OUR AWESOME PLANET

Run for FAME

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I have a lot of backlog lately on my blog posts so I'm sorry for the multiple posts in one day. I have a lot of stories to tell and I can't wait to post all of them.

Congratulations to the H@ppy Feet runners who finished the Run for FAME last Sunday at Mall of Asia! FAME stands for The Filipino Association for Mariners' Employment. It aims to unite all legitimate shipmanning companies for a more formidable presence in and source of the world's maritime labor force.

I try to keep running 10Ks to balance off all the food trips with my wife. Recently, we went on a food trip in Marikina and I can't wait to share with you our discoveries. We ran a total of 11.5K around Mall of Asia and my legs hurt a bit probably because of the additional weight gained from the food trip.

Technorati Tags: MOA

Screaming O of Cuptails & Dreams

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screaming o, originally uploaded by Cuptails & Dreams.

Have you tried this cocktail-inspired cupcakes branded as Cuptails?

I particularly like Screaming O which is a chocolate cupcake with Kahlua topped with Bailey's buttercream frosting.  I can eat this everyday for dessert and I like the alcohol kick from the Kahlua and distinctive taste of Bailey's from the icing. This is a heavenly dessert for people like me who loves Kahlua and Bailey's.

We also tried Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Margarita and I particularly like the fresh lemon squeeze after taking a bite of the cuptails. The cupcakes are a mild version of the cocktails so you don't have to worry about getting drunk nor tipsy from eating these.

The non-alcoholic cupcakes like Napolitana and Original Sin (recommended for chocoholics) were a disappointment. The cake base of the cupcake had this separation where it was not evenly baked, and you won't have that rolling-your-eyes effect as you close your eyes and take a bite of the cupcake. I would prefer Sonja's cupcakes over the non-alcoholic ones.

Cuptails & Dreams
Reena Francisco
Mobile: +63 927-5653261
Official Site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuptailsanddreams/
Orders by the dozen (maximum of 3 flavors per dozen, or 4 pieces per flavor).  P650
Pick-up points in Quezon City, Makati (tue, wed, and fri only), and Las Pinas.
Please order 3 days in advance. 
Cupcake towers available for parties & events (minimum of 100 cupcakes, maximum of 5 flavors per tower).

Makati Pick Up c/o Dan Francisco
Mobile +63 917 842 3263
10am-12nn or 1-5pm at People eServe Corp.
G/F Mapua IT Center 333 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Makati City. 
The building is along Buendia corner Reposo corner Jupiter street.

The Greatest of All Time LT Presentation

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The LT team dancing to the tune of Fame.

Every year, P&G Philippines has this unique tradition of celebrating how successful our pension plan fund is. (I know it is kinda weird). This is the biggest celebration in our company which is held around September. It is bigger than Christmas because this is the only time we have a joint celebration with the plant, the shared service center, and the sales and marketing organization. One of our pride as P&Gers, is to retire in P&G and this night also serves as a venue for honoring the retirees.

Every pension plan celebration night, there is an inter-department competition on the best musical presentation given a particular theme. This year's theme was 80's Ballroom Dancing. For the first time in the Pension Plan celebration history, the leadership team of the company presented in the Pension Plan. Thanks to Direk Mel Soriano and team for creating a memorable fun presentation (that we won't forget and won't happen again :)

We really had fun with this presentation. I wanted to capture that joy and share it with you (even if this post is kinda personal). Here is a glimpse of the LT presentation.

Our boss Jim Lafferty was flying through the air in this graceful solo performance.

A decent attempt of a High School musical performance where each person will show the pom-poms one after another to create a wave effect.

Pauline, our media manager, was the only female in the team so we had to improvise and make our Corporate Lawyer, Junie and Shared Service Center manager, Patrick be in female roles.

I was in front together with Pauline as we danced our last High School musical sequence.


The star of the night was the beautiful Miss China, Patricia.

It was indeed a greatest of all time performance from the leadership team. We were a 3rd placer for this! Congrats!

Kanin Club, The Pride of Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Laguna

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If BF Paranaque's best kept secret was Conti's (before they expanded), Technopark's best kept secret in Sta. Rosa Laguna is Kanin Club. After two years, the restaurant has doubled in space size and this is the only place packed during lunch time. On a Sunday lunch, we had to wait for 30-45 minutes before getting our seats which is a good indication of how successful Kanin Club is.

Kanin Club @ the Pink Kitchen

Located at the center of Paseo Sta. Rosa, this is a good place to start or end your weekend trip to Tagaytay. They serve filipino dishes with a one of a kind twist that I've not seen in any restaurant. Their best seller is the Crispy Dinuguan and the Kanin's Club Turon. They serve different kinds of rice (Kanin in Tagalog word) and the best part is they serve healthy brown rice! You can also opt to order All-You-Kanin which is an eat-all-you-can white rice for only P40 per person.

