Hungry Hippo

I first encountered this burger joint many years ago in the early nineties, and if I'm not mistaken one of their first branches that became well-known was along either the North Diversion Road or somewhere on South Super Highway (that was the time before the bureaucrats coined the abbreviated "NLEX" and "SLEX").  I can remember that there was usually a long line of customers waiting to get their hamburgers, but the aroma flowing out of the restaurant was very inviting that people didn't mind the long wait.  A few years back, I had several opportunities to eat at their branch located at the Shell Building along Valero St. in Salcedo Village, but to my dismay, that branch closed sometime 2008.  Today I had a meeting at the RCBC Plaza along Buendia Avenue in Makati, and to my pleasant surprise, I was able to visit Hungry Hippo again!  Their burgers are a bit more expensive now (basic burgers start at P85), but the smell and taste are still as I can remember. Soft buns, with lettuce and tomatoes, freshly cooked, hot off the pan!  They also have a variety of other sandwiches--tuna, corned beef, club sandwiches that it seems that they have already evolved into a snack bar, great for a hungry hippo just like me!

Manila Pen

Had a fast business meeting at the lobby of the Manila Peninsula today.  I was a bit early and found myself gazing at the sun sculpture adorning the ceiling.  Was it a Castrillo?  I don't recall now.  But I do recall the numerous fun visits to this hotel, and the hours spent meeting business associates in this very lobby.  It's been 37 years since this hotel opened, in time for the 1974 conference of the International Monetary Fund, and I can still recall the first few times that I stepped into the lobby--I felt a sense of grandeur.  The coffee shop was originally a Swiss Chalet, at one point the management called it the Neilsen Cafe (in honor of the Neilsen Airport Tower across the road), and now it is known as Escolta, aptly named for its Filipino sense of style.  In the seventies and eighties, the lobby area was the place to see and be seen--airy, bright, and welcoming.  Today's delight was the hot chocolate I enjoyed--thick, very delicious, although a tad sweet.  Nice to pair up with a little reminiscing...

Dexter's Pizza

Vicky's cousins just inaugurated a franchise of Dexter's Pizza very near the Makati City Hall.  We were fortunate to taste their pizza creations over the weekend--4 cheese, ham & mushroom, shawarma & all-meat versions.  The dough is somewhere in the middle of thin and thick, and is quite filling.  Around 8 years ago, we would buy from the Dexter's Pizza branch along Vito Cruz Extension in Makati, but that branch closed after a couple of years.  Thinking that the brand had died a natural death, it was a pleasant surprise to know that the company still has a few outlets operating in the Metro.  Prices are very affordable--ranging from P100 for the smaller pizzas to P250 for the larger ones.

Ferrero Rocher

 

The chocolate stash of Vicky is fast depleting!  Miguel opened a box of Ferrero chocolate balls yesterday, and the whole box was gone in 30 minutes...  It was our first time to try the coconut variety (shown on the right with the silver wrapper), and both Vicky & I were pleasantly surprised at the taste and texture.  This Italian creation is such a wonderful midnight treat!  Interestingly, in the corporate world, the Ferrero group is known to be very secretive of its hazelnut recipes (the company also manufactures Nutella, the spreadable hazelnut creme filling).  Like a lot of European chocolatiers, the company, which opened in the post-war years, is still run by family members.

Bee Cheng Hiang

Bee Cheng Hiang has been a favorite of ours for some time now.  In the early eighties, we had to buy their BBQ pork squares in Hong Kong, and hand carry the precious cargo back to Manila--it was always a challenge to sneak the stuff past customs.  Nowadays, with a few stores in Manila, we've been able to buy the pork squares at will.  However, Vicky says that the BBQ squares in Singapore taste even better than the ones locally produced, and during their last trip to the city-state a few months, bought several kilos which we keep in deep freeze.  It seems that slowly, the stash is fading away--after munching on a few squares today, we are down to 2 BBQ squares left.  Oh no--this gives me withdrawal symptoms already--this is such a addicting snack!

Monopoly

Monique had spotted a classic Monopoly game board set at the Eastwood Mall--this version is a throwback to the early years of the game, a set encased in wood, with streets and and equipment made to look like the game set issued in the 1930s.  An instant game favorite of the kids, this game can be traced to 1904, created as a teaching aid to students of economics.  Parker Brothers, a subsidiary of the Hasbro toy company, manufactures the game (well, that make Hasbro the owner of the 3 of the most recommended parlor game sets: Life, Monopoly and Pictionary).  Without a second thought, we picked up a set, and we're scheduled to play our inaugural game over the next few weekends when a family quorum can be mustered.  I think that the game is so familiar, and is probably the most popular of the commercial board games.  The picture shown above is a redesigned concept of the board game box that I found on the web, and I must say is a work of art--a very refreshing concept work indeed!

Mann Hann

More on our Friday Jang-Jang (an wandering adventure the purpose of which is not to do anything in particular, but to do something together).  From Kimpura, Kong, Gwam & I went to look at furniture in Our Home at the V Mall (formerly Virra Mall) to check out styles for Kong's new office at the ground floor of RSD Main.  We also went around Ace Hardware to get some batteries and fluorescent starters.  By the time we got to the ground floor, Kong and I looked at the new Hyundai Tucson while Gwammy went around Watson's Drug Store. My mistake thereafter was going to the SM Appliance store to check on air-conditioning units without letting Gwammy know our whereabouts.  After getting separated, we couldn't locate her for a good 30 minutes, and Kong was already feeling tired!  Luckily, he sat at the Viridian sales nook and the lady happily entertained his questions about the soon-to-rise residential condominium--that was a relief, he was able to rest and we were in a spot that was easily visible for Gwammy to find us.  By around 3pm I was already restless--I figured that she has gone to Unimart to do some last-minute shopping, so Kong and I left for Unimart.  What a big relief for us that she was there, almost done with her grocery list. Apparently she had tired feet at Watson's and thus chose to rest at the Greenhills chapel.

Happy that we found each other, we finished our shopping and moved on to have merienda at Mann Hann, along JA Santos St. in Little Baguio.  Kong had wanted to have some dimsum snacks, and the place was the perfect place in order for Anita, Anton and Monique to join us for a mid-day break.  I think we ate so much--duck misua soup, ma chang (flavored sticky rice),  siomai, ha kaw (shrimp dumplings, which unfortunately, Gwammy and Monique were not too happy about), beef ho fan (flat thick white noodles), ke kiam (chicken-pork-5 spice mixture wrapped in thin tofu and deep fried), plus some take-out of asado siopao for Louise & Kuya Noel (who joined us for an early dinner in Anita's house.  The tab ran up to P200 per head, but everyone had a little snack.  The night was topped by a visit to the nearby Mickey D for a late night dessert with the kiddie-widdies.  Yes, that was our thrilling and food-filled Friday Jang-Jang!