WillKhitie

Cross posting from WAYET, thinking this is somehow relevant over here. Nothing phenomenal in comparison to most of what's been in this thread.

Here's the stuff we typically get around SEA. You gotta have a "quantity vs. quality" mindset most often, but it gets the job done. Took my lemons..

..and made lemonade.

Local internet has been snail paced the last couple of days, which apparently just means more time to do other things.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Belgian Dark Chocolate Chips, made with Cannabutter).

Local internet has been snail paced the last couple of days, which apparently just means more time to do other things.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Belgian Dark Chocolate Chips, made with Cannabutter).

Sometime around that, After Midnight Dimsum (Mango Jelly, Radish Cake, Chicken Feet, Hargao, Sharksfin).

Shots that don't fit in anywhere.

Trying to integrate Lightroom into my work flow, so far, real slow. Seemed to work a lot easier when I used to do mostly everything in Bridge, but blah. Here are the photos.

Midnight snack, Portuguese Sardines. (Heated and cooked a bit too. I was trying to somehow crisp/toast the skin up. Fish Confit? Probably not.)

Next day dinner, Patatim (Pig Knuckles, Soy, Brown Sugar, Banana Flowers)

And the day after that, Sopas (Sausages, Chicken Liver, Chicken Gizard, Forked Chicken, Penne, Broth and Milk based too) and Black Pork Chops (Savory thing, String Beans, Soy, Moscovado).

First attempt at cooking up something Chinese-esque for dinner. Fried rice, and Lemon Chicken. Felt like I went a couple table spoons overboard with the Hoisin sauce. Delicious (surprisingly) but it might've given people the runs.

^It was after a terrible dinner too. Some soy-less very bland "Adobo" thing was served the night before and that didn't win any praise from anyone. Forced me to regress to my McDonald's delivery Big Mac binge ways.

On an overnight school retreat for graduating students. On the way there, I got a chance to eat at this food court beside our old campus. Day 1, brunch. Kebabs (beef and chicken) over Biryani rice.

Day 2 breakfast at the retreat house. Luncheon meat, and fried egg over rice. So sad.

Photos from an overnight school retreat, mandatory for the graduating folk. (Finally, some images in my camera that don't have a place in the WAYET thread.)

...LX3 (mostly on the pinhole setting).

Off to dinner..

...at People's Palace, apparently one of the best(few?) places for Thai food in Makati.

Appetizers, Grapefruit Salad (Probably not what its called), Chicken Pandan, and Shrimp Spring Rolls.

Then onto the mains.. Pad Thai, Green Beef Curry (didn't manage to get a snap), and Beef Masala.

The food was up there, definitely., least to the point where it matched the effort put into the interior. Walking into a fancy-ish place like that, one would be primed to expect something mind blowing at some point in the meal, but in the case of People's Palace, the punch line just never came.

That or I might have just set the bar too high. Verdict? I'd definitely eat here again. Food was good, might not be mind blowing, but curious good.

(Bonus pinhole shot with the LX3.)

It actually really grinds my gears (I did not just say that) when people assimilate the two.

Ding. Exact same wavelength. It's the false association that people have with both that bugs me the most. That doesn't make me love cheddar nuked dishes or radioactive orange sweet and sour pork any less.

Edit: Okay, way off topic now. It's a lot like when people confuse Macross with Robotech? (Make sense? No. Okay. Back to food).

Bored fit in the kitchen with the sister's kids over. It started out as smores. Somehow just stuffing it with crushed teddy bear grahams, almonds, and then shaving dark chocolate Toblerone on it just happened.

Why do you hate the term tex-mex?

The automatic Bobby Flay association. That and how far cheddar nuked "texmex" is from actual Mexican.

^ That burrito just kills me. You'll never find anything decent like that here in Manila. (FML)

Brunch the next day, back at the same restaurant for more. Cheese stuffed spinach pasta, shrimp and mushroom ravioli, and four cheese pizza.

Impending food coma warranted a cup of coffee for the drive back home.

And dinner. I've been negged for Chili's before, but this is as close to greasy "texmex" (hate that word) comfort food as we can get here. Nothing like tacky to wash down a weekend of gluttony. "Fajitas".

The more I see that fried spaghetti, the more I want to try it. Nom.

Spent the birthday weekend out of town with my SHBZ. Traded (more of failed to book a reservation / "lack of foresight") a fancy dinner at Antonio's for something a bit cozier and less fussy. Italian was the general idea, and after a google search, three misleading food blogs, and a bad restaurant later, we finally ended up in this place.

Tucked away off Tagaytay's main road, it's an easy place to miss for the uninitiated. A lakeside vista overlooking the Taal volcano, its one of those nooks and places one wouldn't think existed just an hour and a half out of Manila. Trees and softly lit pathways leading to restaurants reminded me of Singapore more than anything, and it was a welcome supplement to that feeling of disconnect. Much as it isn't, at least I can think that I'm far away from the <insert string of negative adjectives here> of Manila.

The menu was as Italian as any restaurant in the Philippines could be. It wasn't trying to be anything too serious, and I appreciate that. No promise of "genuine Italian cuisine", no tambourine totting waiters parading out of the kitchen to sing happy birthday. Frosted beer mugs and pizza from a wood oven, it straddles the concept that food should simple and good (and maybe simple thus good?) which is what the gist of Italian food is. (and if you disagree, then for me atleast.)

Not a lot of restaurateurs here in Manila get the concept of the Italian restaurant right. There's something about it being too contrived that often leaves it ironically cold. Too much on the bells and whistles, too little on the food. Funny the difference a little drive out of the city makes. I think the mug (with t3h bic3pt p3@ks) says it all. It might not be the prettiest thing, but it sure gets the job done.

(Food: Four Cheese, Slab Bacon Stewed Tomato Penne thang, Lamb)

Been too lazy to post anything up as of late, but a too strong cup of coffee later and here I am. Back logged til around the start of May.. the 6th in particular.

Uneventful way to spend a birthday, most of it was driving from one factory to another, buttons, tags, garments. There was terrible KFC at one point, and later, a lot of beer to wash down / cut the edge off that burnt plastic smell from the buttons place.

And then there was desert, Halo-Halo. Never a bad thing, specially in this kind of heat. (The indoor thermostat reads around 36-38 come noon). This one's a simpler version, just really good Carabao's milk, flan, bananas and shaved ice.

And, I'm not sure if this actually qualifies for anything post worthy, (What's left of what I ate today?) Crab two ways. Garlic, and that Singaporean egg based sauce. It was lunch out with family over from Japan, funny how they've this peeve about wasting rice. Wasn't too hard to oblige, that garlic infused oil was too good to waste.

Next, lunch for two. Back at home and grilling steak again (still working on that perfect medium rare). It's starting to sink in to me that it might be a stove limitation. With an old gas one, its hard to get the pan to where I want it to be. Getting close.

Best meal level. I'd say this is probably one of the best bites you could grab if your in Manila, right beside the Michelin star set dinner, and the hundred dollar four course. The experience just left me too happy, and it didn't even burn a hole in my wallet either.

For most people into pork, when they hear the Philippines, they always think.. "oh, the Lechon." For me though, its Bagnet, possibly all the way. Crackling solid on the outside, piping hot tender in, it'll curdle your blood up right to a delicious full stop.

Supporting cast is made up of Tuyong Dinuguan (Dry version of a blood stew), another dish made up of pig liver, cheek, ear that I can't seem to remember, and Pinakbet (vegetables sauted in shrimp paste).

Superficially? It almost looks identical. I imagine its ergonomically not too far either.

An "eastland" google later and I'm starting to think that they aren't half bad really. Someone with taste must be working for that company. Maybe a CoO (child of owner) scenario, some kid who just happens to have a smidge of fashion inclination. That or a great consultant? I don't know.

