Giving in to the cravings: Biglaang Bulalo

I just watched the viral video of the man who went ballistic because he was not able to eat his favorite bulalo. Apparently, the bakery he went to doesn't serve the hot soup he wanted so badly.

The story was featured on Kapuso Mo, Jessica Sojo tonight, and after watching it, I just can't help but think--how tasty must a bulalo be to make a man go on a rampage? 

So...

I got so curious, I asked my beloved to take me on a food trip and then we went around town finding a restaurant that serves this fantastical comfort food.

We tried the best restos in town first, but unfortunately, they don't serve the food we are craving for. So, we went around looking for cheap karinderyas, hoping we'll find the steamy fix we needed for tonight.

And tadaa--our search led us to this humble eatery at the side of ML Quezon Road, Angono, Rizal (Double Hi-way) near Scrapyard and 7-Eleven.

This eatery serves not only bulalo, but other famous Pinoy comfort food as well, such as beef mami, goto and tapsi meals. 

Of course, I ordered their special bulalo, while KR ordered the beef mami. 

The soup was oily and my taste buds told me there isn't anything special about it. It actually just tasted like a simple nilaga. The beef was very tender and well-cooked, though. And it really hits the spot on a cold night like tonight. So, I guess that's a plus. 

The beef mami was just as ordinary as it can be. It has the same broth as the bulalo, so their tastes were practically identical. The noodles were okay. They were just--well, ordinary noodles.

But they were so good because it was so cold tonight and we were having a craving for them, and so I guess our tummies' desires were fulfilled.

Ordinary can sometimes be extraordinary--especially if you want it really, really bad.

Just like the fanatical kuya who turned infamous because of his bulalo craving.

And again, my dears.

Thanks for reading.

FOOD REVIEW: Salty Tamarind from Thailand

Being a tambay on Instagram turned me into a shopaholic.

It doesn't sound so good, but for me, I think it's just okay! Spending your hard earned money to avail things that will make you happy is a satisfying way to reward yourself for a job well done. As long as you are not doing it in excess ala Becky Bloomwood, then I think there is nothing wrong with it. ;)

Anyway, so much for the introduction. I'm writing tonight to tell you something about a product I have been seeing for quite awhile now but haven't been able to avail. Not because I lack funds (maybe?) but because it always gets sold out! This product sells like hotcakes. What is it? It's the very simple but truly addicting: Salty Tamarind from Thailand.

A product of S&P, this marvel is shipped to the Philippines and is distributed by a friend of mine who happens to own an online shop. She sells all sorts of goodies, and she also runs her own restaurant. (click here to see her Instagram account!)

I got the Salty Tamarind from her for only 350.00 php. I think price varies on different online stores.

APPEARANCE:

As you can see, the Salty Tamarind looks like typical handmade candies. It is very soft to the touch and has a gummy-like consistency. It also has a coating of a powder-like ingredient, probably tamarind powder for additional flavor. But I can't be so sure.

SMELL:

Aside from its appearance, the first thing I noticed is the smell. I think it is always the first thing I notice when I try to review something, especially if it's something I put into my mouth or something I put into my skin. The smell is reminiscent of champoy-- the ones that are not candy-like, but the traditional Chinese champoy you can buy at Chinatown or any other store. I like them, so I think that is a plus for the Salty Tamarind.

TASTE:

Oh wow. How do I describe the taste of it without falling short of what it deserves? The taste--is very simple, I think. It tastes like processed tamarind (duh?), but you can easily say that it is truly made from 100% real tamarind fruit. My expectation is that it will taste very similar to Moniegold, but no. I am completely wrong.

The Salty Tamarind is a whole new experience, compared to its hard candy counterpart. Although Moniegold is pretty delicious too, the Salty Tamarind is on a higher level.

It tastes much like a real tamarind and the chewy consistency is a big plus. No need to worry about it getting stuck in your teeth. Also, it doesn't have a sawa factor. When you start eating, you'd want to finish the whole jar.

OVER-ALL:

4 out of 5 ratings. This is a must-try product! I absolutely loved it. The Salty Tamarind is a kind of candy you'll be willing to eat over and over again. 

Appearance ★★★★☆

Smell ★★★★☆

Taste ★★★★☆

Price ★★★☆☆

Over-all ★★★★☆