Archive for August, 2008
pig-out friday!
Today was day to pig out. We had been wanting to have a bit of seafood for quite some time, so when the opportunity to hop over to the Dampa in the Ortigas Home Depot presented itself, we didn’t skip a beat.
On our plates…
- Lemon butter and Garlic Shrimps
- Three kilos of Chili Crab
- Sinigang na Salmon Belly
- Liempo
As I am writing this, I am still reeling from all the food I stuffed my face with, so pardon the lack of words… Instead, just take a quick gander at some of the photos we took with our cellphones…
[red loco roco? ...from jay's creative noggin]
[pork heaven]
[the aftermath]papa's got a brand new Bread Bag
Nestled in Ortigas Home Depot lies Bread Bag, a new eatery that brings back memories of great food, packaged in a more casual and budget friendly setting.
Backed by the tradition and quality of the old Casa Marcos, Bread Bag offers wallet friendly snacks and meals without sacrificing the taste and quality or scrimping on the quantity. Each pan de sal is a tasty treat, coming in at a hefty 50g per piece (and costs only PhP 6.00; a Baker’s Dozen [13 pieces, for those unaware of the term] goes for PhP 72.00).
But of course, the new eatery doesn’t stop at their famous pan de sal… Numerous variants of various viands are offered in either “Pan de Plato” or Sandwiches. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the items in the menu:
Pan de Plato:
- Adobo – classic stew of pork and chicken in soy sauce, garlic and vinegar.
- Menudo – pork cubes sauteéd with potatoes, carrots and raisins in tomato sauce.
- Pan ala Cubana – sauteéd ground beef with tomato sauce, onions, raisins, fried banana and a sunny side up egg.
- Roast Beef – beef brisket braised in beef stock, soy sauce, tomatoes, garlic and onions.
- Calderetea – stewed beef short ribs in tomato sauce, bell peppers, garlic and onions.
- Chicken and Mushroom – chicken thighs strips with button mushrooms and special gravy.
Sandwiches:
- Corned Beef - house-cured beef brisket sauteéd in onions, topped with scrambled eggs. Served with garlic-mayo.
- Chicken Schnitzel – pan-fried and breaded chicken thigh fillet. Served with lettuce and tomato and house gravy.
- Longganisa – pan-seared special longganisa with lettuce and tomato. Served with sweet and spicy sauce.
- Sardines – best with sweet and spicy sauce.
- Embutido – Roulade of ground pork and beef, boiled egg, pickle relish and chorizo. Served with house gravy.
- Kesong Puti with Pesto – Laguna cheese with basil pesto, tomato and balsamic vinegar syrup.
Either choice is a hearty meal in itself, as the portions are quite large and generous in portions. And both the Pan de Plato and sandwich comes with a side of tasty kamote chips and a drink.
If you’re looking for something a bit lighter, you also have the option to try the soup of the day, served in a home made bread bowl.
And if you’re wondering about the price, the meals start at Php 77.00 and only go as high as PhP 99.00, while the soup goes for PhP 33.00.
Bread Bag is located by Ortigas Home Depot, right beside Next Door restaurant and across I Love 80s.
Jollibee: fastfood… literally
Today, Jollibee gave new meaning to the term “fastfood”.
Launching their new line of “Sarap-on-the-move” variants of the classic Jolly Hotdog, Jollibee invited select members of the media, as well as a few bloggers to partake in a few rounds of adrenaline pumping karting over at City Kart before sampling their new Chili Cheese Dog and Bacon Mushroom Tops.
Yes, we got to zip around for a few exciting laps in those extremely fun go-karts with full gear — jumpsuit, helmet and all. But more importantly, we got a preview of the delightful new offerings from Jollibee.
The Chili Cheese Dog offers a mild kick with its spiced beef toppings and generous layer of cheesy sauce while the Bacon Mushroom Tops is a tasty treat with loads of sprinkled bacon bits, mushroom slices and cheesy sauce. Both sandwiches are hearty snacks and quite easy to munch on, even when on the go.
And if you’re wondering about the cost… the solo sandwiches retail at PhP 42.00, while the value meal goes for PhP 66.00. So if you’re looking for a quick bite with a lot of flavor, you may want to check out Jollibee’s latest treats.
Chowking Hongkong Style Congee
Once again, Chowking brings us another way to enjoy their food, while getting a chance to take home some cool freebies. This time, though, you get a chance to win a laptop.
