Birthday Treat/s!
I lost two phones in less than a month - first on October 20 when my alcatel glory dispappeared in my son's minion bag and second on November 18 when my alcatel one-touch slipped in between my wallet and book on my hand.
Practically, I have to settle for budget friendly new phone i. e. an un-android phone without camera. likewise this means an inactive blogging life.
Just to have an update I am posting the un-copyrighted photos of occasions in our office.
1. This was the snack treated to us by an officemate on her birthday last October. She already served us a breakfast days earlier but she could not bear not to surprise us on her exact birthday.
 |
| Sandwhich and Ice cream - one of the things I find it difficult is to estimate how much ice cream to serve. |
 |
| I love ice cream! |
 |
| this is the same treat, but on a different angle. |
They usually say Puto and Dinuguan tandem is divine but for me, I just don't get it when I eat dish with anything other than rice.
 |
| this was the puto... |
 |
| and dinuguan. |
-end
Panauhing Pandangal (Guest of Honor)
 |
Lapu Lapu is a usual centerpiece of banquets and the hosts intend to have that attraction
last until the end of the day. More or less, if you're not the guest of honor you are likely not
welcome to take a piece.
|
One of the most abala moments of employees' lives is when they're going to have visitors in the office. I learned about that way back as a child. My mother used to be ngarag on those times. One of the last times she did was when my father told her to prepare a banquet for Ms. Cynthia Villar around the time Sen. Manny Villar was planning to run for President on his first try. They were roaming around the province and my father was supposedly few of the people that the entourage was going to meet.
I remember that we were already at hard times then but had prawn and crabs as prepared meals for them.
***
Oftentimes, that is one of the things I imagine to experience once I get to realize my dream to become a successful person - maging panauhing pandangal, as they say. My wife used to be a boss in her office. We get special treatment on fiestas of her subordinates. I sort of figured out that there are dishes served to us which kept from other ordinary visitors.
I am still an ordinary government employee but in some ways there are instance that I do get special treatment. I do fieldwork in some government offices and being offered to have coffee never fails to excite me. Just the offer. I have the conscious effort to decline. I was properly briefed by my mentors. Arriving at your itineraries at lunch time is such an awkward situation. Avoid doing that. I hope people take it positively that I am notorious in turning down offers to have lunch.
***
Fast forward to present. I'm amazed how the team in our office works every time we have visitors. In my early years in the office I don't take part in those instances. It was only last month that I got so involved. I must have been their apprentice. For few reasons, I was tasked to arrange for the preparation of food for the visitors from the Central Office. I was in charge not only to transact with the caterer but I also had a say on choosing the dishes. There were few instructions.
1. The guests are from Manila and we are in Bataan, they are likely to expect seafood in the menu.
2. Make sure to have pork, chicken, fish and vegetable so that if some of the guests do not eat one of them, they still have other options.
3. The guests are our bosses. The objective is not only to satisfy them but also (sorry for the term) to impress them. Lapu-lapu is usually a banquet's centerpiece - make sure to have that as part of the objective to impress.
4. Lastly, expense is the last concern because aside from the food, we have to accomplish what would be required of us from their official business.
 |
| Tortang alimasag. |
 |
| We ran out of idea for chicken. We settled for the basic - fried chicken. |
 |
We ran out time for the preparation of a desert. We also fear that the caterer
would if we ordered a salad. Banana is healthy. Last minute request from the
caterer was mixed-fresh fruit which is not in photo.
|
 |
| headshot for the torta. |
 |
Shrimps which is the basic hipong puti. Not prawn. It has white-soft meat
unlike prawns which have thicker texture of meat.
|
We did not hear much response about the food from our guests. They must have been used to being treated specially or they were just so focused on the purpose of the visit. What I am definite about was that we enjoyed also the food - even the day after. Sobrang dami kong nainum na sago hanggang kinabukasan.
Going back to my first story, Mrs. Villar did rounds in Bataan that scheduled date but the meeting with my dad never happened. I don't not know where have the prawn and crabs gone.
RECENT FOOD TRIP 2: Buko Sorbetes, Binalot, Fruit shake
 |
This is the new place in Angeles which I have yet to know what it's called. It's sort
one-stop dining area where you can find almost all restaurants in the city.Middle: It's selfie basically because my wife does not like taking picture. The shot with dramatic light effect was not intentional. Right: the condiments at Binalot Restaurant. The vinegar is authentic cane vinegar. |
Last weekend we were invited to a birthday party which we don't know how to get to the venue. We decided not to push though and my son got so upset. The good thing about it is that we'll have more time to go malling instead of being confined in a party waiting for the games and show to be finished.
The things we imagined to do that day were - eat out, stroll, buy elmo's school uniform, let him play in a pay-playground and have dinner at the new Dainty. She thought that it is an additional dainty restaurant. We found out that the old one has been closed for the new one since they are both in the Nepo area. I have yet to know the name of the place. It is sort of the summary of the restaurants in Angeles - found in one place.
 |
The queque was intriguing. We dared to find out if the
long line is worth it. We had an order of coco-sorbetero
in a coconut shell.
|
 |
| Left and Right:Ang binalot at ang tinalupan. |
We settled for Binalot. There's a back story of how we decided to dine there. There was a binalot stall (not a restaurant) outside Nepo Mall. On one of our visits, my wife was too excited to find such. She was so upset when the waitress told us that everything was out of stock. Months later we are seated on a newly open Binalot restaurant which was last weekend. I like the interior design. The seats and tables are classic. The design is Filipino which is a must for a traditional Filipino binalot. I just find some parts of the place to be high maintenance. The ceiling is adorned with baskets and other weaved articles which are prone to dust. The wash area is an old poso. The pump is real but the function is not. Customers might need assistance from the crew to find out how it works. I like the counter table and its background which is made of pieces of wood put together as collage wall. I don't have pictures. My wife told me not to take pictures. The sound of my camera phone is distracting to other patrons.
I had bagoong rice and pork. My wife had adobo. Both binalot. I love the serving. Lots of rice means there no need to have separate order for my son. The serving comes with salted egg -the oily/greasy type that I like. We even had extra order of itlog na pula. What I really love about the food is that the taste of the dishes are ordinary - no more, no less. If adobo and bagoong pork were done with a twist, it no longer passes as authentic Filipino food. We are on tight budget so we had service water.
Ultimately, I love their vinegar. My mother used to travel a lot for work. Most of these, she brings home vinegar of that place. One of them tastes like what they have in the restaurant.
On our walk towards the parking area, we chanced upon friends who just came from the party. They asked us why we did not attend. We don't know where the venue is.
***
Last Sunday, we were in Marquee Mall but agreed to have dinner at home. We're in for a light snack but for a not-so-light priced bread in Breadtalk. We usually have P15 donuts on ordinary days and Breadtalk goodies for special days. Last Sunday was special. We were so busy choosing the best valued-bread when we found out elmo was not seating in the dining table as we expected him to be. We found him in the playground so we settled to have our snack on the fountain area. We are familiar with tea stalls but the fresh fruit shake stall is new to us. I had to probe first if the flavors are powdered or real fruit. We ordered right away from combination of fruits as found in the menu. You could have two kinds of fruits in one shake. Papaya, Orange, Mango, Apple, Banana, Melon and Watermelon. The options had to be trimmed down to few when most of the fruits were not available. They even had this one fruit but the crew does not want to peel it at that time.
I just love fresh fruit shake. The experience compensated for the inefficiencies.
***
Aint'-ie Dainty
 |
| May mention ako na "fancy restaurants", actually masarap pakinggan at common naman ginagamit na adjective for restaurant, pero di ko pa natingnan what do we really mean when we say "fancy"? |
Going home, I pass by Balibago where It is such a sight seeing all those fancy restaurants. Dainty Asian Cuisine is likely to catch your attention. Exterior and exterior design can be viewed at the same time because of the glass walls. More or less the cafe in Nepo area follows the same design.
It was such an intriguing place for us since we moved to Angeles two years ago. The look is intimidating enough that we didn't try to dine for the longest time. Then, my wife told me that they had ordered for take out from dainty - realized that indeed quite expensive. What was interesting is that it does not look like an Asian Restaurant. For me, I thought it could pass for a french or an italian restaurant. From then on, I had an objective to have a dine-in experience.
