Union

I totally missed my target.  I had been looking at a Union Belisar chronograph at the Shangri-la Mall, and I had gone back twice early this year to check on it, to compare it with other brands.  The watch is a mid-level brand of the Swatch group, and I was very much attracted to the yellow hands.  Now that I have decided to go for it, I learn from the store that the Philippine distribution has been discontinued, and that all stock has been sent abroad.  Now that's the result of indecision!  Huhuhu...

"Pa-Banjing-Banjing"

I was reading an article about the top new words of the year, which include "selfie" and "twerking."  See how a language evolves so fast--new words are added everyday!  This made me remember something; if you hear the phrase "pa-banjing-banjing" in the Filipino vernacular, it just means that someone is taking his or her sweet time in accomplishing a task.  The expression is very common, and used in everyday language. The word does not come from anywhere, it was invented by my Tito Jay, an older brother of Gwammy, who was a radio announcer in the fifties.  As he used the words on-air, the expression caught on, and now has become part of the Filipino language.

Pope Francis

* courtesy of wikipedia

Current profession:                  Pope
Previous employment:             Buenos Aires night club bouncer

I read about the biography of Pope Francis, and one of the best qualifications for the position is that he seems to be in tune with the common people.  I'd say that his stint as a night club bouncer gives him a certain perspective that is unique from the other priests, bishops and cardinals. This work experience keeps him deeply rooted right where it counts.  Do away with the pomp and ceremony, be in the middle of the action...  Keep it up, Mr. Tough Guy!

Pearl Harbor Day

* photograph from Wikipedia

Pearl Harbor Day (December 7) came and went without much ado, with just a small mention in the local papers.  It so happened that during family dinner last week, we talked about "the Date of Infamy," and Gwammy went on to relive her memories of World War II.

She distinctly remembered that once the news of the Japanese attack spread like wildfire, the American military ordered that all the warehouses at the Manila Port Area be burnt, as the "scorched earth" policy.  President Quezon had declared Manila an open city, so that wanton and needless destruction could be avoided.  Civilians were allowed to cart away food, medicine and whatever supplies were stocked at the pier before the burning started. Gwammy's family was living in Mabini St. in the Ermita area during peacetime, and my uncles Jesse and Jay were able to retrieve a large bottle of sulfanilamide tablets.  These tablets became increasingly precious as the war raged on, and several offers were made to my grandfather for the purchase thereof (with Micky Mouse money, of course).  In the days leading to the Battle for the Liberation of Manila, every time an offer was made to purchase the bottle, my lolo would increase his price, and the bottle was never sold!  Aw shucks, the story has been a standard family joke, and every time greed sets in, we'd always say--remember the bottle of sulfanilamide!

Gwammy was a little child of 10 in 1941, but she can still remember the parade of the Japanese captain riding horseback, as the Japanese army marched into Mabini St.  The family was very afraid when the procession of military cars suddenly stopped in front of their house!  It so happened that right beside them was the garage of Yellow Taxi, and the garage was turned into a military depot, due of the presence of the gasoline pumps.

During the months before liberation, Gwammy's sisters and brothers would then lie atop the roof of their house, watching the dogfights of the zeros and the American planes.  One day, a bomb fell right into their house, knocking off my lola's kamagong pedestal.  They were so lucky that the bomb was a dud!  It did not explode, and no one was hurt.  The Japanese at the next door garrison, were still afraid though, (any future explosion could ignite the stored gasoline), and immediately a bomb squad entered the house to dismantle the bomb, even though it was a dud.

Truly, music soothes the savage beast.  Throughout the war years, my grandmother, who was a concert pianist, would play her piano by candlelight (my mom recalls Moonlight Sonata and Dance of the Demons, and plenty of pieces by Franz Lizst), and those who lived along Mabini St. in Ermita could have sworn that the Japanese soldiers next door were lenient to the neighborhood because my grandmother would play the piano at night time.

Gwammy and Kong Kong have so many wartime stories, and I'll be mentioning some of them as I get some time to do so.

Casey Neistat

Short film director Casey Neistat, the "renegade" YouTube investigator of Ipod fame, recently spent US$25,000 from the promotional budget of Twentieth Century Fox on food, medicine and tools for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in Tacloban City.  The studio had asked him to do a promo video for the movie "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," which was about chasing a dream.  Neistat was hooked on an idea--doing something that would make a difference.  Instead of the usual promo efforts, the studio and the star of the movie, Ben Stiller, liked the idea and and gave their blessing.  Neistat was in the country for around a week and, with some friends, made a difference for so many people.  Good work my friend, we thank you!

