The Old Spaghetti House

The Old Spaghetti House is a fixture in a lot of the Robinson's Malls, and a couple of weekends ago, Monique and I took some time off from our grocery chores to have a fast lunch there.  Dishes are reasonably priced, and you could have something basic at P150 per head, although the fancier dishes go for around P250 each.  The ambiance is pretty laid back with the brick wall and the charming batibot chairs; moreover, the unenclosed shop design makes you feel welcome, cozy even.  Since it's not as crowded as other fastfood outlets, it's a good meeting place for quiet meetings and get-togethers.

The Alfredo pasta was quite flavorful, although I must say that the tomato sauce pasta was ordinary (I expected something better).  At least it wasn't done sweet style, which I don't approve of.  The fried chicken was surprisingly crunchy outside and juicy inside (when it came in, it looked like a large rolled chicharon piece to me).  The accompanying waffle was served with some light maple syrup.

Pastel

Obie-Lobie went on a work-related trip to Cagayan de Oro and came home with Vjandep Pastel, which are soft buns filled with vanilla cream.  These are famous in Camiguin and Cagayan de Oro, and was the first on his list of pasalubong stuff for the household.  I first tried this around 15 years ago, when Vicky had clients in the area.  I understand it's inexpensive, and a good mid-day snack to have around the office.

Vitalis

I got a Viber message from a good friend of mine; he was touring across the United States and he came across Vitalis hair tonic, something that we haven't seen in town for ages.  We used this product extensively in the seventies, to keep our hair firmly in place, even "when the wind blows."  I'd use it once in a while, but he was a firm believer in the product, and he wouldn't leave home without it! 

Dusit Thani

I was pretty amazed at the transformation of the Dusit Thani.  I haven't been to this hotel along Pasay Road for some time now, and it was a very pleasant meeting I had at their Executive Lounge (library is shown above) last week.  I remember when the hotel was the Nikko Manila Garden; Kong and I have pleasant memories of their Japanese Grill Restaurant, Gojinka in the mid-seventies.  Years later, in the early eighties, my late father-in-law would take me to dine at their Benkay restaurant, which was then still of top-notch quality.  By the mid-nineties, however, it was obvious that the hotel needed not just a face lift, but a massive renovation.  The owners were not keen on starting the needed works, and were ready to part with the property.  I looked at the hotel for a client of mine, but the Dusit group was the lucky prizewinner.  I distinctly remember spending some time discussing the deal with a known French hotelier who previously worked with the Accor group.  The new owners closed the hotel for a year-long renovation, and today, the hotel is pretty much the Thai icon in the local business scene (the other being state-owned PTT).  Refreshing!

Vom Fass

It was an interesting find, this Vom Fass store at the basement of the new wing of the Shangri-la Mall.  It's like buying tingi at your favorite sari-sari store!  Those of your old enough will remember that suka and toyo could be purchased in small bottled quantities in practically any neighborhood sari-sari store (not pre-packed, but metered right in front of you).   The concept is exactly the same.  This German store dispenses oils, vinegar and alcohol by the milliliter!  They even have various bottles to choose from.  These are items that are usually expensive to purchase in bulk, yet taken in little quantities such that most often, the remaining unused portions remain stuck in your ref, or your pantry.  The store makes the purchase affordable, and you don't even have to worry about being unable to finish the whole 1 liter bottle.  Smart marketing tactic, I'd say!

Quiznos

Somehow I associate sub sandwiches with airports, I just don't know why.  This time was different; I was hungry in Makati, and when I saw Quiznos store, I wanted a sub.  I liked the atmosphere of the place instantly, it was not crowded, with only two other tables taken during merienda time (that was around 3pm on a weekday).  I didn't realize then that Quiznos had over 2,100 locations all around the world, and that this Denver based company is slowly coming back to life under Chapter 11 proceedings in the United States.  I hadn't heard of this sub sandwich maker until about last year when I saw their shops sprouting up, first in the Katipunan area, and now in the Greenbelt Mall.  The manager engaged me in friendly conversation and told me that they oven toast their subs, and he guaranteed that their sandwiches were bigger and better than that of the competition.  I had a roast beef sandwich and it was topped with cheese and quite filling.  I would have wanted it a bit saltier though.  Prepare around P200 per head, and that would be enough to enjoy your meal!

Black Bridge

Tony, Anita's hubby, has always talked about the famed Taiwanese brand Black Bridge as the standard for preserved meats, and I found myself in a Black Bridge store somewhere in the Tin Hau area.  Curious, I picked up two packs of pork jerky, one crispy style and another BBQ style (around HK$60 each, thereabouts, if I recall right).  Both are absolutely winners! The crispy pork comes in super thin wafers, with lots of black sesame embedded, imparting a unique taste.  The pork jerky is tender, finely flavored with some Chinese herbs and spices. No burnt portions, it appears that the meat is smoked rather than char-broiled.  Monique and I just love this stuff!