OUR AWESOME PLANET: December 2008

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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Persian Square

The Persian Empire just invaded Manila. Finally, a good alternative to Hossein's. Check this out...

I'm glad that we have a new Iranian or Persian cuisine in town with unique dishes and a refreshingly different ambiance. (I'm just not sure about those double-headed horses with horns, guarding the perimeter of the resto.)

Persian Square is the new business venture of the successful tiles importer, Floor Center, which has 120 branches nationwide. It is so named because it aims to be the "town square" where Persians in Manila congregate. Also, the restaurant's design is composed of 3,000 squares -- from the table, to the tiles, to the square plates and to the square fountain in the middle of the resto.

There are three (3) booths that we recommend you reserve. I like them because each one has a curtain you can close for added privacy. The only thing bothering me is that the long chairs are obviously made from cheap materials because even Aidan can push them.

Salad-e-Oloviyeh (P155). Potato puree mixed with chicken strips, green peas, cucumber pickles and mayonnaise.

I'm glad that the servings are family-size portions, which you can share with 2-3 people. The name of the salad is exotic, but it is simply a potato salad enjoyed with chicken strips, green peas and cucumber pickles. It goes very well with the pita bread and it is a good way to start your meal.

Doogh Shake (P95+). Homemade Soda Yogurt Shake

For something unique to drink, order the Soda Yogurt Shake. You can have it authentically salty (only P55+) or sweet (as most Filipinos like it).

Persian Square Salad (P165). Crisp Romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, corn, carrot, bell pepper, Kalamat olives, and croutons, topped with the chef's secret dressing.

It is a simple salad with a complete medley of different healthy vegetables, served with a nice dressing that tastes similar to the house garlic sauce.

Chelo Joojeh Kabab (P375+). A skewer of charbroiled chicken thighs and breast marinated in saffron, onion and lime juice. Served with Basmati rice, topped with saffron, butter and two grilled tomatoes.

The highlight of the meal is the kabab with the basmati rice. I particularly like the sweet chili sauce and the garlic sauce that are served by default on the table. We usually mix the sauce with the grilled tomatoes. The chicken was marinated well with saffron. I think it would have been nicer if it came with grilled onions as well.

Chelo Kabab Koobideh (P295). Two skewers of juicy strips of charbroiled seasoned ground beef mixed with onion and persian spices, (25 cm each). Served with Basmati rice, topped with saffron, butter and two grilled tomatoes.

The beef kabab delivered on its juicy promise with a distinct taste because of the Persian spice. You can order the kabab on its own (P95 each) or get this set meal.

Mirza Ghasemi (P155+). Grilled eggplant, sauteed onion and garlic with Persian spices, served in homemade tomato sauce.

If you are tired of the usual babaganoush side dish, why not order this eggplant dish with tomato sauce instead? It is served mashed and better paired with the cucumber.

Ghormeh Sabzi (P265+). Cubed beef cooked in finely chopped onion, red beans, leek, scallion, chives, herbs and sun dried lime.

We really wanted to go authentic and try a totally different dish. The sabzi stew was highly recommended by Reza. The cubed beef is almost non-existent and what is left is the red beans with strong herbs. Frankly, it was too strong for our taste.

Persian Square will be on soft opening for 2 weeks and just operate one shift, starting at 5pm until 2am.

Caspean Persian Square Restaurant
Unit 101 Bldg B. Ortigas Home Depot (near Starbucks)
Julia Vargas Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City
Call Reza +63916 392-2143

Live an Awesome Life in God's Grace,

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

December 30, 2008 in 34. The Best of Ortigas and Libis, Restaurants | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack

Thai Patio, Greenbelt 5

The newest Thai resto in town, Thai Patio, is making quite a buzz in the foodie community. Found in Greenbelt 5, it would surely challenge the supremacy of People's Palace in the high-end Thai Food category.

Thai Patio is part of the restaurant group of Madison Steak House and Max Brenner. It claims to have outlets in Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei, Geneva and London already. But I can't seem to find its presence in these countries online except for the Thai Patio in Hollywood. (Have you heard of Thai Patio outside Manila?)

Overall, the food is worth raving about, maybe except for the small portions. (see Thai Patio Menu 1 | Menu 2)

Calamari with Crispy Garlic Chili (P285+)

Most of the appetizers are good for one person. This calamari was good enough to share (as recommended by the server). It was crispy and the squid was not chewy, which is a sign that it was cooked well. It was not that spicy, so Aidan was able to eat it without any problem.

