Toyo Eatery

Last long weekend, I had dinner with my friends at Toyo Eatery. Guests are served many small courses during service, making it a haven for foodies who want to try many different dishes. It's a very expensive restaurant but I had been curious about this place for a while so when my friend asked if I wanted to have dinner there, I agreed. We were served 8 courses, although some courses had more than one item. The waiters explained each item to us in detail, including its history and the inspiration for making it. They don't provide a menu so I don't remember the details of everything we ate. The theme was seafood and vegetables, probably because of the Lenten season, but a few meat dishes were also served.

Toyo Eatery

First up were grilled mushrooms that were styled like street food. We were also served a very hearty and delicious vegetable soup.

This was followed by vegetarian dimsum and some Philippine-style sushi.

Next came Ilocos empanadas and baked oysters. I'm not normally a fan of oysters but I actually really liked this preparation.

We then had fish kinilaw. This might have been my second favorite dish of the night.

My favorite was the one that came next, a blue crab dish (I think it was blue crab). I'm not sure exactly how it was prepared - I do remember there were rice cakes in it - but it was really good and all I could think of after consuming it was that I wish I could have more of it.

We were then served a "Bahay Kubo salad". It is called that because apparently, it is made with all vegetables that are mentioned in the song Bahay Kubo.

Next up was some kind of fish wrap. I call it a wrap because you fold the leaf around the fish and try to eat it in one or two bites.

We then had their version of tortang talong, which comes with Toyo's own banana ketchup. As our waiter explained this to us, he asked us if we knew what Maria Orosa is known for and I did because it was a question during a trivia contest I previously participated in. The answer: Maria Orosa invented banana ketchup!

Before moving to the next dish, we had sorbet as a palate cleanser.

We were then served what I believe was the main course: black pig with vegetables, a very crispy bisugo, and pork fried rice. Everything we had prior to this dish could be eaten in 1-2 bites so this was far and away the biggest and heaviest set of food we got. I actually started to feel quite full after this.

Our meal was not over yet, though. Next up was dessert. Shockingly, we were served 5 dessert dishes! I honestly can't recall what the first one was, but it was the biggest dessert we got. Despite feeling a bit full, I still managed to eat the entire thing.

Our second dessert was what seemed to be their version of strawberries and cream.

The third dessert was salted caramel ice cream. What made this extra special was the salt it came with, called Asin Tibuok. This salt is very expensive because it takes a long time to produce. You can read more about it and how it's prepared here.

Our final two desserts were served together: cassava squares and chocolate truffles.

It was a really unique dining experience made even more memorable by the fact that the dishes we had deeply honor their ingredients as well as Philippine history and tradition. Case in point: before leaving, we were given "baon" - some Pinoy-style biscotti - because according to the waiter, it is customary in our country to take something home after a meal. Very cool! I will say though that I think I'm not the target market for Toyo Eatery. While some dishes were spectacular, some were just okay to me. Personally, I would have preferred to have more of the dishes that I really loved. I also realized that I don't particularly enjoy having a couple of bites to eat then waiting 10-15 minutes or so for the next one. That said, the dining experience was truly topnotch and the wait staff provided exceptional service. I am happy that I got to have dinner here. If you can afford the price tag, I do recommend you to try Toyo Eatery.

Toyo Eatery

https://toyoeatery.com/

Address: The Alley at Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Extension, Makati
Email: reservations@toyoeatery.com

 

Board Gaming Bonanza

One of things I'm really thankful for is that I am starting to play board games more and more frequently now. Just this month, I got to play three times. The first game night was hosted by Cla at her house. She just got a copy of Flamecraft, which is a relatively new game that has been getting really good reviews from people. Players take turns placing dragons in shops around town, gathering items, and casting enchantments. The actions per turn are simple so this is quite an easy game to learn and play. It also looks really cute!

