Kaya

Nobody seemed to ask where's lunch today not until it was close to 1pm when Mimi finally came to my room. I was talking to my sister, Grace, on the phone as we tried to catch up on news about what's happening with our families. Grace finally hung up and I called up Rene to join Mimi and meet up with Jimmy at the back entrance of our building.

We asked Rene on what he feels like eating today. He suggested Yoshinoya, a Japanese fastfood joint at Parksquare. Mimi wasn't too excited about eating at Yoshinoya. Rene was restricted into thinking that Mimi would insist on a foodie place with salad on their menu for which Mimi promptly disputed. Rene suggested Marina but I told him, we would be paying more since, there were only 3 of us whose gonna share the bill. We ended up picking Kaya, a korean resto at G4 at the suggestion of Mimi.

We ordered the spicy squid, japchae and kalbi jim. We also had a side order for a kimchi. Spicy squid has been the group's favorite, though this was Rene's first brush with Kaya. The squid was always cooked to perfection and it's neither too hot nor too bland in its taste. Japchae or potato noodles was crystal in color with sprinkling of sesame seeds on top and chicken bits and shallots. I loved Kaya's japchae as its neither sweet nor too salty in its taste. Kalbi jim or beef stew is also another winner from Kaya. Its presentation was enhanced by the scrambled egg strips on top while its taste and texture have remained immaculately consistent every time we order this dish. The beef was so tender the meat literally separate from its bone and the stew was so good, I could soak my rice in it.

I had a fix of mountain dew to accompany my meal and I paid Php266.00 or (US$5.91) for this lunch escapade.

We went on our separate ways as Mimi went to the money changer and quick stop by Rustan's for some shopping. Me and Rene went around the mall, browsed through marked-down books on display and window-shopped for a new car model from Mitsubishi. This model was named Fuzion, Mitsubishi's answer to Toyota's family car Innova. Fuzion came in two variants, the jazzed up model with dashboard TV screen, eletronic gauges for tire pressure, climate temperature and such and the provision of the much needed safety feature, air bags. Can you imagine, the low end model does not have a single air bag at all? I really thought car airbags are a standard feature of todays cars, apparently not. Rene related that his new car does not have the airbag feature as well. He said, the next model from his newly purchased Honda City car was prized at Php100,000 more for an additional car feature of airbags and a bigger car engine difference of about 0.2 in displacement.

Well, Fuzion looked better than the Innova. It resembled a lot like the Pajero when seen from the front and it features bucket seating for its first two rows of seats. The high end model costs Php1.15 million, while the other model costs Php950,000. Rene joked that the Fuzion was more of a Daddy's car as opposed to the Innova, that's more known to be a mom mobile.

Jimmy drove us back to the office thereafter.

Kamay Kainan

It was a reunion of sorts with my friends from high school. Cecille was in town for a couple of days and I met up with her, Lyndon and Celso at The Fort. Cecille came from Cebu where she operates a personal finance enterprise. She was in Manila to accompany her sister in-law to the US Embassy for the needed immigrants visa interview. Celso has been working with Tambunting, a financial services company as liaison officer. Lyndon was without luck and has been unemployed for quite some time now.

I sort of played the tour guide of the group despite that Lyndon and Celso have been domiciled in Manila for quite a time. I asked them if they have been to Bonifacio High Street, as it's the newest opened alfresco shopping and dining destination at The Fort. Convinced that noboby have been there before, I drove them there. I brought them first to Market! Market! for our dinner. Not knowing what each of my friends would prefer to eat, I brought them to a filipino buffet restaurant, known as Kamay Kainan.

Kamay Kainan - a Kapangpangan style resto has a wide assortment of foods, from beef, pork, chicken to seafood and a gastronomic delight of typical filipino desserts such as halo-halo, dirty ice cream and a whole lot more. Beef sampling was prepared a couple of ways, such as in nilaga soup (beef shanks and brisket in soup with potato, cabbage and other vegetables), caldereta style and mechado. Pork dishes include, sweetened pork knuckles, grilled, bopis (inards), dinuguan (pork blood), pork soup, and pork chops. Chicken was fried, with nilaga (chicken soup) and other preparations. Seafood dishes include, fresh oysters, tahong soup, catfish grilled, shrimp tempura, drunken shrimp, fish fillet with soup, fried milkfish and tilapia, and various dishes with vegetables.

The dessert table was huge with more than a dozen ingredients for halo-halo, basically, crushed ice mixed with sweetened fruits and beans and topped with fresh milk and pinipig or ube yam. Fried sweet bananas, banana cake, ginatan or sweet rice porridge with sweet yam, bananas, tapioca and other ingredients cooked in coconut milk. A cart of dirty ice cream in mango flavor, ube and plain vanilla was also ready for the taking.

I feasted on fresh oysters, drunken shrimps, beef nilaga and caldereta, fried milkfish and tilapia, grilled pork chops, tahong and fish fillet. I felt so bloated I picked on the dessert plate that Lyndon fetched for himself as I cannot eat anymore another plateful. Everyone had a hearty appetite and no one was complaining about the taste and quality of the food. I told them intially, we were eating cheap and we did. Iced teas were refillable and it's only a personal choice not to go back to the buffet table and dishes were constantly refilled by the ever watchful waiters.

Our food bill was only Php1,200.00 or Php300.00 per pax (something like US$6.67). Cecille volunteered to pick the check as a treat for us. After eating, we walked towards Serendra plaza and unto the Bonifacio High Street for the night stroll. I related to them the real estate prices in Serendra for the condo units for sale and the kind of clientele patronizing this new hang out. Reaching the High Street, Lyndon was in awe, almost gawking at the 5 floors of Fully Booked, a flagship bookstore with a Starbucks coffee shop inside. Cecille wanted to shop at Crocs and she bought a pair of a 3-inch heeled slip-ons. They liked a lot the manicured lawns, the myriad of fountains, the trellis vines and the sparse crowd that strolled the gardens of Bonifacio High Street. We sat for while at the other end of the strip and talked about our high school days, what have we become and posed for some shots for posterity.

As the night turns colder, we prodded Celso to buy us some hot coffee at Starbucks. We walked back to Fully Booked and browsed around the wide assortment of trade books, travel, novels, magazines, music CDs, and even movies. After a while, we ordered our coffee and sat at Starbucks for more high school reminiscen. When the coffee shops closed its counter, we decided to call it a night as well. I offered to take Cecille to her brother's house and drop-off Lyndon and Celso thereafter at Edsa. We sure had a fun night as we said goodbyes to each other.

