Sloshed on crimson tide

The lovely Piuquenes Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina, together with Martinelli's, make for an excellent drink – my brother's "Crimson Tide."

FROM THE moment Martha Stewart poured a very lovely well-chilled bottle of champagne into a glass with a scoop of the very best, ripe passion fruit, I knew she had awoken that part of me that has never taken to drink.  The sight of carbon dioxide forming pretty patterns with bubbles that sizzled all through the length of the flute, not showing any sign of fizzling out, did exactly that to me.  Added to it was the tint the passion fruit pulp gave the drink.  It was very pretty.

Unfortunately, I don’t drink still.  But the holidays were a good enough excuse to pour glass after glass of bubbly.  Or a good chardonnay, pinot noir, chianti, or sauvignon blanc.

Or a really good cabernet sauvignon.

My youngest brother asked if I wanted a drink while I finished the kare-kare (oxtail stew in a peanut butter sauce with lots of fresh vegetables).  He handed me a concoction of one part Martinelli’s Gold Medal Sparkling 100% Apple-Cranberry Juice and two parts Piuquenes Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendoza, Argentina.

It was really fruity and pleasing to the palate – from the first sip and sustained all throughout – that I loved it so much.  I told my brother that he should name this drink.  He turned to me and rattled off, “Crimson Tide,” owing to the rouge origins of the cocktail’s components.

I thought the name to be catchy, with good recall that I had to name-drop it on the New Year’s message I sent my friends: “Now sloshed on his third “Crimson Tide”…”

I really was sloshed.  I was already referring to myself in the third person.

Copyright © 2010 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MuchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Greens, meat and sweets with Mama Hen

 

Turning at the Highlander Steakhouse driveway, this was all I could see. The dense fog blocked all view from the ridge.

  

The Highlander Steakhouse interiors has that authentic log cabin look.

  

The restaurant's antler chandelier got dressed up for the season!

IT FELT like we could make it a scene straight out of a Western or of a 15^th century vagabond roasting meat over a roaring fire.  It was the really dense fog that conjured up these images in my head.

Stepping out of the car, the chill in the breeze pierced through my pique polo shirt and I knew I was back to a familiar place, unforgettable to me for their 20-oz. dry-aged certified U.S. Angus Beef Rib Eye Steak – the Highlander Steakhouse at Tagaytay Highlands.  I first wrote about it here.  But unlike in that first experience, my lunch last December 21^st was embraced in the thickest concentration of water droplets suspended so near the ground it rid me of all visibility.  It took our hostess’ generosity to warm the surroundings and my heart, making me truly feel it’s already that time of the year.

The hostess with the mostest happens to be Mama Hen, our top legal eagle at both multinational companies I have had the pleasure to work in.  To a certain extent, I feel like she is my adoptive mother.  But her interest with me came much later so her family’s looks and her flawless complexion have never rubbed off on me.  Hahaha!

I espied Mama Hen's brand spanking new Tod's bag!

Bling it on! I couldn't help but ask for a shot of that diamond. It was he size of my thumbnail! Probably bigger.

A tight shot of that bling bling!

Everytime we share a meal, I feel so taken care of.  She never fails to remind me of that first dinner we had together and how it has brought about the lasting impression she and her husband has had about my legendary appetite.  In the small details – she sharing her pot of tea with me, she asking me if I prefer rice over the potatoes, she allowing me to get served first, she asking the wait staff to tell me about the dessert options, she constantly referring to me as “growing boy” – I can’t deny just how much premium Mama Hen puts to valuing her friendships.  And just how much – even in all my decades of existence – she still sees me as that shy, unassuming boy who needed at least six cups of rice to feel satiated.

Mama Hen always remembers and can make anybody feel so loved.  Thanks for always remembering me (the same goes out to the one person who always makes it a point I make it to these get-togethers – Ms. Jo!).

The complimentary bread – a small French Baguette and a small Tuscan Round – came stylishly nestled on a cutting board with a knife dramatically wedged in.

A slice of the baguette. I finished almost half the bread!

 

A slice of the Tuscan round, which I liked better than the baguette. I finished almost one whole of this.

 

Salad of hearts of romaine lettuce with smoked salmon, bacon bits, croutons, and freshly saved parmesan cheese in a light vinaigrette.

 

A tight shot of the yummy smoked salmon.

 

A portion I served myself. I had a couple more helpings after this one!

 

The Steakhouse Clam Chowder

 

The star of the lunch – the fabulous air-dried aged U.S. steak! This was my first serving. Hahaha!

 

The steak with a side of sweet grilled vegetables. My favorite was the zucchini.

 

The sweetness of the grilled roma tomato went perfectly with a cut of steak doused with A1 steak sauce.

 

The steak came with plates of grilled vegetables – green beans, eggplant, carrots, onions, and zucchini.

 

... and the crunchiest French Fries!

 

Plenty of steak sauce options – mushroom, pepper, and a red wine reduction.

 

I had this Flourless Chocolate Cake for dessert. It had the most delicate texture and flavor, with the subtle hint of orange.

 

Mama Hen asked for this Apple Tart with a yummy steusel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

Others favored the Blueberry Cheesecake.

 

I washed everything down with Hot Green Tea infused with Jasmine Blossoms. The lady at the background is Ms. Jo – simply the most thoughtful colleague there is!

 

I sipped cold water from this lovely crystal.

 

I couldn't figure out what the stamps were on my dessert fork.

 

My Western-themed main course plate.

 

The very lovely and gracious Mama Hen (fifth from left) with the rest of the gang – Vi, Glendz, Vic, my good good friend Ms. Jo, Cynch, and Gus.

 

On our way out, it finally cleared.

 

View at the top, where the Steakhouse is.

 

I took this shot while we were speeding off... Wow, my Canon Digital IXUS 860IS has a good stabilizer!

 

All throughout the meal, I'd keep on glancing at this window beside me. I found the play of light through thick fog, through the frosted glass poignant and melancholic.

 

 

Copyright © 2009 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MuchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

I didn’t guess who else was coming to dinner

This display on the second level greets shoppers from the escalator landing.

 

Victorinox Swiss Army wristwatches has an ongoing show at The Podium.

 

I love all the drama of these golden Christmas trees hanging from the ceiling.

 

ONE THING that people get about me off the bat is that I am unorthodox.  But that is not to say that I’ve totally broken all sense of convention and tradition.  Because I haven’t.  One such tradition that I’ve observed since a couple of years ago is a December dinner night out with The Dark Knight – both because it’s his birthday on the 21^st and it’s Christmas time.

Barring all the draining effects of the recession, I’ve managed to get two gifts still for Batman.  I wrapped the presents myself, bearing in mind just how finicky he could be with the gift-wrapping.  That’s yet another tradition I keep.  Gift-wrapping everything by myself, that is.  I’m saving talking about that on another post.

Normally, in the grand scheme of things, one would think that the balance is tipped favorably to Batman’s side as he gets two gifts against one he gets me for Christmas.  But no, once I put onto the scale all the other gifts he would give me just because, the balance tips my way.  But no, I’m not in the business of counting gifts.  It just so happens that I’ve never met anybody else who could put my own brand of generosity to shame.

Batman's gift!

Yet another one of Batman's great book gifts! Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point.

Here are two gifts I myself wrapped for Batman!

Presenting to Batman the second gift.

We met up at the Megamall like we usually do, then walked our way to The Podium.  His cellphone rang and that was when I realized that the gifts weren’t the only surprises for the night.  There was a mystery guest.  I checked my personal cellphone and saw seven missed calls, all from the same number which wasn’t on my directory.  All from the same person speaking with the Caped Crusader at that very moment.  All from someone who came all the way back home from Korea – the Harryboy himself!

Crossing St. Francis Square, I glanced at Batman and before I could even finish my asking as to where we’d have dinner, my tongue curled from the last consonant sound I made and in one smooth rolling action said, “Indian!” in unison with the superhero to my right.  So off we went on our way to The New Bombay Authentic Indian Cuisine at the topmost level.  But not without first making requisite stops at shops I love – the Philip Stein boutique being foremost on my list.  With the ultimate “kunsintidor” (loosely translates to “enabler” in Englsh) beside me, I feared for my own limited resources.  Hahaha!  After the amiable sales associates rattled off the retail prices of two models I loved from the Prestige Collection, I knew it was time to remove myself physically from the premises.  Besides, they were still out of the yellow lizard leather strap I’ve been lusting after.

Comfortably seated at the restaurant, Batman and I first asked for drinks.  As expected, he asked for just house water, while I asked for steaming hot Indian tea with condensed milk.  Exchanging of gifts was the first order of business.  I hope Batman liked the simple gifts I came up with – with one actually taking more than two hours of unceasing staring at a host of options at Powerbooks at Town weeks ago.  Looking back now, I think I kept on babbling about all the effort I put into the gift-wrapping.  Hahaha!

We were in the middle of really animated conversation – one of my “binabasag ang katahimikan” (shattering my silence) moments – when a celestial being deigned to finally grace us with his glorious presence.  The Harryboy had landed.

Batman captions this photo: "Nagpapaliwanag."

Yes, that's the Harryboy. And Batman captions this one: "Nagpapaliwanag pa rin!"

Harryboy's wristwatch has my name written all over it! I want!

Harryboy and his wristwatch. Me likey that bling!

Unfortunately for Batman, I got gifts from the Oil Rigger.  (Hahaha!  Sorry, Batman.)  Finally, I laid my eyes on red string, rock crystal and sterling silver bracelets he got me from an online store in Korea.

Reminiscing seemed to be the theme of the night as we recollected good times from when we were all still working at the same company – where and when I wasn’t friends yet with their circle. But I knew them from afar and they knew me from afar.   I couldn’t imagine there was that time!

As Batman and Harryboy launched into catching up – as they really do have a lot of that to take care of – I took it upon myself to do all the ordering.  It was easy because The New Bombay happens to be a fave.  At one point, they even joked that I didn’t allow them to have a say on the evening’s gastronomic delights.  Anyway, I just made sure Batman and my usuals were part of the spread, plus a couple of new items.

We started with Chicken Soup (Php 85.00, already good for the three of us) and Butter Tandoori Roti (Php 75.00).  The soup was like a stew with the perfect blend of soy sauce and vinegar – but more on the sour side.  It was chockful with white chicken meat.  The chopped coriander leaves perfumed the dish with just the right amount of pungency.  I loved it.  And I think Batman did too (as Harry kept offering him his share.)  The bread was the traditional roti, baked to a chewy crisp in the tandoor.  Soaked well in good butter, it was good on its own.  But nothing prevented us from mopping the plentiful curry sauce with each piece we tore from the huge roti.

For our main courses, we asked for the Chicken Tikka Masala (Php 195.00), the Shrimp Goan Curry (Php 195.00), and the Mushroom & Green Peas Masala.  Of the many rice options, we decided on the Saffron Basmati Rice (Php 175.00).

Chicken Soup (with lots of fresh coriander leaves)

Butter Tandoori Roti

Shrimp Goan Curry

Chicken Tikka Masala

Mushroom & Green Peas Masala

Saffron Basmati Rice

As this dinner was Harryboy’s third of four mall stops for the night – having first gone to Galleria, then to TriNoMa – we had to let him go ahead to meet The Girlfriend at the nearby Megamall.

Batman and I continued our own catching up while taking a leisurely stroll of the fantabulously decorated The Podium.  At one point, I even managed to squeeze in checking on the services of a watch repair store at the basement as I have been meaning to have a vintage automatic wristwatch serviced.  But first we had to get Starbucks – really hot Starbucks.  I earned yet two more stickers on my way to snatching myself their 2010 planner.  No, two plus those that were already on cards Batman and Harryboy gave me over dinner.

This is it!

The best part of the night?  Harryboy demanded that he’d pay for dinner.  And Batman wouldn’t hear a word of me arguing the point as to why I should pay for coffee.  Oh, the joy of friends!

Copyright © 2009 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MuchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Don’t judge the cookie it is not a book

The Fujiya Chocochip Cookie Cocoa broken in half. Look at that chewy, chunky center!

CHOCOLATE IN its many incarnations can sometimes leave me dulled by surfeit.  And just when I had found myself staring at the precipice of getting jaded, along came a cookie so redundantly named it rendered my defenses helpless.

Unassuming in its varying dull hues of brown, the wrapper simply said “Fujiya Chocochip Cookie Cocoa Country Ma’am” and didn’t appear to be trying enough to whet my appetite.

But once I tore the foil package open to reveal the cookie, I chided myself for rushing to judgment.  After all, what right have I to judge this cookie by its cover, after all it is not a book?  Hahaha!

