Ice Cream

When it comes to ice cream flavors, I have no doubt that my favorite is Chocolate Mint. Other all time favorites are Ube (purple yam) and Avocado.

But one has to try other flavors and I recently came across two flavors that piqued my interest. The thing that I don't understand about ice cream packaging nowadays is that the regular Pint size of the yesteryears has completely disappeared with regards to local ice cream. Now I'm left with either 800 ml (which is too much for me to finish...i could, but that would be gluttony...or is it not?) or 100 ml (which is too little for me)

Selecta has always produced rich, creamy and delicious flavors that I could not resist buying not one, but two, small sized ice cream for dessert.

Both are chocolate based but the difference is Hazelnut Brownie has brownie bits and Chocolate Truffle has truffle bits (simple, isn't it?) Between the two, I prefer the richness and the taste of Hazelnut Brownie. I will definitely have to get the 1.5 l version of this but, how not to end up sharing this with everyone in the house????? hehehe

Bacolod Chicken Inasal

One of the comfort foods that we have in the office is Bacolod Chicken Inasal's chicken inasal. This is one dish that can never be cooked at home (at least, not in our home).

I always order the chicken breast part. white meat, for me, goes best with bacolod chicken inasal's secret sauce (?)

I've never tried adding above ingredients to make a sauce for the chicken. Ever since I was a kid, we've never had the habit of using any additional sauce on our dishes, save for ketchup. And I grew up not liking ketchup that much. (The only exception....gravy on my KFC chicken, yummy!)

A feast to make your heart stop...literally...chicken skin. Although my personal favorite is still Cebu's Sunburst Chicken's chicken skin (I know this is not originally from Cebu, just can't remember where it originated from and too lazy to research it hehe)

Sisig...which is a Philippine staple by now, i guess. Tasty yet sinful as well.

iPad...part 3

I like taking pictures...be it for my personal use or pictures that I'd like to upload to my blog. And with the iPad that does not come with a built-in camera, this can be a frustration as you still need to connect the iPad to a computer to upload pictures to it. Fortunately, there is this thing from Apple called the iPad Camera Connection Kit....and fortunately, again, one that I have been able to purchase.

Although it ain't quite as easy as buying it in a reseller shop here in Manila. Mainly, the iPad has not been officially launched here in the Philippines yet by Apple. The reason behind this (as I gathered from an Apple reseller SA) is that the Philippines is not a viable market for the iPad. What it means is they foresee that Filipinos are not going to go ga-ga over the iPad. So if you wanted to buy an iPad here, it would be from non-Apple reseller vendors or the gray market as they are commonly known. So my next option was to ask my friend, who was travelling to Hong Kong, to buy it for me from there. Unfortunately, due to one reason or another, my friend failed to bring me home the thing I wanted the most (that time, that is). So I was looking at this as another disappointment in my life (haha, not really).

It was at this time that a former college classmate of mine advertised on her Facebook account that she was selling her 64g wifi+3g iPad (already sold as of this writing) along with a camera connection kit. I thought at first that she wanted to sell the camera connection kit so I just casually sent her a pm asking her if the camera connection kit was worth it. Her reply was, "Yes, if you like to take pictures and upload them to your iPad although honestly I haven't used mine. It's still sealed in its box actually, would you like to buy it?" Of course I would love to buy it! But first things first, how much would I have to pay for it and how would she ship it to Manila (she's actually based in Davao which is still in the Philippines but like thousands of miles away). Actual retail price of the Camera Connection Kit in the US is US$ 29 (or about Php 1276 plus taxes) and in Hong Kong its about HK$ 228 (or about Php 1368). She was willing to sell it to me for Php 1510 including shipping (US$ 34 or HK$ 251) so the price wasn't really far off if I had to buy it elsewhere. I said yes to it and she instantly sent the package via JRS. I paid for it via bank deposit and voila!, I got it the following day. That was so easy and painless (just like the recent Baranggay election!)

connector for the SD card

connector for the usb that connects directly to the camera. I heard that you can connect other usb gadgets into this connector, just haven't tried it yet

Happy Halloween!

It's Halloween once again and although it is not a big a deal here as it is in the USA perhaps, people here in the Philippines do have dress up parties during Halloween. I'm not one of them, I'm perhaps one of the most un-Halloween person around. But we have kids in the house and our neighbors have kids. So in my own little way, I've prepared a plate full of candies which the maid can give out to to trick-or-treat kids who are courageous enough to knock on our doors (I do have 5 dogs!)

Trick or Treat!!!!!!!!

Tea Time

Studies have shown that drinking green tea often enough can be very beneficial to the body. I believe in that although I don't get to enjoy the benefits of green tea often enough as I'm sometime too lazy to do my tea when I'm at work.

I do have my favorite tea brands and currently they are:


My friend Kim brought me back a pack of this TWG Tea from Singapore. When you open the pack, the fruity scent is really sweet smelling. The tea is equally good. The good thing about this tea brand is I can steep it for like three times and the flavor is still retained.

I got this Pickwick Tea from my recent stay at Radisson Blu in Cebu. It was part of the coffee and tea amenities found inside the room. The first time I tried it, I fell in love with its taste. Now I'll have to scout around the supermarkets to see if this is available.

The most common brand available is of course none other than Lipton. Cheaper than the two above-mentioned I'm sure. Ideal for one steep(ing) only. For the price, it is good enough though.


Of all the brands, Twinings is the only one I'm disappointed at. I know its flavoured but the flavour just doesn't do it for me. This is definitely one slow-moving item in my tea drawer (not a real tea drawer, just a drawer where I put my tea bags in aside from my other stuff)

Cibo

School is out finally! That is, at one of the schools where I'm teaching at. So to kind of celebrate this, me and a colleague from the school decided to have lunch at Cibo at Gateway Mall in Cubao instead of our usual lunches at the cafeteria.

I've always loved eating at Cibo because of their paninis and the white grape shake. Their ingredients are fresh and prices are quite affordable. I don't get to eat at Cibo often though as their locations are not too convenient for me.

The first thing I noticed about the Cibo branch at Gateway Mall is that it has shrunk. They're now occupying half the size of what they used to occupy. I'm guessing rent is a bit high and human traffic is not too great for Cibo. I went on to discuss this with my friend and we both agreed that Gateway Mall's crowd is not really the target market of Cibo. The food server did tell us that Cibo might move to the upper level where the space is bigger.

Speaking of food attendants, in Cibo, you instantly notice that service is quite impressive. They are very attentive and they know what dish to recommend.

We ended up ordering a Parma Ham + Arugula pizza and Italian Sausage Pasta (of course I ordered my white grape shake but forgot to take a picture of it!)



I love parma ham and I love arugula so its not a surprise that I love this pizza. For two people, this is quite a big serving but we (mostly me) managed to finished it as it was quite good. The crust is just the right thickness. I just wished there was more parma ham and more arugula...although I'm sure the chef knows what he/she was doing.


On the other hand, my friend loved the Italian Sausage pasta. I'm not going to label it as exceptionally good but it was good. Luckily she loved this one and I loved the pizza so it wasn't difficult for us to finish the 2 dishes.

I wish I could visit Cibo as much as I would want to but for now, this is a good way for me to appreciate their food in the few times that I can visit them.

Tasty Dumplings

As with any restaurant, having a signature dish that people look for when they dine in your restaurant is a sure sign of success.

And this is the case with Tasty Dumplings. You'd think the signature dish that people keep coming back for would be dumplings, right? Well, it ain't. Their signature dish happens to be....




Pork chop rice! Priced at Php 99 (US$ 2.5) per order. It comes with a small bowl of clear soup and some veggies. The pork chop is actually a thin layer with crunchy batter coating it. It's very cheap and tasty which is why I think people keep coming back for it.

The Pork Chop rice definitely goes well with soya milk but unfortunately, I'm off soya or any nuts for now.

I've tasted the dumplings as well but believe me, just stick to their Pork Chop rice and it'll be worth it.

Election Time...part 2

So 25 October 2010 was to be the second time this year that we are to drop by the nearby public school and cast our vote. Although this time, its not for the president of the republic nor other top public servants but for the Baranggay Chairman/woman and his/her team. The Baranggay team is important as these are the local officials that ordinary citizens like myself can approach (I never met our baranggay people as I always ask the maid to go to the Baranggay Hall whenever I need something...all of my requests are granted so at least this way it makes it convenient for me).

