bigboyinthecity

2020-08-13T10:20:00.003+08:00

These times aren’t new to me. I have seen worst days, months, years…the past 3 years has been a series of unfortunate events in my life with one mishap happening one after another in perfect, systematic order. Other men would have thrown themselves orbiting vertically down along a skyscraper - a death, cancer, job loss, wiped out savings, starting over yet again and the quintessential people who leave you at the worst time. But to me, this is just one other day, and the mishaps keep coming…it would have wiped out the mental states of other so-called lesser creatures. But what happens to me doesn’t define me, and they will never be my object of wrath, anger or depression. This is life. I don’t suck it up. I just let it slide and i press on. Because what happens to me, while really personal at times, will never faze me. hehehe… it doesn’t.

Summers of Insomnia

2013-05-19T00:21:00.001+08:00

Tadaa!

I'm back! yet again...
It's almost midnight and part of my life has been my insomnia since i was a kid. And part of my zooming thoughts now is "I wonder what happened to my blog?" Bam! Here I am! And to my surprise, my past month blog view is 522. Yes. Five Hundred twenty two. The highest page view in a month since I started my blog. And to think that my last post was September 2011. And it's about bagnet. And all its wonderful variations in a little place named after its registered number (see below).

and So I am back.
As I've mentioned, I have been an insomniac since I was a kid. And I think this malady of sorts, if you can call it that, was really exacerbated by summers of long readings in between high school breaks, with my older brother who shared my room. We would do marathon book readings during summer, and sometimes, we would challenge to finish a book in a day or two. So we would hole up in our room, reading like its an actual sports activity. We were lucky that our parents really encouraged this, and my paternal grandmother, who was a college professor, was a book collector, mostly fiction, and was also a notorious insomniac (I think I got it from her). It doesn't end there. If we have favorite books, we would swap. After reading it, we would discuss it. hahahaha! Nerd alert!

Of course, it wasn't always something my parents encourage. There were times that my mom would actually barge into our room early in the morning, on top of her voice, say, gising na!! She knows we were reading the whole night. She would literally throw us out of the room, so we can "contribute" to the long list of chores to do, and also to urge us to go out. That was high school. When we were in grade school, she made it her ultimate goal to keep us inside the house, and we were always outside, playing, telling stories till night time, sometimes walking or biking around till we were outside the 5 kilometer radius of our house (of course she doesn't know that, TILL NOW!). Sometimes, my mom would inspect us in the middle of the night, just to check on all of us. That was how we sharpened our talents for reading under the sheets. Of course, my mom would also always catch my older sister on the phone, in the dark, whispering to whoever she was talking to. Between us and my sister, she was always the greater evil then hahaha. So, we got away with our reading addiction.

Such were our summers. Summers of Insomnia. If we weren't reading, my kuya and i would be talking, exchanging stories till the wee hours of the night, sometimes till dawn. We loved it. I and my brother were never content with just, "It's ok","It's good", for an answer. That is totally lame. If you ask any one of the two of us, "How was your day?", prepare to sit back and listen to a full discourse on how our day was, with rich, detailed explanations and descriptions of details, it could actually rival the books we read.

Nowadays, my readings are confined to the bathroom. I read sparingly, due to so many other stuff that consumer my life - work, family, etc. I sure would love to go back to those summers. I plan to go back to a reading life, when I retire early. So far, it's still just a wish, never a plan.
Yet!

My current read - Honeymoon and other stories by Kevin Canty. Very nice read. Short and sweet. Short Stories are great bathroom reads, especially if the bathroom is inside your room LOL

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

bagnet in makati and its unlimited variations

2011-09-11T10:00:00.002+08:00

One of my good friends introduced me to this place, though I have heard of it so many times in the past and also passed by it several times before. Along Estrella street in San Antonio, Makati, is a nondescript house whose front has been converted into this restaurant - 8065 Bagnet. Even the name is very plain and simple - the number is the actual registered number of the house.

You enter and you get an old home feel - old wood, old 60s architectural style, old marble slabs. The walls are literally littered with books, plaques, memorabilias of a family. It's like entering your grandma's house. It's not unusual that it has a low ceiling, it was obviously formerly an anteroom into the actual house. There is a wall that has all these grafittis from patrons, and you can make out scribbles of celebrities. The place is owned by Kitchie Nadal's family. Call me starstruck, but I was waiting to catch her there. I've been there 4 times and never saw her. hahaha. Anyway, inside this unpretentious front is delicious, cardiac food.

What's the food?
It's main feature, as the name states, is bagnet. In all forms imaginable. Dinuguan, kare-kare, etc. Bagnet, to the uninitiated, is pork (usually boiled pork belly) that is popular among Ilocanos. It's from that region, and I think the main difference between a lechon kawali and bagnet is that it is fried twice - first, a slow fry and then the second, a boiling fry. Now I am not sure about this, but nevertheless, it is great! It's quite similar to chicharon Camiling from my mom's province, Tarlac. But chicharon camiling is boiled twice and then slow fried to a crisp, whole, the inside juicy and succulent. But that's a different, and equally delicious, story. Back to 8065 bagnet. We ordered the dinuguan and the kare-kare. You can actually order 1.5liter coke products here, so we also ordered that. We didn't order the original bagnet anymore. You can actually order it as a serving (1 plateful without rice) or as a rice topping. The topping cost only P99. Now that's a treat!

