Vips' vs Mcdonald's Hamburger

 

We have two different burgers as shown above. The  one on the left  is from Vip's and it has pickles, fresh tomato slice, a big piece of burger with onion  fry and fried egg on a toasted soft bun.  The one on the right  is from McDonald's. It has cheese, burger, fresh tomato slice, red onion The marketing manager from McDonald's, Hope Bagozzi has informed consumer through a video as to why the ad in their menu does not seem the same as what is purchased. And the reason that was given is that the burger as it goes for its photo shoot, undergoes a change through photoshop and with the ingredients placed in such a way that all the ingredients are shown to make the burger look more appetizing (cheese unmelted). They also add tomato sauce by using a disposable needle.  Likewise, she added that when the hamburger is purchased, it is still warm and as the container's cover is closed, steam  causes the hamburger to contract thus appearing  smaller.  Bagozzi, however pointed out that for  the burgers in the advertisment, they use the same ingredients as those found in the store.

On the other hand, the burger from Vip's is not only provided with more ingredients, but also comes with a special sauce and a better quality meat.  Of course, it is about three times as much costly.  But the way it looks in their picture is almost the same as what  is served. And if you are lucky, you can get a free Vip's burger in one of their invitations to attract client's loyalty as I did today.  It was really delicious and as huge as it looks.

Weird Restaurant, Taipei

In the Restaurant called Modern Toilet of Taipei, nothing is what it seems, or better yet what you see is not the reality.  Although you see the diners seated on bath seats or the tables seem to be washroom sinks, they are not eating in a bathroom facility but in an authentic restaurant with a theme inspired on bathrooms at the time that they designed the sitting room.

The ambience is similar to a giant service room  that has more than 100 toilet seats, whereas the tables are made of glass and there are urinals along the walls.

Image:  Fun Fever

Want to know more?  the plates are small spittoons and the drinks are served in urinals!!!  And so it could not be otherwise that  toilet paper is used for cleaning your mouths.

Image:  Fun Fever

Image:  Fun Fever

I first learned about this restaurant, when my nephew with his wife shared the picture of their eating experience in one of their trips to Taiwan on occasion of the wedding of their friends.

Toilet Story started from  a group of “muckrakers” following their dreams.  Here is their story:  It all started when one of us was reading the manga, Dr. Slump on the toilet – and the rest is history. In the beginning, we mainly sold ice cream – a big pile of chocolate ice cream sold in containers shaped like a squat toilet. This humorous spin became a great success.After much planning from all of our partners, we finally took the first step towards realizing our dreams in May 2004 with the launch of the “Marton Restaurant”. The restaurant immediately caused a stir in Taiwan with its humorous “out-there” design. At the start, many people peered in at the restaurant trying to figure out what we were selling – then had a big smile on their face when they finally worked it out. By continuing to come up with great ideas and making improvements on old ones, we have expanded over the past few years from just ice cream into a fully-fledged theme restaurant with stores all over Taiwan. Our stores have also won the support of devoted fans as well. Future Business Philosophy and Direction To expand the variety of our stores, in April 2006 all Marton restaurants around Taiwan changed their names to “Modern Toilet Restaurant”. In the future, a greater range of washroom facilities will greet new customers and old friends alike. We will also continue to do our best to surprise and entertain everyone! Your comments are welcome! Source: Modern Toilet.

Here are the pictures:

    

    

    

Source of information:  The most unusual restaurants in the world.
Source of images:  Modern Toilet.

I know that there are weird restaurants, but this so far for me is the weirdest and the most unappetizing place to go for food or drink.  Simply disgusting for me. Eating is not only for the good of its taste but also the presentation should  be catching the eyes before even savoring the food.  But then we live in a free world...

Gourmet Markets in Madrid

Something you really should get your head around if you are going to Madrid is the hora del aperitivo. This is the hour (or two, or three), some time after noon, that the Madrilenians like to devote to having a civilised drink, preferably accompanied by a few tasty morsels to sharpen up the appetite, before the main event of lunch. Although this custom is as traditional as it gets, one of the best and buzziest places to experience it is the Mercado de San Miguel (www.mercadodesanmiguel.es), the gourmet market that opened in May 2009. Right by the Plaza Mayor, the dainty ironwork structure dates back to 1916 and housed a neighbourhood food market until a couple of years ago.   Source:  Simon Seeks.  Source of Image:  Ron's photos.

