Spree

A text message came in from my Bicolana friend FM2 setting a dinner date with me and PDG.  FM2 is one of the friends I mentioned in a previous blog who, for the longest time, was single because of her constant exposure to my "radiation" (see Blog: Truman).  The moment she moved out of Manila, she has broken out of the curse and immediately found the love of her life. Unfortunately, the only time the three of us could meet is whenever she has business dealings in the Metro, like last Saturday, when we agreed to meet in Bonifacio High Street.


Surprise! Surprise!  There she came with her new 22lbs-skinnier body.  She looked great and she was feeling and working it.  It turned out that the only thing she needed to do to lose weight was to cut down on food and eat fresh and healthy.  When she was still living in Manila, she's tried all possible physical activities from yoga, to street dancing, to such extreme as fire dancing.  her weight seesawed but eventually settled on the heavier end.  When she moved back to the province, she accidentally found the perfect solution.  It turned out that their cook, well, isn't a good one forcing her to eat less.  And because she's in the province, fresh fruits and vegetables are readily available alternatives as opposed to the fast food she's used to in Manila.


And what better way to celebrate this feat than to, ahmmm, pig out! LOL!


And because the two of them are my co-authors of Golden Rule No. 1, they took charge in hunting for the resto to try.  We proceeded to Serendra where most of the restos are clustered.  We eventually settled with DZao, which offers Vietnamese cuisine.

We were a bit hesitant at first because compared to its neighbors, the place was practically empty as there were only two other customers when we got in.  Although I love the ambiance because the interior is kept simple yet elegant.

I let the girls decide on the food, I having very little awareness of Vietnamese cuisine.  And these were what we had:


Seafood Pho @ 225:

which you further season with this:

All three of us agreed that this soup looked and tasted clean and simple.  Though personally, I preferred it hotter than it was, I really don't like my soup almost lukewarm.


Zao Fried Rice @ 195:

Lemongrass Chicken @ 265:

Again, we were unanimous in saying that both the rice and the chicken had strong flavors.  I, being very averse to salty food, find the two a bit too salty for my taste.  I understand that salted eggs should be, well, salty, but the one in the fried rice was like salt itself.  However, I still ended up finishing everything as I always do.


Beef Satay @ 195:

The satay was tender and tasted good but it did not standout enough to distinguish it from the other grilled beef I had.  I even remember more fondly the tasty barbecue I had at Beach House in UP Diliman.


For our drinks, FM2 had Coke Zero, PDG had Tamarind Iced tea and I, despite my previous experience with a flower-flavored drink, had Jasmine Iced Tea.  I was lucky that this time, it was not like drinking a fabric conditioner like when I had a free taste of Rose Juice at Orchard Road resto  in Megamall.

Another thing worth mentioning about DZAO is the most uncomfortable restaurant seat I've sat on in my life.  It looked Cobunpue-ish but I swear it is not ergonomic!

After dinner, as usual, PDG was craving for yogurt so we proceeded to Hobbes and Landes, a toy store in Bonifacio High Street with a yogurt store inside.  But because I did not want to commit the same blunder in putting together a yogurt as I did at Golden Spoon, I let them choose for me.

While slurping on our yogurt, FM2 could not stop talking about how much she missed Manila. I guess having lived here practically half her life, it would be really hard to re-adapt herself to rural life.  I had to excuse myself for a moment for a very urgent call of nature, leaving the two girls with their girl talk, which I could not, despite my open-mindedness, listen to.


To cap the night, we decided to proceed to Venetian in Mckinley for coffee but along the way, we changed our mind and went to Resort World in Pasay instead, and I must say that the Chinese New Year was very much in the air.

After wandering around the Casino area, in which no cameras are allowed, we finally sat down for coffee and smoothies at Cafe au lait.  Prices are steep but expected in a place like that.  FM2 had Cafe Americana, PDG had Dulce de Leche Smoothie and I had Blueberry Smoothie because I saw one served in a big bowl-like glass which I was excited to take a picture of for my blog.  However, I was terribly disappointed when mine was served in a tall glass instead.  Anyway, I got over it quickly because it was really delicious at 200.

