zambo resto review: Mang Paeng's Inasal

first heard about this place last March, when the kaladkarins  told me they had lunch there after their fire brigade competition.... i'm not really a chicken BBQ fan so i did not bother to try it... but when my dude wanted to have some BBQ one day, i suggested that we check out Mang Paeng's. I'm not sure if i heard it right that there are several Mang Paeng's already in zamboanga... but what we checked out was the one in Sta Maria... along Governor Ramos, somewhere near the side of the Sta Maria Parish Church. That place used to be St. Mary's Grill... 

we intended to try the chicken BBQ... it was really good! for only Php70 you'll get this already.... :D

we noticed the chicken pianggang in the menu... it's a Malaysian style way of cooking BBQ... it taste like there's some coconut milk somewhere during the preparation... i've already heard about people raving about the chicken pianggang in Mindpro, i still can't get myself to try it, so i grabbed the opportunity to have a taste of what pianggang is once i saw this in Mang Paeng's menu.... i initially thought it's sauce-rich... but it looks like the usual BBQ... but i love the spicy and flavor richness of the chicken.... this is a must try!!!

and this is my super star during that meal! i'm a very vinegar lover... and this.... their vinegar is just one of the best i have tried.... hehehe... it may just be me... but really i love their vinegar mix! :D

photographed their menu.... just in case you want to check out what else is available in Mang Paeng's.... definitely it's a no pork place! :D

   

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Mang Paeng's Inasal

Governor Ramos Avenue

Sta Maria, Zamboanga City

Tel No. (062) 955-0288

zambo resto review: Country Chicken!

been on a hunt for a good gourmet resto in zambo... there's just a few to consider but there's only 2 that i favor... Lantaka Hotel's resto (though i'm not totally impressed still) and Country Chicken. I am no stranger to Country Chicken because this had been my family's go-to resto during special occasions when we were still little.... i can remember their bilao and clam soup... that's what we always order back then... then i haven't been there for so long... until last year, when i met up with my elementary classmates... i made sure we'll meet there hehe... before that i always try to put off plans of trying country chicken, it's my last hope of a good gourmet resto in zamboanga... i always get disappointed with the restos we try around the city... and based on some friends' recommendation about gourmet food in Country Chicken, i hold on to the idea that at least there'll be one good resto here... i'm not so sure if the gourmet dishes had been in Country Chicken's menu... i can only remember the bilao.

the december meetup at Country Chicken did not disappoint me. I am raving about their pizza! and pasta too! although not as good as some of my fave restos in Manila, it's still good! It met my expectations.... hehe. Went back there several times after... and then we got a treat from Ma'am June Bugante who promised us a Country Chicken dinner once she starts to work again.... as the Region's Department of Tourism's Director! coolness!

this was served to Ma'am June before we arrived. The Chef wanted her to try this new patte that's not yet in their menu... it was supposed to be made of  olive oil with eel or something that exotic.. i forgot already, even failed to remember the name (i know blogger-fail again!). but this was good! 

and the bread that goes with the patte! made me miss Italiani's free focacia bread... hehe the soft freshly baked feel of this bread complements the patte.

ceasar's salad with parmesan cheese, nachos and bacon bits! this is one of my major frustrations here in zamboanga, there's only one variety of lettuce... just the iceberg lettuce... so any green salad you'll find in any resto here (or even if you want to have a home-made green salad), it'll just be iceberg lettuce...

this is callos i think.... name slipped my mind again! ugrh! hehehe but this is one of my fave dishes served that night!

and pasta! just as how i cook my version! super like... :-)

their homemade ice cream! tastes like sorbetes. I was too full to appreciate it but enjoyed it somehow...

ambiance-wise... pasadong pasado!!!! i love the homey feel.... :-)

and what's good food without good people to have good chitchats with! :-) Kaladkarin's food trip again!

i got too excited about the pizza served that i forgot to take photos of it... t'was my fave pa naman.

it was just me, edsel and ma'am june who really enjoyed the gourmet dishes.... the rest of the kaladkarins wanted to have rice, so the usual bilao was served. I guess this is one major reason why gourmet restos do not flourish here in zamboanga.... most people here prefer rice-heavy meals, that's what they're used to...

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Country Chicken

Pasonanca, Zamboanga City

02 June 2011

camera: Canon Powershot D10

zambo trip ng mga igits - 2 of 2

we were supposed to go to Sta Cruz island that day.... but just that weekend, weather's bad for zamboanga city... major fail for the planned trip to the pink island... big waves that the small boats that would take us there even backed out (although there was one group who still dared the waves)... i cant take the risk, i have this little buddy inside me.. too sad though, it would have been dianne, etz, ray and ryan's first time to go there (and some CMZ friends who came that morning at Paseo del Mar to join us). we forgot to summon the power of itlog....

just to make sure the day's not wasted we just brought them to Puerto Villa, a beach resort somewhere in Patalon.... when we got there big waves still welcomed us... but it contributed some fun to the Patalon trip (pseudo-body surfing of some sort for them! hehe although, you will definitely end up with a bruise or wound because the beach's not pure sand... stones are aplenty!). i've been to this resort in Patalon several times, and most of the time i find it boring, except for that day... the big waves really added character to the beach... 

my travel buds from manila... ryan, ray, ezra, dianne and etz

i was not able to really prepare good food for their trip but still found a way to have something to answer their seafood galore craving (wala nga lang crabs... suri!)

my dude and his buddies... they were the first ones to play crazy with the waves

first time i saw ray play with waves this big was during our bataan trip... i didn't expect he's the type who would have fun for something like this! hehe

we had 2 underwater cams with us that time... while ezra and me were doing my underwater preggy shoot, this is what kept them busy... nice! :D

videoke session at Bojol... t'was their last night anyway... just trying to make the most of their time... i think we tire them too much!

and as if we were not yet stuffed that day... we still had a little late dinner at chinito's! (my fave find that night.... grilled sinigang! yummy!)