Raising the bar… Barcino

I was lucky enough to be part of the press launch of Barcino in Rockwell. At first I got lost since I hardly dine in the restaurants beside the entrance of Rockwell. But all the guards know where Barcino is so it wasn’t hard to find it. J

I thought that I was late since the invite mentioned 7pm (I arrived 7:45pm from a trade check). Good thing though that they were still waiting for the other guests. While waiting, I was offered some chips and wine. To be honest, I am not really a wine person, and as a person starving, I felt that my stomach rejected the wine. >.<

The event started around 9:30pm (and I am really famished).  They first served an appetizer fondly called as “Smooth Appetizer” which was a fried battered prawn dipped in a squash gazpacho accompanied by Estrella Calacia beer (which can only be bought at Barcino).  Smooth appetizer tasted like calamares but I assure you that the shrimp used was big and fresh. Also, I think that it goes well with the beer.

                                   

The next meal was a Mi-cuit with spicy bread paired with Cava Vilarnau from Gonzalez Byass. I first noticed that the toasted bread was topped with pepper and I got worried since I cannot tolerate spicy food. But it was not that spicy at all. Also, when you eat it with the sweet spread, it is actually very delicious. The wine on the other hand is like a sparkling wine... a strong sparkling wine (with 12% alcohol content).

The third meal was scallop with caramelized onion, ginger, and tomato sauce paired with Vallformosa Claudia. The scallop is quite bland so you have to make sure that you cover it with the sauce (which is on the bottom of the bowl). The wine was also a bit too strong for me. >.<

The fourth meal was sea bass with concasse tomato made with vanilla, spinach, and mushroom plus clouds of rice noodles paired with Martin Codax Albarino. This one is the best for me since I love sea bass. It was a bit bland as well but I love bland food for I do not get tired of eating it.

The spinach was a surprise for it added flavor to the dish. The wine was also favored by the press with me since it goes really well with the seafood. The sour kick of the wine brought out the rich flavor of each of the ingredients of the dish.

The next dish for the night was lengua with mashed potato matched with La Miranda De Se Castilla from Vinas del Vero. The lengua was a bit salty and it really has to be eaten with the mashed potato to lower the saltiness.

Last dish (before the dessert) was lamb chop with apple compote with fresh rosemary and turned vegetables paired with Fontal Crianza from Bodenas Fontana. The lamb chop was a bit dry at first but as I cut through the center, it becomes more and more savory. It Is not a seasoning heavy dish that you will get tired of easily. Too bad though that they served this late since we were all too full to finish the dish.

Finally, the dessert was pineapple bomba with crema catalane with fruit pincho paired with Nectar Px. The dessert on a pineapple shell was quite interesting. There were pineapple tidbits with kiwi and strawberry on top of melted sugar. The pudding was too sweet for me though.

As I finished my dessert, I left Barcino with a full tummy yet very eager to go back to try their other meals. But, I will definitely order the sea bass again for it is love.

A fun Valentine’s Day for the loveless

People say that Valentine’s Day is also known as Single Awareness Day which is SAD for short. BUT, we can make this F.U.N. (well, I could not think of three words for that yet). Here are some ideas on how to turn S.A.D. into F.U.N.:

1.  Learn a new sport (or at least try)
You will feel more accomplished on this special day for lovers if you have done something you have never done before. There are several sports to learn: biking, skating, bowling, swimming, diving, snorkeling, playing basketball, soccer, and much much more. BUT, if you do not have money, well, you can turn a seemingly ordinary activity into a sport like catching flies with chopsticks. Now, you have a new talent!

   2. Treat yourself and your friends to dinner

So what if you do not have a romantic dinner with a special someone? Friends are special. J Dress up and go to a fancy restaurant and enjoy. You might also want to go to a karaoke after. BUT if you do not have (again) money, invite your friends over and have a chocolate overload instead. Remember, chocolate is love. J No need to splurge on Ferrero Rocher. Munch on Goya or even Milo powder. Buy some cheap chocolates, melt it and dip marshmallow on it. TADA! A chocolate fondue party!

