Of Scallops, Sales and Seafoods (album)

April 5, 2008
a hot, hot day

Jing and Harry were able to make it. Benjie too although she was late and said she would catch up. I had texted some college friends to see if we could get together for lunch this day as I did kind of miss eating baked tahong and scallops. Seafoods are not something I can usually indulge in while in Manila, so I was happy to be eating something I liked and which wasn’t horribly expensive to make me lose my appetite.

Rosemarie had to wait for her hubby to drive her to the place, Erwin was in the town of Alegria (90 kms or more away), AnaFe was in Bohol, while the others could not be contacted in time. That meant I could have most of the seafoods to myself *evil glint in eye*….I mean…eherm..too bad for them as I didn’t really say outright I would treat them (although that was my intention..sneaky eh?)

It is a good thing Harry came over, we found out that he would be leaving for Dubai and staying with Rosemarie’s husband’s cousin while working there…i.e. he won’t be able to treat us to his birthday either this April. Anafe would be coming over to Manila on her birthday this April and we may get together if all goes well.

It was super hot waiting for them…and I found out that parking in Cebu has gotten worse. Before, you could just squish your car on these side streets and walk away, but now you pay the CITOM even if its a weekend and then you are expected to give something to the “bantay”. *sigh* Oh well, I suppose while I can afford it, I might as well share what coins I have in my bag.

Since I had no breakfast, I gobbled double helpings of the viands BEFORE I could get a picture of them. I don’t think you’d want a picture of a plate of rice? which was the only thing left, plus pieces of the tuna and some baked scallops…as well as shreds of the shrimps 🙂

When Benjie came, we excitedly talked about the trips we hope to take. Jing was enthusiastic at the thought of going to Singapore for a more well-planned reunion. SInce Rolando was there, I’m sure he could help us out in case that would push through. Benjie and I were putting our heads together since the plan for our vacation this year was for me to meet up with her in Japan since she would be going there this April-May. Wheee! I really hope to be able to afford it..I don’t care if I have to diet and scrimp afterwards on food once back in the Philippines. Unfortunately doing so, would require some strategic project management thinking and planning…from visa to ticket to schedule to my work being uninterrupted. Its not as simple as it seems. Grrrr.

Benjie accompanied me to my house after we all split up since the couple had to go to Danao for an overnight trip. My parents were happy to see her as she has been a friend of the family for some time and most of her gifts of brownies to me, end up in my dad’s stomach (blame his sweet tooth). “I-palabi ko na lang” (I give priority to him).

Afterwards, we both split for Gaisano Country Mall where she had a meeting and I spent the time shopping around while waiting for her. They had lots of sales on almost all the items. How difficult is it to get good cargo pants for women anyway? GCM has good finds if you are just a bit patient..and I was able to buy a couple of Levis on sale..pants were a zero though. A quick trip to the household area also had me buying good quality pitchers and cups, and weirdly, I also saw some awfully expensive owls (pictures somewhere on this album)…which, were not on sale (too bad Sir B!)

For dinner, we were discussing with great intensity between Alavar’s Seafoods (love their crabs and the heavenly sauce) and Golden Cowrie (it became well known for baked tahong when it was first established). We cruised around the once sleepy area near the Lahug airport and were agreeably suprised the whole street as being lined with restaurants…Wow, this is one thing I miss about Cebu..good, affordable food. Next time, I promised myself, it will be Alavar’s and Chika-an sa Cebu! (aba! naka-plot pa yan sa Outlook)

Here is also a link to the pics of our dinner together on her site: http://eslogon17.multiply.com/photos/album/19/Cats_vacation_April_2008

– Apr 15, ’08 12:14 AM

Disperas and on Daddy’s birthday (album)

Nov 22 – 23, 2007. Ciudad sa Sugbu, Nasod sa Pilipinas.

Arrived in Mactan Airport at around 9 pm. Of course – hungry mood! Since I was now the driver because it was night (my dad can still drive around at his age as long as its daylight and at 82 thats not too shabby of dear old pappy)… I thought of passing by Banilad Town Center as it may have a new resto.

On a whim, I just picked out a resto named “Spice Fusion”. Even though it was almost closing time, they let us in and a couple of mouthwatering dishes later, I almost blessed the guard with a hug and a pinch on his cheeks in gratitude.

I was so hungry and the food was devoured so quickly that I had no time to take a picture of it (I did the quickest devouring). But it was good. I say that with enough confidence because my dad is the pickiest eater in the world! I don’t know if his tongue or taste buds have been ruined due to all the smoking and candies he chews on, but its a small miracle by itself if we partake of a meal and he doesn’t have one negative comment about it. I think he was a food critic in his previous life…that or its a side-effect of age creeping up on him 🙂

This time though he was happy with what I ordered and I daringly put more and more snippets of it on his plate after he didn’t comment and just munched on his rice and prawn meat. Thank goodness!….I also told him and my mom that they resembled “taw-taw sa humayan” (scarecrows on ricefields or literally “person-person on a ricefield”) since they were appallingly thin.

My mom loved the mahi-mahi they had as it was also quite tender, with no fishy smell or taste. The sauces they paired it with were spicy – but not too hot to bother my parents and not too mild to make me complain about the lack of heat.

Except for the prawns which I set aside for my dad as he rarely eats much nowadays… all the other dishes were shared with my mom, our helper Rosemarie and moi. I finally topped it off with some sticky rice and mangoes for dessert..and all of us were happy enough to go home and visit dreamland.

