Kimukatsu

My trucker's group really loves good food.  This time around, we had dinner in Kimukatsu, a Japanese tonkatsu restaurant at the new wing of the Shangrila Mall.  The twist?  While it looks like an ordinary katsu, this dish is actually made from several paper-thin slices of good pork cutlets.  I would guess that the thin slices allows seasoning to penetrate, and the resulting taste makes the style so popular with the hip younger crowd.

I topped off my meal with green tea ice cream, which was light and had just the right amount of sweetness.  Interiors are modern, but because the walls and the tables are all in black, I felt that the lighting was on the dark side.  For this restaurant, you can make do with P500 per head, but to really enjoy, just prepare something like P750 per head.

Chi-chie's

My trucker's meeting was held in the Kapitolyo area of Pasig.  The place is teeming with home-style restaurants, and parking space is a difficult thing to find.  I was a frequent visitor in this area during the early eighties but thereafter lost all contact; I now find it strange that the area is so vibrant, so commercialized.  We had dinner in Chi-Chie's, with several classic dishes on the table.

Bulalo

Nilasing na Hipon

Calamares Fritos

More squid, this time plain grilled

Apan Apan

Sisig

Tenderloin Tips

Inihaw na Bangus

While we had dinner in the open-air area (formerly the garage of the house), there is an air-conditioned dining area just right for a couple of beers.  Food isn't gourmet quality, but perfect for gatherings with the barkada.  Busog for around P400 per head! What more can I say?

Bee Gees

* photo from Wikipedia

I was listening to the afternoon show of my good old friend Jimmy Jam on Retro 105.9 early today and as if on cue, he played Nights On Broadway by the Bee Gees, one of my early favorites.  Every time I hear  their songs, I can still remember the good old days.  As kids we listened intently to the First of May and cried while the lyrics of I Started A Joke didn't make sense.  We partied until 3am to Night Fever and to Teri De Sario's collaboration on Aint Nothing Gonna Keep Me From You.  We swooned as How Deep Is Your Love played on-air, and we just stared in awe watching Barbra Streisand singing the duets Guilty and What Kind of Fool.  I remember that Michaela and Erica even went gaga over their little brother Andy (who had a lot of hits of his own), and it's such a sad thing that only Barry is around today.  Yes, those days were the best of times!  Thanks, Brothers Gibb.

Yakult

More interesting finds in the corner grocery store in Causeway Bay.  Vicky discovered a different kind of Yakult--low sugar and high-fiber.  Andie just loves it! Monique and I mistook the green wrapper to indicate apple flavor though, hahaha....

Fanta Grape

Why is it that some cool soda flavors aren't sold in Manila?  I'm a fan of grape soda, and Vicky picked up some cans of Fanta Grape from the grocery across from L' Hotel.  It's understandable that Coca-Cola keeps Fanta Orange only on the post-mix level in the Philippines (bottled orange soda is Royal Tru-Orange), but can they please put Fanta Grape on the shelves?

King Crab House

I'm very proud of Monique.  She finished high school and passed all the entrance tests of the colleges she applied for.  What a fantastic thing to do!

To celebrate this milestone, we went to have dinner at King Crab House along P. Guevara St. in San Juan.  This restaurant has been around for quite a while (the main restaurant is in Banawe St. in QC) and has been a favorite of Michaela and her family.  We started off with some thick crab aligue soup, and went on to try the shrimp salad, which is one of Monique's favorites. 

The viands came in one after another.  Beef with ampalaya, with just the right amount of bitterness.  Lo Han Chay (unfortunately without mermaid's hair).  Sweet and sour pork, which is the special request of Vicky.  Oyster cake, which is my weakness.

The main attraction is always the crab dish.  This time we chose crab with sticky rice, and Vicky made sure the female crab had plenty of those orange globules of fat.  Yes, cholesterol rich and very very tasty.  Yes, it's a dish that you can eat and crave for more while eating. They make it very fresh, full of mushrooms, herbs and mystical spices!  Hahaha...

The restaurant doesn't have much of ambiance, and the straight-back steel chairs make you want to stand up as soon as you have your fill.  But the food is well prepared, and for around P600 per head, you can really have a quick feast!

