Weekend in the City of Gentle People and the mystical Island of Fire

I'm off to DUMAGUETE and SIQUIJOR.

See you all next week!

STARBUCKS' Brand New SOY Frappuccino

available mornings only;

Strawberry flavor served only in Baguio

DARKEST DAY, BLACKEST NIGHT

So that I remember.

So that we don' forget.

So that this never happens again.

WTF Hostage Taking sa Quirino Grandstand?
A disgraced cop holds a bus full of tourists from Hong Kong;
they were on their way to the Manila Ocean Park : (
Monday at 12:32pm




‎"BIG MISTAKE TO CORRECT A BIG WRONG DECISION"
- homemade sign the policeman/hostage taker posted
on the bus window that's vexing and flummoxing
the media and the hostage negotiators
Monday at 2:12pm




THE BUS
almost 7 hours and counting
in front of the Quirino Grandstand
Monday at 4:22pm

People thought this would end peacefully,
like the Manila City Hall Hostage Crisis

quite a few of our policemen seem to think
that they are cops in L.A. CONFIDENTIAL:
1953 Los Angeles = 2010 MetroManila
"off the record, on the QT and very hush-hush..."
Monday at 5:09pm




this Hostage Situation is now crazier than any TELENOVELA
Monday at 7:08pm




Pati Pulis takot sa Kapwa Pulis
na baka ma-salvage sila a la Ivan Padilla and Bathroom Boy
Monday at 7:19pm




GUNSHOTS WTF?!?!?!
Monday at 7:23pm

This could have been a Kill Shot

POLICE gaddem there's at TV in the bus
that can get ABS-CBN and other channels ANO BA?!?!?
Monday at 7:25pm




TOTAL BOTCHED JOB F*CK. DEPRESSING.
it's obvious that the hostage taker was monitoring TV
& just totally lost it after he saw his brother arrested.
Monday at 7:45pm




I can't bear to look at my TV now : (
Monday at 7:54pm




MENDOZA is still alive and is still shooting.
Monday at 8:21pm




UZISERO hit by stray bullet.
Monday at 8:29pm




praying for a MIRACLE
that more hostages are still alive.
Monday at 8:52pm

The skies wept, as did we.

NAKAKAIYAK...
sa galak, dahil may mga hostage na nabuhay,
sa poot, dahil sa mga 'di kailangan namatay.
Monday at 9:11pm




PRESIDENT AQUINO, MAYOR LIM:
the city, the nation feel very very battered right now.
Both of you should say something, anything, on TV, Radio.
Monday at 9:58pm





TOTAL TRAVEL BAN declared by HONG KONG
as expected
Monday at 10:29pm




P-NOY, ano na?
It's a quarter to midnight.
Monday at 11:46pm




KUDOS to the Fil-Chi Volunteer Firefighters
for taking care of the surviving hostages
by acting as their interpreters : )
Monday at 11:47pm




The One Good Thing about this presscon?
PNoy addressed, and was quite testy,
about Sensationalistic Media Overkill.
Tuesday at 12:37am




I wanted PNOY in a Barong Tagalog,
strong, alone behind his desk, Presidential Seal behind him,
and I wanted him looking and sounding extremely pissed,
and then I wanted to hear soothing noises.
Did Not Happen : (
Tuesday at 12:57am




Let's just permanently "assign" Rep. Ronald Singson
to Hong Kong as reparation for this hostage fiasco.
Tuesday at 1:13am




















Post Script:


USELESS na,
HOPELESS pa.
Wednesday at 11:31am

The Steak and Frites, and absolutely nothing but the STEAK & FRITES!

America has thousands of Burger stands;

in the Philippines, we have our Tapsilog stalls,

and in France, comfort food means Steak & Frites!

I love restaurants that have only one item on the menu.

It's the indication of specialization, of true excellence.

And at the brand new L'Entrecôte,

that's the one & only reason for being:

STEAK & FRITES!!!

"L'Entrecôte"

translates to a premium cut of beef,
most often, a fine sirloin steak.


The potatoes, perfectly crisp and golden,
(cooked in peanut oil to avoid trans fats?)


and topping everything off:
HERB BUTTER SAUCE,

from the chef's secret recipe,
is slathered over the sliced sirloin,
(I recommend medium rare or medium)

and the perfectly cut shoestring french fries.
(the frites are all-you-can-eat at L'Entrecôte!)

Anthony Bourdain
Chef-at-Large of Les Halles,

always talks about the tens of thousands
of steak frites served at that world-famous Brasserie,
and I've always wanted to dine there;


L'Entrecôte just might be the closest thing to that
Manhattan experience that we can find in MetroManila.

Three items on the menu:

1. steak frites with salad
2. steak frites with salad, dessert, and a glass of wine
3. steak frites without steak (the vegetarian option. gasp!)




Elegant tea candles

and a gleaming steel rack
serve as the heating element
that keeps the steak sizzling hot.








I love their music that completes that Parisian ambience.

The songs sound exactly like the sunny French tunes
that are on the soundtrack of my favorite show,

French Food at Home, hosted by the extremely
lovely, absurdly MILF-y Laura Calder:

And though I'm not sure if fresh cherries will be on the menu soon,

the restaurant has a whole range of elegant desserts:

Grand Marnier Souffle, Profiteroles. Baked Alaska, Crêpe Suzette,

Raspberry and Walnut Vacherin Cake, Chocolate Mousse,

Calamansi Sorbet with Pear Liqueur,

and even a Cheese Plate!

A truly lovely restaurant...

and if you have an extra 50K or so,
you can buy any of the paintings on the wall!!!

L' Entrecote
Bellagio 2, Forbes Town Center,
Burgos Circle at the Global City
telephone: 856-4858







Oh, and may I just say
how much I love the "French Maid"
uniforms of the very polite serving staff?

Ooh la la!!!

how to find these lovely ladies:

L'Entrecôte is on the same compound as McDo and UCC;
go deeper towards Burgos Circle, you'll find it on the left side.

27 Years On... as always, Maraming Salamat NINOY!!!

GARLIC PARMESAN WINGS Saved My Life!

I sort of lost my way inside BF HOMES
in Las Piñas and Parañaque this afternoon.

I hardly ever go to that part or MetroManila,
and I was amazed to see an SM Las Piñas up already.
I thought I'd lost my bearings and ended up in SM South Mall!


I was confused as I entered the labyrinth that is
Tropical Avenue, El Grande, and Concha Cruz:

I was already dizzy from today's searing sunshine, and
my extreme hunger after the long journey from Manila;

it really felt like being a diaspora in the vast Villar Desert.
Thankfully, I found sanctuary before I starved to death.

BUFFALO'S WINGS N' THINGS
Aguirre Avenue
BF Homes Parañaque
telephone: 7034867

THE SIX MILLION PESO(bail) (congress)MAN!!!

FPJ must be rolling in his grave. LOVIE POE?

This kind of exposure is NOT helping your career.

August 19

Rep. Ronald Singson:
"Wala akong binypass na x-ray sa NAIA.
Dumaan ako sa regular lane kung saan dumadaan lahat."


Gov. Chavit Singson:
"Iimbestigahan namin kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari.
We suspect a set-up, kundi politics, negosyo."



August 20

Rep. Ronald Singson:
"6 grams lang naman yung COCAINE, hindi 21 grams!!!"

you never forget Your First... CRISPY PATA!!!

Invented by Mama Chit and her son Rod;

now, a National Filipino Dish!

A History Lesson

from my friends Alvin, Jay, and Mervin:

Sixta Evangelista Ongpauco, fondly known as "Mama Chit",

had a love of family, and a love of cooking that was legendary.

The popularity of her food among loved ones grew and grew,

until she finally was convinced to open, in Caloocan City,

way back in 1958, on that road formerly known as Highway 54,

her home to the public, as the very first "Barrio Fiesta".

Thanks to her and her restaurant, the pairing of Kare-Kare

and her invention, the Crispy Pata, became a Pinoy Perennial.

But somehow, we forgot about this restaurant past decade or so;

there were so many new Pinoy restaurants with newer names

and hip culinary concepts such as fusion and the like...

but I'm pleased to say, the One and Only Original is back,

and in a big way. Welcome Home, Barrio Fiesta Greenhills!!!

Mama Chit's grandchildren are now on a mission

to regain and reclaim Barrio Fiesta's reputation

as the true paragon of Pinoy cuisine!

And now, in addition to the classic combination

of Pork and Peanut known as Crispy Pata and Kare-Kare,

Barrio Fiesta now offers insanely good dishes such as this one:

Sizzling Sisig topped with Pure Crabfat.

It's sheer genius.

It's pure love,

but it's...

NOT your parents' BARRIO FIESTA anymore!

No more RATTAN chairs.

No more RONDALLA music.

NOW more Bistro than Barrio:

it's time to rediscover

the birthplace of Crispy Pata,

and come meet your new BFF...

Barrio Fiesta Forever!!!!

Fret not, ardent runners and yoga enthusiasts!

There are Healthy Dishes in Barrio Fiesta:

I even gave Fresh Lumpia a try...

... as well as the creamy Bouillabaisse.

Yes, I actually ordered a seafood dish.

And yes, I actually liked it!

I know, I know. I can't believe it myself.

And how can one resist Kuhol cooked in Gata?

But inevitably, every group dining in Barrio Fiesta Greenhills

will gravitate towards the healthier "heritage" dishes, such as:

Chicharon Bulaklak

and their world-famous

CRISPY PATA:

no frills,

no fusion,

just pure pork perfection.

An after awhile,

this will start calling your name:

KARE-KARE!!!

Barrio Fiesta's Kare-Kare, made from scratch,

(they grind their own peanuts), reminds me of

the Kare-Kares I grew up with: my Lola Sally's,

my Tita Veds', our beloved cook Apo Cion's.

It is thick, rich, decadent.

It's like having Reese's on Rice.

As a proud Kapampangan Foodie,

that's the Supreme Compliment I can give.

A very pleasant surprise?

The cool new interiors of BFG!

Blending the Barrio...

...with the Bistro!!!

Cozy Designer Seating and

Colorful Pinoy Art everywhere.

Barrio Fiesta is now a Date Place!

And no Date Place would be complete without

Chocolate.

"Vin's Chocolate Ganache",

one of the new Barrio Fiesta Greenhills treats

that goes beyond Gulaman & Sago!

And my new favorite:

if Sentro 1771 has a signature Coffee Pie,

Barrio Fiesta has this unforgettable

Dulce (de leche) Corazon!

For staunch nationalists:

Halo-Halo!

styled not unlike that of the Manila Pen's

famous version, and every bit as good!

And finally,

The New Menu:

there are "Personal Meals" now,

including a perfect-for-one "Crispy Patita",

when you just have to have your fix and everyone else is busy;

or if you're feeling really hungry,

there's nothing stopping you from just

ordering the original hefty size all for yourself!

With or Without You(r)

friends, it's time to come home!

Barrio Fiesta Greenhills is located at:

Florida St., between Connecticut and Rochester,

right at the back of the original site along EDSA.

For additional directions and reservations,

you may call any of the following numbers:

5719842 / 7889482 / 5141000

My Top Two Emerging INFLUENTIAL BLOGS

Right now,
there's a referendum being held over at the:
Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2010

but honestly, upon browsing the candidates,
I can understand the "emerging" part, but really,
I can't appreciate how most of the nominated blogs
can be considered "influential", since most are more
of just the same old same old been there done that variety.


FACEBUKO,
by far, is the most staggering work of heartbreaking genius
to emerge over the past year or so, but two more
quirky blogs absolutely deserve to be among
the top new blogs; not only are these
very well-written, both are full
of wit and useful tips & trivia

that's 100% amusing too:



1. RICKY REMEMBERS
http://rickyremembers.wordpress.com/

"Just like the Internet, Ricky always remembers..."



sample post:

Chocolate Milk:
Ricky remembers how that circular cardboard cover on the Magnolia Chocolait bottle would sometimes fall in and how households would recycle the bottles as water containers afterwards.








2. THE AMATS PROJECT (TAP)
http://theamatsproject.com/

"The Amats Project is an effort to go around the Philippines in search of the best (and worst) places to get drunk. There isn’t a beerhouse too shady, club too exclusive or music too loud to keep us from finding the perfect location. More than just the alcohol, the food, the crowd and the music, TAP is about the experience."



sample post:

The Russian Roman:
Mix 1 part Vodka with 2 parts of Bacchus, add ice and you’re all set. For those who haven’t tried something like this, be cautioned that it is not for the weak-hearted. A mix like this can leave you both extremely drunk and insanely energetic, which, if not in a safe place, can cause a bit of trouble.

Dude... este, MR. PRESIDENT, Pakasalan Mo Na SHA!!!

First Lady-in-waiting Shalani Soledad

Seriously,

don't just stand there,

P-Noy...

when was the last time

we had a wedding

in Malacañang?

Well, we'll remind you via:

http://www.facebook.com/presidentnoy

p.s.

looking forward to

the First Baby too!

I Thought I Knew FRIED CHICKEN. I Was Wrong.

CHICKEN CHARLIE

challenged me by boldly stating that I'd
have chicken unlike anything I'd ever
tried or tasted before...


and he was right: this is
Fried Chicken, the Final Frontier!

The Secret?

DOUBLE FRIED:

but somehow, it's got less fat,
and not only that,
it's the CRISPIEST chicken
you'll ever enjoy!



ZERO grams Trans Fat:

but like magic,
the skin's almost like that
of a Peking Duck or a Crunchy Lechon!

KOREAN-style fried chicken:

wings and drumsticks, with just
the right amount of glaze:
sweet or spicy!


Perfect with Soju.
Or Sarsaparilla.
Or San Miguel.

CHICKEN CHARLIE:

592-a N.S. Amoranto St. (Retiro)
corner Banawe St. Quezon City

Telephone Number:
742-3333

http://www.chickencharlie.net/

Opening Soon somewhere near UST,

and U Should Try take-out too.

WooHoo!!!