Watercar

It's both a car and a boat.  Interchangeable. It's not science fiction.  It's Watercar.  What a fun way to enjoy the best of both worlds!

Panforte Margherita

This Tuscan sweet, Panforte Margherita, was named after the Italian Queen.  It's a hard cake with candied fruits, nuts, and spices.  A bit troubling on the jawline, but an absolute winner in my book.  Vicky's friend came home from a European conference a week ago, and gifted us with some.  It was gone in 5 minutes... 

Hanakazu

Vicky and I were in the Sucat area to pay our last respects to a dear cousin of her dad.  It was already around 9 pm, and we were ready to catch the last train for some hot grub.  We were in the mood for Japanese food, and we stumbled on Hanazaku, which was one of the few restaurants along Aguirre Avenue in BF Homes with ample parking space.

I think I over-ordered.  After the complimentary appetizer, we started off with some sushi and crispy shrimps.  Of course, my mind drifted off to a thoughts of a cold dark beer, but my tummy acidity prevented me from actually ordering a bottle.

We went on with some gyudon, a ramen bowl and some reba nira (sauteed liver with chives).  Food is flavorful and well prepared, but serving portions are limited.

Prepare something like P800 per person in order to fully enjoy the menu.  The place is neat and feels like home; the staff are attentive and pleasant.

LTO Chapel

I was quite surprised that the LTO office along East Avenue had a chapel right at the waiting area of the main hall.  If the hall would be covered with plastic chairs, I'd say that a group of 500 people would be able to sit comfortably for mass.

Sala

My last dinner at Sala was around 15 years back at their Malate outlet.  I didn't even know that the restaurant had a branch in Makati until last week, when I had a lunch meeting there.  The restaurant is located at the ground floor of the Locsin Building, right at the corner of Makati Avenue and Ayala Avenue.

By some quirk in their system, my soup came out after I had taken my starter (fishcake) and my main course (beef).  I didn't mind it at all, the truffle oil and scallops had overtaken my senses and it became a lovely finish to my meal.  Expect to spend some P1,000 per person for the lunch specials, and if you take individual orders, prepare something like P2,500 per person in order to fully enjoy the many flavors of their menu.  Food is still like how I remembered it, and it seems that quality restaurants continue to be appreciated by the market these days.

Jose Feliciano

* picture from arcadalive.com

Unmistakable, his voice.  Jose Feliciano, the blind Puerto Rican guitar master, has been making music since the sixties, and among his greatest hits you will find such lovely tunes as Light My Fire, Guantanamera, It Doesn't Matter Anyhow, The Windmills of Your Mind, California Dreaming, Billie Jean, Rain, Feliz Navidad.  My favorites?  Yes, those two dramatic pieces Once There was a Love and Love Comes from the Most Unexpected Places. Haunting, sends chills down my spine.... Love every word, every chord!

Dutch Maid

I think the ARC Refreshments Corporation has hit a jackpot with their Dutch Maid chocolate milk drink.  It tastes good. Just keep the bottle chilled, shake the bottle so that the chocolate mixes evenly and voila, a great snack time buddy is in place!  This product reminds me of Magnolia's Choco-Vim, which was a popular soya-based chocolate drink in the seventies.

Fireside

I was at the SM Megamall to meet up with Eddie, Korina and Nita.  We agreed to meet at Fireside for dinner.  This is operated by Kettle, which in turn is located at the Shangri-la Mall.  We started off with their version of potato chips, which was drizzled with sour cream! It was gone in a flash!

Buttermilk chicken was good, crispy skins and juicy meats.  I like the spaghetti, just the right balance between the tomato sauce and the grated cheese.  With a lamb dish and a beef dish, our spending came to about P800 per head.  We were quite satisfied.

Staff are courteous and well-trained.  The interiors are done in a way that you have seats with bright lights for families and groups, and also some dimmer areas, which could provide the setting for a romantic night for young couples.  Not bad at all.

Sea Pride Pusit

It's a bit tough to chew on (literally) but I like Sea Pride's version of BBQ cuttlefish jerky. It's not that sweet (no sugar glaze), and has just the right amount of spice for continued snacking.  Vicky returned with a ton of these snacks from her recent trip to Cagayan de Oro.

Nissan Juke

The Nissan Juke.  Vicky, Monique and Anita all say it's too small a vehicle for me to drive around.  But ain't she so cute?

