8 Simple Food Joys I Can Be Satisfied With

"Simple joys bring life's sweetest pleasures." - Flavia

Life is filled with simple delights. It's those minor yet gratifying feelings you never really expect, but you'd always be pleased with. For me, food has always been one of life's greatest pleasures. And I take contentment with simple food indulgences whether on a bad or stressful day or on days when I just want to reward myself a treat.

Here is my rundown of 8 simple food joys I can be contented with, coming in at 8th place:

8. JOLLIBEE SPAGHETTI MEAL

 

This has always been an old childhood favorite. It's the classic Pinoy-style spaghetti recipe - saucy, meaty, sweet with some ham and hotdog bits and a sprinkle of cheese on top. The more sauce, the better - that's always the additional request at the counter. However, there are times when I'd have to contend with long queues in certain branches though.

7. FRUIT SALAD FROM THIRSTY!

Thirsty! has been the forerunner of the fresh juices and shakes industry in Cebu and the brand managed to innovate itself with different fruit drink concoction to serve the varied tastes of customers as well as address health consciousness. Since they serve up fruits, naturally, Thirsty! offered the fruit salad and I was pleased. Always the health buff, I love to eat fruits and the brand's no-fuss fruit salad simply satisfies that. Just fruits (without the sweet corn please) served with a bit of cream (sometimes yogurt) on top and I'm good to go.

6. ALBERTO'S PIZZA

 

I have never really been a lover of pizzas. I always thought pizzas are a bit heavy on the stomach, oily and use too much bread. My pizza preferences also tend to lean towards the sweeter ones, e.g. something with pineapples in it. But for some reason, this local brand gets me. One order of an 11-inch meat-lovers special topped with quickmelt cheese is already a perfect meal for me. It's not too oily with just the right amount of salami, ground meat and onions, and the crust sits right with my palate. And it doesn't hurt to have a bottle of Mountain Dew on the side to finish it off.


5. CORNED BEEF MEAL NEAR VELEZ HOSPITAL - My best friend, Jbee, introduced me to this one. There's this little makeshift eatery across Velez Hospital that opens at night around 8-9PM on occasional days, usually on the weekends. Taxi drivers, nurses, after-party goers, boarders and students converge here when they set up shop. The guy-in-charge cooks your meals on the spot ranging from a simple pancit canton or a beef loaf meal or some good old instant noodle soup. But what got me into it is his no-fuss canned corned beef meal. Yes, it can be a bit unhealthy because I could see him sprinkle some amount of seasoning in it, but it's how the corned beef's cooked that got me hooked. He cooks it with beaten egg and forms it like an omelet. With a generous serving of ketchup and a steaming cup of rice on the side, personally, it's a great meal to cap off a hungry stomach or an evening of drinking.

4. BEEF QUESADILLA FROM TACOS

 

This was an acquired taste which eventually became one of my favorites. I was a fan before of their nachos with ground beef and melted cheese, but that got too boring and their cheese got too runny and soupy. The beef quesadilla, on the other hand, remained a staple whenever I'd feel a bit Mexican. It's the classic unsophisticated quesadilla with ground beef, tomatoes and melted cheese with a serving of tomato sauce over it. It's just a spot-on set for me. Lately, they've become stingy with their servings though. I miss their old quesadilla which was meatier, cheesier and the sauce had this distinct flavor of tomato chunks and tomato sauce. Even so, Tacos' one whole beef quesadilla remains a simple food favorite at #4.

3. CHATIME

 

Ah, the divine joy of milk teas! Some people are addicted to coffee; I'm into this recent craze of milk teas. There are already a number of local and international milk tea brands sprouting all over the metro, some of which I've tried. But I always end up with Chatime as my favorite, simply because of their consistency on how they make their concoctions. Unlike other milk tea brands which tend to have a powdery aftertaste, bland or just boring, Chatime wins me over for their smooth and authentic taste. Plus points too for variety (an assortment of fruit teas and milk tea variations), for hot and cold options, and for letting customers choose their preferred sugar and ice levels. I try to change my orders up a bit whenever I visit, but on a stressful day, I go all out with a large QQ Milk Tea with mousse, pearls and pudding, 50% sugar and less ice. One sip of that and I'll be a happy camper. And, oh, they've got the friendliest staff at the counter, too!

2. POTATO CORNER

 

I'm a hearty french fries enthusiast and I love perfectly fried fries. Potato Corner does just that and more. If there's one thing I'd munch on whenever I'm hanging around at the mall or out to watch a movie or just plain hungry or stressed, Potato Corner's french fries is a no-brainer as medicine for my cravings. Seriously, I can devour an order of cheese-flavored Terra or Giga fries and be happy with it. The most satisfying is when I'm almost done and it's time to lick off the cheese from my fingers, or when I get excited if there are still some cheese bits inside the carton. Aaah, heaven! It's fun too if you're enjoying it with friends and before you know it, the carton's empty!

1. MASTER SIOMAI

Siomai has been around for generations and usually served in Chinese dimsum restaurants as a standard appetizer or main course. But lately, the siomai has surged in popularity as a street food with vendors selling them in public places such us terminals, schools, churches, etc. It has even managed to place itself in the food cart industry. Enter Master Siomai! There's never really much of a difference with the siomai this brand is offering. Heck, their siomai is even small! But for some strange unknowing reason, I loooooove their siomai and I can't get enough of them! I'm never really a fan too of chili, but I get delightful satisfaction in having more chili sauce on my siomai order. And they serve yummy sago't gulaman too! On a good day, an order of Japanese siomai topped with a heaping amount of chili and washed with toyo and calamansi plus two cups of sago't gulaman on the side and two pieces of poso whenever I feel like it - that's just sheer perfection for me!

So there you have it. We all have our ideas on foods which make us feel good on a given day. What's your ultimate comfort food? Let me know in the comments section!

Eight cents deposited!

Credits: Jollibee, Thirsty! Fresh Fruit Juices and Shakes, Alberto's, Taco's, Mountain Dew, Chatime, Potato Corner, Master Siomai, www.iluvcebu.com, www.foodspotting.com