Green Mango Salad with Soft-shell Crab (P310+)

We recommend that you order this dish. The mango salad had that 4-conflicting taste effect. It was sweet, salty, spicy and sour all at the same time. It was the perfect match for the soft-shell crab. I actually don't like the idea of eating a whole baby crab disguised in breaded coating. I hate hearing the sound of the bones crushed with each bite. But this one was smoother and more crisp than I expected -- just like eating a crispy fish.

Tom Yum Prawn (P310+)

The soup was served in a tiny bowl, good for one person only. Even if it was delicious, I won't order it anymore because of its ridiculous price point.

Traditional Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Prawns (Pad Thai) (P420+)

Sala Thai in Malate was my benchmark for pad thai in Manila. I like Thai Patio's pad thai because it is as good as the one in Sala Thai. It had a more balanced flavor compared to the cheap Thai alternatives, which are more greasy and sweeter, catering to the Filipino taste. The chili and additional nuts were served on the side with a slice of lemon. It is best to mix them all together for the perfect pad thai experience. A piece of advice, though: make sure to allot a certain portion for your kid beforehand. He/she might not yet appreciate the intense flavor.

Stir-Fried Chicken with Chili and Basil (P280+)

One thing I look for in any Thai restaurant is a good chili dish that would delight Bicolanos like me. And I certainly met my match in this dish. The chicken was stir-fried with sweet soy sauce and chili. The basil neutralized the chili for a while, so I was able to enjoy this until the end. We were originally planning to order the chicken wrapped in pandan but they didn't have it in the menu.

Red Lamb Curry with Peanut (P450+) with Rice (add P50+)

This is the dish worth raving about. If we had known about it earlier, we would have just ordered this with rice and pad thai. The key was in the sweet curry sauce made of coconut gata, peanuts and a secret mix of herbs. The lamb drumstick was all meat with just a thin coating of fat. Originally, the lamb was served cold inside. They were kind enough to reheat the entire dish. I think the chili was only for presentation purposes. I'm sure you can request to have it served spicier than usual, though.

Mango with Sticky Rice (P195+)

The desserts were ordinary, like this fresh mango with white suman rice.

Cocounut Sundae ala Thai Style (P175+)

The coconut sundae was made of coconut salad, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. You can request to serve it Thai Style, where they would add white suman rice to your cold treat.

Overall, Thai Patio's food is good. You can even request to make it hotter than usual if you're into spicier dishes. If you are a group of 3-4 people, I would recommend ordering the Green Mango Salad with Soft-shell Crab, the Pad Thai and the Red Curry Lamb with Rice. Budget P500 per head.

Thai Patio The Joy of Eating
Ground Floor (beside Zuni), Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati
Telephone +632 729-0742. 729-0650

Live an Awesome Life in God's Grace,

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

December 30, 2008 in 37. The Best of Makati, Restaurants | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBack

Monday, December 29, 2008

1. SM Science Discovery Center

10 Best Places to Bring Your Toddler Series

Want to visit the future? Bring your youngster to SM Science and Discovery Center. It is the country’s first highly interactive Science Learning Theme Park in a 3,000 square meter, two-level facility in SM Mall of Asia. Toddlers would love the virtual sports in Media City, where they get magically transported onto the screen, playing basketball or soccer with the computer. Most kids would enjoy the cockpit view in Transportation Nation, where they can simulate the flight of an airplane or helicopter. They also get the chance to chat with the titan fish from Verde Island, Mr. T, in Virtual Reef. Finally, kids can play the Robot Wars interactive battle (which can be addicting), where they get to control actual robots to pin down rival robots.

The highlights of the SM Science Discovery Center include the 360-degree dome Digistar Planetarium and the LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Center. Be warned that some toddlers get scared of the loud sounds and dark environment in the Planetarium. They might also be too young to appreciate programming robots in the Mindstorms center.

The futuristic staff of the Science Center love kids and are trained to interact with them very well. Also, they control the number of people entering at any given time, so it doesn't get over-crowded. School field trips can fill up the Science Center, so it would be good to inquire prior to your scheduled trip with your kids.

Elevators are available to bring kids in strollers to and from the second floor. Food and drinks are not allowed inside, so don't forget to eat before entering the center. The entrance fee for adults and children is priced at P330/head.

