Apartment 1B

There's a cozy restaurant along Sedeno St. in Salcedo Village that's tucked in the ground floor of One Lafayette Square.  Aptly named Apartment 1B, the place is simple & nondescript from the outside; you might even pass the place without so much of a second glance if you are riding a vehicle.  However, the restaurant interior is welcoming, well-lit and quite homey--the layout is well thought of, the old wooden furniture blends in perfectly with the bright decor.  Cozy, in fact--a place I'd bring a first-date to experience.  It's a regular meeting place for some of my business colleagues, and I was invited there for lunch last week.  I had tasty onion soup (topped with my favorite gooey cheese), crabmeat patties for my appetizer and vegetable lasagna for my main course.  Food came in hot, smelling good and nicely plated.  Average of around P1,000 per head for a complete meal, but if you would just come in for a snack, that should come to just around P400 per head.

Yellow Cab

Yellow Cab is a homegrown pizza chain that just turned 10 years old this year.  The AISEC trainees had their country booths and cultural presentations at the Block of SM North EDSA and after a day's hard work, a pizza treat was definitely in order!  We had 4 different 18" giant sized pizzas--Pepperoni, NY Classic, All Meat and the kid's favorite, Garlic and Shrimps!  Now imagine despite the hungry appetites of all 13 of us, we still took home some slices (for breakfast the day after!).  Quite tasty and available in most malls, this pizza chain is really a good treat for the hungry.

Luck Garden

Kong Kong, Gwammy & I ate at Luck Garden Seafood Restaurant near the Welcome Rotonda.  This Chinese restaurant is well-known for their turtle soup, and it seems that they have a very wide range of dishes to choose from.  Basic menus for a table of 12 can range from P3,000 and can go a high as P24,000 (with all sorts of exotic dishes, like lobster, shark fin, braised turtle and abalone).  For our National Hero's holiday lunch, we had polonchay seafood soup, pancit canton, and various dimsum favorites--shrimp siomai, chicken feet & shao long pao.  Unfortunately, Kong found the chicken feet a bit too spicy, while I was not happy with the wrapping of the shao long pao, which tore easily, thus spilling the hot juice.  It very reasonably priced though, we averaged P200 per head.  Of course, the ambience is not much, but the food is okay.

The Balvenie

Vicky and I enjoy good Scotch Whisky.  The best one that I have tried is the Balvenie, a hand-crafted single malt whisky that smells so vanilla-like and tastes heavenly!  This drink was introduced to me by my friend Irving, and while I have tried to look for it in local wineshops, I haven't seen this locally; probably available by order though.  Whether you take a sip or swig, the scent and the taste lingers for around 20 seconds--oh yes, this one drives me crazy!  Love it!

Pat & Kat

This chicharon (crackling pork rind) is totally different!  I understand that the secret is that Pat & Kat's version is baked, not fried, so it's totally dry and greaseless.  The texture is thus noticeably drier.  Think about the difference between greaseless peanuts and fried peanuts...nice!  Vicky bought a few packs in the tiangge in Summit Ridge, Tagaytay.  I understand that this product is made in Cavite, and I find it in a lot of stores located along the road to Tagaytay.  Taste it and enjoy--P75 per pack of 100 grams.

Federico Aguilar Alcuaz

Most articles on master painter Federico Aguilar Alcuaz will write about his artistic contributions to Philippine Art.  As you may have heard, "Senyor," as I always addressed him, passed away early this year, after a fatal fall in his bathroom at the Manila Pavilion Hotel.  However, today I will write about my recollections about this quirky but lovable man.  Gwammy, having worked at the Philippine Art Gallery (PAG) in the early 1950s, recalls that he was a quiet man, who would drop some of his artwork for Uncle Yats to frame.  I would usually bump into Senyor at the Cafe Coquilla, and we would often exchange pleasantries; he always had his quizzical look, but would break into a smile when you returned the same facial expression.  He used to play games with guests boarding the hotel elevator--he would ask "Going up?" while pointing downwards with his finger, to the bewilderment (and sometimes, the consternation) of the guests.  I remember having lunch at the Cafe Coquilla with the family sometime in 1997, and he would play with Monique's cousin Bryan by tossing the sugar packets around and Bryan would playfully retrieve them for him.  He would walk around the hotel lobby with the table napkins of the coffee shop wrapped around his head like a bandana.  He used Pentel pens to draw on the glass of various framed prints that adorned the hotel walls, we jokingly told the hotel staff not to erase the Pentel pen markings, as that would make the prints worth  something someday.  He graciously lent his paintings to the Rotisserie of the Manila Pavilion, and he would often use the hotel staff as the models (I particularly like his painting of Adora, once a sommelier at the Rotisserie).  He was much loved by the older hotel staff who knew him well from the Manila Hilton days, and was a bit misunderstood by the newer hotel staff who got to know him only after his fall in Luneta (that was 2006, when I think he got mugged).  After the Luneta incident, he lost part of his memory, and at times, became a bit gruff and sullen.  He no longer recognized me as he advanced in years, and I was saddened to hear of his demise.  Rest easy, Senyor--you will always be remembered.

