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!