June 25, 2008.  If you can’t go to Tagaytay (http://www.janedchua.com/2008/05/30/carlos-pizza-tagaytay/) and want to eat at Carlo’s Pizza, you can always go the branch in Metrowalk.  No fresh air and scenery though –just a view of Burger on the Run stall.   

That is where we went when Bubba had a craving for Carlo’s Pizza.  Yes it is him whose hankering I had to appease this time around.  Wait, I actually agreed to appease him when by the mention of Carlo’s Pizza, my craving started for their Chicken Fingers.  So immediately, he appeased me in return.  Whose turn is it next to appease the other?  Moving on….  

On the Table: 

Potato Wedge

Soft Taco (No photo)  

Half White Cheese Pizza

Half Sardines Pizza 

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/520/08_0625-_Carlos_Pizza

  

July 14, 2008.  The next 5 days is my last opportunity to go on a diet before the Travel Factor Calaguas trip.  Monday is always a good day to start as any, but my diet plan changed when CW invited me to have lunch.  He picked me up at the office and we drove to Metrowalk.  Our choice for that lunch was Steak Plus.

 On the Table:

 

Extra Order of Veggies

Rib Eye Steak PHP 180

 

T-Bone Steak PHP 170

The Rib Eye was worth its price.  If I want the t-bone cut though, I’d rather go to Everything at Steak.  The service of the staff was commendable, which is always an incentive to come back.

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/501/08_0706-_Cibo_Dinner_Gateway 

What a hectic weekend it was starting with a full packed Saturday schedule.  Morning was greeted with a Sky Cable Fun Club event at Science and Discovery Center in Mall of Asia.  Kring spearheaded the event and kudos to her that all aspects of the event are covered.  

07:30 AM – 11:30 AM:        Fun Club Event @ Science and Discovery Center

12:30 PM – 02:30 PM:         Breyvon 1^st Birthday @ Valle Verde

03:00 PM – 03:30 PM:         Office

04:00 PM – 07:30 PM:         C-Hunting @ QC0

8:30 PM – 09:45 PM:         Eric Lopez Birthday @ Oyster Boy

10:10 PM – 12:00 MN:        URCC Bar Tour @ Warehouse 135

The highlight of my day though probably has to be either Brey’s party or Eric’s Birthday.  I cannot believe it has already been a year since Brey first cried hello to the world.  It was such a wonderful sight to see the tandem of Gelo and Issa at the party.  Gelo carrying his kid and attending to the guests while Issa was being attentive to the other details of the party.  Issa’s friends were there to help out specifically Kye who facilitated a few games for the kids.  The bubble show was fantastic!  I wanted to line up and be engulfed by a big human size bubble.

I arrived at Oyster Boy in Metrowalk at exactly 830pm.  5 minutes later, Patrick and Edah arrived.  Rely on Patrick to be on time.  But not Eric, the birthday boy!  Patrick called Eric and asked where he was.  Eric said he was on his way.  I took the phone and talked to him.  He admitted he was still at home. 

PJ arrives at 9pm knowing that Eric is going to be late by 30 minutes.  PJ jarringly looks like Lance Bass of N Sync and throughout college, I always associated him with Lance. PJ now works for P&G and I couldn’t stop grilling him about his company while waiting for the food.

Spoiling me I guess, Eric said I could start ordering, risking the fact that I might order too much.  So the four of us started ordering our dishes.  PJ still full from dinner at home ordered his first beer.  I didn’t want to eat and run but we really had to be at the URCC XII pre-event by 10pm because CW was going to ref a match.  Thank God that at 920pm, Eric finally arrives.

I was so happy to spend time with them.  I feel like an adopted child of their Engineering block because they always tag me along to their gatherings.  I was so excited to see May, Tin, Mike, Arkay again but we really had to go by 945pm.  I think they arrived a little past 10pm and suddenly it was me who was missing all the action.  Even if it was brief, I was glad that I was at Eric’s birthday dinner.  I miss college.

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/492/08_0628-_Eric_Bday  

Much I have raved about my first visit at Sanctuario Tagaytay (http://www.janedchua.com/2008/05/20/sanctuario-tagaytay-metrowalk/), the second visit was as pleasant.  That Pasta Bulalo has pretty much made a good first impression.  Let us see if first impression lasts.

June 6, 2008.  Friday night again and I’ve found myself opening the door to the busy Sanctuario restaurant in Metrowalk.  After ordering, my colleague Claire walks in with her friends.  Too bad that there were no more table to accommodate their group.

On the Table

Garlic Cheese Pate PHP 25

Since we have already tried the Sampler Pate, Bubba suggested that we get the individual servings.  His favorite last time was the garlic cheese pate.  There was no surprise when he ordered this again.  The interplay of mild cheese and pithy garlic is evident in the pate.  I couldn’t help but get from his order.

Quezo Pate PHP 25

I had a tougher time deciding which one because I really liked all of the pates but I cannot succumb to my gluttony all the time.  I chose the quezo pate because it was the one that stood out the most for me.  The pimiento cheese type of pate reminded me of my lola’s homemade version of cheese.

Pan de Sanctuario (4pcs) PHP 25

Freshly made breads are warmly served.

Pasta Bulalo PHP 280

First impression definitely lasts with Sanctuario’s Pasta Bulalo.  The meat still almost melts in your mouth, full of robust flavor.

Lamb Chops PHP 260

This was the newbie among our orders.  Bubba and I have been craving for lamb chops for some weeks now.  There was no better time to try it but that night.  A little dismayed though because the meat was tough and a little dried out.  It took some time to cut through the meat and chew it.

Other than the lamb chops, the experience at Sanctuario Tagaytay is still a dining pleasure.  Carol joined us towards the end of the meal and we totally enjoyed exchanging stories with her.  She was telling us proudly about her daughter’s first few weeks at work.  Her daughter graduated from Ateneo as a Magna Cum Laude.  She came from Laguna that day yet it was all enthusiasm and no sign of exhaustion.  I feel the same way about the dishes in her restaurant. 

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/471/08_0606-_Sanctuario_Tagaytay

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/442/08_0516-_Sanctuario_Tagaytay#7

Racing with Insomniacs

Words: Pam Pastor

Photos: Rico Ramoso

Photos: Francis Yllana 

MANILA, Philippines—I still have a clear vision of myself lying on top of a piano singing O Lumapit Ka while my race partner Amina Aranaz-Alunan filmed me with her Nokia N95 for last year’s Nokia Adventure Race. Despite that embarrassment, I enjoyed myself immensely and didn’t think twice when the opportunity to race came again.

This time, the race was to be held in the evening. Teams were set loose in the city with one quest—to find the soul of the night. My partner was actor, former MYX VJ and my fellow insomniac Geoff Eigenmann who I met only a few hours before the race. Our team, Music Fanatics, was competing against nine others—Trissie Corpus and Aris Ladaw (Culinary Quest), Jane Chua and Christian Wong (Audio Attack), Alfred Vargas and Michelle Callanta (Voltage Up), Charlene Go and Andi Manzano (Media Mavericks), Kathy Moran and Paolo Valenciano (Sound Tech), Katen Pimental and Sharon Domingo (Aftershift), Vina Veronica Cruz and Ramon Rodriguez (Free Spirit), Nikki Santiago and Justin Rivera (Ticket to Ride) and Therese Camet and Karylle (Femme Fatales).

On your marks…

The kickoff point was Jumbo Restaurant in Roxas Boulevard. Armed with Nokia N82s and survival kits, we were all ready to go. At 8 p.m. (which was also Earth Hour), the race started.

Sandeep Khanna gave the teams the first task card. It read: “Need help? In trouble? Want assistance? Flex your thinking muscles and decode the Help Line Number below… Remember: no calculators and phones will be used.” Geoff and I ran to our van with our crew, ready to face the puzzle. It was not easy—not when you have equations like “MDAS: 536 x 345 / 2 + 97531 – 189,989” and “35.3563 + 19.6437 + 6.1718 + 18.8282 – 53 + 20.512 + 22. 488 – 65 + 15.32587 + 12.67413 - 32” to solve with just a pencil and one sheet of paper. My hands trembled the entire time. I am a complete idiot at math—thank God Geoff isn’t. Soon we were running back to Jumbo where we had to make a fruit platter. On our way in, I saw Alfred wolfing down fruits. “Uh oh,” I said to Geoff as he attacked a watermelon with a sharp knife. “Don’t use too many fruits, we’re gonna eat them.” After having our photo taken on the second floor of Jumbo, we went back down because the task card read, “You must consume all the fruits of your hard labor.” Geoff started eating the melons while I choked on the pineapples. I found the entire scenario funny—I couldn’t stop laughing. 

Sticky hands

With our hands still sticky from all the fruit-eating, we ran back to the van, followed closely by our crew—a race marshall, a bouncer, a cameraman and an assistant cameraman. That’s when I realized I had a problem—my pants were loose and I had forgotten my belt. My pants kept sliding down as I ran—I had to keep pulling it up. I felt bad for the cameraman who I knew would spend a huge chunk of the race assaulted by the view of my underwear. Our next destination was SM Mall of Asia. We hooked up the Nokia N82 to one of the TVs at Extreme Gaming Ground and Geoff played the Asphalt Street Rules 3 NGage Game. Because he rocks at video games, Geoff was the first to finish the three laps.We got our next destination card from a guy who was surfing the Internet at one of EGG’s stations. We had to brave the Manila to Makati traffic. It was time for karaoke at Red Box in Greenbelt 3. “I can’t sing,” Geoff said. “That’s okay, I sing,” I said. Karaoke session We ran into Room 72 at Red Box and recorded a music video of us wearing Chinese costumes and singing I Love the Nightlife. I am ashamed to admit this but we found the song in Red Box’s system quickly because I know who sang that song—Alicia Bridges.We finished the task quickly and were soon running down Greenbelt 3’s escalator so we can jump into our van. Our next stop was the TShirt Project Store in Tiendesitas. Although our driver had been given a suggested route, Geoff told him there was a better way to get to Pasig from Makati. The driver seemed reluctant at first—but when Geoff told us that his dad used to have a store there, we trusted his directions. Soon, our driver was channeling Schumacher. He pulled up in front of Tiendesitas in no time. We were the first to get to the TShirt Project Store. “With your Php2000 budget, choose 2 shirts and letters to make a statement that best describes the Soul of the Night. Remember that you can’t go beyond your budget,” our task card read. 

Say it with a shirt

While I was trying to think of something profound to put on our shirts, Geoff said something funny. I replied with, “Yeah! Insomniacs unite!” He said, “Hey, that can be our statement!” And so we started hunting for our letters and sticking them on bond paper so they can be pressed onto our shirts. A lot of bystanders were watching. “Di ba si ano yun?” “Oo..” “Ewan ko sino yung babae,” one woman said snootily, as if she was annoyed by my anonymity. Never mind me, lady, I’m just a nameless shirt-making freak. Other teams were arriving as we ran to the other side of the store to have our photos taken with our shirts on. We were the first ones out of there and we were headed for Eastwood. 

Fire-dancing

Our task card read, “Look for the Poi Dancers and take their pictures in different creative angles. Get your poi ribbon from your Race Marshal. Each of you must perform the dance for one minute straight. Take pictures of your partner during his/her fiery performance.”I felt my knees buckle. I cannot dance with fire. I am scared of fires—I can’t even light a matchstick or hold a lighter. But we had to focus on finding the poi dancers first. No wonder we had a hard time—we found the girls standing in a quiet corner, talking amongst themselves. Knowing that we were losing time as the girls prepared to dance, I decided to ask Geoff for poi pointers. Klutzes and zips do not mix. We took photos of the poi dancers, Geoff performed well and even had footwork to match his hand movements while I fumbled and laughed as the crowd laughed with me. After my poi embarrassment, we used PanoMan, a really cool feature of the N82, to take panoramic shots around Eastwood.Then, we searched for the mime who supposedly had our next clue. That turned out to be one of our biggest challenges. We walked around Eastwood for long minutes and couldn’t find the guy. 

 

 

Missing mime

One stranger said mysteriously, “Sometimes they’re in the comfort rooms.” But the guy was wrong. We kept crossing paths with people from the other teams who couldn’t find the mime either. Geoff kept walking to a quiet corner of Eastwood. “No, that’s a dead spot,” I said. But the mime was there—away from everyone else’s view. In his excitement, Geoff clapped the poor mime on the chest and the stomach. I have to hand it to the mime—he still didn’t move until after we took our clue. On our way out, Geoff used his acting skills, making Alfred believe that we still hadn’t found the mime. But we made a mistake. We walked straight out of Eastwood and they figured it out. Team Voltage Up retraced our steps and found the mime too.Soon, we were in the van on the way to Piedra where we had to wear masks and find five models in masquerade costumes and pose with them. There, Geoff once against showed his flair for finding people—he was the first to find the last model who was hiding near the toilets. At Piedra, we were handed our next card. It read, “Your last destination. Discover sweetness as you race your way ON FOOT to Café Xocolat at Serendra.” Soon, we were running to Serendra. “Give me your bag,” Geoff said. “No,” I said. I was out of breath but I hate asking people to carry my bag. I kept running, holding on to my pants again so they wouldn’t fall off. “Give me your bag,” Geoff said again. I had to admit, the Nokia backpack was slowing me down. I handed it to him. I was red-faced and gasping for breath by the time we walked into Café Xocolat but I didn’t care because we were the first ones to get there. We read our last task card. “Cap off tonight’s amazing Wireless Adventure by telling a story using your photos of your exciting experiences. Throw in some music, add some graphics to show just how much Soul you’ve got.” We grabbed a table at a quiet corner and started to work. Alfred’s team arrived after a while and they too started working on their slideshow. Teams arrived one by one and the place started to become more packed. 

