Recess and Nano's

Like I always emphatically stress on this site. This is not a food blog!

Nano's interiors

But since food is part of culture I manage to squeeze in an article or two of nice food I've tried in Manila's ever evolving restaurant scene. Two restaurants I've tried recently are so diametrically opposed in price range, I'm amazed both serve almost the same type of cuisine.

Pizza with bacon at Nano's

I was in the vicinity of SM Manila one fine Wednesday to pay for my real estate taxes. I was famished and decided to go to the mall next door to sate my hunger pangs. Lunchtime is always busy at SM Manila. I did find a restaurant that wasn't too crowded. NANO's!

Tuna pasta at Nano's

They serve Italian food. They have a variety of pizzas which one can order per slice. A wedge of pizza costs as low as P65.00. I was curious as well as hungry so I went inside the restaurant and decided to have a full lunch which consisted of Tuna pasta al' Olio, a slice of pizza. It was filling. Not necessarily extra ordinary. But if you're hungry, that'll do. and for a price point of PhP200.00++ for a full meal and soda to boot. I'd say... not too shabby!

Crackers with cheese dip at Recess

Then I visited this new restaurant along Jupiter street in Makati. Recess by Chef Chris is on its soft opening. But I found the staff to be quite attentive and they have a good grasp of product knowledge. A diner can ask them questions on the menu and they'd be happy to reply as best they can. Chef Chris was also doing the rounds of tables asking diners if everything was in order.

Recess interiors

It's a well appointed brownstone. An open counter is located at the far end and a semi-secluded bar is situated at the right side as one enters the establishment. The food is a lot pricier compared to Nano's and more flavorful. The pizza has freshly rolled out dough and the portions of arugula and alfalfa sprouts were hearty enough to be rolled into the slices. the dip was also well seasoned and tasty.

Steak at Recess

The bowl of chilli I had was perfectly spiced and the freshly baked bread i dipped in it was quite heavy and had a nice crust and crunch. The steak my partner ordered was large and the gravy that went with it was thick and salty. I tried it as well... it was good! My only issue with Recess by Chef Chris was that for meals for two people they charged more than a thousand pesos, which if you really think about it, isn't affordably priced for the common "tao". It's a lot more expensive! But hey, you get what you pay for...

Bowl of Chilli at Recess

Intramuros Rising

Things are abuzz in Intramuros.

It all started with the restoration of Manila Cathedral last year (still ongoing until now). Then San Agustin also underwent restoration. However, San Agustin's make-over is taking on the project without closing its doors to the public.

I had a tour this week and was surprised that the lower portion of the San Agustin's sala recibidor was also being remodeled. A large piece was being dismantled and moved to another location by the Intramuros Administration. 

The 17th century retablo from Cebu which found a temporary home at the sala recibidor was taken piece by piece from it's designated spot and was being taken to another area within Intramuros. This was/is in conjunction with the rebuilding of the San Ignacio church that will house the extensive ecclesiastical collection of the Intramuros Administration.

The altar piece which occupied the far wall of the room is a massive objet d'art that depicts the significant stages in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Extreme care had to be undertaken to move the individual pieces carved out of Philippine hardwood. 

Even the small decorative scroll pieces which seemed almost unobtrusive had to be moved by two men one at a time. The image of the Holy Infant Jesus was also taken out of its hardwood niche. For now, some of the pieces will be in Casa Manila until the building of the San Ignacio is fully completed.

The Manila Cathedral is nearing its completion. From time to time workers open doors partially to let the dust from restoration works fly out and during those times, one can take a peek on its progress. The church was supposed to be fully restored by 8 December of last year. The waiting makes it more exciting...

EARLY GOOD EATS for 2014

HAPPY 2014, EVERYONE!

Mitsuyado Sei-Men foyer

January hasn't even reached midway and already, my resolution of staying fit and healthy is on edge... I mean... it's officially back to normal from the Christmas season and people are slowing down on the bingeing.  So technically, I should keep my promise to eat healthy and lose the last remaining 3 kg. my doctor said i should try to lose.