Amici de Don Bosco

It rained since Monday and two tropical storms have since entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility. Yesterday, the dourpour was just tremendous, flooding in my place prevented me from going nowhere. I stayed home with my wife and we enjoyed meals of arroz caldo (rice porridge with chicken) and hot cakes. It was a bit late when school was cancelled and a lot of finger pointing happened blaming the timeliness of calling off the kids from leaving the safety of their homes. Hence, last night, the government had announced no classes on all levels the following day. It has been an old joke that whenever the the weather bureau would forecast rains or bad weather, the sun would shine brightly. Today, the weather bureau did it again, the forecasted bad weather never happened, only few scattered rain showers and the sun did shine most of the day, at least in Metro Manila. Tropical storms Cheding and Dodong were on their way out to Taiwan and the coast of China. I believe, the Philippines should invest in people and better equipment to greatly improve the weather forecasting. We call our weather bureau, Pag-Asa which literally means "hope" yet, its forecasts are inaccurate and hopeless. Despite being the laughingstock, the bureau never got a facelift nor a good lashing for not doing properly its job.

Well, so much for the ills and problems besetting the country. Today, I asked my friends and colleauges to have our lunch at Amici. Amici is like a gem for a hole in the whole establishment that serves decent fare at very reasonable prices. It used be run by brothers of Don Bosco until some months ago when its business was sold to some entity that continued to operate it under the Amici name serving the same food and menu with greatly improved service. As a commercial entity, its POS system is now linked with the kitchen and a customer can literally order from a counter, any of its pasta, pizza or refreshments thereby eliminating the queuing up of the olden days when the brothers used to run the place.

We joked around that we felt different before knowing that the profits derived as a result of patronizing the place would redound to the benefit of the brotherhood that supported such programs as feeding the poor, fostering children and spreading the good news to mankind. Besides, we felt like the food we ate were blest by priest that we feel wonderful inside out partaking of the "feast". Today, its different. We know the place is run for profit but nonetheless, the food never tasted this good.

I ordered beef caldereta. It was the last serving from the food station and I should say, it was more than the usual serving. Got a moundful of rice (more like the huge amount of rice an ordinary carpenter or masonry laborer could actually consume after a day's work) and a can of Coke Light. Gentley ordered his favorite, the adobong pusit (squid cooked in its ink). Since the servings were hefty, me and Gentley shared our food. Rene and Maidette could not even hold their forks to try out Amici's beef caldereta.

It was Rene's maiden trip to Amici and he loved the place for its sheer no-nonsense ambience where the accoutrements go to the food quality and not on less substantive form of investments. Gentley pointed out in jest that Amici can be a "date place" as the woman will think you're the man of substance for choosing Amici over the fanciful restos. To me, I'll say, the man will be branded a cheapskate and that will probably be the end of his courting days, hahaha. We talked about the better mix of people dining in, as we saw some caucasian men ordering a bottle of wine and some svelte ladies ogling on their desserts and gelato.

Well, in fairness to Amici, it attracts mostly office workers during lunches and families during the weekends. It is good to know that it opens its doors to diners now even on Sundays. The brotherhood probably will not like much the idea that the new owners of Amici will not "rest" on Sundays. But the shop has made tie-ups with Waltermart, as diners can park their vehicles at the mall while Amici will exchange the parking ticket for a free car pass after spending some Php300 on food. That's a steal.

Well, I loved my beef caldereta. It has a rich texture and aroma, probably from using A grade liver sauce. You can tell the beef was fresh before it was cooked and I almost wiped my plate clean had I have some cheese bread with me. I also enjoyed the squid that Gentley shared and it was a truly filling lunch. However, my trip to Amici would not be complete without sampling the cakes and pastry assortments. I ordered a mango tango and tiramisu. The mango tango was an instant hit. Gentley loved it so much, he ordered half of the refrigerator cake for taking home. Rene even thought of ordering wholesale the mango tango. That's how good this dessert was. A slice would cost Php35.00 plus some VAT and local tax. The tiramisu was good but could have tasted better with more liquer. But at Php35.00, who can complain.

I paid Php175.00 (US$3.90) for my rice meal and coke and some Php80.00 (US$1.78) for the dessert. This is such a cheap place to eat. I called up my wife telling her that Amici is now open on Sundays, hence, we should be eating here this Sunday again. Oh, I missing their thin crust pizza, the quattro formaggi and the one with artichoke. Yummy.

Pizzeria a Venetto

Pizzeria is a New York style pizza house located in Glorietta. The pizza sizes are quite large by Manila standard although the newer pizza shops have adopted the same strategy such as the Yellow Cab, Brooklyn etc. The pasta dishes are meant to be shared coming in on huge serving portions while the shop offers an assortment of entrees, soups, salads and desserts.

I have been to Pizzeria a number of times and I have never been disappointed as the shop is best known for better value for money spending. Today, I was with Allan, my best friend from La Salle days. We meet up for lunch as he was in Glorietta to pick-up his Gold's Gym membership card. I seldom had the chance to eat lunch with Allan as he now lives in Pasig and doesn't do anymore the usual employment. He is quietly having the time of his life, being in semi-retirement mode and enjoying a good ole view of the Antipolo mountains from his flat.

Allan wanted to try the appetizer platter and the pesto pasta with chicken. I thought, we should order a small pizza as well, just so he can sample Pizzeria pizza. The appetizer platter came in with onion rings, french fries, crab stick crispies and buffalo wings. I wasn't impressed with the onion rings, I thought it lacked the taste. On its own, it wasn't appetizing at all despite the french onion dip that came with it. French fries was ok though it was a little bland. The crab sticks were a surprise because it came in like cheese sticks dipped in bread crumbs and deep-fryed. I liked the buffalo wings as it was like no other. It was caramelized in spices and wasn't too sweet nor too spicy I could eat a couple of it without complaining.

I was no fan of pesto although I like the pine nut flavor but it was light and refreshing. The saving grace for me was the hungarian sausage topping the pasta but Allan would rather prefer the shublig instead. I sure wasn't able to eat much pasta, but it wasn't too bad an order for me. The pizza came with hefty toppings of peperoni, parma ham, green bell pepper, onions, mozzarella cheese, and others I could no longer identify. It was good a pizza, but I thought, large family size pizzas tasted better than their small size variants. Maybe because small size pizzas get cooked faster, and the crust isn't just the same had it been its big brother counterpart.

I had Coke light with Allan opted for water with lemon slice. He worked had to shed some unwanted poundage and he's gearing to maintaining a healthier lifestyle thereafter. I thought he must lost some 20 pounds since and he's not stopping yet though his scale reads 140 now. It really takes a lot of discipline and self-control to maintain a healthy living regimen.

The total bill came in at around Php740.00 or about $7.56 per person.

Seafood Market

It was a balmy day and everyone seemed to feel cold in the office. When approached by Gentley asking for a lunch place, I suggested Marina Seafood Restaurant in G4 as I craved for a hot clam soup. Everyone seemed to like the idea as we needed hot food at the moment to perk us up.

On our way to G4, Gentley fancied the idea of trying out Seafood Market, a resto that offers live seafood where you can go to their market section to select which ones you wanted cooked for you. It was adjacent to Marina and having not had the chance to try it, I quickly assented.