3.  Buy your best friend or mom flowers

Just because you are loveless does not mean that you have to turn into a scrooge. SHARE THE LOVE or else I will be singing “Where is the love… where is the love, where is the loooove?” Okay, maybe you do not deserve such corny lines. But, the mentality that Valentine’s is just for lovers is wrong! BUT, if you do not have money, make paper flowers. It’s the thought that counts anyway.

4.  Be inspired

People-watching is probably one of the best pastimes ever. Get in touch with the photographer in you or sketch the busy malls filled with lovey-dovey people. Who knows, it might be a masterpiece. BUT, if do not have money, ARE YOU CRAZY? THIS DOES NOT COST MUCH! A pencil costs less than P10 while a sketch pad from Best Buys cost less than P50. No need to buy oil pastel if you really do not have money.

5.  Have a Valentine’s pictorial

Create FUN and HAPPY memories and capture them on camera. Have a theme. You can all wear red or take pictures in such a way that it narrates a story. If it turns out good, it might inspire writers to turn it into a play or even a movie. No room for “buuuut I have no money” excuse here either.

6.  Visit the World of Butterflies in Marikina

Not only will you be surrounded with probably one of the best looking insects in the world, you also get to sharpen up your science knowledge. Best of all, entrance IS VERY CHEAP. Entrance fee is only P20 for students, senior citizens, and Marikina residents while P40 for visitors and tourists. It is open from 8am to 5pm from Mondays to Sundays. :)

        7.  Write a letter to a random person (preferably snail mail)

  This is something unique to do. Stalkerish, yes. Fun, YES!

8.  Take advantage of the “everything love-related becomes more expensive”

If you know how to bake, sell cookies as an alternative to chocolates. If you are the person who frequents Dangwa, use your sales skills and offer services to buy the flowers for the lover boys and girls. But if you do not have any skill that you could use, start learning a skill NOW and use it next year.

9.  Watch a horror/thriller/suspense movie

Nothing beats horror/thriller/suspense movies to make you realize that it is so good to be alive. This will make you forget that you are in fact loveless during the hearts day. Also remember that it will be more fun if you tag your friends along because watching any movie genre alone in general is just plain sad. BUT if you do not have money, pray for HBO or Starworld to air a good romantic-free movie.

10.SMILE

Well, at least it brightens another loveless person’s day. :)

How to make your weekend action-packed!

I have always wanted to try paintball but I never had the chance when I went to Tagaytay Highlands. I was so glad though that I joined Couch Surfing and that someone organized a paintball event on January 30, 2011. J I made sure that I WILL BE THERE NO MATTER WHAT. 

Finally, January 30 came and we all went to the La Mesa Eco Park (yes, there’s Global Gutz there too) to play paintball and to also try other things (such as biking, rappelling, wall climbing, fishing, boating). There is also a zipline inside the park. :)

 

We first tried to bike. We got a bit disappointed because rented bikes cannot be used outside the enclosed biking area. But since I saw a pretty interesting bike, I still rented one. It was a bit more expensive than the basic bicycles (basic bicycles cost P60/hour and the one I rented costs P80/hour). The enclosed area is actually “supposed” to be a good place to learn how to bike. BUT, the ground was pretty uneven and it was also quite rocky. So, for first-timers… good luck.

Bike at your own risk!

Don't worry. The first aid station is very near the biking area :)

After biking in circles, we decided to find food. To our surprise, there are very, and I mean VERY limited food options. No wonder some people advised us to bring our own food. But we were a stubborn group and hardly brought food. Some brought some chips with them and thank goodness for that.

