Tuan Tuan

Monique and I couldn't resist the call of the now famous Tuan Tuan Chinese brasserie. Conceptualized by the Lugang group, this restaurant is an offshoot of the Mui Garden restaurant in Hong Kong.  We have been passing by this restaurant since late 2015, and it seemed that the long waiting lines outside were indicative of good food.  Last week, we walked into their SM Megamall branch at around 3pm, and were lucky to find a good spot for our late lunch.

Interiors are dressed up quite differently from your usual Chinese restaurant.  The place is like a French brasserie, and the impression you get is that it's a mix of post-war Europe and Hong Kong of the 1960s.  We started off with pork buns which were soft and delicious, not too sweet for me to go a-ranting!

The beef curry was excellent.  Meat was soft and the taste was just right.  The halibut noodle soup was also a delight--mixed in were some dumplings and siao long bao.  The chicken, however, was quite like ordinary, done in fast-food teriyaki style.  Food attendants are well-trained and very courteous.  You have to prepare at least some P800 per person to enjoy the restaurant though, which is quite a heap for regular day eating.

Frankie's

Monique and I shared an order of garlic parmesan chicken wings from Frankie's at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall.  Super yummy, this brand of buffalo wings; no wonder Monique's friends are raving about it!  Reasonably priced at P180 for a 3 piece order.  Come and get it!

Peter, Paul & Mary

* photo from metrolyrics.com

The only chord structure I can play on a guitar is: C, A minor, F and G7.  It's a common baseline for a lot of the American folk songs of the early sixties, of which Peter, Paul & Mary were noted for.  Their songs are forever ingrained in my memory: Blowing in the Wind, 500 Miles, If I had a Hammer, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Leaving on a Jet Plane, the Wedding Song (There is Love) and For Bobbie.  This morning I was treated to a welcome surprise as I turned the radio on--my favorite song Puff the Magic Dragon was playing!  For me, this song about childhood innocence defines the threshold of warm & nostalgic memories of family and friends.

The Halal Guys

I first heard that The Halal Guys had set up shop in BGC early this year, and Monique and I wanted to try the Middle East cum Mediterranean food billed as American Halal.  Last Saturday, we were lucky to arrive at their SM Megamall outlet just as they were about to open.  First dibs!  We had a beef & chicken combo that was priced at around P200.  One the one hand, it was served in just under 3 minutes.  On the other hand, not that it was bland, but I had expected the meal to have a little more smokey aroma and grill-y flavor.  Maybe a little more condiments, perhaps?

Dojo

It's not exactly cheap, with each serving priced at around P150 (note that I'd probably finish this in around 5 minutes).  The flavors of Dojo ice cream, however, are quite intriguing. Green Tea.  Wasabi.  Black Sesame.  Seaweed.  Miso Sake.  Yes, very Japanese.  It takes a while to get accustomed to the flavors, but you'll probably get the hang of it if you like Japanese cuisine.  For me, it was quite a sensation to taste salty miso in cold ice cream form rather than have it as hot soup!  FYI, the outlet we tried was located at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall food court, near the entrances to the cinemas.

30 First

I just love the home-made cooking styles of small food outlets.  It's almost like these shops aren't just businesses; they are practically an invitation to visit the owner's home, or dining room, if you will.

30 First has a nondescript facade at the corner of Regalado and  Dahlia Streets in Fairview--you can't even figure out its exact location if you were standing from across the street.  But the aroma of sizzling half pound patties can lead your nose to its doorstep.  Delicious!  And for under P150 for their largest burgers, you can't miss!

Muhammad Ali

* photo from huffingtonpost.com

Muhammad Ali

(1942 - 2016)

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee..."