Flamecraft

I feel like it's a good game to play with casual gamers and I was tempted to get a copy but I decided against it because I still have way too many board games that I haven't played yet haha. We played Flamecraft twice that night, and I was lucky to win both times by really slim margins (in fact, the first time we played it, I won by only 1 point!)

Winning my first Flamecraft game by the slimmest of margins!

We also played Acquire, a game which Cla says she really loves. The good thing about this game is up to 6 players can play it so all of us that night were able to participate. This game is essentially a business and stock investment game. It mirrors reality quite well because you have to predict which businesses will grow and which ones may acquire others, and your decision to invest in stocks will be based on these predictions. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but an early decision to invest in a certain stock that grew massively turned out to be a great move. I ended up winning the game, much to my great surprise!

My winnings in Acquire

We also played Acquire, a game which Cla says she really loves. The good thing about this game is up to 6 players can play it so all of us that night were able to participate. This game is essentially a business and stock investment game. It mirrors reality quite well because you have to predict which businesses will grow and which ones may acquire others, and your decision to invest in stocks will be based on these predictions. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but an early decision to invest in a certain stock that grew massively by the end of the game turned out to be a great move for me because I ended up winning the game!

My next game night was with my FGTC friends (yes, our board game group has a name!). I used to be able to play until dawn with them but since the pandemic, I realized I don't have the energy to play until the wee hours of the morning anymore so now, I am usually the first person to leave. Despite this, I was able to play a few games with them that night. The one I enjoyed the most that night was The Lord of the Rings: Shadows over Middle-earth Exit game. This is like a tabletop version of escape rooms. We managed to figure out most of the challenges unassisted save for one, and for that, we had to get a clue. It took us about an hour and a half to solve the game and we had to get a clue so I thought we didn't do very well but we actually did get a decent score.

We also got to play That's a Question, a really interesting game where you present a questions to one of the other players and everyone else has to guess what that player's answer is going to be. If all players answer it correctly or no one does, you score zero points. If no one gets it correctly, you also score zero points. But if some people get it, you score points. On other players turns, if you answer the question correctly, you also score a point. It's a really interesting and fun game but it works better if you know the other players well enough.

Just last weekend, I met up with another set of friends for my third board game day/night of the month. This time, I got to play with some people who hadn't played board games since before the pandemic, including Denise and Mike. Most of the games played that night were games I had played before, including Lords of Waterdeep which Denise requested, Parks which I asked Mitch to bring, and Wingspan which Mike really wanted to play.

I have several more game nights lined up in the upcoming month so I am definitely looking forward to those. The key now is for me to start playing more of my board games that I hadn't played before yet.

[Throwback] Mt. Pulag

A few weeks after our white-water rafting adventure, my friend Mike organized a hike up Mt. Pulag in Benguet. At 2,928 meters above sea level, it is the second highest peak in the Philippines after Mt. Apo. I was definitely looking forward to this.

Mt. Pulag

The plan was to drive up to the basecamp and leave our vehicles there. We would then hike up the mountain and set up camp for the night. We would then wake up at the break of dawn and head to the best spot for photographs at the summit just as the sun rises.

Unfortunately, our plans got badly derailed. First, I got a flat tire on my way to basecamp. Worse, once we arrived, it started to rain heavily. Since we were already there, we all agreed to continue with our plans.

The hike to the campsite was about 4 hours long, made even more difficult by the fact that it was absolutely pouring. Once we got there, Mike and I set up our tent and invited everyone else to stay inside it to keep as dry as possible while we set up the rest of the tents. While this seemed like a good idea at the time, when we were done, we were absolutely drenched. Also, the inside of our tent was soaked. This made for a terribly cold evening that left me shivering badly all through the night. I'm not sure how I managed to fall asleep.

Our campsite

We woke up very early the next morning but I wasn't sure whether I wanted to get up because I was feeling sick (understandably). Still, all my efforts that weekend would be for naught if I didn't have the full Mt. Pulag experience so I willed myself to join everyone else. Thankfully, as soon as I started moving and it started to feel warmer and I felt stronger and more energized. When we got to the top of the mountain, we were all rewarded with some stunning views!