Shame on me for ignoring this gem when I first heard of this a year ago. Don't forget to try out Kanin Club on your next trip to Tagaytay. (Just a tip: when going to Tagaytay don't exit via Sta. Rosa, use the exit right after Sta. Rosa which is Greenfield and this should take you to Paseo Sta. Rosa faster and without any traffic)

Technorati Tags: Kanin Club

Kanin Club already expanded to add more capacity to the restaurant, but still it is full on weekends.

Kanin Club Menu
Appetizers and Salads
Rice and Noodles
Main Dish
Soups and Seafood
Seafood and Vegetables
Dessert and Drinks

Brown Rice (P22). One serving of steamed unmilled unpolished mountain-grown rice.

Aidan loves rice and he likes it as it is.

Crispy Dinuguan (P120) spicy pork stew flavoured by vinegar and pork blood like European blood sausage, except it's a stew.

When we knew that this version of the dinuguan contains crispy chicharon bulaklak, and other crispy pig internals, we wanted to stay away from this dish. My mind knew that this was not good for my health but my hands and mouth kept on eating this one spoonful at a time until it is finished. How can this classic filipino dish be so unhealthy but taste so good? Stay away if you want your cholesterol to be on the safe side...

Seafood Kare Kare (P240). The National Dish: Mussels, squid, shrimps and vegetables slowly cooked in peanut sauce. Served with bagoong. A rich dish that all Filipinos love.

The key to Kanin's club success is their sauces. The Kare Kare sauce with the bagoong is another thing that you can't resist. It has the right peanut and sweet taste that you like to keep coming back for more. There was too much tahong in this kare kare versus the shrimp or the squid even the veggies were kept at a minimal.

Suman and Mango. This is a relatively new dessert and it was too sweet for us. There were buco strips, macapuno and chocnut crumbles on top.

Turon KC ala Mode (P82). A Kanin Club Original. An updated version of your lola's turon. It was with bananas, purple yam jam, macapuno strips and monggo beans wrapped and deep-fried in a rice paper roll. Your halo-halo version in a roll with a scoop of ice cream on the side.

This was a hit in the pink kitchen. I like the idea of having the halo-halo ingredients inside the turon. We love this!

I do hope Aidan doesn't get fat with all the desserts he loves eating these days. I need to teach him to run marathons as early as now...

Kanin Club
Paseo de Sta. Rosa
(049) 544-0332
Reservations for Dinner only.

Shroud of Turin

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Is this the face of Jesus Christ?

I was hoping that the exhibit would have a profound effect on us. Unfortunately, it did not and I'll tell you why.

The exhibit proves that the cloth is authentic and a documentation of a man who was scourged, speared, crowned with thorns, and crucified during the time of Jesus Christ, as depicted in the bible. But there is no conclusive evidence that suggest how the full front and back image could occur on the Shroud without any distortion and by only residing in the outermost surface of the weave. This is the core of the mystery, how could this even be possible to have a silent account of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as depicted in the Shroud of the Turin. It was amazing to see how the cloth survived through centuries and how it nearly escape destruction with some burn marks to prove it.

So when reason ends, faith begins. The Risen Christ theory suggest that the image was formed by the radiation created during the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that the shroud is a miracle art where it depicts the brutal crucifixion but also the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. How can a piece of cloth be this powerful?

There are only two ways to look at the Shroud of Turin exhibit. The first one is that it is a P250 light and sound show of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and a documentary on all the evidences/ conclusions based on the countless studies on this cloth. The other way is to approach it with reverence like praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary and reflecting on Jesus' brutally murdered body to save us from our sins.

There are three parts in the exhibit. The first part is a meditation on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ by having life size dioramas of the Sorrowful mysteries. It is followed by a documentary on the Shroud of Turin and brings you up to date on all the studies on this mystery cloth. The last part is a personal journey on what the Shroud really means for you.

"In 2005, using the very latest digital photographic reproduction techniques, the Shroud has been recreated-- in life-size form on backlit and full-size transparencies, on full life-size digital prints and in both positive and negative formats, along with many close-ups of the individual detail of the man on the Shroud—and all these were exhibited in New Zealand for the first time."

(The Shroud Exhibit in the Philippines)

"The Shroud of Turin is a centuries old linen cloth that bears the image of a crucified man. A man that millions believe to be Jesus of Nazareth. Is it really the cloth that wrapped his crucified body, or is it simply a medieval forgery, a hoax perpetrated by some clever artist? Modern science has completed hundreds of thousands of hours of detailed study and intense research on the Shroud. It is, in fact, the single most studied artifact in human history, and we know more about it today than we ever have before. And yet, the controversy still rages. This web site will keep you abreast of current research, provide you with accurate data from the previous research and let you interact with the researchers themselves. We believe that if you have access to the facts, you can make up your own mind about the Shroud. Make sure you visit the page where you can Examine the Shroud of Turin for yourself. We hope you enjoy your visit."