Seriously, this chocochip cookie was not what I’m used to when it comes to chocolate cookies.  The closest I could compare it to will have to be Martha Stewart’s very own Mudslide cookies.  But this Japanese creation boasts of a number of things beginning with a pretty exterior – a tender crust – that looks like it has a thumbprint on top.  I found the indentation to be quite cute.

I broke the cookie in half and that was when the very chewy center ensconced by the tender crust revealed itself.  It was a mildly dark overload of chewy cookie goodness dotted with firm, yet smoothly textured, mini chocolate kisses (instead of the usual “chips”).  The cross section brought to mind Ms. Stewart’s mudslide cookies which I have loved, as well as the image of hot chocolate lava cascading down until it got frozen still.

Anybody who loves me can stuff lots of these in my Christmas stocking.  Hahaha!  I’ve only had two and they’ve proven to be unforgettable.

The unassuming wrapper

 

I found the indentation on top to be cute. Get into the groove!

 

Super YUM-O!!!

 

Copyright © 2009 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MuchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Special crab for the crabby me

The curacha

THESE THREE musketeers came knocking, begging to be part of dinner.

Save for the lone lobster, I’ve never had these – the curacha – in my three decades of existence.  My first encounter with them was by way of a photograph on the pages of Mabuhay magazine on board a Philippine Airlines flight to Tokyo.

I gathered that these are gifts from a friend who came back from Zamboanga where these funky crabs claim provenance.  They look like a cross between the (usual) crab and the lobster.  With a shell that huge, I have high expectations that they are really meaty.

I’ve yet to try them.  They scared me a bit the first time I saw them – I know, pathetic! – and my knee-jerk reaction was to throw them in the freezer.  But I love crustaceans anyway.  That’s a given.

Two curachas and a lobster.

 

Crabby & Lobsty

Copyright © 2009 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MuchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

I heart kutchay

Mongkok's Kutchay (Garlic Chive) Dumplings

TO FEEL the love of the people whom we love is a fire that feeds our life.  Pablo Neruda said that.  (And Summit even posted it on facebook.)

But when all else fails, there’s always food.

After self-control won over the debate on whether or not I should get the Chotovelli I’ve been eyeing for months now, I figured that only food could give me comfort.  There were too many voices in my head – the kind that would make the House of Tudor send me to be burned at the stake – that I realized only a familiar taste to the palate could calm me down.  Oh yeah, and tell me that I made the right decision to put off yet another wristwatch purchase.

I gave T750 at Glorietta 5 a final heartbroken – almost longing – glance and then I went on my way to dinner.  There, my choices would always be a toss up between The Soup Kitchen and Mongkok – funny that these two are actually across each other.  Mongkok won me over by virtue of having booths.  I thought that I could just get slumped onto the cushioned seat in a sulk.

At Mongkok I already have my usuals.  So I would politely motion with my hands that I don’t need the menu anymore.  But this night being an unsuccessful shopping night, I thought about asking for something new to me.  I guess I just wanted something new.

So after asking for Stuffed Tofu (partially hollowed out tofu squares stuffed with a ball of siomai ham) and Beef Tendon Noodle Soup (extra-thin Hong Kong-style egg noodles in a steaming hot beef broth with braised gelatinous beef tendon and fresh vegetables), I finally decided to try the Kutchay Dumplings for the first time.

Stuffed Tofu in a yummy brown sauce

 

The tofu is partially hollowed out to accommodate the siomai ham stuffing.

 

Beef Tendon Noodle Soup

 

I loved the very crisp baby bok choy!

And boy was I glad I did!  Each plump dumpling – a serving has three – was encased in translucent rice paper wrapper, teasing my eyes with the mosaic created by the deep green kutchay (garlic chive) leaves, minced pork and shrimp.  The perfectly steamed slightly thick wrapper wiggled as if mirroring my own excitement, as I took one dumpling in between my chopsticks.  I dunked it in the sauce I made out of calamansi, chili and soy sauce, and bit off half.  Though it was a huge dumpling, I could fit it in my mouth!  But I exercised self-control yet again because I wanted to see how the inside looked like.

My new-found love – Kutchay Dumplings!