Bea Rose Santiago

* photo by Toru Yamanaka from yahoo.com

The lovely Ms. Bea Rose Santiago won the 2013 Miss International crown at the pageant held in Tokyo the other day.  This 5'9" stunner is truly one hot babe!  The Philippines is truly blessed with the loveliest lasses.  Kanpai!

Terry's (Podium)

Terry's has been a long time tenant at the basement of the Podium, and the deli-cum restaurant has since expanded to other branches in Makati (Pasong Tamo and Salcedo Village).  Vicky, Monique and I last ate there many years ago, and since I had the craving for Spanish food, I scheduled today's business lunch there.  The food was indeed very flavorful!

We started off with some croquetas (two versions, one with 3-cheese and the other with jamon bits) and chorizo on piggy back (the griller is shaped like a pig).  I had a hearty bowl of oyster soup, and I was very happy with the plumpness of the oysters, and the fact that the oysters were cooked as a whole, and not osterized into puree (good flavor throughout but I like wolfing down the oyster en toto).

Seafood paella cooks in 30 minutes, so if you want this, better be sure you time the order to come out of the kitchen just as the rest of the viands do.  As you can see, the shrimps were very fresh, and also pleasingly plump.  We ordered fabada, callos, salpicao and lengua (ox tongue), all of which were cooked the way we like it.  Our plates were wiped pretty clean at the end of the meal!

We spent some P1,200 per head for our meal.  I know the pricing may be a bit on the high side for a quick lunch, but the meats were tender, and it was evident that the food was cooked the traditional manner (i.e. slow cooking).  The paellera was the lighter non-stick type, so the crispy rice bottoms didn't stick to the surface of the pan (I would have liked it cooked a bit longer though).

Dad's

The Triple V group started off with the Kamayan Filipino buffet in the late seventies, and branched out with the Saisaki Japanese buffet in the eighties.  By the nineties, the continental dishes of Dad's made a splash, and today, the concept of their World Buffet brings together an international array of dishes at affordable prices.  We were at the SM Megamall branch to attend a Christmas party, and our group of 30 had a feast for the senses! 

It is best to be there early, just as the doors open (you may have to wait if you do not have reservations, specially on weekends).  The bulk of the guests arrive some 30 minutes after opening time, and despite the large aisles, the foot traffic can get to be heavy (it gets difficult to maneuver around with platefuls of food).  Japanese sushi and sashimi selections were very fresh, and we had a good choice of oriental dishes (Korean, Thai, Indian and Chinese).

Of course, lechon is the main attraction at the Kamayan spread!  I only had little piece of crunchy skin (watching my cholesterol levels).  I couldn't resist the roasts, however, and had a large portion of roasted lamb leg.  The angus roast came with a lot of fats, and I took only a matchbox portion size.  The ham though. was pretty well cured and I had a bigger slice.

The best tasting dish for me was the salpicao over at the Spanish corner.  With buffets like these, you just have to choose your food carefully; you simply won't have tummy space to try everything.  I had a creme brulee to top off the evening's meal.  For weekdays, dinner time buffet price comes to P688 per person, which is very reasonable considering the variety of dishes available at the spread.  Of course, you have to clean your plate, as the no leftover policy is strictly enforced (sadly, some people have a bad habit and scoop onto their plates much more than they can chew).

La Grotta

I find myself looking for good dining nooks when I go around Makati by myself, and this time, I chanced upon La Grotta along V. A. Rufino St. (formerly called Herrera St.) in Legaspi Village.  As I entered, I vaguely remembered that Vicky, Monique and I had eaten there one night a few years ago, but the daytime ambiance seemed to be so different from the dimly lit atmosphere the place has at dinner time.  As I sat, I was treated to chicken liver pate, which I gamely finished despite concerns with my uric acid levels.  I rationalized this by boycotting the butter, and mixing grated parmesan with olive oil instead!

I chose the linguine alla Grotta; it was named after the house, so I figured it was the specialty.  Light cream based, with Italian sausage bits; it came to the table steaming hot, just after a short wait.  Noodles were cooked just right, gooey to the bite.  Portion size was just right for its price (around P450) but it's better if you eat to share with a group, since a lot of cream based pasta can get to be too rich to the palate for one person to handle.  For a meal with greater variety, I'd say you would have to prepare for some P800 per head at the least.

I like the simple interiors, and the service was quite fast and courteous.  However, the restaurant is really suited for the office executives travelling on foot, as parking around area can get to be difficult to find on work days.

