On Passion and Writing (regularly) Again

Today I watched the film Whiplash and was astounded by Miles Teller's performance. I know J.K. Simmons has all the Oscar buzz but Miles really served up some crazy acting in the film. I also watched him in other films—The Spectacular Now (2013) and Two Night Stand (2014)—but his performance in this Academy Award Best Picture nominee is miles away from the other two.

Teller plays a 19-year-old drummer who gets in a prestigious music school and secures a spot in the band of a great but temperamental conductor played by Simmons. It's funny, because this afternoon even before watching the film, I was already thinking about passion, and how I want to have it for something, especially now when I'm at a crossroads about the next step to take in my life. Then I start watching this film and Teller is just stellar, oozing out passion like there's no tomorrow. His character pounds on the drum kit with all his might, wounds and callouses be damned, never mind that he just survived a car crash (he literally walked away from the accident and ran to the concert venue). Oh to be consumed by such passion, the kind you live and breathe, so much so you almost die for it. My heart pounded during the last parts of the film, and the scenes left me breathless well after the credits finished rolling.

While I was tapping my thoughts away on Twitter, I get a tweet from a former Journalism classmate asking if I'm interested to contribute on her site (maybe I'll tell you about this someday, in case it prospers). I often saw her tweets about it, but back then I just thought she was a contributor. It turns out, she created the site! Again, props to people with passion.

While I'm still stewing myself in thoughts about what it is I am really passionate about, I thought of doing something just to keep my hands busy and trick my mind into thinking I am actually a productive individual. Just to get the rust out of my writing skills, I figured since one of the only consistent things I've been doing the last few months is watch a slew of US TV series, why don't I just write episode recaps of these shows?

I don't know if anyone will be interested to read them especially since they're a dime a dozen on the web, but I'm really doing this for myself. If I discipline myself into writing regularly, who knows what might come next?

I wrote this blog entry while I still have the mojo and also to serve as evidence. Now, the challenge is to actually start writing the recaps. I thought maybe I'd start with an easy one: Hart of Dixie. The new season just started so I only have two episodes to write about.

Will I be able to rise to this self-imposed challenge?

Stay tuned.

Resto Bites - Golden Elephant Seafoods Garden Restaurant

Sometimes it's nice to get lost and explore because you end up discovering something good. That's what happened to us after leaving the Super Sale Bazaar at the World Trade Center last Saturday.

Jay and I went there to visit the booth of our good friend Nina, who owns Sassyfabfinds (check her store out!). We didn't have a car that day so we needed to catch a cab to get home. Traffic was still heavy when we left the bazaar and we wanted to eat nearby. We decided to walk it out and ended up at Hobbies of Asia Complex on Macapagal Ave., where there's a number of restaurants. We almost ate at one hot pot place, but Jay wanted to check out the other options.

We chanced upon Golden Elephant Seafoods Garden Restaurant. There were a lot of flowers by the door so I asked the waiter if they just opened. He said they did, only last November 28. We really only wanted to check the menu, but the attentive servers immediately led us to our seats. The place was packed, so I thought it was worth a try.

Golden Elephant looks like a Chinese restaurant at first glance but it actually offers Thai and other Asian dishes. I guess the elephant statues and gold touches should've clued me in, hehe. The restaurant has a loft design, with lots of tables and booths to accommodate big parties or dating couples. We got a cozy booth at the loft, which has floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the main dining area.

After being seated, we were given a fresh pot of house tea and complimentary appetizer of mushrooms, onions and cucumber in hot and sour sauce.

Here's what we ordered:

Deep Fried Lapu-Lapu with Mango Sauce. This dish is a bit pricey but it's worth it. One whole grouper, fried to a nice crisp, lies in a bed of sweet chili sauce and garnished with julienned green and ripe mangoes. I'm not a fan of sweet entrees but this is too good to pass up!

They also offer Steamed Lapu-Lapu in Black Bean Sauce, which is more up my alley. I'll try that on my next visit.

Salted Egg Prawn. I have a new favorite! I love shrimps and prawns cooked in every which way so I zeroed in on this dish instantly. Seven pieces of fat, juicy prawns fried in salted egg batter sit atop a bed of kropek noodles. I scraped the tasty batter off the shell, mixed it with the prawns and enjoyed it with spoonfuls of steamed rice. Don't forget the kropek noodles! It stayed crispy even after our meal, I had it bagged to go as well. :p

We also wanted to try the Grilled Skewered Frogs but it still wasn't available. Another dish that caught my eye was a sample platter of Chicken Pandan, Spring Rolls, and seafood cake (can't remember if it's crab or fish). But there was only two of us so we passed. We noticed the Pineapple fried rice was a hit among the other diners (fried rice served on a hollowed out pineapple shell).

The owners were hands-on (we're guessing it's a family business), supervising the floors and checking the dishes coming out of the kitchen. A lady came up and gave us a silver VIP card, which entitles us to a 5% discount on every visit! We asked out server if we could use it then. She said not yet, but not to worry because we were getting a 20% discount on our bill (not including beverages) anyway! How lucky were we?

Golden Elephant Seafoods Garden Restaurant is a good place to take your family for special occasions or Sunday lunches and dinners. Fresh seafood and other flavorful dishes with generous portions are served, and they have an extensive menu you can choose from.

Dine at the restaurant and enjoy 15% discount until December 31, 2013. And if you're lucky, you might be able to get a discount card too. :)

P.S. After doing research for this post, I realized it's not an entirely new restaurant, but they just changed their name. It's formerly Koh Samui Thai Cuisine. That explains the print on our table napkins and take away bag. Just the same, the good food and great service promises a good experience for diners. :)


Golden Elephant Seafoods Garden Restaurant
M6, Hobbies of Asia Complex, Macapagal Avenue, Pasay City
Tel Nos. +632-556-6666/+632-808-9999/+63915-7722229

P.S. I know the correct term is "seafood" and that's actually what's in their discount card, so I hope they drop the extra "s" on their front signage.

Resto Bites - Kuppa

Since my office moved to Bonifacio Global City, I've been on the hunt for quality but reasonably-priced restaurants. There are a lot of good restaurants there, but the price range is more suited for an executive. That's why my team and I rarely eat out (but that's also because we have a kick-ass cafeteria/food court in our building hehe).

During one of our team lunch-outs, we passed by Kuppa, a coffee place that catches your attention because of the handwritten menu on their windows. It reminded me of the movie Amelie. That day, some of my teammates and I decided to have our dessert there. We tried two cakes, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombe and lemon cake (I forgot the actual name).

There is so much more to their menu than cakes and coffee, so I decided to come back with Jay to eat there during one of our date nights. Just to set your expectations, I am not a coffee drinker, so although Kuppa is also known for its coffee, there's none of that in this post.

Kuppa has nice interiors, a mix of concrete, brick and wood set against black and white walls. The space has high ceilings with exposed beams and plumbing. There are huge picture windows but the handwritten menu acts like a thin curtain for diners inside. There's a second floor with more seats, and a smoking area as well.

Yummy pastries, chalkboard menu, and nice interiors. I'm sold!

Here's what we ordered:

Water was complimentary, but the bottle is nice so I included it in the photo. :)

I had iced tea and Jay had lemonade. They serve their iced tea with syrup as sweetener, which reminded me of the one served at Chocolate Kiss (in UP Diliman).

I'd like to think I'm more adventurous than Jay when it comes to food. His philosophy is that when he's hungry, he'd like to be sure he's eating good food. We were nearly starving at this point so he opted for the basic bolognese. And I'm glad he did. This is one of the more flavorful spaghetti I've had in a while. The serving is good to share if you're also ordering other entrees.

While we were waiting for our pizza, Jay wanted to order the kebab but the server said it would take a while so we'll just reserve it for our return. There are other interesting entrees too, like the Osso Bucco and Lamb Caldereta. They also have a variety of sandwiches as well as a breakfast menu.

For our pizza, our server recommended the Prosciutto Cotto e Funghi as one of their bestsellers so we tried that. As you can see from the photo, some edges of the crust were burnt, but the rest of the pie was amazing. They didn't scrimp on the mozarella, cooked ham, and mushrooms. When I'm with my more adventurous foodie friends, I'd like to try their signature pizza called Cristina, which has an interesting mix of toppings: mozarella, balsamic, gorgonzola, fig and grapes.

Now, I've mentioned before that I am not a chocolate fan. But I'm more likely to eat chocolate when it's incorporated in another dessert, like a cake. This Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombe has my approval. It's rich, with the right amount of sweetness. A layer of peanut butter is sandwiched between white chocolate mousse and chocolate cake, then encased in chocolate ganache. You'll be licking your dessert forks with this one.

Just like Bob's, Kuppa is a cafe that originated from Bacolod. I wasn't able to pay a visit while I was there, but I'm happy they now have a branch in Manila. It's definitely worth coming back to!

Let me end my post with a shot of this decadence:

Kuppa Roastery & Cafe
31st and 4th
Bonifacio Global City
+632-552-1057

Resto Bites: Sunshine Kitchen

I love eating out, but that habit can be tough on the pocket especially when you want to eat in a good restaurant. To get quality food, sometimes you have to pay a high price. That's why I am so thankful discount websites have sprung like wild mushrooms everywhere! I've gotten so many good deals from those sites be it for health, beauty, and of course, food! It can get addicting though, so make sure you purchase stuff you really need. Everything in moderation. :)

Marye, Ten, and I shared a coupon for Sunshine Kitchen. It was a consumable voucher that allowed us to order items on the regular menu. That was good because usually when restaurants tie up with a discount website, they offer a special set menu. I forgot how much the coupon was, but what we did was pay for the additional cost of our orders.

My first impression when we entered Sunshine Kitchen was that it lacked sunshine. Maybe because we came on a gloomy day, or maybe I was just thinking about a different restaurant. You know, white furniture, bright and cheerful walls, birds chirping. Heh, my bad.

Sunshine Kitchen has brick walls, black tables, and yellow chairs. The sunlight comes from the huge picture windows covered by the restaurant signage in the middle. A bar with high black stools gives a peek into the restaurant's kitchen.

The sunshine comes from the food they serve: flavorful, well-seasoned, and with generous servings. Each dish is worth the price.

For appetizers, we had mixed mushroom with poached egg (P280). Two thumbs up for this dish. Even the bread was great.

We also ordered Pasta Al Nero (P410). It's squid ink spaghetti with shrimp, squid, snapper and cream. I love anything pasta, and this was a hit for me. Creamy and tender, it's good for sharing but I have no doubt I can finish it on my own.

Another great dish, this is the 6-hour Slow Roast Porchetta (P450). We also split this among the three of us (their menu says it's good for two), but if you're not too worried about your cholesterol levels, then go ahead and eat it solo. The pork was cooked right, and it has the right mix of crisp and tender, crunchy and juicy. It comes with three dipping sauces, but it's delicious even on its own.

One of the reasons we headed to this restaurant was to try out their "artisanal pizzas," and boy we weren't disappointed. We tried their signature dish, the Sunshine Pizza (P550). It has a bed of marinara sauce topped with Cabanatuan longganisa, porchetta, mozzarella, ricotta, bell peppers, and what we think could only be quail eggs on each slice. Smoky, savory goodness in every bite. This is definitely not from your neighborhood pizza joint.

Oh but the happiness didn't stop there. We finished our delightful meal with two scoops of Key Lime Pie Ice Cream topped with crushed grahams (P240). Ah, I could sing this dessert praises all day! I've mentioned before that I have a different taste when it comes to desserts and sweets, but this, this is definitely my type. It is exactly what you need on a hot summer day: cold, tangy, and refreshing. Actually, you'd want to eat it even if it's cold and raining! I can still taste it in my mouth as I type this. I shall come back for you!

Service was good, the servers efficient and knowledgable of the menu. I won't be surprised if this place is always packed with customers.

Sunshine Kitchen
The Fort Strip
7th Avenue corner Katipunan Circle
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig/Makati City
+632-8472791
+63928-8212625

Resto Bites: Sincerity

A couple of months ago, my former office mates and I decided to have a field trip in Binondo to eat at Sincerity, a hole in the wall restaurant famous for their fried chicken.

I first came to know about Sincerity through my Mom, who frequents Divisoria for her garments business. She would sometimes bring a take out order of fried chicken, which is so good even after you've put them in the fridge overnight. The chicken remains tender and flavorful. It's been years since I last ate their chicken.