Mongkok’s kutchay dumpling was a study in contradiction.  Kutchay being garlic chives, I expected to be assaulted with a really intense, almost pungent flavor, totally relying on my dipping sauce to temper the sensation.  Instead, what I savored was a subtle fragrance that brought hints of celeriac to mind.  The greens were still a bright green, with a give to the bite – not mushy at all.

I enjoyed the dumplings so much that one serving was not enough.  While I chewed, I felt a calm wash over me.  Best of all, they prevented me from doing what I intended to do to myself for being so indecisive about Chotovelli.

That is, get a plate and bust it over my head.  Hahaha!

I washed everything down with Pineapple Juice! I love it for the fiber!

 

Copyright © 2009 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MuchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

All about loving myself

SATURDAY TURNED out to be all about loving myself.

For one, I made good on my promise to treat myself to Cibo’s Panna Cotta Ciccolato (Php 143.00).  But that’s getting ahead of myself.

My table for one at Cibo in Glorietta.

The night before, I had a great dinner with Kakel at Cibo in Town.  On Saturday night, I went back to the same restaurant, but at their Glorietta branch.  While I enjoy being in the company of family and friends over good food, I don’t have even the faintest hint of hesitation – even an iota of indecision – to dine on my own.  When the very comely wait staff welcomed me by saying, “Sir, table for…”  I cut him short with, “For one, please,” before he could even finish his question.  It wasn’t a curt reply at all.  I do remember beaming from ear to ear.  Especially since I was already toting in my hand my Christmas present for myself.  Hahaha!

Crema Di Zucca

This particular dinner was all about comfort so I asked for my usuals – the zuppe di Crema Di Zucca (soup of summer squash, cream, and slab bacon, Php 185.00), the Spaghetti Alla Romana (spaghetti with sardines in oil, extra virgin olive oil, fennel, chili peppers, and red pesto, Php 225.00), and the Panna Cotta Ciccolato.  Of course, my drink could only be Tomato Juice (Php 90.00).

Spaghetti Alla Romana, my favorite!

 

That fennel frond on top was just so tempting I munched it first! The sardines were perfect, a far cry from the usual bottled variety at the grocery (though there's one brand I hold dear!). And the shredded fennel bulb was just the right sweetness!

The star of this dinner was the pasta, to which the kitchen generously added extra fennel.  I was so excited to get my fork into the dish but not without first snatching the fennel frond that prettily sat on top of the mound.  As I played with it in my mouth, shredding the pin-like succulent foliage with my teeth, I got an arresting shot of an almost-licorice essence.  It was all good.

Each strand of the al dente spaghetti was perfectly coated with the glorious melding of extra virgin olive oil and the oil in which the sardines marinated.  The chili peppers and the red pesto provided a pow-wow layer of heat that developed as I savored the dish.  But the shredded fennel bulb – the white part – provided the perfect counterfoil to this spiciness.  I couldn’t think of anybody else delivering such a great pasta creation for the discriminating Filipino palate.

I started harping about panna cotta ciccolato and ended up raving about the pasta.  Oh, life!

The Panna Cotta Ciccolato that I love!

 

Two receipts from two wonderful dinners!

 

Copyright © 2009 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MuchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Cibo is necessity and indulgence

That's my reflection on Cibo's mirror wall.

THE NICE thing about food is that it is both a necessity and an indulgence.  Even better, it can be both at the same time.

There was no stopping my dinner plans last Friday night.  Earlier in the day, my friend and fellow engineer Kakel and I floated the idea of treating ourselves to a great dinner – should we survive the day.  You see, where we work, something really major is happening.  We’re in the process of totally asserting our independence from the two parent companies that brought forth the business venture we are in.  Think Y2K all over again – only this time, with real drama.  I was waiting for a chasm to open up from right under me.

But with all that we had to go through and take care of, we realized that a great dinner was a non-negotiable.  On the drive to Town, I was quick to recommend Pepper Lunch.  But when we were greeted by the velvet rope upon which was a sign that said, “Line starts here,” I had to seriously reconsider our restaurant choice.

Good thing that right next door to Pepper Lunch is Cibo!  It was also full but I immediately radar-locked unto the last remaining free booth seating.

Spinaci Gorgonzola

The spinaci gorgonzola comes with a generous pile of the best melba toast!

While the usual accompanying melba toast is nice, I prefer my bread soft. So here's my own "soft" melba toast. Finished this off!

We started with the Spinaci Gorgonzola (spinach and gorgonzola cheese dip, Php 218.00), served with melba toast.  I’m not fond of bread sliced thin then toasted to a crisp so I asked for a side serving of soft melba toast (Php 18.00).  Even with what I had in mind for dinner, I managed to finish the whole serving of the bread!

Farfalle Genovese

One of Cibo's strongest points is their presentation. The la famiglia serving of their farfalle genovese comes in a huge pristine white serving platter placed on top a thick slab of wood. The plentiful portion of their fresh bread is neatly piled up on the side.

A tight shot of the farfalle genovese. See the generosity of the restaurateur in this dish. You see all the components – the fresh basil pesto, the wild mushroom cream sauce, and the freshly grated parmesan cheese – all completely coating each piece of bow tie pasta.

Just one of the many helpings of farfalle genovese that I helped myself to.

I then asked for the la famiglia serving of Farfalle Genovese (farfalle in a fresh wild mushroom cream sauce and basil pesto served with a generous grating of well-aged parmesan cheese, Php 465.00).  This dish has long been touted as one of the bestsellers at Cibo.  And I had it for the first time that night.  With the first bow tie pasta I picked from the huge platter, I instantly fell in love.  I could imagine the chef slaving over a mortar and pestle – all the way from Romblon – making the basil pesto from scratch.  Only a fresh and intensely flavored pesto could conjure that image in my head.  It was mixed well with the mushroom cream sauce, coating every piece of pasta.  For presentation and added flavor, a dollop sat right on top at the center.

The mushroom cream sauce perfectly tempered the full-bodied purity of the basil pesto.  The dish had a liberal amount of sliced fresh mushrooms – lots of shiitakes, white buttons, and oysters – that I was sure to hit thick and juicy slices of these fleshy fungi everytime I stuck my fork through.  The very generous dusting of freshly grated parmesan cheese only managed to elevate the dish to an astral plane all its own.  But I managed to remain on the ground as the faint hint of nutmeg in the cream sauce reminded me of Christmas.

I’ve never been one to salivate over pasta with a cream-based sauce.  But Cibo’s Farfalle Genovese eradicated whatever shred of skepticism I had.

My first glass of their tomato juice!

Before long I already needed a second glass!

Notice the freshly cracked black pepper on top! Just got to love this drink!

To wash everything down, I had Tomato Juice (Php 90.00) – all two tall glasses of it!  I love tomato juice, the only drink I would keep on asking for on board flights.  While all people shamelessly gulped down all the free champagne that flowed incessantly – in an obvious attempt to take passengers’ minds off the frightening turbulence on a Malaysia-to-Singapore flight – I just asked for my glass to be freshened with tomato juice!  Cibo’s presentation was lovely, complete with a celery stick and freshly cracked black pepper on top.  I like all the quiet drama involved with freshly cracking black pepper tableside.  I would often wonder if the pepper mills were part of the restaurateur’s famed collection.

Kakel's Penne All' Amado. He ate this all up!

While I shared my farfalle with him, Kakel for his part ordered the Penne All’ Amado (penne with slow simmered beef sauce and tomatoes, Php 218.00).  It was the first time I heard of it, and while the description was pretty straightforward, I couldn’t help but assume that the dish could have been named after the owner’s son.  For his drink, Kakel asked for peach-flavored iced tea (Php 90.00).

I wanted to have my favorite Panna Cotta Ciccolato, but decided against it for the time being as Starbucks was part of the dinner plan.

A couple of Dark Cherry Mochas!

In this one, I like the watch better than the drink. Hahaha!

So off we went to Starbucks and ordered two Dark Cherry Mochas.  “I shall have my Cibo panna cotta on the following night,” I told myself.  The two stickers I got for the coffee drinks were enough to make up for it.

And the great conversation too!

Kakel by the Rustan's display window at Town.

Copyright © 2009 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MuchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Royce’ and expectations

Opening a box of Royce' Pure Chocolate Mild Bitter and Extra Bitter...

I CAN put on the persona of a brooding melancholy young man like it’s nobody’s business.  I mean, next to Edward Norton.

And when I brood, I guess I tend to end up grumpy, cranky even.  I don’t intend to and I guess I’m oblivious to it because it took the Harryboy to point it out and snap me out of it: “Bakit parang ang sungit mo yata lately?”  (Why does it seem that you’re cranky lately?)

I realize that brooding’s a bitch.  And it travels through underwater fiber optics.  Sorry, Harryboy.

Anyway, for an instant shot of happiness – cheerfulness that bubbles to the surface, optional – I finally decided to open the box of Royce’ Pure Chocolate Mild Bitter & Extra Bitter that has been sitting in the fridge for a while now.  Open…  and finish it in one sitting!  My gosh, that was a lot of brooding that needed to be turned around!

A disc of Royce' Pure Chocolate 80% Mild Bitter

 

Now with a disc of the 90% Extra Bitter

 

These velvety smooth discs... were all soon gone.

The box contains discs of velvety smooth chocolate that are 80% and 90% pure cocoa.  Expectedly, the 80% chocolate was really mildy bitter, with just a touch of sweetness.  But it was the 90% chocolate that was unexpectedly pleasing.  Yes, it was bitter.  But as I chewed on, I got a shot of an almost cognac-like flavor that played in my mouth, coating my tongue.  It was such a tease.

With a box of chocolates, I realized that our expectations may sometimes sell us short.  I expected to enjoy the mildly bitter, but not the extra bitter one.  What could’ve been a fleeting moment of eating turned out to be a lesson that the expected sometimes pales in comparison to the unexpected.

The unexpected is what changes our lives.  Very much like the first text message I got yesterday morning.

 

Copyright © 2009 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MuchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Finally, the cheese was adjacent to the bread

Starbucks®’s Christmas Turkey Chicken on Cranberry Bread

THANKFULLY THIS time, all the unmitigated disaster was confined to the big screen.  And not in my fingers.

Sometimes, I live in my own world where I fancy myself known by some that when I show up at a café, I can throw comments like, “The usual please,” and trust that the wait staff would scurry and know exactly what to do.  That to me is one of those delusions that I create to capture my life in celluloid in my head.  I’ve always loved scenes where the protagonist says, “The usual.”  It doesn’t matter if it’s at the corner diner, a fancy café, or a hotdog stand in New York.  Now, as to who shall play me in a big-budget biopic, I’d cast none other than the Edward Norton to play me! I tell you, I’m delusional.  The wide range of roles he has played, from Primal Fear, American History X (my fave), Fight Club, all the way to Keeping the Faith (where he was a priest!) have prepared him to tackle the many personalities that make me up.  Besides, nobody can brood like he does!

Now back to my original point.  I’ve been frequenting the Starbucks cinema outlet at Town that it has become one of the locales of the movie in my mind.  While I think a couple of the staff already know me – based on the nameplate, Eden, and there’s this guy – I guess I still need a couple more visits before I could whip out my “The usual” line enough to demand their full service.  I think I’m getting there, because at this point, they already remember me as the “Hungarian-Sausage-with-Egg-and-Cheese-on-Ciabatta” guy.

On the night of the cataclysmic event that was “2012,” when Eden and the other guy ushered me to the counter, they beamed and said, “Hungarian sausage?  Sir, try nyo naman our Christmas sandwiches.”  Then they went on to rattle the scrumptious-ness of each of the three holiday featured creations.  The guy was very confident in presenting to me one particular sandwich enough to comment that it would make me forget all about my Hungarian Sausage fave.  I took him up on his offer and let the judgment happen in the darkness of Cinema 1 as the Earth’s crust got displaced, volcanoes snapped out of dormancy, tsunamis engulfed land masses, and a booming authoritative voice commanded in a thick Russian accent, “Engine…  Sta-a-a-rt.”

Starbucks®’s Christmas Turkey Chicken on Cranberry Bread lived up to the basic culinary science governing the proper assembly of a sandwich.  A slice of roasted turkey sat on top of chunks of grilled chicken generously dressed with a cranberry spread made out of mayonnaise, cranberry jam and raspberry jam.  Between the chicken and the cranberry bread was a slice of processed cheese.  Where was the science in something so simple?  In the way the cheese – being positioned adjacent to the bread – created a moisture barrier against the cranberry spread.

Check out the ingredients list. Scrumptious!!!

Did I love it as much as the guy purported it was going to be?  As I have said, my fingers didn’t have to handle any mess – even in the dark.

 

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