Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Azadore

My family and I got recently got to enjoy a wonderful lunch at Azadore, a relatively new restaurant in the Tomas Morato area. It is owned by Chef Tatung, who has many restaurants all over the Metro and has even won an award for his cookbook Simpol Dishkarte. I drove by this restaurant recently and saw that it was pretty big, with a bit more parking space than the average restaurant in the area. As such, I told my family that we should try this place for our weekend lunch out.

Azadore Restaurant

Azadore serves Hispanic, American, and local dishes. We were a big group so we got to try many items on their menu. As I mentioned in my previous post, no dinner at a Spanish-inspired resto is complete without paella so we ordered the Paella Mixta, which has Chicken, Shrimp, Clam, and Chorizo. (Yes, in the Philippines, paella is served with chorizo haha.) 

Paella Mixta

Their Salpicao...

Salpicao

...and Gambas con Chorizo were both really good.

Gambas con Chorizo

We also got the Croquettes which had smoked bacon and cheese.

Croquettes

We did try some other non-Spanish dishes, such as the Bacon Wrapped Prawns...

Bacon Wrapped Prawns

...and the Seafood Aglio Olio. 

Seafood Aglio Olio

Azadore was originally a house that was then converted into a restaurant and I think some of the rooms in the house have been turned into private dining area. I enjoyed the food here and I also loved the design and the ambiance.

Azadore indoor dining area

They have indoor and al fresco dining, and the lush greenery in the garden feels very relaxing and inviting.

Azadore al fresco dining area

All in all, my family and I had a wonderful dining experience here. 


Azadore
https://www.azadore.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AzadoreQuezonCity/
Address: 111 Scout Fernandez, Corner Scout Torillo Street, Sacred Heart, Quezon City
Contact: 0917-101-0070
Email: info@azadore.com

Sunday, October 29, 2023

More Reunions

When my high school friends and I gather to celebrate one of our birthdays, we usually have dinner at Mitch's house. Recently though, we flipped the script a bit because Iona got a room in Aruga for the weekend. We decided instead to have dinner at Rambla. I had eaten at this restaurant a couple of times before but it had been a while since I last ate there so it was nice to dine there again. Rambla serves Spanish food and we ordered a lot of dishes, including Pulpo Asado...

Pulpo Asado from Rambla

...and Tuna Cones (this was an interesting dish).

Tuna Cones from Rambla

Of course, dinner at a Spanish restaurant isn't really complete without Paella. We decided to go fancy and get the Chochinillo Paella. After dinner, we headed over to Iona's room to enjoy some coffee, dessert, and wine before heading home. It wasn't our usual celebration but it was just as fun.

Chochinillo Paella from Rambla

That wasn't the only gathering or visit to Aruga I had. I had a reunion with some ex-colleagues (we worked together on one of the biggest accounts we had in my previous company) and we decided to get a room in Aruga for game night. There were supposed to  be seven of us but some folks had to cancel last minute. There were still four of us - Marco, Jeoff, Mark, and myelf - who made it that night. I think the last time that we were all together in the same place was during Marco's wedding many years ago so was great seeing everyone again. Aruga is right next to Powerplant mall and Jeoff said he really wanted to try a certain restaurant at The Grid, which is kinda like a high-end food court. It was there that I spotted Pilya's Kitchen which serves hand-pulled noodles. I love hand-pulled noodes and it's been ages since I had some so I decided to get their Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. I also ordered Pork and Shrimp Dumplings. I do have to say that it was pretty expensive but really good! I definitely enjoyed my food.

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup and Pork and Shrimp Dumplings from Pilya's Kitchen

The last month seems to have been a Rockwell month for me because I also met up with my friends for lunch at Pizzulu, a relatively new restaurant in the Proscenium area. I really do like the pizza and pasta here and in fact, I suggested some the same dishes I had in their BGH branch last year with a different set of friends. While we could have had dessert there, my friends suggested we move to one of the other restaurants in the Proscenium area so we could get to try another new place. We ended up having dessert at Brunch Bureau. I ordered the Nutty French Toast, which I think has peanut butter (as its name suggests), giving it a unique taste. I got it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it extra special.

Nutty French Toast ala Mode at Brunch Bureau

I also had dinner with another set of colleagues at Mama Lou's at the Venice Grand Canal Mall. Mama Lou's was one of my favorite restaurants during the pandemic because I would often order their family-size truffle mac and cheese or truffle pasta which was only available for take-out or delivery. When my friends and I were deciding which dishes to get, I told them that we should get the Truffle Mac and Cheese (of course) and they could choose whatever other dishes they wanted to go with that. I actually arrived early so before I met up with them, I went around the mall to take photos. It really does look quite beautiful in the evening with all the lights!

Venice Grand Canal Mall at night

My friends and I were still on a high from Rona's sensational 80s theme party so we all agreed to have dinner shortly after that. We agreed to meet up for dinner at Locavore in Estancia. We all shared stories about how much fun we had dancing and how badly our bodies hurt after hahaha. I also hadn't eaten at Locavore in a while and I really missed their Sizzling Sinigang and their Lechon and Oyster Sisig. I never eat at this restaurant without ordering these two dishes.

Lechon and Oyster Sisig and Sizzling Sinigang at Locavore

To round out a month of gatherings, my dear High School friend Ezra was in town and shortly before she left, Iona hosted an after-dinner High School reunion at her house. We met up on a Friday night and because there was no work the next day, we weren't in a rush to go home. Which was great because it really had been such a long time since I last saw Ezra in person and it was wonderful catching up with her. That really is the thing about great friendships, isn't it? Even if you haven't seen each other in a while, once you do, you just pick up from where you left off.

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

St. Louis Cafe

One restaurant I got to try for the first time this year is St. Louis. I discovered this restaurant when I was searching for cafes and dessert places in BGC. 

St. Louis in BGC

On my first visit, I ordered the Breakfast Omelette, which has three eggs, cheese, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and forest ham. What I love about St. Louis is that they have an add-on sides menu where you can add different items to your standard order. As such, I decided to add Australian Bacon and a Hash Brown.

Breakfast Omelette with Australian Bacon and a Hash Brown

While I originally wanted to get some dessert, I ended up being really full. I told myself I would visit this place again soon. Which I did. On my next visit, I decided to order their Breakfast Waffle, a Belgian waffle served with raspberry coulis, maple syrup, strawberries, and banana and blueberry yoghurt ice cream. This time, I ordered a piece of Buttermilk Fried Chicken to go with my waffle. (They actually have Chicken and Waffles on the menu but I wanted fancier waffles that day so I thought the Breakfast Waffle with a side of chicken was a better option.)

Breakfast Waffle with a side of Buttermilk Fried Chicken

More recently, I got to try their Chicken Crepe. This was really good too! I think it might be my favorite chicken crepe in Metro Manila right now.

Chicken Crepe

This restaurant has become one of my favorite restaurants so when my colleagues wanted to have dinner after work in the BGC area, I suggested St. Louis and they agreed. It was then that I got to try their dark chocolate ice cream which I really enjoyed.


I really do love this place. It has a casual and comfortable vibe. On my first visit here, I sat at the far-end of the restaurant and this corner feels extra cozy.


I haven't really tried many of their other dishes as I tend to order one of the three dishes I just posted about haha. I really should try their other items next time.


St. Louis
https://www.facebook.com/stlouisph/
Address: Unit 104-A, Lower ground, C3 Bonifacio High Street Central, Taguig
Phone: (02) 8821 7315

Friday, October 20, 2023

New Stuff and New Experiences

One of the most awesome things I got this year is a deck of Voltes V playing cards! A post about these limited edition cards popped up on social media and I was immediately drawn to it. I mentioned to my FGTC board game friends (yes, we have a name haha) that I was interested to get these cards but I was hesitant because they weren't exactly cheap. They told me not to get it and just save my money. As it turned out, they got it for me! What an amazing and very thoughtful gift!

Voltes V playing cards

I love that the key characters are featured on the cards. Even Octo-1 appears on the Joker cards! Naturally, all the 5 cards feature the Voltes V. There are also extra design cards that show the five Voltes pilots - Steve, Big Bert, Little John, Mark, and Jamie volting in. These playing cards are really so cool!

Most of the key characters are featured on the playing cards!

I also got new shoes - Purple Nike Dunk Low Court. I was passing by a shoe store when I noticed them. I've always liked the simple design of Nike Dunks and when I saw these purple and white shoes, I was instantly drawn to them. They were decently priced and when I tried them on, I thought they looked good on me. I decided to get them because I figured I would regret it if I didn't. So far, I'm really happy with my purchase.

Wearing my purple Nike Dunks

Another new thing I got to try recently was ordering from Amazon and shipping directly to the Philippines. This new service provided by Amazon is relatively new and many of my friends were able to try it already. You need to order at least $49 worth of items to get free shipping but it's important to note that not all items qualify for free shipping and that if you exceed P10,000, your order will most likely need to go through customs. I had just recently played Champions of Midgard, which is fast becoming one of my favorite games, and I thought it would be a better playing experience to get the expansions - Valhalla and Dark Mountains - which would allow an extra player to join and would reduce the luck of the dice roll. These two items exceeded $49 so I got free shipping and maybe a couple of weeks after my order, I got them. Very cool!

Champions of Midgard expansions that I purchased on Amazon

Speaking of board games, I also recently managed to reduce my "shelf of shame", which is the set of board games someone owns that they hadn't played yet. I got to play my copy of Dominion, one of the original deck building games, with my friends. It's easy to understand and to teach and game play is quite quick. I didn't win but I certainly enjoyed playing it. Hopefully, it can hit the table more often.

Playing my Dominion board game for the first time

I also got to play my copy of King of Tokyo for the first time in years and I got to play my King of Tokyo Cthulu Monster Pack expansion. Cool! There are still a couple of months before the year ends so I hope I can reduce my shelf of shame even further.

