Shinobi: Heart Under Blade

Last I heard of the Koga and the Iga ninja societies was during the heyday of Koichi Ose's The Samurai, which laid the foundation for a whole generation of ninja films.  It was a great thing that I came across Shinobi: Heart Under Blade, which interestingly combines elements of the old ninja story line of conflict between the two secret societies, and new elements of magical sorcery that ninja manga heroes like Naruto have popularized.  Eye catching costumes, beautiful scenery, anime-like action all lay the backbone for a love story between the two heads of the warring societies.  Yukie Nakama truly shines in her role as the only survivor of the mandatory conflict, and the motley of emotions that she has to project onscreen (her character is both kind and vicious; in the end, she must kill her own husband) endears her character to the audience.  The one-time gravure artist is also known for her role in Gokusen, in which she played a high school teacher, who also happens to be the daughter of a top gangster.  Yes, my kind of kick-ass lady!

M&S Chocolate Wafer Curls

 

If you notice the succession of chocolates I'm posting, it's because we tried thrice more chocolate brands last month than usual.  Vicky was fortunate to receive a bag of mini milk chocolate wafer curls from a colleague.  We opened this Marks & Spencer product and despite Monique's preliminary pronouncement that it was quite sweet, it seemed like it only lasted for 30 minutes, given the cold-blooded chocoholics that we are.

Valor

This last December was truly chocolate season, and again courtesy of Rebecca, we also tried Valor, a Spanish brand that dates back to 1881.  Their Gold Selection carried a wide array of chocolates, although we didn't know what each candy would taste like, as there was no identification guide to the creations.  I only got to taste a couple, and these were smooth, creamy and beautifully shaped.  No idea of how much a box costs, but I'd bet it would be pretty expensive.

Pergale

Rebecca introduced us to Lithuanian chocolates this last Christmas season.  She must have purchased a whole carton of chocolates, and we were so lucky to taste new brands that we don't often see in the market.  Pergale was founded in the early fifties, and has since made its name in the Baltic states.  Rebecca chose the Capuccino collection, and the chocolates were smooth and had a well-balanced affinity with the coffee.  I found their chocolates slightly on the sweet side though, but if you take this with black coffee, it would be just perfect!

Kagi

Here is another chocolate wafer bar that became a bit distorted in the heat of the car. The Kagi chocolate wafer is a delight to munch on, and more so if you have enough on stock so that you won't find the experience bitin (hanging in mid-air).  I have seen the brand several time on the supermarket shelves, but it was only this past Christmas season that I got to taste it; someone had gifted Vicky with a pack, which we finished overnight.  Yummy! 

Munz

Somebody once told me that contrary to the claims of one advertiser, good chocolate is supposed to melt in your hand, for the simple reason that the such chocolates have a high percentage of cocoa butter.  We bought some Munz chocolates, and as you can see in the picture above, the bar became a bit distorted as I left it in the car for some time.  It still melted in my mouth though, super creamy, just the right sweetness level, and oh, so sinfully addicting!

Master Siomai

It seems that Master Siomai franchises are scattered all over town, and when I passed by Unimart last week, the old location of Orange Julius had already been converted into a Master Siomai stall.  Prices are cheap--four pieces for P30 for regular items, while the special siomai wrapped in nori (Japanese seaweed) is priced slightly higher at P33 for four pieces.  We ordered an assortment of flavors for our lunch; of course you can't expect gourmet quality, but your tummy gets full on a tight budget.

Chicha-rabao

Next time you see a balut vendor, take a hard look at his basket, and most probably you will find some chicharon kalabaw tied on the side.  These are crunchy chicharon snacks not made from pork rind, but from carabao skin.  Can't believe it?  Well, once you bite the chicharon, you will find that the puffy skin is a mere crunchy outer shell, and the whole piece is filled with nothing but air!  When we were kids, we used to refer to this as chicharon hangin.  On the one hand, most people didn't like it at all--too much chewing, all for nothing. Me, on the other hand, enjoyed this as a midnight snack, eaten together with balut.  Vicky came home last week with a pack of Chicha-rabao, the modern day branded version of the snack.  I don't know how much it costs, and where it can be purchased, but this shouldn't be anything over P50.  Ah, the wonderful memories of youth!