The resto was located on the 2nd floor overlooking the park and it seemed to cater to families as tables were quite large seating some 12 people. We were given a spot in the middle of the restaurant and settings were cleared as there were only 5 of us in the group. We browsed through their menu and trooped our way to their market section to check out what seafood were available. We were happy to see live clams, suahe (white shrimps) and squid. There were also live groupers, lobsters of all sizes, oysters, crabs, tuna, salmon and tiger prawns. But, we agreed we're veering away from ordering crabs and lobsters as these can get our bill to astronomical proportions.

I ordered squid - to be grilled with tomatoe stuffings, suahe (white shrimps) - to be sauteed in butter and, clams - to be prepared in clear soup. I asked for options on vegetables, and we settled for water cress in garlic (kangkong). We opted for plain rice to accompany our food and had our individual choices of drinks. While waiting for our meal, we feasted on fish crackers while talking about a TV show exposing the hygienic questions on vinegar preparation by some scrupulous entrepreneurs.

The clam soup came in first, and it was steamy hot. Comparing it with Marina's soup, I should say, Marina's tasted a lot better. Rene thought, it must be the amount of ginger that was put on the clam soup. Next came the sauteed shrimps on butter, oh it was rosy red, it glistened before our eyes. It tasted sweet, you tell easily it was live and fresh before it was cooked. The shrimp was excellent. Then, the water cress sauteed in garlic came. The serving was a plenty and it smelled wonderful. The gang could not complain either on its taste - just pure bliss. The last viand to be served was the grilled squid. How it was grilled to perfection. We loved it, the stuffing lent an aroma that no fishy smell was ever left. The kicker was the vinegar and soy sauce dip with lots of extra hot chili peppers. O, what a great meal indeed.

We knew we're paying a premium for the live seafood that we ordered. Though, we orginally planned for a cheaper meal at Marina's, we knew we could not complain for what dining experience we just went throught. Our bill came and we contributed Php480.00 (US$10.66) each.

It rained hard when we left the restaurant. Gentley would have wanted to have his passport picture taken and to browse on Oakley sports glasses but we convinced him to do these on another day as it got darker outside. We came back to the office together, me, Rene, Maidette, Gentley and Max. Max came fresh from his vacation in Australia who was thoughtful enough to give me a box of Macadamia Nut Trios. I have also a bar of 3 Muskeeters, courtesy of Randy who also flew in from the US as his pasalubong to us. Jimmy was kind enough to drive us to the mall, as always.

Pizza Hut Bistro

It was a late lunch. Maidette and Mimi were on leave and Chay was not in the office as well. Gentley came into my room to ask where I was planning to have lunch. Rene came in as well, trying to know where we should be going for lunch. Gentley wanted to treat his PIM II buddies and after getting over a bunch of potential restos, we agreed to try out the new Pizza Hut Bistro at G4. We don't know the reason behind why Gentley will treat his project mates. Nonetheless, me and Rene were happy that we were included in the group that he will treat for the free lunch.

On our way out of the office, I flipped through birthday cards on the reception counter. By accident, I came upon Gentley's card. So, it was Gentley's birthday the following day and he must be treating us ahead as his real birthday will fall on a Saturday. We greeted him on the hallway a happy birthday as the gang trooped out of the building to meet Jimmy for our ride to the mall.

Pizza Hut Bistro is a new concept of dining for Pizza Hut. Aside from their usual pizza and pasta dishes, the bistro features milkshakes, coffee, pastries and cakes, rice dishes and an assortment of salad and appetizers. The usual formica topped tables and cold metallic chairs were replaced with comfortable large sofa cushioned seating, synthetic table cloth clad the big round tables and the smaller square tables neatly spaced in a more cozy arrangement over soft lighting and modest ambience. Going over the oversized menu, it's full of pictures only a big budget food stylist could achieve and it looked so appetizing you literally salivate going through the several pages.

We asked Auggie to do the ordering for all of us. I told them about my preference for the cheesy pop pizza, but I quickly assented to their pick - the volcano cheese pizza which came in variants of full meat and with greens. Pasta orders in shrimp aoili, and alfredo were also put through. Auggie also got an appetizer sampler of cheese puffs, onion rings, french fries and pork rib barbecue. A separate order of squid calamare which was a huge hit with the group was served first.

We had good conversation and full stomachs at the end of the meal. The two pizzas were just too much for us to consume some doggie bag get packed for take out. We told the waitress that it was a special day for Gentley and the resto gladly surprised Gentley with a scoop of ice scream with personalized birthday greeting. We sang a line from the birthday song and had a photo taken of the birthday boy. Had it been that I did not have to rush back to the office to interview a potential HR Manager candidate, we could have stayed a little longer in the Pizza Hut Bistro. Nonetheless, I had the fun company of Gentley, Rene, Auggie, Raz, Dax, David and Jan. And because of the birthday boy, I had a free lunch that day.

Gentley was surprised even more that the resto gave a 20% discount on his bill as a result with the promo they have with the Citibank credit card. I should go back sometime soon as its prices were quite reasonable plus the 20% discount, that's just huge to pass up.

Delifrance

God is so good and He is faithful always! That I realy believed.

We came from a follow-up check-up today with our Endocrinologist, Dr. Jimmy Aragon. After waiting for some time, we got to talk to the doctor at around 11am. On Thursdays, we were informed, that Dr. Aragon have a usual meeting which gets him to be late for his clinic schedule.

Anyways, the best of good news. The OGTT test proved that my wife did not have gestational diabetes. However, it was decided that we still have to go through a healthier diet and set an appointment with the dietician. At the end of the month, Dr. Aragon would like to redo through a simplier test, the sugar level of mommy. And we still have 1 question that remained unanswered, what causes the high-normal amiotic fluid in the baby's womb? That question will be probed further by our OB-Gynecologist, Dr. Arlene Bravo-Ricarte. And we have a set appointment on Saturday to eliminate other possible causes, aside from our usual pre-natal check-up.

It was a bit earlier before noon and we decided to have lunch together. We strolled the length of Legaspi Street from the Makati Med's side to look for an interesting restaurant. It seemed like the italian resto that Lani wanted to try was on the other side and we're not too eager to walk further, we settled for Delifrance instead. Delifrance offers salads, pastas, gourmet sandwiches and an assortment of breads and pastries. Its offerings are quite delectable and yummy but on the mid-section on the price bar.

Lani opted for the Ceasar salad with chicken (isn't this her fare in yesterday's lunch?) and I choose the Spaghetti Bolognese with meat balls. Though Delifrance is quite known for good food, its quality can vary from good to bad accross its franchise stores. I wastn't to happy with my pasta.

First, the pasta was cold. I know, they re-heat the pasta sauce, but this just wasn't passed through the microwave for much longer to emulate freshly cooked dish. Second, the french bread brushed with garlic was not toasted to perfection, it was cold as the store counter. In fairness though, the taste was better than ordinary fast food fare but I could have more parmesan cheese to spread to enhance further its flavor. The store crew wasn't as attentive to what customers' requested such that my pleadings for additional cheese was lost to oblivion. I was too happy and in the mood, I dare not complain. I don't want to spoil my fun zone with crappy food and service. What save the day was the order of four seasons juice drink. Well, if the store can mess up a ready to drink vendo juice, it can't last a season but close down.