One Saturday we met up in front of Binondo Church and walked for about ten minutes until we found the restaurant squeezed between other establishments on the busy Yuchengco Street. The interiors are nothing fancy: basic plastic tables and chairs. One wall has mirror panels to make the place look bigger. Above them, there are framed photos and plates signed by celebrities. A small TV screen by the counter plays on loop a Kris TV episode (with Kris Aquino and Kim Chiu) that was shot inside Sincerity.

I found it cute that their serving plates are the ones my relatives had when I was younger--those white and beige ceramic plates with a classic print of a lady and a gentleman. It brought me back to my childhood!

Our orders:

Three half orders of Sincerity Fried Chicken. Like I said, it's great. This is not your fast food chicken. Each part is seasoned well, and the pieces are cut just right. Looking back, I should've ordered some for take-out.

Oyster Cake. This is an acquired taste, one that I'm glad I got. The oysters are removed from their shells, enveloped in scrambled eggs, then it was either baked or fried. All I know for sure is this is a must-try! If you love seafood, then you shouldn't miss ordering this.

Polonchay belongs in the same family as spinach. Tastes like spinach too. We ordered this because of guilt. All our orders were fried and oily! Hehe.

Kikiam. Again, not how your typical kikiam looks like. One order costs P50 pesos, but the serving size is big. And it's yummy!

Sincerity Fried Rice. A Chinese restaurant staple. I think we ordered several extra servings of this.

And because one of my office mates ordered it, I got jealous and ordered a sago't gulaman for myself! Perfect thirst quencher.

We only had to pay P189 each for all our orders (including drinks). That was two hundred pesos well spent, I tell ya. Food is excellent and service is good. They even gave us house tea and complimentary ube ensaymada! If only Sincerity was more accessible, I'd be a staple for sure.

Here's a blurry group photo. Happy smiles and happy tummies!

Sincerity Restaurant & Cafe
497 Yuchengco St., Binondo, Manila
Tel. No. 241-9991/241-9990/241-9972

Sincerity Restaurant & Cafe
G/F Luck Chinatown Mall
Reina Regente St. cor. Dela Reina St., Binondo, Manila

Sincere Restaurant & Cafe
549 Banawe St., Quezon City
Tel No. 711-0212/711-0280

Resto Bites: Ba Noi's

Barangay Kapitolyo in Pasig City is a treasure trove of small restaurants that cater to a wide range of food lovers. There are holes-in-the wall, burger joints, milk tea places, delis, and drinking places. Name it, Kapitolyo probably has it.

One recent addition to Kapitolyo's roster is Ba Noi's Vietnamese restaurant. It was formerly located at Perea St., Legaspi Village in Makati. Their loss is our gain! I'm so glad I live near Kapitolyo because if I'm craving for something, I just pick a joint and I'll be sure to come home full and happy.

For Marye's pre-birthday lunch, we decided to give Ba Noi's a try. And we're glad we did!

Like most restaurants in Kapitolyo, Ba Noi's is small and cozy, its tables close one another. I'm not sure but I think it now occupies the space where a beauty salon (Glamourama!) used to be. Bamboo curtains covering the door and windows, dark wooden furniture, and key wall pieces compose the resto's Asian vibe. On one wall you will find enlarged photos of their menu offerings.

Oh, and I found out that Ba Noi means paternal grandmother in Vietnamese. I guess that should clue you in on the kind of food they serve: homey, filling, and delicious. Just like a grandmother's cooking.

Our orders (italicized words from their menu):

Goi Cuon - pork, shrimp and rice vermicelli wrapped in soft rice paper. I prefer the fresh rolls more than the fried ones so it was a no-brainer that we chose this dish. One order comes with three big rolls so we had one each. The serving is big, but I was looking for a citrus kick. Marye also mentioned that when they ate this in Vietnam, there was an herb included that was missing in our order. Good thing Ba Noi's peanut sauce is good, so that made up for the lack of flavor.

Bun Cha Gio Thit Nong - A rice noodle dish served with fried spring rolls and grilled pork in our homemade sauce with pickled carrot daikon. This order was a surprise hit. Marye thought the dish had soup when she ordered it, so we were a bit puzzled when it arrived. A bowl of noodles, greens, and meat comes with small platter of sauce. Mix it together and you have one satisfying meal! The delicious sauce coats the glass noodles thoroughly. I will definitely come back for this dish.

