Dohtonbori Japanese Restaurant

I got to try Dohtbonbori for the first time by chance. I was looking for a place to eat at SM Megamall and while I normally have my usual places to eat in the area, a sign outside Dohtonbori caught my attention. They were serving ramen set combo meals that looked really appetizing. I decided to try it.

Dohtonbori in SM Megamall

Thankfully I did because I was very happy with their food! I ordered a don-ramen set that included ramen (I can't recall if I had tonkotsu or shoyu) and donburi that cost "only" P425. That's really good value! My set had a lot of food, which meant I was fully satisfied after my meal. And it was all quite delicious!

Don-Ramen set with ramen and donburi

I enjoyed my first meal here so much that I decided to eat here again shortly after my first visit. I've always been a fan of sukiyaki so on this second dining experience at Dohtbonbori, I ordered Nabemono, which is their version of sukiyaki. Normally, this dish is served exclusively with glass noodles but the Dohtonbori version has udon mixed in with it.

Nabemono, Dohtonbori's version of sukiyaki

I had now eaten at Dohtonbori twice but I still hadn't tried their signature dish: the okonomiyaki so I decided to to go a third time to have it. There are a lot of different okonomiyaki options on the menu but I found myself gravitating towards the Hamburg Cheese Steak okonomiyaki, which is a pork hamburger steak okonomiyaki with cheese sauce generously poured over it. I also had a size of gyoza. I absolutely loved this dish!

Hamburg Cheese Steak Okonomiyaki and Gyoza

A few more things about Dohtobori. I really like the decor, at least in their SM Megamall branch. I was tempted to have my photo taken with the Demon Slayer standees on display there but I somehow decided not to because a lot of people were eating and the waiters were all busy. 

Demon Slayer standee on display

There is also a section where guests can take their shoes off and sit down on the floor while enjoying their meal sort of Japanese-style.

I can't believe I had been sleeping on this restaurant all these years. Thankfully, I discovered it - better late than never! - and now I can keep enjoying Dohtonbori.

Dohtonbori
https://dohtonbori.com/shop/oversea/philippines 

[Throwback] Federico Aguilar Alcuaz Tapestries at the Peninsula Manila

I had dinner with some friends one evening at Manila Peninsula and while I was there, I saw that there was a temporary exhibit of artworks from Federico Aguilar Alcuaz at the lobby. His art was printed on large tapestries that were on display at the reception area. I decided to take a look. There were three tapestries on display: Filipiny Abstract 124,

Filipiny Abstract 124 by Alcuaz

Spring VIII (Abstract #84),

Spring VIII (Abstract #84)

and Spring XII (Abstract #123).

There was also a large write-up right inside the entrance of Manila Pen. I discovered that Alcuaz is a national artist for visual arts. Also, the three pieces on display are apparently never-before seen Art Protis tapestries. (Art Protis is apparently a Czech textile art technique that Alcuaz adapted for his art works. Cool!

The exhibit ran from September 1 to 30 so I was quite lucky to see it.

My Pico De Loro Trip Mishaps

The wedding of my friend at Michelle at Pico de Loro was a truly beautiful and blessed event and I was very happy and honored to be there. That said, my experience heading to and staying at Pico de Loro was a series of unfortunate events. First, I badly miscalculated the time it would take to drive to Pico de Loro. I wanted to have an idea how long it would take to get to Pico de Loro so about a week before the wedding, also on Saturday morning, I checked Waze. It said that the drive would be about 2 hours so I flippantly assumed it as correct and planned my departure time from Manila based on a two hour drive time. As it turned out, the drive was more like 2 1/2 hours. So my estimate was now off by 30 minutes. But ok, I was still leaving Metro Manila early enough so I should have been able to still make it in time.

The second major mistake was that for some reason, I stupidly thought the path to Pico de Loro was through SLEX. I had Waze on while driving but I almost automatically went into SLEX from Edsa. Immediately, Waze told me that I had to turn. I figured that at some point, Waze would change its recommended route into an SLEX-based one but even when I got to Bicutan, I was still being told to turn back. Damn! I eventually turned in Sucat but even there, I got caught in some traffic. By now, I must have lost about an hour. According to Waze, I was now expected to arrive right before the wedding would start at 3pm. I still wasn't dressed but I figured, I would just arrive at Pico Sands Hotel, change, then drive to the chapel and be maybe about 15 minutes late. Not the best situation, but still somewhat acceptable.

