After 14+ years I returned…sniffed, critically tasted every bit, subconsciously compared to others…and WHOA started to like Fridays.

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More than 14 years back when I used to frequent Fridays at Glorietta 4
(in Makati City, Philippines) most nights a week as such was our meeting point
with my daughter, Cha, then working with a multinational firm across the street.
2-3 bottles of my fave SMB Pale plus finger food (buffalo wings mostly)
until she steps in then head home together.
Way too short, to the point of nil, of being spectacular
with ambiance, food, presentation and my “always-look-out”… staff attitude.
I was there for convenience. Nothing more.
Until last Sunday night when my feet felt so itchy to go out, have1 or 2 cold ones and eat.
Pangs & I landed at Trinoma (a mall corner of EDSA & North Avenue, Quezon City)
Choose. Walk. Choose.
When this young lady from mentioned Fridays greeted us so sweetly
which melted my heart, and that melt headed to my brain seemingly saying:
“go inside, sit down and let that cute lady scratch your itchy feet”.
Nyahahaha. We went in and ordered.
Caesar salad above is perfect.
Lightly dressed crunchy lettuce topped with some just rightly fried croutons.
For Pangs, was a bit garlicky. But OK. She’s not a fan of garlic anyway.
BTW, top-right is draft beer in 16oz. mug.

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Of course my Buffalo Wings.
Mine. Pangs did not like. Just tasted a piece.
A bit bland inside…lacks seasoned marination but overall taste is ok.
Not a BIG OK… “konti lang” (just a bit).

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Satisfying my addiction to meat, submitting to my carnivorous-ness that night,
still mine…their NEW
Hickory Smoked Pork Belly.
Not minding the  “normal” thick belly fat, SUPERB. GREAT. PERFECT.
Tenderness is #10. Think this was via “sous vide” style cooking.
You can bite in to the bone. That’s how tenderly “fall-off the bone” state it is.
Smokey-ness is just right. Not over powering.
For me, God-Damn GOOD.Again #10.
Sides: mashed potato is  a bit ok…”konti lang”, coleslaw…”konti lang”.
The dip shrunk my eyes close, pushed out my tongue and exclaimed: “BEH”.
Could had been created differently to match smokey-ness of pork.
IMO, thickened water with “muscovado” (unrefined brown sugar) + finely chopped white onion.
Raised my glucose level really high.
For FOOD (based on our order) instead of #10…due to diabetically-inducing strong sweetness of dip…
I will rate: #9
SERVICE: WOW. This is a PERFECT #10.
Everybody is
(not was…I know they are accustomed to such, trained to be so and must always be so)
courteous, sweet and accommodating.
Instantly, FRIDAYS is now 1 of our favorites.
We will be back, again and again.
(FRIDAYS is part of Bistro Group along with Italianni’s, Krazy Garlik, Fish & Co. Flapjacks  etc.)

Sweltering afternoon…continuation: beer or juice? (Simple Sirloin Steak)

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…and my best friend won, again,
but this time had to cut off some calories that I shifted to its other presentation
“light” (check left of pic).
Actually, quaffed the juice first then reserved the beer for my to-go-along food
(for steak clashes with sweetened juice, much more melon) 

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Attacked the left over 2 pieces of “sirloin”, baby potatoes, my favorite
“pickled eggs & white onion” and so…
Sirloin was rubbed with combi of:
fine salt 8 grams,
crushed & whole black pepper 3 grams,
nutmeg powder 2 grams,
garlic powder 4 grams,
dried thyme 2 grams,
coriander powder 2 grams
a pinch of Spanish paprika 1 gram.
Post rubbing, marinated unto 200 ml. red wine for 1 hour
turning to other side every 15 minutes.
Unto 170 deg.C heated sizzling plate, in little butter, cook to desired state.
Potatoes were fried with little EVOO
then cooked a bit in left over meat marinade (in the same sizzling plate)
for a “CRUNCHIER” bite (not the soft-to-the-bite boiled ones we’re accustomed with)
(Pardon my grammage measurements. Am not used to teas-table-spoons.
We compute each ingredient in our production line by weight NOT BY VOLUME)
Try it. So simple and easy.
No hussle.

Sweltering afternoon in this “reactive” (never proactive) & most of the times vindictive environment. Juice or beer?

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This refreshing melon juice that Pangs just blendered and poured in 2 teaspoons of honey plus a cup of ice.

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Or, this favorite friend of mine who is with me in all facets of my life: happy, sad, joyous, bliss, tense, harassed, problematic, winning or losing competitions or just plain relaxing…my best buddy.

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Am many years over half century.
Since I became aware of surrounding, way about 3-5 years old then,
I always hear my parents & relatives talk about how warm, humid and hot it is during summer
(Philippines’ summer starts mid March or early April & ends mid May to about June thereabouts)
…while floods turn every street of the metropolis into an open sea on rainy season
(June to about October).
With it goes the “never ending questions of”:
why do dams dry up in summer breaking necks of government officials to call AN ALL OUT
water consumption austerity to prevent shortages…
and dams over-spilling in rainy season, again breaking necks of those officials,
calling for residents of the dams’ water ways to evacuate and jump to higher grounds
as they RELEASE water from the said over-spilling reservoir.
WHEW!
No solutions done?
Since I was 3 years old to now?
This makes our country unique from the rest.
Other nations are pro-active.
We are reactive.
In fact, a lot of times vindictive of the last admin.
Always reactionary no-brainer-simple-minded solutions. Never lasting.
Oh hell.
While this besets me every now and then…
to be more productive than whine by the corner, might as well tinker and decide
under this sweltering 35degrees Celsius reading this pm,
what will I share with Pangs tonight as we attack dinner at home:
Time to head home.
I’ll tell you in next post what happened. Meanwhile…

Tired of the usual egg prep? Try this.