Bo Luc Lac - The house favorite stir-fried spiced beef served with fried basil. This is another winning dish. I'm apprehensive when ordering beef in a restaurant because they have the tendency to get tough when not cooked right. But our order came with tender and juicy beef cubes. Squeeze a slice of lime over the beef, then eat with the fried basil leaves and white steamed rice. Superb! If you want it spicy, then you can cut up the red chilis that come with the dish.

Ca Kho To - Deep fried catfish, simmered in rich caramel sauce, garnished with spring onions and fresh chilis. The catfish was delicious as well. It reminds me of home cooked meals, and savory dishes are always good in my book. Just be careful when eating because the fish slices are not deboned. When I come back, I will also try their fried catfish!

For those four dishes, our bill was around P1,200. Four hundred pesos each for us three. Not bad! I also have to commend their service. Serving time was just right. The servers were attentive, made sure they got our orders right, and we didn't have to get their attention for water refills. We went there on their third day of operations, but save for the "cash only" sign at the door, you wouldn't think they were on their soft opening. But that's probably because they just relocated, and not a "new" restaurant.

One of the owners, Dodjie Violago, was also there. Ten said he's also one of the owners of Borough, and Il Ponticello. Dodjie went to our table and asked how our meal went. He also told us that Ba Noi's is open seven days a week! So you can drop by even on Sundays.

 Ba Noi's
12 East Capitol Drive
Barangay Kapitolyo
Pasig City
(Near Charlie's Grind and Grill)
Landline: (02) 477-97-61

Operating Hours: 
Mon - Sat 11:00am - 3:00am
Sun - 11:00am - 10:00pm

Resto Bites: Kasbah

For my birthday, I treated my office friends Mariela and Ten to lunch at Kasbah, The Fort. I got a good deal from Groupon, which included a set lunch for four, for only P1600. It was our first time to eat there, and we weren't disappointed.

Kasbah is located at The Fort Strip, near Bonifacio High Street Central. It's the same building where Fitness First, Keg, and URBN are. The huge wooden doors open up to a loft-type space, with high ceilings and natural light coming in from the huge windows. The restaurant, which can probably accommodate up to 50 people,  also has a bar inside and outside seating where the shishas are smoked.

Just a disclaimer for all my restaurant "reviews": As a diner, I am pretty easy to please. I'm not a picky eater who would dissect each and every ingredient. I can be very particular about the service and the cleanliness, but I can eat at a carinderia or at a 5-star hotel restaurant. So when I say the food is bad, it must be really bad.

But no such thing at Kasbah, because we had flavorful Moroccan dishes. The set lunch was for four but since there were only the three of us, we were stuffed!

First we were served the Hummus Harisa, described on the menu as chickpea with tahini puree. The brown stripes you see on the photo are probably paprika, which added a kick to the appetizer. It came with warm sliced pita. The thing with Morrocan dishes is that they are really filling. You can order this and one kebab and you'll be good.

Also part of the set meal was the Tabbouleh salad. This is one of my favorite dishes! Whenever I eat at a restaurant that has it on the menu, I always order it. It's a simple dish of parsley, tomatoes and mint with a lemon dressing. It's so light and refreshing, I can eat this all day! Kasbah serves their Tabbouleh with couscous, which like I said, makes this dish filling. If you're on a diet, this can be your lunch.

Our meal also came with four glasses of iced tea. Kasbah's iced tea isn't your run-of-the-mill variety. It has a nice flavor that can be a tad sweet. But I'd rather have that than the watered-down kind.

Our main course was a platter of chicken, fish and eggplant topped with a mustard sauce. The chicken was stuffed with prunes, but the spices didn't make the dish taste too sweet. Everything was well-seasoned, and the portions were good for four diners.

We were planning to order Lamb Tagine which is one of their specialties, but we were so full from our lunch there was no more space in our tummies (we had too leave room for dessert though)! Service is also efficient and the waiting time between dishes was just right to allow conversations among our group.

On my next visit, maybe I'd get to try their tagine and their kebabs too!

Kasbah is definitely worth coming back to!

Kasbah, The Fort Strip
7th Avenue Corner Katipunan Circle
Fort Global City
Taguig City, Metro Manila
+6325534499
+639172058802