservatives; and now I found the answer. Who knew that organic cuisine  could be tasty  and healthy at the same time? That was my discovery in the Wholesome Table. This latter already has 3 branches; and it never stops in its endeavor to serve the best organic vegan food. This is probably because of its commitment to serving only the healthiest and freshest selections possible for all those health connoisseurs.

We started off with the avocado toast. This simple yet flavorful dish is a combination of baked eggs, avocado, and whole grain toast with mustard and dukkah spice. This is considered as one of their breakfast meals. The eggs and avocado, besides being high in unsaturated fat and protein, gave me an energy boost. Add to that the fact that the ingredients produced a sweet, tangy flavor that was truly fitting to start the day.

The Mushroom Paella was their flagship main course dish. This vegan version of the popular Spanish dish is a sight to behold due to its clever mix of bright, explosive colors, and the strong smoky smell. According to the owner, the dish does not have any meat. Instead, the chorizo topping was made out of walnuts. Talk about using vegan ingredients to substitute the meat! Upon tasting, I found that the rice was well cooked; and the chorizo, bell pepper, black mushroom, olives, egg, and shrimp toppings became a winning combo. The mushroom and the chorizo gave the dish a meaty flavor without involving actual meat.

The paella was supplemented by their unique Cordillera salad. What makes this special is the fact that authentic Sagada oranges were used in the dish. These were small and tangy oranges that gave the salad a candy-like flavor. I normally don't like salad; but this is an exception because it tasted like a popular confectionery.  Furthermore, the salad was topped with duck eggs, baked onions, kale, romane lettuce, squash, and candied chayote. The chayote made the dish even sweeter since it was already caramelized.

The main course was ended by the Pokebowl. This is a new organic dish that is currently making waves across the U.S. It is composed of a melange of Fresh salmon, wakame, brown rice, onion leeks, pickled ginger, romaine lettuce, ebiko, furikake, and topped with Togarashi spice and stir fry sauce. Despite the overload of ingredients, I found the dish exciting and tasty. It was the perfect balance of healthy ingredients without scrimping on the taste. While the salmon was raw, I didn't restrain myself from devouring the whole bowl. The delightful mix of sweet, spicy, and salty flavors plus the assurance that it was a health dish made me give in.

As for dessert, we had a number of their fine selections. We were bombarded with generous servings of the banana cake, fudge brownies, mango cheesecake, and their blueberry muffins. We also had a taste of their cookies, namely the chocolate and the double oatmeal variants. I loved the banana cake and fudge brownies since they had this no-gluten mixture. That means no bloating from eating a lot of the stuff. I ate to my heart's delight since both cakes were not too sweet for my taste. Both had a chunky texture and were not brittle as well. The mango cheesecake also had a no-gluten policy. The cheese used was also low fat and light to the taste. Since I love blueberry so much, I can say that the muffins took the cake. One can say that the ingredients were well-mixed and of the highest quality.

The Wholesome table truly changed my perception of a legit organic food place. I'd truly come back for more.

Circle Coin Launch Part at Kpub, The Fort.

Cryptocurrency is fast gaining traction as a viable investment tool and monetary medium. It can be used to pay for goods and services at lightning fast speeds as well as secure anonymity in online transactions for that added layer of privacy. It all started with Bitcoin, then more and more market players participated in the past few years. These players created their own independent currencies. Circle Coin is one of those. It is a Japanese creation that has started a few years ago and is actively being used in other countries in the Asia Pacific region. According to the representatives, Circle Coin has increased its value in other countries.

In the Philippines, Circle Coin has been operating for less than a year. The company behind it seeks to develop Circle Coin as a premier cryptocurrency brand in the country. Hence, the company offers affiliate bonuses to investors plus a milestone for value increases relative to the number of investors and money converted.

I was fortunate to have been invited to Circle Coin's launch party in KPub the Fort. The food and drinks were great, plus we had amazing treatment from Kpub's general manager, Sir Mike. We also had excellent musical numbers from special guests. Guests were able to win special prizes from the organizers.

I am pretty much convinced that cryptocurrency has amazing potential as a medium of transaction. Add to that its power as an investment tool. Hence, I surely am keenly interested in using it in the near future. However, this doesn't change the fact about my doubts on this product.

My thoughts on Circle Coin are:
1. If the developers are creating it as a form of independent cryptocurrency, then why is it heavily tied to the bitcoin? For every transaction, users have to go through a very tedious process of ordering bitcoins through a Fort Satoshi then exchanging it for Circle Coins in the standalone website. Users have to navigate a complicated process to copy-paste delivery and exchange codes from one website to the next in an attempt to link their accounts. Non-techies may find this frustrating and confusing.
2. The second qualm I have is the increased volatility of one's investment since the money has to be exchanged from bitcoin to circle coin. What if I bought Bitcoin then the price sharply dropped the next day? How will I be able to effectively buy circle coins if my bitcoins lost their value overnight?
3. Thirdly, what is the use of creating a cryptocurrency that is a slave to the Bitcoin? Can't Circle Coin have its own identity and market that is created as its own brand without relying on another well established brand such as the bitcoin?
4. Also, I am still not sure of the level of security provided by the Circle Coin website. Cryptocurrency transactions have had a history of vulnerabilities ranging from disappearing funds and unreliable websites. Given Circle Coin's status as a new player in the market, their short presence has not proven reliability. I'd give them some time, though.

