Down the Yellow Lane

In celebration of former President Corazon C. Aquino's 77th natal day on January 25, a Photo Exhibit of the Cory Years is mounted at the SM Megamall Atrium from January 22 to 31, 2010.

This tribute features about 200 never before seen photos and letters of Tita Cory from the 1986 People Power Revolution until her days as President of the Republic of the Philippines. Also on exhibit is a set of commemorative Cory stamps.

It is good to know that a lot of people still remember her contributions to society as they themselves expressed on the freedom board. Couldn't help writing my own message of thanks.

I just hope that Filipinos, especially the youth, will never forget what Tita Cory stood and fought for. To Tita Cory, thank you and happy birthday, whichever part of heaven you are now.

MOMOlicious!

I've always wondered about what type of food is served at Momo Cafe until I tried them. Here are some of my favorites...

I remember the first time I went to MOMO Cafe in Eastwood Mall for a meeting -- my first impression of the place was that it was cozy and light and the whimsical wallpaper of tea pot prints was delightful.

While waiting for the group we are meeting, we ordered "Popcorn Shrimp" Popping Poppers as it seems cute a concept. I was not disappointed as the light appetizer made of packed a punch of flavor either alone or complemented with sweet pickle mayo and cocktail sauce, potato wedges and curly fries.

Being a fan of cheese and spicy food, I sampled the Crispy "Nacho Style" Jalapeño Cheddarella Cheese Rolls. This dish will give you your money's worth as it has thick blocks of cheese inside the roll wrapper and just the right amount of "kick", even without dipping it in sour cream or the salsa fresca that comes with the dish.

The Momo! Gourmet Salad was divine -- roasted garlic shiitake mushrooms, candied walnuts, fresh white cheese, raspberry-balsamic vinaigrette, arugula mixed greens, sliced oranges and hard boiled egg. Am I working up your appetite now?

For main course, we ordered the Old Fashioned Beer Battered "Fish & Chips" that was big enough for three people to share. The crunchy beer batter was made even more sumptuous when dipped in the tangy sweet pickle tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, malt vinegar and lemon.

We also got the Melted 4 Cheese & Roasted Mushrooms Pizza made with Mozzarella, Cheddar, White Cheese and Gorgonzola, four flavorful cheese that somehow did not overpower the thin crust.

To quench my thirst, I opted for the strawberry frozen iced tea which I think could satisfy two people with its large serving in a tall glass.

Rating is a thumbs up! I'll definitely bring my family at Momo Cafe for a nice weekend lunch or dinner, maybe at their branch in Robinson's Midtown in Manila.

DUETS: Truthfully Funny

They say the truth hurts but having watched DUETS last night, I can say that the truth can funny as well. Being Filipinos, we are non-confrontation about things most of the time and when we do want to express something, we blurt it out through a joke or with a funny line. That's how Repertory Philippines' DUETS dramatized the truths about relationships and situations -- through witty lines and funny circumstances.

Having met with Repertory Philippines' Rem Zamora for a partnership at work, I really don't know anything on DUETS except that it is a play with only two actors portraying eight characters between them in four vignettes. So until last night, I was not sure what I was watching. Glad to say that the play did not disappoint me as it entertained me all the way through the four short acts, while giving me truths on relationships to ponder on. My friend, who accompanied me to watch it, kept saying that act one was meant for us, single girls who are hopeful, not desperate, to find love.

The actors, Repertory veterans Joy Virata and Miguel Faustmann, were simple great and they were able to deliver each character different from another.

Vignette one was about singles Jonathan and Wendy who met each other in a blind date through a magazine personal ad. Both characters were awkward at their first meeting, having decided to have a 15- minute chat over having dinner straight away so they won't be forced to stay through an expensive dinner when all they want was to go home, and not wait for dessert any more. Here they tackled the usual "crime" of people putting personal ads -- not declaring their real age and giving a different description of themselves -- for fear that they won't get responses for being truthfully accurate. The real message, I think, is that when people open up and show their real selves, that's when they'll meet people who will genuinely like them and who knows, maybe stumble upon love.
Vignette two was about co-workers who are also friends where Barrie is the gay boss and Janet his hardworking secretary. This one delves with platonic relationship between male and female, staying platonic because the male is gay but the female doesn't really mind although she wishes he was straight. Janet doesn't mind spending her golden years with Barrie but the latter is cheering her up to not lose hope in finding her mate.

