Breakfast time at Makati's Mandarin Oriental - Philippines

Breakies at the Mandarin Oriental in Makati, Philippines.


Ah... a nice fry-up, with PORK. Bliss :-)
The pork sausages with hints of tomatoes and other herbs were superb .... I think I had three!


Finished off the meal with something a little healthier ... fresh local fruits, including pomelo.


Wanna know what Makati is?

The City of Makati, or simply Makati, is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the greater metropolitan area of the national capital of the Philippines. It is the major financial, commercial and economic hub in the Philippines, often referred to as the financial capital of the Philippines since many global companies have their offices and headquarters in the city.

Mandarin Oriental, Makati - Philippines

Add: Makati Avenue , Metro Manila, Makati , Luzon 1226, Philippines

Welcome to ... Mandarin Oriental.

Old world charm bathroom...

This is what the club room looks like on the 4th floor, clean, reasonably spacious, and a very comfy bed. Nice!

My first flight to Manila ... Super satay on MAS!

Flight: MAS MH704
Time: 12:00pm - 3:50pm
Route: KLIA - Manila

Ah... got my favourite seat (Two in fact!) all to myself ... Emergency Exit aisle seat :-) all the legroom in the world!


Hmmm ... on my first flight and trip to the Phillipines, I wasn't initially impressed by the styrofoam box of food. Hmmm .. but the Ferrero Rochers perked me up!


Best of all, when I unwrapped the golden foil ... there was some delicious looking satay sauce starring at me, and the three skewers of beef satay and the rice turned out to be delicious too. WELL DONE, MAS! MH does stand for MALAYSIAN HOSPITALITY now ... :-)

Porkfest 6 - Breakfast buffet at Eng Ann Restaurant, Klang

Time: 9am, Sunday

Been here many dozens a time over the years but decided to return just as BG was sending me off to KLIA ... Nothing like a Klangy Buffet-style Breakfast!!

Some last minute pork ... char siew "wan tan mee" , which was rather dry and unspectacular. Should have taken Aunty's chicken rice instead, one of my favourites!


Chee Cheong Fun was also rather average ... At least the pork balls were good!


Ah ... the highlight! The really good nasi lemak here, with excellent sambal mixed with a touch of chicken curry/rendang gravy. Magnifique!


Sigh... it will be at least a month before I eat like a king again :-(

Porkfest 5 - Pork ribs, Roast pork and Jamon at Vintry!

Time: 10pm, Saturday

Add: 130 Jalan Kasah , Medan Damansara , KL
Located: The row behind OCBC , Jakes , Victoria Station , Sri Ayudthya
Tel: +603 2o94 8262

The Pork Fest continues in seriously non-halal ... Vintry, Damansara Heights!


We love this! Caramalised Siew Yoke aka Roast Pork ... gorgeous!

Jamon with Melon, dissapointing. The flavours of the ham just didn't seem right...

The BBQ Pork Ribs, served on a bed of delicious to-die-for mashed potatoes, divvvvine!

This was an outstanding choice, fine value too ...

Trapiche Oak Cask - Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, RM$79

ps - This was an outstandingly delicious, memorable and enjoyable early birthday celebration ... Thanks BBgirl :-)

Hoyo de Monterrey - Epicure No. 2 cigar

One of our favourites at the moment ... flavoursome yet mild-moderately strong, and just a fantastic after-dinner cigar :-) Ah ... quite perfect!

At the duty-free in Abu Dhabi, its priced a little higher then Romeo and Julieta, but below Cohiba. Good value!


stogieguys.com
When it comes to premium cigars from the forbidden island, Hoyo de Monterrey generally takes a backseat to more familiar brands like Cohiba and Montecristo. My recent sit-downs with a few Epicure No. 2s, however, suggest Hoyo shouldn’t be so easily dismissed.
José Gener established Hoyo in 1865 in Vuelta Abajo, a fertile region of Cuba nestled in the southern part of the Órganos Mountains. In 2001, Cigar Aficionado called this place the “land of the world’s best cigar leaves.”
Take a good look at an Epicure No. 2 and it’s easy to see why. This is a clean and elegant stick that measures four and 7/8 inches with a 50 ring gauge. It sports a beautiful, seamless, yellow-tinted wrapper that’s almost flawless and a nostalgic red, white, and gold band.

Its not all about pork ... I love goreng pisang too!

Time: 5pm, Saturday

Even in the limited time I had in KL recently , I squeezed in some pork-free time ... Here's our favourite Goreng Pisang, found in Klang :-)

Add: End of Jalan Batu Unjur 6, Bayu Perdana, Klang
Located: Down the road from Restaurant Chia Siang, near the "u-turn" off the main road

Nescafe followed by Goreng Pisang, that has a perfect batter and is delicately fried. Priced to perfection too at 5 or 6 pcs per ringgit. Nice! I love Malaysia!

Porkfest 4 - Kon Loh Mee aka Wan Tan Mee, Wah Chai, Klang

Time: 4pm, Saturday
Add: Wah Chai Kopitiam, Lorong Batu Nilam 1D, Bukit Tinggi - Klang

Been here a dozen or so times but I still like this place :-)


ps. This was just one of the MANY meals I had on my whistle-stop stop-over in Klang/Malaysia en route to ... Manila!

Porkfest on hold ... Time for some divine Chicken Rice in Klang!

Time: 10am, Saturday

Time for a short break from pork ... Klang's finest, and possibly one of Malaysia's finest, CHICKEN RICE. Deeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious, chicken that is so perfectly marinated and steamed, with a texture to die for, and a divine chilli sauce dip! This is ... Tan Kia Lock's "Top1" CHICKEN RICE.

Add: Jalan Gelugor / Jalan Meru, Klang city centre (You will have to brave the jams till end-09!)
Located: Oppsite Maybank and Chi Liung Plaza (Now, CIMB and LHDN)
Tel: Tan Kia Lok - +6016 284 6962


The dips ... Best chicken rice chilli I have ever had, AND ... the Ginger is perfect, not surprising when it is a blend of the expensive stuff from Bentong, mixed with some less powerful stuff, to get the perfect balance!


Special soya sauce dip too...


Generous portion of cucumbers alongside, and a really delicious chicken soup.


Chicken ... perfecto!


We were in for a treat ... the really pleasant chef made us a couple of Chicken Rice Balls as a special favour. Fantastic! Note that this isn't on the regular menu, just hope that Tan Kia Lok is feeling generous :-)

Porkfest 3 - Beerfest at Brussels Beer Cafe, Jaya One

Add: Brussels Beer Cafe @ L-20-G, Block L, Jaya One, PJ
Tel: +603 7954 2000

Time: 11pm, Friday

One doesn't come to Brussels, Jaya One, to have a bite ... though the food is actually quite decent. This was the 3rd installment of pork upon my return to KL, Caramalised Pork Belly which was fat, covered in sticky sweet black sauce, yummm....

Here's why we visit Brussels!


Crown Lager ... smooth, strong and fabulous!
Country of origin: Australia


Stella Artois on tap too ... nice!
Country of origin: Belgium

BG's choice ... dark, smooth, interesting and mysterious Leffe!
Country of origin: Belgium

I like Hoegaarden too, which is what Brussels Beer Cafe specalises in!

Country of origin: Netherlands


Be warned ... Brussels Beer Cafe gets REALLY packed on the weekend nights ... Ended up having a drink at the nearby Two Monkeys Satay Bar & Cafe first! Tiger Beer!

Country of origin: Singapore

Overall, it was a great evening with fellow penguins, J and V, getting plastered on ice cold beer ... I like Brussels!