Chicken Asparagus Soup

Here's one of my favorite Chinese-style soups.  It's so simple to make, and I must say Yaya Rufina has already mastered the technique:


1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
4 heads of garlic, chopped
3 small white onions, chopped
1 can of white asparagus (800 grams)
3 chicken cubes


Saute garlic and onions, add in chicken pieces and chicken cubes.  When chicken is slightly browned, pour in 4 liters of water.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Let the soup boil for around 20-30 minutes to ensure that the chicken is tender.  Add the asparagus, including its brine for added flavor.  Let boil for another 5 minutes, and serve piping hot.  If you want, you may add a little sesame oil just before shutting the heat off, to get a little zing!

Gilmore Girls

This has gotta be the all-time, most-loved television show of Vicky & Monique--Gilmore Girls.  I think they have seen all episodes, not just once, not twice, but probably four times over.  Lauren Graham stars as cooky & fun-loving single parent Lorelei Gilmore, who struggles to raise her intelligent and charming daughter Rory (played by Alexis Bledel) despite all odds.  Lots of laughter, tears, witty lines, puppy love, young love and female bonding; I understand that the series has already ended, but will forever live on in the hearts of Vicky & Monique.  As for me, I still find Lauren Graham super hot, and wouldn't mind giving her the role of Wonder Woman!  Whaddya think?

Horological Machines

James Dean was the Rebel in Hollywood.  MB&F is the Rebel in Watchdom.  I particularly like Horological Machine No. 3, as I understand it is designed to be worn on the right hand.  I have only seen a handful of watchmakers who take particular notice of those of us who do so.  Thank you, MB&F, for your avant-garde designs, but most especially, for taking time to consider the minority in your designs.  Absolutely marvelous!

Magrette

I think it's the cutest face in all of Watchdom; absolutely Polynesian in origin, and something you can't miss (I break into a smile whenever I see it)--it's quite unmistakable!  Magrette of New Zealand has some of the best carving I have seen on watches!  Their watches are quite sturdy and have the clean-cut elegance I admire.  Take a look and enjoy!

HK Chef

Vicky & Becca invited our foreign AIESEC visitors to have lunch in HK Chef, a Chinese restaurant along Diosdado Macapagal Highway in the reclaimed area of Pasay City.  The food came is surprisingly fast!  We had various cold cuts, prawns in fruit salad, fried chicken, spicy spared ribs, crunchy squid, steamed Lapu-Lapu in garlic, pancit canton, and salted fish fried rice.  Food was delicious, reminds me so much of the food served at the row of panciterias along T. Pinpin St. in Chinatown (that includes Rice Bowl, San Jacinto, Antigua, among others).  Andi was specially happy with the food as she was all smiles throughout the meal.  Once we finished, Anthony took the guests to the neighboring arts & handicraft store, and the kids had fun taking pictures.  Absolutely a great find at approximately P400 per head!

Josephine's

Vicky and Becca took our visitors to Josephine's Tagaytay, a long-time favorite of ours for out-of-town Filipino food.  I understand from Kong that Josephine's has been operating since the late fifties, starting in Cavite City where they served fresh oysters and seafood.  The group used to have restaurants in the Makati Commercial Center and along Roxas Boulevard, but I these have already shut down.  I understand that they now have 2 restaurants, one in Kawit and the second one in Tagaytay, which has one of the best views of Taal Volcano (this inner volcano is the smallest volcanoes in the world, and is actually a volcano within a volcano, the lake being the original crater of the Taal Volcano...imagine that!).  The restaurant is known for its weekend buffet spread (both breakfast and lunch), which is very reasonable at P500 per head.  The place is usually packed!

Buenisimo

Went for lunch today with Anita, Kong & Gwammy to Eastwood at the Buenisimo, the Spanish-Italian restaurant operated by the children of Chef Gene Gonzalez of Cafe Ysabel fame.  Our special guest this lunch was Uncle Emong and his family--this the regular quarterly gathering of the two friends from UP Engineering Class of '49.  Imagine that, 62 years of friendship, and still going strong!

The word "buenisimo" is the superlative of "bueno" or "good!"  Yes, the restaurant has been graded by Chaine des Rotisseurs, one of the few in Manila that claim the distinction.  We started off with salad greens, and had several Spanish dishes to share--callos, paella, lamb stew, Angus hanger steak, lengua, salmon steak and grilled lapu-lapu.  The paella was tasty and served piping hot, although I would have preferred an extra 5 minutes on-heat to get more tutung (crispy burnt rice at the bottom of the pan).  I liked their callos, tasty, with a thick sauce and my only comment is that it would probably take 2 servings to satisfy my  cravings!  As we concentrated on the Spanish entries in the menu, we were not able to try the Italian pastas, and we probably will do that next trip.  All in all, the restaurant is very reasonable for an average spend of P600-P700 per head.

Arizona Green Tea

Vicky brought home a refreshing bottle of Arizona green tea brewed in New York.  This is a pretty interesting product; I understand that this is the top-selling bottled green tea in the United States and is endorsed by Arnold Palmer, the golfing legend himself.  Now I imagined Arizona to be the setting for many a cowboy western tale, but interestingly enough, the bottle packaging is very oriental, Japanese to be exact!  Yes, fittingly so, as green tea is essentially a Japanese concoction!  This green tea is made with ginseng and honey (Sue Bee, nothing less!) but contains only 5 calories.  Light on the palate, thirst quenching--try it!

The Last Dictator

Hurray for freedom-loving people everywhere!  As of this writing, the fall of Libyan dictator Moamar Gaddafi is quite imminent, although the rebels have not yet identified his actual location.  His 42-year old leadership has been characterized as the longest running dictatorship--hopefully Libya will rise from the ashes of this long fought civil war.  Will he flee to Venezuela?  To Cuba?  Will he fight to the death? Or commit suicide?  Let's see how this one turns out...

Be Resort

Here's a Mactan resort that I failed to write about.  I was thumbing through the pictures in my SD flash card, and I realized that I had forgotten to write about this resort, which I visited during my last trip to Punta Engano in Mactan Island.  Be Resort  is a 160-room resort right beside the Abaca Resort. While Abaca is serene, quiet and geared towards honeymooners, this resort is family oriented (they have large rooms) with plenty of verandahs and open space for group and family bonding.  As you can see in the inset photo, the pool is right beside the beach.  The architectural style is very much modern, and the colors used for the interior finishes are vibrant oranges and lime greens!  When I toured the place, I noticed that the resort was quite busy, and this probably means that tourism is on the rise! Rate wise, the hotel is not as expensive as the Abaca, the Shangri-la and the Imperial, and I was told that the large room could be given at the rate of P5,000 per night, inclusive of breakfast.  Reasonable enough!

Eastwood Tiangge

Enjoyed an easy stroll at the Eastwood Mall, and Vicky found a tiangge stall that sold delicious chocolate oatmeal cookies, nicely labelled Nut So Sweet!  The cookies had just the right crunch and was really filled with oatmeal.  The chocolate taste was a bit light, just enough to differentiate the cookie from the plain oatmeal cookie.  If I remember correctly it was P135 for a dozen pieces.  Nice for that quick and healthy snack.  We also came across a sarsaparilla drink called Bundaberg, that is made in Australia.  I'm a true fan of sarsaparilla-based drinks (along with Vicky's mom) and while everyone else complains of the medicine-like flavor, I think that the taste is really neat!  Bundaberg comes in as a thick beverage (texture is like malt beer), and has distinct ginger and licorice as side flavors.  Pours with a nice long-lasting froth too.  P60 a bottle--I enjoyed it super cold!

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The Palms Country Club

Took a long drive out of town last Friday to see some real estate property near Manila Southwoods and Sherwood Hills.  We stopped over to have a late lunch The Palms Country Club in Alabang, where my friend is a member.  Developed by the Filinvest Group, this club is a restful oasis in the south, and our buffet lunch at the Cafe Asiana was a great treat.  The theme of the day was "Seafoods!" and we had a variety of squid, mussel, fish & shrimp dishes--pasta, grilled, baked, thermidor, breaded and au gratin.  And to make the meal a truly memorable one, we finished it off with special desserts--breaded pudding (apparently this is the specialty of the house) and Arce Ice Cream (still made of carabao milk).  We had a  scoop of the old favorite Mantecado (butter) flavor and another scoop of our new discovery--blueberry flavor!  Both we quite yummy and I must say that I probably ate more than my fair share!

Happy Bakery

I had to attend to some matters at the Metrobank Trust Department, and I found myself having lunch at the Food & Art Gallery at the 12th Floor of GT International Tower along Ayala Avenue.  Upon entering the food court, I quickly learned that a free umbrella would be given to those who spend P300 in a single receipt, and since food court lunches averaged at P100 each, I knew wouldn't be able to eat 3 of these in one sitting.  Lucky for me, I chanced upon Happy Bakery, and I was eager to have their piping hot Squash & Broccoli soup and their Tuna bread for lunch.  Since this was a bakery, I was also able to accumulate take-home breads and pastries in order to make the P300 cut-off for my free umbrella!  I got some egg pie, pineapple pie, coffee bread, kababayan, strawberry twirl, pan de coco, and cheese bread.  Yes, typical goodies from your neighborhood panaderia and yes, food from my childhood!  Vicky and Monique enjoyed the goodies when we got home, and I pointed out to Monique how Happy Bakery was able to upgrade the taste and presentation of these inexpensive bakery items.

CBD

The people behind Tender Bob's steakhouse have done a great job in putting up a burger shop.  Called CBD (Cheesesteaks, Burgers & Drinks), the restaurant's name is a pun on its A1 location right at the gardens of the Ayala Triangle, behind Ayala Tower 1, right smack in the center of Makati's Central Business District.  Monique, Ken and I were there yesterday for lunch, and we were lucky enough to encounter their 2+1 promo (only until the end of August 2011), in which we were able to get a free burger from the purchase of 2 burgers--in short, the 3 of us ate for the price of 2!  We got a double patty cheeseburger each and  we were not disappointed--juicy, nicely grilled with complete garnishing!  The Angus beef patties were flavorful and carried a fantastic buttery aroma (I had to add a little salt though).  Monique especially liked their Shake & Bake treat--milkshake with a little cake blended into a full-froth delight!  The restaurant is open daily, and is easily accessible via the Sebastian Ugarte parking lot on the Makati Avenue side.  Around a P400 spend for a burger or cheesesteak meal, and that will really leave you breathless--hehe, as is super busog!

Pan Dulce

There's an inexpensive bread shop at the ground floor of the Excelsior Building in the Eastwood City Complex that we tried last Saturday afternoon.  Pan Dulce not only has a wide variety of breads, tarts & pastries, but also has a pasta counter--different noodles and meats to combine with a range of sauces and toppings.  The literal English translation of the term is "Sweet Bread," and this usually refers to the conchas that Mexican bakeries invented.   Reasonably priced at an average of P40 per head for a snack and P150 per head for a meal; I particularly liked their chocolate muffin, which had a semi-crunchy crust and moist interior.  While we were there, Vicky decided to stay at the outdoor patio, and Monique and I spent some time taking pictures of the street scenery.  Nice!

The Real Thing Diner

It seems that Coca-Cola has remained the most recognized brand in the world for a good solid 30 years now.  The beverage has several versions--Regular Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Light, Coke Zero, Cherry Coke, Vanilla Coke--and is available practically everywhere!  In Il Terrazzo mall along Tomas Morato in Quezon City, you will find a restaurant devoted to the soft drink, aptly named "The Real Thing Diner."  This restaurant not only serves Coke, but also uses the beverage as an ingredient for the food.  Vicky, Monique & I tried the burgers and the spinach walnut fetuccini last Saturday lunch; we could distinctly taste the soft-drinks used in the food.  The place has a wall devoted to various Coke memorabilia, and I understand from the staff that from time to time, they schedule memorabilia trading days, which are well-attended by avid collectors.  I learned from a Magic 89.9 FM radio plug, that the harpist Noelle Cassandra, is a part-owner of this restaurant, and we noted that her CDs were prominently displayed at the counter.  Now that the other restaurants in the second floor of the mall have already closed down (this includes Bistro Napa and a Thai restaurant), the diner is the place to have a good Coca-Cola snack--and this I mean literally, as in Coca-Cola in your snack food!  Hehehe!  Spend is about P250 to P300 per head.  Bring a camera, as the background memorabilia would make interesting photos!

Philippine Plaza

The Philippine Plaza has always been the preferred hotel of Kong Kong and his golf quartet; we have wonderful memories of having Sunday family lunch at Pier 7 (I can distinctly remember drinking from the pewter goblets that they had).   The seaside hotel opened in 1974 as a Westin hotel; being the closest to the Philippine International Convention Center, it was the recognized darling amongst the many hotels that were built at that time to house the delegates of the International Monetary Fund conference that was held in Manila.  The hotel was thus marketed both a business hotel (right next door to PICC) and as a luxury resort--it was a smash hit with families, because of the carefree feel of the large outdoor pool.  I remember their fine dining restaurant, Abelardo's, as well as their coffee shop, Cafe Fiesta and I enjoyed dining there as much as I enjoyed partying in their Siete Picados bar & lounge.  Westin later on became part of the Starwood group, and I remember how the Starwood management decided to convert the hotel's several restaurants into Spiral--which now features the longest buffet in Manila.  The hotel is currently managed by the French luxury chain, Sofitel, and over the weekend, Vicky and I brought the AIESEC trainees there for a round of SMB Cerveza Negra at the poolside area.  The place certainly brings back a lot of good memories (Therese's baptism party, the choir of Mon singing Christmas songs at the lobby and well....prom night!), and I was glad to have a fast weekend round of drinks in a place that's practically second home.

Intramuros Musings

We took our AIESEC visitors to a tour of Intramuros, the Walled City of Manila, over the weekend.  As usual, the tour focused on the Manila Cathedral and Fort Santiago, which were outstanding places of interest.  Walking around the area with these eager young adults made me smile--after so many years of working in Manila, I must admit that I have rarely visited the place from the point of view of a tourist, or even as an student of history.  To me, Intramuros was either a workplace (Vicky worked there for a while and continues to visit her clients that hold office in the area) or a stop-over for the Maundy Thursday Visita Iglesia that my in-laws regularly hold.  The tour with my Chinese visitors last May was probably an eye-opener, but yesterday's visit got me in a more somber mood last night--little was actually budgeted to keep the Filipino heritage alive.  The old Central Bank building has been left as ruins, the marker commemorating the 400 years of the Mexico-Philippines Galleon Trade (1564-1964) was dirty, statues of Spanish kings were in various states of disarray, and the famous Intramuros wall itself was rented out to various computer shops, cafes and karaoke joints.  The only positive note was that I saw a huge signboard that mentioned something about a Japanese grant that would recreate the Pasig River boardwalk. Such a rich heritage that was not fully appreciated...and I was also guilty of exactly that!

Blaze

Vicky's Nissan has been acting up lately with regular octane 93 unleaded gasoline, and we've been loading the vehicle with octane 95 or 96 gasoline in order to minimize the engine knock.  I've been pretty frustrated because the instruction manual clearly states that the vehicle can load octane 92 and up, and the "trill" sound generated by the engine just drives me bananas.  Just last week, Vicky loaded the vehicle with Petron's 100 octane Blaze and voila...the engine knock has practically disappeared!  I understand that Blaze 100 has been loaded with premium additives that are supposed to clean the engine and preserve the catalyst, which is also why the price of this premium blend is much higher than regular gasoline.   In addition, ordinary gasoline from octane ratings 88 to 96 have been blended with 10% ethanol, while Blaze 100 has no ethanol, which is probably another reason why the product works better on engines with higher compression levels.

You're So Vain

You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf it was apricot
You had one eye in the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner, and....