I really don't know what to think now, other than their only about a hundred USD. I mean, come on. Brick Soled Derbys? Red Wing Lookalikes? It's awfully trendy for the company to be just doing that on its own. I think I like it.

(Sorry for going off topic there. My just brain went off on a tangent.)

Mall pullouts and eats. First, Sango, to grab a quick melon shake. Mud thick and plenty of happy. Quick pit stop at home to find that there was BBQ, couldn't pass that up either.

Dinner later on (at Lui) was a bit of an oddball. With decent reviews and a couple recommendations here and there, I thought it was going to be a sure shot. The Truffled Mac and Cheese sort've left me scratching my head. Served with nothing else, I didn't know what to think, didn't help that a perfectly bloody pork chop was sitting across from me either. Maybe next time.

Chalk up another hot summer day, this one being a special one though as it was Burger Day at Chili's (P118 for any burger). I don't quite understand what's the terrible stigma with Chili's stateside, but its a pretty acceptable guilty pleasure over here. Crappy McMexican food? Yes. And on that note, I'll order two.

BBQ Ranch Burger and the free birthday wotever (staff was so busy, I didn't even get a song, sadface).

Too much time on my hands. Apparently this is what fresh grads do, make gifs.

On the flip side of the hacienda-like dining experience, Antonio's has something a bit more accessible for everyone. Found right beside the main highway in Tagaytay, Antonio's Grill keeps in tune with it's luxury diner counterpart with the same "neocolonial" feel. Prompt service, and fast food, having your entire order splayed out on your table like naked platinum blonde twins incites something pretty damn primal. Sizzling beef shanks drowned in gravy made from its own marrow, a plate of crispy fried pork belly right beside. It can't get anymore shameless when your washing down a bite of tender beef with forkful of fried pork. The night's dinner took about three and a half hours, afternoon lunch, 25 minutes.

Green Mango & Bagoong (Shrimp Paste), Fried Tawilis (Fish local to the volcanic lake close by), Spicy Spinach Stalks in Coconut Milk, Sinigang (Clear broth Beef Stew), Grilled Stuffed Squid, Sizzling Bulalo (Beef Shank and Marrow), and Crispy Pata.

Next day. Back in town, and to regular programming. Dinner, Curry Beef Pepper Rice.

Dinner at Antonio's, arguably the best meal I've ever had. Terrible that the photos couldn't have been any better. Carrot bread, with (what I think is) a Roast Carrot and Pumpkin Soup. Salad, mainly composed of Arugula (Blue Cheese) followed by a Green Mango Sorbet. Duck Confit. Flourless Earl Grey Chocolate Cake.

Taking a trip out of town to avoid the heat. First stop, afternoon snack at Mushroom Burger. The usual patty laced with a generous amount of mushroom (grown on their own farm), its apparently suppose to make for this amazing texture bla..bla..bla. I wasn't very impressed. Not that it was terrible, just, not up to the hype.

Terribly hot day in Manila. The temperature seems to just hover around the 35-38 mark. On the way home to have a go at cooking steak again. With an inferior stove, I made the mistake of cooking both pieces at the same time. Too soon, and not at the heat that I wanted. Still working on that perfect medium rare.

And here's a peek into everyday fare. Its not ridiculous plates of food all the time, there's the normal lunch of fried Bangus (Milkfish), Salted Egg and Tomatoes, Laing (River spinach? Dried, cooked in coconut milk, ginger and a lot of chili) and rice.

Here's whats for desert (more of a snack really). That, and dinner, Chicken Curry. Not too sure if its a weird sight but we've this odd household thing of serving it with bacon, hard boiled egg, and raisins (not in photo).

...It gets to a point where I can't focus for crap either. Here's some restograde Filipino fare for dinner. Adobo, Crispy Pata (Pig Knuckles), Dillis Rice, Sinigang, and Idon'tquiteremember.