Tong Se

Arrived early in Makati for my 10am meeting at the BA-Lepanto building along Paseo de Roxas.  I learnt from the guard that the Galleon fastfood court was located at the ground floor and then took the opportunity to have some hot noodles from Tong Se, which to my delight, was only priced at P55, complete with chicken shreds, wanton balls and boiled beef brisket. The food attendant was quite apologetic; they had just opened and while they had carrots on stock, the delivery of Baguio pechay had not yet arrived, and thus, my meal came without any greens at all.  That wasn't a problem for me; I finished the bowl with much gusto.

Everything Nice

Vicky, being so accustomed to the nippy American climate, was up in Baguio last week and felt so at home in the cold weather (it was 15 degrees for crying out loud).  Lesser mortals like me would have whined about the temperature, but she was able to finish up her business meetings with enough shopping time to spare--walis tambo, chicharo, strawberries, and fresh cassava cake from Everything Nice.  Their version is softer than most, and the top is lined with a sweet creme filling laced with what I think is macapuno.  Gooey and nice!

C2

I arrived early for our meeting at the C2 restaurant along Missouri St. in Greenhills, with just enough time for me to explore the adjoining C3 function room area, which could easily sit 200 people.  I understand from the staff that the restaurant was somehow connected to the Cravings Group and the Center for Culinary Arts along Katipunan Avenue.  While I wasn't able to take pictures of our food, I must say that I enjoyed the meal very much.  Casual dining and good Filipino food, the centerpiece of which was the crispy kare-kare, a combination of crispy pata and kare-kare sauce and condiments.  The ribs kaldereta and laing were also crowd favorites, and the dishes were passed on from person to person, and plates were wiped clean in just about 3 minutes.  Overall spend was something like P600 per head, and that was quite a fiesta for us.

Panaderia de Molo

We got to the airport well ahead of our scheduled flight to Manila.  This allowed us some time to purchase some sweet delicacies for pasalubong--galletas and banadas.  We were informed by the lady in the counter that the most special (and most expensive) goodies come from Panaderia de Molo, the history of which dates back to more than a hundred years.  I soon learned that their products are priced almost double that of the competitors, which I purchased out of curiosity.  The good part is that when I got home, Vicky was very happy I had bought for her the creme de la creme of banadas, which happens to be her favorite snack item. In all fairness, the galletas was cast sturdy and survived the plane trip with hardly any cracked pieces.  I felt the banadas was on the hard side, but hey, Vicky's the expert and she says they're terrific.  I was told that around fifteen years back, the cookies would be packed in round metal tins, but probably in order to make the product affordable, today the cookies are packed in plastic and sold in cardboard boxes.

Wewin's

I asked out driver to take us to where we could buy some pasalubong goodies and we were brought to Wewin's which wasn't far off from the SM Mall.  I was a bit disappointed as the store didn't have much variety to offer, and we only picked up some ube flavored piyaya.  It turns but that this brand isn't as big as some of its competitors, which we learned when we reached the airport.

Hotel Del Rio

I'm getting old.  I thought that my spiel on Iloilo was already done but it appears that I haven't written about our buffet breakfast at Hotel Del Rio, which is aptly named, as the river is right along the backyard of the hotel.  For just under P300, we had a sampling of the easy life--fruits, cereals, chocolate, coffee, fried rice, adobo, sausages, ham and scrambled eggs.  The property has been open since the mid-sixties, and I could see that the management had taken great pains to renovate the property on a regular basis.

Waitrose Cloudy Lemonade

Anita introduced us to this zesty lemonade drink from Waitrose, which she purchased on sale at Rustan's grocery.  This British concoction is "cloudy" as you can actually see the lemon sediments at the bottom of the bottle.  Tastes quite natural, and the gentle fizz gives the laid-back impression--cooling sodas for a hot summer's day. 

Luk Yuen

Vicky just loves lugaw, or congee.  When Vicky and I started dating in the mid-eighties, we must have eaten every other week at Luk Yuen, which, to this day, makes wonderful rice gruel.   I arrived in Greenhills a hour early for my 11am meeting, and I took the time to have a quick hot brekky, halo-halo flavored congee--tripe, pork liver, pork balls and shredded beef.  The place is still clean and well maintained, but the look is pretty much stuck to the nineties (could use a design upgrade).  Food is a priced a bit higher than fastfood stalls (prepare some P250 per head), but I must admit that the quality has been upheld.

