Lunch at La Spezia MNL

I took my family to La Spezia MNL to celebrate my nephew's birthday.

House specialty: Spaghetti Al Tartufo Nero with real truffles

I learned about this place when I was searching for good restaurants. I wanted our lunch venue to be extra special since my nephew missed our lunch at Raging Bull last year. I checked the menu of La Spezia and when I saw that they had steak which I wanted my nephew to have, I decided this would be the perfect place to celebrate his birthday.

There were ten of us so we ordered a lot of food. For starters, we got the Burrata (P650), which is buffalo mozzarella served with charred corn, cherry tomatoes, basil and sea salt. 

Burrata

For our salad, we got the Arugula Insalata (P570). It has baby arugula from Tagaytay served with Genovese pesto, tomatoes, 18-month Parmigiano-Reggiano, and extra virgin olive oil.

Arugula Insalata

Since La Spezia is an Italian restaurant, we naturally had to have some pasta dishes. We ordered a few, including the Spaghetti Aglio Pesca (P720). This spaghetti dish has clams, shrimp, and squid and is served with garlic, Parmigiano-Regiano, and extra virgin olive oil. I got to try a bit of this and I think it may be my favorite pasta dish that we ordered.

Spaghetti Aglio Pesca

The Spaghetti Alla Carbonara (P650) is served with a 63-degree Celsius sous vide egg, guanciale, 18mo Parmigiano-Reggiano, and extra virgin olive oil.

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

The highlight of our pasta dish orders was the Spaghetti Al Tartufo Nero (P1,360). It is served with guanciale, a 'convento' vino reduced sauce, walnut cream, and 18-month Parmigiano-Reggiano. What makes it extra special (and very expensive) is the fact that it is served with actual
PERIGORD black truffles. There's even a special table presentation: they brought a box of truffles to our table, sliced them, weighed the slices on a food scale, then served the truffles on top of the spaghetti. This whole ritual made the dish feel even more special than it already was.

Table presentation of the Spaghetti Al Tartufo Nero

We also got the Risotto Milanese (P820), which is Arborio rice with Spanish saffron, bone marrow, 12-year old balsamic vinegar, 18-month Parmigiano-Reggiano, and extra virgin olive oil.

Risotto Milanese

Aside from pasta, we also got some main courses, including the Pancetta di Maiale (P720). This is a 16-hour Sous Vide Pork Belly served with polenta, apple pork jus, and extra virgin olive oil.

Pancetta di Maiale

My nephew ordered the Vino Rosso Agnello (P1,050), a 4-hour Stewed Lamb Shank served with Guanciale, shallots, button mushrooms, pancetta, and polenta. While I didn't get to try this, my nephew really enjoyed it.

Vino Rosso Agnello

Then of course, we had the steak. I ordered the 1Kg Bistecca Certified Angus Beef Rib-eye (P5,200) as soon as we arrived but it took some time to prepare so it arrived at our table towards the end of our meal. It was a really good steak and despite the fact that everyone had eaten quite a lot already by the time the rib-eye was served, we still managed to consume it fully.

Bistecca Certified Angus Beef Rib-eye

We ended our meal with Tiramisu (P380). Their version is a bit different in that it has ice cream.

Tiramisu

It was a great meal and my family and I really enjoyed all the food. I can understand why La Spezia MNL has gotten a lot of good reviews. It's pretty expensive so it's not for everyday consumption but it's perfect for special occasions. I also really like the ambiance and the service was superb. I'm really happy that I picked this place.

La Spezia MNL
https://www.facebook.com/LaSpezia.MNL/
Address: 90 Sct. Dr. Lazcano St, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Phone: (02) 7960 6903

January Hodgepodge

I got my family a new coffee maker. And it's a pretty snazzy one too: a De'Longhi Argento Flora Drip Coffee Maker. It's actually really expensive but I decided to get this for several reasons. First, our old one was broken. Second, practically everyone in my family drinks coffee so a fancy new coffee maker would be good value, especially if it works and lasts better than our old one. Third, it was kinda like a Christmas gift to all of them. Finally, it looks really nice haha (or well, to me it does). My family started using our new De'Longhi coffee maker in the new year and my brother told me that it works so much better than our previous one. It also looks really nice in our kitchen. I think it looks bright, clean, and sleek. While it is really pricey, I'm quite happy that I got it for my family. Hopefully it lasts us a long time!

