popular Archives - Between Bites - Bites of Food, Travel and Lifestyle

Balkan Express

September 30, 2010 by Janey

After visiting my “Beloved Papa” last Saturday morning, I brought my family out for lunch at Balkan Express.

I’ve been hearing quite a buzz about Balkan Express from foodie friends.

Related Posts:

Spanky’s

Anton’s

Franny’s

Carlos’

Richard’s

It’s a stone throw away from my place so when I finally found the time to check it out, that’s where we headed. Balkan Express is situated almost at the corner of Mon and J. Abad Santos streets.

If you’re not familiar with the Little Baguio area, the easiest route is to take Wilson Street from Greenhills and turn right to P. Guevarra. Drive along the street past the SKY Cable office and turn right when you see Mon St., where you will turn right again. I’m sure you won’t miss the yellow Balkan Express signage with two cute Balkan icons (?) with moustache.

Parking can be a setback but fortunately, we were able to find one near the entrance door. The restaurant, with yellow and orange walls and jar-like lowlights, is quite small with limited number of matching brown tables and chairs. There were 6 of us so we had to merge another table to fit our party.

Order should be placed by the counter (or even at the table but I decided to go to the counter anyway) where Serbian owner Marko Batricevic courteously helped me with the choices.

Marko Batricevic is a fellow La Sallian who was part of the DLSU team that took home the 2007 UAAP Basketball Championship trophy. Balkan Express is his and his brother Martin’s venture into bringing Eastern European Home Cooking to Filipino palettes.

On the Table

Chicken Batak PHP 290

Grilled boneless chicken thigh stuffed with mozzarella cheese served with Jasmine rice

I’ve heard “hit and miss” reviews about their chicken batak. My first try was not a letdown. The boneless chicken thigh was grilled perfectly without losing its moisture and the stuffing of mozzarella cheese was generous giving the chicken enough saltiness from the cheese to season the meat.

Goulash PHP 230

Internationally popular stew made of lean beef, onions, and paprika served with noodles, 150g of lean meat

The brown stew had tender chunks of lean beef and interestingly swirls of pasta noodles. The lean meat breaks apart easily without the effort of chewing. The goulash gravy was smooth and quite tasty with Serbian spices and touch of ground paprika powder and onions. The meat is coated well with the flavor of the goulash.

Stuffed Pljeskavica PHP 320

Grilled Serbian meat served with homemade sauce, tomato, lettuce, onion and French fries

–

The semi-thick slab of meat is grilled evenly with visible grill marks that always looked appetizing to me. Cut into it delicately and the cheese stuffed inside oozes out daintily. The Serbian meat sprinkled probably in Serbian spices was flavorful but on the salty side –which might turn off some people but it was okay to me.

Musaka PHP 195

Layered oven casserole dish made with shredded potato, ground beef, eggs, yogurt, milk, and onions. Made to order

This is supposed to be a made-to-order dish which is usually ordered at least a day before, but Marko checked with the kitchen and since somebody ordered ahead of time, they can pull of another serving to accommodate our order of Musaka.

–

The Musaka crumbles easily barely anything that holds the minced meat together except for the partial yogurt, egg, milk and shredded potato mixture on top. Texture is interesting with softness of the minced meat in contrast with the semi-crunch of the upper layer.

Balkanski Kebab PHP 330

Serbian barbecued chicken kebab (320g) wrapped in bacon served with Jasmin rice

Barbecued in my dictionary meant it must be grilled or smoked even just a tad bit –this doesn’t give that notion at all. The chicken cuts tasted like it was boiled instead of grilled without probably any type of seasoning because it’s flat out bland –that not even the shade of saltiness from the bacon could save. Fascinatingly, my sister Joanne seemed to like it and finished this. I couldn’t even finish half a bite.

Cevapcici PHP 180 (2)

All time favorite Balkan dish made of grilled minced meat served on a burger bun with homemade sauce, tomato, lettuce, onion, and French fries

Appearance is close to a hamburger except that the patty inside is actually three pieces of sausage-looking grilled meat. In terms of price and taste plus consistency in quality, the Cevapcici takes the crown. I ordered another Cevapcici to go so I could bring it to Dihia for his snack in the office and for him to try.

Service was handled well with minimal staff, even Marko was helping out in serving water and attending to the tables. I find the price a bit steep for the overall combination of taste/serving, service and ambience.

What I guess really turned me off the place was a noisy group at the far end of the dining room. My patience can usually stretch for noise (but maybe I did mind that time since I just came from a solemn place and still had a lot of unidentified emotions) but this particular lady in the group was obnoxiously loud with no courtesy for the other diners. Her booming voice can be heard audibly and painfully like she was just sitting right next to your EAR. I see a Chinese family next to us and they too seemed to be distressed. I recognize that the place is small and noise may resonate easily within the room –but my practical mind does know that if she could have unselfishly toned it down a bit, everyone would have had a more pleasing Saturday lunch there.

Rocky and Shobe

–

Fat and Thin

My Reason to Breathe

If it’s going to be like that every time, I don’t think I’d be happy to bring my family back. My mom enjoyed the food despite the noise but I personally could barely think, much less eat with all the harping. If we do pay a return visit, it’s probably just going to be Bubba and me or with the Foodie Club.

If you’re interested in trying out Eastern European home cooking in Manila, Balkan Express can actually dish out that experience for you. The stuffed Pljeskavica, Chicken Batak and Cevapcici were the more popular choices for me and the rest on the table.

Balkan Express

Eastern European Home Cooking

87 J. Abad Santos., Cor. Mons St.

Little Baguio, San Juan City 1500

(632) 330 0945

Balkan Express Album

Photo Credit:

Carlos of FoodieManila.com

Richard of TalesfromtheTummy.com

—

8 Comments Filed Under: Inside Dish: A BITE of Food Tagged With: 2007 UAAP Championship, 2010, address, Balkan Express, Balkan restaurant, best, best food blog, best seller, blogger, cevapcici, cheese, chicken, Chicken Batak and Cevapcici, contact number, date, directions, Eastern Europe food, Eastern European Home Cooking, event, exclusive, famous, Filipino, Filipino blog, Filipino food blog, food, food blog, food blogger, food review, foodie, goulash, goulash recipe, Green Archer, Grilled, honest review, how much, how to get there, landmarks, list, location, Manila, Marko Batricevic, menu, Metro Manila, mozzarella, Philippines, Photo, photos, pinoy, Pinoy recipes, Pinoy taste, popular, price, Promo, promotion, recommended, restaurant, Restaurants, review, service, specialty, stuffed mozzarella, stuffed Pljeskavica, Taste Manila, UAAP, unique, what to order, where, where is Balkan peninsula

Scents of a Woman

July 29, 2010 by Janey

Bubba surprised me one day, albeit not too smoothly, with a gift. No occasion at all. It was just a simple gift that illustrated his thoughtfulness. I was giddy. I read the box and it said Sarah Jessica Parker. I can’t help cringing, as I am not best in hiding my feelings whatever it is, but properly said, “thank you” and hugged him. Now, I have nothing against SJP and I like her (I don’t necessarily love her like girls who desperately and observably imitate her character, Carrie in Sex and the City) but I’m iffy about “celebrity” perfumes since most are eagerly produced without much thought and study. They only let the celebrity’s name be the retail thrust.

I smelled it and initially thought it was strong and is more suitable for an age-bracket that’s older than mine. It’s evocative of the words risky, mature, and bold.

After a few days though, I realized that the smell is milder than I initially thought. It’s bordering girly and sexy, scent markings of chocolate, lavender and lemon.

Online it says that the notes include wet greens, geranium leaves, Sicilian lemon, lavender, chocolate, honeysuckle, magnolia, muguet, musk, vetiver, bois de cashmere, teakwood and amber.

It’s my favorite parfum at this time so Dolce and Gabbana’s Light Blue and DKNY’s Be Delicious Apple (which is my 2nd bottle, expensive at 4K plus) took a backseat. Bubba really has excellent taste 😉 (Thanks again Bubbalicious!)

This is the second perfume I got from Bubba. The first one was during our first Christmas together and it was Lacoste Touch of Pink –which I really really adored.

Some of the perfumes I loved through the years (which I at least had 4 bottles of) also include L’Eau Par Kenzo, Escada Sentiment, Estee Lauder Pleasures, Clinique Happy, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, D&G Light Blue, Acqua de Gio, Ralph Lauren Polo Sport Women (which is the very least I like now –my favorite in HS but I guess my scent preference is different now). I think there’s a handful more that I don’t quite remember at this exact moment but above are the ones I still won’t hesitate to use until now.

I’ve also used and pretty much like Gucci Ii Perfume, Tommy Hilfiger Dreaming (which might be the bottle I buy next), Jennifer Lopez’s Love at First Glow (only because it was on SALE in Japan when I bought, plus the cute pink bottle and charm attached to it! It reminded me of the sexy bottle of Cool Water Women in HS. Bubba hates the smell.) I kept at least one empty bottle to remember my perfumes by but when Bubba laughed at how sentimental I was about them, I decided to throw it out last year in one of my “de-cluttering” moments (okay, honestly, it stayed for a few more weeks in our garage but the bag of empty perfume bottles was eventually thrown out).

I used to have at least 4 perfumes at a certain season but realized that it’s such a waste and the perfume vaporizes after some time so now I only keep one or two.

I think the very first perfume I used was my mom’s Christian Dior’s Pure Poison (eeps, I faint now) and when I was in grade school watching “combos” in hotel music lounges, I was akin to the singers’ perfume, which I later discovered as Farenheit (I faint again). I also liked Perris Ellis when I was young. I can only shake my head now.

There was a time (mostly in HS and Freshman College) I was more into men’s perfume and actually wore them instead of women’s.

In the recent years, the colognes I like in men include Armani Black, Acqua de Gio, Carolina Herrera 212, Hugo Boss 51, Tommy Hilfiger’s “Hilfiger.”

But of course, man or woman, nothing beats the natural scent of the skin right after a shower.

XOXO

DKNY Men Event

—

3 Comments Filed Under: Style Files: A Bite of Fashion, Beauty and Wellness Tagged With: 10 celebrated men, american, American brands, Ascend, Attorney Fortun, attract, best beauty and fashion blogger, Blog, branches, brand, brave the city, clean, collection, confident, DJ, DKNY Men, Eastwood City, eau de toilette spray, Erik Cua, Established 1985, event, fashion, Fashion house, Filipino, fragrance, Fragrances, Frangrance, gift, handsome, Hilfiger, hygiene, hygienic, icon, imitate, lady, latest, launch, live on the edge, Manager, Manila, Manor Penthouse, Marketing, media, men, Metro Manila, must buys, Party, perfume, perfume review, Philippines, playfully sexy, popular, popular perfumes, premium lifestyle brand, Racquel Lalo, Racw, review, RJ Ledesma, Romp the Ramp, Rustan's Department Stores, Rustans, Sarah Jessica Parker, scene, scents, seduce, Sex and the City, sexy, SJP, SJP Covet, SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, smell, Smell Manila, stores, Taste Manila, The Scene, Tim Yap, Tommy, Tommy Hilfiger, vibe, Watson's Branches, Watson's Makati, women

Ladies Night at Metro Card Club: Last Lady Sitting

March 3, 2010 by Janey

“Oh, it’s Ladies Night and I’m feeling right. It’s Ladies Night and what a night! (ooh, what a night)”

Yes folks. It was “Ladies Night” but this all-girls fun didn’t involve drinks or a bar. Metro Card Club staged an all-female poker tournament for three Thursdays. I was only able to join last Thursday and I learned same night that it was its last run.

It was difficult to make creative plays early on because:

Good or mediocre hands were hard to come by (esp. on a later position).
The more seasoned players were just grinding it.
First-timers were calling any bet on the flop even if they only hit bottom pair.

I reached the final table as the second chip lead. Chip lead was Ms. Tournament-Virgin who eventually lost her stack to Jen. Jen became the chip lead. I capitalized on heads-up plays against the short stacks.

Image Source: Metro Card Club website

Four players left. A good poker friend Trish, Jen and one other. Two players folded and it’s down to the battle of the blinds between my small blind and Trish’. I had to raise with my Jack-8 because either it’s a mediocre or good hand that she can push all-in too (which is good for her) or throw her hand away. I didn’t want to do it against her but I also needed a heads up play and gain some chips because the other two have built their stack.

Trish: J? 9c

Jane: Jh 8s

She was even ahead pre-flop.

Flop: 10s 6d 7c

She was ahead on the flop.

Turn: 9?

It was a lucky turn as I hit my straight. The River didn’t make any difference.

It was down to three players and I changed gears. Aggressive play all throughout.

When somebody raises all-in on my big blind or small blind, I let go of my blind and fold my trash hands.

On the button, I had Q-10 suited and raised all-in. Small blind called immediately. Big blind Jen folded.

I showed my hand. She slammed her Pocket Jacks on the table with another J –joy.

Flop: Qc 6d 9d

I flopped my queen. Turn and River didn’t help. It was down to two players.

First hand I had Jacks and went all-in. After a long night, Jen called with a shrug.

Image Source: Metro Card Club website

Well, the cards fell my way. A stroke of good luck.

I was really ecstatic about winning a tournament. The last time I won a tournament was back in 2005? It was more of the game than the cash prize really, but the additional ka-ching doesn’t hurt. And yes, I secured myself a seat for the 3-Million Poker Tournament this month. YEA BABY! \m/

—

5 Comments Filed Under: Manila Poker Tales Tagged With: ABS CBN, Aces, address, Allan Escano, ante, bacolod, Bar, best, best of the best, big blind, blind, blinds, BMW tournament, buy in, camera, cameras, card, card room, card sport, cards, CCPMG, Cebu, celebrities, champion, Channel, commercial, competition, cost, CPI, Creative Programs Inc., date, davao, Day, dealer, dealers, event, exclusive, extra, Filipino, Filipino blogs on poker, filipino poker tour, fpt, fpt.com, fpt.com.ph, free roll, free to air, gambling, groups, guideline, Hi-5, Hi-5 Million, house player, house players, house rules, how much, how to locate, Iloilo, image, John Estrada, landmark, limited, list of schedule, Local, location, Maike Evers, Malate, Manila, Manila best, Manila Poker, Maxxx channel, Maxxx channel SKY Cable channel 51, metro, metro card club, Metro Manila, metrowalk, Neil Arce, on air, organizer, organizers, owner, owners, Philippines, Photo, pinoy, player, plug, plugs, pocket, Pockets, poker, poker blog, poker group, poker night, Poker Room, poker tour, popular, Priscilla, Promo, reception, restaurant, Restaurants, rival, rooms, rule, rules, safety, schedule, seats, security, service, Sky Cable, small blind, sponsor, sponsored, sport, stage, story, strategies, strategy, studio 23, tale, tales, Television, texas hold 'em, tight, Tips, top 5, Tour, tournament, tournament guideline, tourney, tutorial, TV, Venue, what channel, where to go, win a free seat, www.fpt.com

Samsung Connects You

December 16, 2009 by Janey

Like most people living in Manila, I am part of the working community. On the side though, I am part of the Philippine blogging community. Maintaining a blog is not an easy walk, despite the love of writing and blogging. Online presence is key to sustain content on a blog, particularly with the incredible growth of online communities and social networking sites.

Samsung joins today’s youth in acknowledging the need to be constantly connected to their circle of influence. Recently, Samsung introduced three new phones that can capture the connection seekers in us.

Welcome the CorbyTXT (B3210), B3410 (SRP PHP 7,590) and the CorbyPRO (B5310) in the Samsung family. Patterned after the successful launch of the Samsung Corby (S3653) in the third quarter of 2009, these new phones are designed to enhance the young consumers’ messaging experience.

Image grabbed from Ajay

Built with QWERTY keypads and pop-up social networking site messaging, these new phones allow for quick and easy messaging online and status updating. Plus, updates posted online by friends can be automatically pushed to a user’s mobile. Now, stay connected with friends even if you’re not plugged in!

The new Corby line also boasts of enhanced instant messaging capabilities. These phones provide for multi IM so that contacts from different instant messaging portals like Google Talk, AIM and ICQ can be pooled into one chat session. Isn’t that fantastic? 😉

And, for SMS fanatics, the new threaded message feature of these phones allow for viewing the entire SMS conversation on the screen. This is what I really need for work because most discussions should be documented.

And as if these were not enough, the New CorbyTXT, B3410 and CorbyPRO phones are all equipped with either a 2 or 3megapixel camera and communities application that enable the capturing of photos and instantly uploading to one’s Facebook, Friendster, Flickr and other popular online communities. I personally love my new CorbyTXT B3210 (PHP 6,990) with smile, panorama and continuous shot option.

Image grabbed from Ajay

Last but not the least, the new Corby line also provides for mobile entertainment with their music player so users can listen to their favorite MP3s or radio DJ (FM radio capability) anywhere they go.

Stay connected with friends and the online world while enjoying your favorite music, grab the latest CorbyTXT phones or watch out for the release of the CorbyPRO (PHP 11,990) in January 2010!!! 😉

—

2 Comments Filed Under: Gadgets, Gizmos, Finds Tagged With: 2009, 2010, AIM, B3210, B5310, best blog, blogging, blogging community, camera, chat, circle, connection, connects, consumer, CorbyPRO B5310, CorbyTXT, Corbyville, easy to use, Facebook mobile, Filipino, friendly, Friendster, gadget blog, Gadgets, gizmo, Google Talk, ICQ, January, launch, magazine, Mall of Asia, megapixel, messaging, Metro Manila, MP3 and phone in one, multi Instant Messaging, music, Music Hall, new, online community, phones, pixel, popular, price, promotions, QWERTY keypad, radio DJ, Samsung, Samsung Corby, Samsung launch, shot option, SMS, Tech, threaded message, upload, where to buy

Ye Dang Korean BBQ

September 11, 2009 by Janey

Saturday lunch was spent celebrating our help’s birthday. The rest of the afternoon was spent vegetating at home. With the gloomy skies and continuous rain shower, the day is easily characterized as a “bed weather” and there is just no reason to crawl out of bed. After a very tired week at work, it’s quite nice to have a quiet isolated time in the room. At some point though, the stomach grumbles and it’s time to move to get that hunger moan silenced.

A filling pleasant dinner at Ye Dang Korean BBQ in Ortigas did just that. We arrive at the restaurant past 8pm and we were third in line with two other groups in tow. After 15 minutes of waiting, we finally got our table. Bubba said he couldn’t believe I waited that long in line for food. I usually don’t, but curiosity was also piqued. I wondered why this restaurant is popular to both Koreans and locals alike –making it a jam-packed night.

We were once here before during lunch break when I missed eating at ARA restaurant (where the former Korean boss usually treats us) but got up and left when I realize that grill stench will stick to the clothes and I still had the afternoon to spend in the office. This time around there were no worries about that.

On the Table

Complimentary Side Dishes

Sweet Anchovies

Kimchi

I usually finish the spiced pickled lettuce even before the main dishes arrive

Sweet Peanuts

Spicy Fish Cakes

Spicy Raddish

Marble Potatoes

Sesame Leaf and Lettuce

Pork Belly (Samgyupsal) PHP 250

The samgyupsal/pork belly was first served. The table attendant worked up the grill and cooked the meat for us. The cut wasn’t impressive and it was a bit thicker than I was expecting.

Grilled Sweet Beef Ribs (Kalbi) PHP 300

The grilled sweet beef ribs made up for what the pork belly lacked –meat and taste power. It was tender, a tad sweet, bigger on beefy flavor. Best with the warm sticky rice they serve in silver containers or dunked in the brown sauce and wrapped with kimchi inside a minty shiso/sesame leaf. Refreshing way to take your meat and rice.

Green Tea PHP 50

Sweet complimentary pineapple never fails to cap off a satisfying Korean meal.

Yedang Korean BBQ Restaurant

88 Meralco Ave., Pasig City

(632) 636 1461

Ye Dang Album

—

7 Comments Filed Under: Inside Dish: A BITE of Food Tagged With: address, BBQ, best food review, best Korean, blogger, cheap, food blog, grill, how to find, inexpensive, kalbi, kimchi, Korean Barbeque, location, Map, menu, open, operating hours, popular, price, restaurant, service, what to order, Ye Dang, YeDang, Yedang Korean

Poker Tales: A Diamond Cuts Like A Knife

September 10, 2009 by Janey

Cash Game: 25/50 blinds

Minimum buy-in: 2K

Got my stack to 3,300 after not getting a bad beat with my rockets during a heads up game. It’s not hard to win with a pocket of aces pre-flop but it does not mean it’s unbeatable –depending on how you play it, it’s easy to get your aces beat too. So make sure that the bullets hit their target.

I was sitting on the big blind position when 6 players call the 50 blind. In my hands are 8 and 10 suited diamonds. I was tempted to raise the bet because I love an 8 and 10 on my hand but I decided to play conservatively and just checked.

Flop: 8s 9d Qd

I hit a favorite number of mine and gave me bottom pair.

First to act, I bet 100 to test the mettle of the table and have a feel of what the other players have. The one under the gun folded. Gary re-raises to 400. Joy in middle position calls. Right beside Joy, Gervais unfalteringly pushes two stacks of 100 on the betting arena and raises to 2K.

My move.

2K, that’s committing more than half of my stack and his hand might already be made. I requested for time and calculated the situation. I was also flush draw and gut shot straight draw –which means 13 outs, plus I might hit my trips with my bottom pair. Looking at Gervais and that betting move –it was either he was 2 pairs (Q 9 or Q 8 or 8 9 or more dangerously, he might be straight, meaning he must have J 10. If he had 2 pairs, I can kill that with trips if an 8 lands on the board. However, if his 2 pair included a number that gives me trips then that makes him full house. Abandon ship on the trips. I have to have a winnable 5-card hand. I’m more inclined to believe he has a straight.

That move showed he was scared of the flush draw. He couldn’t have flush draw with his hand because I had the 10d. He feels his hand was strong enough to duel with at least one other player.

Now, what about Gary –he was the initial re-raiser, it means he’s also confident with his hand. I look at Gary. I put him on Ace high flush draw. If he’s flush draw then we both have lesser outs –plus I was only 10 high flush draw. Any Jd, Kd, and Ad mixed with any #d can flush me out. Another diamond might prove to be more damaging.

But Gary was playing tight earlier. He couldn’t be re-raising my bet to triple with just a flush draw. He could be top pair or also two pair. More than anything else, I was straight flush draw –second in line next to the unbeatable royal flush. But that gives me only ONE out. One card that can spark this coal mine.

I’ve only invested 150 in the pot to risk 2K of my stack, while I’m bottom pair with 13 outs that may never come or with 6 outs that can give my opponent a higher flush. There’s only one card that can buy me out of this jam. JACK diamonds. Betting 2K means I’m only risking 700 of my money because 1,300 were won anyway. It is after all for a huge sizable pot.

Gervais called time. I had to clear with the dealer if that means 1-minute. It does. 30 seconds into my time, I pushed the 2K inside.

Certain: 13 Outs

Uncertain: What they have on their hand.

I like the fact of 13 outs better than my assessment of their hands.

Gary calls also. I don’t remember if Joy called or folded, I was eager to see the turn.

Turn: Jd

I pushed all in quickly with my 1.3K. It’s now up to them to decide whether or not I’m only “representing” the flush without the hand or I really hit it.

I have the nuts but I shouldn’t slow play it and give them a free river card if they don’t bet.

Gary thinks about it considerably. Gervais called time again. Finally, Gary calls reluctantly. Gervais went all in, which means Gary has to add some 1K more.

Flop 4s

Show time for side pot:

Gary’s Hand: 10s Jc

Gervais’ Hand: Qs 8c

Gary wins their side pot.

Show time for main pot:

I show two sterling diamonds of 8 and 10. Straight flush.

It was my best cash game to date.

Diamonds are truly a girl’s best friend. 🙂

“Diamond is a chunk of coal that is made good under pressure.” ~Henry Kissinger

—

1 Comment Filed Under: Manila Poker Tales Tagged With: ABS CBN, Aces, address, Allan Escano, ante, bacolod, Bar, best, best of the best, big blind, blind, blinds, buy in, camera, cameras, card, card room, card sport, cards, CCPMG, Cebu, celebrities, Channel, commercial, competition, cost, CPI, Creative Programs Inc., date, davao, Day, dealer, dealers, event, exclusive, extra, Filipino, Filipino blogs on poker, filipino poker tour, fpt, fpt.com, fpt.com.ph, free roll, free seats, free to air, gambling, groups, guideline, Hi 10, Hi-5, Hi-5 Million, house player, house players, house rules, how much, how to locate, Iloilo, image, John Estrada, landmark, limited, list of schedule, Local, location, Maike Evers, Malate, Manila, Manila best, Manila Poker, Maxxx channel, Maxxx channel SKY Cable channel 51, metro, metro card club, Metro Manila, metrowalk, Neil Arce, October 2009 Hi 10 million, on air, organizer, organizers, owner, owners, Philippines, Photo, pinoy, plug, plugs, pocket, Pockets, poker, poker blog, poker group, poker night, Poker Room, poker tour, popular, Priscilla, Promo, reception, restaurant, Restaurants, rival, rooms, rule, rules, safety, schedule, seats, security, service, Sky Cable, small blind, sponsor, sponsored, sport, stage, strategies, studio 23, Television, texas hold 'em, tight, Tips, top 5, Tour, tournament, tournament guideline, tourney, tutorial, TV, Venue, what channel, where to go, win a free seat, www.fpt.com

Reminiscent: My First Ever Poker Tournament

August 19, 2009 by Janey

Flipping through my old emails, I found an email from my good friend Paolo, who forwarded an online news bit he found about the JW Poker Bar Tour that happened sometime March 2006.

I was playing free Texas Hold ‘Em online games around Q4 of 2005. Celebrity Poker and David Foley’s smart funny hosting got me interested in the card game. In the real world, Paolo from time to time tagged me along to our former professor’s condo unit to play house poker with other college friends. I’ve played more or less 10 games with them in total. That’s why I was hesitant to join when Paolo mentioned about the Johnny Walker Poker bar tour. But poker wasn’t that big yet in Manila at that time. I shrugged and said what the heckle jeckle.

Image Source: Bing Fabricante

I think there were 2 or 3 tables that night, with two other girls in the tournament. I was amazed that I made it to the final table… and even more surprised to win that leg. I never played again after that tournament.

My poker days were only revived after this event.

The past two months have been nothing but a poker slump. Instead of playing more, I’ve played less. In June, I only played twice I think. In July, I played in the FPT and got busted out with my big slick suited. The poker morale is really down. With work schedule and events, there’s not much time to practice lately. I was invited to another group’s house poker this week. I hope I play well. Like I said, I take bad beats over bad decisions any time. But here’s crossing my fingers (bad beats hurt too).

Well, I need some poker cheering up so I’m posting this.

Jane Chua’s aggressiveness all throughout the night paid off as she became the bar leg winner of the Johnnie Walker Poker Bar Tour leg at Ice Vodka Bar Tuesday Night night. Chua had to play Marco “Cardinal” Aventajado during the heads-up portion of the tournament. Chua applied pressure on Aventajado who didn’t seem to catch any cards, parlaying her 2-1 chip disadvantage to a 4-1 advantage. Aventajado tried to double up with King-ten unsuited but Chua quickly called with Nine-eight unsuited. It seem to be a misstep on the part of Chua, being behind pre-flop 2-1. But with the flop coming two-two-eight, Chua suddenly jumped to become a 4-1 favorite to win the hand. The five of clubs gave Aventajado some hope reigning in Chua back to 2-1 favorite with because of his flush draw. But it was Chua’s night as the seven of hearts came in the river and Chua became the leg winner, besting 9 other players in leg of the Poker Bar Tour at Quisine.

Poker Bar Tour is produced by Pit Boss Events and Cardinal Entertainment. Stay tuned tomorrow for highlights of the Johnnie Walker Bar tour leg at Bagaberde Pasig. The Johnnie Walker Poker Bar Tour begins registration is at 8pm and the tournament begins promptly at 9pm.

I am quite happy to share that during last Sunday’s Metro tournament at 300 buy-in, I was able to again reach the final table. 7 tables and it was trimmed down to 1. It’s a bit of a morale booster too.

How are your cards dealt lately?

Johnny Walker Poker Bar Tour Album

Related Post

June 2009 Poker Tournaments

Jab Jab Straight!

Getting Hit By Lightning

American Idol Season 8 Finale

The Axe Murder

Cracked Bullets

Cracked Bullets Part Deux

Winning in a Man’s World

Texas Hold ‘Em

Missing Manila

FHM Sexy Poker Night

Vietnam Hold ‘Em

Scenes from The Potluck Dinner and Poker Night

Potluck Dinner and Poker Night

2009 Asian Poker Tour

Playing Poker

Texas Hold ‘Em Game

Poker Night at Metro Club

—

1 Comment Filed Under: Manila Poker Tales Tagged With: ABS CBN, Aces, address, Allan Escano, ante, bacolod, Bar, best, best of the best, big blind, blind, blinds, buy in, camera, cameras, card, card room, card sport, cards, CCPMG, Cebu, celebrities, Channel, commercial, competition, cost, CPI, Creative Programs Inc., date, davao, Day, dealer, dealers, event, exclusive, extra, Filipino, Filipino blogs on poker, filipino poker tour, fpt, fpt.com, fpt.com.ph, free roll, free to air, gambling, groups, guideline, Hi-5, Hi-5 Million, house player, house players, house rules, how much, how to locate, Iloilo, image, John Estrada, landmark, limited, list of schedule, Local, location, Maike Evers, Malate, Manila, Manila best, Manila Poker, Maxxx channel, Maxxx channel SKY Cable channel 51, metro, metro card club, Metro Manila, metrowalk, Neil Arce, on air, organizer, organizers, owner, owners, Philippines, Photo, pinoy, plug, plugs, pocket, Pockets, poker, poker blog, poker group, poker night, Poker Room, poker tour, popular, Priscilla, Promo, reception, restaurant, Restaurants, rival, rooms, rule, rules, safety, schedule, seats, security, service, Sky Cable, small blind, sponsor, sponsored, sport, stage, strategies, studio 23, Television, texas hold 'em, tight, Tips, top 5, Tour, tournament, tournament guideline, tourney, tutorial, TV, Venue, what channel, where to go, win a free seat, www.fpt.com

Romp the Ramp – Skin Toned

August 18, 2009 by Janey

Celeteque Product Launch

Mag Net Café, Bonifacio High Street

August 15, 2009, 2PM

Skin Toned

(Thanks Lace for this photo!)

Items in this photo:

Random Brown Loose Spagh Dress

Terranova Black Pedal Pants

Be Black Belt

Random Black Belt

Gold studded ring bracelets

Stella Luna Of African Influence Pumps

If the Shoe Fits –Stella Luna Grabs

In a Trance at Stella Luna

Romp the Ramp: The Day in Black and Gray

DKNY Men Event

—

1 Comment Filed Under: Style Files: A Bite of Fashion, Beauty and Wellness Tagged With: ankle boots, ankle strap, Ayala Malls, best, blogger, Boots, branch, Charles and Keith, cheap, CMG, credit card, expensive, fab, fabulous, fall, famous, fashion, fashion blog, fashion blogger, fashion diary, Fit Flop, flats, gladiator, heels, how to cure, James Choo, Janylin, Jimmy Choo, knee high boots, known, ladies wear, list, Makati, malls, Manila, newest, ortigas, popular, Powerplant Mall, pretty, pricey, Promo, promotion, pumps, recent, rockwell, rubber shoes, runway, Sale, sandals, season, Sex and the City, Shangri-la Plaza Mall, shoe, shoe addiction, shoe blog, shoe fetish, Shoes, sneakers, Stella Luna, StellaLuna, stiletto, stilettos, update, VNC, walk, women, women shoes

FPT’s The Metro Hi-5 Million Countdown Begins

July 28, 2009 by Janey

The FPT is drawing near.

The countdown begins…

3 days to go for Day 1 A (Friday)

4 days to go for Day 2 B (Saturday)

July 31 – August 3, hear the chips make noise on the table.

Image Source: Metro Card Club website

Have you signed up yet? I’m sure you have! Burning the midnight oil at PokerStars.com for the free seat?

See you at the table! Good luck and good pot!

Filipino Poker Tour on the Tube

Manny Pacman Pacquiao Poker Tournament

June 2009 Poker Tournaments

Poker Tales: Jab Jab Straight!

Poker Tales: Getting Hit By Lighting

Cracked Bullets

Cracked Bullets Part Deux

Texas Hold ‘Em

Missing Manila

FHM Sexy Poker Night

Vietnam Hold ‘Em

Scenes from The Potluck Dinner and Poker Night

Potluck Dinner and Poker Night

2009 Asian Poker Tour

Playing Poker

Texas Hold ‘Em Game

Poker Night at Metro Club

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Manila Poker Tales Tagged With: ABS CBN, Aces, address, Allan Escano, ante, bacolod, Bar, best, best of the best, big blind, blind, blinds, buy in, camera, cameras, card, card room, card sport, cards, CCPMG, Cebu, celebrities, Channel, commercial, competition, cost, CPI, Creative Programs Inc., date, davao, Day, dealer, dealers, event, exclusive, extra, Filipino, Filipino blogs on poker, filipino poker tour, fpt, fpt.com, fpt.com.ph, free roll, free to air, gambling, groups, guideline, Hi-5, Hi-5 Million, house player, house players, house rules, how much, how to locate, Iloilo, image, John Estrada, landmark, limited, list of schedule, Local, location, Maike Evers, Malate, Manila, Manila best, Manila Poker, Maxxx channel, Maxxx channel SKY Cable channel 51, metro, metro card club, Metro Manila, metrowalk, Neil Arce, on air, organizer, organizers, owner, owners, Philippines, Photo, pinoy, plug, plugs, pocket, Pockets, poker, poker blog, poker group, poker night, Poker Room, poker tour, popular, Priscilla, Promo, reception, restaurant, Restaurants, rival, rooms, rule, rules, safety, schedule, seats, security, service, Sky Cable, small blind, sponsor, sponsored, sport, stage, strategies, studio 23, Television, texas hold 'em, tight, Tips, top 5, Tour, tournament, tournament guideline, tourney, tutorial, TV, Venue, what channel, where to go, win a free seat, www.fpt.com

Watch the Filipino Poker Tour on Maxxx

July 24, 2009 by Janey

Filipino Poker Tour is just around the bend. Yesterday the free roll at Pokerstars.com reached 1,000+. This must be due to the on air presence of their plugs during the Filipino Poker Tour show.

If you’re on SKY Cable, you can also catch their replays on Maxxx channel, one of my favorite channels this year. The channel has augmented their program line-up and there are now a lot of not to miss shows plus reruns of old favorites.

I caught the FPT show last Tuesday night and yesterday afternoon. I like the format of the show and I simple love the plugs of Pokerstars.com particularly those of Daniel Negreanu.

It’s the final table of last year’s FPT next Tues 7PM on Maxxx. Don’t miss it!

Image Source: Dakilang Bum Rebyu Site

While waiting ‘til next Tuesday, you might want to catch some table action of your own. Play poker! See ya at the tables!

Related Post

Filipino Poker Tour on the Tube

Manny Pacman Pacquiao Poker Tournament

June 2009 Poker Tournaments

Poker Tales: Jab Jab Straight!

Poker Tales: Getting Hit By Lighting

Cracked Bullets

Cracked Bullets Part Deux

Texas Hold ‘Em

Missing Manila

FHM Sexy Poker Night

Vietnam Hold ‘Em

Scenes from The Potluck Dinner and Poker Night

Potluck Dinner and Poker Night

2009 Asian Poker Tour

Playing Poker

Texas Hold ‘Em Game

Poker Night at Metro Club

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Manila Poker Tales Tagged With: ABS CBN, Aces, address, Allan Escano, ante, bacolod, Bar, best, best of the best, big blind, blind, blinds, buy in, camera, cameras, card, card room, card sport, cards, CCPMG, Cebu, celebrities, Channel, commercial, competition, cost, CPI, Creative Programs Inc., date, davao, Day, dealer, dealers, event, exclusive, extra, Filipino, Filipino blogs on poker, filipino poker tour, fpt, free to air, gambling, groups, guideline, Hi-5, house player, house players, house rules, how much, how to locate, Iloilo, image, John Estrada, landmark, limited, list of schedule, Local, location, Malate, Manila, Manila best, Manila Poker, Maxxx channel, Maxxx channel SKY Cable channel 51, metro, metro card club, Metro Manila, metrowalk, on air, organizer, organizers, owner, owners, Philippines, Photo, pinoy, plug, plugs, pocket, Pockets, poker, poker blog, poker group, poker night, Poker Room, poker tour, popular, Priscilla, Promo, reception, restaurant, Restaurants, rival, rooms, rule, rules, safety, schedule, security, service, Sky Cable, small blind, sport, stage, strategies, studio 23, Television, texas hold 'em, tight, Tips, top 5, Tour, tournament, tournament guideline, tourney, tutorial, TV, Venue, what channel, where to go, www.fpt.com

EL’s Birthday at Bugsy’s

June 25, 2009 by Janey

Pat obediently following my instructions to reserve a table for 6, indoors and couch area secured us a table at Bugsy’s Tuesday night. My friend Eric is experiencing Murphy’s Law since the start of the month and the biggest blow was about his work –news that broke only last week. On top of that, he lost a mobile phone, nicked his Mazda and is currently nursing a forlorn heart.

EL celebrates his birthday every 23^rd of June. What a way to welcome a birthday right?

But like what they say, it’s hard to put a good man down.

EL still celebrated his birthday in tasteful fashion with friends over drinks and good food.

Bubba and I were first to arrive but we were an hour early so we were off to Big Bert’s for a carwash. We came back to Bugsy’s and found Pat on our reserved table. Of course, as Eric’s spokesperson, he briefed us with Eric’s mishap in the recent week.

On the Table

Buffalo Tenders (2) PHP 175

Imagine your favorite Buffalo wings with all the tangy spicy goodness without the bones! No more working out tediously to get the meat out. In every piece there’s a flake of crispy skin that makes it all the more addicting. I can eat this all day. Pat is not found of spicy dishes but he loved this obvious when he wiped out one plate.

The Family PHP 265

I ordered Warren’s Dip and Chips but it wasn’t available so I tried their appetizer sampler, The Family. The Family was composed of potato wedges, mozzarella sticks (that I didn’t get to try. *shooting a mean look to Bubba*) and buffalo tenders.

French Fries PHP 150 (?)

Deep Fried Burger Melt PHP 165

Burger meat, cheese in deep fried spring roll

Uncle Moe’s Beef Kebab Plate (2) PHP 130

I had to have my rice and I was craving for beef kebab. Bugsy’s was nice enough to let us bring in the food from their neighbor and serve it on a plate. You help your neighbor and you increase both your foot traffic –always good for business.

Margarita PHP 130

I love my margarita. I find it funny that they served it on a Martini glass.

Arctic Vodka (2)

Bottles and Bottles of Beer PHP 50

There is so much to love about Bugsy’s. The wait staff is really gracious, speedy and efficient. You wouldn’t mind hanging out with them on a Friday night. The food is nothing but delish particularly the mouth-watering appetizers! Price on the drink list is reasonable. There are no frills –just straightforward scrumptious dishes, reasonable price and quality service that always please. It seems to be the homiest hangout spot to enjoy beer drinking with friends, colleagues or sport groups.

Fred and Madz followed afterwards. It’s been more than 5 years since I last seen Fred. He still looks pretty much the same except that in this dinner he brought with him MUSCLES. Every time we look at him, he flexes them muscles. When he asks for beer from the wait staff, he flexes them muscles. When he laughs, them muscles flex.

"Pat, I know you enjoy our company... but what's with the BIG smile?"

Of course, Pat (as Eric’s VOLUNTARY spokesperson) had to share AGAIN with the latecomers Eric’s misfortunes. After much sympathy to EL, we know that our presence there is not to sulk with him but to remind him the comfort of having friends around at times like this. We remind him that as long as there is tomorrow, there is always another day of possibilities.

So we exchanged stories one after the other. Eric and Pat reminisced about the time there was a swimming get-together at Fay’s house. My girlfriends (Gina, King and Fay) and Fay’s other girl group were there while I was MIA since my parents didn’t allow me to stay out late during college days. Then-chubby Fred didn’t bring any swimming attire. He had to wear Fay’s badminton shorts that were sheer. We all doubled over laughing. They both demonstrated how Fred swam that evening like he was playing shark. Most of the time, he was sitting in one corner playing with Fay’s nephew trying to be unmindful of the beautiful girls that surround him. It was so hilarious. Fred evens the score when he tells us about the time Eric was so wasted and the Eng boys bathe him. He was so smashed that he didn’t know they were playing with his “cockpit where he keeps his gun”.

At this point, Fred was still flexing his muscles as he tells the story. The other tables were also getting as distracted as we were.

Bubba saw some Xavier friends while Chai walked up to me and surprised me.

We ordered another round of Buffalo Tenders. It was everybody’s first time there except for Bubba and I. They really liked the food and that makes me cheery. The humor and energy were nothing short of an upbeat tempo. The drinks continue to flow. We literally laughed our hearts out –it’s been quite a while since my abdomen had this heavy workout.

Little miss bo beep with the Engineering boys

Oh, Fred looks so much like Jake Cuenca when he laughs. With bigger muscles. Madz had to take another shot of Arctic Vodka to reluctantly agree. At this instant, Eric reminds me that it’s his birthday not Fred’s.

Effortlessly, the dynamics in the group bring so much energy to the table conversation.

Bubba and I excused us to go to Barcino and get Eric a cake. Good thing that Bugsy’s had a birthday candle on hand when we asked for one. To Eric’s embarrassment, we sang the Happy Birthday song.

It was a workweek and we had to call it a night. Pat was still raring to continue elsewhere. Eric and Fred were on board but Madz, Bubba and I had to beg off. Pat was convincing Madz to go when Eric unintentionally knocked the bottle that drenched Pat’s pants. I think Pat’s pants absorbed all spill because the red couch he was sitting on was spotless. That was our queue to get the bill. We were supposed to treat Eric and split the bill but Pat was insistent on letting Eric pay –how ironically funny.