Ramon C. Reyes, Ph. D.

While Korina was touring around the Ateneo campus with Monique last weekend, I wandered around the chapel area and stumbled on a wake.  I didn't know that my old Philosophy professor, Dr. Ramon C. Reyes, had passed away at a ripe old age of 79.  He was kind man, steeped well in genteel tradition, quite learned and so generous with praise and encouragement.  I remember to this day his most valued lesson for me, taught not in class, but during one of our private conversations.  The lesson was about confidence.  Apparently, while he was a young graduate student in Louvain, Belgium, he had a girlfriend taller than he.  As graduation drew near (and thus his return to the Philippines), he realized that if he would continue his relationship with the lady, he would have to introduce her to his relatives in the Philippines, and the simple difference in height was a problem that he could not handle.  The lesson was no longer an abstract lesson; it was a lesson in life--had he then the confidence he found later in life, the height difference would not have been a problem at all.  There he was, the Dean of the Philosophy Department, teaching his young and ignorant student about the realities of life by the most effective teaching method--by baring his soul.  I will miss him; go with God, Doc, go with God.

Cafe France

I dropped by the Cafe France outlet along Villar St. in Salcedo Village last Friday, and was in for a pleasant surprise.  All breads were on a buy-one-take-one promo, and I had two tuna turnovers for only P65.  Not bad at all!  The promo however is only available every Friday for the month of January, so that means the last day of the promo will be on January 31, which is Chinese New Year! Lucky me!

Kettle

We had a lot of time to celebrate the Christmas holidays, and my high school group took the chance to have a fast dinner at Kettle, at the 5th floor of the new wing of the Shangri-la Mall. It was a good thing that we arrived early at around 6pm, and we got to sit immediately.  The line after us was pretty long, and it was obvious that the newly opened restaurant was a hit with a lot of other diners.  Someone told the group that the food items were supposed to be "comfort food" but another pointed out that term is a bit over-used and fuzzy; what gives an individual comfort may not do the same for the next person.  We started off with some fried potatoes and pork bits, just the way I like it done (reminds me of shoestring potatoes).

Clam chowder served in sour bread used to be prepared in only a couple of high end hotel restaurants back in the eighties.  It seems that this style is the norm these days, and the thick, flavorful soup came in hot.  My buttermilk chicken was crunchy and the blend of sauces (slightly spicy gravy and sweet honey) made the dish a very "Southern-fried" experience.  My friends chided me for ordering such a cholesterol-laden dish, but I reasoned that buttermilk isn't supposed to be as fatty as it is made out to be.  Which is which?  I don't really know.  All I can say is that the chicken dish was quite delicious, and I could only finish one of two pieces (serving portion was good for two).  Prepare some P600 per head to enjoy the menu, but note that if you choose the works, your average food check can go as high as the P900 level.

Villa del Conte

Ang sarap!  I guess that statement sums it up.  We passed by the Villa del Conte chocolate stall in Greenbelt and Monique couldn't resist this artisan chocolate from Padua, Italy.  I especially like the watermelon flavored ball, tastes exactly how I'd imagine a chocolate watermelon to be.  Not to say that the others aren't good; they are.  But the watermelon ball was different, I've never tasted anything like it before.  Balls are a bit expensive though, cost anywhere from P100 to P150 each, but I guarantee, super sarap!

Dolce Latte

Vicky was in the South Triangle area of Quezon City, and she took the chance to visit Dolce Latte, a coffee shop along Quezon Boulevard known for their croughnuts.  To those that haven't come across this internet phenomenon, I understand that this is a cross between a croissant and a doughnut. Apparently, the original idea for the recipe was posted on the internet and within weeks, the creation had been baked all around the world.  We got to taste different flavors (peach, chocolate, peanut butter, caramel) of Dolce Latte's take on this, and I must say that the chocolate flavored one was the best for me--not too sweet, good hearty flavor.  The croughnuts are not cheap at around P110 each, but still sell like hotcakes (pardon the pun). Make sure you drop by early; the bakeshop only makes a certain volume each day so that by mid-afternoon, some flavors are already out of stock.