In sum, I still have a hard time gauging Circle Coin as a viable investment option as still as they do not address these questions.

Pictures of the event:

Sunlife Sinag Awards 2016 at the Makati Shangri La

Last month, Mr. AR Bautista of AB Comm Events invited me to the annual awards day of Sunlife Philippines Inc. called the Sinag at the Makati Shangri La. This event consisted of honoring and recognizing the achievements of media personnel among the print, radio, online, and written mediums. Sunlife chose winners based on the regions of the Philippines. They also chose winners from unique sectors such as the youth.

Sunlife also recognized the special role of journalists in society and the risks they face. In connection with this, they awarded all the participants with accident insurance. This is just one way that Sunlife hopes to give back to the community as part of its CSR.

It didn't end there. Sunlife also awarded students with cash prizes from the Sinag Student Awards competition. Students from top universities in the Metro submitted their written works on important topics. Sunlife then chose the ones with the best content and delivery then awarded them with Php 10,000 in cash.

These activities show Sunlife's commitment to helping out journalism in whatever field and sector. With Sunlife, your future is not only secure. They also help out in a person's personal growth, be it in business, writing, or other fields. Now that is truly a selfless way of giving back.

The story in pictures:

Ms. Riza Mantaring, President of Sunlife - introducing the winners for the various categories of journalism

The awarding ceremony being conducted

Xiao Nan Men: Chinese/Taiwanese delights in the heart of Banawe

Taiwanese food is aplenty these days. Hence, customers are now discerning with the taste, presentation, and the quality of the food they eat. Fortunately for me, I was able to try out  one of Banawe's best joints: Xiao Nan Men. The restaurant was located in Z Square mall, a haven for food lovers. 

According to the owner, Xiao Nan Men had its roots in Taiwan. They took over the Philippine branch and served the favorites that was so well loved by the Taiwanese.

We started off with the Deep Fried Pork Belly. This is the Taiwanese version of the Asado. It consisted of deep fried reddish meat with a crusty breading. It came with its own special sauce, though I liked it better with chili. The meat was pretty crisp yet a bit tough.

Stir Fried Taiwan Sausage. While not a staple in traditional Chinese cuisine, this fried favorite is bowl of thinly sliced Chinese sausage topped with leeks and onions. It wasn't especially sweet though and served just the way I like it.

Three Cups Chicken was braised Chicken pieces in black sauce and mushrooms. These were easy to chew and tasty too. The sauce was a mix of salty and sweet tastes. In addition to it, there was a 

King Fish in Mango Chili Sauce reminded me of the sweet and sour fish usually served in Chinese restaurants, yet the fish used was a kingfish, not the standard Lapu-Lapu. The fish is fried then topped with the special sweet and sour sauce and mango chunks. This was, by far, their best seafood dish. The mango and the sauce give the fish a lively, full bodied taste. 

Deep Fried Stinky Tofu was more of an acquired taste. This Taiwanese favorite was a fermented tofu slab that was served after a few months in preservation. I found it to be pretty awful due to the strong taste and smell; yet I managed to swallow one. It was truly an acquired taste.

Deep Fried Porkchop was their standard pork dish. It was reminiscent of Taiwanese style porkchop that was usually served huge on top of rice. It was really crispy too. I also liked its slightly salty taste plus the crispy pork breading used on it.

Sliced Beef Fried Rice with Bell Pepper was the tastiest rice dish in the joint. It was pan fried rice with crispy beef and bell peppers. I love the fact that the dish is also a meal in itself.

Scrambled Egg with Special Sauce is their in-house omelette specialty. It was a humungous fried delight with lots of bean sauce on top. I liked to top this on the Beef rice to improve the flavor.

Xiao Long Bao was pretty tasty. This broth dumpling has been usually served with ginger and black vinegar. This long-time favorite is excellently served at this place piping-hot and in big numbers. I enjoyed savoring every bite of this dish.

Ta Chang Noodles was a beef broth topped on boiled noodles in order to be cooked. It was truly a rich and tasty soup dish that was a refreshing addition to all the rice meals.

The Taiwanese/Chinese mix of dishes were a sight to behold. Their wonderful presentation and their excellent taste are great for groups of people who want high calibre Taiwanese dishes.

The story in pictures: