Epilogue

Hi All,

It seems that I have reached my photo limit on this blog.  I am happy to connect you to the continuing chronicles of Rich St. Deli in RSD Chaper 2, which I will use from hereon.

I hope you enjoy!


RR

Kit Kat Green Tea

My friend arrived from Sapporo and she gifted me with a unique treat from Nestle.  One usually associates Kit Kat with chocolates, but in this case, I didn't even sense the chocolate flavor in the coating.  The wafer coating is green tea paste, quite unique in taste and texture (I found it a little grainy, which was exciting to the tongue).  And yes, to balance it all, the inside has a thin chocolate filling for the chocolate purist.  I understand that Kit-Kat was originally produced by Rowntree (England) in 1912 and the brand was essentially a chocolate coated crisp wafer.  In 1970, Hershey acquired the rights to produce the candy bar in the United States.  What is unique about the product is that since Nestle acquired Rowntree in 1988, the whole world knows that Kit-Kat is produced by Nestle, but in the United States, the brand is produced by its competitor.  Nestle has experimented with a lot of flavors like orange, peanut butter, white chocolate and hazelnut (usually labelled as limited or special editions), and this has done much to generate continued excitement in the confectionery market.  I lIke it!  Have a break, have a Kit-Kat!

Expendables 2

*photo from imdb.com

I enjoyed watching Expendables 2, featuring the ensemble cast of several hit-makers--Sly Stallone, Jason Statham, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Bruce Willias and Arnold Shwarzenegger.  The plot isn't much, one watches these movies to get a break from it all and enjoy wham-bang no-brainer action scenes.  Truly, the overused movie phrases of these actors were punned to death!  Well, in spite of it all, the same lines were still funny for me, hahaha... take this from someone who diligently watched their movies over the past 35 years.  On a positive note, I think the gem in the rough is Nan Yu, a Beijing actress whose character becomes the first female in Stallone's team.  I like her nonchalant air amidst all the stars around her, both in-character, and, it seems, off-character as an actress.  She doesn't come across as a stunning beauty, but I find her very charming and, as an added feature, she can kick butt like the rest of the action stars!  Yup, my kind of lady!

America

It was by some twist of fate that our stay at the Waterfront Hotel coincided with the performance night of Amercia, one of our favorite folk-rock bands of the early seventies.  Apparently, the band, composed of Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, is a big hit on the nostalgia circuit, and they informed the audience that they do some 140 shows every year!  This is their 3rd time around in the Philippines, and the concert hall at the Waterfront Hotel was jam-packed, with an estimated 5,000 people in attendance.  The front act was the Hawaiian group Kalapana, and because we got in a bit late, we only heard them perform their last song "The Hurt," which was one of their bigger hits.  After a brief intermission, America quickly came onstage and in quick succession, performed some of their big hits including "Ventura Highway," "Tin Man," "Don't Cross the River," "I Need You," "Daisy Jane," "You Can Do Magic," "Muskrat Love," "Sister-Golden Hair."  They even had "California Dreaming" in their repertoire, apparently in reference to several collaboration shows with the Mamas and the Papas.  The audience, including myself, couldn't help singing along and clapping to the beat. Of course, the finale was "A Horse with No Name" one of their biggest hits.  As they introduced the song, they told us that the most asked question of them is that if they every got to give the horse a name!  Yup, one nostalgic night, with plenty of memories in the background...

Waterfront Cebu Hotel

We were booked at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, and my room, shown above, was a simple yet elegant suite at the casino block.  This hotel is a huge one, with around 550 rooms, a casino and a convention center all in one location.  I understand that the location used to be the site of the Lahug airport, which serviced Cebu City while the Mactan airport was still on the drawing board.  The room was priced at around P8,500 per night, and my booking agent was already able to get a discount at that.

We asked for a tour of the different suites and were lucky to be shown the Presidential Suite--finely done with intricate Filipiniana decor.  Quite spacious, I estimated that the suite was around 250 m2 in area.

The executive lounge was on the 18th floor, and was just right for small gatherings and business meetings.

The tour guide also took us to one of the older suites, which had a different feel compared to the renovated rooms (done maybe 3-4 years ago).

We were also shown the reception area for the tour groups--wide and spacious, right as you get off from the bus drop-off area.

