Halelani

Road trip: off to Halelani!  We took the new Forester of Anita & Tony for a spin in Batangas, and found ourselves at the doorsteps of the of cousin Alexis in Mabini (dubbed Halelani, or Sky Home).  The five hour trip (one-way) was a leisurely drive, and we were met at the front gate by her wonderful hubby Jefferson, who had cold beer in the fridge, just the thing to melt our fatigue away.  Thai chicken and laing for lunch, apple pie for dessert... Yum Yum! So so relaxing, this place, I could sleep at the front porch all afternoon...

Paul Williams

I've been busy preparing the house for some lengthy repair work, and in the process of moving around the furniture, I came across an old cassette of Paul Williams, who penned some of the memorable songs of the seventies: We've Only Just Begun, Rainy Days and Mondays, An Old Fashioned Love Song, You and Me Against the World, Evergreen, Rainbow Connection and The Love Boat.  Some of his songs evoke deep emotions, and were staples of our high school memories--

LET ME BE THE ONE

Some sleepless night, 

If you should find yourself alone,

Let me be the one you run to,

Let me be the one you come to 

When you need someone to turn to, 

Let me be the one.

To set things right 

When this old world's turned upside down,

Let me be the one you run to,

Let me be the one you come to 

When you need someone to turn to, 

Let me be the one.

For love and understanding, 

To find a quiet place;

For silent understanding, 

A loving touch.

Come to me when things go wrong 

And there's no love to light the way.

Let me be the one you run to,

Let me be the one you come to 

When you need someone to turn to, 

Let me be the one.

Sisa's Secret

On our way to Batangas, we took a pit stop at the South Super Highway (now called SLEX), for brekky at Sisa's Secret, which is part of the culinary group of Chef Florabel.  I find it interesting that most of their restaurant names come from the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo novels of Rizal, and I struggled mentally to figure out who Sisa was.  Of course I still don't remember, hahaha....

The place is actually a glorified karinderya, with several types of pre-cooked meals available at the counter.  Service was pretty slow, however, and I just had to attribute the staff sluggishness to the fact that we walked in at 6am.  

Maxene and Diana joined me in having a quick meal, we had longganiza and adobo; nothing fancy, but prepare something like P300 per person for a quick meal.  Marina, however, had a fun-filled time picking pasalubong goodies at the side counters.  She gets thrilled doing the grocery list.

Diane

Darling Chicharon

Darling Chicharon is also known in Cagayan de Oro, and we tried their version too.  Also very good!  I can't make up my mind which is better!

SLERS Chicharon

Vicky had a quick trip to Cagayan de Oro and she brought home a pack of chicharon from SLERS, a specialty product of the city.  Crunchy, rather large pieces, seasoned slightly spicy.  Delicious.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Our trucker's meeting started late.  We had a little difficulty looking for Buffalo Wild Wings at the ground floor of the Estancia Mall, so we started the meeting at almost 7pm.  

Chicken wings, salad, wraps, sandwiches and pizza!  Mostly snack food over beer and soda; prepare around P700 per head in order to have some variety.  Remember to wash your hands before digging in.  Just in case there's an interesting game to watch on the wide-screen TV, better get your seat early, as the place fills up fast.  

Diane Schuur

* photo from the Philippine Star

Vicky, Monique and I were quite lucky to watch the concert of Grammy awardee Diane Schuur at the Tower Club when she was in Manila a few months ago.  Despite being born blind, she debuted at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1979, and has since managed to climb to the top of the jazz circuit, counting Stan Getz and Frank Sinatra as her mentors.  She has perfect pitch!  I loved the intimate concert setting; she was performing at just twenty feet away from us and you could hear her every note.  Fantastic!

Yushoken

Ramen Yushoken came to me with high credentials.  After all, a lot had been discussed in the newspapers about how this restaurant made noodles fresh each day, and how the soup stock was kept boiling, long enough to capture all the flavor of the pork.  Monique drove us all the way to Alabang to catch the latest buzz, and we were not disappointed.  Gabby, Monique, Maxene and Diana were each at a crossroad, and each had one question in mind--what to order?

I knew what I wanted.  I had gyoza, chicken karaage, and the big fancy slab of pork curl atop the ramen... Yes the soup was flavorful, and yes, the pork was soft and full of distinct taste! Ramen heaven!

It's not at all that expensive, with something like P500 per person, you can enjoy an authentic bowl and other side dishes.  Be prepared, however, with your appetite, since the restaurant has a strict no take-out policy (ramen is meant to be eaten hot and straight off the kitchen counter).