Monday, October 16, 2023

Parties and Reunions

Tito Erwin celebrated his 70th birthday and my family joined him and many other guests at the Diamond Hotel for this milestone occasion. He asked me about a month earlier if I could be the party emcee and I agreed so I was a bit (a lot?) stressed out that evening haha. I had a call with his daughter and my cousin, Carissa, who explained the program and the theme to me and from there, I was able to prepare my opening spiel. I know I could've done better but I guess it was a decent effort for someone who isn't a professional and Tito Erwin and his wife Tita Maritie both seemed happy with my hosting job. The official program ended in the late evening and the guests danced to music performed by a live band. I would've loved to stay longer but unfortunately, it was a week night and I had an early day the next day so I left while many people were still partying on the dance floor. Still, I'm happy that we were there to join Tito Erwin and I'm also happy that I got to see many of my relatives.

Tito Erwin's awesome birthday cake

That wasn't the only big party I attended recently. My friend Rona also celebrated a milestone birthday at the Valle Verde Country Club just a couple of weeks later. It was an '80s theme party and I originally wanted to buy a costume but I didn't have time and by the time I started thinking about it more carefully, I realized that any costume I order online might not arrive on time. Thankfully, I managed to find items in my wardrobe that, when put together, kinda looked like an '80s-inspired outfit. The great thing about that party is that our group of friends actually joined in the dancing once the DJ started playing music after the program and we all danced the night away. Rona had dance instructors lead the dancing and we grooved to songs that had popular moves in the Philippines, such as Shake Body Dancer, Just Got Lucky, Name Game, and of course Rico Mambo.

Trying some '80s dance moves in my '80s-themed outfit

I also got to meet up with a couple of my British friends who visited the Philippines. My friend Tim, who I got to see in Japan, flew to Angeles City in Pampanga for a weekend and they stayed at the ABC Hotel. The coolest bit of this hotel was the swimming pool and lounging area on the roof deck.

Pool area at the roofdeck of ABC Hotel in Angeles City, Pampanga

I also got to meet up with my friend David, who also flew to Manila with some of his colleagues for work. He was asking for venue ideas and I suggested that we have dinner at Sunae in BGC. This restaurant offers Asian cuisine which I thought they would appreciate and it also has a nice vibe. I think my choice was pretty good because everyone enjoyed the food. I'm also happy that I got to see David again. 

I do have several more get-togethers lined up in the near future so I am pretty sure I will be writing about those soon.

Saturday, October 14, 2023

US Open 2023

Novak Djokovic has pretty much cemented himself as the greatest tennis player in history by winning the US Open, his 24th Grand Slam singles title. This puts him in a tie with Margaret Court for most majors won in history but it also means he is the lone record-holder in the Open Era. This US Open championship also means that he has won 3 of the 4 Grand Slam event this year, the fourth time he has achieved this feat and a record in the men's tour. Novak remains at the pinnacle of men's tennis and while the rest of the field is putting up a good fight, he still has the hunger, the talent, and the mentality to win more majors in the future. It will be really interesting to see what else he achieves before he officially hangs up his tennis racquet.

On the women's side, Coco Gauff won her first Grand Slam title by beating Aryna Sabalenka. Coco Gauff went on a tear in the North American Summer hard-court swing, winning in Cincinnati and Washington and getting to the finals in Montreal. She rode that momentum going into the US Open and didn't let up, even after world #2 Sabalenka took the first set in their championship match. This win will surely give her more confidence and self-belief. Considering that she is still just 19 years old, the future looks very bright for Coco.

I have been writing about this amazing woman in my tennis-related posts but I cannot help but be blown away by the sheer dominance and magnificence of Diede De Groot. She just won her 6th US Open Wheelchair singles title in a row and her 13th Grand Slam Wheelchair singles title in a row. That is staggering! I look forward to seeing what else she can achieve and win in the years to come.

Congratulations to all the US Open winners!

Monday, October 09, 2023

The Philippines Wins 4 Golds at the 2023 Asian Games!

The Philippines just achieved our best Asian Games finish since 1994, placing 17th overall. We got 4 golds, 2 silvers, and 12 bronze medals. Cool! EJ Obiena, who is now the World #2 pole vaulter, won our first gold. In fact, he did so pretty convincingly. He cleared a height of 5.90m while the silver and bronze medals were won by athletes who managed to clear "only" 5.65m. EJ has achieved incredible results at the world stage in this sport and he managed to do it again at the Asian Games. Meggie Ochoa won the second Philippine gold in women's 48kg jiu-jitsu, improving upon her bronze finish at the previous Asian Games in Indonesia. Annie Ramirez gave us our 3rd gold also in women's jiu-jitsu, but in the 57kg weight class. She has won an incredible three golds already at the SEA Games but this is her first medal at the Asian Games, so the fact that it is also a gold makes it even more amazing. Last but not least, Gilas Pilipinas won gold at the men's 5-on-5 basketball. This is the country's first gold medal in this event since 1962. Congratulations and thanks to all our Philippine medalists (see the full list of medalists here: https://olympics.com/en/news/asian-games-2023-philippines-medal-winners-full-list) and athletes who competed at the Asian Games 2023!