When I got to Pico de Loro, I got badly confused yet again. There were no big signs that indicated where Pico Sands Hotel was. Waze told me I had arrived but I couldn't easily see where it was so I kept going. After maybe 500 meters of driving, I stopped to ask for directions and was told that I had passed it. Ugh! As if that wasn't enough, the road in Pico de Loro is one way. That meant I couldn't drive back and I had to go all the way around the resort.

When I finally got to Pico Sands Hotel, parking was full. Someone there told that I should park at the country club. I was also told that there is a shuttle that could bring me from the Beach Club to Pico Sands. I drove around again and ended up at the Beach Club instead where I was told I couldn't park. I headed back to Pico Sands again and they explained where the country club was, which was a few buildings down the road.

By now it was already past 3pm and I had just parked. But since I didn't understand the shuttle set-up nor how frequently the shuttles came, plus the fact that taking a shuttle would bring me all around the Pico grounds again, I decided to just walk back to Pico Sands. To add insult to injury, I had to walk with all my stuff. It didn't help that it was hot and humid that afternoon (at least it wasn't raining) so when I finally got into my room, I was drenched in sweat. I decided to take a shower first before heading to the chapel.

By now, it was already past 330 and the church ceremony started on time so I was already very late but I still wanted to make it. However, it turns out that the Pico de Loro shuttles wouldn't actually take me directly to the chapel. They could take me to a spot that would require a 300m uphill walk. That would leave me very sweaty again. Plus, if i still went and then had to walk, I would probably arrive at the tail-end of the ceremony and miss everything. At that point, I decided not to go to the church ceremony anymore and just join the reception. I was gutted that I missed it!

Thankfully, the rest of the afternoon and evening was amazing!

But just as I was about to check out the next day, one more unfortunate incident happened. While my room was good, I wasn't particularly happy with the hand soap. It as exceedingly slippery and it wouldn't easily come off, even after I washed my hands very thoroughly. (I shared this story with someone else who agreed with my issue with the hand soap.)

Now that alone wasn't a problem. It became an issue after I had breakfast and before heading out. After washing my hands with the very slippery hand soap, I brushed my teeth. As I was putting the glass down after gargling with water, the glass just slipped right through my hands and broke. Ugh.

Some places such as restaurants don't usually charge you anymore if you break a glass; the service charge usually covers it. However, in this case, I got charged I think P250 for the broken glass. Oh well.

I'm still really sad that I missed the church ceremony. Also, I did not exactly have the best experience at Pico de Loro and I'm not a fan of that one way road and the lack of parking. It is a beautiful resort complex but it felt like such a hassle to go there. Would I ever go again? Maybe if there was another wedding. But if it was for my personal vacation, I'd probably pick some place else. (Then again, who knows? Maybe in a subsequent visit, knowing how the resort works now, I won't have such a bad experience.) Thankfully, the highlight of that weekend and the purpose of me going to Pico was Michelle and Darth's wedding which was truly wonderful.

A Wonderful Wedding at Pico De Loro

My dear friend Michelle got married, and was honored to have been invited.

Her wedding to her now-husband Darth was held in Pico De Loro. It was my first time there and it was lovely. The ceremony was held in St. Therese of the Child Jesus Chapel, although sadly, I missed it. (I will write more about this in the next post.) I did visit the chapel the next day to take some photos and it really is a beautiful with an incredible view of the sea.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus Chapel in Pico de Loro

The original plan for the reception was that it would be held outdoors, next to the lagoon, and Michelle selected the theme based on a color aesthetic that she felt would blend with the nature around us. Unfortunately, it rained very heavily the day before and the ground was really muddy so they decided to move the wedding indoors. Despite this move, it was still an awesome celebration!

I also had a special role at the wedding. Michelle asked me to sing a couple of songs. She wanted me to sing the duet version of TJ Monterde's "Palagi" with the emcee, Katrine Sunga. She also asked me to sing a solo number and gave me free rein to choose what song to perform. I ended up going with Martin Nievera's version of The Promise (I'll Never Say Goodbye), which I have now sung at seven weddings. My familiarity with this cover version of a Melissa Manchester song from the 1979 movie The Promise that made me decide to sing it because I wouldn't need to practice it as much. That said, I had to sing it with live band so I had to arrive at the venue earlier than everyone else to rehearse.

As it turned out, the two singers who performed before me, including Katrine Sunga, were trained in the UST conservatory of music and Katrine has in fact performed internationally. I had to actually say right before I sang that unlike all other performers that evening, I wasn't trained in any conservatory and that maybe I should have actually been the first to perform haha. Still, I think it turned out okay.

