Bubba tricked me to thinking that we were going boxing at Elorde Gilmore Branch, but he actually made a dinner reservation at Pizzeria Toscana that Thursday night.  It’s a small quaint restaurant in San Juan that boasts of homemade Tuscan cuisine.  Prices are inclusive of 12% VAT, no service charge which is a great thing.  Pizzeria Toscana is family owned and has a relaxed and comfortable ambiance similar to hole-in-the-wall Italian cafés.  It only has 6 small tables with 30 maximum seating capacity.  The white walls are surrounded with framed photos of celebrities in black and white and old Hollywood.  There is a small TV set propped high in one corner, which is playing a DVD of An Affair to Remember.   

Alla Angelica PHP170

The usual pasta angelica with tomatoes, garlic and basil, which was served with spaghetti noodles instead of angel hair

Medium sized pesto based pizza.  Bubba really liked the thin crust better than Bellini’s or Segafredo but I have to disagree.  I like traditional tomato based pizza than the pesto based.

Salmone PHP295 (Half)

I love the chunks of fresh salmone in the pizza.

Salted cod in tomato stew.  Served with marble potatoes 

Blueberry Cheesecake PHP100

The blueberry cheesecake had a generous blueberry topping, which always initiates a good impression.  The cheesecake will satisfy any craving for sweet and cheese delight.

The highlight of the dessert menu has to be the Gelato Balsamico.  It is Gelato in Vanilla flavor drizzled with Balsamic vinegar.  It had a fruity flavor, sweet and tangy.  It’s refereshingly weird at first but the taste grows on you.  It was served in a cute and fun uneven glass that kept moving around.

Pizza Regolare translates to your regular pizza.  Please allow 20-30 minutes serving time because crust is made from freshly baked dough.  They have the usual flavors of Pepperoni, Basic Cheese.

When my college best bud, Anna Queen Gloria Martinez, King for short, sent me the SMS about Abe’s baptism last Saturday, I didn’t pass up the chance to go and see her even if it was short notice. I immediately pulled out my planner and marked the date May 24, 2008. Since the baptism starts at 8am, I asked King if we could sleep over Friday night. It’s easier to wake up early than wake up early and drive to Batangas.

Bubba and I picked up Mher, King’s youngest sister, from CSB (her last class ends at 945pm! Oh how I remember my dreaded and loved Dr. Robles’ class!) and off we journeyed to Batangas. Since we haven’t eaten dinner yet as Bubba attended a DEFTAC meeting at Punch-out Gym in Makati, we decided to stopover and have a late dinner at Carlo’s Pizza (More on Carlo’s Pizza in a separate entry) in Tagaytay. This was around 11pm Friday.

By midnight, we hopped into the Altis again and drove to Agoncillo, Batangas. The winding roads are the same as I remembered them over so many travels to Agoncillo during college and post-college years. Some roads are good for 1 vehicle only because the other part of the road is damaged from landslides during rainy season. There is nothing new here since we used to traverse this area even during stormy nights and the drives are always fearful for me.

We finally reached Agoncillo by 1AM. King was already asleep and I was able to glance at her and the baby even for a short while. I missed King! The last time I saw her was at the Premiere of Aliens v. Predator (AVP2 was so crappy!!!) in December 2007.

The next morning, everyone was busy getting ready and there was much buzz around the house. We were ready by 8am and attended a seminar first. The seminar took 40 minutes but it wasn’t so bad. It was like a refresher course on RELSONE. And just like the college classes, King kept whispering to my ear and chatting. As tradition goes, I had to hush her and beg her to listen to which she replied with a scowl! Hahaha. Good ol’ days.

Then the Baptism of King’s First Born, Abdiel Samad or Baby Abe ensued, my second godchild. Abe is soooo cute (I don’t want to say so because he has King’s eyes blech but he is!!! Super cute and fragile!!!) He is also long, just like the mom!!! Bubba and me became the designated photographers and we couldn’t be any happier to be there and be part of this special occasion.

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/453/08_0524-_Kings_First_Born_Baby_Abdiel_Samad

Upcoming articles: 

Bulan (to be scheduled) –anyone wants to try this restaurant with me?  It’s located in Little Baguio, San Juan.

Napoleon Donuts

Crazy Crepe

Tita Paring Suman

Bun on the Run

May 18, 2008.  Since we were driving along the Banawe area, I decided to eat at Coco Asian Bistro.  In the busy streets of Banawe heavily laden with car spare parts and auto shops, you’d be surprised to stumble upon a restaurant that has a Makati upscale vibe.  A totally different ambience inside is made up of two dining rooms with slow soft music playing in the background.  With the décor of sturdy tables made of rich woodwork, gold curtains and red orange lamps hovering above the booth area, this “bistro” is set apart from others.

Crispy Mozzarella Cheese Rolls PHP 125

With sun-dried tomatoes.  Served with yoghurt-pesto dip.  This is going to be a staple order during every visit to Coco Asian Bistro.  I love the sweet and tad bit tangy flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes against the mild sharpness of the cheese enfolded in a crunchy not overly thick wanton wrapper.  The pesto yoghurt dip is quite the match.

Deep fried boneless pork knuckles with a soy-vinegar dip.  You kinda miss picking the large knuckles since this crispy pata is totally bone-free.  Surprisingly, it wasn’t too oily yet skin is still perfectly cooked to a crisp.  Meat was succulent and had the right tenderness.

Coco Loco Surprise PHP 245

Mixed seafood simmered in coconut cream.  Served on a taro basket.  Bubba and I kept debating whether the taro basket was edible.  I didn’t try it but he did and did not choke on it so we can carefully assume that it’s digestible.  Generous amount of seafood: shrimp, squid, fish tossed in a appetizing coconut cream sauce.

Tilapia Galore PHP 195

Fried Tilapia Fillet served with a spicy vinegar dip.  Bubba loved this dish and finished the whole thing.

Steamed Rice (4) PHP 30

If there was one thing that I didn’t like, it was actually the rice that was a bit dry. 

The four dishes that we sampled were delicious and for its price were all a winner.  This sophisticated Asian style bistro has started drawing crowds with its delectable progressive Asian cuisine and Oriental charm. 

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/445/08_0518-_Coco_Asian_Bistro  

Yes, I tried out.  I’m glad Jonel was with me, which made everything bearable.  Having to wake up at 4AM, wait for 5 grueling hours and the what-nots, I’m still glad I went to the audition.  It was worth the 20 minutes of adrenaline rush!!! (…And definitely worth the excuse of not taking a shower and blaming somebody else for the smell) I’ve always been a huge fan of the US version of Survivor.  I am a Survivor in real life but it would be interesting if a show can gauge whether I’m a real SURVIVOR or not. 

I Did Not Survive

Words: Jonel Uy 

My apologies to all my supporters =), but I did not survive the auditions. The next paragraph will narrate how everything unfolded.

May 23, my cellphone alarm rung at 0400hrs and I arrived at SM Manila 0545. A crowd-filled walkway area of the mall’s west side entrance greeted my sleepy eyes. I overheard that some guys were there as early 0130hrs. I initially estimated the crowd to be around 500. Joining an activity of such kind being my first, I got cold feet. “So this is how it feels lining up to audition for a TV show”, I said to myself. It brought back some UP Diliman registration memories but this was different. Instead of having fellow students of about the same age, the crowd was a mix of all sorts. From teenagers to a lola with a walking cane at hand who probably maximized the qualifying age of 60. =) The long line of hopefuls(including me) came from all walks of life. There are guys who look like gym trainers (as expected) and there are also some who look like taho-vendors =) and everything in between.

The lady beside me, after some exchange of greetings, turned out to be a PBB season one top 30. She’s trying her luck again. The lady after her is gambling for a second chance after having been declined the previous day. Dream, Believe, Survive, oops, iba pala yun. My fellow travel buddy and friend Jane came a few minutes later. The security guard made a head count where Jane & I turned out to be Survivor Wannabees No. 397 and 398. (quite good for my earlier estimate of 500, oh I will not forget that number) =)

Fast forward, the mall opened 10am and we were let in according to queue. The crowd is pretty much behaved and civilized, far from what I expected of such activities. We were let in the mall 1030 (At last - aircon!) and the audition proper started in a jiffy. The line was amazingly moving fast and we were in the pre-screening table by 1115. We felt that the process was rushed as the production team might already had reached their toll after two grueling days. My few seconds of chance to be part of my hoped adventure was concluded after the interviewer didn’t find the surfer from La Union ‘interesting’ enough. At least, Jane made it to the 2nd level.

It turns out that they were looking for some emotional appeal from the applicants, which I do not have. If only I knew, I would have put some drama to my storyline; perhaps as surfer from La Union who was a former drug addict and how he managed to battle the evils and ’survived’ through it by instead focusing on sports - such as surfing. =)

Here are other realizations/theories from this experience Jane and I concocted: 

1)       Audition on the first day, so that in case you were declined, you can line up again the next day, if allowed (and desperate enough).

2)       Audition on the first day because they might already be looking for a specific profile they haven’t found during the previous audition days.

3)       Audition on the first day when the interviewers are not yet tired and exasperated from hopefuls like you.

4)       We now know better, so kitakits nalang sa season 2! Haha! (Leia/Tyx, sali na!)  

Link: http://joneluy.multiply.com/journal/item/3/I_Did_Not_Survive_Part_2_of_Should_I_Audition….?replies_read=1  

Link: http://travel-tayo.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-did-not-survive.html    

We stopped over Mr. Moo Tagaytay to buy pasalubong for my mom.

Yummy Pastillas!!!

Whereas, Bubba ordered fresh milk.

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/455 (Mr Moo)

Saturday afternoon was spent at Red Corner gym (best to go on weekends because there are lesser people) and visiting the Modista By Elle Showroom in Banawe, QC.  It was a late lunch at 430pm and CW decided to eat at Adobo Republic.  Adobo, after all, is his favorite Filipino dish.

On the Table:

Adobo sa Gata Combo Meal PHP 150

Chicken adobo cooked in coconut cream, meal includes rice, red egg, vegetables, juice, and ice cream.

Adobo Diablo PHP 120

Hot and spicy pork with adobo rice and red egg

Sizzling Beef Kaldereta PHP 100

A small portion of the spicy tomato based beef dish served on a sizzling plate 

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/443/08_0517-_Adobo_Republic  

PHILIPPINE FASHION WEEK SHOW SCHEDULE OF BACKSTAGE DESIGNERS

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/100/YDG_Fashion_Week_2006  

Since I’ve already eaten at home and Bubba is not a fan of shrimps, we went out for a quick dinner somewhere nearby.  We always see 4 x Force when we’re eating at JT Manukan’s but never got around to trying it.  Finally, we decided to eat there.  The area is divided into 4 sections, thus the name.  One section is for the auto detailing which is at the far end.  The rest are three types of grill restaurants.  One of which is the Persian restaurant right at the very front entrance. 

The owner was very accommodating and funny!  But maybe due to language barrier, he took down the wrong order.  Anyhoo, since Bubba was hungry, we decided to eat it anyway.  I ordered hummus too but it never arrived.  Still, with the owner’s ebullient personality, we didn’t mind much.  Especially with a huge albino snake displayed in the resto, Bubba was very happy.

On the Table:

Sizzling Persian Beef PHP180

Some parts were tough to chew on but the flavor was not so bad.

2 Pita Bread PHP 40

 Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/450/0522-_4_x_Force

(Photos courtesy of Bobby De Ocampo)

One of the perks to love about my job is the location of our meetings with the channel affiliates.  It is usually in restaurants (mostly in 5-star hotels) over lunch, dinner or teatime.  What better way to talk about business but over delectable food. 

April 15, 2008, BBC invited JHC and me to a dinner at Cav.  This was going to be my second visit to the place.  Cav (Cave) is a French colloquial word for cellar and the café restaurant actually has one with an extensive array of wines.  As you enter their glass door, the first thing that catches the eye is the high-tech looking chiller that looks like a vending machine.  A revolution to the usual classy dressed-to-the-nines wine tasting events, Cav has portrayed wine drinking as less intimidating.  It has democratized wine tasting by foregoing the bottles (and the expense of buying it) and making sampling portions available instead.