2008 March | Ajay's Writings on the Wall

March, 2008

Announcing Lasang Pinoy 25: ‘Make Your Own Bento’

March 31, 2008 by ajay

My most recent post on the bento inspired me to host this April’s themed Filipino food blogging event Lasang Pinoy. It has been quite a while indeed … Lasang Pinoy is already on its 25th round-up, a silver celebration if you wish.

It is for this reason that I am inviting all Filipino bloggers and readers to participate in my merry theme entitled Make Your Own Bento. ‘Make Your Own Lunchbox or Baon’ if you like, just as long as it depicts a combination of Filipino food that closely resembles a Japanese bento – the healthier and more creative, the better.

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Category Bento, Munchin' | Tags: | 17 Comments
Jollibee TV is coming to town

March 29, 2008 by ajay

My whole family loves Jollibee. It is the ultimate Filipino icon.

I love the fact that you can eat a decent meal there for less than $1.

And it’s so true. “The Jollibee mascot is more popular than Mickey Mouse in this part of the world.”

Jollibee is Filipino. Filipino is Jollibee.

Now, for some piece of news.Jollibee has branched out to a cartoon show on television. In a family-oriented format called Jollitown.

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Category Press Release | Tags: | 9 Comments
Coming home to ‘Angel’s Kitchen’

March 25, 2008 by ajay

I’ve heard so much about Angels’ Kitchen in the news and from my readers, so I thought it’s about time we paid the place a visit. It’s a simple-looking cafeteria on 57 Northeast Connecticut St., a little further away from the maddening shopping crowd of Greenhills proper. This strip of NE Connecticut is interesting actually as it hosts a Bikram Yoga studio, a branch of Conti’s, UCC, an American Express bank, a couple of salons and the Konbini Tokyo store I mentioned in my earlier post.

What first greets diners is the open kitchen itself which is far from industrial, it is in fact what I would like to have for my ideal home. It’s a working kitchen, with a rectangular counter, and at the same time a showcase for the resto’s sinful desserts and take-home goodies.

The menu is quite sparse and well-organized. To begin our meal, I was almost tempted to order the Spread Sampler of Tuna Olive, Spinach Pesto and Chicken Pistachio Pate (P258) – until the server had the good mind to tell me that they DO offer a complimentary serving of the pate and melba toast. That was a nice gesture, I thought.

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Category Munchin' | Tags: | 3 Comments
Where to buy Royce Chocolates in Manila……?

March 24, 2008 by ajay

Royce, those exquisite, melt-in-yer-mouth chocolates from Japan, is in town! You just have to look and be patient. Chances are the growing number of Japanese convenience stores in the metro is sure to offer them, in one way or other. That’s how we found Royce Nama chocos in the freezer counter of the Konbini Store Tokyo Market in Greenhills.

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Category Munchin' | Tags: | 28 Comments
Holy Week 2008 Manila

March 22, 2008 by ajay

Why did I get the feeling that Manilans didn’t at all leave Manila during this long Holy Weekend?

Signs of this were the traffic as well as the crowded restos and other public places.

Long lines at Chow King in Blue Wave-Macapagal.

Black Friday dinner crowd at the new Seaside Market/San Miguel by the Bay in Mall of Asia – filled to capacity! Incidentally, I love this new hang-out, with its long bayside promenade. It reminds me of the original Baywalk, without the hassle of crowding in a major road. Among the restaurants found here are Harbor View Resto, Hawaiian Bar-B-Que, Pier One, Uno Pizzeria, Chiang Mai Thai Cuisine, JuiceMio, CFront and the Seaside Paluto places like Robbie’s, Aling Tonya’s, Sis, Claire de la Fuente and many others.

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Category My Manila | Tags: | 3 Comments
Brian Gorrell: the official mini-interview

March 18, 2008 by ajay

Brian Gorrell has proved that blogging is therapy, you don’t need a shrink. Still, there appears to be still a lot of pent-up anger and revelations that will be unveiled in his blog which has gripped Manila society by storm. Here, he replies to some of our questions begging to be answered. And okay, this will be the last of it!

Q. Your blog has become the most talked-about in town, what made you write it?

Brian: I wrote the blog out of sheer desperation. I was ignored for so long by so many people in Manila. No one cared that I had my entire life’s savings snatched away by my BOYFRIEND.

My blog has accomplished a few good things. So far,I have no money from DJ. But I have to look at the bigger picture as well. I am not selfish. It’s how come I am in the situation.

Q. What made you close th comments? We haven’t even seen the best of it yet.

Brian: I closed the comments section because my heart hurt. Its simple. I have been forced into this situation. I have been ignored and discarded. I am upset and very hurt. Devastated financially.
The whole thing started to get to me really.
But I kept thinking, 70,000 dollars. Its a lot of money for me. Everything I had.

Q. Relative to you, me and the rest of the ordinary folks, 70,000 dollars is a lot. What was the most expensive gift you gave DJ Montano?

Brian: Ha, the most expensive gift i gave DJ is my heart and soul. My spirit. My honesty.
He unwrapped them all with fever. Played with them for a while. And threw them on the pile of other old toys when he was done.

Q. What can you say to the opinion expressed by some people that you were “stupid” in ‘loaning’ him that big amount of money?