Simply order a bowl of their Hongkong Style Congee take a snap of the said meal and share your most creative Chowking Congee experience photo… and you’re on your way to being a proud owner of a new Acer Aspire.
For more info, log on to the official site.
C’ is for great Italian food
Although in plain view, C’ Italian Restaurant is one of the hidden treasures of Pampanga, unknown to many. Located just outside Clark (1210 Don Juico St., Clarkview, Malabanas, Angeles City), C’ has been frequented by socialites and celebrities alike, just to get a taste of some authentic Italian cuisine. The food is so good, that the resto was voted as the Best Restaurant for 2005 and 2006 by the Philippine Tattler. Not a bad seal of excellence…
The food does not come cheap, though. If you’re looking for Amici prices or are used to Sbarro or Pasto, don’t expect to spend the same amount of money. But as the old adage goes, “you get what you pay for.” And in C’, you will see, and ultimately, taste the difference.
The dishes here use the finest quality ingredients — from the cheese to the meats, from the bread to the fish. Everything is top drawer, super special ingredients. And the portions are generous. One of the dishes we ordered was the Pasta Roberto [see photo above], a penne dish, swimming in creamy Gorgonzola heaven, topped off with sundried tomatoes, a healthy serving of sliced chicken bits, and a chunk of rosemary bread. And I am not exaggerating when I say that every bite of of the pasta came with a piece of the viand.
However, I believe the Panizza is truly one of the reasons people will keep coming back to C’. It’s basically a a large panini in the form of pizza, with a twist… or a roll, if you will. The delectable creation is cut into long strips, which you roll and eventualy pop into your mouth. Of course, to make the experience more fulfilling, you must add the alfalfa sprouts and arugula leaves into your panizza roll. My order: the Rolls Royce: a panizza topped with shrimp, scallops, pecorino, bacon and a few other ingredients I can’t recall at the moment.
To wash things down, I also ordered one of their fruit sodas. A tasty beverage that smooths the whole meal out.
The meal was so excellent that I ordered another panizza to take home, and let other people get a taste. Of curse, before it reached its destination, I had already chowed down on a few slices. And whilst I finish this small entry, I am already planning my next visit to C’!
Contact (045) 892-4059 to make your reservations. Or you can check out their website for more info… or make an online reservation.
universal remotes
After months of scouring tiannges, bangketa sales and even Divisoria, I have come to the sad conclusion that universal remote controls are not as universal as one would hope. Upon stumbling upon quite a few options, none of the remotes controls have the proper codes for my boob tube.
Admittedly, I have a television with an extremely obscure brand — Union KTV — which makes the situation a bit hopeless. I even tried searching Google for some info on the brand, but came up empty. So for the time being, it seems like I have to continue watching my favorite programs sans a remote. Okay, it isn’t the end of the world, but I’m a guy. I love flipping through the channels, especially during long commercial breaks… and scurrying over to the buttons on the tv set is just too much trouble.
Someone, please help!
customize your PSP
Tired of your boring PSP? Why not fool around with the portable toy like these two “modders” / hackers who transformed their playthings into a Touchscreen PSP and a fully functional PSP Phone.
All posts found in PSP Fanboy.
Sapato Manila in SM MOA
Sapato Manila has opened its second branch over at the SM Mall of Asia. So if you’re looking to get a pair of fashionable footwear or a bag to go with your outfit, check out the store in the second floor, near the elite cinemas.
old Jollibee faves
Last night, I was able to catch The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor thanks to Jollibee’s special screening at the Greenbelt My Cinema. The flick was, as the previous installments, very entertaining. Full of witty banter, lots of action and a pretty straightforward story line. There were a few cornball lines thrown into the mix, but The Mummy series has never claimed to be Oscar material… so suspend any pre-conceived notions of this being a ground-breaking movie. It is a movie to catch purely for the entertainment value.
But before getting too in depth into the flick, let me get back to the real reason I made it to the screening: to check out the two burgers that were being brought back to the limelight by our favorite Pinoy fastfood joint, Jollibee. Yes, the Amazing Aloha and the Cheezy Bacon Mushroom Burgers are back, due to popular demand. And this time, they’re bigger — adding a second patty to the already scrumptious burger . Come August 13, you will find these two crowd pleasers in all Jollibee joints nationwide. I’m not a big fan of fruits in my food, but the Amazing Aloha could be the exception to the rule. As to the Cheesy Bacon Mushroom… being able to put some of my favorite burger add-ons is definitely a great way to enjoy my favorite (fattening) fastfood fare.