Blueberry Smoothie

Dulce de Leche

Cafe Americana

It was a great time as usual, having missed FM2 for the months she was away.  I certainly hope however that that eating spree we had would not slide FM2 back to her pre-22lbs-skinnier self.

Nicole

Nicole, not her real name, is a very good friend since high school.  We went to the same university where she also met Evil Twin Sister.  ETS is one anti-social person that it would take a lot to get her seal of friendship, and Nicole got it no sweat.  And it is not a good thing because it means she’s also one crazy suicidal/homicidal freak like ETS and me.  She is loud, irreverent, and carefree.  We christened her Nicole for reasons I cannot divulge in this cyber universe, you know how small a community this could be.

Anyway, because of one big mistake ETS and I did, that friendship was jeopardized.  One practical joke went out of control.  She refused to talk to us since then.  We graduated from college and we never heard from her again.

Came Facebook and the many relationships restored because of it.  I got a friend invitation from her which got me really excited and relieved.  At last, she has forgiven us!  Since then, it was like the old days again, although we have not physically met again because she lives down south of the metro.  We finally saw each other one high school get-together, and we chatted like crazy.  Went out of town together with ETS, whom she saw again for the first time after that insane library incident, and two other high school friends.  It has rekindled the connection that we thought was forever lost.

Although she is the same fun person that I used to know, I noticed that she’s a bit restrained now.  That’s what happens when you become an elementary school teacher.  Yeah, who knew, right?  Of all people I know, she was the last person I would ever think to have the patience it takes to deal with the “barely-humans”.  Plus, she is also married to one unbelievably open-minded person as it would take a lot to understand a character that she is.  She is lovable, alright, but only to people our kind.

Came her birthday.  She called me up to talk about how we were going to celebrate it.  Being a school teacher and one who lives outside the social zone called Metro Manila, I supposed she hasn’t been around that much.  So to make her birthday different and special, I suggested having a spa party.  I did not sense that it excited her that time but I kind of insisted because I knew they would thank me for it afterward.  Besides, the massage goes with a buffet, so it is a two-in-one deal.

The day came.  I picked them up one by one, Nicole being the last.  We waited for her at Shell Buendia.  And did she come with a bang, red all the way!  We proceeded to Wensha Pasay for an afternoon of fun and relaxation.

Unfortunately, it was Saturday and half of the population was there.  We had to wait for an hour or so for the massage.  While waiting, we pigged out first although I must say that it wasn’t the best selection of food I’ve had at Wensha.

But I guess it did not matter because it was a lot of fun just chatting and munching away with dear friends.  Turns out, all of them, except for one, have not been to Wensha before, so everyone was really excited with the new experience.  The hot single mom of two needed a break from her impossibly toxic work schedule, the newly-single morena beauty needed a break from her mountain solitude, the two gorgeous happily married ladies needed a break from mom duties, I always have a break and the birthday girl needed a one of a kind celebration.

Nothing really compares to a great time with friends.  That same feeling I had in high school during “expeditions” was the same delight I felt that time.  It never changes.  And to Nicole, who was the reason for the celebration, you really are a delight to be with.  Though not many people may get who and what you are, it doesn’t matter.  You are a character of your own: unpretentious, raw but larger-than-life.  And that makes you a standout without even trying.

Redundant

I must have rubbed off to PDG my mission in life to try out every single food store/restaurant in the metro that when we met a day before New Year’s eve, she was the one who initiated the hunt for that next place to blog about.  We scoured the second floor of the new Eastwood Mall and settled for Kogi Bulgogi.

Kogi Bulgogi offers Korean food.  We were both unfamiliar with the cuisine, I in particular only knows Kimchi, so we decided to just have Tuk Bulgogi, and just have something else somewhere else.  It is beef, mushrooms, tofu, vegetables, and glass noodles on light sauce.