Our new De'Longhi Argento Flora Drip Coffee Maker

I also got a Uniqlo Rugger Polo for myself. And yes, it's the shirt that went viral haha but I got one in a different color combination. I know that most people don't like wearing a shirt that many other people wear, especially if they wear it at the same time as someone else. However, because this rugger polo went viral, it actually brings a smile to my face each time I see someone wearing it. As such, I decided to get one for myself. My initial plan was to get either the blue and green or the red and blue. However, once I got to Uniqlo, I saw that this shirt came in another color combination: white and blue. I found it to be the most striking visually so I decided to try it on and I thought it looked good on me haha. So instead of getting either of the two color combinations that went viral, I ended up getting the one that people aren't as familiar with. That said, the saleslady told me it was actually the most popular of the three shirts, which kinda made sense because it was the one they had the least stock of.

Uniqlo Rugger Polo

My family caught a snake at home right before New Year. It was really interesting because my nephew called me and asked me if I knew of any place that can take care of snakes. He told me that they managed to capture one at home and they didn't want to release it back into the neighborhood because they were worried that it might end up in someone else's home and they might kill it. I suggested that they take the snake to Parks and Wildlife, which my brother did the next day. My suggestion was right because the park accepted the snake. My nephew told me that they kept the snake it a box that night but it actually got out so they had to catch it again. I have no idea how they managed to catch it twice but I am really proud of my family for not killing it and making an effort to bring it to an organization that would treat it properly. I gotta say, it was actually a beautiful snake.

My nephew took this photo of the snake they captured at home

On the downside, I had a flat tire the other day. I was driving home and about a kilometer or so away from home, I started to hear a weird sound coming from the back of my car. I couldn't figure out what it was. As soon as I got home, I noticed my rear left tire was deflated. There was a vulcanizing shop a very short distnace away so I decided to drive there really slowly and have my tire fixed. The guy at the vulcanizing shop almost immediately spotted the issue: a pretty big nail pierced my tire. I hope I didn't do major damage to my wheel by driving flat. (I should have it checked soon.)

A big nail pierced my tire

I also got to catch up a bit on my streaming platforms. Over the holiday break, I got to see three animated films on Disney+ that I had been wanting to see for a while. Pixar's Soul kinda gave me Inside Out vibes and I understand why many of my friends found it to be introspection-inducing. Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon was also good and I love that it is inspired by South East Asian cultures. Pixar's Onward was surprisingly enjoyable. I hadn't heard much positive feedback from people about it but when I watched it, I found myself very thoroughly entertained. (It does have a high rating on Rotten Tomatoes so maybe people who saw it didn't talk about it as much, especially since it was released right as the global pandemic hit and theaters were starting to close). Top Gun: Maverick was just released on HBO Go so I naturally watched it again. I really do love this movie! Finally, I saw Glass Onion on Netflix, which is a sequel to Knives Out which I love. As a fan of whoddunit mystery stories, I really enjoyed this movie. Hopefully, we get more sequels.

An Amazing Customer Service Experience with Merienda by Pan De Manila

I recently purchased take-out from Merienda by Pan De Manila. What started out as a big mistake turned into an incredible customer service experience that has now made me a, dare I say, a loyal customer.

It all started one night when I was heading home from work. I was craving Sopas so I decided to pass by Merienda by Pan De Manila that was near my office to order sopas for take-out. I decided to also get their Ginataang Gulay, or vegetables cooked in coconut milk. Once my order was ready, the waiters hand me two bags. The sopas was placed in an open bag but they also handed me a bag that was sealed with tape. I didn't bother removing the tape but I assumed it contained the ginataang gulay. Imagine my absolute dismay when I got home and opened that sealed bag only to see a pack of pan de sal!