Vignette three was about Shelley and Bobby, a divorcing couple who opted to break-up gently while on a holiday. Here, the "uncouple" dished out their dislikes to one another while reminiscing on how they were when the got married. I guess this sort of thing happens when two people outgrow each other and are no longer passionate enough to stick to their wedding vows. The best thing is for them is to talk things out and go their separate ways while they still have respect for each other.
The fourth and last vignette was about Angela and Tobby, middle-aged siblings. Angela was about to get married (her third time already) and Tobby was trying to be supportive of her by not telling the truth about what he hates -- the groom, the wedding dress, the party. But he ended up pushing her sister to go through the wedding when she started making a mess of herself by being wary of "omens" that are telling her not to get married again. The classic case of a brother who only wants the best for his sister.

Catch the remaining play dates of DUETS at Greenbelt 1 Onstage this January 29, 30 and 31 for a couple of hours of funny truths and truthful fun.

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Photos from:

1) http://www.repertory.ph/currentshows.asp

2) http://philippines.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Coverage_Repertory_Philippines_DUETS_Opening_Weekend_20000101

Inspired by Vietnam

Had a meeting today with the Center for Asian Culinary Studies of Chef Gene Gonzalez (Cafe Isabel) for a partnership. I was thrilled because I am going to meet Chef Gene in person for the first time and also because I have been nurturing this passion for cooking and am contemplating on taking up culinary arts.

After the meeting, Chef Gene let us try a prototype of a Hershey's Reese cake that Hershey's commissioned him to develop and it was so heavenly we ate the whole slice before realizing we forgot to take a photo. :P

We were given a tour of the facilities and we were invited to sample the Vietnamese dishes the students prepared in their class. " Yummy" is the word to describe them, having been inspired when the CACS management team went to Vietnam to sample authentic Vietnamese fare.


Initially, I tried the noodle soup or Pho, made with flat rice noodles (similar to sotanghon), beef, pepper corns, cilantro, basil, etc. Since I have sworn out meat, the noodles and soup itself was more than satisfying for me -- I could taste the herbs, especially the fresh basil.

The soup worked up my appetite and so I proceeded to eat the salad. The combination of shreded red cabbage, cucumber, carrots , yellow squash, chicken bits and peanut sauce made one heck of a flavorful party inside my mouth.

Finally, I gave in to the vegetarian spring rolls -- two versions of them, fresh and fried. I dipped the fresh spring rolls in peanut sauce while the fried ones were perfect with honey vinaigrette.

There was dessert of some kind, Vietnamese version of sago-gulaman, but I was too full to eat anything more and just went home with a big smile on my face and thoughts of one day visiting Vietnam.

Merkato Cuisine: A Hidden Treasure in QC

One of the perks that comes with my job is being able to dine in new places and have the opportunity to try new dishes (to the detriment of my diet). One such chance came when my staff and I met with an events company for a possible partnership. Actually, when the meeting was set, the name of the place, Merkato Cuisine, didn't ring a bell. Of course I don't know all the restaurants in Quezon City as I am a Makati girl, but I should at least have heard of it or read about it even once.

On the day of the meeting, we even got lost because the restaurant is situated away from the famous Tomas Morato strip -- Scout Rallos corner Scout Santiago to be exact. Found Merkato eventually after a second cab ride but the effort was not put in vain. The stress of having been lost and late for the meeting was immediately replaced by a feeling of calmness and we were immediately at home as we were greeted by attentive staff as we marveled at the simple yet classy interiors.

I was delighted with the golden sunburst fixture that seemed to shine from the middle wall partition and I was enthralled with the simple stenciled leaves scattered on the white walls that matched the motif of the wrought iron furnitures and the lampshades.

It turned out that Merkato is barely a year old in the business and have been catering to guests who stay in the adjacent Casa Pura or residents and office goers near the area. Looking at the menu with its array of mouth watering offerings, we couldn't decide what to get. Good thing we got to meet the young but expertly trained chef, AC Agra, who guided us in our choice of food for the day. For starters, we sampled on Merkato French Onion Soup which was described as "slow-cooked onion broth with gratineed kesong puti served with onion tempura and cilantro creme fraiche." Their version of the onion soup was better than usual and the kesong puti made the big difference. The cheese was soft and more flavorful and the soup's texture smooth to the throat. Sorry there's no photo here of the soup as I immediately devoured it with gusto and forgot I have a camera with me.

To tickle our appetites, we ordered Vietnamese Springrolls with Sweet Garlic Veloute or simply sweet and spicy garlic soy reduction. The rolls were so light to the mouth and yet bursting with flavors --- a vegetarian delight!

For the main course, I ordered Grilled Tiger Prawns with Lemon-Cilantro Papardelle which was absolutely fantastic. I could really taste the grilled flavor of the prawns and the homemade lemon and cilantro-infused hand cut pasta with pomodoro sauce was unlike any pasta I've tried before. Not only did I see the yellow and green bits of lemon and cilantro in the pasta, the added flavor blended perfectly well with the sauce and prawns.

For dessert, we shared a slice of the the Sugar-free Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cake that was very chocolatety without the guilt.

I'll surely make another visit to Merkato with my family and friends for the place is well-suited not only for business meetings but also for intimate gatherings.

To know more about Merkato Cuisine, click here: http://www.merkatocuisine.com/

My Public Life in 2009, part 2

EVENTS

Iloilo's Dinagyang Festival - Was invited by the Iloilo Business Club to witness Iloilo's first attempt at a Guiness Book of World Records entry for the biggest La Paz Batchoy and experience the Dinagyang Festival.

R2R by Aranaz - Rags2Riches unveiled eco-ethical style as premier bag designer Amina Aranaz works her magic, fusing scrap materials with her signature mother of pearl components. proudly made by empowered women of Payatas.

Perya by Happy Andrada - The whimsical fashion gala of designer Happy Andrada that took inspiration on elements of a perya or circus. Wonderful circus acts plus colorful clothes, not to mention perya elements such as game booths, popcorns and hotdogs.

Boracay SALSAmba 2009 - GWorld launched the First Boracay SALSAmba Festival, as they share the Department of Tourism's thrust in putting back the Philippines on the map of the world as a tourist destination, through LATIN DANCING which is currently raking in a huge following all over the globe.

American Idol Finale - I was invited to watch the American Idol Live via Satellite at Greenbelt. I was thrilled because I would get to watch it ahead of the Philippine telecast -- was hoping Adam Lambert would win. Eventhough Kris Allen won, I was blown away by Adam's performances, especially the number with the KISS band. Adam is truly a rock god! I participated in the trivia questions game and won computer speakers and AI shirt courtesy of the event organizers Starworld and Dream TV. :)
World Capital Markets Symposium - Was part of the delegation to the 1st World Capital Markets Symposium at KL, Malaysia where BusinessWorld is the exclusive Philippine Media Partner.

Dinner with NBA Players - Welcome reception of DOT for the NBA players who visited for a show at the Araneta Coliseum. This was the lucky night that I won the autographed shirt in the raffle. My brother had a field day oogling at the players and the dunking divas, he he he. :)

Coffee Origins - The Philippine Coffee Board celebrates another October coffee month with an event focusing on the origins of Philippine Coffee. The event series highlights the best of Philippine grown coffee and brands, and the geographical location from which they have originated from.

Philippine Fashion Week - Spring-Summer 2010 fashion show at SMX and SM MOA. Thanks to Happy Andrada and Lisanne Uy for the invites.

Bulawan - Bulawan, Gold of Camarines Norte gold jewelry exhibit of Dr. Palencia. Had a grand time oggling at exquisite handmade gold jewelry from where I trace my paternal roots. Equally exhilarating when I tried on some of them...argh! so hard to take them off, wish they were mine. :P

Power of Feminism - The Power of Feminism Dinner organized by the United Nations. There were foreign delegations and representatives from embassies. Guest of honor was former First Lady Imelda Marcos.Theme was Masquerade and so we went dressed up complete with masks. Alas, we were the only ones with masks, he he he.

Genesis - Unveiling of Genesis, the magazine for the 40th anniversary of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Manila Hotel Health Club and Spa Launch - A night of good food, wine and massage. :)

GASTRONOMIC DELIGHTS

100 French Wines - Sommelier Selection's wine tasting event for 100 French wines. Must've samples about 25-30 kinds of white, red and rose wines. After that, met up with a friend to watch X-men Origins: Wolverine (Hugh Jackman rocks!) then chatted over coffee til 4 am. :) I must admit I was a little bit tipsy from the wines that night. :P

Indonesian Spice & Everything Nice - Was invited by Heritage Hotel to taste the sumptuous Indonesian buffet they offered at the Riviera Cafe. Exotic yet palatable. Thanks to Romina Gervacio for the invite.

Malunggay Festival - A vegetarian delight, I was so excited when I first heard of the Malunggay Festival at the Manila Hotel. And I was not disappointed because everything was delicious, not to mention nutricious, especially the Malunggay ice cream. Thanks to Nian Rigor for the invite.

French Wine Revelations - Attended the Sommelier French Wine Revelations and got to taste about 5 of the 25 wines revealed to selected guests. After that, had coffee a friend, first at CBTL then later at Starbucks where we stayed until dawn.

A Night of Good Music, Food & Wine - Was invited to the intimate party welcoming new members of the newly formed German Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines. The venue was the grand old house formerly of the matriarch of a then famous film studio in the 50s. Food was served by Lemuria and wine from Brumms.

Tapella - Newly opened last June 29, Tapella had a media launch to introduce new, unique and tasteful dishes to delight the palate and stomach. Thanks to Mitch Garcia for the invite.

Wine For A Cause - A 100 magazine event, food and wine flowed for guests to enjoin people to support Habitat for Humanity.

Flavors of Spain - was invited to the Club Punta Fuego leg of the celebration of Spanish wine and cuisine in Flavors of Spain. Thanks to Tori Vicente for the invite.

My Public Life in 2009, part 1

What's looking forward to the new year without looking back at the past year? I have so much to be thankful for in 2009 -- I met new friends, met up with old friends, saw famous people in person, traveled to new places and savored good coffee, food and wine.

PRESS CONS

Eraserheads The Final Set - the press conference where the famous four announced the much awaited continuation of the interrupted concert they held in 2008 due to the lead singer's heart condition. Having been disbanded for some time, Ely, Raymund, Buddy and Marcus reunited for a one-time big time concert for loyal fans.

John Legend - I was estatic to have been able to ask two questions during the RTI (round table interview). This was my first ever close encounter with a foreign artist. John Legend was a bit shy and reserved at the press con so it was a good surprise to see him give electrically charged performances on stage. I look forward to more songs from him, be it be for himself or for other artists as well.

Craig David - the press con for Craig David was held 2 hours apart in the same day and venue for John Legend's. This time, it was a theater set-up where one has to go to the center mic to ask a question. It was nerve wracking (seeing him in the flesh, sex appeal and all, he he) but I had to give it a shot or the moment will just pass me by. The following day was the concert and my bro and I had so much fun.
David Cook & David Archuleta - the press con for the David Cook and David Archuleta back-to-back concert was held 2 days before the actual concert. The press con might have been leaked by some of the hotel staff so there were a lot of fans waiting at the ballroom lobby to catch a glimpse of the two Davids. I really heart David Cook...he was so near yet so far! David Archuleta was cute and smiling as always.

Katy Perry - after being postponed due to typhoon Ondoy, Katy Perry's concert finally pushed through with an angle on Rock for Relief. I hope other foreign artists can do the same and help instead of thinking of gaining sums of money for themselves. You rock, Katy!

CATS - the media launch for CATS the musical, with our very own Lea Salonga to play Grisabella, the cat who sings "Memories." Am excited to see the show this July. :)


CONCERTS
Natalie Cole - watched Natalie Cole's concert with HS friend Gesy. It was such a relaxing evening listening to jazz and love songs, including popular 80s and 90s hits Inseperable, Unforgettable, I Miss You Like Crazy, Starting Over Again, etc.

Boyz II Men - BoyzIIMen put up a great show of spectacular vocals and snappy choreographies. Capped the night with late dinner at Cafe Bola. :)

Nine Inch Nails - Nine Inch Nails at the Araneta... Trent Reznor rocked! And so did Ely Buendia with Pupil. :)
Sarah Geronimo - her year-end concert aptly titled Record Breaker was indeed record breaking as she was able to fill Araneta Coliseum to the brim. Sarah's indeed an electrifying performer. I just think that the portion where she sang the jingle of all her endorsements was truly lame. Don't do it next time please.

Yeah, I missed Lady Gaga's concert last August as I was in KL at that time. Maybe I'll catch her next time. :)