It was a sweet and salty soup which the waitress cooked right at our table, which went with a free appetizer, Banchan, composed of vegetables, anchovies and fried banana.  We both liked it @ 288.00.

We did not know exactly what to have next so we just wandered around the old Eastwood Mall area until something caught our attention.  We passed by this new yogurt store, just in front of Coffee Bean and besides Starbucks.  PDG is a sucker for yogurt, and it is a newly opened store, so we gave it a try.

Golden Spoon, if you would not look at the counter, would be easily mistaken for a Chinese restaurant.  Gold letters over red background, it could not be any more Chinese than that.  The only thing missing is that annoying gold cat that wags its paw.  Upon seeing the choices of toppings, PDG got disappointed for the lack of fresh fruits.  The only fruits they got were frozen black and blue berries.  We then checked the base yogurt.  I decided to have New York Cheesecake with almonds, walnuts and mini marshmallows for toppings...

and PDG opted for the plain one with blackberries and hazel nuts for toppings.

PDG could not hide her amusement upon seeing my masterpiece.  It looked very kiddie, she said.  She then asked what the creamy topping was and I said it was, well, melted marshmallows.  That's the time she let out a laugh and said  "You are so redundant!".  So that's where I got the title for this blog.  Hey, it was my first time to put together my own yogurt as I am not really a fan.  Then she wasn't about to stop, she asked how's my base yogurt, "it's very sweet" I said.  Then another condescending laugh, "A, if you wanted ice cream, we should have gone to Dairy Queen instead!".  I so totally agreed.

That did not fill us up so off we went again for the hunt.  PDG all the while was craving for churros so we decided to go to Dulcinea for the final stop.

We had coffee and shared a plate of churros.

As usual, it was a great time spent with PDG, although I was kinda hoping she would finally spill the beans about what really happened the last time she commissioned my escort services, LOL.  But as usual also, she was Fort-Knox-shut.

Twist

Having gone back from his vacacion grande in the Land Down Under, my very good buddy MDC agreed to be my resident food critic for this "almost" food blog.  He has the sharpest tongue when it comes to detecting ingredients in a dish and an impeccable eye for plating.  Lucky me, he will do it for free. :-p


First stop is the new restaurant in Visayas Ave. that replaced Jo's Kamayan where MDC and I used to eat in for a dose of native chicken.  I got a shot of the place when it was still undergoing renovation for the new place.

I immediately sent this picture to MDC, and though we were saddened by Jo's closure, the new place looked promising so we agreed to give it a try as soon as he comes back.


And the time came for the big reveal.  Introducing...

Fiesta Island Seafood Hub (F.I.S.H) is located at 47 Visayas cor Congressional Avenue Quezon City.


The interior is very impressive.  It was clean, cozy and carefully decorated, nothing loud, nothing out of place.  A far cry from Jo's barrio feel that had seen better days.

By the entrance is a pastry nook (sorry, failed to take a picture) enclosed with glass walls.  It has open areas, I guess for smokers or those who would like to dine al fresco, and enclosed areas perfect for private gatherings.  The biggest plus is the area called "boracay" which looks like your favorite Bora resort, in front of which is a lanai to give it the island feel.  Turns out, it is the KTV area!  Furthermore, the place has separate restrooms for he and she which were both spic and span (yes, i peeked in the ladies' room) as the rest of the area.  It is also worth mentioning that the staff were very accommodating to the guests, I even saw one desperately trying to help one customer set up her low-batt laptop, refusing to transfer to a different table.  The staff had to move mountains  for her.

Now, the main event, the make or break of it all, the food.


I would say that the food's a little pricey, but in hindsight, the prices are okay given the amount of money and work to put that kind of place together.


First entry, Pinaputok na Tilapia @ 195.

