Cozy Jojie's Cafe

During the height of the election campaign period, me and my husband got a chance to take a little break, after a speaking engagement. We finally tried this new (not so new though) cafe which is located along B. Inting Ave., with a 360 degree view of the Dauis channel.

I have passed by this place a countless of times already, even dropped by a few times, but not to sit and dine in the cafe, but only to buy baked goodies at the bakeshoppe outside it. I have been wanting to try dining in this cafe long time before. And finally, I get to try it this time.

The place is very cozy and a very good place to bring someone for a chat or just to relax and dine. The foods are reasonably priced. We orderd halo-halo, which was yummy. We ordered 'palabok' , which is priced at P75.00 per order and which tastes good and I could say it's one of the few best tasting 'palaboks' availabe in town. We also ordered pizza (the cafe also is a franchisee of Chez' Andre pizza)and it was very good. We were not able to consume the whole pizza though and just took the rest home.

I like the place. I would recommend this place to my friends and family. However, their kitchen seems to be too slow because foods you order took a little longer than the usual, to be delivered to you.

If you are not in a hurry and not too hungry, but just want to keep it easy,enjoy the place and the good food, then you should try Jojie's Cafe.

Hmmmmm....Scallops..

I love to eat scallops. Do you too?

Yesterday, we were lucky to be able to buy fresh scallops in the local wet market at P90.00 per kilo. My husband bought almost 2 kilos of them.

How we cook them?

First they are washed and cleaned. The dark parts of the scallops are removed and only the big round white "muscle" and the orange part in each scallop are left. The other side of the shell is discarded too.

Once cleaned, they are stored inside a closed plastic container, placed in the freezer and take them out when we are ready to cook them.

But we can't wait another day to have them. So, we had them for lunch and the rest for dinner.

Out from the freezer, we sprinkle a generous amount of toasted chopped garlic and grated quick melt Magnolia cheese over the fresh, cleaned scallops. Then, they are tossed to the over-toaster and get toasted for 10 minutes or until the white meat is done.

And that's how quick how these yummy scallops are prepared!

Eating-out in Bohol (Part I)

I and my family are fond of eating out. It's been a habit for us to check out new eating places here in Bohol, particularly in Tagbilaran City.

This blog is intended to provide readers an overview or a few information about foods and dining here in Bohol, based on my and my family experiences and points of view.

For my first blog for this section, I'll post about Shiang Ma Nou, a Chinese restaurant here in Tagbilaran City.

Shiang Ma Nau

Shiang Ma Nou is a new restaurant here.It opened some months ago. It is located just across the Lourdes Parish Church, along Gallares St., Tagbilaran City. The owners of the restaurant are our friends.

Me and my husband ate at the restaurant for the first time after it opened only two days earlier. And of course, what can you expect from a new restaurant? Service is not that smooth yet. But it was fair enough for a newly opened restaurant.

Service

The service is much better now since we first dined there. Waitresses and attendants are already familiar faces and me and my husband sometimes make joke with them. But they still forget to give me a knife everytime I'm ready to eat my meal and I always still has to ask for it.

Food delivery is now faster unlike during their early days that it seemed forever to wait for the foods you ordered.

I am just curious why they have so many people working there. Another one to open the door, another to take the order, then another one to bring in the foods, another one to set the table, etc...and not counting the number of people in the kitchen and behind the counter. I am no expert in restaurant management, but I just think there are just too many people to pay.

Food

Foods served there are of course, Chinese foods. The restaurant employed a real Chinese cook (chef?)and that must be the reason why their foods there taste like real Chinese food. hahhahaha.

The other day, me, my husband and my eldest son had lunch there. Everytime we eat there, we always ask for the "secret menu" (which used to be un-published) and pick our favorite meal from there. I ordered my favorite fish sweet & sour meal, my husband and my son got a bowl each of chicken wanton soup plus an order of chicken feet.For our drinks? We just got water (we seldom drink soft drinks). I am on diet too (I want to loose a few pounds). And how much we paid for our lunch? Only P195.00 including tax. Such a cheap price to pay for good and filling foods.











Place

The place is nicely located on a corner lot. The orientation is good too. Parking is no problem (we can park on the side street if the their parking space if already full). There are tables set outside for diners who might want to smoke or for those don't want the air-con. The main dining area is clean and cool. However, the management must do something with the noise inside. Once you are inside voices and sounds are all mixed up with some echo and sometimes it gets irritating. The management must do something to soften the sound inside the dining hall.

Well, for me and my family. Shiang Ma Nou is still one of our favorite restaurants here. We will still keep on going back there.