Biko from Hilda’s
Posted on: August 6, 2010
- In: 3 PTC | Filipino | Reviews
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Long time no update!
Today I would like to tell you about the biko from Hilda’s. When I saw it behind their counter, I wondered what kind of rice cake it was. It was black and resembled tar! I asked the lady who worked there and she said it was rice cake made with black rice and coconut. When I went home to research biko, I found out that biko is actually “bibingka”, the rice cake topped with caramel from my last post. I don’t know if they mislabeled their signs at Hilda’s, but for now I will go with what their sign said and refer to this rice cake as biko.
Black rice cake
The rice cake was actually very good! Very thick and filling. There were bits of hard, somewhat undercooked pieces of rice, but that’s to be expected of rice cakes. I was surprised to find that the biko was actually dark purple in color, as you can see in the photo with flash turned on. I couldn’t finish the whole piece, so I stored it in a plastic box at room temperature. Big mistake! The next day, mold had already started growing on the cake! This was the first rice cake I have gotten from Hilda’s that required refrigeration. Note for next time. =)
It's really purple!
Because I’m haunted by the sight of mold that grew on my precious rice cake, I would have to rate the biko from Hilda’s a…
3 on the Puteokchi Scale!
- In: 5 PTC | Filipino | Reviews
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It’s been a while since I made a visit to Hilda’s! I made up for it big by getting three packs of rice cake today!
Sapin-Sapin is a two-colored rice cake, usually yellow and purple, made from glutinous rice flour. Although its layers are of different colors, I think the coloring added is just for appearance and each layer does not hold a different flavor. The rice cake is usually topped off with grated coconut.
The sapin-sapin from Hilda’s was SO good! The pack was kind of small, consisting of only three pieces, but it was bursting with rice cake goodness! You know how good sashimi literally melts in your mouth? Hilda’s sapin-sapin is just like that! It was so soft and sticky, and had just the right amount of sweetness. They sprinkled toasted coconut shavings on top of the rice cakes, something which I don’t see very often.
Sapin-Sapin on the left and Bibingka on the right.
Bibingka is sticky rice topped with a layer sweet, syrupy sauce. I’ve never seen this rice cake before until I saw it at the counter at Hilda’s. I’m not sure, but I think their bibingka is coated with a layer of sweet toffee sauce. IT’S SO GOOD! The rice cake was soft and moist, and the sauce and rice couldn’t have been a more perfect pairing.
The Bibingka looks like meatloaf. xD
The bibingka and the sapin-sapin cost about $5.
I definitely give the bibingka and sapin-sapin from Hilda’s a…
5 on the Puteokchi Scale!
Mochi Ice Cream by Mikawaya
Posted on: June 2, 2010
- In: 4 PTC | Japanese | Reviews
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Boy, it’s been a while since I ate some rice cake!
I wanted to get things going again with a product that is found everywhere — mochi ice cream.
I remember over ten years ago when I first tried mochi, in the form of ice cream. Oh dear God, IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST BITE! I had never eaten something like it before and it was so, SO good. It made me love Japanese cuisine all the more, although I’m not sure how authentic mochi ice cream really is.
I’m sure everyone has tried this brand of mochi ice cream at least a few times in their lives. Mikawaya Mochi Ice Cream can be found everywhere nowadays — at Trader Joe’s, at Costco, local supermarkets and specialty stores. I brought this green tea flavored pack of 6 at my local TJ’s for around $4. Some generous restaurants I go to will even offer a complimentary piece of mochi ice cream as dessert after your meal (I don’t know if it’s this same packaged mochi though).
Mochi Ice Cream
I haven’t had mochi ice cream in a long time. I guess I grew tired of it after a while, you know? I always pass by the mochi while I’m grocery shopping, always ignoring my temptations, but what the heck, I have a rice cake blog to maintain!
When I first opened the box, I thought “Ew!” The mochi seemed hard and icy. I let it stand in room temperature for a few minutes and it made a big difference. I bit into a piece of mochi and it was good! The outer layer of soft rice cake is thin, but soft and chewy. There’s a lot of ice cream inside, it just oozes out! The green tea flavor was good — it tasted very authentic. I ended eating three pieces!
They look like muffins.
So refreshing on a warm day!
For the price and the quality, this mochi is a great buy. One worry I have is that there are a few preservatives under the listed ingredients. They wouldn’t be able to maintain the mochi’s integrity without preservatives, but those who like to eat organic foods should be aware of this.
