Deco’s is the inventor of the famous La Paz batchoy – an Ilonggo comfort food consisting of noodles in a hot bowl of soup, topped with pork meat, liver and sinful bits of chicharon. I was certainly glad to learn that I don’t have to fly as far as Iloilo to partake of this mouthwatering treat because there’s now a Deco’s branch right outside the Magallanes MRT station in Makati. Here, special batchoy can be had for as little as P67 and can be paired with the so-called pre-war pan de sal for P3.50 or the Manapla puto @ P6.50.

It’s just a pity that other establishments beat Deco’s in establishing the now common batchoy joints in the metro. However, this original brand has partnered with Mang Inasal and we should expect their presence to be felt more strongly soon, with the grant of some franchise locations. In the meantime, they give some tips on how to know if your bowl of batchoy is D’Original:

Overflowing with toppings and served with generous servings of meat that it promises to be a very filling meal by itself.

Unlimited kaldo or broth. There’s a separate counter where a steaming container of broth is available and refilled without fail, along with chopped garlic and onions.

No lard settling on top, even when the broth gets cold.

The crispy pork skin (chicharon) remains crispy even after it is submerged in the broth. It stays that way up to the last bit, making your batchoy a truly gastronomic treat.

Affordable price at P67 for the large (Special) bowl, P75 for the Super bowl and the biggest bowl with added toppings (Extra) is only P77.

Deco’s first branch in Manila is located at the ground floor of Alphaland Southgate Mall at the corner of EDSA and Pasong Tamo Extension, just beside the Magallanes MRT

Alabang has become nearer to us ever since the family moved south of Manila. And in this district, I discovered a charming place which endeared me the first time I went there. It’s called the Westgate Center in in Filinvest Corporate City (FiliCity), an all-in-one complex to shop, dine, play with the kids, indulge in beauty routines or spend on one’s favorite hobbies like bikes and cars.

The Kanin Club was the first restaurant I discovered and where I savored my first taste of crispy dinuguan. I remember how I promised to myself then that we’ll come back to try all the restaurants there and have a date with hubby (who was then abroad). I simply loved how it was away from all the hustle and bustle of Manila, with pretty landscaping, the shelter of trees and of course, the cozy restaurants with their well-planned assortment of cuisines.

My prayers must have been answered because the people behind Westgate (and their publicist) invited me for a media tour of the food establishments in the area. The itinerary appealed to me because it included a tasting in restaurants I haven’t been to before. So yeah, that’s how we all ended up eating in eight restos in eight hours or so, with only a few breaks in between. If there’s such a thing as shop till you drop, this was a case of eat till you burp, and more. What an experience!

First stop: Red Kimono. I’ve seen this resto in The Fort but managed to pass over it each time. I got to learn that their take on modern Japanese cuisine is worth a try, and their prices aren’t bad either. On the menu: a wide selection of sushi, sashimi, maki, and even teppanyaki. I came late, and managed to have a bite of what everyone ordered, like this dessert – the banana katsu roll dipped in chocolate sauce.

Then, off we go to The French Corner, the upscale resto of renowned chef Billie King. This was the establishment which gave us the best welcome and we were greeted by no less than the young general manager Kevin King. A look at the prepared menu told us that the lunch was going to be very French.. and heavy. Especially as we learned that the main course wasn’t going to be a choice between the Chilean sea bass OR beef tenderloin. We were going to have both, plus dessert! So impressed was I with the experience that I’ll write about The French Corner in another post

We were still full (of course) from our Continental meal , but then again, a little more walking led us to the doors of Alba Spanish Restaurant where a sumptuous buffet was awaiting us. Who can resist their specialties like paella, lengua, callos, gambas, chorizo and jamon serrano? I made sure to top off my meal with their freshly-served cochinillo (roast suckling pig) and then a dessert of canonigo, a white-colored meringue dessert of Spanish origin. Alba’s buffet is value for money, at only P595 for lunch and P695 for dinner and I vowed to go back with the family soon.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, here’s how the rest of the tour went:

Gonuts Donuts is known for their donuts, but their ice cream is especially creamy and a must-try at P60 to P80 per scoop. I opted for the bestselling pistachio flavor

The Bohemian Trading Nation inside the Serenity Place is the one to go to if you’re looking to furnish your place with hard-to-find Indian, Moroccan and Tibetan furnitures and accessories. The Indian jewelries are a must-buy too. Inside the Serenity Place compound, you can opt for world-class pampering at the Sujivana Salon and Spa, or savor the tasty muffins (and free wifi!) at Bona Coffee.

Sophia’s Mediterranean Deli is one place to try hard-to-find halal food in Alabang. Their lamb dishes are certified halal. Their menu ranges from Italian to Indian to Turkish and French. The owner, Melvyn Whitfield, is an experienced chef who used to run his own restaurant in London. We got to try their pizza and it was excellent.

The Oyster Boy was a revelation. This resto is a good place for affordable family meals where dishes range from P120 to P200. Their oysters, which are sourced from Iloilo, are cooked in different ways. It was already dinner time when we tried Oyster Boy and on the table were their delectable specialties: mangga talaba salad, the Ilonggo version of binagoongan baboy, the adobong pusit at baboy sa pinya (adobo in pineapple), and mango float for dessert.

Our last stop was Congo Grille where the group engaged in videoke singing while waiting for dinner to be served. Congo is a great place to unwind and their promos of beer plus food is ideal for families and the barkada. I only had a glimpse of the crispy pata, sisig and other specialties before I decided to pass up and head home instead. The food tour was impressive and much too filling (note: proper pacing is key) Eight restaurants in eight hours… whew!

Our warmest congratulations to the winners of the Cebu Pacific Wandering Juan online photo contest which we wrote about here before. Competition must have been tight among the travel aficionados who joined the contest, and finally here are the winners:

Resty Uy bagged the top prize in the popular sights category plus a free trip to Singapore. He submitted a dramatic shot of a tsinelas (slippers) being illuminated by the setting sun in Coron, Palawan.

Karen Gonzalez emerged winner in the travelogue category with a series of shots capturing the vivacity of young people in Iloilo. They’re shown performing in a festival, leaping for joy and wading through the sea using their tsinelas which is the central object in the contest.

Michelle Salen topped the people category with her moving photo of a young boy joining the funeral march for the late President Cory Aquino. For this, Michelle wins a free trip to Bangkok. All the other winners also won Canon cameras and a Load Warrior from the Travel Club.

Next time you travel, practice Photography 101, especially those creative shots. Who knows, it can be a rewarding activity for you. I certainly hope Cebu Pacific continues this contest for next year:)

Results of the November 2009 Philippine nursing board exams have just come out and we would like to congratulate the country’s new batch of nurses who passed. The bad news is that only 40 percent of the 94,462 graduates who took the nursing licensure exams made it. I wonder what options there are for those not in the list. Either they will try again in the 2010 licensure examinations, continue to work in hospitals or try their luck as caregivers where no license is required.

Most of those in the list of topnotchers come from little-known universities in the provinces. For example, this year’s top spot went to Clarie Morales Bontol of Iligan Medical Center College Inc. No. 2 was Noel Bryan Cueto of Lyceum Batangas and on No. 3 was Dickson Araza Laude of St. Scholastica’s College of Health Sciences-Tacloban. This only means one thing.. You don’t have to be in Manila and study in an expensive nursing school here to get good education as a nurse. So far, the only school in Manila to figure prominently in the top 10 passers of the 2009 nursing board exams is the publicly-run Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

The complete list of the November 2009 nursing board exam passers via this page in the gmanews.tv website.

The oath-taking of successful examinees will be on March 8 and 9, 2010 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

I’ve worked in the United Kingdom but I never experienced studying there. What an awesome experience it must be. This country, besides being the hub of monarchy, offers much in terms of cultural and historical exploration. Thankfully, one can learn much about studying in the UK through the British Council in the Philippines, including ways on how to get scholarships there.

From January to March, the British Council launches Education UK, a campaign meant to inform Filipinos on the educational opportunities in the United Kingdom.

Held last January 29 at the Makati Shangri-La was an Alumni Counselling Session that gave prospective students insider information on what living and studying in the UK is like. Forthcoming on February 19 at Top Shelf, Fullu Booked in Bonifacio High Street is a Funding Options Seminar which will tackle the financial aspects of UK education and the scholarships that can be availed. Finally, there’s the Education UK Exhibition on March 5 to 6 at the EDSA Shagri-La Hotel. Representatives from UK universities will be on hand to speak directly to interested students and the specific courses available.

Admission to the public is free. For more information, log on to the British Council website.

Mobile phone fanatics who prefer their smartphones to do more, other than offer seamless connectivity and push emails have something to look forward to with the soon-to-be launched Sony Ericsson Xperia X2. It’s a Windows Mobile QWERTY touch phone that also appeals to your artistic side by boasting of an 8.1 megapixel camera, WVGA video recording and a 3.2 inch high resolution touchscreen that provides DVD quality viewing.

Get a discount of one thousand pesos when you reserve the Xperia X2 prior to its commercial availability. The phone’s special introductory price is at P28,500 when you purchase the handset from February 1-12, 2010. For inquiries, visit the nearest Sony Ericsson Experience shop, participating dealers or call the Customer Service Hotline 789-1860.

Some specifications of this smartphone:

- signature 3D panel with 3D effects, zoom and music playback controls.

- 14 preloaded Xperia panels and 16 more to download. New panels include CNN, YouTube™, Facebook™, Skype, Google™ and other support panels.

- X2’s TV out cable can show MS Office presentations on the big screen. Users can open and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents right from the phone

- a SlideView feature provides quick access to frequently used mobile phone activities.

- Colors available in Elegant Black or Modern Silver

On the way to the car dealership, we passed by the new St. Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City and can’t help but be impressed by how imposing it was from the outside. It looked fairly empty too, as expected of a hospital which has just opened. I do expect to see it one of these days since my obstetrician-gynecologist also holds clinic here.

Anyway, I could never guess what this room was. Is it a condo or a room in a five-star hotel? No to both. It is part of the presidential suite of the new St. Luke’s. (via isabelledaza on Twitter)

It seems the young model was so impressed. She even described it as “five star” and even better than the poshest hotels around.

I bet prices in this spankin new medical facility are five-star too

A fact sheet of the new St. Luke’s hospital describes it as having a floor space of 154,000 square meters, with a total land area of 1.6 hectares. It will have 600 beds, 400 clinics and two medium-rise towers – the hospital proper and the Medical Arts building.

Address:

Corner of 32nd St. and Fifth Avenue
Bonifacio Global City
Taguig, Metro Manila

One good reason to get a car of your own to drive in Manila, no matter what a rickety, old second-hand it is: it’ actually safer to drive on your own in the city’s crazy streets than depend on public transportation.

My own arguments against riding public transport are these – if you’re riding a taxi: you never know the driver’s temperament or if their meters are reliable. Some smell of LPG gas (because, well, they’re using it) and it’s really crazy hailing taxis during rush hours, the holiday season and when it rains.

As for FXs buses and jeepneys, I get claustrophobic and paranoid about holdup incidents. The only thing I favor are the LRT and MRT trains to easily get to Point Z from Point A, but the lines at the terminals can get really long too, and occasionally there are mechanical troubles which can stall your trip for hours.

I’ve had my commuter days and have my own horror stories to tell about riding public transport. One time, the taxi driver was really acting weird and appeared to be high on drugs. I leapt out of the taxi at the next stop light, but not without him shouting invectives at me. God knows where he could have led me then.

As a result, I’ve formulated some rules in riding a taxi in Manila:

1. Ride only on taxis ran by reputable companies. Never mind if you have to shell out extra pesos for it.

2. Practice precautionary measures like keeping the doors locked, carrying a self-defense spray and sitting at the back, instead of beside the driver.

3. Text the taxi’s plate number to a family member or friend as soon as you ride the car

4. Riding a taxi at 6 a.m. is safer than riding a taxi at 3 or 4 a.m. In the same way that riding a taxi in groups is safer than going it alone, at that hour!

On Facebook tonight, the horrific story of this young woman who was mugged by a taxi driver caught my attention:

Apparently, her friends want to spread the word on the horrific incident that happened to her. Here’s her tale: (pardon the length)

“After four months of not going to a club (LITERALLY), I finally did to show some support for one of my best friends, Mel and to see friends who I haven’t seen for the longest longest longest time. It was the first time I’ve ever set foot in Encore (to think I used to go to Embassy every week). It felt surreal to be out and without my boyfriend, LJ, who couldn’t come due to an early class the following day.

I only had 4 drinks: 3 Amaretto Sours and a Mai Tai. It felt good seeing a lot of my friends. We took so many pictures that my fully charged camera went low bat. Anyway, Mel and I decided to leave Encore by 2:30 A.M. Our friends stayed behind since the club closes at 3 A.M. Mel and I were taking separate cabs since she goes home to Mandaluyong and I to Makati. I WAS COMPLETELY SOBER. Not even a bit tipsy.

I remember telling her as we were leaving the club “It’s my first time going home in a cab alone from this club.” Mel was a bit concerned, even offering me to stay over her place for the night.. I told her not to worry, I ALWAYS get home safely.

So we went to get our cabs and I made sure Mel got into her cab first. Then I was looking for a cab who wouldn’t fix the price (you know how it is at The Fort) and there was one who volunteered that he’d use the meter. So I took his offer. I distinctly remember most of the waiting cabs were DAVIS cabs. Mine was not. And I was so damn stupid not to get his taxi’s name and plate number.

In the middle of the ride, I started changing into regular shorts and top. The driver wasn’t looking though but suddenly his hand reached for behind and I was surprised. He was saying, “MAY NAHULOG. Wallet mo ata.” I found a 50 peso bill on the floor. Then he said, “Ang dami mo sigurong pera. Mayaman ka noh?” I didn’t answer. I started getting nervous. I started looking for the cab’s number (which is usually written on the side of the doors). There were faint markings but it couldn’t be understood. The driver noticed my agitation and said, “Anong hinahanap mo? Plate number? Bigay ko sayo.” I was like, “Never mind.” I did NOT want him to know I was getting nervous already. Plus we were so near my house. I thought, what could go wrong?

But something did. Three streets away from my house, the cab driver “hit” a pothole or hump or whatever. He pulled over to the side and said, “Tangina, pano na yan? Na-lock yung steering wheel. Hindi ko maikot.” I was just looking at him, confused. I have no knowledge of cars so I do not know if he was bluffing or not. The meter was 75. I gave him a hundred. He had no change daw so I was like, “Fine, whatever. There’s nothing I can do about it.” I stepped out of the cab, in the middle of Bautista Street, a long street but near my house. It was almost 3 A.M. When I looked back, the cab was gone.

HOW IN THE WORLD WAS HE ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY IF HIS STEERING WHEEL WAS “LOCKED”?

I called my boyfriend up AND THANK GOD HE ANSWERED HIS PHONE. He was sleeping already, good thing the call woke him up. I was trying to remain calm. I told him my dilemma. Suddenly an empty cab drove by. A DIFFERENT ONE. I hailed it. I had probably less than half a kilometer to my house which was three streets away. The cab took me in and I ended the call.

Two more lefts, it was my house already. It was Camalig Street, then Bigasan Street. Suddenly the driver went left, the street just right before my house, Camalig. I said very politely, “Kuya, MALI. Atras ka, atras ka. Sa kabilang street pa. One more left.” The driver just kept driving like he didn’t hear. I said it again. Then he stopped and looked at me. Then he said, “Bayaran mo na.” I was weirded out. I was like, “Why? This is not even my house. It’s on the next street.” Besides, we haven’t traveled far. The meter was still at 30 pesos.

SUDDENLY, without warning, the driver grabbed my neck and jumped to the back. My first thought was, “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!?”. But his grip was getting tighter and tighter. I literally couldn’t breathe and felt my consciousness slipping. As we were struggling, I kept scratching at his eyes and reaching for the lock of the left door. He was on top of me hitting my head repeatedly while his other hand around my neck. I was choking and choking when I realized the left side HAD NO FUCKING LOCK, which means I couldn’t get out. Which means I had to try my luck on the right side. Imagine my struggle to get to the other side as a full grown, heavyset man kept bashing my head, scratching my face, pulling my hair and hitting me. I kept scratching his eyes. It was all I could do. When his grip loosened a bit, I managed to open the right door with so much effort. Unfortunately he pulled me back with my hair. Imagine MY TERROR as the door closed again!!!!! I couldn’t scream anymore. Besides, who would hear me I was inside a fucking car. My neck was so sore and I was close to fainting. I kept scratching his eyes and reaching for the door until by some miracle, I opened it fully and screamed with what was remaining of my voice.

The driver said something like, “Tangina, it’s not worth it.” And literally kicked me out of the car. I rolled out onto the street with my shoulder bag which was slung around me the whole time with its remaining contents. The driver suddenly sped away. Till now, I don’t know his motive, whether it be rape or hold up. Or both. Or murder.

So there I was in the middle of the street, barefoot. Then I realized why the hell am I so wet?! I realized I was sitting in a pool of my own blood. There was so much blood dripping from the right side of my head, it was like a half-closed faucet if you get what I mean. I started screaming for help.

This time the apartment I was right in front of lights’ went on. Imagine the horror on these people’s faces as I literally crawled towards them bloodied and barefoot. When I reached out to them for help, I saw my arm. It was covered in blood. And I could feel that I was losing so much more. I asked for a cellphone. I still had the consciousness to call my boyfriend. The people who took me in were nice enough to let me call. They talked to LJ and informed him of what happened. They even cleaned me up. Suddenly there was the barangay people and witnesses. That’s when everything became hazy. The barangay people said that they had to take me to the hospital because I was losing so much blood.

I was taken to Makati Medical Center ER. I still remember as I was being loaded onto the wheelchair the horrified looks of the people outside the hospital. I even had a high school batchmate who was assigned as my nurse, Erika Bautista (THANK YOU SO MUCH). In her own words she said that when I came in I looked like I was already in critical condition. I am not exaggerating when I say this: I WAS LITERALLY COVERED IN BLOOD. Head to foot.”