How was it?
Now I was bracing for the dinuguan to be something like bagnet thrown with dinuguan sauce. It wasn't. I think they actually cooked the meat with the sauce, because dinuguan juice just oozes out of the meat. But the Kare-kare, they definitely poured over the sauce. It's ok though. They probably wanted to maintain the crispiness of the meat. But both are great!! We also ordered their ensaladang talong, which is probably very close to homemade ones. Very nice!

Their sabaw is a piece that can stand on its own. Sobrang sarap, and you have to sip it piping hot. There are slivers of repolyo thrown in for healthy measure (yeah right), but even without it, it's a standout. I suspect it's the broth where they boil all the bagnet.

Would I invite you if it were my party? Oh, yes I will!! Except for the wait staff who obviously were not trained on proper waiting, and were selectively blind and deaf on all of my visits, this place knocks you off your feet, even with the grungy ambience.

How cheap is it? Cheap enough for you to shout out that you will treat the whole barkada! Taya ko ito! On my second visit there, we were just two, and we ordered all of the stuff I mentioned in this article and it was just around 500 pesos. Not bad....the price of two big mac meals upgraded to large comes close to its price, but I would choose the bagnet fare anytime.

5 stars for taste. I must warn you though, to slow down if you are on heart medication.
5 stars for price!!! It's so cheap, I can eat there everyday! I want to, but I shouldn't. It's good that my cardiologist does not subscribe to my blog.

Come to this place. You just have to go out of your way to get there but it's worth it! And it's open till really late night.

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

Ho Chi Minh and the surprise of a great city

2011-09-04T16:44:00.000+08:00

A few months ago, I went on a business trip to Vietnam, to Ho Chi Minh to be exact. While I have been to Hanoi before, most of my friends said that the two cities are worlds apart. So I wasn't expecting much and just reserved my biases for later. Traveling often requires that you have an open mind and eye. Otherwise, you will not enjoy any part of it.

So we went, and went around. Ho Chi Minh doesn't disappoint - it's bustling, it's restless, it'c very clean and it's quite orderly. they have their share of their westernized mindset and have a big chunk of luxury items strewn around the metro for good measure, but you also see the vestiges of the past and its communist link, though it's more of the positive, safe side.

Ho Chi Minh is hot, fashionable, stuffy, loose, out there. It is very traditional, yet very open. It is very young and raring to go. It's also very delicious and filling. Plus, it's also affordable and near. If you want a new travel experience on a budget, you have to go to Ho Chi Minh.

Just going around will tell you that Ho Chi Minh will be one of the most progressive cities in Asia and the world, quite soon, really.

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won ton: my new food discovery format and the promise of regular posting

2011-09-03T00:54:00.000+08:00

I am back, and while no one really gave me a big push to go back, I realized that no one would and that if I plan to keep a blog, I might as well post, so that people who stumbled into this will have something fresh to read.

Now that I am back, I will be posting more food encounters with a more "rigid" rating - what's the food? how was it? would i invite you if it were my party? how cheap is it? 1 to 5 stars for taste and price. These will be the sections for each of my food blog. For other posts, it's still free for all, LOL.

here's the first one then...
Won Ton restaurant is in Greenhills, the shopping mecca of pirates and their supporters. I know because I am one of them every now and then, LOL! Now aside from fake bags, watches and shoes, and the fantastic furnitures, the chinese delis, the pearls from our Muslim brothers and sisters, the cell phones and gadgets and all the pirated apps for your ipad, Greenhills also has its share of really good food.

One of the new discoveries here is Won Ton. It has two branches - one in Promenade, and another inside the shopping center.

What's the food? Chinese made fast and done pinoy-style. The place is clean, simple, with very fast service and good enough waiters. They will approach when called, they will give you your food in due time and they won't bother you until you call them again.

How was it? Really good, food with no bullshit. They don't try to be extravagant or pretentious. It's plain and simple good food that makes you warm and satisfied. Comfort food!

Star/s of the menu: signature dishes are 1. fried chicken wings with vinegar dip 2. fried pork chop with tofu salt and pepper style. Fried but no oily aftertaste. The Chicken's vinegar dip is superb.

Would I invite you if it were my party? Definitely! It has other stars on the menu, like their version of the Korean dish, Japchae, their selection of fried rice, their selection of tofu dishes and their beef with broccoli. They also have noodle soups, with their clear soup that is very meaty in flavor and yet so clean to the taste - no heady feel, no oily residue, just flavorful soup base, with above average ingredients.

How cheap is it? Cheap enough for me to treat you. Prices are reasonable and servings are often good for two (I count myself as two... no, really, I always eat for two).

So if you're in Greenhills, and you've had your fill of shopping, or wandering around, or you just happened to land somewhere near, this place is worth the search. I give this place 5 stars for deliciousness and 5 stars of affordability.

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

Old Manila

2011-06-18T11:49:00.001+08:00

Last January 2, since we weren't doing anything except eat all the leftovers from the holidays (and boy, they don't look like leftovers - it could still feed you for the next week), we decided to have a mini roadtrip in the metro. It was a wise decision because there wasn't much traffic - everyone was home or visiting others, eating leftovers from the holidays.

We decided to go to Manila, and find out how much it has changed since we were kids. We used to spend our summer vacation either in Pampanga, my mom's province (it's actually Tarlac, but her sister lives in Angeles, and it was a shorter commute back then, so we go there), or to Sta. Cruz, Manila, my dad's hometown.