(The Shroud of Turin by Barrie Schwortz)

What is amazing for me is that this is a full body 3d silent account of the brutal death of Jesus Christ. As you get closer to the life size replica image of the Shroud of Turin, you'll just notice the obvious burn marks. As you step back and look at it from a distance you can clearly see the face of Jesus Christ and the suffering he endured for our sins.

A miraculous Santo Entiero from Cebu is also on display after the exhibit. You'll appreciate this image even more after reflecting on what the shroud of Turin really means for you.

In the adoration chapel, you'll see the portrait of the dead face of Jesus Christ. There is no doubt in mind that it is indeed, Jesus Christ.

My only regret was that I approached the exhibit with the intent of blogging about it and the Devil capitalized on my curiosity. You will be tempted NOT to go to this exhibit either because of its P250 entrance fee or you'll conclude that this is just one of Henry Sy's gimmick to bring in traffic to the SM malls.

Approach it like going to a pilgrimage to the official exposition of the Shroud in Turin in 2025. The image is the same and we know for sure that the cloth is authentic. Let it touch your heart.

The Shroud of Turin Exhibit in SM Mall of Asia

Locked away in a cathedral in Italy, the Shroud of Turin is a mysterious artifact displayed only three or four times a century, drawing pilgrims from all over the world to witness its exposition. Although the next official exposition of the Shroud is slated in 2025, Filipinos do not have to wait for a couple more decades nor travel thousands of miles to see it.

For the first time in the Philippines, and the first time in Asia, Shroud Exhibits International, Inc. presents the Philippine Exhibition of The Mystery of the Shroud of Turin.

After enlightening New Zealand, the exhibit’s journey continues in the Philippines – the only predominantly Christian nation in Southeast Asia—as the country plays host to this very special exhibit that allows visitors to journey with the Shroud’s history, discover the facts and myths behind the Shroud, and unravel the mystery behind this treasured piece.

After a successful first leg at SM City Pampanga, the Mystery of the Shroud of Turin runs at SM Mall of Asia from Sept. 8 to Dec. 9; SM Davao from Jan. 18 to Feb. 3, 2008; and SM City Cebu from April 4-27, 2008.

P250 entrance fee. It is located opposite of the IMAX theatre beside the Fish & Company restaurant in the first floor.

For more details, contact Shroud Exhibits International, Inc. at 895-2966 or 610-0870, or email info@shroudexhibit.ph.

In Yo Turns 1!

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I'm truly honored every time a restaurant that I reviewed invites me to their first year anniversary or any special occasion they have. They acknowledge and know how to say "thank you" in a special way for the objective review I did about their restaurant. This is one of the "perks" of my blogging because I pay for our own dinner. We just love to eat and share our experience about the place for others to try it out.

Sa In Yo

After one year, In-Yo has bloomed to be one of the awesome restaurants in Metro Manila. The anniversary coincided with the victory of De La Salle over Ateneo to take the second spot in the UAAP 2007 games. So I was shouting "Animo La Salle" inside me as I passed by the Ateneo campus on my way to In-Yo.

Congratulations to Chef Nino Laus and Cris Orocio for a very successful one year anniversary! It was one of the best anniversary dinners we have attended. Only thing was we missed was taking a picture of Aidan with Imee Marcos because Aidan fell into the Koi fish pond after the dinner. We were shocked with what happened to him but he was alright, just half drenched. Hope he learns his lesson to stay put with Momma.

On that anniversary night, Aidan met his shadow. It was fun looking at him being fascinated about where his shadow is coming from. He would often look under his shoes to see the origin of the shadow or trying to jump over. He was even amazed at how big his shadow can be and how it changes as he ran in circles.

Chef Nino (at only age 26 -- can you believe it?!) and his culinary team prepares for the degustation menu.

In Yo's 1st Anniversary Degustation Menu
(A Special menu for the Night)

Trilogy of Foie Gras.
Torchon with cranberry jelly
Pan seared with syrah braised caramelized onions
Poached with truffled mashed potato
Served with mixed greens in raspberry vinaigrette

Among the three, we loved the pan seared version with the caramelized onions. The foie gras tasted like a sponge full of taste with the right texture and without the lansa taste. Even Aidan has to agree to it! He kept asking for more and almost ate his Momma's share. The torchon version tasted like liver spread and we liked the truffle goodness of the mashed potato. This reminded me of Parallel Forty Five's four dances of Foie Gras.

