Local Hangout: Noveleta Plaza Café Review

Courtesy of: http://www.facebook.com/NoveletaPlazaCafe

FIRST REACTION

Upon seeing the café, I really thought it was something else. I'm not sure what it is but I only knew that it was a café when I have asked my grandfather about it. The café was not catchy as well as their signage, the exterior looked dull. If I didn't know that it was a café, I might have mistaken it for an office as it is situated within the town hall plaza. I have been passing by the café numerous times but it was when I was forced to look for somewhere to eat that I have finally decided to try it out. The 5 peso coffee vendo machine on the entrance of the café made me hesitant to try it out because why would they put up a coffee vendo machine if they can serve coffee.

EXPECTATIONS


I finally got the nerve to try it although I might disappoint myself, I thought. BUT it exceeded my expectation. From a local café, I wasn't even expecting what's on their menu. What's inside the café makes up for what they lack on their exterior, maybe it's because, inside, there are a lot of portraits of the food in their menu. Nothing can be more appetizing than that and yes, it exceeds what I have been expecting but I'm not saying it is on the same level as some popular or high end café.
 

What I like about the plaza café?

♥ From where I'm staying in Noveleta Cavite, it's the nearest, pretty decent place to hang out. It's just a few steps away!
♥ There are variety of food.
♥ It is worth every peso you spend when it comes to the amount of food per serving.
♥ For a local shop, the interior is not bad.






TASTE VERDICT


If you are looking for pasta, sandwiches or mexican food like nacho and taco, it is definitely the perfect place to dine. During my first visit to the café, I have tried their spaghetti, quesadilla and taco salad. It really is mouth-watering! I have told my cousins about the experience dining in at the plaza café and so I visited back with them. We have tried their panini and strawberry- banana smoothie which is ambrosial.

♦ Spaghetti : 

We all have different taste buds but mine says it's just right. It's sweetness, saltiness and the tangy flavor are balanced. The garlic bread is toasted perfectly, it tasted good too.

♦ Quesadilla:

It is one of my favorites. The cheese and beef filling is flavorful.

 
♦Taco Salad: 

Basically, there isn't any difference with their taco salad and a regular taco except for the taco shell. This goes to my next favorite because they are just so generous with the serving!

♦ Panini: 

You've got your choice of chicken panini, tuna panini and bacon panini. However, I believe they could improve it, more especially the chicken panini. It is lacking something. It felt like I was eating a white bread with a lady's choice chicken spread! I'm not a fan of their panini.

♦Strawberry- Banana Smoothie: 

It is the BOMB! I love it! It taste natural, although I'm quite not sure if the ingredients are real fruits or just a concentrated syrup.

☺I have been wanting to taste their roast beef sandwich but it is always unavailable. I just hope, the next time I visited the café again, It would be available.
☺I also want to taste their mexican pizza, the portrait of it is quite intriguing!
They also serve rice meals that are perfect for breakfast. Price ranges roughly from Php 60.00 to Php 200.00

Location:

Sweet and Sour Prawn Balls Recipe

Tired of the usual sweet and sour pork or chicken? Why not try prawns?
Let me share this recipe. I hope you guys would like it and let me know if you have tried it.

Ingredients:

500g Prawns, shelled and sliced in about an inch
vegetable oil for deep frying
1 tbs of crushed garlic
1/8 tsp. grinded ginger
2 medium sized red onion, large slices
1 green bellpepper, large slices
sesame oil

Prawn Batter Mixture:

1 Egg, beaten
1/2 cup Corn Starch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
a few teaspoons of water, it really depends on the consistency of your batter.

 Sweet and Sour Mixture:

5 tbs. Banana Ketchup
1 can Pineapple Juice ( I used Del Monte Pineapple Juice, I think it's the 240ml can)
3 tbs. Apple cider vinegar
4 tbs. Brown sugar
1 tbs. Corn Starch dissolved in 4 tbs. water
Salt and Pepper

Procedure:

First: How to make the prawn balls?

1. In a bowl, combine the prawn batter mixture (above). Mix it well and adjust the consistency, it shouldn't be watery. It should coat the prawns well.
2. After coating the prawns with the batter, deep fry the prawns until golden brown, place it on a paper towel to drain excess oil and then set it aside.

Second: The Sweet and Sour Mixture

1. On a sauce pan, combine the ingredients for the sweet and sour mixture; let it simmer and adjust the taste base on your preference. If all is good, set it aside. This is the most crucial part because the sweet and sour mixture is the foundation of this dish. It can either make or break the dish. 

Lastly: Let's Integrate!

1. Saute the garlic and ginger. Add the bellpepper and onion. Give it a few stir then add the prawns.
2. Slowly pour the sweet and sour mixture until everything is coated and then remove from heat.
3. Add a few drops of sesame oil, give it a stir and it is ready to serve!

Notes: Eyes here!

For newbies in cooking eyes here! For the master chefs, I'm not an expert , you guys are free to leave some tips for me. :)

* Peeling the prawn's shell  when it is raw is difficult (well atleast for me but I don't know about you guys) because the shell is too hard, you can use scissors to remove the shell and other unneccessary parts of the prawn, however, I have boiled the prawns first before peeling the shell. It is much easier. You should just avoid overcooking it because it'll be deep fried together with the batter anyway and when it is overcooked, the flesh of the prawn, sticks to its shell.

* The sweet and sour mixture has corn starch, too much exposure to heat with less liquid will make it gelatinize or produce lumps and you don't want to ruin the dish right?

*Most sweet and sour mixtures are made with tomato ketchup but I have used banana ketchup because It is my preference and I think  the flavor is more balanced with banana ketchup because tomato is more sour. Maybe if you will use tomato ketchup, do not add vinegar. I do love tomato ketchup but not in this dish.

* Hold on to your horses and do not add too much sesame oil! Its taste might overpower the dish. One or one and a half teaspoon would do.

* I have added the sesame oil when the dish was removed from the heat because adding it too early in the dish will loosen its flavor.

   There you have it! Enjoy!♥

                           

                                                                                  - Sofie ☺