The iron structure that still remains today was built between 1913 and 1916, inspired by other European markets, such as Les Halles of Paris. The 1,200 square meters of today’s market sell Spanish specialties, from gambas to jamón to regional wines. But really, it transcends the national: there is a sushi stand and a Mexican section too. No matter what kind of food you like, you will find only the best of the best here. So make sure to come hungry.  Source: Vagabondish.

While there are still a few fruit and vegetable stalls, the aisles are now lined with chichi shops and bars where you can try a few slivers of marbled ham, half a dozen oysters or maybe some chunks of crystally mature Manchego cheese, along with a glass of wine, sherry or beer. The purist’s choice of aperitivo, however, is draught red vermouth, topped up with a dash of soda water – and there is an excellent one on offer here. Order white anchovies in vinegar to go with it, and you will feel as Madrilenian as Penélope Cruz. Source:  Simon Seeks.

San Anton Market, located in the neighborhood of Chueca, is the last renewed market in Madrid.

They have taken sustainability seriously by adding solar panels and materials that care about the environment.

On the first floor you can buy organic products, fruits and vegetables, cheeses from around the world, fish, meat, bread…

The second floor is reserved for Italian and Japanese cuisine, seafood, cakes and chocolates, juices... and tapas!

On the third floor there is a restaurant, La Cocina de San Antón, which allows you to choose any kind of food from the market and they'll cook it for you. You can have your food inside the restaurant or on its terrace acclimated for winter and summer. They have a menu too so that you can order directly. Source:  London Wishes.

Last Wednesday, a new gourmet market has been inaugurated in Paseo de la Habana, Madrid.  It is called  Isabela Gourmet Market.  Its owner and Director, Isabel López, says that "it is not a market".  Actually, it is a gastronomic space of 3,000 m2, where one can  eat or buy food ready to go, and everything that is sold is pre-cooked.  At present, there are 36 different stalls selling Peruvian, Japanese, and Mexican food, beer and wine and products such as ham, oysters, hamburgers, foie and codfish among other products. 

Its peculiarity is that each stall sells its products in exclusive, that means to say, that nobody can sell food that others already have.  It is curious to note that there is one that caters to products made from goose such as omelettes, ham and sausage.

A new concept of markets.  I have gone to the San Miguel and San Anton Markets and tapas were good and affordable.  If what you want is a variety of tapas to choose from, these places are where you should go.

Source of images:  11870.com

Happy Meal Project - Sally Davies

Why We're Scared Of Happy Meals

By Kristian Laliberte
Art & Culture Refinery 29
New York, USA
Aug 26, 2010 4:00 PM

It's pretty much conventional wisdom that you don't head to McDonald's for a healthy treat. And, if you've seen Fast Food Nation, you'll know that the chain's offerings have got a whole lot of icky ingredients. Though we don't really like to think about that while munching on a Big Mac, NYC artist Sally Davies did, creating the Happy Meal art project that provides evidence that Mickey D's food really is the worst shiz you can put in your body. Davies took a Happy Meal sized burger and fries, put it on her living room table, and as Bravo says, decided to "watch what happens." She photographs said meal every day, and 137 days into the project (with no end in sight), the results are remarkable in the fact that they're really unremarkable. To our eyes, the burger and fries look exactly on the same on day 1 as on day 137. (As published Aug 26, 2010).

Today,  Davies  celebrates the second year anniversary of what is known as "'Happy Meal Project', by distributing in internet the daily photos that she takes of  the bread, meat and fries that she acquired 730 days ago.

Until now, the only changes observed is that the bread has become dry and broken into two in some parts, while the hamburger meat, after the first few days, became like a "stone" and had shrunk a little bit,  whereas the French fries maintained almost the same appearance.

Davies, in this way, defends that the food has experimented certain dehydration but has not initiated the process of putrefaction, indicating its poor nutritional values observing that  "the food does not rot nor decay with the passing of time".

Davies began her artistic career as a painter for more than three decades and her paintings have appeared in various tv series, like "Sex in New York", although her huge step in photography started more than 15 years ago.

Source:  El Mundo.es April 11, 2012.