You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you
You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you? Don't you?

You had me several years ago when I was still quite naive
Well you said that we made such a pretty pair
and that you would never leave

But you gave away the things you loved and one of them was me
I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee, clouds in my coffee and....

You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you.....
You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you? Don't you?

Well I hear you went up to Saratoga and your horse naturally won
Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun
Well, you're where you should be all of the time
And when you're not you're with
Some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend
Wife of a close friend, and....

Carly Simon's No. 1 hit in 1973 has always been the subject of intense debate.  She had just married James Taylor at that time--so which of her previous lovers did she refer to?  Kris Kristofferson?  Warren Beatty?  Mick Jagger?  Cat Stevens?  I had for several years believed it was James Taylor because James did fly to Nova Scotia.  This was my cousin Fernando's theory, which I have believed from 1974 till a few years ago when I was corrected by a friend who believed it was Warren Beatty.  She has publicly given 3 clues--the name has the letters "A,"  "E" and "R," which would eliminate Kris Kristofferson & Cat Stevens, and just leave Warren Beatty and Mick Jagger (who sang background vocals on the song).  What do you think?

New Water

I inspected a small Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) that I commissioned some years ago to check on the current operating efficiency and found that the plant was still in good working order--the tilapia that we placed in the fish tank at the end of the process was alive and kicking, which meant that the wastewater treatment was going well.  I remember asking several engineering companies from all over the world to take the project, and only one company from Singapore was bold enough to guarantee that the Biological Oxygen levels would meet local pollution standards.  After viewing a documentary on how the Singaporeans have reduced their dependence on Malaysia for their water supply, I quickly understood why the Singaporeans are very capable in water treatment.  Singapore currently relies of 4 water sources--imported water from Malaysia (40%), rainfall catchments (20%) which include the Marina Bay barrage catchment area, desalination (10%) and reclaimed or "New Water" (30%).  The term "New Water" is their term for potable water recycled from wastewater.  This is achieved by collecting city sewerage via the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS), a gravity-operated 48-kilometer tunnel that runs from 20 meters underground to 55 meter underground throughout the city-state.  Sludge is removed from the waste water and the waste water is aerated, and further treated to potable levels by reverse osmosis.  When the water treaty with Malaysia ends in 2061, Singapore plans on having total self-sufficiency by increasing catchments, desalination plants and New Water production.  A technological marvel, and lots of forward planning by the Public Utilities Board of Singapore--very impressive indeed!

Dutch Watches

I was browsing some boards on watches and I came across Gronefeld and Klaauw, two of the best Dutch watchmakers in the market.  I particularly like the GTM model of Gronefeld which looks masculine, yet very elegant (shown above), and the Planetarium model of Klaauw, which shows the planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn orbiting around the sun (shown below with a beautiful blue alligator strap).  I would imagine that these timepieces are very expensive, as they are designed with a lot of technical precision, are made in either rose gold or platinum, and require so many hours of manual production!  Now be careful there... it's nice to look at, nice to behold, but if you drop it, it's considered sold!

Burj Al Arab

I opened a bag of Deglet Noor dates this evening and as I munched on them, my thoughts turned to my three night stay at the Burj Al Arab, the 7-star hotel dubbed as the most luxurious hotel in the world.  At 321 meters, this is the tallest hotel at the moment, and to say that this is a "202 room property" is very much like an understatement--each room is actually a very impressive suite!  My room was the basic room, and that was 172 m2 in size!  Each time we would enter the lobby, we would instantly refresh ourselves with the cold hand towels, and after that, they would always offer us a tray of the best, most tender and succulent dates that I have tasted!  It was truly a delight to eat that I requested a whole plate be delivered to my room, and I munched on dates for the duration of my stay!  I have no idea if the these were Medjools, or Empress dates or Rotabs, but it was truly fit for a king!  The Jumeirah-managed hotel sits on reclaimed land in the middle of the sea, has fantastic views of Dubai, and was conceived to look like an Arab sailboat--a beautiful sight to behold!  Now, every time I munch on dates, I dream of the Burj Al Arab!