View from the top of Mt. Pulag

Unfortunately, we didn't make it there before sunrise, which I guess was expected given how tired and miserable we all were the previous night. Also, we didn't get to see a sea of clouds covering the mountains, a sight for which Mt. Pulag is known. Still, it was a truly magnificent experience being atop the tallest peak in Luzon.

I needed a photo despite my bedhead (hey, there's no shower on top of the mountain! haha)

Once we had our fill of taking photos at the summit, we made our way back down to our campsite. It was there that I had another unexpected and memorable moment: an absolutely sumptuous meal. We brought a lot of cooking equipment with us to the summit and there were three exceptional cooks (including trained chefs!) in our party. Together, they whipped up several delicious pasta dishes. After a difficult climb up the mountain and a cold, damp night, it was an absolute treat to be able to feast on hot pasta ! Even watching my three friends work together to prepare our meal was an absolute joy. They all really knew what they were doing!

Heading back down to our campsite from the summit

We took a few more photos at the campsite before packing everything up. Interestingly enough, it started raining again. I was just thankful that it rained when we were already about to head down. It took us about four hours to arrive at the basecamp. We drove to Baguio where we had dinner at a Mongolian Barbecue restaurant. A few folks spent the night there but the rest of us headed all the way back to Manila that evening.

It rained again on our way back down

This of course was way before TPLEX was built so the trip from Baguio to Manila was still several hours long. It was past midnight when we got home and I was absolutely exhausted but grateful that I was able to experience a very memorable hike up Mt. Pulag.

[Throwback] Adventure Weekend in Tuguegarao

A while back, my friend Mike left the country to study abroad but before he left, he wanted to go out of town a couple of times. I joined him in a couple of these weekend trips, the first of which was an adventure-filled weekend in Tuguegarao that included white-water rafting, kayaking, and caving.

White-water rafting at the Chico River (photo taken by my friend Mike)

We joined a tour organized by Anton Carag, the co-owner of Adventures and Expeditions Philippines, Inc. We departed Manila on Friday night, taking an overnight bus that arrived in Tuguegarao very early the next day. We were picked up at the bus station and taken to Casa Carag, which would be our home for the next two days. After getting settled and having breakfast, we boarded jeepneys that took us to the Chico River for our first activity: whitewater rafting. (About a decade later, I visited the Chico River again; you can read more about that trip here.)

A still moment on the Chico River (photo taken by my friend Mike)

The experience was exhilarating! It was my first time to experience whitewater rafting and getting to feel the power of mother nature was really incredible. The buzz you get from putting all energy into paddling while working with others and following the instructions of the guide is hard to explain. I remember getting off the raft and promising myself I would do it again in the future.

Chico River rapids (photo taken by my friend Mike)

Shortly before sunset, we were taken to the Pinacanauan River to witness thousands upon thousands of bats heading out of their cave shelter. I wonder what it is in their instincts or wiring that make they head out at the same time and fly together in the way they do. In any case, it was a magnificent spectacle that was a great way to end our first day.

Bats flying out of their cave (photo taken by my friend Mike)

More adventure was lined up for us the next day. We started by exploring a couple of caves. Callao cave is quite easy to walk around in and it is quite popular for its amazing skylight that makes for amazing photo ops.

Natural skylight in Callao cave (photo taken by my friend Ray)

We then made our way through Roc cave, which was a lot more challenging due to the fact that we really had to go through narrow passageways. It was quite the experience!

Squeezing through Roc Cave (photo taken by my friend Tim)

After lunch, we did our last activity that weekend: kayaking on the Pinacanauan river. I love kayaking but that was my first time to do it on river rapids. Pinacanauan is actually milder than Chico but because you are alone in your kayak and it so much lower and closer to the water than the raft, it actually feels scarier and less stable. Which also means you get an amazing adrenaline rush! It was definitely more challenging getting through the rapids on a kayak, as proven by the fact that a few folks fell into water. Of course, this is a known risk, and some would even say it's a fun part of the experience, so our guides were properly positioned along the river to help anyone who fell off. It was a source of pride that I managed to stay on my kayak, although I think it would have been cool to have fallen into the water myself haha.