Now Pampanga and Manila are worlds apart - Angeles then, was at once, bucolic and worldly, with the GI's all around and the fresh air smelling of chicken poop and PX goods, of friendly strangers, of everyone claiming to be related to each other - it was a warm feeling. Manila, on the other hand, was a bustling, chaotic mix of noises, urban dirt, and exciting unfriendly places and faces - everyone was anonymous, yet, in that old sector, my cousins and I know everyone and know who to hang out with.

In Manila, we would often take jeepney rides or just plain walk around in the vicinity of Sta. Cruz. It's quite a fantastic thing to do, specially when we were just 10 or 11 years old then. Everything was big, and everything was a wonder. It was actually quite dangerous then, and probably much more now. It was the martial law years then and it was the time when Manila was undergoing a change for the worse - buildings were beginning to deteriorate and people were becoming meaner. But those were wonderful years then, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Enter now, and I see a quiet Manila (because it was a sunday), and I see some of the old buildings still there, but completely defeated, wearied by time and neglect. But it sure still shows us the glory of what was Manila then. I wish that the Manila government would be much more focused on saving our heritage sites there and also other sites that are worth saving, buildings that give Manila its distinct character and its true place in the history of the world - a great City that truly has a heart that is still alive and kicking after all these years.

Quiapo Church

Typical church bell tower showing the artistry of centuries-old architectures in Manila

Downtown, the old business district

Syvels!!!

Art Deco Style, common among pre and post war Manila Buildings

Capitol Theatre, along Escolta, designed by no less than Juan Nakpil

Capitol Theatre

Chinatown welcome Arch

Binondo Church Exterior

Ongpin Statue

Binondo Church

Post Office

City Hall

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Shoppingu ya dainingu Yamazaki de

2011-05-22T20:48:00.000+08:00

I have been to Little Tokyo several times in the past few years, and i must say they really offer a good variety of Japanese food at very affordable prices. While most are not perfect or excellent, they are still a good buy. But one place in the compound comes through as an affordable and delicious treat, all at once - Yamazaki grocery and Ramen house.

The place faces Makati Cinema Square, and is right beside a Japanese spa. Inside is a very lowly looking grocery, but it is stacked full of everything you will need, Japanese food-wise.

They have sauces, seasoning, frozen seafood, meat and processed food. They also have noodles, drinks (non and alcoholic - they have all of my favorite coffee and juice drinks there) baked products, snack food - you name it, they most likely have it. On the left side of the grocery is the ramen house area, with a smoking and non-smoking section (yey!).

Japanese crepe cake, sliced to bite size. yummy!

The selection of ramen is decently wide, and are priced lower than most other ramen places. They also have other dishes, but they stick mostly to ramen.

I must say, their ramen is comparable to ramen I've tasted in the city. The service is fast, the menu is in Japanese and English (another yey!), and the friendly Filipina waiting staff can actually explain to you the dishes if you ask for it (another yey!). They cater to mostly Japanese clients and the place is very quiet, homey and modest and very, very clean.

the smoking area

menu in english, yey! and the wait staff can explain each dish to you, if you want!

gyoza is crunchy outside and melting delicious inside!

some of the Japanese pocket books they lend to customers

Their ramen is really good, not too oily, ingredients are fresh and serving is large enough

each table is partitioned for privacy. the place is modest and clean

Their customers are mostly Japanese the last time I went, but the grocery has its share of Pinoys like me.

While it may not be comparable to venerable Japanese establishments like Hatsu Hana Tei or Kimpura or Shinjuku, or even Tsumura, it tastes a lot better than most other Ramen shops I've visited. So if you are hungry for some Ramen, but is not open to spending a whole lot but still looking for something worth it, your place is Yamazaki. It's near, it's delicious and it's affordable!

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

Healthy shabu-shabu, aren't they all? and the Hat that was never quite white

2011-05-22T01:35:00.000+08:00

Our new favorite lunch or dinner place at Alabang town center is Healthy Shabu-Shabu. It has been there for quite some time, at the Cinema wing, but it has just been in the past year that we "discovered" it - i.e., my parents agreed that it is indeed well worth going back to.

Our latest trip to it was about a month ago, just to get away from the searing heat of the weekend.

So there we were - my parents, I, my sister and brother. We had our fill and we enjoyed the long lunch and chat time, and our free halo halo, japanese style (if ever there ever was, though it tasted good, nonetheless).

fight!

break

burp!

Of course, true to the family spirit of never-ending eating, we had to pass by White Hat for the perfunctory frozen yogurt that has become a default pass-by-before-going-home for everyone in the family. It really is a bottomless pit, when it comes to good food.

nomnomnomnomnom

It was great, and shabu-shabu delivered on its name that it is indeed healthy. So next time you are in Alabang Town Center, check out Healthy Shabu-shabu at the cinema wing. It's cheap (if you order right), filling and fantastic comfort food fit for a family weekend runaround.

my soup doesn't look as nice as it tastes

fish, beef, chicken and pork just rounds it out quite nice

an egg, fresh vegetables and nice oriental balls (LOL) and noodles comes with every order

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

Shabu-shabu and the not so fit MINI moniker

2011-05-11T23:17:00.000+08:00

I used to just pass by all these shabu shabu for the past years thinking that it really isn't my cup of tea. And for good reason - what decent restaurant will charge you for ingredients that you would cook yourself. I usually don't go out for a meal so that I can cook it. If I wanted that, I would probably just stay home. But a good friend and colleague introduced me to it a couple of years ago. It didn't quite catch on to me, but in the past year, I am starting to get the hang of it for two reasons: they really offer a healthy fare, and I always relish the excitement of eating what you cook up, bad or good. It seems to excite me always.