I wonder how this will affect the burger sales from fast foods chains like McDonald's or Burger King.  We will probably hear about this topic from the nutritionists sooner than we expect.  But in the meantime, do not be hungry yet.

The real question asked is: why don't the buns mold? That's the really scary part, since healthy bread begins to mold within days. What could possibly be in McDonald's hamburger buns that would ward off microscopic life for more than two decades?

No normal animal will perceive a McDonald's hamburger bun as food, and as it turns out, neither will bacteria or fungi. To their senses, it's just not edible stuff. That's why these bionic burger buns just won't decompose.  Source:  Natural News

Spanish Food in the Philippines

I ran up today with an article on a Spanish restaurant that is making a hit in the Philippines.  I refer to the restaurant Dali, (named after the Spanish surrealist painter, Salvador Dali) the latest addition to the thriving QC dining scene.

What called my attention is not the fact that there is a newly opened Spanish restaurant in the Philippines but knowing that the executive chef Pia Abadesco Herrera has dedicated herself in the study of the Culinary Arts Institute in New York, and has worked as private chef in America all this time after growing up in Europe. Strange to me when I would think that the one to be responsible would be of Spanish origin.

Although the menus are more or less adapted to the Filipinos' tastes like the paella being well done instead of "al dente" as to how they are typically served in Spain, or bocadillos with tenderloin steak, instead of the common beef fillet served as a fast food in most cafeterias in Spain.

It is nice to know that now the Filipinos can savor some of the Spanish food like the Manchego cheese, made in the La Mancha region of Spain from the milk of sheep of the Manchega breed, which is aged for between 60 days or two years. Manchego cheese usually carries the label of origin that guarantees its authenticity. Or the typical jamón serrano,  a type of (dry-cured Spanish ham), which is generally served raw in thin slices, or occasionally diced.  A foreleg prepared in the same manner is called paleta.

Paletas

Jamón Serrano

As to the desserts, I am not familiar with what they have mentioned like the orange custard just as I have not had so far the "sorbet of red and white sangria", which is more likely tagged to call attention to the well known  Sangría drink in Spain.

But prices seem to be affordable with  average prices ranging from P105 to P285.  Maybe some of you can try their menus when you celebrate one of the important occasions.

Dali is at 40 Eugenio Lopez St. cor. Sgt. Esguerra, South Triangle, Quezon City; tel. 9280971.  "Bon appetit"!

Surreal array of Spanish staples
By: Marge C. Enriquez
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Cupcakes, Anyone?

Cupcakes, that originally came from the United States and popularized in the tv series Sex in New York,  have become very popular  in many Spanish bakeries. They come in different shapes and colors and they look amazing, but I dare say that it is a pity to eat them since they seem better to be looked at than eaten.

 

                               

Source: Koldcast, Dzine Blog, Web Cool Tips

Another Feria de Tapas In Madrid

The VII series of the Feria de Tapas in Madrid has just ended this week-end.  It was  great but as usual it was crammed with people.  There were 39 participating restaurants, and Ron, Beatriz and myself were there and luckily sampled two of the winning tapas. (2nd and 3rd).  Since I came early for the queue to a free entrance for a tapa that cost 1,20 Euros and a similar cost for the regular beer, I was able to take pictures without the crowd.

Here are some pictures to whet your appetite.

1st Prize

2nd Prize

3rd Prize

Paella Contest

This year, our town hall sponsored a contest on the best paella. Since it was only a few meters away from where I live, after mass I went to the plaza to take a look. The curious thing? there were only male contestants.  But the truth is, there are not  many women cooks of reknown names compared with men, which is silly because it is mainly women who use the kitchen and not precisely to wash the dishes nor clean the same although oftentimes, they do these chores themselves too. I guess it  is merely due to the fact that most of the women do not cook as a profession but as an obligation, and are unduly recognized. 

Anyway, after the judges have made their selection as to the winners who were awarded with 50€, 75€ and 100€ respectively for the 3rd, 2nd and 1st prizes, the food was served only to members and family of the cooking team, but somehow, my neighbors and me managed to get a plate each. Take a look at some of the resulting paellas.  I did not manage to take pictures of all the 35 participants but it was fun, although what we had eaten was not one of the winners.
  

Tapas in Nerja

And we had some tapas at the popular places in town where they serve excellent tapas at very moderate prices.