Address: SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City
Telephone Numbers: (+632) 556-2153, 556-2187, 556-0331
Group Sales Office: (+632) 556-0331, 556-2194
Entrance Fee: Php 330 (Adult & Children), Php 264 (Senior Citizen),
Field Trip on a weekday Php 250 and Php 280 on a weekend (minimum of 50pax)
Center Hours: Everyday 10am-10pm (Ticket selling ends at 8:45pm)

10 Best Places to Bring Your Toddler Series

1. SM Science Discovery Center
2. Manila Ocean Park
3. Enchanted Kingdom
4. Leisure Farms Adventures
5. Philippine Air Force Aerospace Museum
6. Playa Calatagan
7. Ark of Avilon
8. Snow World in Star City
9. Zoobic Safari
10. Museo Pambata

Live an Awesome Life in God's Grace,

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

December 29, 2008 in 09. Best Places to Bring Your Kid | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

New Year's Party in Manila

We are just staying at home this new year. I'm trying to collect information on the New Year's celebrations in Manila so that people will be more informed on which places to go to or which ones to avoid :) I only know the Fort Boni celebrations.

Fort Bonifacio New Year's Celebrations

6.00pm and 8.00pm New Year's Eve Mass @ Sanctuario de San Antonio
9.00pm - Taguig Street Party with Grand Fireworks.
Midnight until Sunrise -- Sunrise Party at Boni High Street

Mall of Asia New Year's Celebration
On December 31 at about 5pm, San Miguel By the Bay will have an open-air concert until about 8 pm. Various top notch bands will be performing.
For MOA this year, GMA 7 will be holding the annual New Year's Eve Countdown at Seaside Boulevard (the street between MOA and San Miguel By The Bay). The title of the countdown is "Lucky '09". On ground show starts at about 9pm. 11 pm the show goes live on tv. It will start with a 2 minute fireworks display. At 12 mn, guests will be treated to a 10 minute Pyromusical. Live bands, special artists will grace the event which is expected to last until way past 2 am.

Ayala New Year's Celebration
(anybody know the official schedule?)

Live an Awesome Life in God's Grace,

Blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
Email: anton@diaz.ph

P.S. Where will you be this coming New Year?

December 29, 2008 in 13. Awesome Happenings in Manila circa 2005 onwards | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

2. Manila Ocean Park

10 Best Places to Bring Your Toddler Series

Manila Ocean Park is a giant underwater playground for your toddler. For the first time in Manila, you can bring your kid to have a live encounter with the diverse marine creatures indigenous to the Philippines and South East Asia. It is priceless to see your toddler amazed and excited throughout the Oceanarium's self-paced tour of giant aquariums, coral reefs and live marine exhibits. Don’t miss interacting with starfish and sea cucumber in the Agos (Flow) area, which is the first aquarium exhibit that features the natural flow of water from land to sea. The highlight of the tour is the 25 meter-long tunnel, which feels like watching the marine interaction of different fish, stingrays and sharks from their underbellies. In the end, you’ll be awed and intimidated by the remarkable display of sharks, showcasing the Blacktip and Whitetip Reef Shark, Gray Bamboo Shark and the Giant Guitarfish.

Most of the Oceanarium aquarium facilities are in covered and air-conditioned areas, except for the Agos (Flow) area and the walkway from parking to the Oceanarium’s main entrance. You can bring strollers, which are convenient to push around, except for areas with stairs (particularly the Agos area and Oceanarium exit going to the second floor). Taking photos and videos is allowed, except for flash photography because it would scare the marine animals.

Food and beverages are not allowed in the premises, except for infant formula. It would take a maximum of 2 hours to go around the exhibits, so better feed your toddler before entering. Popular fastfood outlets like Chowking, North Park, etc. can be found in the vicinity. Tamayo’s Ozeano on the 2nd Floor offers an Eat-All-You-Can buffet with a mouthwatering dessert display, which can lure your toddler to beg you to eat there. On average, budget P500/head for your trip to Manila Ocean Park.

Address: Behind the Quirino Grandstand Luneta, Manila, Philippines
Telephone Number: (+632) 567-7777
Email: Reservations@manilaoceanpark.com
Website: www.manilaoceanpark.com
Entrance Fee: Php 400 (Adult), Php 350 (Children 4 ft & below), Complimentary (Children 2 ft & Below), P320 (Senior Citizens), P360 (Manila Resident)

Park Schedule: Weekends and Holidays 9am-9pm; Weekdays (Mondays-Fridays) 10am-9pm. (Note: The ticket counter closes at 8:15pm.)

10 Best Places to Bring Your Toddler Series