On the way out, I snatched Fred’s jacket as soon as he stood up. He stares at the chair for a few seconds and then looks under the table. He looks at me and said, “Did you see my jacket?” He looks bewildered and shy, “I think I lost my jacket…” with his voice trailing off. I rapidly hand off the jacket to Madz from my back. I asked him, “did you bring a jacket?” He responds, “Yea, remember you were teasing me that I took it off to show off my muscles when I got in?” “Really,” I respond biting my lip to keep from laughing. He had this super worried look on his face that Bubba, Eric, Madz and I tried the darndest to stifle our laughter. Madz and Pat went out ahead while we wait for Fred to look for his jacket. He couldn’t resist and timidly asked the waiter if they saw a jacket. That’s the time I had to tell him and point outside to Madz.

We had such a commanding happy night that it took us another hour to say goodbye. It was already midnight.

Spotted: Zanjoe Marudo, Epi Quizon, Drew Arellano, Jake Cuenca (oh, that was Fred, my mistake)

Bugsy’s

Unit C-105 City Golf Plaza

Julia Vargas Avenue, Pasig City, MM

(632) 489-4985

Bugsy’s Album

EL’s Birthday Album

Related Post

Bugsy’s

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Inside Dish: A BITE of Food Tagged With: Alida Fay Santos, Bar, Barcino, beef kebab, Beer, Bubba, buffalo tenders, buffalo wings, Bugsy, Bugsy’s, carrot cake, Celebration, celebrity, celebrity spotting, Chai Talag, chocolate cake, City Golf Plaza, CLA, COE, college girls, College of Engineering, commendable, De La Salle University, dining, DLSU, Drew Arellano, drink list, drinks, elizabeth, Epi Quizon, Eric, Eric Lopez, evening, Fay Santos, Fred, friend, Friends, Gina Leon, girl, girlfriends, good food, good review, Good Service, group, hang-out, hangout, Happy Birthday, Inside Dish: A BITE of Food, Jake Cuenca, Jane, King Martinez, La Salle Greenhills, location, love life, Madz Alsola, margarita, menu, metrowalk, ortigas, Pasig, Pat, Patrick Velarde, Place, popular, price, quality service, reasonable, reservation, restaurant, resto, review, ruth, secret, service, shawarma, Sitel, Spot, Taste Manila, Uncle Moe’s, valle verde, Venue, wait staff, Warren’s Dip and Chips, Xavier, Zanjoe Marudo

TOMMY HILFIGER Launches HILFIGER Men

March 24, 2009 by Janey

Tommy Hilfigeris a leading premium lifestyle brand and one of the largest designer apparel brands globally. Tommy Hilfiger Group, through its subsidiaries, designs, sources and markets men’s and women’s casual wear, sportswear, jeans, children’s wear and footwear. The Group’s products can be found in its network of dedicated retail stores in Europe, the United States and Canada, as well as in leading specialty and department stores throughout Europe and North America. Through over 40 licensees, Tommy Hilfiger-branded products, including a broad array of related apparel, accessories, fragrance and home furnishings, are distributed worldwide, including in Mexico, Central and South America, Japan, Australia India, China and elsewhere throughout Asia.

Tommy Hilfiger, in as much as an icon himself, draws inspiration from American icons who lead by distinction. These icons’ passion drives them to succeed in life –and this is where the new fragrance from the designer was culminated. A new fragrance dedicated to the fire in men, who are courageous enough to create their own destiny.

Hilfiger is clean, distinctive and masculine –what clearly defines a man of class. The kind of man that has an inner strength that comes from knowing exactly who he is and what he wants out of life.

The scent obviously exudes optimism and irresistible charm.

Hilfiger has been designed to fit the modern man attuned to class, starting from the bottle that has both a modern and vintage feel. The brand portfolio that carries the iconic name is gallantly engraved on a metal plaque with riveted corners. The logo is marked with Est. 1985, which strongly signifies that the brand has been successful for so many years starting with the year that the Fashion House was established.

Beginning in March 2009, the Hilfiger collection will be available exclusively at all Rustan’s Department Stores, Watson’s Makati, MOA, SM Megamall and SM North EDSA The Eau de Toilette will be offered in 50ml (suggested retail price: Php 2,900), and 100ml (suggested retail price: Php 4,000).

Hilfiger, the light invigorating fragrance that can be worn in sexy confidence by any classy man, has hit the stores. Be sure to grab one for yourself or your loved one.

Hilfiger Men Press Launch

For more information, feel free to contact:

Racquel Lalo

Marketing Manager

Aramis and Designer Fragrances

Email: rlalo@sg.estee.com

Tel: 890-4036 local 115

Mobile: 0917-861-2010

2 Comments Filed Under: Style Files: A Bite of Fashion, Beauty and Wellness Tagged With: american, American brands, Ascend, attract, branches, brand, clean, collection, confident, eau de toilette spray, Established 1985, event, fashion, Fashion house, fragrance, Hilfiger, hygiene, hygienic, icon, lady, latest, launch, Manager, Manila, Marketing, media, men, must buys, perfume, playfully sexy, popular, premium lifestyle brand, Racquel Lalo, Racw, Romp the Ramp, Rustan's Department Stores, Rustans, scents, seduce, sexy, SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, smell, Smell Manila, Taste Manila, Tommy, Tommy Hilfiger, Watson's Branches, Watson's Makati

Eraserheads’ Final Set All Set to Go

January 27, 2009 by Janey

There is definitely no stopping it. Eraserheads recently held a press conference about their upcoming concert dubbed, “The Final Set.” The press conference happened January 19, 2009 at Italianni’s Restaurant in Bonifacio High Street.

It is aptly named Final Set since it will be the repertoire continuation of the supposedly ONLY reunited concert in August 30, 2008. The concert was put to a halt after lead singer Ely Buendia was rushed to the hospital due to a heart ailment.

image source girlgoddess.multiply.com / http://www.odysseylive.net/miggy/albums/2856/

The much-anticipated 2^nd installment of their first reunion is slated on March 7, 2009 at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. This might be their last performance as a band hence thousands of fans will surely be catching the ultimate last set and see this remembrance conclude with a happy note.

ERASERHEADS Live! THE FINAL SET

SM Mall of Asia Ground • March 7, 2009

Ticket Price

VIP PHP 5,000

Gold PHP 3,000

Silver PHP 1,300

Bronze PHP 300

For more inquiries, visit the Ticketworld website at http://www.ticketworld.com.ph/

The popular band is scheduled to play over 15 songs especially their chart-topping singles.

Photo grabbed from this site: http://www.odysseylive.net/miggy/albums/2856/