Friends from Lowe Advertising

So what is one to do when friends are call for an over-extended Christmas get together? Eat! So when my my friends from Lowe Advertising called I managed to eat a healthy garden salad downed with lots of plain water. That was for lunch. For dinner I met with friends from Ateneo and we met at Shangri-la Mall's Tender Bob's restaurant. While they were downing steaks and mashed potatoes, I was having a seafood salad with shrimp and an orange vinaigrette dressing.

Ateneo friends

So far, so good!?! I also met with my friend's cousin and niece to jog around the CCP complex so what do we do after? We have a simple dinner at Max's Restaurant at Harbor Square. It would have been a healthy plate except for the serving size. We just had a Seafood Lomi - a noodle soup that had shrimp, crabmeat, mussels in a thick soup with chives, garlic and egg... 

Seafood Lomi

Tinapa rice which is actually friend rice seasoned with garlic, slice red onion, soy sauce, tomatoes and smoked fish...

Tinapa Rice

We also had Sisig Tofu. This was a new dish I had to try. It's a healthy take on a traditionally sinful Pampango dish of pork "mask" on a sizzling hot plate and served with lots of onion and garlic. This used tofu instead. Cooked on a hot plate still, but smothered in  bird's eye, green chilli and coconut cream. 

Sisig Tofu

Today, I had lunch at Mitsuyado Sei-Men. It's a nice little restaurant near along Jupiter street in Bel-Air, Makati. It's a franchise owned by the UCC  group and brought to Manila (see top photo). Their style is like the gazebo's that served street food in Tokyo. An adjoining doorway leads one to Yamato which is their bakeshop.

Mitsuyado Sei-Men interior

The ramen is hearty even if you order the solo portion (the regular might be too big for some). I ordered the Curry Ramen. You have a choice of thick or thin noodles. My ramen had bits of roast pork on it, much like lechon kawali. But the bowl was smothered in a rich, gooey curry sauce that was perfectly seasoned. It had the unmistakable flavor of curry from the turmeric but it was neither too spicy nor overpowering. The balance of flavor was unbelievably  subtle. I consumed it to the last drop.

Curry Ramen

My dear Jerome ordered the Cheese Tsukemen; a plateful of noodles generously sprinkled with parmesan. Tsukemen means dipping noodles so it had a small cup of melted cheese and a larger bowl of dipping broth that had a mix of herbs from chives to parsley and lemon grass and coriander. The cheese flavor was markedly present and seemed to enhance the dipping sauce. It was a delicate play of flavors that plays on your palate. Very tasty...

Cheese Tsukemen

Then it was Chocolatier for dessert. A few steps from Mitsuyado Sei-men, it's a boutique of chocolate products and a nice little coffee shop/restaurant. 

Chocolatier interiors

I had a Cappucino and Jerome had an Americano. The crema on my cup was frothy and light so it was a perfect accompaniment to the cake we ordered.

Capuccino

Golden Euphoria is a soft sponge cake that's velvety to the point of having a  "tiramisu" consistency. The surprise is the crushed Ferrero Rocher in the middle   layer of the cake. The chocolate tuille, white chocolate wand and the ganache drizzle serve as accents of rich chocolate flavor. We shared the cake.

Golden Euphoria

I'm still figuring out if I over-ate today... NOT! I shared the sweets, the ramen was my main meal for the day. I had broccoli and carrot soup for dinner, skipped the soda, did a lot of walking too. I'm watching my food intake. Sticking to my diet... I don't know how long it will last... =)

LOOKIN' AHEAD

As far as I'm concerned, 2013 will be annus horribilis for me.

Not considering the fact that we've had a slew of beauty contestant winners and runners-up, 2013 will be remembered as a year of scandals, disasters and political turmoil. This is the reason why I refuse to do a 2013 retrospective. It's much too painful to look back on.

I decided to look ahead instead to get rid of all that negativity. 2014 looks to be a great year so far. It's gonna be a galloping year for me. Aside from the fact that it will offer me the prospect of a new love, it will be exciting to see who I come across in the love department. I hope it's someone mature, gorgeous and with a totally uncomplicated status to boot!

For the first quarter of 2014, I will be busy with projects. If the stars align, I will be doing a lot of writing, lecturing and designing for different arts and travel companies. I'll write more about these projects when I'm actually in the thick of these activities. Let's see how it works.