Mt. Fuji

Vicky's office mate just arrived from a visit to Japan, and we were lucky that she gave us a box of Mt. Fuji chocolates.  It's a pretty interesting candy, you can see below that it's shaped like a mountain, and the white chocolate topping appears to be the snow at the peak of Mt. Fuji! Although it was too sweet for my taste, ain't it cute?

The Wolverine

It's a long movie, The Wolverine, this second installment of the X-Men spin-off from Marvel comics; more than two hours of slam-bang action set in Japan.  Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, falls for Mariko, the beautiful granddaughter of an Imperial officer whose life he saves just as American forces drop the atomic bomb over Nagasaki.  Tao Okamoto, real life supermodel, is so lovely playing Mariko, and I'm simply spellbound over her beauty!

Sunshine Kitchen

We normally have the Gwammy's clan reunion on the first weekend of December, just before the Christmas festivities pile up.  This year, we decided to hold the lunch at Sunshine Kitchen, at the Fort Strip.  I started off with two pizzas--the Sunshine special and a meat pizza, both of which were on thin crust dough.  I was pretty surprised with their special pizza; it was my first time to have pizza with eggs, done sunny side up!

The paella with eggs and Cabanatuan longganisa was alright, but I think this could be tweaked a bit more.  However, I was very pleased with my stewed lamb--very tender, and the sauce was oozing with flavor.  I heard that the braised beef and the porchetta were good, and someone told me that the crispy fried soft shell crabs were absolutely wonderful.

We had some matters to discuss, and when the kids started rolling in, I completely forgot to take more pictures.  The place was jam-packed!  Our group of 29 managed to fit in two tables for 20 people (it was my mistake to underestimate the attendance).  Our bill came to around P700 per person, and it was a very good meal that we had.  With all the stories and chit-chat, we wound up closing the place at 3pm.

Spatzle

More food-tasting for me at the new wing of the Shangrila Mall.  This time, we had a business meeting at Spatzle, which is positioned as a European market cafe.  I liked the black and white color scheme that blended well with the wooden interiors.  The cafe was located in a corner, and the open-air styling gave the place an inviting atmosphere.  As I had just come from a long walk, I immediately ordered a minty lime juice, which my friends said just lacked some tequila to qualify as a mojito!

My mid-day snack was fried chicken on a bed of spaetzle.  Chicken was tasty, and the gravy made it even more delicious.  I think their version of spaetzle is actually hand-made, more like soft flakes rather than noodles.  I kinda wanted some melted cheese as a siding though (goes very well with spaetzle), but the gravy was tasty enough.  Bring around P500 per person to dine here, the service is pretty fast, so you can be in and out in a jiffy!

Bahay Kawayan

Right after the visit to Sweet Harmony, we had lunch at nearby Bahay Kawayan, which is right along the Taytay highway.  Some of Vicky's colleagues who are familiar with the area recommended the place to her.  I like eating good food in roadside eateries; the ambiance might not be fantastic, but the home-cooked aroma and the mouth-watering taste makes the trip all worth it!  Imagine, for P400 per head, we had a wide range of good food--

For starters, we had a salad of mustasa leaves topped with tomatoes and red eggs.  The sinigang na kanduli had just the right sourness, and while Vicky takes this the traditional way (with Balayan bagoong), I thought it was perfect as is.  The waiters informed me that the kanduli comes in fresh from Bae, Laguna, and that this dish was one of their best-selling specialties.

The bam-i was ordinary, but the pritong dalag tasted great--didn't have that earthy scent usually associate with river fish.

We couldn't resist the squid!  I had already ordered another of their specialties, the adobong pusit (squid in coconut milk) but after taking a second look at the menu, I just had to get the grilled lumot (bigger squid).  It was soft and well-seasoned, and if I weren't driving, I would have probably ordered a couple of cold San Migs to go along with the fine pulutan.

Sweet Harmony Gardens

Vicky, Becca, Andi and I traveled to Taytay to check out the Sweet Harmony events venue.  The Saturday morning traffic was pretty heavy and it took us around 30 minutes to get past the junction right after SM Taytay leading to the Pure Gold mall.  By the time we got to the place, the open gardens that greeted us was a welcome sight, and it was a very good time to let Andi roam around for some picture taking.

I understand that the place is also a favorite for school kids' excursions.  They have a play area and a mini-zoo area featuring different fowl.  Paul Calvin's Bakerie is also within the grounds, and Vicky was able to purchase some of her favorites--pizza bread, chocolate malunggay cookies, and Brazo de Mercedes with sweetened mashed pumpkin core.