Love at First Bite: BBQ Chicken

(Continuation of the Hunger Games day) Archery sure is a tiring activity. Our arms were stretched out and we were hungry. We were planning to go to Brotzeit for some sausages but something else caught the eyes of T and K while we were at Pearl Drive... a small Chimek (Chicken and Mekju [beer]) place. We just had a Korean dinner a night ago but that didn't stop us to check the place out.

Hello, BBQ Chicken!

The place was empty when we arrived. T guessed that perhaps they do better with deliveries than dine-in as the delivery guy comes and goes the whole time we were there.

We were torn between Spicy Chicken and Rice Syrup Chicken (both PHP320) but the server told us that the Rice Syrup tastes better so we chose the latter. We also ordered Spicy Dduk-Bokki (PHP220) and Cream Chicken Pasta (PHP255). Then we all ordered a glass of beer for a chimek restaurant experience but I also ordered a can of cola (as I really am not fond of beer).

Service was pretty quick as our orders arrived in less than 15 minutes.

We were glad that we were given an option to have the chicken deboned so that eating it will be less messy as it was covered in sauce (think Bon Chon). 

Restaurant Discovery: Black Olive Cerveceria

Funny how when you get older, birthdays seem to be less and less of a special day. But one thing I still want on my special day is a cake and a meal, may it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner, outside. However, I had prior engagement with a company from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (though I have 12 noon to 2 p.m. as my lunch break). Given that I have never been to Capitol Commons, that was our first option for my birthday lunch.

Hello Black Olive Cerveceria!

The place hardly had customers when we arrived. Well, it was a Wednesday and lunch time so it was pretty much expected.

Since I was in a hurry to finish lunch, we ordered right away. What caught my eye was the Porchetta with Rosemary Roast Potato and Caponata (PHP490) while my mom went for the Grilled Italian Sausage with Roast Garlic Mashed Potato and Pepperonata (PHP390). We also ordered a bowl of Bell Pepper and Tomato Soup with Basil Pesto (PHP220) and Vanilla Pannacotta with Balsamic-marinated Strawberries (PHP220).

While waiting, we were served with a complimentary basket of bread with dip. My mom enjoyed the freshly baked bread and ended up finishing it herself.

Next served was the soup which was served on a huge bowl. It was slightly spicy and I find it rather thick as an appetizer. It was very creamy and the tomato taste was pretty strong (which I love). However, I'd rather go with a slightly lighter appetizer.

The sausage arrived next and my mom loved it as it was not overly processed so it had more texture and it was juicy too. 

Archery 101: Gandiva Café and Archery Range

I am a big fan of The Hunger Games and I fell in love with Jennifer Lawrence when she portrayed Katniss way better than I have imagined. (Oh and as a LOTR fan, I get googly eyes whenever I see Legolas and his oh so smooth long blonde hair.) And just like about more than half of the girls who watched the movie, I wanted to throw some arrows and be just like Katniss Everdeen. Luckily, two of my friends were feeling adventurous and wanted to try archery too. So off to Gandiva Café and Archery Range.

 

Okay, it wasn't exactly my first time to visit Gandiva. My first time was with T1 and T2 but given that we're collectively named T3 (The Takaw Trio), we just ate. This time around though, it was time to unleash the Katniss/Legolas in me.

We had to sign a waiver and pay PHP980 (which covers the use of equipment and instructor's fee) before we could enter the archery range. (Note: You have to call to reserve your slots and you also have to be there 15 minutes before your schedule.) 

When we got in, we were given arm protectors and fanny bags for our 4 arrows. Then we can choose which bow we want.

First 5 to 10 minutes is for short briefing such as right stance, where our hands and arms should be and basically how to shoot an arrow. (To make it short, we need to have one foot behind the shooting line while in a parallel stance then we have to stretch one arm straight while the other arm/hand tugging the string and the hand should be right below the chin with the elbow pointing up then... let go of the string with the arrow.)

Restaurant Discovery: Epicurious Manila

Grumpy tummies. I was with two ladies with grumpy tummies. Yes, I'm talking about my mom's and sister's. They insisted that we eat somewhere we've been before but I was persistent that we try something new. The problem though is that I have been to most restaurants in Shangri-La and we're running out of options until I discovered... Epicurious Manila!

 At first, I thought Epicuious Manila was just a deli shop. Okay, it is a deli shop and a restaurant in one but I was confused with how to order as I didn't see the sign right away. And when I did, I was looking where I could get order slips.

Apparently, all you have to do is approach one of the crew members and tell them what you want from the chillers. They could also cook the meat and fish for you if you want though it will be served as is so you need to add a bit more for side dishes.

Now that we somehow get it, we finally got to order, the deli shop way. I asked for the following: Australian Pasta Salad (PHP250), Mac 'N Cheese (PHP250), Mushroom Soup (I forgot to note the price), Marble Potato Salad (PHP160), Salmon with Mashed Potato on the side (starting price was PHP380) and we also ordered two bottles of Phoenix New Zealand organic drinks--Apple Pear and Apple Pomegranate (PHP120 each).  

Love at First Bite: Custaroonery by Gigi Gaerlan

My close friends know that I find it hard to just order one dish. Normally, I have to order an appetizer, main course, and dessert. But they also know out of the three, the most important is the last one. I just can't give up sweets. I'll just become a very hostile foodie if deprived of my sweet endings. 

While looking for a place to have dinner, I came across this cute looking kiosk. Dainty and sweet-looking, I was attracted like a fly to light. I had no power. (Okay, fine, I did but I let my glutton spirit overpower me.)  

Soon, I was in front of Custaroonery and staring at the simple menu card and ended up ordering a box of 6custaroons in a span of 1 minute. I was super excited to enjoy it with my sister!

Restaurant Discovery: Osaka Ohsho

There are only a few times when I am willing to wait for a table when I'm hungry... when I traveled far just to get there, it's a new place, or there's a long line and it made me VERY curious. And last Saturday, it was because of the last two reasons.

We noticed a long line in front of a restaurant I haven't seen before. It looks... Japanese. And true enough, it's a restaurant that claims to serve the number one gyoza. It's Osaka Ohsho. I asked how many people are in line and there were a party of 12 before us. Yes, it's a long line but in my mind, long line means good food. And since we were not so hungry then, I had my name listed and waited.

It took an hour for us to get a table and we would have missed it if we didn't return. We were up next and we did not get any message from the front host.

As soon as we sat down, I already have dishes in mind. I remember the host mention the Black Vinegar Chicken set (PHP360) to be one of their bestsellers so I chose that while C went for a katsu set. I also got a half order of the Osaka Ohsho Salad (PHP195) and Fresh Mango Yakult (PHP125).

Life Note: Gratitude

In life, we meet so many people... the good, bad, acquaintance, friend, movie buddy... you name it. Each one will have a role, no matter how big or small, in our lives. 

When I was a kid, I would often say to my "favorite" friend that he or she (though it's usually a she as you know, kids have this inborn annoyance of the opposite sex) will be my bestest  friend forever.

from Littleki.blogspot.com

Forever. We usually use that loosely when we were younger as we do not have a full grasp of reality. Come high school, that's when things become clearer. Not everyone who comes in our lives will forever be in our lives, or hold that special place for eternity. Remember why tears are shed during graduations?

from Japanesense.wordpress.com

Reality is, people come and go. Yes, everyone has the option to stay. But sadly, not everyone opts to stay. Priorities change, we change. The usual brunch dates every week turn to every month to every other month and so on. The long calls turn from hours to minutes to half a minute. It's not because of the changes that happen to us. It's by choice. 

At first, I find it hard to understand why set ups I'm comfortable with have to change. But change helps us grow, to get to know ourselves more. We all used to be dependent on certain people for something, may it be comfort, laughter, or the daily dose of gossip. But in the end, we all have to learn to live without them. No, it doesn't mean throwing them out but being independent, being strong on our own. 

People come and go. Yes, at times we grow to question what went wrong on why some of whom we were close to suddenly went the other way, leaving us wondering. But instead of asking why, it's best to just be thankful. Be thankful to have them become a part of your life. Be thankful for their time, concern, friendship, love, and simply being there for you for a while. Let go of the sorrow, the grudge, the regrets for those will do nothing but inflict pain. Instead, remember the nice memories, how these people helped you become the person you are now. Do not let anger or sorrow cloud the good times. For I am definite, there are those memories you would love to cherish.

from Observantbystander.wordpress.com

In more than two decades of meeting people, I can no longer count how many people came and left. But I am thankful. Each exchange of words helped me be more mature and realize how wonderful life is and could be. The shared experiences made me who I am today. The laughter once shared would be great memories for me to keep.

I am also thankful for the people who left and came back. These people made me realize that you should never close doors. Life is interesting that way. 

And for those who never left and patiently watch me grow, I love you beyond words. 

To everyone, thank you. <3

-Mary Love (a.k.a. Gluttonshopper, the sentimental birthday girl)

Love At First Sip: Kuppa Roastery & Cafe

Seriously, going on a food trip on a Sunday is a terrible idea especially if you want to do it at The Fort. Most stores close at 4 p.m. and clueless people like me and N just got tired walking to and from places and be faced with closed doors. *cue: sad music* But thankfully, a quaint coffee place was open and we decided to cap the day at...

Kuppa Roastery & Cafe !

The place was quite busy when we arrived as there were only a few vacant tables. We managed to get a couch though. Yahoo!

 

Despite the long walk, we were still full to order more than one plate of dessert so we opted to have a slice of Kuppa's Chocolate Souffle Cake (PHP105), Barista's Secret (PHP135), and Skinny Sugarless Sip-Mochachino (PHP100).

N's drink was like a shake and it was very sweet. It tasted very much like vanilla frappuccino. It was a bit thick and really creamy. I couldn't seem to discover the "secret" though. But I must say, Kuppa has friendly servers and very eager to help the customers decide which drink to order.

Restaurant Discovery: The Hungry Hound

[Continuation of my BGC food trip story.] N and I were supposed to stop by Sunshine Kitchen for stop #2 but the place was closed. We passed by a German Pub, Burgos Circle and much more but none seem to catch our eyes and tummies. Then N went to Instagram for other finds and we both decided to go to...

Hello, The Hungry Hound!

We practically own the place when we got there as we were the only customers. The young server seemed to be very eager to serve us too. We guessed that he must be so bored and wanted to do his job.

We went with two dishes, Smoked Bacon-Silog (PHP385) and Duck Fat Fries (PHP288). Just two you say? Well, we still have one more stop and food tripping in BGC kills the poor wallet. 

We decided to finally order the Duck Fat Fries as it has been haunting me since I was in California. I just have to order it I guess. (Then I remembered afterwards that I had a few when I visited Green Pastures.)

 

The fries doesn't seem to be anything extraordinary. It tasted like deep fried potatoes. Or perhaps I just don't have the precise taste buds to differentiate the different oils used to fry food. The fries though were cooked crisp which I enjoyed. I just wish that they added a bit more cheese.

First Bite: 8 Cuts Burger Blends

Burgers. My tummy must be filled with burgers to last me a lifetime. I have been munching on burgers for months now! I had tons of burgers when I was on vacation and I had tons of burgers when I got back here. Heck, I even had a burger during the day of love. (Hey, that's my day!) And today, I will share another burger joint I have visited recently.

Hello, 8 Cuts Burger Blends!

I saw 8 Cut's signage on our way to the parking lot. I must say, having a store signage facing EDSA is pretty effective to capture attention and create interest. (Or maybe it was just me.)

We then went straight to the fashion wing and went to the 3rd floor to see this new burger place. And thankfully, the place wasn't packed at all. 

A Bacon Lovers' Heaven: Slater's 50/50

I remember it all started with a question on what cuisine I would love to try and I said, "Anything but Korean or American" as I was tired of Korean BBQ and burgers that time. But alas, we ended up in another burger joint at Old Town Pasadena which I must say looks pretty nice. It reminded me of New York with the stores on the streets and street performers making the night extra special.

Hello, Slater's 50/50!

The place was pretty packed with people so we had to wait for about half an hour to get a table. While waiting, K and I decided to go for a walk while couple T and K wait for our table.

The place is different from the other parts of Los Angeles. I actually find it pretty romantic. There are some quaint restaurants and for some reason, a handful of flower vendors too. I felt like buying one (love thy self) but naaah, I need the money for my other food trips!

After a while, K and I decided to head back as we're getting hungry too. And... we still have to wait for a few more minutes.

Thankfully, service was pretty quick. We ordered Fried Bacon Mac n' Cheese Balls ($5.95), Slater's Vampire Dip ($8.95), B' B' B' Bacon Burger ($10.95), The 50/50 ($9.95) and the Fried Chicken & Pancakes ($10.95) and in less than 10 minutes, our appetizers arrived.

The Fried Bacon Mac n' Cheese is your typical Mac n' Cheese covered in breaded coating with a tinge of bacon. It was pretty good though I hope it was a bit cheesier.

One of our favorites that night was the Slater's Vampire Dip! The dip had a strong garlic taste and it went so well with the cheese and artichoke. We also enjoyed the pita and T can't help but finish the sourdough.