I paid Php230 for my meal or US$5.11. Not to expensive but I wasn't as satisfied for the value I paid with the quality I got. Franchise stores can really either make or break the success of the whole Delifrance system. I don't think I would be too excited to visit another Delifrance shop anytime soon.

Dome Cafe

Today, we came back to Makati Med for the sugar challenge test, something like, your sugar is monitored every hour for the next 3 hours after drinking that sweet almost-cola flavored drink. The term is OGTT test with the first blood sample was collected at 9am. Three more blood vials will be collected every hour thereafter. I flinched at the idea of a needed and syringed sucking blood out from my arm. Thank God, it's not me going through the test.

Three hours is quite long to sit around in the hospital corridor and I had finished reading todays news and had to re-read some articles out of boredom. You cannot help also but people-watch as droves and droves of people pass you by in the hospital corridor. I used to formulate a theory that most doctors are white skinned. With the number of doctors or doctor-looking individuals that come and go, my theory has been 100% supported. I based this theory on hypothesis that white people tend to have more money than their brown skinned counterparts (this is only true in the Philippines) and studying to become a doctor requires a lot of money. Besides, being white skinned equates to looking more clean and a doctor has to exude that cleanliness thingy. I used to tease Lani, my wife, that I don't like going to a dark skinned doctor as that doctor seemed so dirty and shabby.

Of course, this theory is only drawn for fun and hold no water of validity at all. It keeps my sanity and lets me get pre-occupied while in a state of boredom while waiting for a doctor. My wife would love to challenge this theory, but for every doctor that we saw passing us by, no dark-skinned doctor ever came to pass. She was so frustrated trying to prove me wrong.

Anyways, we finished the test at around 12noon. My God, we are expected to come back again for the discussion of the results with our Endocrinologist the following day. This will be my first 3 consecutive days of presence in Makati Med.

Lani is not happy to get lunch at Floating Island. She is so hungry having been not allowed intake of food or water since last night's dinner. Just a dumb question, why does blood tests require food abstinence for something like 8 hours prior to the test; some test require 12 hours fasting, grrr... I should be a scientist or inventor for a machine that can do blood test with results as accurate without requiring the patient to fast at all.

Anyways, so much for my frustations in life. I told my wife about a restaurant at the back of Makati Med, Dome Cafe. She was familiar with the place and she was excited to eat something, she's thinking, why not some salad. Well, she is on a less sugar diet, so salad is such a good idea. Dome was almost full when we reached it. Had a small vacant table in a corner and ordered a seafood aioli and cheese wands. Cheese wands are cheese sticks; this maybe Harry Potter inspired as it's listed under Kids Menu.

The seafood aioli was dry and almost boring to look to at. I asked for freshly grated parmesan cheese and tossed the salmon bits, squid rings, shrimps, tomato and the spaghetti pasta together with the cheese. I should say, it lacked the much needed olive oil to coat the pasta with a gloss so it shines. The noodles was soggy, not al dente, although the overall taste of the dish was good. The accompanying garlic french bread was lighly toasted and was good to the bite.

I like the cheese sticks with a cheese dip. It came in hot and fresh and was good to the bite. I became too pre-occupied with my pasta, I forgot about the cheese sticks. I should remember the next time around, cheese sticks are meant to be eaten while its hot as when it gets cold, it doesn't taste as good. I had to labor so much to eat the last portions of the cheese sticks at the end of my meal.

Well, I should say, I had a good lunch. Dome Cafe offers not just pasta dishes, but sandwiches, rice meals, pizza, desserts and cakes as well. Coffee is also good at Dome.

I spent around Php550.00 or US$12.20 for my meal today.

Floating Island

We had a scheduled doctor's visit at Makati Medical Center. My wife will have her sugar rechecked with an Endocrinologist as she seemed to have gestational diabetes. We visited Dr. Jimmy Aragona, who seemed like a nice doctor, but I was kinda disappointed to know that the sugar challenge to check on whether a person does have diabetes comes in different dosages. I was thinking, why was it not done at the first instance, since, it was more or less sure by virtue of the ultrasound results that my wife may have had gestational diabetes. Anyways, we have to come back to the laboratory for the increased dosage sugar test. Visiting doctors is just too much of a hassle as we have to wait in line and you will have virtually nothing to do in the hospital.

We were prescribed to consult a dietician and some training on how to inject insulin and monitor blood sugar. First thing that comes to my mind was, shouldn't their be a flyer or something that says, eat only these kinds of food at these proportions, etc. Well, apparently, Makati Med wanted to make more money than a flyer may cost that there is actually a 1-hour seminar on planning your diet for something like Php640.00. Imagine that. I can do better by surfing the internet for diabetes diet plans. Well, to make the story short, I was a bit pissed that it ruined by lunch mood and we decided to forgo the seminar until after the results of the sugar challenge is completed the following day.

It was way past 1pm and I was more than hungry to walk and find a place to eat. So, I decided to take my wife for a quick bite at Floating Island at Makati Med. This restaurant is quite peculiar as it serves liquour and such gastronomic delights you wouldn't think a place like a hospital would ever endorse such as the cardiac causing crispy pata (deep fried pork leg) and bulalo (beef shank stew). There is even a smoking area on the al fresco dining part of the resto. Imagine that.

Well, I ordered the shrimp with brocolli for my lunch. I wasn't able to take a snapshot of it as well, remember, I'm in no mood after our short visit to the Dietician. The shrimp was cooked well with the shell just a prick away from its meat. The brocolli also was tender to the bite, never cooked too long. I loved the taste, I caught myself spreading the sauce on my cupful of rice. Despite its location in the hospital, the resto serves good food. Although, I couldn't help thinking that I must be smelling that distinctive hospital smell even inside the resto I could lose my appetite at any time. But maybe, it's just me as I'm no fan of hospitals, its smell, the dangers of getting germs and diseases while walking through its corridors and such. If I can get as far away from a medical facility or hospital at any given point in time, I would.

I spent close to Php500.00 or US$11.11 for my meal. A bit pricey, but I just didn't care at that time.

Grub Club

Grub Club is an eating place at the podium of RCBC Plaza. Its pasta dishes are delectable and its rice dishes, sandwiches and cakes are quite good as well. The place is owned and operated by a group of friends which Chay knew personally.

We planned to take Eric for a despidida lunch today (a send-off lunch) but it didn't push through as the honored guest (Eric) did not show up nor was he answering the phone calls made. Vee felt bad as she wasn't informed nor invited by the group for the send-off lunch. I believe, the universe conspired as Chay could not make it as well as she will skip the afternoon for a short course on cookie baking with Heny Sison. To make the long story short, only me, Maidette and Mimi will be available.