Love Shack

Spent a whole afternoon with Monique and the Callars at SM Aura in Fort Bonifacio.  The place is now fully operational, and while the total floor area isn't as large as other SM Malls, it can be said that the mix of boutiques is slanted towards the pricier end of the scale.  We had afternoon merienda at Love Shack, a restaurant that had an interesting name.

The concept of the restaurant was that of comfort food.  Ambiance was pleasant, quite homey in fact; we didn't feel like we were located right in the middle of a mall.  We had penne Alfredo, burgers and croque-madame.  Kathy was happy with her pasta, and Monique commented that the croque-madame was nicely done.  My burger was alright but I felt that it would have been excellent had it been a little bit juicier.

The restaurant seems ideal for those who don't like dining at crowded restaurants.  We were there for almost a couple of hours, and only around 40% of the seats were taken.  The casual and laid-back atmosphere makes good for intimate family lunches or even for lazy dinners with your significant other.  We spent something like P400 per head for merienda.  I'd estimate that you would have to prepare for around P700 per head for a more complete meal.

Pirates

After our grill dinner, we spent some time at the Pirates Bar at the Smallville area.  As you can see in the picture above, the pirate ship that graced the building facade seems straight out of a Hollywood movie!  I had a few shots of Kahlua, while me friends downed several bottles of San Miguel beer.  Now drinking here was quite cheap, we only spent some P800 for a group of 4.  The big problem was that my hotel room overlooked the open air bar, and the rock band continued to play until 3am.  Despite the fact that we called it quits at midnight, and that were giddy from the nightcap, I hardly got any sleep!

Tatoy's

We had a rugged dinner at Tatoy's Manokan, which is in the Molo district, around half an hour's drive from the city center.  I was quite surprised to see that the city has its own share of traffic buildup, which is a far cry from the quiet drives that I remember the first time I visited Iloilo in the early nineties.  Tatoy's Manokan is a popular chicken & seafood restaurant by the sea, and I was told that the restaurant started off as a small shack around 40 years ago.  Judging from the number of vehicles coming in the grill restaurant still has quite a clientele.  We had dinner at the private huts beside the shoreline, and it was good thing that the temperature was cool, and the wind was coming in pleasant gusts; we were pretty comfortable.

We had the whole range of grilled items--squid, chicken and pork, and some steamed shrimps. The ladies also asked for green mangoes and bagoong (shrimp paste), which complemented the grilled dishes.  The chicken used is native chicken, lean and slightly tough, but tasty.  It's not cheap though, prepare around P300 per head, which I thought was also like prices of ihaw-ihaw restaurants in Manila.

Steps of Rome

This trip to Iloilo with some banker friends had a bit of an awkward itinerary; we arrived in the city around 2pm, and we were famished for lunch.  Our first stop was Plazuela de Iloilo along the Diversion Road, and when I saw that most restaurants were already closed for the afternoon break, I was pretty worried.  We managed to make our way to the Steps of Rome, which luckily was open.  As we entered, I half expected a giant poster of either the Spanish Steps or the Fountain of the Fisherman's Boat to adorn the wall, but the restaurant had nothing of the sort, the decoration was pretty modern.

With the exception of the oil-based shrimp pasta, the other pasta sauces were distinctly on the sweet side.  The pizzas also had that sweet leaning, as if the sweetness came naturally for the cook.  In addition, the pizzas were slightly different from the traditional baked pizzas; these were at room temperature as they were delivered to our table.  The crust was crunchy, and if you take a closer look, you could see that the crusts were baked dark brown to achieve the crunchy effect.  I would think that the toppings were added on after the crust had cooled.  We were very hungry, so the food was consumed in around 15 minutes.

Prepare around P300 per head for a quick lunch, or maybe some P400 per head for a dinner with some variety.  Prices are a bit like Manila, so that would be on the high end for Iloilo.

The Spanish Steps of Rome is one of the most well-known staircases in Europe, and is an oft-visited tourist spot, a sort of like meeting place if you will.  From what I have heard, the steps were named as such because the Spanish Embassy was located in the area.  I also heard that historically, French artists would ask beautiful women to pose for paintings beside the Fisherman's Fountain, and as such, men from all around Europe would hang out in the area in the hope of meeting beautiful women.