Shamrock

It seems that no visit to Cebu is complete without buying some local delicacies, and this time, we were taken by our guide to Shamrock, right along the Fuente Osmena Circle in the heart of the city.  The bakery is famous for their otap, which is a crunchy puff wafer biscuit that is sprinkled with sugar and sometimes cinnamon.  While the first few bites are delicious, you have to take the biscuit with some liquids, otherwise you wind up choking on a dry throat.  Packs of otap are available at less than P100, which are reasonable for pasalubong (gifts given to people who receive and assist weary travelers).  The bakery also makes other sweet biscuits, like rosquillos (flattened donut-shaped butter biscuits), ladyfingers, barquillos (rolled butter crunchies and shaped like cigars), galletas de patatas and hojaldres (which is also like an otap).  I was a bit worried about my luggage weight, so I only purchased a couple of packs, but my friends bought boxes of goodies to take home!

Imperial Palace

Our first stop on our tour in Mactan was the Imperial Palace Resort, a wonderful five star resort with around 550 rooms and villas.  I understand that this was built as a time-share around 7 years ago by some Korean entrepreneurs, and the concept was expanded to include a water park, some villas and a spa.  I also understand the project was partly funded by the Land Bank of the Philippines, and that the hotel is now owned by some Cebuano businessmen.  The hotel was bustling with activity when we arrived, and I noticed that a good 70% of their target market were Koreans on family vacation.  I would suppose that since Cebu is a mere 5 hour plane ride from Korea, the resort is sold as the ideal long weekend getaway--a boon for Philippine tourism!

Facilities are top notch.  Dining at the resort will probably go for around P1,600 per head on the average.  We were informed that room rates would be placed around P10,000 per night on the average (a bit above US$200). 

The main attraction for the kids is the Water Park, which has a river-like feature that runs around the complex.  Water slides are another favorite, and the water park also has a feature that injects man-made waves in the swimming pool.  I understand that the resort also has a day-rate, which includes swimming and lunch for around P3,500 per person.

The beach area isn't anything spectacular.  It's not a true beach, but you can see in the picture below that they have a stairway gently sloping into the water.  The water is very clean, no jellyfish or stones, and I could see that the water was waist deep for around 30 meters into the sea, which is good for swimming and snorkeling.

The villas are very near the beach and are popular for bigger families.  I like the relaxed and private atmosphere the villas project.  A good place to bring the family--I was hoping that Vicky and Monique would approve my vacation plan, but since they are not beach people, it doesn't seem plausible for the summer of 2013.... 

Mister Donut

My ocular inspection trip to Cebu with some bankers started off with with an early morning PAL flight, and I just had to get some brekky at the NAIA 2.  It was a good thing that Mister Donut has a counter right within the pre-departure area, and I was able to try some of their new offerings--the Chunky Bavarians.  I had the mango bavarian, and while the dough was soft and the filling was filled with mango bits (not chunks, bits), I found the donut to be on the sweet side.  They also had chunky chocolate and chunky choco-peanuts, and I would surmise that the sweetness level would be the same.  Inexpensive at P20 each.

Kowloon House

Kowloon House has been a long time favorite of the family for fast and simple Chinese cuisine since the late seventies.  The restaurant's branch along West Avenue was the regular venue of choice for birthday celebrations and graduation parties.  Operated by the Ng family, the restaurant was sister to Aberdeen Court and Imperial Jade, and was the forerunner of inexpensive family-style lauriat set meals, which set a given price for certain food combinations for a table of 10 to 12 persons.  I haven't been to Kowloon House for some ten years now, and as I was about to visit the 9th Hi-Fi Exposition at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati, I parked at Park Square I car park, right where the Kowloon House dimsum counter is located.  My mouth started to water!  Their siopao was something that Vicky and I would eat late at night or early in the morning (this store used to operate 24/7) after a long night out of partying & clubbing.  I just had to go back--not bad at all, prices have been kept to reasonable levels, 2 pork asado siopaos cost me P60!  The buns were steamed well, and the asado flavoring was still based on the same old recipe that we had gotten used to.  Yes, here's a toast to good memories...

Steve & Eydie

*photo from kids.eb.com

Someone played a cruel joke on me and told me that Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme had filed for divorce--I was a bit shocked and very sad!  My notion of true love was dissipated when one of the pillars cracked and fell apart.  I got hooked with their music in the mid-seventies when Gwammy's older brother and my uncle Jay introduced them to me, Steve had "Poinciana" while Eydie had "Blame It On the Bossanova," among others.  Luckily it turns out that the rumor is not true, and that one of the most enduring showbiz couples is still very much together!  The  two have been very successful with their respective solo singing careers, and the husband and wife team gained even more international success doing concert tours together.  I guess the ugly rumor started a few years ago when Eydie announced that, due to health reasons, she was retiring from active concert duty, leaving Steve to tour by himself.  While the song "The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" is usually attributed to Gladys Knight and the Pips, I will always think of Steve's version as the gold standard.  If you will note, at the very last line, he sings the song especially for his wife, and he says "Eydie, you are the best thing that's every happened to me!"  It's truly one of the sweetest tributes in recording history.

Subaru XV

More Sunday window-shopping for Monique.  As I got to the Subaru dealer, my eyes feasted on the Subaru XV, a 5-seater SUV.  Slightly more compact than the Forester, I was completely amazed at the sporty look that this vehicle had.  It is so cute!  Subaru is known for all time 4-wheel drive, and as a general rule, this probably gives their vehicles better handling and road traction.  Leg room and head room, however was a bit more cramped than the typical 5-seater, and I could hear Monique's voice in my head opposing the purchase!  With a sticker price of P1.4 million for the base model, I wouldn't be able to argue with her--this time function wins over form!

Mazda CX-9

I spent Sunday morning looking for more alternatives for Monique's vehicle, and I went to the Mazda showroom in Greenhills to see their SUVs.  I was surprised to find out that the CX-5 had already taken over from the CX-7 as the Mazda candidate in the small SUV segment and was doubly disappointed to learn that that CX-5 was limited to a seating capacity of 5 persons.  My attention turned to the CX-9, which was in the medium-size SUV segment as this vehicle clearly seats 7 people.  My experience with Mazda has been quite mixed--we all loved the peppy driving feel of the Mazda Familia which Vicky's parents had in the mid-nineties, but we also balked at the gasoline consumption which was going at around 5 kilometers per liter.  I was told that the new Sky-Active technology of Mazda keeps the petrol consumption of these new vehicles at a miser's pace, and I sure hope that statement is an accurate one.  The CX-9 has long been on my watchlist--it's got beautiful lines & fluid design, and the 3.7 liter engine gives you the driving power you need.  While I frowned at the P2.1 million sticker price for the 4x2 model, I was told that special early bird discounts would be available if I made my buying decision soon.  Hmmm..... I'm almost tempted! 

Tsoko.Nut

I found myself in between meetings at the RCBC Plaza at the corner of Ayala and Buendia, so I had time to roam the 3rd floor food court.  Luckily, I came across Tsoko.Nut and my mouth began to crave for some old-style tableya chocolate drink.  These days, most hot chocolate drinks come from powder in a can, and I was happy that Tsoko.Nut still prepares hot chocolate from cacao tablets.  I first tried this store at the SM Makati, and I was delighted to find a branch at the RCBC Plaza.  The chocolate arrived piping hot, and the aroma was very evident.  It was quite delicious.

I ordered the large mug, which was priced at P89.  I didn't have the appetite for snacks; gauging from the menu, several Filipino style pasta dishes and other pan de sal snacks were quickly available.  I like the cozy, homey, woody ambiance of the shoppe, it wasn't crowded like the typical commercial coffee shops, and the service was very fast.

Auntie Anne's

We went around the Greenbelt 1 Mall with Kong, Gwammy and Pipangga, and Gwammy just couldn't resist stopping by Auntie Anne's store for some hand-rolled soft pretzels.  I think she bought the cinnamon flavored ones (around P50 each), and we had a fun time finishing off her stash!  While I usually pick doughnuts over pretzels, this time it was just too hard to resist--I just love cinnamon!

Tropicana Coco Quench

I've tried a few coconut juice products in tetra brik, and I think that Tropicana Coco Quench is one of the better-tasting brands in the market.  I didn't find any lingering taste of preservatives, although I understand that the product uses sodium bisulfate.  I don't know what process was used to keep the juice in aseptic conditions; I wonder about it, because pasteurization and filtration sometimes affect the taste of the juice.  I found a one-liter pack in 7-11, and it cost around P80.  The product was brought to market by Pespi-Cola Philippines, and given their massive marketing reach, I am sure this product will be available all over the world, and that the only restraint on production will be the volume of available coconuts to break open!