The next day, I told my dad I’d treat him to a birthday lunch (he is getting more thrifty as time goes by and refused to have a party)…..this time we went to Cafe Laguna at Ayala – the outdoor branch.

The first branch for this resto was located near the Lahug military camp and was well known for its lengua estofado. Now this is one dish I associate with Cafe Laguna, along with some merienda I used to order e.g. dugo-dugo and puto, sikwate (tsokolate-eh) and bibingka, guinomis, tokwa’t-baboy….to name a few.

We arrived at the resto after the lunch hour and so were able to sit comfortably. With the Ayala Cebu renovation going on, it was disappointing to have one side of the resto facing a blank wall, but the food more than made up for the lack of beautifully balanced scenery. Well, I could have gone to the other branch inside the mall itself but its nice to look out into the sunshine and dream of days gone by.

I ordered the lengua estofado (a bit different from our other favorite lengua which comes from Beehive on Ramos St. in Cebu and usually paired with a lovely crusty warm french bread). I added crispy fried pork belly, and the usual fish dish for my mom – this time I chose a delicately flavoured lapu-lapu escabeche…ah! the memories of this dish when cooked by my mom and maternal grandma when she was still alive (God Bless her soul) made me hanker for it once more.

Afterwards, we dropped by Ayala Mall to see the new grocery of Rustan’s. They had moved out from their original building which was located beside my alma mater, St. Theresa’s College (Mango Ave. or known also as Gen. Maxilom Ave., Cebu City) . They have one more outlet near the Convergys office in Guadalupe if I am not mistaken.

Ayala Cebu also made an extension of one side of its building…and I laughed out loud when aside from seeing the other newly opened branded stores missing in Cebu before…I also saw a lot of people crowding inside the Crocs store. I remembered Ms G. but who could buy any pair of shoes at all when we customers slithered like irritated fish in a crowded aquarium-tank in the outlet?

After flitting from one shop to another and checking the goods and on-sale items, my parents refused merienda or early dinner (to me and my stomach’s disappointment) and we made off with the groceries we had bought, then went home. And that was how my dad’s official day for turning 82 years of age went.

Not too worry though as I had asked a favor from one of my college buddies to see if we could visit their resthouse by the sea in Alcoy, a town about 91 km from Cebu City going towards the southern part of the island.

My last visit has probably been in the last century (meaning late 1990s!!). For good measure, I asked Benjie and her kids (who were suffering from piskat or sore eyes) to come along so we could start on a mini-reunion (see Patio Isabel reunion on who Benjie and my other college buddies are).

Of course, I begged her to bring some lechon and meat for grilling too as I certainly missed the smells of this kind of food while in Manila. That was to happen the next day. The promise of puso (hanging rice) and smell of grilled meat was what my dreams were made of that night.

– Dec 6, ’07 12:35 AM

Cebu City-Holy Week Apr 7, 2007 (Photo Album)

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Somewhere somebody has read how my Holy Week started with a waiting period of 7 hours or more at Centennial terminal in Manila while waiting for my trip to Cebu City. Hence you will see a lot of pictures taken at Mabuhay Lounge, at the pre-departure lounge …well basically airport pictures.

I will be posting by phases…next will come pictures around Cebu City…not a lot though since I just vegetated during Good Friday and Black Saturday…but hopefully you will see some common Cebu sights. They will all be placed in this album except for the Japanese doll I got sent as a gift…wheee!

– Apr 13, ’07 12:11 PM

Relaxing at Lily’s Farm (GX-1)

Tabuelan, Cebu, August 6, 2012 – A public holiday for Cebu was scheduled on a Monday. What better way to spend it with the Alix couple (Tito Rudy and Mommy Loy, Dette (who had to study…) and my mom on this road trip.

the perils of a student 🙂 the rest can sleep

Christmas Cheers from Cebu

Dec 24, 2007 – 11:50 pm:

I had written a nice, long blog….  

Then Mozilla Firefox encountered an error and I lost it all –
pictures, words, and thoughts…
oh well….c’est la vie…

at Lai Garden, SM Cebu

So I’m keeping to the short version

(which has the very basic recent photos taken yesterday and today and of course the thoughts that I wish to convey) .

In the final run, this is what I would just be saying –

at A Taste of Mandarin, Gaisano Country Mall, Cebu

From my dear dad and mom –  Nene and VK                                                                                                                                                                       

and my good ole Russian friend Stoli –

who is keeping me company while I surf,

(dad is snoozing and mom is cooking the prawns – yummy fave – for noche buena)

                       

“Merry Christmas!!!”

from an island in the Pacific

– Cebu City!

at my work table

 

Here’s to the best Christmas ever!

*hic, hic, hic*

 (that was Stoli, not me!)

– Posted on Dec 24, ’07 11:56 PM for everyone

2006: Sept 30-Oct 7 Cebu Visit

Most of the pictures taken here were during my Sept 30 – October 7, 2006 flying visit to Cebu (hey, free tickets!).

After that horrible Milenyo na bagyo wherein everything that could go wrong before my flight did go wrong…I was just super happy a lot of good eats happened this week.

Two more were from a dinner with Sir B which I just wanted to place here in this batch because I felt lazy in having to move them to another album..hehehe

– Nov 20, ’06 6:57 AM

 

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