So, we decided to have lunch instead at Grub Club in RCBC Plaza. We knew the food quite well being regular diners to the place. The owners sort of knew us by face already. Today, they posted new creations in addition to their regular menu.

I ordered one of their new rice dishes, the pork belly with hoisin sauce. 'Twas actually the tender pork belly, cut to size and fried crisp. It was served as topping to a cupful of rice with coleslaw and glazed in orange flavored hoisin sauce. The orange taste was strong, giving the sauce the tangy-sweet flavor providing the contrast to the salty chinese hoisin sauce. I am partial to sweet dishes but this did not hit me right. I liked the crisp pork belly but the sauce overpowers the melange of taste, I did not like the taste left in my palate.

I got an order of marshmallow chocolate cake to wash off the flavors left in my mouth. The chocolate cake was not as moist as it used to be. It must be left the the oven a minute too long than usual. However, the marshmallow icing was good giving the cake a soft cloudy appearance, something like heaven on earth kinda look. I am of fan of the cakes of Grub Club. I normally have the peanut butter chocolate cake or the carrot walnut cake. I should say, the cake was four spoons out of five, if I should rate it.

My lunch bill was Php259.00 or US$5.75. Not too bad to spend for lunch.

Hunter's Cafe

This lunch tale was a comedy of errors. It was way past 12noon and no one attempted to ask everyone for lunch. Having been most hungry, I went to see Eric if he wanted to join for lunch. He asked where, and I suggested we took the nearest place, maybe Brother's Burger at Convergys. He immediately signed up. I asked Rene and he was ok as well. I called up Chay, and she wanted to visit Som's Noodle House for the cheap Thai food. On our way out, everyone agreed to visit Som's. We related to Chay our past experience at Som's the previous week but she was relentless.

We reached Som's at N. Garcia at it was full to the rafters. I asked the waitress if they can accommodate us still, we got the same answer the last time. They can't guarantee the waiting time, so, once again, we trooped out of the resto. We checked out the nearby hole in the wall, but it wasn't airconditioned. Chay had another one in mind, a Japanese burger place in Amorsolo. With the way she described it, being one of those cheap restos with quite decent fare, we all agreed to be adventurous. Before we left the office, Manong Rudy, our office cleaner, thought he knew the place and it was right next to the Makati Medical Center. We went to that THX cinema side of Amorsolo only to be disappointed. There was no Japanese outlet anywhere near it. It was searing hot and we don't have a place to eat and it was like past 1pm already. I told them about the Hunter's Cafe on our way in at the Creekside Mall and if they were willing for another adventure as I haven't been to Hunter's Cafe before. Everyone was game which was a good thing.

Hunter's Cafe as the same suggested was decked with preserved animal parts such as deer antlers, a goat or sheep's skull, even a fish acquarium. The interiors resembled like those old wooden cabins in Baguio City - dark, unpolished pinewood with converted electric hunter's lamp. The overall ambience was more of a gentleman's drinking hole complete with a bar set-up and on one corner, a group of middle-aged men are dunking beer at this early. Tried to see if any other cafe was nearby, but we resigned to the fact that we were too hungry to look for another one.

Hunter's Cafe menu was extensive. A lot of appetizers catered for the drinking class, sandwiches, rice toppings, and a la carte orders for exotic fares like ostrich steaks, burgers. I insisted we try the ostrich caldereta. Eric received an urgent call and he needed to return to the office at once. We were sorry that after so much of the ordeal, Eric still was not able to eat anything. We continued to order sauteed mushrooms and pork sisig (pork meat, cheeks in sizzling plate).

Our orders came and the ostrich caldereta doesn't looked too appetizing. It was quite bony and per Chay's review, it wasn't the choicest meat. I thought it was badly burnt it left some charcoal taste. The sauteed mushroom was not what I expected thinking it was prepared in sizzling plate. It came bland and lifeless. Despite the lush colors of green bell pepper, crunchy white onions, it wasn't too good to eat. Thank God, the sisig tasted much better though it wasn't as hot as we expected it. It paled in comparison to its Kapangpangan variant which has egg topping and spicy kick.

We took our lunch not much happier with our meal and vowed never to return to this place. I had buko juice (coconut water with slivers of young coconut meat) which tasted like three day old coconut. We divided the bill and my share was Php265.00 or US$5.88. On our way out of the Creekside Mall, we purposely went to see the other side of Amorsolo still thinking about that Jap burger place. True to our dismay, it was on the other side, quite far from the Makati Med area. We laughed thinking, why did we believe Manong Rudy that he knew where it was, we should discern better next time around. Me, Chay and Rene were troopers not much happier on our way back to the office. We were glad Jimmy was there to drive us all along on our misadventures for the day. What a lunch it was indeed!

Cucina Victoria

It was a rainy afternoon and I thought, this must be a difficult day to go home as it’s my carless day, and it sure will be flooded by the time that I will be going home. At around 2:30 pm, I rejoiced to see the sun.

Only me, Mimi and Chay were in the office today. Rene was on vacation to watch the Ateneo-LaSalle game in the UAAP Basketball, Maidette was on a personal leave but will be coming back to the office in the late afternoon to be sure she is around for Eric’s send-off party and Gentley, we don’t know where the hell the guy is. It was decided that Chay will drive us to Rockwell so we can dine at Cucina Victoria.

Cucina Victoria is known for their pasta dishes which are always delightful and has been on top of my favorite, reasonably priced pasta places. Other must have offerings include their clam chowder served in bread bowl, the angel hair pasta and salmon steak. Today, I ordered the Gambalini Pasta (shrimp pasta). When it was served, I thought it was soggy and dry, almost lifeless and pale. The serving plate has also been changed. It used to be in large and mid-shallow plates. Today, it was served in square, deeper and white china. The hints of parsley and sprinkles of parmegiano oregeano were also gone which made the food presentation quite plain and ordinary. I thought, it was not the same anymore.

After my first bite, I can tell the pasta has remained al dente. I needed to sprinkle more than the usual grated parmesan cheese to drown its ordinary look. Further toss of the pasta revealed the pasta sauce trapped underneath the heap of noodles with generous servings of cut to size shrimps. It tasted very good still, I can tell, the quality has not changed much. Digging deep into my pasta, the sauce had accumulated in the bottom of the plate and the taste went more than salty. I realized, this was the result of serving the pasta in deeper plates as against the shallow version. The pasta could not hold the sauce for much longer, as forces of nature like gravity tends to pull it down. Now I knew why I needed to add more than a dash or sprinkle of parmesan cheese. The change in the plates had more or less diluted the taste of the pasta. The top portion get dry and tasteless easily while the bottom part gets more than the required amount of the sauce and the stronger flavor. I thought, the plating never mattered, now I know better. Plating not only enhances the look of the food, it does impact the flavor and taste of the food served.

We contributed Php330.00 for our meal (about US$7.33).