It would also be nice to join my dear friends to re-visit and see how Coron has progressed after typhoon Yolanda. Six glorious days of sun, sand and sea and lots of photo opps. Coron was the last area where the super typhoon made land fall. Some landmarks were destroyed. Other areas badly hit in the Visayas are also a must see. So May will probably be the best time to visit Baybay, Leyte as I wasn't able to visit it this December.

Meantime, I found the Christmas season as meaningful and as magical like it has always been. I think a large part of that is a positive attitude, a lot of love, a childlike sense of wonder and an unwavering faith that God handles our lives with His perfect plan for us. I completed the Misa de Gallo (9 days of novena Masses) and the Misa de Aguinaldo (Christmas eve Mass) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. That was a blast!

Enjoy the little time left of 2013, folks! And stay away from those nasty firecrackers...

Aba Ginoong Maria!

It's 5 days to Christmas and a lot of things are going on in Malls and Public places. Everything is either decked, samped, decorated, gilded and adorned in all their Christmas finery.

But to kick off the season, a 164 year old tradition takes place in Intramuros, Manila on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. This is the Grand Marian Procession participated in by religious organizations, private collectors and parishes. This year was no different. Instead of the 8th of December, the feast was celebrated on the 9th to give deference to the second week of advent which fell on a Sunday. The event took place on a rainy afternoon. It didn't stop the crowds from going, though...

Over a hundred images of the Blessed Virgin were paraded in the streets of Intramuros dressed in full regalia to honor the  Mother of our  savior. Truly, it was a spectacular display of pomp and pageantry as one caroza tried to outdo the other. And why not? The Blessed Virgin could have said no to Angel Gabriel's announcement that she was chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. Instead, she humbly acceeded by saying " be it done unto me according to your word" thereby starting the whole process of Man's salvation.

For this event, the Blessed Virgin is represented in all her different incarnations. The liveliest and longest of which was the Nstra. Sra. de las Dolores de Turumba. But all the other images were spared no expense. Most of the images were all blinged out. Flowers were not enough to present Her in her finest, it seemed.

The event was made even more special this year with the participation of the Our Lady of Chzechstokowa. Otherwise known as the Black Madonna, the image is particularly different in the fact that it is not a three dimensional image but a huge frame on which the Lady and Jesus are done in wood and a matting heavily encrusted in precious stones. Incidentally, the image comes from Poland, of which Warsaw was the most destroyed city during World War II. Manila came a close second.

As the countdown comes closer to Christmas, the Confradia de la Immaculada Concepcion with its Hermanas and Hermanos of Manila's glitterati looks ahead at another year where they can present the Virgin in her most important role as the Mother of God. Hopefully, the next year won't be rocked by political scandals and natural calamities...

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!!!

Baaaahhh, Humbug!

Butch Esperanza alternates with Nonoy Froilan as Ebenezer Scrooge

I've been remiss with my blog lately. I know, I know! I should be more responsible with it. However, in my defense I can truly say that I have been unwell lately... for the first two weeks of November I had a bout with an infection. Then when that was treated, I had another bacterial infection that had me coughing and wheezing. So I do have an excuse... or two...

BP artists as urban poor

Not long after, the earthquake in Bohol and Cebu happened and before you know it, it was typhoon "Yolanda" that wreaked havoc in eastern Visayas. And so with all these maladies bugging me and with all the calamities hounding the country ad with my guiding duties to boot my blog had been unattended to.

Marvin Arizo as the Ghost of Christmas Past

And so with this "annus horribilis" nearly drawing to a close, I figured I'd better get to posting an entry before my blog gets shut down. After all, despite all the tragedy and suffering brought about by these natural disasters life must go on. One way to dispel the sadness would be to watch Ballet Philippines' christmas offering of "A Christmas Carol".

Macel Dofitas as the Ghost of Christmas Present

Trust Edna Vida to transpose a classic christmas tale into a full-length ballet. It's not easy, but she does so with such panache, everyone catches in  on the fun. Why... she even got her life-time premier danseur Nonoy Froilan to get out of his retirement to essay the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge. Another BP former artist, Butch Esperanza alternates with Nonoy on select performances.

