Friday, February 08, 2013

Omakase and Coke

Oh, yes. Been looking forward to chomping down on an Omakase burger since I read the review on Yahoo! Was also intrigued by this other unique selling point: Coke imported from Mexico (above), supposedly made with natural cane sugar and comes in a nostalgic glass bottle. Dunno, maybe this old palate is losing it's sensitivity, but other than going down a bit smoother (less 'dry', as I was explaining to Elim) it didn't taste that much different from the local variety. It's good for bragging rights, as in "I drank stuff Mexicans are drinking -- Arriba!", and for the novelty, but not much else.

But this is what I'm here for: the deluxe burger, meaning everything including cheese, onions, and 'shrooms. Actually, I meant the Ultimate which would have included bacon as well, but I had a slip of tongue at the counter so a deluxe it was. Served medium, it had a fresh beefy taste -- nothing like filling your mouth with juicy chunks of cow -- soft and tender, grilled evenly with no crispy burnt bits around the edges. Mmm...oo! On the left is a cupful of accompanying truffle fries. Cooked with truffle oil, the crispy outside, fluffy inside fries had an subtle flavouring of mushroom (a rather crude description, but I don't have the vocabulary for a flavour like this) that was as delicious and it was addictive.

Altogether, the set cost a little over $25, which some people would say is expensive for the size of the burger. But quantity isn't everything. It's a reasonably filling meal already, but you're paying for a quality food that sings in your mouth. It won't be an everyday affair, obviously, but it's a great place to go with yo' homies when the occasion calls for it -- and when you can round enough of 'em up to make the trip worthwhile.

Thursday, February 07, 2013

Thing of beauty

Just when we think we've seen everything El Cantina has to offer, Mak Cik surprises us with her latest creation: Nasi Pattaya. That's fried rice wrapped in a skin of thinly fried omelette and covered over with lashings of ketchup and mayo -- and what a thing of beauty it is.

Here's hoping this volley over the bows of the other stallholders is just the start of a total gastronomic revolution... or maybe we can just keep hoping.

In other news, it looks like fairy rings (or are they crop circles?) are starting to bloom on the Astroturf. Better go wake the groundskeeper again.

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Oh my, lo and behold! It's back!

The sight of this venerable, iconic truck makes me happy. It contains so much promise of cold, chocolatey liquid refreshment, and it's not disappointed me yet. The rumours were going around that this old Milo van had been retired. Glad to know it's still serving icy beverages instead of dry, dusty mothballs.