We went our separate ways in the mall as I checked out baby furniture in the second floor. At Baby & Co., I found a crib and playpen in-one. You can keep the baby in the crib set-up up to about 4 to 5 months while use the playpen set-up when the baby ages 6 months to a year. That’s value for money and one less furniture in the cramped house. The crib costs Php7,000.00 which is a bit steep and made by Graco. I went to check-out strollers and baby car seats. These things come in different variations. What struck me the most was the 3-In-1 stroller, baby basket and car seat adaptor. It’s a neat innovation and is expensive at Php18,000.00. I hope to catch the next sale at Baby & Co. hoping I can purchase similar baby furniture at discounted prices.

Marina Seafood Restaurant

We always have this dilemma in the office – where is lunch? Today was no different. What has not changed is that, Mimi still wants her salad and Maidette craves it as well. I was not fond of hitting the Food Court again, we have had a couple of lunches there already. On the way to G4, Chay suggested Luk Yuen. Everyone was looking at me if I agreed with the place and don’t feel like eating Chinese. I blurted out Marina, if anyone was crazy about eating seafood for lunch. Yippey, everyone agreed!

Marina Seafood Restaurant serves fresh seafood in affordable prices and is located near the entrance in G4. It was not crowded a place on a Wednesday lunch, thank God. I suggested clam soup and grilled squid. Mimi suggested we order adobong kangkong (water spinach) and grilled blue marlin belly. Rene pitched in the baked scallops. Everyone was happy with the suggested food combination and we proceed to order.

The clam soup was so good, there must be enough ginger, it almost eliminated the fishy taste. The soup was clear even with the ripe tomatoes, onions and certain spices that goes into its cooking. Next came the baked scallops topped with crisp garlic which was luscious to the taste. It was baked with just enough time, the scallop meat remains tender to the bite. The adobong kangkong was crunchy and the abundant green leaves and young stems were sautéed in garlic and soy sauce. Grilled squid was cooked to perfection, never rubbery nor soggy and you can tell from its taste, the squid was fresh when it was cooked. It took some time for the dip to get prepared as we awaited for saucers to be distributed. However, it was worth the wait as the siling labuyo, (native extra hot peppers) with extra hotness lending credence to the squid’s staple as a favorite drinker’s fare. The grilled tuna belly (blue marlin belly) is cooked medium well and was juicy inside but crispy and slightly burnt on the outside. This I consider a perfect Filipino meal, all seafood and vegetable. Truly a cholesterol buster and easy on the body type of food.

I ordered the native sago-gulaman drink (sweetened tapioca with jello drink) as well. Today lunch was not expensive at all. We divide the bill equally and my share was only Php280.00 or US$6.36.

Our mission today was to find Eric a parting gift. It has been decided that we will give him a wallet. Since Mimi was going to buy something somewhere and Chay was buying her baking ingredients for Eric’s cake, me, Maidette and Rene were tasked to find the wallet. Chay suggested that we check out Marks & Spencer first.

We checked out the Autograph series of M&S, we could not agree on the wallet design, we decide to check out what Rustan’s carry. We passed by Lacoste, we found one good wallet, however, it was pricey at Php4,700.00. Reaching Rustan’s, I checked out Montblanc, their men’s wallet ranged from Php13,000.00 to Php15,000.00, I thought well to say good bye. We looked at Colehaan, Burberry, Bally, Oleg Cassini, Debenhams and even Oakley, we still could not find the right wallet gift.

Maidette suggested we try Bass. On our way, we passed by Travel Club. We debated whether they carry wallets as well and they do. There was one decent wallet, the only thing is, it’s made of suede. Eric will probably not like it. We found one good one at a very reasonable price at Bass. We did not buy it at once, as we tried to compare it with Pabder Uomo. We liked the Bass wallet more, hence, we went to purchase of gift at Bass. At Php1,850.00, it’s not what you can call an expensive wallet, but not at all cheap. We put the initial Php100.00 bill inside the wallet before it was wrapped by the store attendant. We agreed to share amongst us managers at Php325.00 per person. I will be collecting from this group pretty soon.

The group met up at Bass and went back to the office thereafter.

Amcham Monthly Meeting

It was the usual monthly meeting of the ICT Committee co-chaired by Frank Holz and Don Felbaum of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines. The invited guests for the meeting include the Business Process Association of the Philippines and John Clements Consultancy with the Harvard Business School Publishing. John Clements was the lunch sponsor of the meeting.

Before the start of the meeting-presentation, sandwiches were offered. I had a packed lunch of tuna sandwich with crisp sweet potato chips and bread pudding. I did not take some pictures as I might be chastised for doing so in a meeting of executives from the IT Industry, hehehe. The packed lunch was prepared by some entity that specialized in food delivery and I should say, it is quite decent and tasty. The three-layered tuna sandwich came with egg omelet and coleslaw, all in wheat slice bread and cut into bite size portions. Truly an easy meal packed with a lot of goodness and satisfaction.

The sweet potato chips were crisp and sweet. It was a great companion to the sandwich bread, except that, you can't help by make munching noises and it was a bit distracting especially in a luncheoun meeting. The dessert was bread pudding. I swear I could have finished it, but in the absence of a dessert fork, I was content on nibbling only a chunk of it. The pudding was topped with some caramel sauce that was so yummy I caught myself licking my fingers, hehehe.

It was indeed a good lunch with a regular flavored Coke soda to quench my thirst. Today was a free meal and I missed taking down the name of the food company that prepared it.

The presentation of Oscar Sanez, the CEO of the BPA/P on the initiatives of the group was quite comprehensive and scholarly done. It was a collaboration of the group's think tank with the McKinsey people, so no doubt about the technical frameworks used and the methodical presentation of the desired goals of the association in the next decade. The presentation was all about the initiatives of the IT Sector particularly the challenges for Off-Shore Outsourcing/Business Process Outsourcing and the IT Services in the Philippines. It tackled what the Philippine government should be spearheading, that of promoting the Philippines as the choice destination for IT Sector investors and identifying the demands of the industry to develop and sustain the demand and supply of the important commodity of the sector, human resources. The BPA/P asserted itself as the important group that carried the voice of the infant industry and wanted to creat and learn from the India experience to be able to build the competitive advantage of the Philippines for IT Outsourcing.

It was comforting to know that some private associations take on the responsibilities to build upon the vision and promote the business climate for the IT Industry to thrive.

The subsequent presentation on Talent Retention was dismal, lacking teeth and without much tangible answers to questions affecting the IT Industry which is the high incidence of turnover. It was introduced thru a case analysis - Harvard style and drummed-up as if nobody heared of case analysis before, it was repulsive to my senses. John Clements should improve on their way of presenting a subject matter and make it informative and helpful to its targeted audience. The only practical idea came from an executive who volunteered his secrets for keeping his talents in the company for long-term - make the employees not only salaried-individuals, but share with them the profits of the organization thru stock options, bonus plans anchored on transparent basis, etc.

With me attending the meeting was Tina, our outgoing HR Manager. It promptly started at around 12 noon and ended close to about 2 hours after.

