on films, books, food, restaurants, favorite haunts in Metro Manila (and now, Philadelphia)...
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| rants and raves on films, books, food, restaurants, favorite haunts in Metro Manila (and now, Philadelphia)... |
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Sunday, January 30, 2005 Had dinner and took in a show at the semi-new restaurant Nicotina Garden Pavilion last Friday night. The Philippine Daily Inquirer featured them recently in the 20 Jan 05 print edition of the paper. Dinner is not as affordable as the PDI article would suggest with single pasta/pizza dishes going for Php200 to Php400 each, and meat dishes going for as expensive as Php800 a plate. On average I would expect one to spend Php400 per person --- beer is a good deal though at Php60/can. The food isn't great, but the place is unique enough to warrant a return visit and a recommendation from this reviewer to you readers out there to check it out of you feel so inclined to try out a new restaurant all the way off in the Roxas Boulevard area. The ambiance alone makes it worth a visit -- it's a unique date place and/or a great venue for hanging out with friends. Paintings for sale hang on the wall, they have this interesting outdoorsy garden like set-up going with a huge ceiling 2-3 stories up --- wedding receptions have been held there. They're still relatively new and seem likely to improve the quality of their food in the months to come as they get gain a steady following. Events and regular musical guests seem probable crowd drawers. Nicotina is along Roxas Boulevard, next to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City, is open 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. weekdays, and 11:30-2 a.m. weekends. Call +63 2 551 7906/07. posted by wys | 4:18 PM 0 comments Saturday, January 29, 2005 I just had the most fantastic Saturday morning --- I really think that Saturday morning is the most underutilised time frame of the week. Too many people end up sleeping in past noon after spending Friday night welcoming the weekend with a beer in both hands. Of course my Saturday morning was off to a slow start because I got home past 2.00am the night before, well knowing that I had committed to being up and ready by 7.30am to explore Intramuros. So I get a wake-up call at 7.30am asking if I was ready to leave. Uh, not even close. The first two or so hours I was a pretty incoherent conversationalist jumping from one randomly inane topic to the next. I was with two very good friends who always manage to understand me no matter what I end up saying, so the morning was a lot of fun. There aren't a lot of good breakfast choices in Intramuros, after aimlessly driving around Intramuros and the Nakpil/Remedios areas looking for a sit-down type restaurant we ended up in Aristocrat. Aristocrat is surprisingly expensive --- for the quality of service, food and ambiance that you get. For dirty tables, fast-food type service and mediocre Filipino food main dishes go for Php150 to Php400 on average. I ended up ordering their famous Boneless BBQ Chicken (with Java sauce, rice and atchara) because by the time we got there their breakfast menu was not being served anymore. Boo. We spent a few odd hours roaming the San Agustin Church and Museum, playing with goldfish and turtles in the courtyard fountain that probably saw too few visitors over weekends when the School Field Trip Set would be on hiatus. Lunch was a very enjoyable meal in Barbara's Restaurant across the street. Linens and a complete set of silverware; acoustic instrumental versions of Karaoke hits such as 2 Become One, Unbreak My Heart, All By Myself playing in the background; attentive service; all for that well put together sit-down restaurant feel. The food itself wasn't particularly memorable, but for Php200-300/head you get a pretty good deal overall here. They have a lunch buffet (with paella!) on weekdays when the place is much busier for Php300+. The Aristocrat Restaurant is at 432 San Andres cor. Roxas Blvd, Malate, Manila; Open everyday for 24 Hours; +63 2 522 3756, +63 2 521 8138, +63 2 534 7671 Barbara's Restaurant is at Calle Real del Palacio (Gen. Luna Street), Plaza San Luis Complex, Intramuros, Manila 1002; Open Hours: Lunch: 11am-2pm Mon-Sat. Dinner: 6pm-10pm Mon-Sat; +63 2 527 4090 posted by wys | 6:11 PM 0 comments Neil Gaiman says he'll be coming to the Philippines in his blog. I'm not a FAN fan (I don't think I even actually own anything written by him ... oh wait I have his novels). Incidentally, I'm trying to organise (well, I'm not actually doing the organising) the promised signings in the Philippines and Singapore before or after the Melbourne convention and Australian book signings this summer. The signing in the Philippines looks like it's happening, but I'm not sure about the Singapore one, as originally I was going be brought in with Dave McKean by the British Council, a plan that was scuppered by MirrorMask, and now I'm not really sure who to talk to. (If anyone in Singapore has any bright ideas, feel free to let me know.) posted by wys | 5:27 PM 0 comments Wednesday, January 26, 2005 I got to catch the Brass Monkeys (or is it the Brass Munkeys?) the other night in Monk's @ Wasabi; thanks to tips from a bunch of friends. Great stuff, old school type swing-ey jazz. Great to see that Monk's was packed (although it's a lot smaller now than they used to be when they were in Jupiter, and later on in Power Plant). There was a Php250 first drink charge, but well worth it. This is one of those bands that look like they're having so much fun while performing the audience can't help but have a load of fun themselves. And I have three friends who have already unceremoniously decided that they want them to perform in their weddings. Ripped off the Jazz Society of the Philippines website: Brass Munkeys is composed of former members of the Brown Beat band and talented students from the Philippines’ best music schools – UP College of Music and the UST Conservatory of Music.posted by wys | 9:54 PM 2 comments Sunday, January 23, 2005 Maxim magazine has decided to take a stand against metrosexuality and they've even produced a website Endangered Man dedicated to the "preservation of Man," with four mini-web films. It's a public service they say. Some sample ads from the campaign can be seen below. 
posted by wys | 9:29 PM 0 comments How does this sound as a career option? Birth of an Industry: IPod Loading 
posted by wys |
6:37 PM
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Wednesday, January 19, 2005 I read an interesting article about this new website called Woot. They sell one product everyday, and site visitors don't know how many of that product is on stock so it's a race against time and other manic buyers. It's very intriguing, if I were based in the USA where shipping wasn't as dodgy as here in the Philippines, I would totally be on a Woot Bandwagon. Today (19 Jan 05, Philippine Time) they're selling a RadioShack Digital Photo Viewer for US$30. Regular retail price is around US$50. This is one of those useless pieces of gadgetry I wouldn't buy on a normal day, but knowing that I'm getting it at a cheap(er) price gets me itching to buy one for myself. The Wonders of Woot 
posted by wys | 10:02 PM 0 comments Monday, January 17, 2005 Malcolm Gladwell (author of The Tipping Point) has just released Blink (subtitled "The Power of Thinking Without Thinking"). This is the perfect easy-reading kind of book I would love to read between reading two ho-hum text books, on a Sunday afternoon, or during a beach trip. Mr Gladwell explores the inner workings of the human mind and what exactly goes on when we make snap judgements (we should listen to our first impressions, he says). Contrary to what my previously posted excerpt from The New York Times would have us believe, I don't think a "lazy" kind of approach to things is being purported, but rather one that asks us to take a closer look at our leapt-to conclusions in lieu of simply dismissing these. I can't be too sure how long this book will take to reach our shores, I have a feeling I'll probably see it in Fully Booked before I see it on the shelves of Powerbooks or National Bookstore. 
posted by wys | 10:52 PM 0 comments The "Bahala Na" mentality that too many Filipinos have long mastered makes its way into American pop culture.
posted by wys | 10:48 PM 0 comments Sunday, January 16, 2005 They're showing Scent of a Woman on Cinemax tonight. I love this movie, I must have watched it half a dozen times over when it was on heavier rotation in the cable movie channels (and I was in high school with a lot more time on my hands). Lt. Col. Frank Slade: 
posted by wys |
10:10 PM
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It saddens (...irks?) me sometimes to see restaurants with good food provide excrutiatingly slow service---particularly when the restaurant we end up eating in is one of my choice. Of course the people I dine with would never fo as far as actually *blaming* me for choosing a restaurant with bad service, I would have disowned them a long time ago if they were so cruel. But unspoken words of blame cannot remove the cloud of responsibility that looms over my head when I call a restaurant. Today Sunday lunch was spent in Cafe Ysabel, and the meal took a good 1.5 hours to serve. Granted, they had a huge function in the downstairs room, two large groups that came before us, and we were a group of 9. But if one must weigh the benefit of a 7-page menu against a very long wait for food. The disillusioned-by-Greenbelt set may be charmed by the old-world "lola's house" feel to the place, just be ready for the slow-paced service that goes with the ambiance. Thank goodness none of us were particularly starving nor in a bad mood so we waited patiently. The food in Cafe Ysabel is very tasty, with chef-flair presentation, it just might be a better idea to eat there in a smaller group of 4 or less. They also had a very long list of coffee+liquor combinations on their menu (over 50 choices if I saw correctly) but I'm the only coffee drinker in my family and wasn't ready to have them wait for me while I enjoyed my requisite post-meal caffeine fix. Expect to spend Php300-500/person. Cafe Ysabel can be found at 455 P. Guevara Street, San Juan, Manila; 725-5089. They are open Mondays to Fridays 7am to 12midnight, Saturday to Sunday 7am to 1am. 
* * * A few weeks ago we ate in Blue Bacon and Green Eggs, the original restaurant located in the heart of Cubao. For the longest time I had this romanticised idea of Blue Bacon as being a really great but pricey restaurant, great for dates and the like. I remember eating there with my family a few years ago (probably long before I manically started eating out all the time) and I thought it was great at the time. While they did have a good range of dishes in the menu (they even had a South Beach prix fixe menu), I couldn't help but feel that they were scrimping on ingredients. And there's nothing I hate more than a pricey restaurant that makes me feel like I'm being shortchanged on quality ingredients (i.e. the salad had nary a crumble of blue cheese on it, and the bruschetta had some strange tomato-sauce-out-of-the-carton consistency to it). They have fantastic bread rolls (that they sell for Php2.50 a piece), but dining here is so unremarkable, it's not worth the trip. Blue Bacon and Green Eggs is located at 27 Lantana corner Boston Streets, Cubao; 726-8054, 721-7666. They are open Mondays to Sundays, 10am to 10pm. * * * On Saturday I had lunch in Uva, my favorite restaurant on its side of Greenbelt 2. That's very reserved praise, but on the other side of Greenbelt 2 (the side facing the soon-to-rise Greenbelt Residences) I'm rather fond of Sugi and Bizu. I love the root-crop chips they serve (taro, sweet potato, etc) and the rosemary-infused bread (foccacia?) they serve with their hummus. Their appetizers and desserts (chocnut ice cream, anyone?) are a delight, but the meat and fish dishes this time around were a disappointing bore. Uva can be found at Greenbelt 2, Ayala; 757-4243, 757-4244. Operating hours are 11am to 3pm (daily); 6pm to 1am (Sun to Thur); 6pm to 3am (Fri to Sat). posted by wys | 9:32 PM 0 comments Saturday, January 15, 2005 I semi-cleaned out my old CD collection the other day and was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of my old CDs still in decent shape. I'm currently going through the process of transferring some albums into my iPod; iTunes can automatically convert albums into MP3 format but the whole thing takes a bit of time. I have my Cardigans album, some 10,000 Maniacs, relatively old stuff by The Cure, Fat Boy Slim, Menswear, Everclear, The Police, Radiohead. Strangely (and annoyingly) it seems like every single one of my Dave Matthews Band CDs have disappeared (Remember Two Things, Under the Table and Dreaming, Crash, a bunch of Live albums) --- you people out there that borrowed by CDs and never bothered to return them please HAVE A CONSCIENCE. I shall be cleaning out my room little by little, in preparation for some grand renovation plans slated for 1Q or 2Q this year. Once my sister is gone (in Feb) I'll be able to start putting my decorating plans in place. I'm thinking to do away with the ancient desks in my room that neither of us use anymore and converting that space into really tall functional bookshelves that can double as storage space for all my DVDs and CDs, magazines and other odds and ends. I have so few book shelves in my house that I'm currently using the bookshelves in 3 other rooms to store all my reading material. posted by wys | 6:43 PM 0 comments Thursday, January 13, 2005 In Good Company, the new movie from the Weitz brothers (About a Boy) looks to be interesting. Dennis Quaid is a middle-aged ad executive whose new boss is a 26-year old upstart Topher Grace. An uncomfortable situation is made even more awkward when Topher starts dating Dennis Quaid's daughter Scarlett Johansson. I'm surprised I haven't heard that much about this movie pre-release, it's been out in the US for two weeks now but only in NY and LA. 
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9:32 PM
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I'm trying to figure out what would make the new iPod Shuffle from Apple saleable and attractive to the general public. It's as small as a pack of gum, weighs practically nothing, and now you have the added functionality of having it select 240 (or 120 if you'd rather pay $99 than $149) songs at random from your iTunes playlist. And of course you can also select the songs you want to load it with. Since it doesn't have a display screen, you'll never really know what song is playing or what's coming up next. Hmmm, hence the whole "shuffle" hoopla. Some people are looking at this as a cheaper alternative to the iPod but I say this is hardly a good substitute product because of the limited (and very different) functionality of the iPod Shuffle. And the new micro version doesn't have the click-wheel of the iPod I've grown to love. Sure it's 1/3 or 1/2 the price of the regular iPod, but I'd pay full price anyday for the full range of features. I suppose one could think of this as an entry-level model for those who are only willing to pay $99 for an MP3 player. The only "practical" use I would have for one would be for working out. Who knows, I might just buy one on a whim. Anyone have any other great ideas? 
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8:44 PM
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Monday, January 10, 2005 My dog ate my excuse slip ... My youngest brother is failing in Physical Education. And he's only in the fourth grade (or is it the fifth?). He has the best excuse ever though: he claims my mum gave away his P.E. uniform to the Quezon Province flood victims late last year so even if he wanted to go to class, he wouldn't have anything suitable to wear to class. Ha, a likely story. * * * I've been entertaining the idea of flying down for a really quick don't-miss-any-work type vacation to Cebu this weekend for the Sinulog Festival. Rates are decent all around. Cebu Pacific has their P799 fares (one-way), while PAL has hotel and airfare packages that can be had for as low as Php4,100. But people are unsure, non-committal, unavailable; so it looks like the farthest I'll be able to go this weekend will be Tagaytay. * * * I just finished reading "The Corrections" by Jonathan Franzen, best known as the book whose author did not like the idea of being selected for Oprah's Book Club, subsequently forcing Oprah to re-evaluate her criterion for selecting books to only include those by long deceased authors. Because he made comments about feeling "uncomfortable" about the whole hullaballo and having that awful Oprah Book Club logo on the cover of his book, Oprah uninvited him from her show and cancelled all the celebrations planned for him. And so starts the war between the literati and the rest of the world. Does Oprah actually do one's book "reputational" damage by including you in her list of must-reads? Or is she doing the world a good service by encouraging the masses to troop over to the book store and read? Will the millions of fans of her show who buy featured books end up not reading these at the end of the day? Should an author be picky about who reads his books? In a way I can see that Jonathan Franzen is a really smart guy and an excellent writer; his book is likely not for the same "everyone" that Oprah's show so obviously targets. He may have even gotten "insulted" by being grouped in the same category as other Oprah Book Club selections. Who knows, he still went on to win the National Book Award and while he may have missed out on the potential to sell a million more books via Oprah, he's probably not doing too shabbily these days. Jonathan Franzen will not be on The Oprah Winfrey Show because he is seemingly uncomfortable and conflicted about being chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection. It is never my intention to make anyone uncomfortable or cause anyone conflict. We have decided to skip the dinner and we're moving on to the next book."posted by wys | 8:20 PM 0 comments Sunday, January 09, 2005 This weekend was spent doing a whole lot of eating. Italiannis is always a dependable choice for big groups where the individual tastes of the diners may widely vary. It's unlikely that someone would be unable to find a dish they could live with for one meal. Great to note that unlike sister restaurant Fridays that has been steadily decreasing in quality yet increasing in price, Italiannis has been very consistent with the quality of their food and service. 
Many may have heard about Circles in the recent month, the newly revamped coffee shop of the Makati Shangri-la Hotel. It's just as well that they removed the old Garden Cafe, where the food was terribly mediocre and dreadfully boring. Dinner was a test of one's discipline as there were good choices all around from seafood (oysters weren't fresh though), sushi, salads, steaks, curries, crepes, souffles, a pasta bar, and the highlight would have to be the chocolate fountain (for fondue-type dipping). Could be considered worth the price, if you love to eat. Their dinner buffet can be had for the hotel-price of P999++ (lunch is P899++, breakfast is P799++). For breakfast yesterday morning and lunch today we ate in Pancake House, and oldie and goodie (new corporate look, same excellent food). Service is consistently good across all branches, and I have yet to find a restaurant in the Philippines that serves pancakes better than theirs. Other notable items on their menu are: tacos, spaghetti and PanChicken. 
posted by wys | 4:05 PM 0 comments Thursday, January 06, 2005 Apparently the iPod was the gift of choice for Christmas 2004. I received an iPod for Christmas ... from myself though. And while the average iPod user spends 20% more on accessories, I've already spent a whopping 80+% on mine. Worth every penny though. Beyond the iPod, Accessories Are Hot Itemsposted by wys | 8:49 PM 0 comments Walmart has to be one of the most amazing (if not the most amazing) retailer in the world. By the end of the same day the sales behemont realised their Holiday Sales were in deep shit, the head of sales had already exchanged a few hundred emails with store managers on what items should be priced down. 
Lots of coordinating with suppliers to see if they could accommodate a surge in sales expected with planned markdowns, an in-store video outlining the specially marked items, a meeting with 500 employees to brainstorm on more ideas, full page print ads, markdowns and more markdowns --- all in a little over a week! Read more about it here. I would love to work for a really fast-paced company (i.e. fast moving consumer goods, a telco in the Philippines, etc) while I'm still young, willing and able to work 100 miles an hour. posted by wys | 8:38 PM 0 comments Monday, January 03, 2005 My randomly generated resolution:
posted by wys | 10:26 PM 0 comments 2004 was a fantastic year for me.
I'm definitely looking forward to 2005. I've never been one for "resolutions," but I'm definitely always on the lookout for the million and one opportunities that lie ahead. More travels, more personal time, more self-development, less obsessive working. posted by wys | 10:07 PM 0 commentsFor all would be traders out there, this is an interesting article on the "January Effect," i.e. why investing in January only can yield better returns than the Dow Jones/S&P 500. Of course this is hardly applicable in the Philippines (where the stock market is a joke, and not a very funny one at that). The January Effect: How Significant Is It? posted by wys | 10:04 PM 1 comments Saturday, January 01, 2005 2005 in Travel
2005 in Music
2005 in Restaurants Most people land on this blog because they're Goggling this or that restaurant in the Metro Manila area. To help web crawlers along, I've posted below a list of all the restaurants I've eaten in this 2005 (the number of times I've eaten there in parentheses), and links to any recent write-ups published in this blog.
2005 in Books
2005 in Movies
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