I actually have two favorite shabu shabu places - healthy shabu-shabu in alabang town center and mini shabu-shabu at bonifacio high street. I always volunteer these places when people start asking where we should eat out.

Now let's start with mini shabu-shabu. This place isn't really mini. Their serving plates are humongous and an order of ingredients is always too much for one person. I don't know where the "Mini" name came from - it just probably stuck when they were starting and they didn't bother to change it. I don't know! ask someone else! If you are ever at Boni High Street wondering where you should go for lunch, this is a good place to park and lounge the afternoon away. They won't push you out even after you're done!

Anyway, here are some pictures from the place care of the visit with my sister and cousin.

the place is quite nice and clean

our initial orders

and then another order

by this time we have over ordered. nobody cares.

yes we've over ordered

my sister even had to order a rice dish

my creation - simply heaven

The prices are reasonable, the food is fresh and really delicious, the place is clean, quiet and not too crowded, even on a weekend. Worth going back to, I would say. On my next post, the Healthy Shabu-shabu at alabang town center.

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

Tina Fey: Mama Said Knock You Out Celebrities: GQ.com

2011-04-22T07:08:00.000+08:00

Tina Fey: Mama Said Knock You Out Celebrities: GQ.com

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Pinoys and the coins that cashiers ask for all the time

2011-04-20T00:31:00.000+08:00

There's the fact that we point with our lips, and also that everything is just at the next corner, or that a decent call-out is a psst. But the most amusing and annoying for me is that most cashiers ask for your loose change every time you pay for anything. I guess giving out candies as change has reached international shores as I have experienced this in Tokyo, Hanoi, HCMC, Singapore, Bangkok, KL and even Guam. But no one has yet immersed themselves in the habit of asking for more money when you have paid for things you have bought. "Sir, do you have 3 pesos?", to even out the change to a rounded off figure, fair and square.

It wouldn't have bothered me, but most cashiers now expect you to always have at least P10 in loose change in your pockets at any time. Some even glare at you when you can't give out the required loose change. The nerd, as some of my funny sarcastic friends would exclaim. Though I admit that I do have more than P10 in my pockets at any given time (sometimes even P100, please don't kill me), and some of my friends know that and even egg on the cashiers and harass me to cop out the required change whenever THEY buy stuff, and i happen to be with them. Now, I even pay for my friends' stuff!!! Talk about irony that went left field.

I hope this weird habit doesn't ship out to other countries. Otherwise, it would be part of the signs that the end is coming. The whole world will implode with the sheer number of cashiers around the world simultaneously asking you to give them more money when you have given them more than what you were supposed to pay in the first place.

Today I have resolved not to entertain the cashiers' badgering. The last one got a cold "Wala" from me with a languid stare that would stand down even the icy stare of the Man with No Name, or even Clint Eastwood himself, or even Toshiro Mifune (or whoever LOL).

So the next time someone asks you for loose change, tell them "I would give it to you if I had it, which only means I don't have it, so don't ask me, ok?" LOL. That should shut them up, hopefully for the next two customers, who is lined up behind you.

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

japanese resto in sta. rosa

2011-03-06T10:36:00.000+08:00

In the new wing of Paseo de sta. Rosa is a ramen house that is really yummy. Ryuma (sounds like arthritis, but it's not, LOL) is a nice new addition to the restaurants in Sta. Rosa. It is surprisingly inexpensive and their ramen and sushi were great! Checked who is behind it and it is owned and managed by a Japanese and their chef is also Japanese. So it is as Japanese as it gets. Lots of traditional dishes on the menu. Treated my parents to a lunch there last week and we thoroughly enjoyed the food. The best ramen I have tasted locally, to date.

funny placemat with monkeys and other animals

Here are some of pictures from the lunch. If you are ever in Sta. Rosa, check this place out. It's in the new wing, where Timberland, Aerosole, and Marks and Spencer outlet stores can be found. While you're there, check out the great merchandise and the fantastically low prices at Timberland. Bought a decent pair of shoes there for only 35 UD dollars!

shoyu ramen

miso ramen

tokusei ryusa chirashi - a do it yourself sushi cart

mom and dad fooling around

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Beautiful Subic

2011-03-02T22:44:00.000+08:00

Last January, we went to Subic for a shoot for one of the accounts I handle. I must say, that despite all the things that has happened to Subic - its emancipation from the Americans as a naval base, its subsequent handling from Mr. Gordon who successfully turned it around into a thriving industrial park, its slow demise now, after Mr. Dick Gordon was unceremoniously kicked out of Subic several years ago - it still has its charm and it has started to evolve into an enclave of discipline and industriousness. Never mind that most of the multinationals are starting to leave it for China. Subic's residents have etched for themselves a unique character in a community built on earnest living and respect for order. It still is a beautiful, quiet, clean and orderly place.

Here are some of the pictures I took.

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BLOG - OCTV - OPENING CEREMONY

2011-02-24T10:59:00.000+08:00

BLOG - OCTV - OPENING CEREMONY

Young fashion brands are once again challenging the norms of marketing and advertising and are now using online video to promote their new lines. Opening Ceremony is leading the pack. I wonder when these new thinking, that sharply targets a wired, young and fashionable market, will become mainstream and everyone will start doing it.