Kainan Sa Nayon

I went into lunch thinking I will have Barrio Fiesta kare-kare (beef stew in peanut sauce). However, it changed when Chay wanted to check out National Bookstore and there is no Barrio Fiesta near G4 or Greenbelt. After not agreeing on where to eat, we decided to hit the SM Food Court so, everyone can choose what cuisine or type of food they decide to eat.

After surveying the different food stalls, I ended up ordering Beef Nilaga (Beef Soup). It was steaming hot when I saw it, with the beef looking so tender, it made me salivate. I knew right away what should I order.

Kainan Sa Nayon is a small food stall that specializes in filipino cuisine. It has kilawen (blue marlin in vinegar and cocomilk), sinigang na hipon (shrimp sour stew), laing (leaves of a rootcrop in heavy cocomilk), bopis (inards of pig sauteed), etc. The food attendant assured me that the beef was quite tender and that it has just been cooked. She even suggested, I should order two cupfuls of rice so that I don't need to go back and order another rice. I took her advice, and true to her word, I almost finished the two cups of rice.

The beef soup is cooked under low fire over an extended period of time to guarantee its tenderness. Kailan leaves and pechay are added as vegetables. I can taste hints of pepper and beef bullioun in it. It is served in a generous portion with lots of soup to spare. There was more that enough beef I can consume in the plate. I asked for a venigar-soy sauce dip with crushed chili and local lime for the beef.

This is one meal that will make you sweat. After several spoonfuls of soups, I gorged into the tender beef dipped in a spicy sauce, you can't help but dunk some bigger portions of rice at once. It was indeed, a hearty meal. And only a growing boy can appreciate the delight in consuming it all. I complemented my meal with a glass of pineapple juice and a cone of mango ice cream for dessert. I paid Php 152.00 for the meal and another Php 12.00 for the mango ice cream (something like US$3.60 in total).

With me during lunch were Rene, Maidette, Chay and Gentley. We talked about the despidida (send-off) party for Eric. We had a delimma what parting gift to give to Eric (he is a gadget person) but we can't ascertain for sure, which Macbook accessory he doesn't have yet. We agreed, that in case we can't think of a better gift, our default will be a wallet for Eric.

As I have discussed with Mimi about the need for a more that usual send-off for Eric, the group indicated concurrence. I suggested a beer-themed party for Eric and everyone was excited. Maidette called up a friend if we can borrow banderitas by San Miguel to recreate an Octoberfest atmosphere, and the prospects were good. Chay will bake Eric a chocolate cake as well, yippey! We will meet again in the office to finalize the food, program and logistics for the send-off party.

Mexicali

I had the surprise visit of Marco today in the office. It was a good thing, we were running kinda late in having lunch. Chay and Rene were in my room waiting for our ride to take us to lunch. So, I begged off from my usual company and asked Marco to take lunch with me instead.

We strolled along Ayala to check out the foodie places in Convergys. Despite the time nearing 1 pm, the restos were still packed with diners. I decided, we should hit RCBC instead as there were more choices of restos there.

Finding the first decent but uncrowded foodie station, we settled in Mexicali. The resto offers mexican cuisine - the usual tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas and the like. I opted for the meal combo of chicken enchiladas and beef taco.

Chicken enchilada is baked tortilla with chicken breast filling in enchilada sauce, topped with cheese and sour cream while beef taco is crispy taco with ground beef filling and quick melt cheese shavings. On the side are cubed tomatoes and lettuce and mexican rice. It is a huge meal by all measure with a glass of coke to complement the meal.

I have not had any other decent mexican dish from another resto and I am a fan of Mexicali so, overall, I loved this meal. I have the ability to spice up my taco or enchalada with chili sauce or just the sour cream-mayo sauce for the conservative palate. My bill was only Php229.00 or roughly US$5.00.

Marco had just finished his Mid-Term exams. He is on his third year now studying Marine Transportation at Asian Institute of Maritime Studies. AIMS had an unusual curriculum as the semester is divided into two periods, whereby the first half of the load is taken in the first period while the last half of the subjtects in the last period. Hence, the student will finish the requirements for the first half of the subjects as early as August.

Anyways, Marco relayed about what his father had been busy about during this time when he joined his sons in Taguig which is practically doing nothing at home. He told me that I should probably visit Kuya soon as he seemed bored. His Manong, Rey, as always, is busy in his business and every sibling had been the able hands as well, helping out. Rey was thinking about designing a side-car and installing it in their newly bought motorcycle to be used for delivery purposes.

I asked about the whereabouts of Marco's other siblings. Crom is busy is his studies leading to a certificate/diploma in Practical Nursing at the Kennedy School which he hopes to complete sometime in December. Melbourne is expecting to graduate from a Criminology course this October. According to him, his goal is to join the elite Special Action Force and train in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. John has stopped studying and helping out in the family business. Klang-klang, their half-sister, which is just a little over 3 years old, is adjusting to her new environ; having been transplanted from a crowded, almost squatters area in Novaliches to their new abode now in Taguig. Klang-klang at times would threw tantrums which can be irritating during the night and would often get some discipling from his father. The girl was accustomed to getting her way and would not eat food other than candies and junk food. Marco joked that maybe Klang-klang must have worms in her system as she sported a buldging stomach with a relatively thin-framed body.

I resolve to try to visit them next week.

Alliance Francaise

The lunch adventure today was a little unusual. We started out planning to have inexpensive Thai food at Soms Noodle House in N. Garcia, Makati but we ended up at Alliance Francaise coffee shop. We left the office at around 12:30noon so we must have arrived at quarter to 1:00 pm at Soms. We had a good parking space and chanced upon an empty table to an almost filled up restaurant. I thought, when had Soms attracted so much diners at one time, that the best kept secret place must have been so popular now that habitues have trooped to this virtually discreet place in droves.

Anyways, it took us a while to attract the attention of the waiters and waitresses just to get hold of their menu. We thought, this must be normal, considering the huge number of diners. After getting the attention of the guard who graciously gave us their menu, we decided on our fare. It took us another 5 or 10 minutes to get their attention so we can place our order; some two waiters would drop by our side but was not willing to take our orders yet, signalling us to wait for somebody that he will send along. Finally another waiter came only to tell us that they cannot take our orders yet as their kitchen was piled up with unserved orders for the moment. Me, Maidette and Rene exchanged glances for this unusual customer service - as the least they could do was offer something to drink while waiting in the meantine but queue our order nonetheless. The waiter came back to inform us that the least amount of time we can probably be served was 40 minutes and asked us if we were willing to wait. We said goodbye to Soms at that instant.

