A colleague from work is ending her assignment in the Philippines for the 3rd time and what better way to do so than with food, drinks, videoke and friends!
Aptly dubbed “Ce n’est qu’un au revoir”, the despedida party was more of celebration of great memories and remembering fun times instead of a sad farewell–promising more moments to be shared in the future!
Continue reading FoodieFriday: Ce n’est qu un au revoir
So, as I may have mentioned here, I now work at Bonifacio Global City, more popularly known as The Fort. And, right across our office is The Fort Strip. It’s basically a complex, perhaps one of the earliest built (I remember coming here for the first time way back in 2008 or 2009 while still working for the magazine) in the now fast-changing BGC landscape.
Anyway, so, there aren’t a lot of food options here at The Fort in the economical side. But, if on certain days you feel like pampering yourself for a job well done, well, there are some really good restaurants at The Fort Strip. And the good thing is (well, at least for me and my colleagues!) it’s just a mere five minutes away now that the road widening has been completed and the barricade (almost) removed. So, truth be told, we’ve visited The Fort Strip quite a number of times now. The most recent one being yesterday, in what was called “Appreciation Lunch” for the hard work of the staff in recent events. Before that, it was a a stress buster, for the same recent events. ;p
So, without further ado, I give you some tasty treats (pictures at least) we pampered ourselves with at The Fort Strip. Hover on the photos for description. As usual, I hope you had food already before reading this. You have been warned! Continue reading FoodieFriday: Anti-stress Goodness at The Fort Strip
I haven’t posted a new travel entry for two months now and as I am running out of excuses for it, I’ve decided to have a quick Instagram post of my 4-day trip to Visayas with Leah, my good friend whom I’ve met through CouchSurfing in India.
As she’s only here for 8 days and I have just started on a new job, we made sure that she’d be able to see the Philippines under the urban/metro and rural/nature sense.
Our first stop after she roamed the streets of Taguig, Makati and Manila is the naturally-gifted province of Bohol. While planning her trip, I asked Leah which of the 7107 islands of he Philippines would she be more interested in. I provided her with the top tourist destinations’ main selling points and at the mention of Tarsier, the world’s smallest primate (or so we thought), our itinerary finally had its anchor.
Continue reading Instagram Travel: island hopping in Visayas
My weekends these days are spent sleeping, in an attempt to recover from the toil of long weekdays and quite recently, Friday night parties. This weekend however was a welcomed change to spending time with family–living and the dead.
It was my maternal grandfather’s birthday. Had he been alive, he would have turned 83 years old. Therefore, in true Filipino fashion, we trooped to the Manila Memorial Cemetery armed with food, drinks, candles, umbrellas, and of course, tablets and phones for photos! (That no one has uploaded yet!)
After celebrating Lolo Camilo’s day, we headed to SM Aura to check out what the hype (or bashing) was all about. After getting lost twice, we finally made it! Apart from getting two new pairs of jeans (they’re on sale!!!) at Forever 21 and some lip gloss (realizing the need to look presentable these days!), we headed over to Ikkuryu Fukuoka Ramen and indulge in some Japanese noodle goodness!
Suffice it to say, ramen is the house specialty–the centerpiece of Ikkuryu Fukuoka Ramen’s sleek long black menu. If my memory remained intact after having food here, there were about 15 types of ramen and noodle dishes you can choose from.
We had Kimchi Tonkotsu ramen (the one with reddish soup) that is quite spicy for Filipino palate (twas fine with me after my Indian curry exposure) and this other ramen with the egg which is an-egg-added version of the original Tonkotsu ramen. Both moms (ours and our cousins’) agreed that the flavor was really rich and that it’s very tasty!
We also ordered a fresh tofu salad which was a mix of cold fresh and smooth tofu on top of green lettuce. I can’t identify what sauce was used but it’s yummy, and complemented by the small tomatoes and crisp tofu flakes (I think).
We also had the original yakimeshi fried rice which was so tasty that it really had our moms thinking whether it was cooked in lechon oil or in the karaage fried chicken that we also had. With bits of pork, carrots and greens, I couldn’t agree more.
We also had something that is similar to Yyakisoba but this one is cooked in Tonkotsu soup (imagine chopsuey) and was also very savory. You should try putting it in your ramen soup too, just to savor the last few drops of the soup. This was actually for the rice as advised by the really cute paper table mat graphic but it works with the soup too!
I would say that while the price is quite steep at P380 per ramen order, on the average, the amount of serving and the taste makes up for it. And while the classic tempura and California maki favorites are unavailable, their menu offers you alternative choices that are really great partners for ramen. All in all, for the flavor and the experience, I would say that Ikkuryu Fukuoka Ramen’s value for money makes it worth a visit!
People who really know me won’t dub me as a party girl–not in a go-clubbing-all-night-every-night definition at least. But, they would tell you that whenever I do party, I make sure I party hard. And that night at Republiq was no exception.
I wasn’t really planing on going out with couchsurfers that night as I made plans with college friends. Turns out, everybody just got busy and rather than sulking about it, I accepted an invite from couchsurfing friends for what will eventually be known/called Payback Friday, the history of which I would know only later.
So, from Japanese food at Nihonbashi Tei and sake (rice wine) to enjoy it with, then to beer-induced dance-while-sitting moments and make do for the failed beer pong attempt due to the long queue of yuppies and not-so-old buddies at Cable Car, to the one helluva rocking night of dancing and drinking an amazingly-not-that-expensive beer and free pass through a Guest List (thanks Mariane!)at Republiq in Resorts World Manila, I would say that it was a Friday party night that best capped a really long week!
And yes, I danced like no one was watching. Partied like it’s the end of the world. Smiled to myself even, as I remembered a beloved dance partner and what it felt to be alive. It truly was liberating, to just feel the music and move to the rhythm–without care, without doubt, without limits.
The Diarist Wanders 