Kayaking on the Pinacanauan River (photo taken by my friend Paul)

We took the overnight bus later that evening. We got a flat tire at some point - I remember waking up in the middle of the night wondering why we weren't moving - and I think we lost a couple of hours. I was still quite young back then so I still had the energy to go to work on Monday morning but I ended up being late because of the flat tire delay. Still, it was such a fantastic weekend. Aside from the awesome outdoor activities, the food was fantastic, and Anton Carag was an incredible host and guide. That I got to do this with my friends made it truly special and absolutely memorable.

Starting the year right

2023 has been great so far, filled with so many get-togethers with family and friends. Some of them were post-Christmas celebrations and some were reunions with people who were in town. One of my closest friends from my second company, Duncan, had a business trip to the Philippines. He was staying at Shangri-La The Fort so we decided to have dinner at One Bonifacio which is just a short walk from the hotel. It's been about four years since we last saw each other so there was a whole lot of catching up that night, and if it wasn't for the meeting that Duncan needed to take later that night, we could have probably stayed out even longer. 

I passed by this Chinese New Year display at Shangri-La The Fort when I met up with Duncan

Raych, one of my dearest friends from my first company, was also in town. Dinner was at Crisostomo in Vertis North but because it was a Friday night and I was coming from work, I got stuck in very bad traffic and by the time I arrived, dinner was practically over. As such, we moved to La Creperie for dessert. It was my first time in La Creperie. The main course I got was not so good but I did love the crepes and crepe cakes we ordered. I'm really glad we got to catch up even if I was very late.

Crepe cake from La Creperie

Interestingly enough, I was also in Vertis North just a week before to meet up with my friends Denise and Ricci. We had been trying to organize a get-together with our friends from the CSR initiative in my previous company but most other people had to cancel at the last minute. We decided to push forward, even if there were just three of us. That was my first time in Vertis North and my first time at Katherine's Cafe. I really enjoyed the Blueberry French Toast I ordered. I wouldn't mind trying this place again, especially since they have a lot of items on their menu that appeal to me.

Blueberry French Toast at Katherine's Cafe

That same night, I joined a mini-high school reunion because Ed was in town. It must have been about four years since I last saw him so it was really good to catch up. Clearly, everyone enjoyed the evening as well because almost everyone arrived at around 6pm and we parted ways at past 2am. My friend Mitch commented that it was the latest we had all been together in a really long time (or maybe ever).

Dinner feast with my high school friends

My college friends and I also met up for a post-Christmas dinner - we had been trying to schedule something since November but our schedules just wouldn't mesh - and to celebrate Gary's birthday. We had an early dinner at Mamou in Ayala Malls The 30th (we took the 6 to 8pm seating) and since we needed to leave by 8, we moved to Lartizan for dessert and coffee. I actually got Gary a Concorde cake from Sugarhouse. Lartizan very nicely allowed us to eat the cake while we were there so we just ordered coffee and tea. Don't feel too bad for Lartizan though since Mike treated us all to take-out breads and pastries at 9pm, which is when a 50% discount is applied to many of their baked goods. Mike said that since he was unable to celebrate his birthday in November with us, he decided to treat everyone for an unplanned belated celebration. Cool!

Sugarhouse Concorde cake for Gary's birthday

I also met up with some ex-colleagues for breakfast at Gram Pancake. I had been there once and I promised myself I would go back but up until then, I hadn't yet. So when they were asking for venue ideas in BGC or Makati, I suggested this place and they all agreed. We all ordered our own dishes and while I wanted to get a souffle pancake, I decided to go with their Sausage and Eggs French Toast (with a side of bacon haha) since I wanted something savory. Since Tin also wanted to try the souffle pancakes, we all agreed to just order one and share it. Everyone enjoyed the food and Tin and Win felt that their kids would like this place so I'm glad I suggested it.