Tawilis in Oil by Pontefino

Tawilis in oil on the right, bagoong alamang on the left

Pontefino Hotel in Batangas makes some very delicious deli treats.  Vicky was lucky to have been given some of these, and we tried their Tawilis in Oil (much like the regular salt water sardines in oil, but this time using the tawilis fish instead).  This fish is the only freshwater sardine, and exists only in Taal Lake, right at the doorstep of Pontefino Hotel--which is why they have pioneered in the bottling thereof, Spanish style.  Absolutely delightful!  The fish is softer that regular sardines, and the taste is exactly what I look for!  Aside from bottled tawilis, the deli also has bottled bagoong alamang, which is shrimp paste (using teeny weeny shrimplets), usually fermented then cooked in lots of garlic and pork bits.

Skyfall

* photo courtesy of forbes.com

It's a painful Bond movie to watch.  More mental that visual, I would suppose.  The theatrics of a Bond film are there, albeit subtler; you hardly see the elements of the gaudier Bond films of yesteryear.  Bond is back, but this time he makes mistakes.  M, his boss, makes a lousy battlefield call.  An inexperienced field agent is asked to fulfill the role of a trained sniper and fails miserably.  A good agent turns, and the outpouring of revenge makes him the worst enemy.  Bond drowns himself in alcohol, and when he comes back into action, he is so unfit for the job--his shooting hand twitches uncontrollably.  He can't get anything right.  His quartermaster has no respect for him.  The oversight committee chairman wants M's retirement, and Bond is a certified dinosaur in the cyber age.  His inherited estate even gets sold on auction; what else could go wrong?  As we learn more about Bond's childhood, his trophy of previous glory (the Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5) even gets crushed by the opposition.  Using his skills and the basest of weapons in his dwindling arsenal, he tenaciously bounces back, only to lay M to rest.  I could go on and on, but up to the end of the film, I felt a heavy burden on my chest.  It's a mature Bond film no doubt, and to get to that point, the acting is superb--kudos to Dame Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes and Daniel Craig.  My only sigh is that by making the franchise too realistic, the fun of watching "the whole new world" of Bond is suddenly gone.  No more megalomaniacs out to rule the world with frighteningly crass cliches, no more femme fatales with almost twisted names, no more cute gadgets, no more witty repartee, no more massive invasion teams landing at the shores of the madman's castle.  The stunts, the chases, the explosions are still there.  However, everything is muted, realistic, even frightening--a statement that mankind will still need heroes, even if heroes are no longer needed by men.

Nic's

After Cerchio, Monique and I decided to go on a binge to satisfy our sweet teeth, probably also to salvage the dining experience for the night.  I had been very curious about Nic's Gourmet Desserts along A. Mabini St. in Mandaluyong, and I thought that this was the perfect time to try the place.  Yes, Bingo!  We were not mistaken.  We arrived almost 9pm, and the place was still open.  Nice interior colors, very neat and delightful to behold, practically eye-candy.

Since it was almost closing time, we were lucky that some items were on special discount--food for the god, cheese rolls and ensaymada were going at half price (this is a popular way for bakeries to ensure that inventory is always fresh).  The Red Velvet cake looked good and tasted good as well.  The Walnut cluster was absolutely stunning!  Monique loved this and I thought that the quality of the pie was already up to par with international standards.  I suddenly remembered that delicious walnut pie that I tasted in a country club in Melbourne (I forget which one), and I could swear that this walnut pie was right there, on par, if not better.  It so happened that Rina Go, the owner of the place, dropped by and we engaged in light exchange--I must congratulate her for bringing gourmet desserts to town; it used to be that one would have to go abroad to enjoy delectable desserts of this caliber.

We also picked up some deli items--parmesan spread, tomato basil dip, salmon spread (Kraft used to have this, but now it's no longer available locally) and wheat crisps.  For our dessert  (excluding the deli items), we spent something like P250 each.  The store is open till around 10pm, and this is the view of the store from the street (you can't miss it, A. Mabini is a one-way street coming from Shaw Boulevard to Wilson Street; the store is on the right side).