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

LADY GAGA - Born This Way (Cover)

2011-02-18T13:20:00.000+08:00

This little girl is a firebomb talent. She should be everywhere when she hits her teen years. I hope her pure, pristine voice lasts when she becomes famous.
bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

first post for the year - year that was and year to be

2011-02-07T23:44:00.000+08:00

After a long time of not writing anything, I am now beginning my blog mania for the year. 2011 is definitely a better year for me and I am feeling it - the economy is rebounding, my country is starting to get back to its hopeful and passionate state (passion and positivity is a good way to work and get things done!), my health is improving like never before *thanks to my renewed passion for the gym and my so-far-successful- cutting-down-on-my-food-intake resolve that started this year and of course, my family has resolved some issues from late last year and are now starting to heal with forgiveness.

Well, anyway, 2010 has been a rough and tumble year. I've had setbacks with work, with health, and some challenges with my personal life. I was able to travel to some nice places - Hong Kong again, and Taipei after a long time, and Singapore for work. I have made some big strides in terms of improving my health, which starts with weight loss and body fat loss and muscle gain, to increase metabolism. This should have a positive effect in reversing my diabetes and hypertension, as both are lifestyle-acquired. We were able to achieve our target income at work, which was an almost impossible thought mid-year, when we were almost behind by a whole month's worth of income. Talk about commitment - I guess when a group of like-minded people set out to overcome tremendous obstacles, nothing is impossible. Well my colleagues at work proved that.

For this year, I will
1. post more of my favorite food places and some favorite food on a more regular basis;
2. target to travel outside asia this year - Europe and Australia, budget permitting;
3. add music and book reviews into my repertoire this year;
4. also add some quirky new finds that attracts my quirky eyes

So i hope there will be more readers this year too, and probably some more who will eventually follow my blog.

See you guys!

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

Evil times and the basketball in the closet

2010-12-04T03:07:00.000+08:00

When I was really young, I always wondered if our planet were just a basketball in a boy's cabinet, sometimes jogged to use, sometimes flying out into a hoop, sometimes collecting dust and mold in the darkness of the cabinet, sometimes, being jabbed with the solid fangs of a playful puppy. Those "events" were my explanation on the weather changes, the earthquakes, the seasons, etc. Of course, now I know it is far from reality. But sometimes, I really wonder.

A few days ago, I ran into news articles where the UN declared the Philippines as one of the hotspots for climate change and will take the brunt of nature's fury in the next years - stronger earthquakes, more ferocious storms, floodings that won't clear for days, etc. And then I wondered, maybe my juvenile theory might have some truth to it - the Philippines might be in a spot in the basketball where it takes the most beatings, kids touching the area too often, dogs scratching it too much, peeing on it sometimes, the ball probably resting its full weight on the area where the country was located. It just might be true, after all.

Would it be too much to wonder and ask for simpler explanations for these future events? I still wonder, and the child in me forces me to think it through some more, while the adult in me dismisses it as rubbish.

It would be great to think that if this were the case, then there might be a slight chance that my counrty's fate might change soon - as soon as some other part of the ball starts taking more of the abuse that a basketball can take. It may sound foolish and selfish, but I wanted to think this can happen - if the world were a basketball.

But then, of course, it's not. Who knows? We might just be living in a volleyball instead, or a tennis ball. It might just be a different story if it were a different ball. What do you think?

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

Padre Damaso and the Heidelberg pork hock

2010-11-27T01:16:00.002+08:00

Restaurant of the month for me is Ristorante Pia Y Damaso - Subversive Filipino Cuisine at Greenbelt 5's second floor.

The restaurant is a quirky concept by itself - it is so small that it fits only about 5 decent tables inside with a massive bar taking up about a third of the place and a table is set aside with a wooden enclosure for privacy. But what it lacks in space, it more than makes up for in terms of delicious taste.

It surely has an interesting menu - we picked the tubig ni Maria pitcher which is good enough for 3 thirsty big men, like me and my friends. It has ginger, local pipino, it think there is even lemongrass in there, with a lime and an orange slice. It makes up for a really cool, nice refresher and palate cleanser.

We ordered the humongous Ode to heidelberg, which according to the menu was one of the dishes that Rizal enjoyed while writing some of his subversive verses while in Europe. It has 4 kinds of sausages, and a smoked hind leg of pork that is very soft and easy in the mouth - no subversive tones or invasive flavors.

The menu is interesting as it has references to Rizal and some of his characters from Noli Me Tangere. Imaginative, but it pushed some of the dish names too far. at least, they all looked promisingly tasty. The Ode is enough for 4 or even 5 grown men.

We wanted to try their luscious looking desserts but we were so stuffed, we had to forego it. I will have to come back for their desserts. A lot of my friends have good things to say about it.

They have an open veranda that opens to garden stairs leading to the patio below at the Greenbelt 5 garden. The veranda is actually bigger than the restaurant, so it might be best to stay there if you are with a big group and the weather is cool (and it is usually cool nowadays).

I like the food, liked the service, liked the Tubig ni Maria, and i give this restaurant my thumbs up for this month.

If you are ever in Makati and near Greenbelt 5, this is definitely a place to go to. It's right beside Fely J's at the seond floor, so you can't miss it, really!