Kitkit Trofeo and EJ Arisola in a pas de deux

I watched the stage rehearsals with Butch Esperanza doing the lead role. The good thing with Ballet Philippines' productions is that you never know what to expect. I am constantly amazed at how versatile the artists are flitting from dances en pointe to hip hop dancing at the drop of a hat. And the young dancers all have fun in the process.

The future of Philippine dance

I especially liked the participation of the kids who are all taking dance classes at the CCP Dance School (BP's training school). There is a section in the ballet where the kids get to dance in an actual performance. Not just a recital, mind you... an actual performance! A series of performances, really! So this will be an added incentive to the dance students to hone their skills and become even better at what they do.

Monica Gana and Edana Labitoria in full coquetry

BTW, while I'm writing this, the CCP Dance School will be holding their December Evaluation Program on the weekend of December 7 and 8. It's an opportunity for some of the dance students to get upgraded in their level of training at the school. There's a lot of good cheer going around in the CCP Complex this time of the year. No reason to say "Baaaahhh, Humbug!"

BP's corps de ballet in a kitschy number

CHASING GOOD EATS

Rosemary Chicken  from Agno street food stall

I've been busy lately and most of my schedule is taken up with guiding guests all around town. Normally, I would go home and get some sleep after a tour. Lately I've been bingeing.  As you can probably tell by this article's title, I do follow a couple of episodes of some TV chefs: Jett Tila and Alton Brown, etc. And so the title is my take on Chasing the Yum and Good Eats.

BACSILOG at Agno Street food stall

So back to my story, I may not always have the budget for expensive meals. But since I know I'm a pretty good cook, I know what's tasty and right for my budget. I've been hanging around the DLSU area since I live right next door. Student meals are always great and priced for the De La Salle community. That means, good food, generous portions at student allowance-affordable cost!

Dodalgi Sonagi at Cafe de Seoul

One favorite haunt is Cafe de Seoul, which I blogged about earlier on. The place is a fave among the DLSU students. It's wi-fi friendly (some tables installed with Samsung tablets), cheerfully decorated, brightly lit. Why wouldn't they want to hang out to study there? I was treated to a BACSILOG (bacon, sinangag at itlog) by a friend who got it in one of the stalls in Agno Street. He got himself a rosemary chicken and both meals were served in a paper bowl. Both meals cost P65.00 each. To accompany it, he got me a Dodalgi Sonagi ( a strawberry, kiwi and mint slush at P120.00) while he got a Green Tea Latte for himself (much the same price). I was hungry so I wolfed down the bacsilog which was slathered with a heavy cheesy cream. Ooohhh,,, so yummy. It was cheesecake (P120.00) for dessert. Great balance of sweetness. Not crumbly and the cherries on top was the perfect foil as it provided some amount of tartness to the white chocolate smiley garnish on top.

Cheesecake at Cafe de Seoul

Zark's burger is right across DLSU's Henry Sy building (yes, what was once a football field!) This is a simple restaurant that serves the humble burger... in all it's decadent, tasty, greasy splendor! You deserve to PIG OUT once in a while. And yeah, we did! We decided to order an item called The Ultimate Burger (P145.00) It was huge! We were so full we didn't get to try the Tombstone (P320.00) which is a 3-tiered burger patty on a bun strewn with all the fries and sidings you would want... and more! Any diner can take up the management's challenge to finish a Tombstone in 5 minutes. The winner of a clean plate gets bragging rights, a free t-shirt and his photo up on the resto's wall...

Ultimate burger from Zarks*

On another occasion, I managed to have lunch at WILDFLOUR at the corner of 4th and 36th at Bonifacio Global City. My friend and I lunched al-fresco at a little corner table. They serve a complementary appetizer of baguette and a pot of butter for each diner. There's salt on the side too. For days, Jerome's been dying to try the Croque Madam (P450.00) so he ordered it

Croque Madam at Wildflour

 while I had a Smoked Salmon on a croissant and a side salad of greens and citrus dressing (P410.00). 

Smoked Salmon from Wildflour

The Chai Tea he drank was P120.00 and my coke was P70.00. To cap off lunch the Choco Pot de Creme was a delightful dessert at P205.00 a pot. It tasted so good so I resolved to make my own version of it - and soon!

Choco Pot de Creme at Wildflour

* photo from Cafemobility.blogspot.com