The table I was assigned to during the reception included our other friend Irish and many of their college friends who were all really cool. After the wedding, I got to hang out with Irish and the other friends I made that night.  Soon after, Michelle and Darth joined us. As it turns out, I actually know a lot of people they know because we went to the same college. What a small world! We hung out and enjoyed some drinks, food, and coffee (yes, I had coffee haha) before calling it a night shortly after midnight. After all, it was a really long day and we were all tired. 

I booked a premier room at Pico Sands hotel so that I wouldn't have to make a long drive home late at night. My room was pretty spacious.

My premier room at Pico Sands Hotel

It also had a balcony with a mountain view that was pretty good and very tranquil.

View from my balcony

I needed to leave early on Sunday so didn't get to use the pool or other amenities but I did spend some time taking photos.

Pico de Loro pool area with a view of the lagoon

On my way home, I was tempted to take a selfie at Kaybiang Tunnel but there were way too many people and no easy spot for me to park a car so I ditched that plan. That said, on my way to Pico de Loro, I noticed that there were some awesome views of the sea from the road and there were a few viewing point. I made a mental note of that so that on my way home, I stopped a few times to take photographs.

View of the West Philippine Sea from one of the many viewing points along Pico de Loro drive

It was a beautiful wedding and while my full Pico de Loro experience wasn't exactly the best, I am very happy and honored to have been a part of one of the most important days of my dear friend Michelle's life.

Nami Art Gallery and the Art of Pancho Piano

I have evidently got into my art phase this year. I am now the proud owner of two paintings from award-winning Bicolano artist Pancho Piano which I purchased from Nami Art Gallery.

My Pancho Piano paintings from Nami Art Gallery

I previously wrote about how art gallery accounts would keep popping up in my social media feed, and one of those accounts was Nami Art Gallery. A few of their featured paintings caught my attention: they were from the Birds of Paradise series of Bicolano artist Pancho Piano.

Nami Art Gallery

I've been thinking about those paintings since I saw them in 2024. So much so that recently, I visited Nami Art Gallery along Katipunan to see them up close and personal. This Birds of Paradise series includes several pieces and I found myself gravitating towards one of the blue ones. I said that I would think about it first.

Shortly after that visit, a post from Nami Art Gallery appeared in my social media feed saying that all paintings under P50,000 would have a 15% discount. That was a good deal and i thought it would be the perfect time for me to get the Pancho Piano piece I really wanted.

I asked the gallery consultant if the blue painting I liked was still available and he said it was. I also asked him about another Pancho Piano painting that I saw on their website that had the same size and was somewhat similar in style but was from a different collection (the Earth series). He said that one was also still available. I asked him if I could see all the 12" x 12" Pancho Piano pieces again so I could make my final choice.

The paintings I was interested in, hanging on the wall of Nami Art Gallery

In the end, I decided to get two pieces: the blue one from the Birds of Paradise series which I had seen the first time and the last remaining painting from his Earth series. The frames of both pieces were scratched up so Nami Art Gallery said they would have the frames replaced. I now have both of my Pancho Piano paintings hanging at home. And just like my Manuel Baldemor pieces, they fill me with joy every time I see them.

My Pancho Piano paintings hanging on a wall at home

While collecting art is not cheap, I have no regrets. The paintings have really brightened up my home and looking at them always improves my mood. Furthermore, knowing that I now own paintings that brilliant artists created makes me feel like I own invaluable treasures.

Crepe Glazik

Some time ago, I saw a question posed on social media about where to get good crepes in Metro Manila. While Cafe Breton has been and continues to be the gold standard for crepes in the Philippines, someone said that Crepe Glazik is also really good. As a big fan of crepes, I told myself that I need to try this place. It took a while but I finally got to visit and I have to say, I'm thankful I made time for it. Crepe Glazik has a couple of branches in Metro Manila. I visited their Makati shop along Tordesillas Street in Salcedo Village.

Crepe Glazik in Makati

The first crepe I ordered was the Tarte au citron revisitee. This is their signature lemon pie flavored crepe srved with lemon pie gelato. I love lemon pie and I love desserts that have a great balance between sweet and tart so this crepe was right up my alley. Also, I don't think I've ever seen any other place that has a lemon pie-flavored crepe. I was not disappointed with this choice. It was very good!