Mesquite Smoked Tomato Soup with Basil Froth.
Garnished with parmesan shavings and sun dried tomatoes.

Awesome! It taste like the real tomato soup with the right creaminess, right cheesiness and right consistency. The basil froth makes this look like the cappuccino of soups. Love it!

Honey Glazed Grilled Salmon.
With sweet citrus miso sauce served with light wasabi mashed potato, grilled asparagus and demi dried tomato.

The salmon was cooked medium rare and Rache accidentally ate it and loved it but had to refrain from eating it (pregnant women are discouraged to eating anything raw). I liked anything with wasabi so the mashed potato made me want to shout Animo wasabi. The salmon was tender but firm on the outside and tasted like smoked ham. Can we have another serving of this?

In between meals, Aidan would go to this display of antique sewing machine, and wooden drums that came from Vietnam.

Calamansi Yuzu Sorbet. How I wish I had asked for more of this! Too bad we weren't fast enough to capture Aidan's expression when he got to taste this. The yuzu here is a japanese lemon. It got the right taste and blend so it was just perfect!

Spiced Vietnamese Coffee Rubbed U.S. Top Blade.
Served with mushroom ragout and grilled vegetable stack.

Have you tasted a steak flavored with vietnamese coffee and a little bit of rum? Awesome combination! Also, the U.S. Top blade was so soft and it still tasted good even when Rache asked for it to be cooked well done. She loved this too! This is a perfect way to end the meal.

Aidan insisted to take shot of the food as well. At 32 months, he now know how to take some pictures. Chef Nino commented, is this the next Anton Jr.?

Banana Sampler.
Filo wrapped banana with chocolate hazel nut sauce with green tea ice cream.
Banana brulee
Tempura banana served with frozen vahlrona choxolate truffle.

We liked the sosy bananaque where they wrapped the banana in filo sheets with mixture of poppy and sesame seeds and green tea ice cream on top. The creme brulee is now served in a decent serving size and something to rave about. Their dessert is now something to look forward to. I can't think of a negative comment even if I wanted to.

Aidan with Chef Nino and Master Chef Humphrey Navarro who will open a new french restaurant in October called Aubergine.

In-Yō Fusion Cuisine.
66 E. Abada St., Loyola Heights, Quezon City (behind Katipunan Avenue)
Tel# +632 426-0301, +63920 960-7202

In Yo Menu
Appetizer, Salad, Soup, Fish

Poultry, Meat, Pasta

Operating Hours
Tuesday-Sunday
11am - 2pm; 6 - 10pm

When it matters most... Animo La Salle!

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As I clinched my fist and pumped it in the air as the entire La Salle gallery sang "Hail, Hail, Alma Matter," in unison, I can't help but shout "Go La Salle" as a second voice after each stanza of the song. Each word was shouted with pride and somehow we knew that when it matters most, the Green Archer delivered the 70-69 win over Ateneo. It never felt this good this UAAP season. Yes, like most die-hard Green Archer fan, I was in Araneta to support La Salle specially in the crucial last two minutes of the game and smell the sweet victory after the final buzzer.

Securing the second spot is crucial because La Salle gains the twice to beat advantage while Ateneo needs to beat UST to get a chance to play with La Salle again. Since UE swept the entire eliminations, they advance to the finals and a step ladder elimination is followed. I do hope Ateneo wins over UST so that we would have another Ateneo-La Salle game.

All of the big players delivered including JV Casio (21pts), Rico Maierhofer (13pts), Tyrone Tang (10pts), Peejay Barua (9pts)?, and Cholo Villanueva (7pts) who scored the winning point via a split free throw shot.

Related Posts:

Green Archers gain 2x to beat Advantage (inboundpass.com)

P.S. I noticed the Gang Green discouraging the La Salle gallery to do a wave. Why?

Back to Back

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Hi OAP friends, I've been pretty busy lately with back to back trips to Shanghai and Singapore. I'll be posting my adventures soon and the yummy treats I discovered. As you all know I love Shanghai and if ever I move out of Manila for an expat assignment that is the only place I want to be.

My mac crashed on me back to back as well over a two weeks period. I'm an expert already on how to reinstall OSX 10.4.10 and all the software that I use. I lost some data but the important thing is that all of my photos are intact. I started to do back to back back-ups to a spare hard disk and to an iPod. Let me know if are encountering the same problem because I might be of help.

I was also got invited back to back to write an article for Inquirer which was released last Sunday and another one for Yummy in the November issue. Thanks for all the greetings on the article. We are thrilled to write that fun article for Sunday Inquirer Magazine. Thanks to Penny of SIM and Margaux for recommending me to write for SIM. I'm updating the links and contact information in the blog posts for those who want to try the awesome restaurants.

