Chooks To Go or its company and owners doesn’t pay me to write this. I understand that the brand and its product can be promoted through this article but my aim in writing this blogpost is not to promote the product or a brand but to rant my experiences with the Chooks To Go employees and its product.

Since late 2007, I was already a fan of the oven-cooked chicken product of the Ormoc Bounty Fresh in Ormoc City. It was our favourite viand in our lunch every time we were in Ormoc City.

Actually, we were there in Ormoc City once in a week for the dialysis session of our aunt in a dialysis center in Ormoc City.

My Aunt, Dialysis Session and Dialysis Centers

My aunt was suffering with kidney failure, so she needed the dialysis procedure as the substitute to her failed kidney. She underwent dialysis since early 2007 in Chong Hwa Hospital (I don’t know if the spelling of the name of the hospital is right. May be its name is Chong Wa Hospital or Chung Hua Hospital or Chung Hwa Hospital. Whatever). We realized that staying in Cebu for the dialysis was more expensive than attending a dialysis sessions here in Leyte. So we decided to transfer our aunt to a dialysis center in Ormoc City (I forgot the right name of it. It’s Asian Renal Center, I think, or let’s just call it with that name).

Ormoc City, by the way, is 120 kilometers from our home in Malitbog-Southern Leyte via the Bontoc – Bato highway but is more than 130 kilometers when passing through Maasin City.

The doctor who is a specialist in the health of kidney and at the same time the director of the Asian Renal Center in Ormoc City told us that our aunt should undergo a dialysis session twice a week. But since, we don’t have enough money to finance the twice a week dialysis session, we decided to bring our aunt in that center just once a week.

By the way, there are two doctors who are manning the Asian Renal Center in Ormoc City. One is the specialist in Kidney and the other is a general practitioner who supervises the dialysis procedures. There are also nurses and technicians in the center.

And we were spending at least 5,000 pesos in Ormoc City at that time. The expenses include fees for Asia Renal Center services, medicines, food, diesel, and for the driver.

We admire and appreciate the way the personnel and the doctors in Asia Renal Center in Ormoc City treated us. But when we heard that the convent of the Maasin Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Maasin City near the City Hall offers dialysis services to renal patients who are not priests, we immediately transferred our aunt there. We needed to find ways to save money and a dialysis session in a place nearer to our home is less expensive than going to Ormoc City. Maasin City is just 40 kilometers from our home compared to a more than a hundred kilometers when going to Ormoc City.

I don’t know if the dialysis center of the said convent is licensed to offer dialysis procedure to renal patients. What I know is that that center has been established for the priests in the Diocese of Maasin who are suffering renal problems.

Our aunt started to underwent dialysis treatment in the convent on March last year. And just after a year, my aunt died.

Chooks-To-Go on TV Ads

We started to notice an ad introducing the Chooks-to-go after our wedding.

Our wedding was held in the house of worship of the Iglesia Ni Cristo – Hinunangan Locale on June 20, 2008 while the town of Hinunangan, which is located in the Eastern part of island of Leyte, was under a typhoon signal of Typhoon Frank.

And just for a little trivia, the high waves and strong wind brought by Typhoon Frank caused the sinking of the Princess of the Star (if my memory is right).

Soon as my wife saw the ad, she immediately requested me to buy one. I then told my wife that she already tasted the oven-cooked chicken of the Chooks-To-Go before we got married. I reminded her that Chooks-To-Go was the previous Bounty Fresh. And up to now, the brand of the chicken of the Chooks-To-Go is still Bounty Fresh.

At that time, a Chooks-to-go store was already established here in Maasin City near the Maasin City Seaport along Tomas Oppus Street which is now in front of the LBC branch. After several month, another store was opened along the Kangleon Street in Abgao (is it Kangleon street?). Then later, another one was opened in Barangay Asuncion at the corner of the highway and the street going to the Southern Leyte Provincial Capitol.

Its store in Barangay Asuncion is where we buy Chooks. We avoided buying from the stores near the seaport and the one along Kangleon Street after we experienced buying half-cooked Chooks in those stores. We also avoided buying Chooks in its store in Malitbog-Southern Leyte everytime we were there in Malitbog after its store personnel sold me a spoiled Chooks. It happened before the temporary closure of all its stores here in Southern Leyte which started on the Holy week of this year.

Chooks-To-Go in Hinunangan

We really love the Chooks so every time we have problems in preparing food, we just run to its store and buy one.

But, just like what I said above, all its stores here in Southern Leyte underwent temporary closure. The store personnel in Sogod-Southern Leyte told me that there was a nationwide renovation of its stores including its management and personnel.

Now, after its reopening, I bought Chooks here in Hinunangan-Southern Leyte for four times already.

On the first time, I noticed already that the Chooks sold were not properly cut. What I mean is that it was cut into pieces but all the pieces were still connected to each other. On the next time, I told the store personnel to cut the Chooks properly into small pieces but to my dismay, it was cut similar to what she did before.

On the third time, I again told her the same request and told her also that I was dismayed after knowing that she did not listen to what I requested before.

She told me that it was actually the instruction given to them by the management… and that she was just following the instruction.

So, I asked her, if she could cut the Chooks in a way as what I requested. She answered me, yes. So, I was expecting that the Chooks was cut according to my request. However, when we went to eat the Chooks, we again noticed that it was cut the same way it was cut before.

Yesterday, I bought again one. I requested again the same. I again told her all my embarrassment to what she did before. But she argued that she could only do according to the instruction of the management for the presentation purposes.

In a respectful manner, I told her to cut Chooks just as what I always requested. I even explained how… and why I requested that. I also told her that I don’t need the presentation that she’s talking about. I even reminded her that there was nothing wrong about my request, and that I am a customer and I should be given even a little value by giving me a little favor. But still, this store clerk did what she always did to me.

I wonder if my request is wrong. I just want them to cut the Chooks in smaller pieces and each of these pieces should be separated from the others so that we would not need any knives when eating it.

I love the Chooks but I hate what this woman is doing to me. If only there is another Chooks-To-Go store here in Hinunangan other than this existing store along the highway, I will try to buy from there and I might be given value as its patron.

Chooks-To-Go Contact

After eating the Chooks, I went back to the store to get any phone number or email to contact with but found nothing. I checked its plastic bag or wrapper but there was no contact number or email printed on them.

Maybe its management do not need our suggestions… They do not need to know our complaints… They do not need our help in improving their services and products.

Doesn’t the Chooks-To-Go need customers? I wonder if they’re happy to hear people say that they have a good product but have a bad service.

Hope to hear from them. Hope to receive better treatment from them. Just love to eat their Chooks.

Fin

And to all of you…. Thank you for reading this blogpost. Thank you also for visiting my Make Money Online blog. Hope to hear from you too.

God bless you all.

Sustines Laplana

Note: This blogpost was written using Microsoft Word 2010 and was published to the SELaplana blog using the same software.

About Taco Bell

Taco Bell is a fast food chain serving Mexican foods like tacos, burritos, Gorditas, Chalupas and guesadillas.

On its website, it says:

Taco Bell® Corp. (“Taco Bell®”), a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., (NYSE: YUM), is the nation’s leading Mexican-style quick service restaurant chain. Taco Bell® serves tacos, burritos, signature quesadillas, Grilled Stuft Burritos, nachos, and other specialty items such as Crunchwrap Supreme®, in addition to the Why Pay More® Value Menu. Taco Bell® serves more than 36.8 million consumers each week in nearly 5,600 restaurants in the U.S.

Lawsuit Against Taco Bell

Alabama law firm Beasley Allen filed a consumer class action lawsuit on January 21, 2011 against the Taco Bell fast food company alleging that the company’s advertisement and claims that the filling of all its beef food products is seasoned beef or seasoned ground beef is misleading in the fact that the filling is simply taco meat filling.

The taco meat filling according to the lawsuit contains only 36 percent of meat while the rest is just made up of wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodextrin, anti-dusting agent, autolyzed yeast extract, modified corn starch, sodium phosphates, and other non-meat “extenders.” Taco Bell is allegedly violating the policy of the Department of Agriculture to the products labeled as beef or ground beef.

The lawsuit also claims that Taco Bell misrepresented products as seasoning when in fact those are not seasoning but are just extenders.

The lawsuit however does not seek monetary damages but asks the court to order Taco Bell Corp. be true and honest in advertising its products.

US Department of Agriculture Requirements

The USDA definition of “beef” means “flesh of cattle”. Ground beef should consist of chopped fresh or frozen beef either it is seasoned or not. It might contain fat but not more than 30 percent. It should also not contain water, phosphates, binders or extenders.

With regards to Taco Filling, the USDA requires it to contain 40 percent of fresh meat and should be labeled as Taco Filling with Meat, Beef Taco Filling or Taco Meat Filling.

Taco Bell Response

Greg Creed, the President of Taco Bell Corp., said that they buy beef on trusted companies supplying the supermarkets like Tyson Foods. And then the meat will be processed in their proprietary blend of seasonings and spices to give their seasoned beef the company’s signature of taste and texture.

The company also defended by saying in a statement, “Taco Bell prides itself on serving high quality Mexican inspired food with great value.”

According to its official website, its Taco Bell meat includes salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, oats, soy lectithin, sugar, soybean oil, garlic powder, yeast extract, citric acid and cocoa powder.

References

1. Taco Bell Responds to meat lawsuit
2. Us Law Firm Sues Taco Bell
3. Lawsuit Document
4. Taco Bell Official Website
5. Regarding Class Action Lawsuit

If you’ll check the bottle or can container of the Coca-Cola (original) soft drink for its ingredients, you’ll only find these ingredients: Carbonated water, Sugar, Caffeine, and Natural Flavors.

In the so called Natural Flavors, you’ll immediately think that it includes the main flavors of Coca leaves and Cola nuts. Coca leaves is known as the source of a anesthetic medicine called Cocaine and the Cola nuts is the source of Caffeine.

The Coca-cola ingredients are actually a top secret formula kept at the vault. But just like the smoke which couldn’t be kept forever, this top secret formula of the Coca-Cola (original) softdrink has been unveiled as shown:

FE Coca (Fluid Extract of Coca) – 3 drams USP
Citric Acid – 3 oz
Caffeine – 1 oz
Sugar – 30 #
Water – 2.5 gal
Lime Juice – 2 pints (1 qrt)
Vanilla – 1 oz
Caramel – 1.5 oz or more to color
Use 2 oz flavor (below) to 5 gals syrup

7X Flavor
Alcohol – 8 oz
Orange Oil – 20 drops
Lemon Oil – 30
Nutmeg Oil – 10
Corriander Oil – 5
Neroli Oil – 10
Cinnamon Oil – 10

via www.thisamericanlife.org

Cooking Related Question

How to cook afritadang (apritadang) baboy?

Answer

Here’s how to prepare and cook afritadang baboy recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kilo pork (cut into cubes)
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1 green bell pepper (sliced)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
• vegetable oil
• pepper powder
• salt
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 1 tbsp. toyo (soy sauce)
• 2 potatoes (peeled and quartered)
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch

Procedure:

1. Season pork with salt and pepper. Rest it for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Stir-Fry the pork until it turns brown.
3. Add garlic and onion until they look cooked.
4. Add potato stir fry for few minutes.
5. Add water and toyo. Bring to boil.
6. Minimize the heat and let it simmer until pork and potato became tender/
7. Add bell pepper and tomato sauce.
8. Check the taste. You have the option to add salt. But it depends of course on your taste.
9. Add cornstarch and simmer for few minutes.
10. Then serve the recipe.

My Afritada Cooking Experience

My first attempt of cooking Pork Afritada was satisfactory although I forgot to add the bell peppers. My wife’s comment is just simple. She said that the taste is almost perfect but it still needs enhancement.

There are many variation on how to prepare Humba recipe. But of these Humba recipe variation is just similar to adobong baboy. The only difference is that in Humba sugar is added.

Ingredients

• 1/2 kilogram pork cut in cubes
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 bay leaf
• 1 sachet (market retail) black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic and crashed
• 1 teaspoon oil
• salt for good taste

How to Cook?

1. Fry the pork in a pan with the oil until it looks brown.

2. Then add all the other ingredients to the pan except the salt.

3. Let it boil.

4. Lower the heat and simmer until the port becomes tender. You have the option whether to serve the humba with just tender pork or soft pork. If you want the latter, just simmer for more minutes until the pork becomes soft.

5. Adjust the taste with the salt.

6. It’s better to serve it hot. But it’s just fine if it’s already not that hot.

Lumpia is a famous Filipino dish of Chinese origin. The following are lumpia recipes:

• Lumpiang Shanghai
• Lumpiang Hubad
• Banana Turon
• Lumpia or Lumpiang Hubad
• Lumpiang Gulay
• Lumpiang ubod
• Lumpiang Taugi

For the sake of those whoa re looking for the instruction of making lumpia, just watch the videos below. If you are reading this article at your email, please visit the live version of it by clicking here.

• How to Make Lumpia?
  
• How to Make Fried Lumpia?
  
• How to Make Lumpiang Shanghai
  
• How to Make Fresh Lumpia
  

You can also follow the recipe published by the websites listed below:

• WikiHow’s Making Lumpia
• eHow to make lumpia?

“Adobong Baboy is one of my favorite pinoy recipes.” This post will tell you how I perfected my recipe, “Adobong Baboy”. I tried to prepare it before for several times when I was still staying with my aunts in Malitbog, Southern Leyte but I failed to perfect it (according to my taste preference).

Since the start of our stay here in our rented apartment unit (Maasin City), we haven’t yet cooked our food. We just went to carenderias (restaurant) and ordered the food we wanted to eat. But we couldn’t save money if we’ll continue doin it. We really need to cook our own food.

Early this morning while my wife was still sleeping, I went to the market and bought 1/2 kilogram of pork. I was planning to prepare my favorite “Adobong Baboy”. I also bought a liter of cane vinegar, garlic, black pepper, laurel, oil and a bottle of soy sauce. These are the ingredients which my wife had told me last night. She of course didn’t know that I was really planning to cook “Adobong Baboy” for her.

So much for a story….

I chopped the pork into cubes as you can see on the photo below:

Looking at them, I realized that the sizes of the pork cubes were too big. So I chooped them again into smaller sizes.

By the way, here’s what I did according to what my wife has told me last night.

1. Fry the pork cubes until it looks brown.
2. Add 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup soy souce, 2 to 5 leaves of laurel, chopped garlic and black pepper.
3. When the liquid is about to dry, add 1/4 or 1/2 cup of water and continue cooking for about a minute.



4. Serve it.

To summarize the ingredients:

• 1/2 kilogram pork
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 leaves of laurel
• 1 sachet (market retail) black pepper
• 1 garlic

And the result is the perfected “Adobong Baboy” (with perfect taste according to my own taste preference).

If only you’re here, I will let you eat my “Adobong Baboy”.

P.S.

By the way, have you seen a dog riding the Honda XRM motorcycle? I’ve seen one and I wrote a story about it at my “Motoristang Pinoy” blog entitled, “Dog Rider“.