For those of you wondering about the price, the burgers only cost PhP 82.00 solo. If you want the value meal, it comes out to PhP 108.00. But, as an added bonus, Jollibee will also be promoting their Coke products via a free refill, everytime you upsize your drink.
So if you’re looking for a tasty way to enjoy a hearty meal, grab one of these Jollibee classics while sipping down on some ice cold Coke Light.
Playing with icons
JayBoi introduced me to icons in the mac a few days ago, and ever since, I haven’t been able to stop fooling around with them. I love personalizing my own space, so this was a trippy way to do it.
This is what my finder looks like:
[click on image for larger view]
I have a lot more icons in store, and will probably be looking for more folders to change. I’m particularly fond of the Loco Roco and Patapon icons I scoured the net to download.
Oh, if you’re wondering how to change the icons for your mac, simply follow these steps:
- Copy the icon you want to use (command + C)
- Click (single) on the folder you want to edit.
- Double click and select Get Info.
- Click (single) on the icon at the top of the Get Info pop up.
- Paste the icon (command + V)…
… and voilá you have now changed your icon. Of course, you can also just purchase a program (like CandyBar) that will simplify these steps. But remember to back up your system folder icons, before changing anything as you may get sick of the revisions at one point.
Identity Theft
So I finally got my hands on the elusive sophomore album of Drip entitled Identity Theft (hence my blog post title). I had been searching for months now, only to be told in some stores that they were either “out of stock,” or worse yet, in others, I only got blank expressions like I was asking for some ultra-rare and obscure Hungarian cellist. But thankfully today (or a few hours ago, to be exact) I stumbled across the album in Bonifacio High Street’s Fully Booked.
As I had waited in eager anticipation for a few weeks, I could hardly wait to get into the car to pop the cd into my changer. And as soon as I stepped into the auto, I tore through the packaging and slipped the cd in the disc slot.
For those of you familiar with Drip’s music, you can expect the great trip-hop / electronic rock vibes synonymous with the quartet. However, there is a sense of more maturity in the album – more clarity, direction and unity. Also, there is more emphasis on the electronic aspect of the music.
As I haven’t really been listening to the radio for the past few months, I don’t know if the band has released any singles or if there has been much airplay (on NU107), but I do have my initial faves: Fallen (the album’s opening track) – a drum and bass number that opens up with a haunting wail; Kindergarten Romance – a funky, beat driven, scratched out track with heavy organs; Faultless – a slower tempo tune with great vocals, and Morning After – an up-tempo feel good king of song.
Overall verdict: If you want to listen to some original trip-hop / electronica rock, this is definitely a great place to start. Beng Calma’s distinctive drone, Caliph8′s electronic wizardry, Ian Morse’s contagious beats and Malek Lopez’s overall direction give the quartet a finely crafted patent sound.
You can read another article from PulsePh.
damn them Japanese
I have always experimented, when buying DVDs and CDs. Some turn out to be disastrous misses, while others have turned out to be undiscovered gems. My latest find, Noboru Iguchi’s comedy / thriller / drama / hack-em-up feature, The Machine Girl, is of the latter variety.
Starring Minase Yashiro (in her film debut), the ultra violent flick is extremely violent, as it is quirky and comedic. And as is evident in Japanese pop culture, the movie takes on a life of its own.
The movie starts out with the typical school storyline of a boy being bullied by a bunch of high school thugs… but before things escalate, our heroine comes to the rescue. And once the action starts, the fun begins.
Admittedly, the dialogue and the “special” effects in this movie are sub-par. However, this is where the viewing pleasure is enhanced. The low budget prosthetics and cheesy dialogue, as well as contrite plot add to the humor of the film, so don’t expect Academy Award material when you pop this flick into your DVD player. Instead, just enjoy the ride and watch out for the creative and unpredicatble minds of the filmmakers.
While most pundits will label The Machine Girl as a B-Movie, I would still give it a A rating for sheer entertainment value. After all, how often do you get to see “Tempura Hands,” “Finger Sushi” and a “Drill Bra” in a movie. Plus, I couldn’t stop laughing and getting grossed out at the same time. When was the last time a movie made you feel that way? Probably never.
If I haven’t convinced you enough, maybe this trailer will entice you to check the flick out:
