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VANILLA KITCHEN
2nd round to the cupcake saga and the contact info promised from the recent Sweet Desires post. These beauties are not only mouth watering but they are a feast for the eyes (ahem, photographed by moi on Canon EOS 7D with flash, camera left).
Without an assistant present I had them all to myself. Delicately posed in the middle of the night to sultry music playing in the background and still I couldn’t take a bite. If you do want some all to yourself, order away there’s nothing like custom made cupcakes to your liking. (Yes, the numbers and email addy works)
CHUNG HSIAO BRANCH, TAIPEI, TAIWAN
A must eat restaurant in Taipei. DTF is basically Taiwanese street stall/snack foods turned into gourmet-well, compared to street stalls that is. The food is clean, neatly served and prices dictate that. Don’t expect a fine dinning atmosphere as everything in this restaurant is fast paced.
Someone once said, there are other places in Hong Kong and Singapore that have better 小籠包 (Xiao Lung Pao) or steamed pork dumplings. They probably do but I have never tried another much like DTF’s version. This is a recipe that has been around since the 1980′s when DTF was just 1 restaurant (Xin Yi Branch) and dirty as can be. I loved it then and still love it now.
Ding Tai Fong now has branches in many major cities across Asia with a few in the US. Just google to get their locations.
Once you arrive at DTF go to the entrance and register. This is the only restaurant in Taipei that makes you wait for tables and is successful at driving diners back.
A comfortable meal here entails a group to early. You will not get a seat at the height of lunch or dinner without waiting.
This was shot at around 11am. DTF was already 2/3 full.
小籠包 (Xiao Lung Pao) or steamed pork dumplings are the stars. The dumpling skin is very light and be careful not to pop it open with chopsticks so the soup inside doesn't trickle out.
Braised beef noodle soup, classic filling comfort food and another must have. In the 15 years dinning at DTF their quality has always been consistent.
蝦仁燒賣(Xia Ren Sao Mai) or steamed shrimp dumplings are another must try.
If your group is real hungry order the egg fried rice and topped with fried porkchop.
The service is very good and efficient. This is also the only restaurant I know where the staff tells you that you have ordered enough. And when you finish your meal, they will bus out your table which means it's time to for you to go.
Incredible as it may seem, DTF being more popular than ever, now has a mascot in the guise of a large steamed dumpling with a souvenir shop next door.
SWEET DESIRES
Arrived at the location for a photo session to be welcomed by a sweet and buttery soft aroma. So inviting but picking one up was an absolute no-no. A client had them dressed according to her desires and they were waiting for pick up. Touching one of the sweeties now would entail being busted for harassment.
Still, shooting them would take a few being manhandled and posed. I asked the hostess if she could gingerly turn a few of them. Good thing she agreed to my request and the session went without a hitch. Then I wanted to push a bit further to photograph just one of them. But the sweeties wouldn’t have it, they were shy and needed to stay within the group.
Have an occasion that requires custom sweeties to your desires? Or just feel like having a dozen of these at your beck and call? Living in the Metro Manila area? You are in luck.
More details in the next post.
OCTOBER 11, 2010 TRINOMA MALL, QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES
It all started at 5pm and lasted until Trinoma mall closed for the night.
The first Mango Tree Bistro opens with a bang. The night was hosted by non other than Rovilson Fernandez introducing ‘I’m Not a Chef…But I Sure Am a Good Cook!‘ cook book author and CEO of Coca Restaurants, Pitaya Phanphensophon, for a demonstration on authentic Thai prawn curry from scratch. Then it was pretty much a blur for this photographer as VIP’s and special guests arrived one after the other. All 300 guest were treated to great dance music by a DJ while chowing down on non-stop Thai food and overflowing cocktails-(hic)…
The slide show shouldn’t take too long to load but it does have 36 photos from the 600 originally captured at the event. Keep your eyes pealed you might spot a few persons that may look familiar.
For reservations call 0917 890 2166 or 02 585 5460
AT TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA BLOG
A little something that made my day.
My photo essay- Shen Ken Township, Taiwan: Tofu Capital was accepted and published in Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia blog.
If you squint real hard my post is on the upper left hand corner.