Estrel's

It was Rambo's birthday and his cake came from Estrel's.  Take one look at the picture on the left and you can see that the cake was decorated with a lot of flair!  It was quite a good presentation; the cake was soft and the sandwiched layer of caramel fudge was a hit with the children.  The bakeshoppe has been around for ages, and since they do not use preservatives, the cake is best eaten right after you pick it up from the store.  A bit more expensive than the commercial bakeries at over P1k, but well worth it.

L' Hotel

Despite the nightmare of our plane flight, we got to the hotel in better spirits.  The cool wind and the helpful taxi driver made my spirits lighten up.  L' Hotel in Causeway Bay was located right across from the Tin Hau station, and our simple but elegant adjoining rooms were quite spacious.  Quite relaxing!  Room rates?  Quite competitive at around HK$1,200 per night (including buffet brekky for 2). Vicky and Monique were quite satisfied with their internet pick.  Yes, this is one hotel in Hong Kong that we will go back to!

Cathay Pacific

This trip to Hong Kong with the kids started out with a whimper.  Our flight was supposed to leave at 8 am, and while we did get an advisory text message from Cathay Pacific regarding the supposed 4-hour delay, little did we know that this would turn out to be a 6-hour delay. The torture included standing up in line for an hour (just to get in the plane) and another hour waiting for take-off (seated inside the plane).  We finally took off at 2 pm; Andie was so tired and restless waiting at the pitiful (no air-conditioning) departure lounge of NAIA Terminal 1. We got to Chek Lap Kok in bewildered state, and I just hailed the earliest taxi to get to the hotel.  Whew!

Hakata Ippudo

On this trip to Hong Kong, we found ourselves coalescing in front of Times Square for dinner; all fourteen of us were hungry and tired.  While the kids had fun riding the Lantau Island cable car, battery levels were quite low and they were all raring to get some grub.  It was Deannie who pointed out the existence of Ippudo which was located right across the street, on the second floor of the Shama Apartments.  Ramen it is, then, we all agreed.

We had to sit in several tables, as there was no large table available for the whole group.  The kids and I found ourselves at the counter top facing the kitchen, and to their delight, all kinds of condiments were right at our fingertips.  As you can see above, the counter was decorated with dried noodles (and I couldn't help but feel slightly awkward thinking that the restaurant would serve instant noodles).  Deannie assured me, however, that her father had gone to the branch in Sydney and that the noodles were quite good.

We ordered different kinds of soups--essentially pork flavored with shoyu (soy sauce) and shio (salt).  The spicy soups came in red bowls; I was delighted to see that the egg toppings were boiled semi-soft-semi-hard, soft core yet nice and chewy.  Noodles were fresh, definitely not instant! 

I felt that the gyoza was a bit on the thin side; I like the plump ones that exude aroma and burst with hot juices as you bite into them.  We spent something like HK$120 per head, and we left the restaurant walking with an easy gait--proof that we all had our fill.

Bono

I must say that local products are fast catching up with the quality available in the rest of the world.  Bono Artisan Gelato is living proof of this theory, and once you taste it, you will agree with me--gelato is freshly made, with milky texture (no air), and tastes so heavenly. Over the weekend, Monique and I had a fun time at their branch in SM Makati, and we'll probably go back over and over again.  Around P100 per scoop.

All of Me

A friend introduced me to this hauntingly beautiful love song All of Me by John Legend. While waiting for my Naruto manga to load, I chanced upon a lovely cover of this song by the sultry songstress, Luciana Zogbi.  Listen to her amazing performance!

Highlands

I was quite happy with my purchase of Highlands Beef Franks, which is the top line sausage product of CDO Foodsphere.  The label says it's made with Angus Beef (probably not the choice cuts, but still expensive beef) which is probably why the taste is pretty good. Reasonably priced too, at around P400 a kilo.  The growth of this company has been nothing short of phenomenal, and it seems to me that it has dislodged a lot of older market players like Swift and King Sue, and is now giving Purefood as serious run for its money.  It's good that we have good home-grown products like this.

Sahale Snacks

I can't seem to get enough of this--Sahale Snacks (pecans & cashew mixes), which was given by Vicky's friend.  It's the perfect snack for me, rich in taste, with just the right mix of berries, not too sweet and available in handy packs.  Heavenly!