Hhhmm, I think I would rate this mochi a…
4 on the Puteokchi Scale!
- In: 4 PTC | Reviews | Thai
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King of Thai Noodle House is a popular chain of Thai restaurants located in San Francisco that are easily recognizable by their purple colored walls. Most of their restaurants are open late into the early morning, perfect for those craving made to order Pad Thai after midnight. The service is quick and their prices are decent, but I’m not a huge fan of their food because most of their noodles are dripping with grease!
I ordered Sticky Rice with Mango and it was my first time trying the dessert. It wasn’t what I expected it to be. In my mind, I thought sticky rice desserts would resemble more of a thick rice pudding that’s served in a dessert glass. Well, this was what was placed in front of me instead.
Sticky Rice with Mango
Despite my skepticism, it was actually pretty good! The sticky rice was soft and warm, with slight hints of sweetness and toasted sesame. The mango wasn’t too fresh — a little tart actually — but I didn’t mind. The dessert is served on top of coconut milk, which due to it’s high saturated fat content, makes this dessert VERY filling. (Well, to me anyways!)
yummy!
My only complaints are that the portion of sticky rice was really small and that the price is kind of high at $4.50. I liked the homemade taste and the way the sticky rice melted in your mouth though, so I deem this sticky rice a…
4 on the Puteokchi Scale!
Gyeongdan Tteok from Kungsil
Posted on: April 17, 2010
- In: 2 PTC | Korean | Reviews
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Gyeongdan is a type tteok that originates from Korea. These bite-sized pieces of rice cake balls have a sweet red bean or sesame filling inside and is covered with a fine coating of colored powders for even more appeal. I saw this brightly colored pack of gyeongdan at my local supermarket and I just couldn’t resist getting it! It’s delivered from Kungsil Rice Bakery, which according to the label, is located on El Camino Real in Santa Clara, CA.
Gyeongdan from Kungsil
Unfortunately, I should’ve known better than to buy pre-packed rice cake at a supermarket. The gyeongdan was not very good. It tasted stale and artificial, no better than those imported packs of mochi that’s mass produced and shipped to stores all over the world. I don’t think the raw coating of flour helped with the taste either. To be honest, the outer layer of rice cake tasted like plastic!
Very colorful
The filling, which I always enjoy, wasn’t good either. It didn’t taste like red bean and it didn’t enhance the flavor of the rice cake like it should of. It also tasted stale and artificial.
Red bean filling
I feel bad about doing this, but I give the gyeongdan from Kungsil a…
2 on the Puteokchi Scale.
Puto and Kuchinta from Hilda’s
Posted on: April 13, 2010
- In: 5 PTC | Filipino | Reviews
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Thanks to Yelp, I’ve discovered that there’s a very vibrant Filipino community that I never knew existed nearby my home, and that’s how I found out about Hilda’s, a very popular neighborhood bakery.
Hilda’s Mart & Bake Shop is located on a semi-secluded street in the Excelsior district of San Francisco. They are known for three things — their puto, kuchinta, and hopia. Apparently, people from all over the Bay Area order big platters of these three desserts to serve at big parties and celebrations. Now that I have visited, I’m not surprised by their popularity!
Hilda's Mart & Bakery Shop in San Francisco
The bakery is a bright and minimally decorated with white walls. There are only a few items displayed behind the glass counter, but you can take a look of the menu and ask for a custom order in the amount of yummy-ness you want. I asked for 3 puto and 3 kuchinta, and the woman who helped me kindly wrapped up my order. The total was $1.55, so I believe that’s just $0.25 – $0.30 for each one! =]
I’ll tell you a little about puto and kuchinta (sometimes spelled as ‘cuchinta’ and ‘kusinta’) first. These two are probably the most well known of all Filipino desserts and can be found in many Asian markets. Puto is a steamed rice cake that’s in the shape of ball and comes in plain white with just a little sugar added or in other flavors like ube (sweet purple yam). Its texture ranges from soft and cake-like to chewy and sticky (just how I like it!) depending on how it’s made.
Kuchinta is a little orange rice cake that is also steamed. They are shaped like little round, flat UFOs because they are steamed in little round molds. Kuchinta is usually served with a little bit of grated coconut for a delicious snack.
3 x 3 – white Puto and orange Kuchinta
Now on to my review!