It is sad that Lasalle lost to Ateneo back to back and this is the first time I've seen it happen ever since college (I think). But the last game was a great game and it was a shoot out between the two squads. It was mentally and physically draining for both such that they lost in their subsequent games. But Ateneo's happy days will be over today after the playoffs for the twice to beat advantage. Animo La Salle!

Top 10 Awesome Restaurants of the Philippines

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More than just serving gourmet food and the right ambiance, these restaurants take the overall dining experience to a higher level
Sunday Inquirer Magazine (September 16, 2007)

What makes restaurants awesome? One would say as long as it serves great food. However, “great food” is subjective and it varies with each person's experience and background. To be considered awesome, restaurants have to take the food and overall dining experience to a higher level. Food that leaves an indelible mark in your taste buds, experience that imprints lasting memories in your mind, and ambiance that carves a special place in one's heart for you to share it with every person that you meet.

Each restaurant is carefully chosen to be prestigiously included in this list. Each one serves gourmet food with the freshest ingredients. It combines nature elements, artifacts or a sense of history in its overall ambiance. Simply, these restaurants have a story to tell which spreads out via word-of-mouth. I can proudly say that you can only find these restaurants ONLY in the Philippines.

KUBLI SPRINGS @ KINABUHAYAN CAFé, DOLORES, QUEZON

The road to Kubli Springs is literally a road less traveled where you'll be glad you decided not to drive your sedan car. Flashlights, candles, mobile phones, and the moon are the only source of light. Occasionally, they would put up Christmas lights connected to portable battery source to make the place special. You will find yourself in the middle of the forest, with boulders as your neighbor. The spring water flows through your feet as you look up and appreciate a clear black sky with twinkling dots. You sit on rocks and make shift benches as you smell the steak grilled on the spot. Ah, this is the perfect time to play the acoustic guitar and sing with the barkada without shame and the fear of disturbing anybody.

For P500/ person, you get fresh salad with flowers, grilled steak, Jay's special rice and fruit platter. The meal ends with friendly Lambanog and special roast of Barako coffee. Water is served from a bamboo "faucet" with mineral water coming from the mountains. Drinking and taking a bath from fresh mineral water is one unique experience. Your dining experience is a mixed emotion of satisfaction, fear, and happiness. Somehow, you wished the night will never end.

Related Posts:
Kubli Springs Night @ Viaje del Sol
[Viaje del Sol Series.5] The Charm of Kubli Springs

Kinabuhayan Cafe Bed and Breakfast
Tel (042) 565 6828
Jay +63 917 368 0054
Winston +63 917 327 1106

ANTONIO'S, TAGAYTAY

You'll get excited every time you enter the entrance doors of Antonio's. It is like entering a magical portal to a world where any of the food you choose is something worth raving about. The service feels like you are in a six-star hotel where you don't have to worry about anything. Even going to the restroom is a chance to appreciate nature and its beauty. The positive energy in the place encourages conversation and it bears witness to thousands of memorable life stories.

You don't mind waiting for your food because you know that it is being prepared to perfection. The real flavor of the meat and ingredients stands out without any of the sauce overpowering its taste. Any of the wine selections seems to match with the food that you order. My favorite in Antonio's includes the Salad with Foie Gras, the steaks or sea bass dish, and the soufflé dessert to end the night. I envisioned our silver marriage anniversary to be held in Antonio's because of the food, service and its garden.

Related Posts:
Nothing beats an Antonio's Dinner @ Tagaytay!
Antonio's, Tagaytay -- Still the Best

Antonio's
Mobile No.: +63917-899-2866

UGU BIGYAN, TIAONG, QUEZON

It still continues to be a secret place in the Tiaong area because Ugu never advertises the place. There are no road signs that points you to it and even their neighbors never realized that such place exist. One of the amazing things about Ugu's Pottery Garden Restaurant is that the entire place is a labor of love of the entire family. They designed everything from the huts, layout of the garden, the pottery designs, and its food concept.

Ugu is known for his dishes namely, Kulawo and Lato. Kulawo is charcoal grilled banana heart with a smokey flavor taste and it taste like Tuna while Lato is seaweed in vinegar. Both are traditional Filipino dishes that you seldom find in Metro Manila. It is home cooked Filipino food artistically presented and served in Ugu Bigyan's signature pottery. I do hope it remains to be a secret.

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Ugu Bigyan's
[Viaje del Sol Series.6] Sumptuous Lunch @ Ugu Bigyan!
[Viaje del Sol Series.7] Ugu Bigyan's Pottery Garden Postcards

Ugu Bigyan
Address: 490 Alvarez Village , Brgy Lusacan, Tiaong, Quezon
Telefax: +63 42 545-9144
Manila #: +632 250-8416

ISLA NABUROT, GUIMARAS

Isla Naburot resort is like wine – the older it is the more exotic it becomes. Electricity is supplied by solar panels that can only support the incandescent bulbs in the room. Your mobile phone will be lucky to survive after one day because there are no charging stations nearby. All you have to do is swim in the clean beach, play sunka, and spend quality time with the family.