Cinderella: Bato Sa Buhangin

BATO SA BUHANGIN

by Ernani Cuenco

Kapag ang puso'y natutong magmahal

Bawat tibok ay may kulay at buhay

Ngunit kung ang pagsuyo'y lilipas din

Bagay kaya ang bato sa buhangin?

Kay hirap unawain

Bawat damdamin

Pangakong magmahal hanggang libing

Sa langit, may tagpuan din

At doon hihintayin

Itong bato sa buhangin

Space: 1999

The moon was supposed to disappear from Earth's orbit in 1999.  Under the leadership of the husband and wife tandem of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, some 300 inhabitants of Moon Base Alpha would try to return home after being trapped halfway across the galaxy. We watched them every Saturday night on RPN-9 and  hoped that the ex-IMF agents would pull a fast rabbit out of the hat and make it back to Earth alive!

Liberation Shawarma

More on our visit to the fast-food court of Century City Mall:  Monique purchased Gwammy's main course from Liberation Shawarma.  This looked more like a pocket pie than a wrap, but according to Gwammy, was tasty enough to warrant a pat on the chef's back. Pricing is just under P300, but the serving size can fill the average tummy.

The Beef

My appreciation of the simple burger patty is a joy unto itself.  The Hole-in-the-Wall has The Beef, which, to my mind, is one helluva reason why I just love hamburgers.  For just under P300 you can taste the succulent patty, nicely salted, no razzle dazzle.  Absolutely sublime!

Garde Manger

Monique and I took Kong and Gwammy to the Century City Mall in Makati to visit the Hole-In-The-Wall.  Some new shops have replaced old favorites, and Gwammy made a beeline for the salad shop Garde Manger (French for "the food keeper").  She enjoyed her salad, which was just under P200!  Fresh greens, some sliced chicken and a hefty pouring of grated cheese!

Granda's Sans Rival

It's very rich.  Granda's Sans Rival is full of butter and cashew nuts.  Becca was fortunate to have received a box of this treat last week.  Perfect with a cup of brewed coffee (black, of course). 

Colavita

I found a bottle of Colavita Marinara sauce and tried it as a base for my crab meat pasta. Nice all-around flavor, although I had to add a little ricotta cheese to get the exact taste that I like.  Mmmm... wonderful!

Cafe Havana

The LJC Group has been dishing out A-1 quality dining for the past thirty or so years now.  I happened to schedule a meeting at the Cafe Havana at the Greenbelt complex as couple of weeks ago, and was happy to get a cold mango-lychee shake to cool off in the warm afternoon sun.  We didn't get any Cuban favorites, instead we stuck to good old sisig, the recipe of which probably came from Abe's or Cafe Adriatico, the group's Filipino flagships.  I understand that a band plays nightly at center stage, must be fun!  Viva Havana! 

Astrud Gilberto

* painting by Lee Madrid from fineartamerica.com

The timeless voice of Astrud Gilberto is one that I truly enjoy.  Unmistakable, delightful, borderline haunting, so absolutely lovely.  The world is so much richer because of her recordings.  Two thumbs up!

Gumby

* photo from pixabay.com

Art Clokey's clay animation classic was a TV staple for kids in the sixties.  The Gumby Show featured Gumby and Pokey, and we watched the series on morning TV without realizing that the characters were clay models.  In high school we looked at the principles of animation and I began to realize how interesting film/TV/theater production was (though I never really caught the bug--too time consuming for me).  I understand that Jim Henson is slated to reboot the series, and maybe the new generation Gumby and Pokey will be done in CGI perhaps?

Pio's Kitchen

My brother-in-law decided to give my sister a surprise birthday party, and my nieces chose Pio's Kitchen for the venue.  This restaurant is along Scout Fuentebella St., and used to be the home of the grandparents of Chef Chin Bagis, a Barcelona-trained chef who honed her craft at the kitchens of a prestigious Middle Eastern airline.  I had the impression that Pio was the name of her husband, but she pointed out to me that the restaurant is named after Padre Pio, the Italian friar-saint.

You can see Chef Chin above, preparing the spread--various cold cuts and cheeses, fish, roasted pork, salpicao and of course, paella Valenciana and paella negra.  She takes time and patience to make everything as perfect as possible for her guests.

I must say it was a lovely buffet spread and our tummies were stretched to the limit!  If you notice, I didn't take pictures of the paella--that's something you should see and taste for yourself!  A-1 in my book!

The restaurant is more like an event venue than a regular diner, dining is by reservation only.  Make sure to book in advance, as the slots get filled up quickly.  Cheers and more power!