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chilean miners and why no one knew their rescuers

2010-11-14T07:36:00.001+08:00

When I was young, there was big news on a girl that was stuck in a well and the daring rescue that happened. It made quite a stir around the world, to think that the internet wasn't invented yet at the time and even CNN and BBC and all the 24 hour news channels were at their infancy and reach was limited. What struck me as funny was that the girl actually made headlines - why was she in the headlines when she got herself stuck in the well? I would have spanked her after she was cleared by the doctors, after the incident.

Now I don't have anything against all these stories of courage and the human spirit. The fact is, we all love these stories because it stirs inside us a hungering passion to be alive again, and reminds us of how precious life is. If it were up to nature, we would rather be all dead. I think the mining accident happened in due course - Chile was sent a sign from nature. And the miners were the accidental victims. But then again, in the world's eyes, they were heroes, albeit accidental ones. We should celebrate the rescuers, if you ask me. There is very little reference to them in the news. The courage of the miners were forced by circumstance. They have to take courage or die. The rescuers were courageous by choice. I wonder why nobody took the time to feature them extensively. This is why i didn't follow the news. Sadly, there was nothing in the miners that could have spelled human interest for me. I would rather hear about the rescuers and their families, how they coped with the imminent danger that they have consciously plunged themselves into. Now that for me, is the big news - people who regularly take a stand and make a choice, no matter how unpopular, to be courageous and do the right thing. It saddens me that accidents like these become fodder for news huggers and politicians. The saddest thing is that everyone loves accidental heroes, but nobody cares about heroes by choice. That is why people love to hear about the rescued, not the rescuers. People by nature, are jaded, dismissive and suspicious of people who, on a daily basis, choose to be in a dangerous situation, because they want to help.

I am glad that all miners were rescued. But I am gladder that nothing bad happened to the rescuers, and I salute them for making a choice to be courageous. Nowadays, very few people make that choice, which deserves higher human interest than the rescued.

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the gigantic kebab at 3 in the morning

2010-11-08T20:45:00.000+08:00

When you travel, you discover food and stuff that locals would probably take for granted, but tourists would swear on their dear life, if it were their last supper. But since I am not going to be executed anytime soon, I would say this could be the best kebab you can munch on, if you want a real meat indulgence, and you are in Hong Kong.

Ebeneezer's Kebabs and Pizzaria is probably the best kebab I have tasted in a long time. Now, it would seem that the place is a mix of sorts of various food cultures, and it is. The kebab they serve is not in a stick. It is hand-wrapped pita bread, stuffed with shredded lamb or chicken with vegetables and the best grill sauce you will taste this side of the world. It looks like a burrito, but it taste nearer to a shawarma. So it's indian, with a mix of mexican and mediterranean all mashed up in one wonderful halal-certified place. And, as they claim, it is healthy food fare (if you eat only one, that is).

We ordered in this branch in Wan Chai which is in the bar district, and is really small, with just 3 small tables inside, so you really have to eat outside, standing or leaning against the railings. I didn't mind. It was 3 am, and all the guys with me were all drunk and loud. I was just sleepy and hungry, and a bit tipsy. You can order your side of beer with your order, and it is a pretty good combination, and it's available the whole day. The bad thing here is that, at 3 in the morning, this branch is packed and there is a long line. Apparently, this is what HK boys and girls munch on after a night of drunkenness and debauchery LOL.

I downed the 6 inch long kebab (wrapped in aluminum foil) with a diameter of a pringles can, in just 5 minutes. You know what? You can do that, because it is that good. What happened after that was a blur. I woke up in the hotel room, all packed up and ready to go. I didn't even remember packing, but my bags were all neatly lined up beside the tv, which was playing national geographic the whole time. Last night was a blur to me, but i remembered the kebab clearly. I would go back to HK, if only for this order of Kebab from Ebeneezer's. Or i could Fedex it to me. I think I can do that...

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taipei food and walking like crazy the whole time

2010-11-03T23:05:00.001+08:00

Taipei is a great city in a way that it really has much to offer in terms of sights to see and food to eat. Not to compete with what Manila can offer in terms of cuisine, but Taipei really does have its own identity when it comes to food, never mind that it is heavily influenced by chinese cuisine.

The traditional meal in Taiwan usually consists of 4 bowls - rice, soup, main dish and a vegetable dish. It doesn't matter if it is morning, noon or night, food is always something to behold in this small country, and it also tells of how hardy Taiwanese are and how food really fuels them.

My first day, we went to Hankyu department store to join in the chaos of a Uniqlo store opening. My tripmates were raring for this since Uniqlo is not widely available outside Asia. After the long lines and the not-so-regrettable shopping binge, we settled into the food court, which offers pretty much everything Taiwan.

We had an omelette of something like leeks, finely chopped, and blanched cabbage, with rice and chicken stew in an iron plate. We also had a side order of beef and cabbage stew.

There was literally too much on our plates, it was filling, but it didn't have the heavy fill that we were expecting. The secret, according to my Taiwanese friend, is that they don't usually fry or saute (although you will get much of that from their street foods). This much, and you will have your fill and not be sludgy because of the fat and extenders. None of that on our food. And I think that is healthy and wise. I started to wonder if all traditional Taiwanese food are like these. So we decided to raid the Danshui night market for some traditional street food. We had ah gei and danshui fish balls in soup. The balls are actually a variety of various stuff - mainly pork, fish, bread filled with savory meat, and a mix of pork and fish. The filled bread are like mini siopao. Ah gei is actually bean curd or tofu, stuffed with boiled vermicelli, sealed with a thick fish sauce and doused with chili sauce. I was hesitant to try it. It was really good, AND it also had none of the oil and extenders. I guess traditional Taiwanese food is really healthy.

