Old World Charm

Casa Vellejo facade

I was up in Baguio City after having spent time in Banaue and Sagada. I was with Dutch guests and we had arrived on the tail end of the Panagbenga festival; Baguio's take on the Rose Bowl parade celebrating the city's profusion of flowers.

lobby shot

It was crowded and noisy. Traffic was rerouted. Roads were blocked. Live performances were aplenty on make-shift stages on Session Road. And it seemed half of Metro Manila's population joined in on the fun. We had to double back to find the road leading to the hotel.

fireplace at the lobby

But when we got there... aaahhhh! We were surrounded by a cocoon of genteel charm!

the grand staircase

Casa Vallejo is situated on the lower slopes of Upper Session Road right where the SM Mall is located. Strategic, yes... but what a sight spoiler that mall is! In any case, it was nice that even after some controversy, Casa Vallejo was not sold to private individuals who would have demolished the historied walls of this quaint hotel.

signage in wood

Built in 1909 in the American Colonial style, Casa Vallejo reminds one of the an old, much lived in, comfortable home where wooden floors are polished and wooden beams glow in the amber light of chandeliers. Formerly a hill station under the American regiime, not much has changed in its over a century of existence. The cavernous dining hall named Hill Station (what else?) serves updated Filipino dishes and  has a great picture window view of the hills down below... now a hodge-podge of various roofing material (sad, really.)

exposed wooden beams in the dining hall

It's a blessing that residents of Baguio took to protesting what would have been a crime to our national heritage - the demolition of Casa Vallejo! It's rooms evoke a homeyness that have an understated luxury. and the food ain't bad, either. So when you're up in Baguio for a summer get-away don't forget to make you reservations waaaay in advance. It's not that expensive and it's worth your hard-earned cash.

the Hill Station restaurant

SCOTTY'S CRIB

Scotty's home

Alright, call me a dinosaur... jurassic even! I don't care. I was in Sagada recently for a tour with some guests from the Netherlands and they were literally quite impressed with the grand vistas that the Cordilleras afforded them. But there is always one special spot in Sagada that will always be close to my heart.

a remembrance from the UP students and staff

Whenever I get the opportunity, I visit the usual tourist spots that the area has. The burial caves, the hanging coffins...these are all standard for visitors there. This time around I got to visit the home of my idol and former professor, William Henry Scott.

The library

Scotty, as he was fondly called by those who knew him, lived in Sagada among the proud peoples of the Cordillera mountain range. He was a very learned, erudite and scholarly researcher and professor who knew how to motivate his students to dig deeper as far as historical facts were concerned. He was my professor as I was pursuing a degree in History at the University of the Philippines, College of Arts and Sciences in Manila. Needless to say, Scotty was my favorite professor! He just brought out the best in his students. And so, I responded by getting A's in his exams. 

I was fortunate this time around to get into the home he left behind to his adopted son/companion, Miguel Talanay.  Mr Talanay lives in the A-frame house with his pet dogs and he now holds the position of treasurer for the cooperative store. He was gracious enough to let me take a peek into Scotty's crib. 

Living room shot

I was teary eyed when I walked into the library where Scotty once wrote his essays and his research papers. All of a sudden, memories of my days at the university came rushing back. We often kidded that Scotty had an uncanny resemblance to Albert Einstein. It ends there.  But his insights into the Cordillera culture and its people have left an indelible mark on his students of Philippine history.

Mr. Talanay in the living room

In hindsight, I think the stuff I learned from him are the things I remember most. I am a proud Filipino! It's strange... it was an American who taught me that!!!

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!!!!!