At the start of year 2013, we finally settled to dine at Dainty for our wedding anniversary. I came all the way from Bataan that night and arrived at around 9PM. My wife by then starving, had quick snack at a tusok-tusok. She could no longer eat on the dinner proper. She got full from tokneneng and isaw from the sidewalk.
The next experience was on Dainty Cafe just this weekend. The car was parked where Dainty is abot-tanaw. The agreement was to order only one dish to avoid a large bill but we ended up ordering almost exactly the same set of dishes from the last time we visited the place. We had lumpiang shanghai, chopseuy and yang chow (minus the zipo egg), for the ultimate reason of having the least prices among those found in the menu.
Taste wise, the dishes taste chinese. I mean we cook spring rolls and chopseuy at home which taste Filipino - they do it the chinese way. So categorically, the food is more than ok. I just have a very little problem with the crew. I think there is enough numbers to serve the customers. It was just quite difficult calling their attention. The Nepo cafe is quite small, the crew must have been more attentive finding out if customers need their services. Anyway, they are generally friendly and polite.
Overall, the experience is fine and our next objective is to try the other dishes - even if it takes one dish per visit. This means we are coming back.
 |
| Left: It's not that I found my best angle for this photo, this was the best I can take so as to photograph myself. Selfie shot eto, hindi lang halata. Notice the beautiful background. Right: My wife and Elmo as I try to get an artistic shot with the lamp. |
 |
| I love the tables and chairs. |
 |
Take two! we ordered them before and ordered once more - spring roll, chopseuy and yang chow.
Susie, who?
 |
| My apologies for using the same photos from previous blog posts. |
I was so eager to share this story with my office mates with my typical exaggerations. Actually I don't make things controversial, I make them interesting.
As for sharing this for the blog, I have lots of hesitation. For security purposes, this is the sanitized version of weekend outing. Saturday morning, I met up with this person for us to get a ride. I did not doubt that I was about to meet a fine person - he would not let us tag along for the trip if he is not. To my surprise, I got messages of apologies on my phone for making us wait for a while.
He was just as cordial in person offering lots of food the moment we stepped in the car. Few more minutes, I learned that he is associated with Susie's cuisine. I mean "The" Susie's cuisine!
By the way, we talked about lots of things but I was not able to have the courage to ask who Susie is.
As an aftermath of that encounter, here is the anthology of my trysts with the restaurant long before I met him..
My Project
Free Black Forest
I usually go (to our Angeles) home friday night. There are instances when my wife is on duty and yaya has an assumption that i have enough money to have dinner outside. Basta, dahil siya ang in charge tipidin ang mga ulam pag wala kami mag-asawa, di niya ako shine-share sa ulam kapag friday night.
We go through, or I go through tough times that I don't have enough money for dinner. I texted my wife to make sure that I would be included to what Yaya would prepare for that night. I also texted directly to yaya.
I have doubts. Armed with my close-to-credit limit credit card found myself at Goldilock's counter asking, "May minimum po ba pag gumamit ng credit card?" I got a friendly response that it's fine to charge kahit P69 lang ang kakainin ko.
What's more exciting is that they offer free slice of cake for the day. I got a slice of black forest for free!
My Project
I recently had a project. I was supposed to finish an essay and/or a short story. it's been almost 15 years when I last joined (on the spot) contest. When you're no longer a student, walang mga on the spot. Send an entry and wait. I have problems with work ethics - I always fall asleep, and work area - my work area is my bed so i always fall asleep.
I sort of feel a plateau in my career. I am on the phase of freeze. I have to set aside everything while waiting for my wife to finish her residency. I can't go back to school nor take review classes and short courses. I think winning literary contest would provide an interest and break the monotony.
So I found a work area. There is a (forgive me if I say) less popular coffee shop in the area where I find solace and the mood to write. That's my place also when I have deadlines for submission of grades. I had a total of three nights accomplishing my project which I have a limit of P130 each visit.
day one - tuna sandwich and batman blast
day two - spaghetti and service water
day three - tuna sandwich and slush
Summer, di ako nagcoffeee.
Ooh yah
I have two jobs which both give salaries in cash. The ATM payroll system is on process for my primary job.