I prepared my election 'kit'

1. bottled water to quench my thirst

2. pen to fill in the ballot sheets

3. a fan to keep away the heat

4. camera to document the event

5. comfortable clothes

I didn't want a repeat of the May 2010 elections wherein I was stuck in the voting precinct for more than two hours and I was really uncomfortable then.

Off I went to the voting precinct by 1030H. I 'accidentally' forgot again my Baranggay number and precinct and fortunately, the guard manning the place where I lived reminded me of my Baranggay number. I'd have to find out myself what my precinct number is to find the room in the school where I'm supposed to vote.

Elections are like a feast day for Filipinos. Everybody is on the streets either:

1. giving out election paraphernalias (which usually just ends up on the street floor which is really an eye sore)

2. . just hanging around

3. selling drinks or food

So I got to the list of the Baranggays and easily enough, I found the classroom that I was assigned to. I went up to the second floor fully expecting a long queue out side the classroom but, lo and behold, it was almost devoid of people except for the election people.

I thought I was in the wrong room but no, my name was on the list.

I got my voting sheet easily, voted, had my fingerprints taken, and had my finger marked (an indication that I've already done my voting) in less then 10 minutes! I was floored. This was so painless and simple. Why can't we have this all the time. No computer devices to assist the counting, just public school teachers doing the hard work! Oh well, one has to move forward though and the best way to do that is to accept that elections need to be computerized. The computerized one during the May elections was the first so maybe the next one will be as quick as this one (here's hoping).

Anyway, all I got out of the election is a dirty finger once again which will probably be like that in two weeks time (I do take a shower twice a day so its not because I don't take a shower!)

Before I cut my nails...


...and after I cut my nails...doesn't make much of a difference though.

One week after the election dated 01 Nov 2010


Two weeks after the election dated 08 Nov 2010

Three weeks after the election dated 16 Nov 2010

iPad...2

I just bought my iPad its very first case (in my experience, protective cases do not last for a very long time or I just tend to get tired of it). I was looking for a cheap one and luckily, I stumbled upon this Capdase Soft Jacket 2 Expose in Red. This was the cheapest in the lot and at Php 1,500 (US$ 35), I thought it was a bargain. Aside from including the screen protector, it also came with an attachement that enabled it to act as a stand (3-ways, see attached pictures). And talk about excellent service, this guy from the store where I bought this case, (I forgot the name of the store but its the only Apple reseller store in Robinson's Malate, beside the Crumpler store) meticulously and patiently attached the screen protector. It took some time for him to do it as he wanted to make sure it was perfectly attached to the iPad.

pictures courtesy of www.capdase.com

Peanuts

Peanuts is now 60 years old! (last 02 Oct) Peanuts gang, that is, composed of Snoopy, Charlie Brown, brothers and sister tandem Linus, Rerun and Lucy, Woodstock (my favorite!), Sally, Shroeder (Sally's love interest), Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Pig-pen, etc.. I dedicate this post to my best friend P.So who is a huge fan of Charles M. Schultz's creation.

I saw this Charlie Brown Cafe which is along Cameron Road in Tsim Shat Tsui in Hong Kong last June which is just across the hotel I was staying at. Found it so cute but, unfortunately, didn't manage to have the time to go in and try their stuff.

Some of the delicious-looking mousse they had on their display refrigerator. At HKD35, that's around Php 210 or US$ 5 per piece.

iPad

After months and months and months and months (you get it) of contemplating, I finally decided to get myself what was once a coveted gadget in the face of the planet, an iPad! I only got the 32g wifi version (as against the wifi+3g) as I believe I do not have a need for internet access everywhere...I already have a laptop and a netbook to do this and besides, wireless broadband in Manila is not fast as one would desire.

I've been playing with it for the past two days and graphics is just something that will blow you off.

Is it worth it? I still haven't utilized the iPad to its max as I still have to get it jailbroken(?) to get all the apps for free (?)

What's not worth it is the US$ 20 screen protector that I bought along with it. It just doesn't want to stick properly and the bubbles just refuse to disappear. I've handled a lot of screen protectors before and I always managed to stick them on my device without any hitch. This is one time I'm hating the screen protector!