Here’s an excerpt from the post- Nestled in the northern part of Taipei, Taiwan ROC, self proclaimed ‘The Tofu Capital’ is a rural township that was formerly known for it’s agriculture and mining industries. Now, it is very well known for it’s bean curd/tofu and the endless ways to cook them: regular, dried, braised, deep fried, spicy, BBQ, stir fried, with cheese, sweet drink, ice cream, etc. There is so much variety that it has become a must go to for bean curd lovers. Read on in T+L Southeast Asia.
And if you haven’t yet, the original post Tofu Capital: Sight & Smell here on MACphotographyDY.
THE INITIAL FOOD TASTING
Not yet officially open but with a fully functional kitchen, the staff whipped up a great Thai meal under the pressure of scrutinizing taste buds.
At first impression the bistro ambiance is modern yet comfortable for a meal with good friends and family. It in itself is a conversation piece from the seemingly nonchalant concrete walls to the bricks flooded with warmth from the lights above. The chairs a bit too comfortable as to invite a group to stay longer with tables big enough to hold food orders and drinks. Eat slowly and savor the complete experience.
The authentic Thai food presented in bistro servings giving one a better opportunity to try more than one viands. The dishes can be paired with various wines on stock to compliment and prepare the palette for every bite. Authenticity in a certain country’s cuisine is hard to replicate in another for far too many circumstances. Mango Tree Bistro does a good job keeping the food as one would have in Thailand with quality ingredients. Right down to the perfectly presented desserts and quality coffee.
Finally, authentic Thai food with style that does not disappoint and light on the wallet. Mango Tree Bistro will officially open in mid-October. Located at Trinoma Mall, Level 3 right beside Powerbooks.
CHINESE LUNAR CALENDAR, A GHASTLY FULL MOON & A BEAUTIFUL MEAL
A follow-up on my 中秋節 Mid-Autumn Festival post:
The Chinese Lunar calendar used in China and by many Asian countries and communities today, perfected around 500 BCE during the Zhou Dynasty (if I’m not mistaken). It comprises of both solar and lunar calendars making it a unisolar calendar (shows time of the solar year and moon phase)
While most modern Asian cultures now use the Gregorian calendar (Western) for day-to-day business the Lunar calendar is mainly for marking 4 important holidays: Chinese Lunar New Year (新年), Chinese New Year/Spring Festival (春節), Dragon Boat Festival (端午節) and Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節). It is also used as a reference guide to mark auspicious days for weddings, start of construction, new business ventures, etc.
It is important (as I get older every year) to keep a foot hold on my native culture. To pass on the knowledge to the younger generation as pop culture is taking over the world at an alarming rate-much worse than global warming. And twice the holiday in a year is so much better.
The photo above captured on September 22, 2010-equivalent to. It was a very cloudy night but for a few minutes the opportunity for a shot presented itself.
Below are photos of dishes that marked the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節) and the official end to summer. Dinner at the in-laws never disappoint.
Thick chicken soup with crab meat and crab roe
Stir fried tiger prawns
Pipa beancurd-deep fried tofu mixed with shrimp and pork (pipa 琵琶 because they are shaped like the musical instrument)
Fish with tofu crisps to add to the 4 food groups
My wife's dish-Chicken stuffed with onion and garlic brined in a secret blend of sauces and then baked to golden perfection
Stir fried iceberg lettuce in oyster sauce with bonito flakes
vermicelli noodles with seafood and vegetables
Finally for dessert almond and purple yam jelly a refreshing finish to a beautiful meal
STRAWBERRY DELIGHT
Having not seen my aunt for almost 6 months she finally came to visit. She had brought along beautiful strawberries. Oh bless her! Instead of just eating them straight out of the box my dear wife slices them up, whips up a batter while mixing heavy cream and honey on another side of the kitchen counter.
I love pancakes anytime of the day. Best eaten with maple syrup when available. These strawberry pancakes didn’t need the syrup though. The heavy cream with honey did the trick. Tangy while sweet all sandwiched in between layers of warm pancakes. Oh, the delight of the first bite and the second…
It didn’t even occur to me to take a snap shot of this towering breakfast until my wife reminded me. Grabbed the EOS 7D with 85mm f/1.8 attached (ready for a shoot that afternoon) and popped off a few frames. Shot with available light and a Speedlite to camera right set to -2.
A macro lens would have been more appropriate and rather odd that 85mm was used but I just couldn’t wait to dig in (and I didn’t have a macro lens!). Better have a shot than nothing to commit our strawberry pancake adventure in pixels.