I wouldn't say the same though for the other fares I saw at the danshui night market - it was a regular parade of deep fried stuff of anything you can think of. I guess, like any other cuisine, Taiwan also has its share of junk food. That probably explains the quietly increasing proliferation of huge Taiwanese men (and some women) in the streets during my trip.

Here are some of their fried food fares:

Taiwanese, like Filipinos, also love their sausages and they have a variety of sausages available, including blood sausage, which is not exotic for us, Filipinos, since we eat every part of the pig, from the tongue to the ears, to the intestines, and yes, even pig blood.

The night market we went to didn't disappoint us - you will find all things fried, boiled, grilled. you name it, they have it.

The following night, we went to a restaurant that one of our taiwanese friends said is really popular. And with good reason, we went there, was given a number and had to wait for an hour before being served - were 64 and 35 was being served. At least, we were able to go around the surrounding community, which was nice and quaint, since the restaurant was in a small residential area at the heart of Taipei.

Their signature dumplings actually has broth inside it and they stuff their dumplings with all kinds of good stuff - minced pork, or shrimp, or even vegetables. We ordered the minced pork, the shrimp and the upo, all with broth inside them. The Taiwanese call it xiaolongbao. We dip it in a combination of shredded ginger, black vinegar and soy sauce. They also have the really cool zucchini in chili sauce, which was both hot and cool at the same time. And of course, we can't resist the dumplings in chili sauce, which was way spicy but not irritatingly hot.

The piece de resistance was their beef noodle soup. Now I am not a regular fan of this soup, because it can turn rancid in no time, but the broth it was served with has a clean meaty taste. I think they had to freeze the soup stock and take out the fat to achieve this. It was very good. And once again, despite the cast that we had more than our fill, it didn't give us a heavy feeling.

Din Tai Fung, the name of the restaurant, in Xinyi Road

Taiwanese water cabbage (like our kangkong but thinner and with smaller leaves),

blanched and served in garlic sauce

I guess I will go back to Taipei, not only for the people, which are nice, the sights, which are nicer, but most especially for the food, good food, that we found in between walking bouts between sights and train stations! Enjoying taiwanese food is the way to end a long walk and mark a good trip.

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RED and the Jamaican pattie on the floor

2010-10-28T00:21:00.001+08:00

After a refreshing trip to Taipei, I went back to work today, not so ready. My mind is still afloat, so I had to force myself to make a mental note of everything I had to do for the week. Though overwhelming as it may seem, I think the time off from everything sort of recharged me and despite my floating mind and hesitant disposition this morning, easing into work today seemed to be quite smooth by lunch time. I was on a roll by early afternoon.

One of the things I liked from my Taipei trip was seeing that most of the food i eat is not really good - delicious good, yes, but healthy good? Far from it. I made a mental note today to be conscious of what I eat, and so far it is working - I may manage to lose substantial weight by end of the year. Also, I have to go back to the gym. One week off can take its toll, but as I told my trainer, he has to start being mindful of pushing me too far. He has too or else, I will replace him. Had to check with my doctor before I left for Taipei due to persistent pain in the left calf and leg area. His diagnosis - an over accumulation of lactic acid in my muscles, due to over exertion. I was trying too hard too fast. Well, at least I've rested. And I realized that my extensive, relentless walking in Taipei has made my leg and calf muscle painful at the onset, but bearable after a while. So I guess i have to continue the exercise. But with more caution on over exerting.

Anyway, after work, at around 7, I decided to do some more walking. I don't have my car today since it I can't bring it out on Wednesdays (Manila has a strange way of decongesting traffic - one of them is banning your car one day a week. I wonder if it is really working). So i had no choice but to walk. After a little walking, I realized that the traffic is horrendous (as always), so I decided to see a movie instead to kill time until traffic thins out. I decided to see RED, since I have been seeing huge posters of it in Taipei (and it stars Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Karl Urban, Mary Louise Parker, the great John Malkovich and her highness Helen Mirren so it should be good). Before going straight to the cinemas, I decided to buy two Jamaican patties. I was lucky because I was the last one in line to get the last two pieces (haha, sorry to the two couples behind me). I realized my last food intake was around 1pm, and it was just vegetables and tofu and a little bit of rice. I was starving! In fact, I was trembling a little. Talk about hunger pangs; I was worried people will hear my stomach grumble. LOL!

Anyway, I went to the cinema with my ticket my two patties, my green tea. I ate one patty at the theater doors, waiting for the cinema empty out from the last screening. I was led to my seat, and as I was settling down, the second patty slipped from my lap and fell into the back of the seat in front of me. There it was, seen only by the light from the projector, naked, out of its paper pouch, in its full naked glory. 5 SECOND RULE, I mentally shouted and scrambled to get it. Also, it was the last piece in all of Greenbelt, so I had to save it (naks!).