Playing with pictures

We had taken a lot of photos at every destination using the N82’s camera which is equipped with a 5-megapixel Carl-Zeiss lens and a Xenon Flash. Using the N82’s photo editor, we played with our pictures from that night—turning them into sepia and adding frames, thought bubbles and captions. Alfred and Michelle beat us to submitting the slideshow first. We gave ours second—with almost two hours to spare before the deadline. I was actually sad when we finally handed in the slideshow. Sure I was relieved that I could finally take off my race shirt because it was a bit tight—but I had so much fun completing the tasks that half of me didn’t want them to end. This year’s race may have been shorter but it was definitely more intense than last year’s. 

 

The party

The race’s final stop was Embassy, where the Nokia Soul of the Night party was held over a week after we completed our last tasks. There, surrounded by people from Nokia, the N82’s ambassadors and their family and friends, the awards were given out to the race participants. Alfred and Michelle were declared the Souls of the Night—they went home with the grand prize of P100,000 and a trip to Macau. Geoff and I lost, yes, but the truth is, I still felt like a winner. We did pretty well all throughout the race, we fulfilled our plans of completing each task under 20 minutes and we had a blast. And losing this year means I can join again next year. Sure, the race was a chance to test the features of the N82 but it wasn’t just that. It was an opportunity to explore the city while it’s shrouded in darkness, to see how technology can bring people together, to push one’s limits and fall in love with your city even more. That is a huge prize in itself. 

Prize overload

There were no losers at the Soul of the Night party.  The following prizes were given out: 

Love Team Award – Team 2 Audio Attack (Jane Chua and Christian Wong)

Breakthrough Performance in Fruit Eating Award – Team 7 Voltage Up (Michelle Callanta and Alfred Vargas)

I Will Survive Award – Team 1 Culinary Quest ( Trissie Corpus and Aris Ladaw)

Best I Love the Nightlife Comedic Performance – Team 6 Media Mavericks (Charlene Go and Andi Manzano) 

Breakthrough Performance in Fruit Styling Award – Team 9 Sound Tech (Kathy Moran and Paolo Valenciano)

Best I Love the Nightlife Dance Sequence – Team 3 Aftershift (Karen Pimentel and Sharo Domingo)

Best Soul of the Night Statement Award – Team 8 Music Fanatics (Pam Pastor and Geoff Eigenmann)

Best Panoman Photo Award -Team 4 Free Spirit (Vina Veronica Cruz and Ramon Rodriguez)

Best Poi Dancer Photo Award – Team 5 Ticket to Ride (Nikki Santiago and Justin Rivera)

Photographers of the Night Award – Team 10 Femme Fatales (Therese Camet and Karylle)

Best Nokia Story Tellers of the Race – Team 5 Ticket to Ride (Nikki Santiago and Justin Rivera) 

Link: http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/you/super/view_article.php?article_id=129801

Race Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/439/08_0329-_Nokia_Soul_of_the_Night_Race

Race 2 Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/411/08_0329-_Soul_of_the_Night_Race_Action_Shots  

Awards Night Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/410/08_0408-_Nokia_Soul_of_the_Night_Party

Video: http://cushee.multiply.com/video/item/129/Nokia_SOTN_Wireless_Adventure_2.mov

Video 2: http://cushee.multiply.com/video/item/128

Video 3: http://cushee.multiply.com/video/item/127

Friday night was made to be a slow one with a simple dinner plan and DVD night.  Little did I know that the dinner would hype me up.  We always see the Sanctuario Tagaytay restaurant whenever we are in Metrowalk.  I have always made a mental note to eat here but never gotten around to it.  My officemate Karen Z mentioned this restaurant a few times because her boyfriend John really raves about their arroz caldo.  I am not a fan of arroz caldo but it piqued my interest that an arroz caldo can actually have that effect on someone.  I can only deduce that the restaurant must be something.