The main attraction is doing nothing and eating gourmet Filipino dishes prepared the traditional way. Fresh seafoods are patiently grilled in a way that their natural juices are kept intact inside the meat. You enjoy each meal with home made sinamak vinegar. Fruits are abundant specially the famous Guimaras mangoes. The taste of the food is enhanced by the fresh air environment and by the love of the people cooking it. It is a foodie heaven and I can’t wait to go back this summer.

Isla Naburot
Mobile #: Ana +63920-9275372

LA COCINA de TITA MONING’S, MANILA

As you enter the gates of this old mansion, you can't help but be transported back to the Old Rich ambiance in the Malacanang area. You are welcomed with drinks and pica pica in the patio before starting with the mini-tour of the mansion. You'll be fascinated with the antiques and the old-fashioned design of the living room, bedroom and especially, the bathroom. The dining area is small enough for a big group to easily dominate with their presence and laughter.

It is a treat to enjoy Spanish food cooked from recipes handed down from generations. You will leave La Cocina raving about its paella and its bread pudding. The former could rival the paella’s in Manila’s Spanish restaurants. The latter tastes like milk bread leche plan that melts in your mouth. The service is slow but sure. What is important is that they serve you with a smile and put every effort to make the experience memorable. I never forgot our La Cocina experience ever since January 2005.

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A memorable dinner @ La Cocina de Tita Moning

La Cocina
Address: 315 San Rafael Street, San Miguel, Manila Philippines
Telephone Number: (632) 734-2141, 734-2146
Mobile #: (63917) 538-3490

Technorati Tags: Antipolo, Antonios, Awesome Restaurants, Bale Dutung, Batangas, Charleys, Claude Tayag, El Nido, Entalula Island, Guimaras, Isla Naburot, Kinabuhayan Cafe, Kubli Springs, Kusina Salud, La Cocina de Tita Monings, Lipa, Manila, Palawan, Pampanga, Philippines, Restaurants, San Pablo, Laguna, Tagaytay, Tiaong, Quezon, Tita Monings, Ugu Bigyan, Vieux Chalet

KUSINA SALUD, SAN PABLO, LAGUNA

We need to give credit to Kusina Salud for making the Viaje del Sol travel route popular. It is the "Sonya's Garden" of San Pablo, Laguna but even better because of its wide selection of gourmet dishes. Occasionally, you could chat with Nina and Chef Paul Poblador about the story of Kusina Salud. The place would always smile back anywhere you point your camera. It combines the odd pieces of furniture and accessories with different style harmoniously.

For me, the best time to go is breakfast as early as 9am and this will serve as your jump off point to explore the Laguna and Quezon area. I long for the hamonado-style longganisa, fried adobo flakes and banggus belly for breakfast. They serve buffets on special occasions but I still prefer to order from the ala carte menu. Massage service are available which would be perfect if you make this your last stop before heading back to Manila.

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[Viaje del Sol Series.1] Breakfast @ Kusina Salud

Kusina Salud
285 Bgy. Sta. Cruz (Putol), San Pablo City, Laguna
Mobile No: Jerome @ +63 921 772-6985
Tel# +632 699-5035 or +63 49 246-6878
Email kusinasalud@yahoo.com

VIEUX CHALET, ANTIPOLO

Operating for more than 20 years, Vieux Chalet remains to be mysterious. This place is literally a house cum restaurant on top of the hill in Antipolo. Your patience in looking for this place will be rewarded by an awesome view of Manila especially at night. It never failed to impress the people I recommended to go here to celebrate their special occasion.

What keeps me going back to this place is the passion that Susan Hassig brings in preparing the food. You'll never forget the taste and softness of the homemade pasta or the home baked fresh bread and homegrown cheeses. Some people go to Vieux Chalet for simply the taste of its refreshing lemongrass drink or to indulge in its version of the Osso Bucco. This is our favorite hang out if we want to escape and eat good gourmet food.

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Are you a Vieux Chalet virgin?

Vieux Chalet Swiss Restaurant
Taktak Road, Antipolo City
Tel# +632 697-0396,
Mobile # +63 917 856-5175
Email: srhassig@yahoo.com

CLAUDE TAYAG’s BALE DUTUNG, PAMPANGA

You've never tasted Pampanga cuisine until you have eaten in Claude Tayag's Bale Dutung house. This is one of those long lunches you love to have with your friends where you won't even noticed the hours that passed by. Once you arrived, you will be greeted with a frozen baby cologne towel and steamed peanuts that will bring back memories of your childhood years. The entire house is a showroom of Claude Tayag's creation and a glimpse into his artistic brilliance. You'll never get tired of wandering around and taking photos at each artistic piece that you see.

Mr. and Mrs. Claude Tayag will serve you personally with their simple kapampangan dishes served with an artistic presentation. Also, they will entertain you with the history of how they built Bale Dutung. My favorite dishes include the catfish with buro and green mustasa, and Pampanga's version of the Paella. The meal ends with a simple Paradiso dessert made of smoked ube, camote, macapuno on sweet Carabao milk pastillas. After the meal, it is nice to lazy around his house and chat with Claude Tayag to know him a little deeper before saying goodbye.

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CHARLEY'S at LIPA CITY, BATANGAS

I fell in love with the place after seeing the beautiful horses at Leviste’s Equestrian Farm in Lipa, I usually see the tired horses in Baguio and in Tagaytay and I never thought of seeing these thorough breeds in Philippine soil. Lunch or Dinner is courtesy of Les Roche trained Chef Popit de Leon who is passionate about cooking his foodie creations either in his Makati Condo or in Charley’s on weekends. Popit uses the fresh herbs in Charley’s garden as a prerequisite ingredient in all the food served in the farm. Often times, you’ll get a personal tour of the entire farm by Charley herself after the meal.

Unfortunately, the place recently closed down its doors to out-of-town diners. Popit now cooks exclusively in his Makati Condo. This is a simple tribute and thank you for becoming part of our foodie memories, accompanied by a wish that hopefully it opens its doors once again.

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A Charley's Weekend Food Trip cum Foodie EB [Best of Charley's Series 1]
The Grand Tour of Charley's [The Best of Charley's #2]
Charley's Food Trip Group [The Best of Charley's #3]

Popit De Leon
Mobile #: +63917-893-1938

ENTALULA ISLAND, EL NIDO, PALAWAN

Just imagine having an exclusive picnic with gourmet food in an island with white sands that is better than Boracay’s. Entalula island in El Nido is definitely a piece of paradise that you can enjoy privately for lunch or dinner. Everything is setup for you and you can request what food you would like to have. Your imagination is the limit to how creative you want the experience to be.

It is worth saving for and this is my main motivation for hopefully going back to El Nido resorts. When you book an El Nido vacation make sure to reserve the island already for lunch or dinner. Next time, I would like to spend dinner here with my wife and just lay down in its pristine white sands with limestone cliffs as backdrop.

For more information about these restaurants, please visit www.ourawesomeplanet.com.

Anton is the publisher of Our Awesome Planet (OAP), one of the top 10 blogs in the Philippines. OAP is a photo food and travel blog about Manila's food and travel secrets shared through word of mouth. He is known as a food critic and has recently been passionate about running marathons. Currently, he works and loves his job as an IT manager in P&G Philippines.

Avenue Q High

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Avenue Q - Final Run June 2008. 5 Reasons Why You Should Not Miss the Opening Night of Avenue Q’s Final Run!

I'm still on an Avenue Q high after watching the final dress rehearsals of Avenue Q last night at RCBC. This is the best musical broadway show that I've ever seen since Rent in Manila. They used puppets creatively where you can see the puppeteer holding it. For some reason, it was able to create an illusion where the voice of the actors can be heard coming out of the puppet and their facial expressions were mimic by the puppets. (Or was it the other way around?).

I thought that the show would be offensive because of the vulgar language, the full puppet nudity, and graphic sex scenes. It turns out to be a hilarious and fun show. It has the dramatic theme and vocal prowess of Rent with a Bubble-Gang-like spoof of Sesame Street.

It was a Rachel Alejandro show where she played two totally opposite characters of the virgin Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut. What surprised us most was not her singing prowess (which was expected), but how she was able to bring Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut to life with her facial expressions and body movements. In the bed scene of Kate Monster and Princeton (played by Felix Rivera), I saw Rachel really having fun with the way they were playing out the puppet scene. I can still remember the small boobs of Kate Monster and the funny sound that they were making. I've been listening to the Avenue Q songs for a month now, and Rachel nailed the Kate Monster part and she was able to capture the audience with the allure of Lucy the Slut.

Aiza Sequerra was brilliant in her performance of Gary Coleman. She has a striking similarity with Gary since she was also a childstar. We were all amazed at the clarity of Aiza's voice. Aiza's best moment is when she sang Schadenfreude (pronounced as Shahd-en-froy-de) which means German for happiness in the misfortune of others. I think most Filipinos would be able to relate to this term when you mention Malu Fernandez.

