On Goodbyes in Manila

All the tears began to well up inside. It's a mix of gratitude and of a strong desire to see them again soon. At some point, you think of how great it is to have them greet you with a smile every morning and the unusual bountiful feast you have every day at every meal. The confusion that goes into choosing to be with something that will end soon over a few hours of work, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where everyone you care about are there for example, can leave you in limbo for a few weeks too. Somewhere in Manila tonight, there were hugs, kisses, pictures, conversations, songs and dances of goodbyes. 

Kashmir Indian Food in Makati

J surprised me one day and said we were going Indian for the night. I had my first taste of Indian food when an Indian elder brought us to this Indian restaurant in Shanghai and I've loved it ever since especially the sweet, sweet dessert called Gulabjamun. My picks gradually extended to Mango Lassi in Beijing and finally, Masala and Palak Paneer here in Manila back when New Bombay Restaurant first opened in Wilson Street in Greenhills (J got his first taste from this one). Time for Kashmir Indian Restaurant in Makati! They serve Indian, Malaysian and Middle Eastern Cuisine.

Thanksgiving Dinner in Manila, by US Potato Board and USDA

This was my first ever Thanksgiving Dinner and Turkey bird experience. It was made special by the invitation from the USDA Potato Board and the US Department of Agriculture. It was also held at the Restaurant 9501 in Quezon City and the dishes were specially whipped up and prepared for us by Chef Myrna Segismundo.

Papa John's Jr. Papa's Meal in Manila

I grew up with Pizza Hut, Shakey's, Sbarro, Greenwich and Domino's when it comes to pizza cravings in Manila. Over the years, players like Yellow Cab, California Pizza Kitchen, Brooklyn Pizza, Don Henrico's Pizza, Sicilian Pizza, Sandy's Pizza, Calda Pizza had slowly introduced me to even more variety of specialty pizzas in all shapes and sizes. I was already having a hard time choosing among all of them. Now, there's one more contender vying for my attention. I hear of Papa John's coming to Manila for the first time almost a year ago.

Nomama Tomas Morato

I did a post a while back on the significance of having noodles in my life. Naturally, I said yes to my friends when I heard there's a new ramen shop in town. Nomama was located a street away (parallel) from Tomas Morato across Max's Fried Chicken.

Pizza Hut Manila Tuscani Pizza!

Meatlovers, please! This is how I remember our family Pizza Hut ordering days when everybody was at home during summers or weekends. It didn't matter if the crust was thick or if it was oily or if there was only hot sauce and no chili flakes yet at that time. What mattered was - even my mom was game to give us money to order that pizza and we would always look forward to those afternoon pizza snack with the family together. We're all grown up now, with our different sets of lifestyles, eating habits, healthy options and soon-to-be separate lives. 911-1111 was a thing of the past for me until J and I had a Pizza Hut Bistro dinner in Megamall. This shot was taken via Blackberry so pardon the quality.

Chocolate 101 at Heavenly Chocolates

I got a tall Honeydew Bubble Tea to curb my cravings before we headed to the Heavenly Chocolates. Better be prepared or succumb to the temptations of chocolate from the Heavenly Chocolates Nama Chocolate collection. 

Pearl Milk Tea in Wilson Greenhills Manila

I've had this drink two times in a row this past long weekend. The whole house is just craving for pearl milk teas, it seems. Chew loudly, Sip Mightily. Order a big one (at P100) and Say Ahhh...

KFC Zinger Double Down is in Manila!

My three all-time favorite things to eat in KFC are the Zinger, the Macaroni Salad and the Chicken Strips Meal. Let me tell you why. It's a given that almost everything in KFC tastes good. How I came up with the two chicken favorites is simple really, there are no bones to bite into and I used to eat them in college for a quick and non-messy lunch or dinner. Sadly, the third is no longer in the menu.. Along comes the KFC Double Down craze a few months back and I said no thank you. Then came the KFC Zinger Double Down in my kitchen counter just recently thanks to J. Zinger was the magic word that keeps me coming back to KFC.

Flapjacks Power Breakfast

I'm not fond of eating breakfast. It usually means "store up because you'll need it for what you're about to do before lunch" like hiking or sports activities or travel time on a bus or studying or working or too much brain activity. I almost always hear my stomach already growling before 11 a.m. if I wake up early and eat breakfast. I tell you, it gets really annoying. But how can I refuse when J asked me out for a Flapjacks breakfast the night before?

Balikbayan in Manila

You know there's a Balikbayan from the States in Manila when the you see these (at least in my case)...

On Reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

I was first introduced to Les Miserables through a cartoon show that I chanced upon as a kid of ten in Hong Kong. I didn't know what it was all about, it was dubbed into Cantonese. All I remember was a scene of an old man holding the hand of a little girl with a pretty doll on her other arm. That was it and I had concluded that it was a good film to watch. Les Miserables was stuck with me ever since. Whenever I heard of it, I would say, "Someday, I would watch the Broadway Show or maybe find that cartoon or read the book and I would finally know the story of this childhood favorite." In time, I managed to buy a copy of the book that I would finally discover in my stash just a few months ago, still untouched and unread. I was resolved to read it when I had the time. I grew concerned that I never seemed to have enough (time) and although I was excited to read about the next few pages, I would find myself putting the book down due to something like sleep, exhaustion or work time.

Sol Gelato: Goodbye 290 Days of Being Cocoa-Free

I made sure I didn't eat chocolate for 290 days. It took me the whole year of constantly giving the temptation up. I was fine that I wasn't gonna taste 12 towering scoops of Sol Gelato. I made a request to separate one non-chocolate flavor for me. I was fine with Mascarpone gelato.

Food Galore at Venice Piazza, Platter for 8

I was a mighty Plus One on this day. There were 14 platters to choose from and we were only 5. To be a glutton by glancing is what happens when there are so many choices in front of you, when a swarm of eager waiters from each restaurant approaches the table and you're hungry. There's Blackwood Bistro, Carlo's Pizza, Empire Deli, KBOP, Kuse, Little Asia, Old Vine Grille, Pincho's Restaurant and Bar, Ramen Bar, The Red Crab, Sol Gelato, Stacker's Burger Cafe, Sweet Pea and Tokyo Cafe.

Watch 3D at Resorts World Manila! - What to Do, A Long Weekend Suggestion

J and I went to watch Puss in Boots in 3D at the Newport Cinemas the other day and I finally got a breakthrough in watching 3D cartoons. I think my fear developed out of my Disneyland and Universal Studios 4D experiences, the ones where the droids or aliens or terminators and even Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse or swarms of insects are in front of you. I would always place my 3D glasses half-way down my nose to remind me that everything was not real. I would never pay attention to the story and I passed on the chance to watch Shrek and even Toy Story in 3D. Yes, I let cartoons torture me then and I have a super active imagination.

With Dad at Yue Lai Restaurant Manila

I had the opportunity to dine with Dad one-on-one this month. Some time during the meal, he just smiled and said, "It's (Eating this and eating like this is) so simple, right?" I marveled at how opportunities for appreciating the grace of eating with the family were so rare nowadays and how simple a happy day can be created. By the end of this simple Chinese meal, I finally realized where my love for food, traveling, China, the Chinese language and music came from. I actually can't believe that I had forgotten at all. It was no accident that I chose to be a travel blogger and it has been brewing ever since I was a child.

Unlimited Cravings Festival

While a lot of mall-goers took the opportunity of a payday weekend coinciding with a sale period, my friend and I were busy shopping in a non-sale mall and enjoying the Unlimited Cravings Festival in Shangri-La. It was a very happy Sunday dinner. Imagine, P450 for unlimited Cravings salad, soup, roasted chicken, dessert, coffee, cake and iced tea! I didn't notice the come in a full orange outfit and get it for free part until today.

Spanish Tapas at Cirkulo Restaurant

The Filipino tapa has always been one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast when I'm on a provincial trip or for a midnight snack at Tapa King. As we left the Cirkulo restaurant, I became aware that my new favorite dish is categorized as Tapas with an S in Spanish. I saw the Tapas Festival celebration and incidentally chanced upon a PDI article about "The many flavors of 'tapas'" by Rina Jimenez-David. I came to understand that the initial fascination with Tapas started with association with Tapa and the curiosity grew because of an extraordinary dinner at El Cirkulo.

Blogger Manila and New Jollibee Menu Picks!

Blogger Manila just celebrated it's first year in the blogosphere! Many thanks to Jonel for the invitation and for including us in the Jollibee party. You were one of the first bloggers that J introduced me to in my early years of attending blogging events and gigs. Thank you for always being around and congratulations on your most recent awards and milestones. I acknowledge you for creating the Blogger Manila apprentice program and being of service to fellow bloggers. Lastly, thank you for the prize and the new Jollibee experience =)

Easy Pha-Max Wheatgrass Stories

I'm not a horse, you can't make me eat grass. I swallowed one big gulp of wheatgrass in S&R and I tasted grass for the first time. I smiled at the lady who gave me a very generous serving, turned around and walked away.