Kozui Green Tea

 

About the food:

There are very few places in Manila where one can find good quality whole leaf teas, especially Matcha Green Tea. Kozui is one of those places. Unlike the usual teas that are packed in tea-bags, Matcha green tea comes in a powder form. Hence, both the powdered leaves and the tea are consumed. 

Currently, there is mixed opinion as to whether consuming both the leaves and the tea is better as opposed to just drinking the brewed tea. In both cases however, green tea is a very healthy beverage. Bottled or powdered commercial teas are not healthy because they contain a high amount of sugar to make it sweet. 

Aside from offering whole leaf teas, Kozui offers other japanese treats, such as takoyaki balls and desserts such as anmitsu (see above and below pic). The ice cream is made out of real green tea and tastes more like it. 

 

 Rating:  9/10

Green tea is packed with tons of antioxidants which are good for the body. Furthermore, it has lower caffeine content as opposed to coffee or black tea. However, just like any food taken in excess, there are side effects and restrictions. For one, it should not be consumed by growing children and by breastfeeding/pregnant women. If you are allergic to tea, then you must not drink it naturally.

Where to buy:

Kozui can be found in Tomas Morato (see website for details). It is best to come in early or during non-peak periods due to limited parking space.


Recommended links:


to know more about the side effects of green tea http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/green-tea-side-effects.html


the website of Kozui ( not much content yet) - http://kozui.com/

Johnny Steams Burger

 

About the food:

In every fastfood chain and in most fine-dining restaurants, varieties of the classic burger/cheeseburger exist. Most of them however, are deep-fried and filled with cholesterol and cooking oil. Lately, a new burger concept came up, which is Johnny Steams.

Please take note that Johnny Steams is not derived and is not competing head-on with Johnny Rockets, which is also known for its classic american burgers. It just so happened that the owner of the steamed burger is named John, and that he sells steamed burgers.   

 

 Rating:  7.5/10


I have only tried the OPA! burger which has the toppings: greek garlic yoghurt dressing, fresh greens, and melted cheese. On the positive side, since the burger is steamed, there is less cholesterol and fats coming in your body. On the negative, the yoghurt dressing seems to have been absorbed by the bread bun. Hence it lost its contribution to taste. As such, it is best to eat your burger fresh from the store, while it is hot. Reheating the burger takes out its remaining juiciness and is not recommended.

To conclude, Johnny Steams is for those who want to enjoy their burgers and at the same time are concerned about cholesterol levels. On a sidenote, perhaps they could use whole wheat buns to make the burgers even healthier.

Where to buy:

Johnny Steams burgers are available at Mercato Centrale weekend market.


Recommended links:

 http://www.mercatocentrale.ph/

Look for Johnny Steams in Facebook as well.

Bodhi Vegetarian Cuisine

About the food:

If you want to eat healthy vegetables, not miss out on the taste of meat, and save money on a meal, Bodhi vegetarian cuisine is the way to go. Bodhi makes use of fresh veg-meat, that is, vegetables which were designed to have the taste and texture of meat as much as possible, so that those who are carnivores would have an easier time adjusting to a vegetarian lifestyle. Make no mistake, the food pictures below do not have any meat or seafood at all, and yet they taste very much like the usual beef, pork, or chicken.

If you order a packaged meal, it would cost less than a hundred PHP only. (one cup of plain steamed rice, two viands, and one beverage). It's not a bad deal at all. If you order a viand ala-carte, it would be around PHP80 only.    

 
 Rating: 10/10

It's cheap, healthy, fresh, and affordable! What more could you ask for? Living a healthy diet need not be for the wealthy only. The texture of veg-meat may be chewier than the usual meat you are used to, but it's worth getting used to if you want to live a longer and healthier life with less chances of medical complications. 

Where to buy:

Aside from their main branch in Banawe (known as the land of abundand spare car parts and accessories), they have stores in several SM foodcourts (i.e. Megamall, North Edsa) and at Tutuban Mall.


Recommended links:

http://www.bodhivegetarian.com/ (this is only a temporary website as stated)

Polsha Kielbasa Sausages by Hillshire Farm

About the food

This Polsha Kielbasa sausage tastes really good. It is full of flavor and fully cooked. Though it is already ready to eat like Spam, I suggest you cook it again thoroughly after it has been defrosted. This came in a rather large size (package size is 4lbs heavy) and at a correspondingly hefty price (980php), which includes the cost of air-shipping from the US to the Philippines.


Rating: 6.5/10

Although this is one of the best sausages I have tasted so far. I could not give it a high health rating because, like most processed and prepared food, it is quite high in sodium. Having too much sodium in the body can result to high blood pressure. Furthermore, your kidneys would have a harder time trying to remove the excess salt from the body. If you're not exactly concerned with your sodium intake, it would be a great idea to try this sausage at least once.



Where to buy:


I was fortunate to find it being sold in Mercato Centrale in a stall named Mac's Deli. In the event that they are not in Mercato, you can find them in other weekend markets like Salcedo or Legazpi. They also sell other imported sausages imported from the US.



Recommended links:

to know more about Hillshire Farm: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillshire_Farm