Chic-Boy

First time I saw the signage of this restaurant Chic-Boy, the pun made me smile. In the vernacular, "Chick Boy" usually connotes a teen-age playboy but it turns out that the restaurant's name is short for "Chicken Baboy"  meaning grilled chicken & pork dishes!  Together with the Callars, we got to their Otis branch around 6:30 pm just when the restaurant was starting to fill up.  A lady dining alone offered her table to us and volunteered to move, so we were able to fit into the ground floor dining area without the need for Mon to climb up the stairs with his walker (don't worry, he's getting along fine).  We all had chicken legs, and Vicky ordered some kangkong, sisig na bangus and crispy grilled pork.  The restaurant's main promo is eat-all-you-can rice, which was a hit with the teen-agers.  All in all, we got full at P150 per head!  Now ain't that a great way to fill 'er up?

Ramen Bar

Went to Eastwood City with Vicky & Monique; we decided to have a meal at the Ramen Bar.  Some months back, Monique & I had wanted to eat at this restaurant but the place was simply overflowing and we could not get a seat.  Luckily this time around, we were there around merienda time, and there were several tables to choose from.  Vicky ordered the Ramen Bar Special No. 1, their top-seller which was the recommendation of the waiter.  It arrived in a few minutes and did not disappoint!  Simply delicious and overflowing with flavor!  The noodles were cooked al dente, the soy-infused soup was very tasty, the various meats and vegetables added so much to the flavor.  We also had a miso-based ramen bowl, which was also flavorful and interestingly, even had corn kernels!  Our third ramen bowl was a lighter chicken soup with chicken karaage which I thought was much like ramen noodles from other Japanese eateries.  For side dishes, we tried their yakiniku beef and gyoza, which was a steal--6 yummy pieces for P150!  While Vicky likes the traditional Ramen styles (e.g. Shinjuku) because of the simpler tasting soups, I truly enjoy the rich soups of Ramen Bar, all oozing with a hodgepodge of flavor!  Try the place--it's around P500 per person.

Mr. Choi's Garden

It was a very heavy dinner that we had last Friday night; I was invited to attend a birthday celebration at Mr. Choi's Garden along Annapolis St. in the Greenhills area, and the Chinese lauriat was truly a feast!  We started off with several kinds of appetizers, including crunchy pork and cocktail shrimps, we had very delicious Peking duck (cooked two ways, skin pao and fried crunchy) and the biggest live lobster I have seen...it was absolutely humongous!  Take note that I am not joking--the lobster was around two feet long, and the antenna was another two feet and a half feet!  We also had scallops cooked with chicken & mushrooms, and a very tasty fish dish (unfortunately I forget the name of the fish).  I understand that the owners of Mr. Choi's Garden were part owners of the Gloriamaris Restaurant some years back, and that after parting ways with their other partners, they decided to come up with their own restaurant at the space vacated by Country Waffles (which lost money and closed shop).  The interior design of the place is pretty unique for a Manila-based Chinese restaurant, the yellow lights are slightly subdued and the motif is primarily red with undertones of black.  Although this restaurant is not as fancy, I found myself reminded of the interior design of the Buddha Bar in Dubai (I understand that this world famous restaurant is coming to Manila along Kalayaan Avenue, and that will surely be the subject of another blog item).  Excellent Cantonese food; make sure you are prepared to pay top-end prices though, approximately P2,000 per head at the least.

White Berry Frozen Yoghurt

Had a meeting with some partners at the RCBC Plaza at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Buendia in Makati.  While I've been to the building before, I never knew that they had a food complex at the lower levels.  We found this quiet yoghurt store called White Berry--the frozen yoghurt was quite good, just enough tartness, without going over.  The mixture was served at the right temperature, it was firm for a good 15 minutes and started to liquefy very slowly at the edges, as frozen yoghurt is supposed to.  I usually take my frozen yoghurt in plain tart; I saw that they had various kinds of toppings and a couple of other yoghurt berry flavors, and I would imagine that these products would cater to the younger kids.

Must Be Mom's

Vicky was gifted with a box of cheese rolls from Must be Mom's, a popular bakeshop with branches in SM Malls, the Alabang Town Center, Greenhills & Landmark Makati.  I must say that I've seen their shops several times but I have not tasted their products until today.  I liked the cheese roll!  It was soft and tasty; the creamy topping was light and provided just the right zing to the product.  Individually packed, the cheese rolls were of just the right size--enough for a fast breakfast treat, not too heavy on the tummy.  The box was pretty attractive, and would make a great Christmas giveaway.  I'll check out their other baked breads the next time I come around to one of their shops.