Anyway, we are now excited to do something… violent. *Off to Global Gutz.* To be honest, I got super nervous and even hesitated if I should still try it since they made us sign a waiver that they will not be accountable for anything that happens to us inside the arena. (We were “quite” safe though because we were equipped with masks and chest… uh pads.)But since a lot were still very game to try it, I gave in. It costs P350 for 50 bullets and P500 for 100 bullets. Extra bullets cost P4 each. Yes, it is quite expensive. But I guess we are paying for the unique experience.

At first, I thought that 50 bullets is more than enough but I realized that it is so not enough because we all became trigger happy when we see the opposing team. Note: Be careful of getting hit on the head. IT IS PAINFUL. Also, make sure that you follow the rules. 1.) Keep your distance. 2.) Make sure that you do not attack people with their hands up for they either ran out of bullets or were hit twice already. The masks get blurry and foggy after some time since we sweat (unless you are some demigod who do not sweat at all but glow instead). But you have to wear your mask at all times or face the risk of your eyes saying hello to paintballs (which look like egg yolks).

Our P350 lasted for less than 20 minutes I think. >.< But it was a fun-filled less-than- 20-minutes game. And several mosquito bites as a bonus!

The before PAINtball picture

The others even had the energy to do wall climbing while the others opted to try the zipline. Since I was dead tired (and was not too keen with the zipline because of the lack of view), I opted to… buy ice cream and let the not-so-polluted air dry my sweaty top. (Disgusting, I know.)

Overall, I will go back to the park and try the other activities namely fishing, boating, and wall climbing. :)

Captured! Yihee! <3

Forever 21 revisited!

It has been a month since I last visited Forever 21 since I have been trying to avoid unnecessary expenses. But, since my sister wanted to use my gift for her last Christmas (I bought her a F21 gift certificate), I was forced to go to F21 this weekend.

Gaaaah! There are so many clothes I wanted to try. In less than 10 minutes, my mesh bag is already full of clothes (though most were cardigans, basic tops, and a handful of dresses). I normally do not pick several clothes in one go in other boutiques since there is a maximum number of clothes you could try in one go. But since I was in F21, the place where one can try as many clothes they want in one go, I decided to be in my shopaholic state.

WRONG TIMING to be my crazy shopaholic self. F21 now has a fitting room policy where customers can fit maximum of 6 garments only. I was forced to skip fitting the jackets and cardigans since I could manage to fit those outside and avoid lining up again. To my surprise, if you have more than 6 clothes, you could go back to the person in charge of the fitting rooms, get another batch and skip lining up. I guess, they are trying to manage the waiting time. It was a bit hassle on the part of those who shop a lot at F21 but it made the lives of those who try on few clothes a lot easier. I guess, F21 considered the majority of their customers and is instilling discipline—not to go wild over trying clothes you do not even intend to buy.

Good job F21!

Revisiting Dulcinea… the place with the oh-so-good churros…

I loved Dulcinea as a child. I remember that I often order lengua before learning that it was actually tongue (well, I was an ignorant kid then). I then moved on to salpicao and breaded chicken. I super love Dulcinea’s desserts such as cream puffs and yema balls.

Today, I decided to try their pasta for since I was 10, I never tried their pasta. Weird. I ordered pesto since it mentioned that it was “light” (assuming that light=healthy) and pumpkin soup. As for the drinks, a pitcher of four seasons. J

My sister, who still has kiddie food options, ordered chicken fingers (dipped in tartar sauce/ketchup) and mashed potato while my mom ordered her all-time favorite, salpicao (no picture though).

My pasta was served first and the soup was served 10 minutes later. It was quite weird because my pasta turned out to be my appetizer. Anyway, the soup was not very creamy compared to other pumpkin soups I have tried before. Though, it still has the sweet pumpkin taste. The bacon bits also added texture to the soup. As for the pesto, I do not find it light (at all). It was very oily and it was quite salty as well. Same goes for the chicken tenders. The mashed potato on the other hand needed more butter and a bit of salt.  

