DOTA

More on Monique's game addictions.  After she turned into a teenager, Harvest Moon was left behind, and she joined her cousins in the multi-player game of DOTA.  I don't have any idea what it's all about, but for two or three summers, all I could hear from them was how to conduct a concerted attack on their enemies!  The kids are all grown up now, but I still remember the days when they'd cross the street to play in the neighborhood internet cafe! Time flies so fast...

Harvest Moon

Spotify can take you so many years back in time. Sometimes, however, not in the context of the song's genre.  Harvest Moon of Neil Young somehow made it to my playlist, but the song didn't make me reminisce about the seventies.  My thoughts drifted to the Nintendo DS game that Monique was so addicted to around ten years ago.  It's a farmer simulation game that teaches the value of care and nurture; no one plays this nowadays, but I remember my daughter's screen concentration and glee whenever she'd win a prize.  Absolutely picture perfect in my mind!

Kenny Rogers

Gwammy's new favorite restaurant is Kenny Roger's Roasters.  She recently discovered that a branch had opened along Matalino St. (near Quezon City Hall), and on one Saturday night, she treated the clan to dinner, which was simpler than having to cook for all 15 of us.  Not bad at all, for an average check of around P250 per head, you can get pretty full!

Roasted Chicken Platter

Grilled Chicken Cutlet

Kids got some Burgers!

Dessert anyone?

When the chain first opened in town, I remember that the ovens were wood-fired.  Apparently, the upkeep must be pretty expensive, so gas ovens have taken over.  Well, the marinade makes 90% of the flavor anyway, but the wood aroma will be missed, though.

Transformers: Age of Extinction

The fourth movie in the Transformers franchise was filled with slam bang action.  Nice CG effects.  Mark Wahlberg steps into Shia LaBeouf's shoes, a father and daughter team up instead of the usual lovers angle.  Frankly, however, I was disappointed.  The story line was confusing.  Lots of new characters were introduced, I couldn't trace them from where the last movie left off.  The transition from the 3rd movie to this one was kinda convoluted, almost made me wince. Imagine, the big bad scientist makes a sudden change of heart by virtue of a phone call from the protagonist.  How did that happen?  So many bad guys (Megatron, Galvatron and the unexplained alien bounty hunter), and I still couldn't sympathize with Optimus Prime. Will there still be a 5th movie?  I guess with the money this one is making, that isn't too far off.

Bovet

When will I ever get to own a Bovet?  I can dream can't I?  The Geisha above, and  the Pininfarina below are two of my favorites...  Not for the faint-hearted!

Three Little Pigs

Remember the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf?  Well, this time around, they turned into lechon, boneless lechon at that... hahaha... Cousin Eddie brought in some oh so delightful lechon rolls from Dumaguete, and our dinner was just tad short of ecstatic! What cholesterol problem?  I seem to forget... ;-)

Food Club

It was Miguel's 50th birthday, and to celebrate, Becca booked us for dinner at The Food Club along Macapagal Avenue in Paranaque.  The whole clan had a feast!  Just as we entered and saw the spread, we all agreed that the night would be full of merriment and gastronomic wonder!  Happy Birthday Miguel!

I think the pictures speak for themselves.  Food was mouth-watering, and the staff were very helpful.  The kids went back and forth to the buffet counters several times.  I forgot about my diet and went all-out, as did everyone else!

Outside the 5-star hotels, I believe this is one of the best buffet places in town.  The food is good, produce is very fresh, fruit shakes and drinks are included.  The restaurant is new, plenty of tables, no jostling with massive crowds due to comfortable aisles.  Parking is plentiful.  Best of all--the spread is reasonably priced (around P1,000 per head).

Spotify

After some prodding from Monique, I finally agreed to download Spotify.  On demand music.  Free.  Hahaha, now I'm an addict!

Todd English Food Hall

When you dine in a very big group, everyone seems to have his or her own idea of what food is best to have.  Todd English Food Hall seems to be a good place to bring the family together, with plenty of different cuisines to enjoy.  Celebrity Chef Todd English, known for the Olives restaurant in Boston and TV show, brings his cooking savvy to Manila, specifically the Bonifacio Global City.  It was the birthday of Teresa, and the whole family trooped to the SM Aura to celebrate.  It was good we had a reservation--the lines were quite long.  We had a blast!

Fresh Oysters

Paella

Green Salad with Grilled Chicken Slices

Ravioli

Shrimp Salad

Beef and Goat Cheese

Open Shawarma

Pizza (Meat)

More Pizza (Mushroom)

Crab Fried Rice

Salmon Steak

Beef Ribs

Pad Thai

Bone Marrow

Flank Steak

Choco Wheels

Lava Cake

With a wide variety of choices, you get what you wish for!  The interiors are modern and the layout is accommodating.  I had fun watching the chefs work their magic at the counter.  Plenty of guests, but it didn't seem to be crowded.  The dessert wheel was a cute accent piece, because of the Chef's name, we all thought of the London Eye.  Estimate average spend is around P1,000 per head, although if you are on a budget, you can get by with P600 per head.