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Fed up with your usual and normal routine of preparing eggs for fam & guests?
Want something new to go in between:
sunny side up (or some call it red-up),
plain salted-scrambled,
omelettes,
over easy or poached?
Worry no more.
Get down and do this original simple innovation of mine…pickled eggs.
Kids will love its sweet bite-full aspect.
Once done ref them for months in its own pickling solution and withdraw as needed.
Great to be wedged into your sandwiches (almost all types maybe)
Going well, too, as Dad’s “pica-pica” for his spirited drinks.
TARADYAAAAANNNNNNN
INGREDIENTS:
1 dozen hard boiled eggs de-shelled. Set aside.
500 ml. tap water (NEVER USE PREPARED STOCK. Don’t let flavor of stock mess up with your eggs)
200 ml. cane vinegar
80 ml. ginger juice
150 grams refined white sugar
80 grams refined salt
8 grams garlic powder
8 grams onion powder
3 grams ground black pepper
OPTIONAL:
4 grams ground Spanish paprika (this gives extra exotic taste & light red color to end products)
10 ml. anisado wine (readily available at your nearest oriental store)
PROCEDURES:
1. in a suited glass jar, combine all ingredients and mix-tumble well until no lumps are visible. Adjust taste to your preference.
Add in sugar or vinegar or salt. Salty-sweet-sour taste must be evident.
2. add in eggs. Stir a bit.
3. shelve unto ref (DO NOT FREEZE)
4. ready to be enjoyed after 3 days. The longer eggs are pickled in ref the tastier they become.
In that misty jar to the left,
I love digging my spoon into it, get 1 or 2, slice and enjoy with my beer.
Simple.
Only the needed ingredients used thereby.
Ohh, but then tons of bliss giveth thou.

Resto review: the newest most publicized dimsum & seafood house is NOTHING. My #1 is still Gloria Maris (Unimart-Greenhills Branch)…as of yet.

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Ash wednesday, served as non-salaried driver to Pangs & daughter Cha for her upcoming wedding’s  “kutsi-kutsi”
(small-tiny-little motif things) shopping at Divisoria (bargain hunters’ paradise in mid-Manila City),
thus, opportunity to test the most touted “newest” dimsum & seafood house in one of the complexes.
My usual routine of: let them roam around while I sit by the coffee house tickling my tablet, in fact,
geared my tummy to rumble-beg for simple snack.
Really wonder why?
Instead of adhering to my craving, decided to wait for them and head on to this new site.
Okidok, they got down tired and hungry.
Ordered the “set” of dimsum which will spell whether theirs are at par-better-or best as of yet.
This “set”, in all of my trials, is the simplest to produce.
Being so, makes it easier for the cook (or the owners themselves) to “extend” the raw materials being used
to either: jack-up gross profit or cope up with increased raw mat prices.
These are my parameters.
Verdict: (left to right-clockwise)
1. Pork spareribs:
A bit bland, though tender, due to abundant broth & just little of sesame oil. Economy dictates the cook to do so.
The presence of sliced red & green bell peppers added to “looks” but never to overall feature.
Gloria Maris’ & Le Ching’s (Greenhills), still, are fine with me.
2. Beancurd roll:
Similar to eating fried vegetable “lumpia” (Filipinos’ vegetable roll). Difference, they are in beancurd sheets & sauced
with corn starch thickened broth-soy sauce-sugar blend. Veggies galore. Again, economy dictated.
Sauce had no taste at all.
Still, Gloria Maris for me. Second is: Luk Foo-Puregold Commonwealth which uses a chunk of seasoned-boiled chicken,
mushroom, julliened carrots & radish (or is it turnip?) then with similar above sauce blend but with added “pineapple
juice”.
3. My favorite SIOMAI:
We’ve been in varieties of high-end siomai making since 1998 and I know this product by heart. This is the culprit, not by
itself but by crews producing them, for the “anemic” presence of hair in my head now. Whew!
WOW, really bland. The whitish appearance of (supposedly) pork meat (were they in fact pork?) makes me conclude: this
is NOT pork meat or if it so…could be 20-40% only in that formulation served to us. Chicken MDM (Mechanically De-
boned Meat)? “Sayote”? Boiled radish? What? No pork taste in its entirety. Got to crack my brain with this.
No taste at all. A tinge of sesame oil & saltiness head up to your palate, but tapioca starch dominates the texture.
That is the very reason for that “calamansi” (Phil. lemon), soy sauce & chili garlic dip in front. Dip it babe! Get some
taste. Don’t leave it un-consumed. Many are dying of hunger. Finish it. No matter how devilishly against your will.
YES Sir will do!
Gloria Maris…still, with Le Ching (Greenhills) on second.
Compared to ours? Get down here…you decide.
4. Chicken feet:
Feet not so engorged. Very thin which is why they covered the pieces with abundant tomato sauce concoction.
Taste is normal. Bamboo per serve carrier is DIRTY. Check the pic.
Le Ching’s is better with its simple sesame oil, garlic sauce.
Economy may be the main parameter for those servings.
More so you get % discount if you engage with them in certain hours.
NOT THE POINT. YOU ARE NEW. YOU’RE INTRODUCING YOURSELF TO THE MARKET.
IT’S BUSINESS ETHICS & INSTINCT THAT YOU OFFER THE BEST
AT FIRST FEW CALCULATED ENCOUNTERS.
After the desired following, then work yourself down thereabouts
Never again. Sorry. Not worth my time & money.
BTW, for noodles, my still #1 is Luk Foo (Puregold Commonwealth).
Be it seafood or all meat, I always leave  a bit for our (me & my wife’s) take home for other day’s consumption.