Komrad: Mao's Hunan and Sichuan Kitchen @ Eastwood

Last July 11, we went to Eastwood and ate at Komrad for the first time. At first I was hesitant to go inside because there were only two customers so I thought to myself baka hindi masarap. Another thing I noticed were the colors in the restaurant: red and black. Then there was a large picture of Mao Zeddong. The place had a heavy feeling for me. When I go to restaurants I usually like those that are well lit and have bright and happy colored interiors. For the sake of trying something new, I agreed to give it a try.

The place had a cozy ambiance despite its heavy colors inside. We sat on the couch and it really felt comfortable. The tables were large enough for both me and Geraldine to have ample elbow space while eating.

Geraldine and I were both clueless on what a Hunan and Sichuan cuisine is about so I just let her decide on everything we were going to eat. She ordered everything she loves to eat: Shrimp, Squid and Siomai. At first, I was going for plain rice but she wanted Yang Chow Fried rice. She said “Yang Chow nalang. Mukang masarap.” Since it was good for two people, that's what we ordered.

The serving time was about 15 minutes, pretty quick but then again there were only six customers (Yes! Another two walked in) at that time. Firstly, they served the Kung Pao Shrimp Balls. There were about 10 pieces which looked plenty the way they arranged it on the plate. There were peanuts as well on the dish. Being shrimp lovers, we both enjoyed the dish. It was a little bit spicy, just enough to complement the sweetness. This is surely a HIT.

Kung Pao Shrimp Balls - Php325

Kung Pao Shrimp Balls

The Garlic Siomai was served on a sizzling plate which made it interesting. However aside from the different presentation there is nothing outstanding about this dish. For now this is a miss.

Komrad Garlic Siomai - Php125

Lastly, the Crispy Calamari was served. Two dips went along with it, apple sauce and the usual sweet and spicy. I am not a fan of calamari because I do not like the elastic texture of the squid when you eat it. However, this is different.  Aside from it not being the usual ring shaped calamari it had a different texture once you eat it. It was not elastic. It was crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. The apple sauce that went with it was also perfect. Without a doubt, you should CRAVE for this HIT dish.

Crispy Calamari with Two Sauces - Php165

Komrad: Mao's Hunan and Sichuan Kitchen
2nd Level, Veranda
Eastwood Mall
Bagumbayan, Libis, QC

Wooden Spoon @ Katipunan

Everyday, we pass by Wooden Spoon in Katipunan. You wouldn't actually take notice of it because it is not inviting for passers by. Nothing extraordinary looking. One would think that it is just an ordinary restaurant, the food might not even taste good. But thanks to Geraldine's curiosity, we gave it a try.

For those of you who have read most of our posts you might notice that we both love shrimp/prawns. So of course we HAVE TO order our favorite seafood for dinner. We ordered Wooden Spoon's Shrimp Pampango. According to the menu, these are crispy shrimps served with crab fat sauce. Indeed it is something new but very Filipino. The minute it was served and Geraldine was done taking pictures I immediately got one and dipped it in the crab fat sauce. The verdict: it is a CRAVE HIT! This is part of the main dishes by the way although it seems more like it is an appetizer. This will actually make a great pulutan.

Shrimp Pampango - Php225

Shrimp Pampango

Shrimp Pampango

Another thing we would like to share to you is that me and Geraldine LOOOOVE Kare Kare. I think this is our favorite Filipino food. There was even a time when the both of us had Kare-Kare everyday for a week. Given this we did not miss the chance to taste Wooden Spoon's take on our favorite Filipino dish. Their KareKare uses leaner cuts of beef instead of oxtail so that it has more meat than taba. Along with the dish also comes their homemade bagoong. After our first spoonful of Kare Kare Geraldine and I just nodded at each other and kept on eating. We barely even talked. As Kare-Kare lovers our bar is set high. We loved it. We loved every bit of the meat and the vegetables and the sauce and the bagoong. This is a CRAVE HIT so do not forget to order one when you visit Wooden Spoon! :)

Kare-Kare - Php255

When looking for a place to eat in Katipunan, do not forget to drop by Wooden Spoon by Chef Sandy Daza. You will definitely enjoy your entire food experience :)

Wooden Spoon

329 Katipunan Avenue

Queon City

426-0044

https://twitter.com/WoodenSpoonPH

https://www.facebook.com/WoodenSpoonRestaurant

My Thai Kitchen @ Eastwood

We had dinner in My Thai last Friday. Thanks to their very small space there were no more seats inside so we sat at Lucky Yakiniku Cafe. We were not so familiar with Thai food so we just ordered seafood.

We got only a bowl of shrimp fried rice. We thought that since we have noodles, one bowl would suffice. Nothing special here. Skip this and just get plain rice or something else.

Shrimp Fried Rice

Shrimp Fried Rice

I have always loved Pad Thai noodles most specially the ones with shrimp. Which is why I suggested to Geraldine to get this one because it should be good. However when we ate My Thai's Shrimp Pad Thai noodles, it was too sour. Prior to eating the dish I squeezed a little bit of lemon on it so I was disappointed to have it this sour because that little lemon juice should not make it THAT sour. Aside from that, it lacked flavor. So this is a MISS for us.

Shrimp Pad Thai Noodles

Shrimp Pad Thai Noodles

Despite the disappointing Shrimp Fried Rice and Shrimp Pad Thai Noodles we ordered something good. This squid is one of their bestsellers. It was like an appetizer. It was so nice inside the mouth because it had that melt in the mouth feel due to its softness. The sauce was not too spicy either. This is a HIT for us.

Deep Fried Squid with garlic and peppercorn

My Thai Kitchen

G/F Eastwood Mall Veranda

Libis, Quezon City

709-2127