You step into a quaint restaurant surrounded by deep red walls.  There are about 8-9 wooden tables that can comfortably accommodate 30 people.  The wooden benches are unique pieces of furniture that carries with it an Asian charm.  Throw pillows with flower designs and the dim lights make for a chill back atmosphere.  One wall is decorated with golden peacocks and grapes metal fixtures.  A few photos of their dishes hang on the wall.  A red lamp in one corner, three roosters on 1 ledge and an Indian head on another completes the look.  The door of their kitchen is the traditional brown oak swinging doors with a peephole.  A small duck is amusingly perched on top of the door.

Sanctuario becomes a hotspot lounge on Fridays when the after-work crowd kicks off the weekend with good food.  There were only two tables free when we came in for our 9pm dinner.  A lady approached us and sweetly offered their table (used by her family) as she saw my nose crinkled at our table location.  Actually, I really had sniffles that day, allergy of some sort.  I gently declined and said we were okay with our table.  When one of the larger tables got vacated, right on cue, we were transferred to a more comfortable location. 

Operation hour is Monday-Saturday 11am to 11pm, while Sunday 9am-11pm.  Sanctuario is located in Metrowalk near Pancake House.  This Sanctuario Tagaytay apparently is an extension branch of the one in Tagaytay, which I learned from the owner. 

On the Table:

 

Hot Chocolate P60

Bubba was surprised that this was served in an espresso cup.  He enjoyed every slurp that had pieces of chocolate powder reminiscent to chocnut texture.

Sanctuario Pate Platter P120

5 kinds of pate sliced like mini-cheesecakes: roasted garlic and cheese, liver pate, quezo, salted egg and smoked bangus with cream cheese.  Delectable pates.  I especially liked the roasted garlic and cheese combo that had a good hint of garlic but not too pungent.  I also loved the quezo pate, which tasted like keso de bola with bits of pimiento and the smoked bangus that blended well with cream cheese.  Salted egg pate was something new to try and was also likeable as the saltiness of the egg is contrasted against the sweetness of sun-dried tomato and olive oil.  

Pan de Sanctuario P25

Single serving means 4 pieces of their soft warm medium-sized pandesal.  Freshly baked!  I’ve heard people rave about their raisin bread so that’s a definite must try next time!

Adobo Tostado P145

Chicken adobo stripped, similar to adobo flakes but with more meat into it.  Deep fried to a crisp and served with egg, diced tomato with bagoong and rice fried in its sauce.  It wasn’t salty and the crispy flakes are not too frail that it crumbles.  It’s chunky but crispy.  Just as I was getting a tad bored with my conversation with the adobo, the sweet and spice of the bagoong tells me a different story that perked my interest.  The rice could use a little more soy flavor but overall, I was a happy eater.

Bulalo Pasta P280

This is the house specialty.  I wanted to order Lamb chops since I was craving for one.  The combination and name made us hesitate in ordering it but the adventure eater in us won and we gave it a go –I am so glad that we did.  The pasta was good but it was the bulalo that took the spotlight.  Meat was so lovingly tender (yes, I know it sounds like a song) and exploded with flavors.  Bubba frowns at me as I ate the bone marrow.  Yes, that soft yellow jelly substance, which is the crowning jewel of a bulalo.  That gave me a rush –a tingling feeling at the back of my neck.  Ooooh.  Maybe it’s only high blood *shrugs* I don’t know.  As Original Sin quotes, “Live a short life… but an exciting one.”

Right from the start, diners can easily fall in love with the attractive Oriental décor and refreshingly imaginative cuisine.  A third ingredient of Sanctuario’s success is the inviting atmosphere.  Part owner Carol Reyes greets every patron with genuine pleasure and is quick to turn newcomers into friends.

Of course the real star at Sanctuario Tagaytay remains to be the food.  The menu emphasizes fresh ingredients, used simply to let the flavors come through. 

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/442/08_0516-_Sanctuario_Tagaytay  

At Bun on the Run I will eat tomorrow.

The meat and the bun I will chew and swallow.

Together we’re dining all night long.

Together we’re dining on and on and on.

If I could cook this at home instead.

Then I would eat it in bed.

Sent by Carlo Genato.  Thanks Kylee!

  

Chori Burger 

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/424/08_0427-_Bun_on_the_Run

10pm- 2am

My first time at Mugen in Metrowalk, but Chai and the other girls frequent the place for the music.

Thanks for playing the song, Only One.

Chai, that was a nice request, but i got senti!!!

Moment: Beer. Vodka Kurant. Free tequila shots!

Moment: Girl talk between band breaks. “The Road less traveled.”

Moment: Standing and screaming while the song was playing, mej holding the phone, racq and mej saying hello, meeh looking ridiculously panicked. Chaos. Everyone looking at our group 

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/86/03232006-_Mugen#