The first time I turned it on...familiar Apple logo

Delsey Extendo

For someone who loves to travel (although not as much as I would want to or can afford to), having a good set of luggage is very important. I've always been very partial to hard case luggage as I never have to worry about the contents of my luggage breaking or something. The downside is hard case luggages are usually heavier than their fabric/canvass brothers (although there are super light hard case luggages now available in the market but expect to pay an arm and a leg for it)

My recent luggage purchase was a 54 cm Delsey Extendo cabin trolley which I asked my good friend, K. Pe to purchase for me in Singapore. Not that its cheaper in Singapore but its just that the Extendo collection has already been phased out in Manila (why, I don't know since this collection is still available in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong last time I checked).

The 54 cm was to compliment my 71 cm Delsey Extendo. I've always been partial to non-black colored luggages as they are easier to identify and pick up from the conveyor belt. Black, of course, is the most common luggage color and a reason for most confusions as well in identifying one's luggage

You can see on the right side my old and tested luggage peeking at his new and shiny brothers.

Pluses:

-expandable

-four wheels so its easy to move them around

-relatively light weight (except for the 71 cm if its filled to the brim, with a maximum capacity of 30 kilos)

-doesn't get dirty easily and if it does, it's very easy for the maid to wipe it off

Minuses:

-when you expand it and its full, it feels wobbly in the area where it is expanded since the expanded area is only made of cloth

Now all I need to save up for is the 64 cm Delsey Extendo...

Sala Bistro

As we did a post-celebration of my very good friend's birthday (P.So), he decided to treat us to dinner at Sala Bistro.

We started off with cocktails. I had my usual and unadventurous Cosmopolitan...

Cosmopolitan is made up vodka, triple sec, lime juice and cranberry juice. I like their mix because the balance of the alcohol and the juices is just right. Although some may find the alcohol content too high, I recommend one glass should be enough to last you the night

My friend decided to try Fresh Pineapple and Mint Mojito (made up of Bacardi rum muddled with fresh pineapple, mint leaves and a little fresh vanilla sugar and shaken with crushed ice).

A basket of freshly baked (or looked like it) bread served to satiate our hunger since it was already close to 2100H when we met up for dinner


The Soup of the Day was Sweet Potato Soup. I loved the taste of the soup as it was nicely made and the ingredients blended well to produce a light and delicious soup


My friends decided to partake of salad instead of soup...

I forgot the name of this salad but it came with Chinese sausage

Pear, rocket, blue cheese and walnut salad

Between the two salads, the first one, according to my friends, tasted much better.

Then a slew of main courses came marching in...

I ordered this Penne, Italian Sausage, Tomatoes, Oregano and Chili pasta. Everything about it was delicious except for the toasted bread which was really hard (it eventually became better when we dipped the bread on the remaining sauce...maybe this is how its supposed to be eaten? but normally I want to eat the bread at the same time with the pasta and its impossible to dip when the plate is still full). Among the four dishes, this was the favorite amongst the group.

Chicken Saltimbocca with spinach and rosemary potatoes. I love how they cooked this dish. It was very very tasty for a chicken dish. I wouldn't mind getting this the next time I dine there.


I may be mistaken but I think this pasta dish is the Casarecce with porcini, guanciale and truffle cream. Its very tasty but its the kind of food that you will eventually tire of the taste when you have to finish the whole plate.


The only dish I did not try simply because I absolutely do not eat Fish.

Finally, dessert came...

I honestly cannot remember the name of this dessert but honestly it was no good. As a dessert person, this one doesn't quite make it to the memorable list of desserts.

Since I love to eat bananas, this Banoffee pie was a bit of a disappointment since it was mostly made up of cream and not enough bananas in it. My friend, P.So makes a meaner and better Banoffee pie!

Valhrona Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows and whipped cream. Admittedly, a very sinful end to my full meal. It was worth it though...

Dining at Sala Bistro may not be a cheap affair. But the ambience, excellent service and good food makes it all worth it.

Sala Bistro

Ground Floor, Garden Side

Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center

Makati City

Tel: (+63 2) 7297500

Website: http://www.salabistro.com/