Well, well, who would have known, it's Valentine's Day once again. Valentine’s Day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting. Although in modern times, Valentine’s Day was never meant for lovers only. Since it is the day where most people celebrate love which has many meanings; this day can also be commemorated with other loved ones and even your friends.
Valentine’s Day also marks the beginning of Spring – where after a long winter, flora and fauna starts to bloom again and give life to any place that was once gloomy and covered with snow. So this day connotes not only the celebration of love but also a new life.
Time check: 3:28 am, Sunday February 12 2017. I woke up super early today after sleeping for 13 hours! Woot! This is the longest I slept for weeks now. And no, the cover photo for this blog is not real time. I just miss the beach so much, waking up so early, watching the sun rise while I dig my feet in sand and sip some hot coffee.
It's good that I was able to give this body so much rest it deserves but now I'm with a massive headache after sleeping that long haha! It's ok, this migraine will go away soon. Now I'm sipping some coffee to start my very long day today while staring at my computer monitor and writing some articles for my blog and for the office newsletter. I intentionally didn't make any plans for Saturday because I know Sunday will be a very long day for me. As usual I'm writing this TSC entry as my day goes along and while thoughts are popping in my head and hopefully I will publish this as this day ends.
Last Saturday, I went to BGC Highstreet Central for a very exciting foodie meet-up. I was looking forward to this dinner ever since I met the some of the people behind Happyfoods Group of Restaurants, the owners of Soban(another Korean BBQ resto in Eastwood which you can read about here). They happen to be the same owners of Sariwon too.
Sariwon has become synonymous with serving legendary Bulgogi since its beginnings in 1938. It was brought to the Philippines by the Happyfoods Group of Restaurants. The restaurant was established by grandmother Mrs. Bun-Im Koo from the town of Sariwon in North Korea, who developed an extraordinary broth recipe for Korean traditional beef barbecue or Bulgogi. Made from 12 different kinds of fruits and vegetables and prepared in complete disregard of sugar, it was created with love for her diabetic husband.
To be really honest, I am not a big fan of ramen or any soupy dish. Well, except for Sinigangwhich is my comfort food of all time. But I do like having ramen once in a while. I think I just need to have some appreciation of this Japanese dish as it is made with a lot of ingredients and somehow an art form in itself. The broth is not just the usual broth. I believe it takes hours to prepare it and that's how serious Japanese are when it comes to their ramen.
Ramen has been attracting a huge amount of attention in the worldwide restaurant scene as a representative example of Japanese cuisine. Perhaps it's only natural that genuine ramen is so delicious, because it evolved through intense competition into one of the national foods of the Japanese people.
Well, the highlight of my week was when I met up with one of my best high school friends, had dinner at Ramen Kuroda at Venice Grand Canal Mall before I go to work last Thursday. We talked over dinner, about what's happening with me at the moment and his too. It's so nice that there are people in your life that despite distance and not talking regularly, whenever you're with them, as if time never flew. The way you talk to them or the way you treat each other were just like the good old days. Well, he's like a good older brother to me, even though we're of the same age.
During this moments that I realize how God blessed me with true friends. They may not be a lot, but He did give me the best ones. I also have male friends who I can say I love them and mean it like how much I love my real brothers. I think that's kind of a rare thing nowadays, where most people can't even say those 3 words. I'm glad that I have friends who always have good listening ears and do nothing but encourage me. I couldn't ask for more. I'm so lucky with the friends that I have.
"I haven't been everywhere but it's on my list”. This is my favorite quote penned by Susan Sontag. It’s true that I’ve never been to so many places especially outside of my country but for sure it’s on my bucket list. But I do love travelling especially in and around the Philippines. It’s my goal to go and see places abroad; but of course I still want to visit a lot of locations in the Philippines, because having 7,107 islands; there’s still so much to do and see.
Speaking of traveling, I have to admit I am not a light packer. I can’t imagine myself being a backpacker. I would rather pay extra for baggage allowance than get all agitated with the idea that I forgot to pack something. Yes.I.Overpack.
I'm familiar with Buddha Bar because I once (or a couple of times I think) partied here back in college when it was still in Greenbelt 3. But I didn't know then that it is an international chain of bars that has its roots in Paris and have a branch in NYC. Most people are intimidated by its grandiosity but do not judge the book by its cover because all you're gonna get here are nothing but good quality drinks and food.
Luckily, I was invited by Buddha Bar Manila and Zomato Philippines, together with other bloggers and Instagram influencers, to take part in the celebration of Buddha Bar's 5th Anniversary in its new home in Picar Place Makati. It was also a way to celebrate Chinese New Year but since it originated in Paris the party's theme centered on Cabaret and Can-Can theme. The event was hosted by Angel Jones and resident DJ Joseph Alturas spinned the music.
We all get stressed and we all have different coping mechanisms to de-stress. After a tiring work week, the sight of the weekend gets us all giddy because we can all finally have some few days of rest. Some of us engage in hobbies, some travel, and some stay home and be with loved ones. I myself usually go out with friends to make the most of my days off from work. If you feel like you need to have some chill time and want to have some few drinks, here are some of the places you can check out. Mind you, these are not your usual clubs/bars because they are few of the secret bars you can find (hopefully) around the metro.
I am big fan of the 1920s Prohibition era and the Speakeasy. A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an illegal establishment that sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the Prohibition era (1920–1933). During that time, the sale, manufacture, and transportation (bootlegging) of alcoholic beverages was illegal throughout the United States.
I'm not all too familiar with Southern or Latin American cuisine and I've always wanted to try them. Of course I want to try the authentic ones if I ever get the chance to travel the Latin Americas in the future. As for now, I am glad that there are places in Manila I can go to to enjoy the said cuisines for now. One of them is fairly new in the game: Naxional South American Diner but is already making a buzz among foodies and food enthusiasts. Since the moment I've heard about Naxional, I already want to try it. And finally I am able to a few weekends ago.
Naxional is the newest go-to restaurant for those looking to broaden their culinary horizons. Naxional brings the heart of South America to Manila. Heavily inspired by the most-loved dishes South American locals enjoy every day, Naxional’s menu is filled with authentic, traditional family recipes cooked using both local and imported spices and seasonings.