We had a good laugh on our way out as I proposed to check out the nearby Alliance Francaise instead. Everyone agreed as I pointed out to Jimmy, our able driver to fetch us there. Rene and Maidette were not familiar with AF as they inquired if indeed there was an eating place inside as the building looks more like an office. I told them, it has a gallery, a library, a cafe and such other facilities inside. Maidette can't help but compare the two places we've been to, the "culture" environment of AF versus the really rinky dink Soms complete with Eat Bulaga as entertainment on TV. Rene mentioned the differences in food presentation, as we were offered light toasted french bread with butter, my softdrink was served complete with a lemon twist, table cloths in immaculate white layered with the red one, comfy sofa and cushioned chairs, climated controlled central airconditioning versus Som's, where, the softdrinks were served in their own unwashed bottles, wet and oily table tops, uncomfortable and soiled chairs and hot and humid air. The differences couldn't be more pronounced. We laughed on the contrast and how we shifted our environs from opposite direction of ultra casual dining to a cultured cafe like AF.

We had fun reading the menu as the main headings were written in French but we find solace in the fact that they served Bistek Tagalog and the like. Their menu have been filipinized over the years. I ordered the Roasted Chicken with mashed potato and garnished with asparagus sprigs, carrot sticks, cauliflower and some eggplant combination on the side. The roast chicken have always been tender that the meat will separate from the bones each time to dig your fork in it. Its aroma is strong but not repugnant to the senses and the taste - it's just great. I have always loved the AF roast chicken and it's almost my staple everytime I dined there.

The gallery cafe featured an artist that does photography, painting and collage as medium. It is an unusual exhibit whereby clothes line were hung on one of the garden windows. Pictures, a packet of Tide in clear plastic bag, a worn out stuff toy were pinned to the clothes line. In a gallery, it's probably called art, but to the uninitiated, it can be classified as trash. We laughed at the shallowness of our "cultured" selves.

I remembered Miguel who introduced us to AF way back in 2001 when it was new then in its present location. I wasn't expecting as well that meals are served in the building as it doesn't say at all in its decor or facade.

For dessert, we tried out the mango pie. The crust was good, though it was not flaky as I liked my crust to be. However, the topping was made of gelatin which blended well with the mango filling. The three of us agreed, it was a nice ending to our meal.

Heaven 'n Eggs

My lunch today is at Heaven 'n Eggs at G4. I ordered Peppered Pork Chop served with rice, potato wedges, crispy eggs, sauteed vegetable combo of young corn, carrots and baguio beans. I had melon milk - the nonfat variety, to go with my meal.

I loved the spiced coating of the chops which tickled my taste buds and the mushroom based gravy spread on its top. Anyone can have it dipped either in plain ketchup, A1 Steak Sauce or Tabasco sauce or if you're the adventurous type and would want a melange of tastes - why not combine them all. The chops were quite tender and never over done which left a faint pinkish hint where the meat joins the bones. The vegetables were cooked rare, crisp and sweet while the two eggs were just over easy. No one would get wrong on the wedges, it was always good to the palate. The meal itself is quite heavy considering the heapful of rice and the carbo weight equivalent provided by the potato wedges.

I thought, it compensated that I had my drink in less fat on the melon milk. But for those who never skipped on great taste, the non-fat variety just tasted bland and lacking the creaminess of the full cream type. But, I have to accept the fact that I should be having less fat in my diet and compromise a little on the way certain food types are prepared.

It was a great meal and I always loved Heaven 'n Eggs. On any given Sunday, I would have ordered some banana walnut pancakes for dessert, but I restrained myself this time, as I am a little over my BMI. The meal costs some Php265.00 while the melon drink was Php69.00 (total equivalent US$7.25).

My lunch today was free, courtesy of Rene. He said, he had not treated us yet since he came back from the US, so this was his treat to us. Maybe it is also Rene's way of toasting the delivery of his new car, a Honda City, which will be delivered to his place sometime late afternoon today. He relayed on how excited his mother had been, having asked Rene's elder brother to come home in Marikina and bring some bottle of wine. He joked, he should restrain his mother, whilst she may break the wine bottle in the new car. hehehe. Rene's mother was even excited to go and see over the weekend her nephew who is a priest and assigned in Antipolo City, to have Rene's car prayed over and blessed with holy water. Well, only a loving mother can think of this things for his son.

With me during lunch were the usual suspects, Mimi, Maidette and Rene. As always, Jimmy drove us to the mall and back.

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.

Reyes BBQ

No pictures for today of my lunch.

Had lunch with Lyndon today, a classmate of mine from High School.

We walked to the RCBC Plaza and dined at the Reyes Barbeque. I ordered 2 sticks of their yummilicious, juicylicious and super tender pork barbecue served with thick and smoky barbecue sauce, pickled papaya salad and the usual java rice. Had to have Coke light to drain this cholesterol laiden food.

The barbeque is always a delight. I will never get weary in eating barbeque, either with rice or as hors d'oeuvre. It is filling and a great food creation.

I did not see Lyndon for over a year now. He's in Manila since early 2006 and have not had a permanent job. He started to work in a Pre-need company, but eventually quit after 3 days as he did not like the environment at all. He tried his luck at several call centers, but didn't find the right fit either.

He used to have a casual employment with the City of Tanjay as Information Officer under the Public Information Office. I can't remember how long he held that position, I guess, it must be for quite sometime. He quit his job as the possibility of permanency is a remote reality, and as he contends, he is not growing any younger with a growing family to feed.

We talked about the state of political affairs in Tanjay. How chaos was averted when the incumbent family lost the mayoralty post to the tandem of Lawrence Teves and Nilo Tam just shortly after the election results were announced. Well, power can corrupt anyone especially the weak in spirit. You see, in Tanjay, Baltazar Salma has been in power for 9 years or the maximum 3 terms as City Mayor. It was widely known that in last May 14 elections, Salma will turn over the reins to his vice mayor, Lawrence Teves. Salma suddenly changed his mind and fielded his son Neil, to run for mayor.

Candidates and standard bearers of political parties are very much agreed upon by the political stalwarts of the City and the Province way before the dawning of an election year. This prevents turf wars, personal mudslinging and crab mentality syndrome during the term of an incumbent. It also allows continuity of platforms, cooperation and peaceful transition of power.

Truth be told, Salma's son lost in the mayoralty race and for a lot of reasons.

There was one rumor that I found funny about the state of health of then mayor Baltazar Salma during the last half of 2006. It has been reported in the papers that the mayor is ailing and has been in and out of the hospital for quite sometime. Clamor from the Tanjay constituency has it, that the people wanted a pronouncement on the mayor's state of health as it has been awhile since his last public appearance.

Well, the funny story was something like this. One morning, mayor Salma was in the shower when his mobile phone beeped. It was an sms message. The mayor's wife, a DepEd Division Supervisor, reportedly went to check the mayor's phone. Rumor has it, that the text message for the mayor was coming from a girl, maybe a querida or something. Alledgedly, the mayor's wife grabbed a .45 caliber pistol and hit the mayor in the head with the butt of the gun. This caused a major impact on the mayor's head which led to his hospitalization. It was told, that some damage to the brain resulted from this injury. Well, according to some stories, the mayor's wife was only joking when she poked her husband in the head. Only the joke went too far to cause his confinement. Lesson here, throw away those mobile phones, lol.