Sausage and Eggs French Toast at Gram Pancake

My ex-boss Jay also came home to Manila for Chinese New Year so we met up while he was here. He wanted to have dinner in the BGC area so we opted for Barcino in Uptown. It was great catching up with the gang and what made it even better was that we had a couple of guests pass by during the evening. The first one was Jody who I probably hadn't seen in 5 years. After he left, Magnus passed by. I honestly don't remember the last time I saw Magnus, who I worked with very closely for a few years about a decade ago. It always really good reconnecting with people with whom I have a lot of shared experience!

Jovan celebrated her birthday last month so we celebrated with a board game night (of course), lots of food, and some cake. I didn't want to surprise her anymore so I asked her directly what kind of cake she would like and she said she wanted a caramel cake. I ended up getting one from Costa Brava in Makati, which was only about a 15-20 minute drive from our game night venue. While Jovan wasn't surprised by the cake choice, she still enjoyed it.

Jovan's birthday cake from Costa Brava

Finally, I attended a couple of family reunions. My uncle Tito (yes, his nickname is Tito so we actually call him Tito Tito haha) was in Manila for the first time in years so his family organized lunch at their home. While it started during lunch, it extended all the way to the evening. In the late afternoon, some folks said that we should have some musical entertainment so Tito Chet started playing the guitar and I ended up singing maybe about 20 songs that afternoon/evening. My grandmother also sang. I'm really very grateful that she is still strong enough to be able to go to parties and even sing! My brother passed by in the late afternoon to pick us up but once he arrived, our relatives asked him to stay. He ended up singing and playing the guitar too. I guess music runs in my family haha! It was a really good day (albeit a bit tiring for me as I sang so many songs haha).

Tita Ace and Tito Sandro also hosted a party in late January since a lot of our relatives hadn't been to their house yet and they wanted to see it. Many of my relatives went to Kalibo for Ati-Atihan so after lunch, we were regaled with many stories and anecdotes from their recent trip. Naturally, the afternoon wouldn't be complete without musical entertainment. It just so happened that Tito Chet was there and my cousin Alfonso had a guitar so we started playing again. The singing and guitar-playing was shared by many people so I just sang a few songs this time haha.

It's amazing how many get-togethers I've attended in just over a month. Hopefully, this is a sign that the rest of 2023 will be filled with wonderful moments with family and friends.

Australian Open 2023

Another Grand Slam event, another set of records tied or broken. Novak Djokovic won a record-extending 10th Australian Open, which is an absolutely staggering achievement on so many levels. First, he ties Nadal with 22 major singles titles, the most for any man. He also extends his men's record for most Australian Open titles (the next after him? Roy Emerson and Roger Federer with 6 each). The fact that Novak hasn't lost any final at this event makes this accomplishment even more incredible. He also moves back up to #1 and it's just a matter of time before he eclipses Steffi Graf's record of 377 weeks at number one. This is also the 10th major title he won while in his 30s, the most of any man and tying Serena Williams' record. Novak continues to be a very serious threat at every event he plays and I won't be surprised if he ends up being the person who breaks Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.

Grand Slam title No.2⃣2⃣@DjokerNole • #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/DuwBEY5qmy

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2023

Aryna Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina in a 3-set match to win the women's championship. This is her first Grand Slam title and considering her very bad serving problems just a year ago, it's really wonderful to see her conquer those problems and turn things around in just one year. Rybakina seems to be doing really well too. Her Wimbledon title last year didn't come with any ranking points so she was unable to move up significantly in the rankings but despite that, she beat three seeded players en route to the final, including #1 Iga Swiatek. It will be really interesting to see whether Aryna and Elena can continue to play well the rest of the year.

SABALENKA IS CROWNED #AO2023 CHAMPION 👑 pic.twitter.com/tO8PoYxDSr

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2023

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.