I always have problems with pag-papabarya. I usually receive (di naman karamihan) one-thousands and five-hundreds.
So hirap magpabarya, two best options are always Jollibee or McDo. Mas malapit sa McDo pauwi kaya more on dun ako. Statistically, I have significant contributions on their hot-fudge sundae sales. P25, mababarya ang P500 or P1000 ko. Frequently, the cashiers ask if I have smaller bill.
For a change, I went to Ooh yah which is a milk tea house for the same purpose. There was a time, about months ago when we had our interest on milk teas. It's been quite a while since I last visited a milk tea house and I end up taking wrong order.
Anyways, nabarya naman ang P500 ko.
my kitchen and recent food trips
An update, at last!
I cook on weekends on a somewhat regular basis, most of which were not blog worthy.
Pending such chef blog posts I intent to do soon, let me show you my kitchen in progress.
Anyways, this is my kitchen in my house in the ancestral family compound where I live on weekdays. I go home on weekends where my wife and child stay.
Anyways, technically the kitchen is just a set up for now. The fixtures are in place. Behind is the lavatory where I intend to wash the dishes - sa bahay na hindi pangmayaman, dyan din ang toothbrush-an. I don't have enough space in the bathroom install another sink.
The counter table was an old window frame. The top is a piece of old wood from a dismantled cabinet. There is also a brick post which was made to conceal a not-so-pleasant wood post.
I shared what's there. So for wha'ts not there - I don't have stove and the essential gasul. Flat iron is not that bad as a prize in a christmas party raffle. Not when you want get one of the two stoves at stake.
***
As a child I pretend to do cooking show host when I make calamansi juice or prepare my chocolate drink. This was at those times that I was not yet allowed to use the stove. When people from the household allowed me, there were summer vacations that I became in charge of the cooking, which includes going to the market. I was given a amount enough cover main dish, beverage and dessert. From that, I made decent varieties of fried chicken. What I cannot practically succeed on is to make gulaman. I use "is"because until now i just can't have it the way it should be. When I do my mock cooking show, the last instruction would always be to put the gelatin in a plastic bag and throw it in the garbage can.
I'm sharing it because it happened just last Sunday. After more than an hour of cooking sago I just could get the right texture. I just don't know how much time would it take, all I know is that nauubos na ang gasul namin. I drained it and put it in a plastic bag all the way to our trash can. The same goes for the sardines spaghetti that i made -on the same day.
***
lastly, I had few (not intentionally for the blog) food trips which i am sharing. I've been on field work for the past weeks, gone out with my family and visited coffee shop to finish office paper works.
 |
| photo ops for hou tsu. I cant find the correct spelling of this vietnamese soup. |
I was in Morong, Bataan for field work. With a tight budget, I was looking for a carinderia for lunch. I used to eat near the bus terminal but I don't want to go there since I still have transactions in the municipal hall at 1:00pm. My option was to walk few meters back and forth or spend P20 for tricycle fare. Then, I found a vietnamese carinderia. I mean - carinderia and not a restaurant, which I was not able to get the name. I had this soup for P25 and a small chat with the (i suppose) owner.
 |
| clockwise: 1. bic mac courtesy of my kuya 2. required order to stay in a coffee shop, cafe americana for P60. 3. & 4. kim bop and the other serving from a korean restaurant. |
As far as i remember, I never bought big mac in my entire life. my kuya, an OFW has this benefit of being able to go home every 90 days. When he's in the Philippines, engrande! we always have midnight snack of fastfood. panalo or talo sa sabong, or kahit walang laban. Maisip lang, he does take out snacks from fast food. That's when i asked for a big mac.
As an instructor, teaching in the classroom is one of the easiest task escpecially when it's not the first time to teach that subject. having a double job, what's difficult is to find time to check for quizzes, assignment and seatwork, and compute for grades. then, i find a coffee shop which always has few customers. That's where I do the above tasks. Anyways, sa coffee shop, di kape or food and binabayaran, kungdi ang space.
there was this one time that my wife and I had a date. We found a korean restaurant. the signage says sandwhich cafe. I just don't know if that's really the name or it's unreplace signage of the previous restaurant which occupied the space.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