It was upsetting on multiple levels. First, I really wanted to have some vegetables for dinner that night and now I didn't have any. Second, my ginataang gulay cost a lot more than the pack of pan de sal. Third, since I was already home, I was too far away from Merienda by Pan De Manila to go back and have my incorrect order replaced. Fourth, the soonest I could go back there would be a week later. (Technically, I could return sooner, but the time I would spend going there and back plus the cost of gas would be worth more than the cost of the food I ordered). I tried looking up their contact number online but I couldn't find it. I resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't be able to get a replacement or a refund.

I had the opportunity to return to that same place a week later and I was in two minds as to whether I should still complain about the wrong order. After all, a lot of time had passed since the mistake and they could argue that I should have checked my order to confirm that what I got was right.

I decided to just share my experience so I can tell them to be more careful in the future; I wasn't expecting anything at all. I spoke to the woman behind the cashier (who was there the previous week as well) and I told her about the wrong order. Before I could even go into detail of my concern, she immediately acknowledged their mistake, saying that she remembers the situation from the week before, and she told me they would replace my order. She sounded genuinely apologetic. She even told me that they stuck a piece of paper on the door of the restaurant with their contact number on it in case I returned on the night in question; that way I could call them if the store had already closed.

I honestly didn't expect that response or even that they would remember me and replace my order so I was very pleasantly surprised. I decided to order a pack of cheese sticks and tablea ice cream as kind of a 'thank you' (in the form of additional revenue for them) for their positive response. As I was paying for my order, the woman told me that they would just charge me for the ice cream and they would give me the cheese sticks for free. Wow! But as if that wasn't enough, when my vegetables finally arrived, they gave me a complimentary cup of iced tea as well. They also continued to apologize for the error in the previous week.

I've never experienced this kind of response in a local establishment in the past so I was really pleased with how they managed the situation. I remember taking customer service training many, many years ago and the trainer talked to us about how you can actually turn a bad customer experience into a good one. I guess this is a clear example of that. I now consider myself to be a loyal customer of Merienda by Pan de Manila and since that experience, I try to eat there or buy take-out whenever I can.

Counting to 12, Sesame Street-Style

This is one of the many amazing videos from Sesame Street that its viewers, including myself, remember even decades after seeing it.

video uploaded in YouTube by Sesame Street

I always found the animation to be really interesting and inventive and the music to be catchy. I have to say, as an adult, I actually appreciate the musicality even more now, with its funkiness and amazing musicianship. I also only just discovered that The Pointer Sisters actually sing this song. Awesome!

Savage by Josh Boutwood

Just before New Year, I got to meet up with some friends for lunch at Savage by Josh Boutwood. I heard that the steak in this place is pretty good, as are many other menu items, so when we were figuring out where to eat in BGC, I suggested this place and everyone agreed.

Savage by Josh Boutwood (photo taken by my friend Che)

I actually arrived late haha. I think the craziness of the holiday season caused me to oversleep and wake up really late on the day of our lunch. As such, I was unable to take a photo of the first two dishes that my friends ordered: the Deviled Eggs and the Mussels and Fries. (They did leave some for me so I could try them once I arrived and both were good! The mussels dish brought back memories of my visits to Belgium where this dish is extremely popular.) I did arrive in time to take a photo of the Charred Romaine salad, which has grilled romaine lettuce with garlic and anchovy dressing and topped with sourdough breadcrumbs & parmesan cheese. This salad was really good too.

Charred Romaine salad

We decided to order a couple of main courses and share them. Naturally, we had to get steak. There were four of us so we went with the 1.2 kg Dry-aged Bone-in Ribeye, which is dry-aged in-house for 28 days, grilled over oak and charcoal, and finished with smoked butter, mustard, leaf emulsion and sea salt. 

Dry-aged Bone-in Ribeye Steak

I got a side of Crushed potatoes with flying fish roe to go with my steak.

Crushed Potatoes with flying fish roe

We also got the Tuna collar, which is grilled over charcoal and paired with a fermented soy bean emulsion and served with wild rice furikake. This, I felt, was the only misstep. I don't know if it was because the tuna might not have been fresh anymore but we all found it too fishy.

Tuna Collar

We shared a couple of desserts to cap off our lunch. We ordered the Kladdkaka, a Swedish chocolate cake served with whipped cream...

Kladdkaka, or Swedish chocolate cake

...and the Meringue and Strawberries, with a hint of vanilla bean.

Meringue with Strawberries

Savage is on the expensive side but it was the holidays so it was a pretty good time to splurge. We did enjoy our dining experience here, tuna collar notwithstanding, and I was happy that I got to catch up with my friend Che whom I hadn't seen in person in years.

Savage by Josh Boutwood

https://www.joshboutwood.net/restaurants/savage

Arya Plaza, GF, McKingly Drive. Bonifacio Global City
+639153339546
savage@bistro.com.ph

Welcome, 2023!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Sticking to tradition, my first blog post of the year will be a review of the past year. It was the most eventful year for me (and probably for everyone else) since the pandemic started, with so many amazing things happening.

First, there were a lot of family celebrations and events. My grandmother 'Nanay' celebrated her 95th birthday. I took my family to Raging Bull to celebrate the birthdays of my mom and my brother. My family also paid our respects to Mama Guading as her remains were moved to a new resting place. I didn't get to write about it but I also took my family to Wildflour for my nephew's birthday. We threw a party at home for my other nephew's birthday. My family also enjoyed a great lunch at Dylan Patisserie. I'm really happy and thankful that my 95-year old grandmother still has the strength to join us when we go out to celebrate.

I also got to travel again. I took some time off work to spend some days in Shangri-La Mactan in Cebu earlier this year. That was also my first plane ride since 2019. I then got invited to a wedding at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan, which was my first long drive since the pandemic.

Best purchase of 2022: my Fitbit! It helped me keep track of total steps taken, distance covered, calories burned, and sleep score, among other things. Over the year, I amassed several Fitbit Achievements, the latest of which is my New Zealand badge! I got my Fitbit during one of the many Lazada sales during the year. I also leveraged these Lazada sales to purchase several Kiehl's products and an Issey Miyake fragrance that came with a lot of freebies. I also purchased some really awesome Nike shoes called Desert Elephant. And while this wasn't exactly a direct purchase, I did make use of my mobile phone provider's recontracting rewards program to get a new Samsung S22+ phone. (Gosh, looks like I went a bit overboard on my shopping and spending hahaha.)

In sports, Nadal won his 21st and 22nd Grand Slam titles, including his 14th French Open title. His comeback win at the Australian Open allowed him to win at least 2 of each Grand Slam event, making him only the second male player after Noval Djokovic to accomplish this in the Open era. Hidilyn Diaz won three gold medals at the 2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships, making her a world champion for the first time. She is now a gold medalist at the Olympics, the World Championships, the Asian Games, and the SEA Games! Also, UP won the UAAP Men's Basketball Tournament for the first time since 1986.

Other stuff: I got certified as a Professional Scrum Product Owner. I read four Neil Gaiman books during the year. They were some really good books too so I'm happy I was able to make enough time to read them. I subscribed to Disney+ and I have since seen many, many movies and shows on that streaming platform. I got to try a several new restaurants in 2022: The Loggia by Margarita Fores, Gram Pancake, Coffee Academics, Antipodean, Pizzulu, and Savage by Josh Boutwood which I haven't written about yet (aside from Dylan which I already mentioned). I continued writing my throwback posts: Paris, Luxembourg, Vietnam, US (including California, Ohio, Kentucky, and New York), and Palawan (Busuanga and El Nido).

2022 was also filled with a lot of get-togethers, game nights, and reunions. I'm really happy that life seems to be slowly going back to pre-pandemic normal. Hopefully, 2023 will be just as good, if not better.