The Apo Hiking Society

We've had a streak of rainy days, and it seems that the rainy season is just around the corner.  We remember the anthem for the rainy months:

PUMAPATAK NA NAMAN ANG ULAN

Pumapatak na naman ang ulan sa bubong ng bahay

Di maiwasang gumawa ng di inaasahang bagay

Laklak ng laklak ng beer magdamagan

May kahirapan at di maiwasan

Mabuti pa kaya, matulog ka nalang at baka sumakit ang tiyan

Ang araw ko'y nabubusisi ako and nasisisi

Bakit ba sila ganyan

Ang pera ko ay di magkasya

Hindi makapagsine at ayaw namang dagdagan

Ubos na rin ang beer, kaya kape na lang

Lahat sinusubukan kahit walang pulutan

Ang buhay ng tamad, walang hinaharap

Ni konting sarap man lang

Radyo, TV at mga lumang komiks

Wala nang ibang, mapaglibangan

At kung mayroon kang tatawagan

Trenta sentimos ika'y makakaltasan, ahaaaa

Umiindak ang paa sa kumpas ng tugtuging bago

Hanggang kumpas ka nalang at di mo na alam ang tono

Sa paghinto ng ulan, ano ang gagawin

Huwag ng isipin at walang babaguhin

Mabuti pa kaya, matulog ka nalang, matulog na ng mahimbing

Pumapatak na naman ang ulan

Pumapatak na naman ang ulan

Pumapatak na naman ang ulan

Pumapatak na naman ang ulan

Time passes by so fast.  Trenta sentimos nuong araw ang tawag, walong piso na ngayon isnag minuto lamang.  We love the Apo Hiking Society for bringing such wonderful OPM to life; their songs are so much a part of our culture and my teen age history, such that I can't imagine how growing up in the seventies would have been without their music.

Bravo!

Barry Manilow

* photo from wikipedia.org

Growing up in the seventies and eighties, it was impossible not to hear the music of Barry Manilow in the the airwaves.  His voice was heard everywhere in various musical genres, from disco to pop to jazz and even as movies themes.  His music set the tone of the decade.  I was fortunate enough to watch him in concert, and I can say his showmanship and stage presence is absolutely awesome.  The music of our happiness!

Shiroi Koibuto

Black Olive

Had a meeting at Black Olive located at the Shaw Boulevard side of Capitol Commons.  I had initially thought that the place was a bar, but at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the ambiance was more like a cozy restaurant.  We had pizza and pasta, which surprisingly was prepared in the traditional manner and pretty flavorful too!  Spent something like P500 per person, but mind you, this could go higher once you stay beyond happy hour and the drinks start pouring in.

Pie Face

Monique and I were going around the SM Mall of Asia when we came across Pie Face, an Ozzie maker of pies and tarts.  I had read somewhere that the chain was not profitable (and that bankruptcy proceedings had started) but apparently the chain is still expanding, to Manila at that.  The store had just opened its doors to the public, but unfortunately the available meat pie varieties were not as plentiful as I imagined.  Each pie has a distinct face, and is packed with tasty filling (choices include beef, chicken and veggies).  With around P150 one could have a good snack.

Seoul Garden

We were at Robinson's Galleria mall for a meeting with some tax consultants, and my colleague wanted to try Korean food.  We stepped into Seoul Garden, which had a casual feel but still quiet enough to conduct a respectable meeting.  I had to ask the food attendant to ensure that the spiciness levels of the food would be kept to a comfortable, to which they gladly obliged.

I was pretty happy with the mandu (dumplings), which was crunchy on the outside and juicy inside.  The soft shell crabs was a neat surprise, not many restaurants carry this dish and can execute without disappointment.  Overall spending came to around P650 per head, which was just about the same as spending on their buffet (I understand their outlets at the SM malls offer buffet spreads).  The brand is a franchise which has branches all over Southeast Asia.

Jipangyi

Eating the ice cream on a cane was an interesting experience.  I was at the Greenbelt area, and came across the Jipangyi Korean style ice cream shop.  While the ice cream is mere ice cream, the cone is made from corn (not the usual sugar cone) and comes in the shape of a cane.  Ice cream on a corn-cane-cone!  

Evangeline Lilly

I was watching The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug recently and couldn't put my finger on who the actress playing Tauriel was.  I had seen her somewhere before!  Turns out that the actress is none other than the lovely Evangeline Lilly, who had previously appeared in the TV series Lost.  I understand that she took lessons in sword fighting and archery for the role, and the results are just amazing!  Bing bang action!  I can't wait to see her next in Marvel's Ant-Man, where she plays the daughter of scientist Hank Pym (played by Michael Douglas).