Azure Cafe

I had my lunch today at Azure Cafe. As we were a bit late, all the lunch specials have gone out already. I contemplated on ordering the pasta dishes or the pasta-sandwich combo or some all-day breakfast fare. I chose the latter and oredered the Beef Tapa Breakfast.

There were 6 of us who dined together. Mimi, having been on a diet, opted to use this meal for her available cheat meals and ordered eggplant parmigiana. Maidette ordered the same as well. Chay picked Aglio Olio while Eric got his corned beef breakfast meal. Rene, who came in late, ordered his pasta.

My beef tapa is quite good. Tender and crispy while retaining its juiciness on the inside. As a breakfast meal, it is served with 1 sunny side-up egg, a cupful of rice, a banana and an order of Coke light. Beef tapa is marinated beef strips in spices, brown sugar and some vinegar or lime juice as tenderizer. It is fried in super hot oil and served at once. Normally, it goes well with a vinegar dip with chili flakes or pepper.

The meal was quite filling as I did not expect it to be served with a ripe banana. While ordering, I thought, I was gonna try their new apple struesel muffins as a dessert. Anyways, I will have to try that on another day, perhaps. My lunch today cost me Php215.00 or a little over US4.67.

As lunch progresses, Mimi recounted her family reunion last weekend and how their presentation went about; having to sing accapella and in 4-part harmony the song "Stand by Me". She thought, their intro was well loved, but it lost its audience thereafter.

Maidette shared her sister's story about being asked by her OBGyne to check out the hospital facilities and specifically bring with her some bathing suit whenever she checks-in for her baby delivery. Everyone asked why does a very pregnant person would don a bathing suit on her due date. Well, apparently, it is a good ritual to soak in hot bath while the mother is on its way to labor as it helps dilate the pelvis or whatever that needs dilated and facilitate the delivery. Isn't that amazing, the kind of medical service Canada offers to its citizen. They actually have hot jacuzzi for pregnant women. And it extends to husbands as well, as it is expected that the husband will be with his wife during the ritual - sit in the hot tub while waiting for the baby. This is just too great!

Maidette casually asked me if I will be on my wife's side when delivering our baby. I said, I probably would not want to be in the delivery room as I am a bit quizzy to certain smells and the sight of blood and scalpels. She recalled how her husband Ricky, was with her in the delivery room with the handycam documenting the delivery process. As Maidette was on caesarian operation, however, she was fully awake, she remembered well when she was cut-up and all the intestines were hauled out of stomach to make way for the baby while Ricky was filming. When Ricky saw the intestines coming out, he almost fainted and looked the other way. However, he would continue to peek into the video focus as filming never stopped. Maidette had a laugh looking at the grimaced face of her husband.

I probably could not endure what Ricky had just experienced. I will probably faint or make so much mess in the process.

Well, Lani, the cashier at Azure Cafe had just delivered her baby last June. She showed me her baby pictures and her baby boy was just adorable and pretty cute. She had a 7 pounder baby when it was delivered. By the way she relates her baby, she was a happy and content mother.