The four seasons and yema balls on the other hand are two thumbs up! The four seasons shake was very refreshing and it was not too sweet that it will make you thirsty. The yema balls on the other hand are a bit crunchy with its hard shell (covered with sugar). This dessert is also not very sweet that makes you turn down a second serving.

Verdict:

Ambiance: The ambiance is quite homey. With its quite yellowish lighting, it makes you feel warm inside. (Or is that just me?)

Price: The price range is quite affordable. You could get a good big meal with just P200 (and that includes drinks already). They also have meal deals for as low as P99.

The NEW water and healthy drinks

Don’t you just hate it when some salespeople block you offering you insurance or credit cards? Well, I find those gym people pushing me to apply way more irritating because it implies that I NEED TO GO TO ONE. There was even a time when I (jokingly) asked the salesman/trainer if he thinks I am fat. And yes, I did not allow him to answer that question because I fear that he might be too frank and tell me, “Yes ma’am. You need to apply ASAP!”

Anyway, the real reason why I am writing this blog is because of this…

No wonder…

All Tangled up!

As a fan (and stalker) of animated films, I got super excited when I saw the trailer of the movie Tangled. A twisted tale about the beloved story about a girl with long golden hair stuck in a tower who was saved by a thief. (DYK: The real version is not very child appropriate. It was pretty gruesome.)  

After watching the film, I was pretty happy. The movie did not disappoint me. It had a nice plot and the characters were well-thought.  I love it when Mother Gothel tells Rapunzel that she loves her dearly. Here’s the exchange of lines:

Mother Gothel: I love you

Rapunzel: I love you more

Mother Gothel: I love you most

(Me: crying)

It was so refreshing to see the villain to have a soft side. I felt Gothel’s concern to be not totally because of her fear to get old. It would seem that she also did loved Rapunzel. She even agreed to go out and travel for days just to get Rapunzel’s “request” for her birthday. Also, if Gothel only wanted Rapunzel for her hair, then when she confronted Rapunzel about escaping the tower and traveling with Flynn, she should have forced Rapunzel to go with her. But she was hurt. As a mother, she was in pain and she wanted Rapunzel to see her mistake on her own (with the help of the two thugs Gothel hired). Okay, I am a bit confused now. But I still love how they developed the character of Gothel. I felt so bad when she had to be her mean self again. (Yes, I will not put another spoiler. Don’t worry.)  

On the other hand, if there is one thing that I did not like that much, it must be the fight between Flynn Ryder (spoiler alert: which is not his real name) and Maximus (the horse). I am not really that fond of animals acting like humans when there are human characters.

I look forward to other projects. I will forever be a Disney kid. J  

Verdict: 8/10

Café Ilang-Ilang, the place where you won’t get “ilang”

First off, I would like to apologize about the lame title for I feel that this place deserves a classier name… but I just can’t help it. (For those who are not that familiar with the Filipino language, ilang means to be uneasy.) Moving on…

I was so glad that my boss tagged me along to the launch of the all-new Café Ilang-Ilang. At first, I didn’t know that it was a buffet restaurant thus I had a heavy breakfast. When I got in, I felt remorse over not skipping breakfast. And who wouldn’t when one is faced with NINE COOKING STATIONS?

               

               

The host of the launch was Issa Litton and she felt that we were all drooling and eager to visit all nine stations. The stations were: Pan-Asian (Chinese, Korean, Malaysian, and Filipino dishes), Churrasco (Western), Japanese, Italian, Spa (healthy food station) and Dessert. After the short talk of the president of Manila Hotel (yes, Café Ilang-Ilang is inside the Manila Hotel), people from the press all “charged” to the different stations.

              

              

              
              
              

              

              

              

Being a frustrated Japanese that I am, I went to the Japanese station first. It was sushi, sashimi, and maki galore! I took a lot of salmon sashimi which is my ultimate love. I also took some other tuna sashimi, eel sushi, and this interesting pomelo with shrimp salad in a martini glass. All I can say was, it was LOVE! The seafood was fresh. The salmon was so soft and the shrimp is still firm and not the powdery type some restaurants serve. The dish that has several colors (I can’t remember the name), was also good. :)

Next stop was the Chinese, Filipino and Korean Stations. For the Filipino station, I took some grilled pork (and I forgot to get some sauce, no wonder it was so dry), steamed fish, and of course, lechon! For the Chinese station, I took some dumplings (pork, chicken and shark’s fin). Lastly, for the Korean station, I got chapche, kimbap and my favorite, bulgogi. 

The lechon’s best part is the skin and I was really excited to munch on it but I guess that was the one dish you have to try first. My lechon’s skin was no longer crispy. :( The steamed fish on the other hand was your typical steamed fish. A bit on the bland side but that was cooked just the way I love it!

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture before taking a bite. IT WAS THE LECHON!

The Chinese dumplings were also not that great to rave about but it was still quite good. But, the Korean dishes were a disappointment to me. I was actually quite excited because I was hoping that (at the very least) the bulgogi will be good, especially since the chef handling that station is a Korean. Unfortunately, the dishes were quite dry and bland. True, Korean dishes are not very rich in terms of flavor but I had better bulgogi, kimbap, and chapche in other restaurants here and in Korea.

Since I was already full and my tummy was already asking for mercy, I decided to skip all other stations, EXCEPT the desserts station. I left that I was in Willy Wonka’s factory when I visited the desserts station. There were lots of pastries, chocolates, fruits, ice cream, and much much more. I had a hard time choosing which ones to try. Just staring at the chocolate fountain brings tears to my eyes. 

Anyway, enough being so sentimental over desserts, I had marshmallow covered with chocolate, tiramisu, chocolate brownie, strawberry pudding, and that heavenly chocolate pudding (which I forgot to take picture of—was too excited). The tiramisu was a bit bland and same goes for the chocolate brownie and strawberry pudding (though it was not the pudding’s fault since I got it from the sugar-free section). BUT the chocolate on the marshmallow was so good. In fact, I savored every drop left on my plate (and no, I did not lick my plate clean. I was still aware that I was in a hotel and that I have to act properly.)  

Verdict: A must visit place!

Ambiance:  The place was quite cozy. At first, I thought that the place was small; but after checking all 9 stations, I realized that the interior designer was witty to segment the place in such a way that all kinds of people, from couples to families to colleagues will all feel at home. Also, they were witty at placing the desserts station near the entrance. As mentioned by Issa, it was purposely done so as to remind people to “make room for dessert” since there are 8 other stations.

Price: Given that it is in a hotel, expect that it will be pricey. The range goes as low as P1372.77 (net) and as high as P1647.32 (net).

Let's do the ROBOT dance

Who would have thought that behind the glass door on the corner of Makati Ave. lies a cool and futuristic restaurant called Robot?

I am sure that this restaurant already received a lot of reviews from food bloggers for this restaurant has been around for quite some time now but since I am quite a laggard (before!) and since I loved the food, I will still review it. J

Thanks to Unilever, I got the chance to discover the very cool Robot restaurant. At first, we thought that we went to the wrong place because the entrance is something you would not rave about. We were greeted by green glass doors and white walls. What was funny was we thought that the door has sensors and that it was an automatic door. Apparently, the guard was very attentive and has mastered to slide the door like a machine.

When we entered, we can't help but say... WOW!

Cute way to display liquor bottles

Glass ceiling

        

Ceiling full of light bulbs--and no, not all bulbs work

Anyway, while waiting, they offered a glass of iced tea and some smoked tuna maki. I still remember the taste of the iced tea. It tasted quite “orangy” if there is such a term. It was a tad bit on the sweet side but it was refreshing nonetheless. As for the smoked tuna maki, IT IS ONE OF THE BEST I tasted. It was a bit crispy which was interesting for a maki. It was also tasty enough thus there is no need to look for soy sauce. But what was most interesting about it is that there were petals on top of it and we all asked the server if the petals were edible. Well, the tuna flavor was a lot stronger than the petal that I hardly tasted it.

Smoked Tuna Maki with petals--Sorry for the terrible picture T.T

As the program progressed, Chef Niño Laus (co- owner of Robot) introduced the different dishes they prepared for us but we only got to taste one L BUT, we got one superb dish. We got the chicken teriyaki with wasabi mashed potato. A huwaaaat? on the wasabi mashed potato. Since we were very hungry that day, I find the serving a bit small. BUT THE WASABI MASHED POTATO WAS SO GOOD THAT I COULD NOT HELP HAVE THIS SENTENCE IN ALL CAPS. It was not the spicy wasabi that I know but every spoonful gives a minty cool feel.

Chicken Teriyaki with Wasabi Mashed Potato

Next time I visit, I want to try the desserts. Robot, see you soon!

A 50-cent worth of candy please!

I feel so old every time convenience stores and pharmacies do not give me the right change. It is always missing 25 or 50 cents. This happens to me a lot and I just cannot find the energy to demand for my 25 or 50 cents since people perceive 50 cents to be something insignificant and that you could not buy anything with it.

Just this afternoon, I bought some snacks at a convenience store and my total purchases cost P71.50. The cashier asked for P2 and I gladly obliged thinking that I will get P30.50. Alas, I only got P30. Oh well.

On my way back to the office, I realized something. If I buy something from the convenience store or pharmacy every day, and my change is always short by 50 cents, I lose P182.5 in a year, P3650 in 20 years, and P5475 in 30 years. Well, I do not think that these numbers are still insignificant.

What I am trying to say here is that we as consumers should demand for the right change and for the sellers to make sure that you have coins (yes, centavos and not candies) to give your customers.

All about expensive coffee and overpriced iced tea

We always clamor for higher wages because we can no longer afford to buy “basic” necessities. But here we are addicted to expensive coffee and overpriced iced tea during Christmas season or whenever these coffee shops and tea houses have promos. I.wonder.why.

Let’s try to analyze a typical person’s mindset when buying coffee.

“I need it to make me feel warm.”

“I will buy one so that I won’t feel uneasy hanging out with my friends who love coffee shops.”

“I’m sleepy!”

“I admit it, I am a coffee addict.”

“I need one after one big meal.”

These are the basic excuses to buy coffee. But do we really have to buy the expensive ones? Can’t Nescafe or some brewed coffee from McDo (which [by the way] is quite decent…. In fact, good) suffice your caffeine need? I think the real reason behind buying expensive coffee is…

“I want to feel elite.” a.k.a. “I want to feel sosyal.” (I know, it is quite Kris Aquino-ish).

How about iced tea? I’m sure the reasons are

“I’m thirsty and I need a drink now.” Or “I’m parched.”

“I want to drink something while walking.”

“I want to hang out at (place name of coffee shop here) but I can only afford the cheapest drink”

Well, I think the real reason is… the same as the real excuse in buying coffee.

I really have nothing about the coffee stores or tea houses here. I just find it weird why we spend so much to buy coffee and iced tea when there are [way] cheaper options. I admit that I am a sucker for those expensive teas when I was still in college until I discovered the wonders of the bottled green tea. Just think, if you buy at least one cup of coffee or iced tea in a week at an average price of P100, you are spending P4800 in a year. Assuming that it will be your buying pattern for let’s say 30 years (in the corporate world), you will be spending P144,000!!!

Again, I am not against these establishments for I am a tea addict myself. But what I would like to share is that we should learn how to control ourselves. I am not stopping anyone to buy these expensive drinks for I am sure that you deserve every drop of it. Let's just not make this a daily or weekly habit for there are other ways to get your caffeine fix. Let us all be smart consumers. :)