The suspected culprit? A white taxi with plate number PXG 725 or PSG 725

Spread the word and stay safe people!

Post New Year, the whole family motored down to Tagaytay City. Excitement was in the air because the kids and I haven’t been here for a long time and it was also the hubby’s first time to see the place.

Due to the notorious traffic along the South Expressway, I’ve mercilessly given up going to Tagaytay through the years in favor of other itineraries in the North. But I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder….

On the way there, we first make a lunch stop at Kanin Club in Paseo de Sta. Rosa. As expected of this in-demand resto, we had to wait for a few minutes to get a table and a longer time for our food. Even though a part of me wanted to try their crispy dinuguan again, I was craving for the paksiw na bangus but it fell short of expectations. The sauce of the paksiw had the consistency of soup

Arriving in our destination, we checked in at Hotel Dominique which was quite near the rotonda. We chose this hotel because we were able to get a good rate here: P4,500 or approximately $100 for a two bedroom, two bathroom casita with attic (and own parking space.) The Spanish-inspired hotel looked small from the highway, but it was spacious inside. It even had a swimming pool.

What is a trip South of Manila without the overlooking view of Taal Lake and the volcano? We chose to hang out in the view deck of the Taal Vista Hotel and later settle for drinks at their Cafe on the Ridge. Brrr! It was cold. Tagaytay weather can really rival Baguio at this time of year. It was also foggy that day but we arrived just in time to catch the beautiful sunset.

Dinner was at Bag of Beans which is famous for its pies, raisin bread and mini aviary. The owner is a Filipina married to a British guy. We’ve tasted better pies but the place rates high in terms of ambiance. The resto has expanded and you’ll be pleased to find not just a table, but your own private hut.

In the morning, we chose to have a savory breakfast of pancakes and omelettes at Buon Giorno of The Cliff House Tagaytay. I liked not only this restaurant (service was good) but the whole complex itself since it’s picturesque and features other reputable establishments like The Fire Lake Grill and Cafe Breton. The boutique hotel, The Inn at Cliffhouse Tagaytay, has also just opened and should be a must-try the next time we’re in the city.

Lunch was spent at Chateau Hestia, one of the new “out of the way” restaurants located in the outskirts of the city (I think its address is already Silang, Cavite). This resto prides itself in its European menu since the owner is Swiss. The kids gorged on their gourmet pizzas while the hubby had his French onion soup, salad and schnitzel. But my order of a Reuben sandwich was a big disappointment. I am still in search of a good Reuben around. Overall though, service was good and guests will surely have a good time roaming around their spacious garden,complete with swings, a hanging bridge and rooms for their Bed and Breakfast.

If you’re going to Chateau Hestia on a date, don’t forget to give your loved one these I Love You chocolates from Belgium, tee hee

Unfortunately, this trip didn’t bring any exciting culinary discoveries for me. Still, Tagaytay wins it for the cool weather, the nice view and the prettiness of its restaurants. I am looking forward to visiting with the family again soon!

Through the powers of technology, the world is witnessing the unfolding drama that is the aftermath of the powerful Intensity 7 earthquake that hit the Caribbean nation of Haiti. Hundreds of thousands are believed to be still missing and trapped within the shattered buildings. For those of us in the Philippines, the quake in Haiti has some parallels, if you count the tragic July 1990 earthquake (magnitude 7.7) and more recently, Typhoon Ondoy. Three Filipino members of the UN peacekeeping contingent remain unaccounted for in the Haiti tragedy.

But unlike the 1991 Philippine earthquake where places like Baguio remained cut off from the rest of the world for several days, what happened in Haiti was immediately broadcast, tweeted and blogged to the rest of the world in a matter of minutes. Thanks to today’s technology, the world was made aware of the extent of the disaster. We expect the spirit of charity and volunteerism as well to rise as Help Haiti efforts have been made possible via Twitter, Facebook and the press of a cellphone button.

How to help Haiti? Here are high-tech ways to donate now:

If you’re residing in the United States, text “HAITI” to “90999″ and a donation of $10 will automatically be given to the Red Cross

Also at the forefront is Yele Haiti, an organization started by New York-based Haiti singer and native Wyclef Jean. Just text YELE to 501501 and a donation of $5 will be charged to the mobile phone user’s account. According to Wyclef’s popular Twitter acount (1.3 million followers), $400,000 was raised on the first day alone.

Donate now buttons are also available in the official websites of non-profit organizations such as the Red Cross, UNICEF, World Vision, Save the Children, CARE, among others.

Hollywood’s most generous showbiz couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have so far donated $1 million to Haiti through Doctors Without Borders (via usmagazine.com)