Family Tragedy

My second cousin Archie, a Dumaguete-based lawyer, died yesterday afternoon of three gunshot wounds to the chest.  He was shot in cold blood at his office by an unknown gunman; we still unclear and unaware of the circumstances surrounding the matter.  Mikaela brought his Manila-based daughter to the airport this morning and we all pray that the family has enough strength to weather this crisis.  I first met Archie in college, when he walked up to me during ROTC class to introduce himself.  We were together in the Honor Guard and for two training years, spent a lot of time together marching around campus with our Garand rifles and gala uniforms.  I understand that he later joined the Scout Rangers and thereafter passed the bar exam.  Our prayers reach out to his family at this very difficult time.

Cranberries

I am such a fan of cranberries!  I usually buy dried cranberries packed by Heritage or Sun Maid and munch on the berry for my second round of dessert, a special good-night treat to myself just for the sheer pleasure of that tart flavor!  I used to drink gallons and gallons of cranberry juice but when I learned that the commonly marketed brands were only made of 10% juice, I had to shy away from all that artificial flavoring and sugar.  Well, I still purchase Ocean Spray cranberry juice on occasion, and I love the taste thereof--except for the diet version of their cranberry juice, which tastes horrible (sorry, I dislike the taste of all these sugar substitutes like Equal and Splenda).  I understand that cranberries are very helpful in controlling urinary tract infections (UTI) by lining the kidney with a substance called proanthocyanidins.  This substance makes the urinary tract very slippery so that bacteria cannot cling onto the lining, and as such, the proliferation & accumulation of bacteria to colony proportions is prevented.  Great munch stuff while watching DVDs!

Chimara

Vicky brought home 2 paper bags of tasty white cheddar popcorn from Chimara, a neo-vegan restaurant run by Taters, which is popularly known to be the "munch stands" at the mall moviehouses.  I usually see orange-colored cheese popcorn, and I understand that the yellow-orange hue is actually derived from food coloring.  Chimara promises "nude" food, which means that the food has been prepared as simple as possible, stripped of preservatives, coloring and artificial ingredients.  Check it out at  P100/bag.

AIESEC

Vicky's nephew Bryan was able to spend 6 weeks in Malaysia courtesy of AIESEC, the world's largest organization completely run by college students.  To reciprocate, Casa Ermita is now hosting 3 exchange students--a boy from Germany, a young lady from Austria and a girl from Beijing.  These kids will be working for Gawad Kalinga, a local charity group that builds houses for indigents.  Quite polite, easy-going and responsible, these students will be exposed to and will interact with third world conditions and will spend some time and effort to make a difference.  I understand that the Austrian lady is studying communication arts, while the much younger Chinese girl is going for a degree in computer science.  I hope that the experience of student exchange will broaden cross-cultural understanding and on a personal level, will be a solid foundation for close international friendships for these guests, Bryan, his siblings and his cousins.

Nihon Bashitei

Went to have dinner with the family in Nihon Bashitei, located at the corner of Pasay Road and Amorsolo St. in Makati.  I understand that this used to be the spot where Rack's was situated years ago, the place is now a two-storey Japanese restarant.  The food is quite good, quite appealing to my taste buds.  Not much on the ambience, though--the interiors and white lighting come across as a no-nonsense eating place. We had an assortment of sashimi, grilled squid, beef teppanyaki, udon, reba nira (liver with kutchay), clams, eel and chicken teriyaki.  We had a function room all to ourselves, and the service was excellent.  Within 10 minutes of ordering, our food started to come in, and was completely served in a span of another 15 minutes.  Being a Sunday night, I had initialy expected the place to be half empty, but the continuous stream of cars driving into the restaurant's small car park signalled that we could expect a full house; Vicky simply beamed at her quick-witted idea of making a reservation.  With a small parking lot, I appreciated the fact that the restaurant had valet attendants to facilitate the arrival & departure process.  We also noticed that several Japanese tourists and expats ate at the restaurant, which brings me to the conclusion that the food must have some authenticity to it (I saw a Japanese chef at the sushi counter).  At approximately P700 per person, we had a feast!