Brian: I understand that people think I am stupid. That I was stupid.

I was.
Its simple.
But I must warn others.
Because I was duped. Tricked. Swindled, Finessed. Robbed. Griftered. Humiliated.

And now I have no savings. And my HIV is not going away any time soon.

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Category People | Tags: | 10 Comments
The Gucci Gang, & why ChikaTime is “it”

March 13, 2008 by ajay

For almost two weeks now, the local blogosphere has been abuzz with gossip so juicy that it threatened to put the ZTE scandal into oblivion. “Aggrieved” blogger Brian Gorrell has torn down most of the controversial posts and gazillion comments. What remains are the last three posts, with a promise to republish the juicy portions if his former lover continues not to pay him.

Question ko lang: ano naman ang ibabayad ni Delfin Montano kung sinasabi nga ni BG na ang kotse ng social climber DJ na ito ay walang aircon (!!) at di sinusuwelduhan ang driver for three months??

If Mr. Gorrell is HIV-positive, how close to positive is DJ Montano?

Western Union is laos na, and expensive pa. Mas sosyal ang Ikobo prepaid card. Ikobo is an advertiser of this blog and they recently sent me a reloadable prepaid card (plugging!:P) where I didn’t encounter any hassle withdrawing from ATMs or using it to shop and swipe, a la Visa or Mastercard.

My friend Timotea asked why I haven’t made a post about the Gucci Gang expose. The obvious reason is that the topic is a little “off” for this blog. The coke-snorting ways of Manila’s elite young set is so detached from my life. I’d rather plan my next bento, or braid my twins’ hair, or blog. Besides, I hardly even drink Coke.

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Category People | Tags: | 9 Comments
Dress up your meal or ‘baon’ by going bento

March 12, 2008 by ajay

This being exam week, I decided to motivate my kids to do well by making their ‘baon’ (brown bag meal) a little more special. And when I think of something more special than the usual pack of Oreos and peanut butter sandwich, all I can think about is a bento. It’s something I’ve wanted to do as a project anyway. In Japan, mothers pride themselves in making artistic bento meals for their kids. I like the fact that preparing a bento can be a good venue for creative expression as you plan the colors, textures and shapes that should go into the box. There is also room to include everything in the major food groups, rather than the junk food that our kids are bound to have. With the right presentation, kids can change their mind about eating healthy fruits and veggies after all.

I call this our Pinoy bento which the kids had as a meal in the house.

What went inside the box:

braised pork adobo with hard-boiled egg
lumpiang sariwa (fresh egg rolls made of ubod or palm tree trunk) with brown sauce
buttered mixed vegetables
cupcake with chocolate swirl (bought from our local bakery)
rice with fish ball decor

The Hello Kitty Bento which the kids brought to school:

Spaghetti
Chicken Nuggets Fun Shapes
Mixed veggies
Star- Shaped Mini-Pancakes with syrup

veer away from the usual round pancakes by shaping it with a cookie cutter!

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Category Bento, The Day-Off Chef | Tags: | 22 Comments
Heads or Tails, Happy Cream Puff, & Kopi Roti in Malate

March 12, 2008 by ajay

The original kaya and coffee bun place, Kopi Roti, finally opens in my home base of Malate! The place is something I prefer over Starbucks and other big coffee chains..so you can just imagine my excitement when they opened in the tourist district (if you can still call it that). Afternoons now find me there to satiate my coffee with condensed milk cravings. It always makes me feel guilty to munch on their kaya toast slathered with those sinful slices of butter, but then again it’s one of those great dessert joys for me. Go ahead, ask your server to give you more kaya if you find it wanting; or ask them to reduce the milk if you want a less sweeter, stronger cuppa joe. Kopi Roti Malate is situated in Adriatico St., right in front of Hostel 1632, adjacent to Rothmann Hotel and a walking distance from Pan Pacific Manila.

Happy Cream Puff was something I stumbled upon while visiting SM Southmall and I adored their cute mini sizes (priced at only P10) because they were not too sweet. The creamy center complements the toppings which comes in different flavors such as dark & white choco, almond, butter sugar and others. This is a Japanese-owned place which hasn’t franchised yet and the lone stall is in the SM Southmall food court. They also do made-to-order croquemboche for special celebrations like weddings and birthdays.

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Category Munchin' | Tags: | 6 Comments
Cowrie shells at the Cowrie Grill, Manila Hotel

March 9, 2008 by ajay

This is a photo tribute to the Cowrie Grill of the Manila Hotel, one the metro’s enduring fine dining places which was opened in 1976 as a symbol of opulence of the (fill your own adjective here) Marcos era.

On a business lunch there recently, I couldn’t help but gape at the precious cowries on display. Cowrie curtains. Intricate cowrie wall accessories. And the grand centerpiece – a cowrie chandelier that is composed of 1,592 cowrie pieces stringed together (the figure is from hotel scion Emilio Yap III, hope I remembered the number right).

Hard-to-find cowries are prized by collectors from all over the world. They are also used in expensive jewelry, and even as currency in some parts. It is amazing that these gems exist in a place in Manila. I would put the Cowrie Grill on your must- go to list. If you plan to go on a date, the prices aren’t too bad either.

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Category My Manila | Tags: | 6 Comments

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