Tarte au citron revisitee (lemon pie crepe)

My first experience was very positive so after that, I visited Crepe Glazik a couple more times. On these subsequent visits, I tried the Pommes caramelisees, which is a crepe with apples that are caramelized with apple cider and salted butter and served with vanilla bean gelato...

Pommes caramelisees (apple crepe)

...and Mangue et chocolat which is a mango crepe with chocolate sauce and your choice of either fresh mango gelato or dark chocolate gelato (which is what I picked).

Mangue et chocolat (mango and chocolate crepe)

I also most got to try one of their savory crepes: the Douarnenez. This has French artisanal sausage, cider caramelized onions, Emmental cheese, and a sunny side up egg. I really liked this one too!

Douarnenez (sausage crepe)

I really like Crepe Glazik. There is a large selection of sweet and savory crepes. They also have good coffee (and it's quite interesting that their Americano cost the same at Php 140 whether you get the regular size or the grand size so I always get the grand. I will say that I prefer the apple and mango crepes in Cafe Breton to the ones here but the lemon pie crepe is superb and it will surely keep me heading back to this place. I might also try more of their savory crepes in the future, especially since I really liked the one I had.

Crepe Glazik
https://www.instagram.com/crepeglazik/
https://www.facebook.com/crepeglazik/
Makati Branch: Cambridge Centre Building, 108 Tordesillas, Makati City, Metro Manila
Phone: 0917 163 1130 

Manuel Baldemor's European Journey of Discovery Exhibit

I attended the artist's reception of Manuel Baldemor's European Journey of Discovery exhibit and it was amazing!

A few months ago, I wrote about my journey towards acquiring art created by Manuel Baldemor. Because I had purchased a couple of his paintings from the gallery that was organizing this exhibit, I was invited by my gallery consultant contact. He said that Mr. Baldemor would be there and it would be a great opportunity to meet and have a photo taken with him. Naturally, I made sure I could attend.

I loved this exhibit for so many reasons. First, I love Europe. I've been to several cities in Europe, some of which were the subjects of the pieces on display such as Vienna, Amsterdam, Bruges, London, and Moscow. Seeing beautiful paintings of cities I had visited made me feel even more connected to them.

I also really do love Mr. Baldemor's style and his use of color. His paintings just feel like they are full life and light and looking at them makes me happy. 

Some of my favorite pieces in this exhibit included Budapest,

Vienna,

and Prague.

What I didn't expect was that I would really love and be drawn to the Romania piece. I don't think it's the most photogenic painting in the exhibit because when I saw the photo of it, I thought it was just okay. But when I saw it in real life, it was spectacular.

I would have wanted to get one of the pieces but they were understandably on the expensive side, being good-sized paintings from an illustrious master artist. Also, the paintings on display from the 1990s and were made using watercolor and ink. Mr. Baldemor doesn't create art with this style or using these media anymore. I thought really hard about whether I would like to get a painting but I learned that they were sold out weeks before the exhibit.

The next best thing for me was to get the book which included photos of all the art from this exhibit. I was very fortunate that I was able to get Mr. Baldemor sign it...

...and have my photo taken with him.

I don't know if Mr. Baldemor still has paintings like this. I will try to start saving money now so if he does come out with more paintings similar to what was on display in the exhibit, maybe I can acquire one in the future. 

Of Grit and Steel

Of Grit and Steel is an exhibit of selected bronze sculptures from the BPI Art Collection to celebrate the bank's 174th anniversary. I chanced upon this display as I was walking along the bridgeway from Greenbelt 4 and 5. Entrance is free and since I'm in my art phase right now, I decided to head in to appreciate the many bronze sculptures on display here.

Of Grit and Steel free exhibit at the Ayala Museum

There's a write-up at the entrance that explains the significance of this exhibit: "At its heart is a dynamic interplay of themes: the role of women, the value of family, the importance of history, and the enduring power of culture--all of which continue to shape and define our identity as Filipinos."

Bronze sculptures by Solomon Saprid

Works of three artists were featured. At the entrance, there are two bronze busts of women created by Julie Lluch.

Bronze sculptures created by Julie Lluch

Napoleon Abueva is a National Artist for Sculpture and is known as the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture. His collection, called Panorama of Philippine Society, is showcased on another wall.

Panorama of Philippine Society bronze collection by Napoleon Abueva

Several pieces from Solomon Saprid were also on display.

More sculptures by Solomon Saprid

I was really happy that I randomly stumbled upon this free exhibit. It also made me realize that I still haven't been into the Ayala Museum to appreciate the art here so I need to make time for this soon.