MDC: It is a bit too oily.  The aluminum foil ruined the look, it would have been a lot more appetizing if it was wrapped in banana leaves instead.  It tasted good but nothing out of the ordinary.  It was just fried tilapia bathed in oily sarsiado sauce.


Next, Garlic and Pepper Squid @ 225.

MDC: It is breaded squid, period.
ME:  I liked it though I could not actually, truly, taste the garlic nor the pepper in the squid.  I had to eat the real thing, those dark garnishing you see in the picture, to give it the kick I wanted.


Last entry are the drinks, I had watermelon shake, MDC had buko pandan shake.

Alas, MDC found something to rave about.  He loved his buko pandan shake with a hint of pinipig, I guess all he was looking for is a twist.  The dishes we tried were both good but offered nothing spectacularly new.  But the place deserves a second try, KTV anyone?

Joy

At long last, I finally met with JMC, a very good friend from the distant past who I have not seen since she moved down south of the country.  She has a very fascinatingly interesting life story from being a lost soul who defied every societal convention there is to becoming a very successful career woman, doting mother and loving wife.

Years have passed and I was unsure how the reunion would turn out.  I was worried that we would no longer have much in common, if any, to talk about.  But I was so wrong!

I have always believed in spiritual connection.  Our spirits see what our naked eyes could not.  We agreed to meet at Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street.  She was still a good kilometer away, there was quite a crowd as it was Saturday, I had the faintest idea of how she would look like in person and I did not know what direction she would be coming from.  But I knew exactly where to look, I saw her silhouette and I was so sure it was her.  From the moment we were cheek to cheek, the long years that have separated us did not seem to matter.  We never stopped talking.

Like old times, we are still stingy so we decided to cross the great divide and headed to Market Market for dinner.  We went to Sbarro and as we were looking at the choices, she couldn’t quite decide what to have so she asked me if there’s any place in the area with buffet.  Apparently, despite her newly found interest in long distance running, she could not care less about her diet.  She wanted to pig out big time!  So off we went to Brazil! Brazil!

Brazil! Brazil! is located at Serendra and offers buffet dinner for 625+.  This includes five or so viands, do-it-yourself salad bar, around five to seven flavors of ice cream and wide array of roast everything.  Diners are given a yoyo, one side red, the other green, which you need to put on your table.  If the green side is up, the staff will barrage you with roast pork, beef, lamb, chicken, fish, sausages, pineapple and sweet corn in two-pronged metal skewers.  We would always forget to turn the yoyo green side down so the roast whatever kept coming.  It was quite stressful but a lot of fun.  And she got some appetite I have not seen before.

fried wanton wrappers

crab and corn soup

fresh greens

clockwise: fried rice, fish fillet, tofu with beans, chicken

roast all you can

clockwise: coleslaw, crab and corn, macaroni, brownie, fruit salad

avocado, vanilla, strawberry

During the dinner, we updated each other with what we have been doing as well as we got planned out for the future.  But what stood out was how she is as a family woman.  Her liberal ways in raising her kids is so interesting I can’t write a detailed account in this blog.  I understand that it is coming from the kind of youth that she had, getting very little guidance from the people around her that eventually pushed her off the edge.  She wanted her kids to be as informed about the kind of world we really have so they would be better prepared to handle things on their own.  She also talked about his wonderful husband who decided to be the stay-at-home dad and be actually very proud of it.

After spending three belly busting hours for dinner, she asked if we could drop by Fully Booked.

She is a passionate reader, I could tell because she was like a child that entered a candy store.  She could not stop talking about the books she has read and hopes to read.  We sat down for coffee first before finally hitting the shelves.  She was prodding me to start reading which I might try one of these days.  I am more into motion pictures than flipping pages.

That night proved to me that friendship never forgets no matter where life takes us.  That true friends may not always approve of the things you do but love you just the same.  That true friends are those you meet at the bottom because you are sure you are not kept around for what you have.  That the truest friends are those that saw your worst but did not give a damn.

JMC, it was a JHOI to see you again!