You should never miss Joel Trinidad and Trekkie Monster's Internet is For Porn sequence. Everybody was laughing in the audience and you can see the different kind of laugh coming from the male in the audience. You don't know if they are laughing because of Trekkie's "choreography" or if it hits a nerve somehow. Now we know why Trekkie who spoofs Oscar the grouch in Sesame Street is always in the trash can and gets grouchy whenever he is interrupted.

Frenchie Dy plays the funny Christmas Eve. Despite the fact that she sometimes forget that she should be Japanese (instead of Chinese), she still nailed the part because of how well she delivers her songs and her funny accent and look. We love you Frenchie and you should see her in her outrageous wedding dress.

The last memorable sequence for me is the Rod and Nicky's "Fantasies come true". Just replaced Rod and Nicky with Ernie and Bert and you'll be dying laughing about this bed dream sequence. Rod was played by Felix Rivera and Nicky was played by Joel Trinidad. Bravo!

The final scene where the entire cast sang "For Now", gives me a Rent like chill. The message of the song "Everthing in Life is only For Now" hits me like the "No Day But Today" theme of Rent. You should see Rachel Alejandro acts out Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut one after another by holding the puppets at the same time. I'm amazed on how she can switch with such ease and fun.

Fantastic show. There are only 12 performances starting tonight September 7 until September 23 in RCBC Auditorium.

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Swagat - The Best Indian Food That Filipinos Would Love

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As you enter Swagat, it felt like entering into a dining room in a suburban Indian home with Indian decorations and matching indian music to complete the ambiance. How would you know that it is Indian? It felt like it, and Komal with husband Sanjay Khanchandani would make you feel welcome to their home. Swagat means welcome in Hindi.

This place should be called Indian Gourmet because of the fresh and home made ingredients Komal used for the dishes. She makes her own masalas which is "an intricate combination of freshly ground spices and herbs, each combination devised to suit a particular dish." (source: About Swagat). She makes her own yogurt, paneer (cheese) and bakes her own breads. She cooks all the meal herself in Swagat where you can feel how "clean" the food is. Clean in the sense that it is not greasy, the ingredients are not overpowering one another, and you can taste the spices without any unwanted flavorings like MSG.

Swagat deserves the reputation it earned from the foodie community that it is the best authentic Indian Restaurant in Makati today. The best part is, it is affordable with most dishes in the less than P200 range not to mention it is situated at the heart of Legaspi Village in Makati.

If you have not eaten in Swagat, you should try it because it serves the type of Indian food that Filipinos would love.

Technorati Tags: Indian, swagat

Bhel Puri (P90) An extremely popular mix of puffed rice and sev with various chutney.

We've never eaten this anywhere and my wife (who does not appreciate Indian food right now) loves this appetizer this. The best description I can provide is that it taste like Rice Crispies with the Indian spicy hot touch. It is the first time I've tasted sev and it was a wonderful surprise. We will definitely order this one the next time. We actually ask if there was Hummus but apparently, it is not Indian in origin so they don't have it in the menu.

Swagat Menu:
Hot Appetizers
Rice Biryani and Shrimps Specialties
Veg Rice and Indian Bread Specialties
Paneer and Mushroom Specialties
Vegetarian Dish and Yogurt Specialites
Fish and Egg Specialties
Vegetarian Specialties

For clearer descriptions, here is the menu from the official swagat site.

Sangam Biryani (P200). Lean, tender pieces of chicken, lamb, cooked with freshly ground herbs and spices in cream mughlai sauce with Indian Rice, garnished with nuts and raisins.

The best thing about this is that it does not feel heavy when you eat it. But it feels a complete meal with each of the ingredients carefully selected and the sauce is absorbed by the rice.

Roghan Josh. Goat Meat cooked with cream & butter & flavored spices.

You can taste the freshness of the sauce and it did not feel that they reheat this from the freezer. You cannot see the ingredients used but you can taste the mixed herbs and spices blended intimately with the goat meat. The meat was tender and soft and very tasty. There was not greasy or malansa feeling when you eat this. We finished it even the sauce as if we licked the plate clean because the sauce alone can be a meal with the rice.

Chai (Milk Tea) and Kulfi Homemade Indian Ice Cream with nuts & pistas.

The Indian Ice Cream was interesting and something different. It is not something that I would crave for and order again next time. There has no greasy or cream taste to it and maybe that's why we wouldn't rave about this.

Swagat Indian Cuisine
119 FCC Building, Rada Street,
Legaspi Village, Makati City
Phone: (632) 752-5669
Open from 9:00 a.m to 11:00 p.m.
(Monday to Sunday)
Email: kkhanchandani2000@yahoo.com
Official Website: Swagat Indian Cuisine

Komal and Sanjay Khanchandani with Aidan. Meeting and talking with Komal and Sanjay is part of the overall experience in Swagat. Don't be intimidated by them because they are extremely friendly. Thanks Komal!