Now this is where it gets weird. As i scooped it out of the floor, I checked to see if it was dirty, using the light from my phone. I mentally noted that it is still alright, and since it was dark and no one was around, I decided to eat it, thinking WHAT I CAN'T SEE WON'T HURT ME.... It didn't. I am still ok now, writing this story. And I enjoyed RED, after all. All the cast members did an acceptable performance. It could be better, but hey, it's an action movie. Helen's fantastically efficient timing and phrasing can only do so much. Though she really was convincing as a retired agent/hired killer. Bruce was his usual self, only older (and yes, he was a retiree in this movie, with pension checks and an empty nest, for full dramatic effect. After the movie, I actually totally forgot that I ate a whole Jamaican pattie that I took out from the floor. There is always a first - this is a first, as far as I can remember.

So there, the moral of the story is - those who try are better than those who plan. I actually got that from the notebook cover of a cigarette/street food vendor who hawks his wares in front of my client's office. Who knew I could connect that to my food-from-the-floor experience? By the way, Taipei is niiiiice. More on that in another post.

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hong kong from a bus

2010-10-20T23:33:00.000+08:00

I recently went to hong kong for work, and since it was for work, I didn't really plan to go our since there was not time - we arrived saturday afternoon and were leaving sunday morning so it was a really short trip.

I had no expectations of enjoying Hong Kong, but it was one of the most fascinating trip I had, as it turns out. My only trip around Hong Kong was the trip from the airport to the hotel, in an airport bus.

The only night i had was also one of the most fun I had. The suppliers we worked with took us out after the long meeting that ended at around 1030 in the evening. They took us to the top floor of crown regency - it was an open air bar straight out of the movies. I was half expecting James Bond to land from a plane to the deck bar, in his tuxedo, as he is handed out his signature martini, shaken, not stirred. Or perhaps Batman rushing out to the edge of the swanky bar as he awaits his bat plane to hook him up with his latest criminal in tow, to be handed out to the FBI in Gotham.

But of course, there was nothing of that. We had drinks and a few laughs and an overall pleasant, loud night as we had two nightcaps at two more bars after that.

But of course, before the night out, the best part - as I have mentioned earlier - was the trip in the airport bus from the airport to the hotel.

Here are some snap shots:

hong kong airport

housing projects

cargo bay

mall facade

private sports club with a HK landmark in the background

landmark buildings from a different view

the ubiquitous red taxis - very reliable

funny bewildering hong kong signs and their english translations

views from my hotel room, where i stayed for a record 6 hours, 5 of which is asleep

my name, scrambled and murdered yet again, and i am fine with it. it made me laugh!

Lost tourists

This short trip gave me a glimpse of Hong Kong that, surprisingly, I never enjoyed before. I've been to this route for a few times in the past and it has never been as enjoyable. I guess the thrill of having a short trip forced me to look at Hong Kong with a fresh eye. And I am glad I enjoyed the trip, even if I wasn't able to shop.

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My favorite verse

2010-08-28T17:08:00.000+08:00

Rudyard Kipling did not figure much in my early life until college when i first read his work "IF". It moved me in so many ways that to date, I still look at the verses every now and then to check on myself and see how virtue can play a big pivotal, positive force in your life.
Not surprisingly, I met with "If" again in college when I took a violent undertaking to enter as a "blind beggar" into a prestigious UP fraternity that is both famous and infamous for its members. It literally lifted me up through the harrowing experience and made me finish the initiation and become a "man" in my fraternity brother's eyes.
I am putting it here, so people can read it and be inspired by what it stresses in life. For the evil and mischievous, it might stick a sharp stick into their egos. I only wish that my readers will find this more invigorating than indicting.
Here it is - my favorite verse (which incidentally the Wimbledon and most of Britain also swears by) - IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream–and not make dreams your master,
If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings–nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And–which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son!

–Rudyard Kipling

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Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-18T22:41:00.000+08:00

I might be one of the lucky ones who still has a living father till now. I know of friends who lost their dads at an early age, friends who lost their dads when they were young men and some who even recently lost theirs. It is a humble experience to note that no matter what, you will see yourself in your dad (and in your mom) somehow, even if it isn't something you would care to like.

My dad is cool in a way that he never worries - something that i took early on as a lack of care. Of course, that built in my mind and heart a strong dislike and furstration as I was growing up. I wanted him to be somebody else - don't we all want that?

But as I grew old (and grew in wisdom, I suppose) I realized that changing your parents, or anybody else, is not your business. I have learned to love and respect my dad now that he is old. He has his ways, as everyone else, and most of the time, people misjudge him, especially the very ones that he loves. Yes, he loves us in his own way - in a way that he knows exactly what you want and what you need at any given time, as you grow up. He loves us in a way that makes him wake up early in the morning to take care of the pets that you promised to take care yourself, in the first place. He loves us in a way that he quietly lets you get your way even if it is not right, and will not mumble a word against it, and wouldn't use it against you in the future. He will just keep quiet and move on.

My dad is a cool dad in a way that he was never ashamed to hug us or kid with us, even when we are all fully grown. Most of all, my dad made up for all his faults by giving us what he does best - cooking for us, opening cans and bottles, fixing old furnitures and stuff, opening us to new hobbies and interest, taking the time and effort to like what we like (even when I know he wouldn't do it for anyone else, not even in a million years). He didn't have much to give us in terms of material wealth and didn't try too hard, since he knows he's not good at it. But boy did he make up for it. He can build a house for me, heck, I know he will do anything for me - without so much as a grumble or a word of complaint. In fact, he never complains.

So for all these things, and for all his shortcomings, I wouldn't trade my dad for anyone else, no matter what others will say. I love my Dad! Happy Father's Day, Pops!

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