The puto was really good! Soft and very sticky, it had just the right amount of sweetness and tasted like genuine rice cake. The three I got were still very fresh.
Close up of Puto
Sticky and Sweet – Puto
The kuchinta was really good too! It was so fresh that it actually jiggled! It was nice and soft, and had a slight banana or pandan leaf flavor to it.
Kuchinta!
How would I rate the puto and kuchinta from Hilda’s? Drumroll please…
I give the puto and the kuchinta a 5 on the Puteokchi Scale!
To be honest though, I like the puto just a little more. I can’t wait to go back and try the rest of Hilda’s rice cakes! SO GOOD.
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Hi there! I am proud to present to you, Rice Cake Review – a blog about rice cakes! (I’ll use RCR for short.)
Say what?! What’s so special about rice cakes, you may ask?
EVERYTHING.
Like so many cultures around the world, rice has always been an integral part of my life. I grew up eating, breathing, and celebrating rice. Rice is essential to my being.
There’s a long tradition of rice aficionados in my family. Before emigrating to the United States, my mom and my grandmother worked in rice paddies, cultivating and harvesting their own rice. She knows what hard work that was and never let my family nor I waste any rice. She would yell and hiss at me if I dared to leave even a single grain of rice sticking to the side of a bowl. She still does! And because of her extensive knowledge, my mom still grades the quality of the bags of rice we purchase, although if you ask me, it’s all the same once cooked. =] It’s the staple of a meal – I wouldn’t feel completely satiated without it. I even remember old times when my mom would use hot steaming rice wrapped in a towel to ease the itching of a bad rash or chickenpox! The omnipresence of rice in my life has left me with a genuine love for it and I couldn’t possibly imagine life without it.
I love rice cakes in particular. Yes, rice cakes. What isn’t there to love? I LOVE the chewy textures. I love the colors and the shapes they come in. I love the creativity involved in the preparation of rice cakes. I love that they’re wholesome treats, made with natural ingredients. It’s a weird love affair, but I’m not ashamed to admit it.
I also need to clarify that this blog is NOT dedicated to the “rice cake” crackers that you see in American stores. You know — the flat, hard, puffed kind that you eat when you’re on a diet. The rice cakes that I have an infinite amount of love for are the Asian varieties that are usually made of glutinous rice flour and is then baked, fried, pounded or steamed to an ooey gooey perfection.
I will be seeking out different rice cakes from all over the San Francisco Bay Area (where I reside) and beyond to taste and write about, including all, but not limited to — tteok from Korea, puto from the Philippines (shutchomouth! In Filipino, not Spanish!), the popular mochi from Japan, different kinds of gao from China, different kinds of bánh from Vietnam, and any other variety I can get my grubby little hands on!
It won’t just be limited to rice cakes, no sir. I love all things rice! Rice pudding is making a big comeback among foodies, and I can’t wait to try some. Sticky rice is a delicious dessert that I have been wanting to try too. I might even look for the best places to get fresh horchata! I will avoid savory foods made of rice, like sushi or rice porridge, just so that things wouldn’t get too complicated.
I’m so excited about this blog! And I’m so happy to have found a niche among all the great blogs out there. Aside from my own personal blog, I have always wanted to create a blog dedicated to something whimsical, and something that I would be passionate about writing too. Over the years, several ideas ran through my head. Some of which included:
- Men’s fashion? I love fashion, but the idea just seemed too difficult. I’m more of an admirer, not a stylist.
- Being green? Overrated and overdone. Doesn’t mean I won’t stop though. =]
- Cheap eats? Too unhealthy! And too little money!
But then it just came to me while I was laying in bed one night. The moment was magical. “A blog about… rice cakes!” PERFECT.
I also came up with my very own rating system for my rice cake reviews. So let me introduce to you…
The Puteokchi Scale! (PTC for short)
Pu–Teok–Chi — combining the Filipino puto, the Korean tteok, and the Japanese mochi to create the super omega rice cake rating system!
I will rate rice cakes on a scale of 1 to 5 puteokchis. Because I love rice cakes so much, even the worse of the worse, you’ll rarely see a 1.
Look forward to my very first review soon. It’s going to be a special one! And I welcome any comments or suggestions on rice cakes – good places to get some in the Bay Area, recipes, likes or dislikes, etc.
I ♥ rice cakes!
mochi!
rice cake review 