WAGING A FULL-BLOWN BATTLE OF THE BULGE =)

Earlier this year, I decided on a New-Year's-Cum-Birthday-Resolution that by the time I hit 40, I would have to be down to my weight when I was 30. Ang yabang ko. Haha! I, of course, at that time, was thinking I had the whole year ahead of me, and that I was the type anyway who can lose weight quickly if I just put my mind into it. What I did not realize, of course, was that sometime between my 35th year and my 39th, my stupid metabolism decided it had nothing else left to prove and that it was time to slow down. Gr. Hay!

My lackadaisical metabolism was, of course, further aggravated by my seefood diet. I see food, I eat it. Gr.

The extent of how much I've gained is best summed up in a post I previously wrote in my...uh...old friendster blog. =p It's one of my favorite stories and one that I do not tire of rehashing. I always have a good laugh everytime I remember--all at my own expense, of course. I won't go into details, but you can read it here if you have time. =D

In any case, three months to go before I hit the big 4-0, I decided to get down to business. I decided as a starting point to weigh myself on the scale. My target weight is to go back to 94-97 lbs. (Yes, up until I hit 35, I had no problem keeping my weight below 100 lbs. Bliss. =)) Now here I was, thinking I was only about 110 lbs, but I decided to make it official anyway. Using the office weighing scale, I weighed myself and had to gasp when the digital reading threw back 118.5. NOOOOOOOOOOO. WAAAAAAAAAAAY. "Bullet," I said matter-of-factly,"sira ang scale mo!" Haha. =)

Still in denial, I decided to weigh myself again in Father's trusty digital scale once I get home to House Better over the weekend. Quite confident, I stepped onto the scale, eyes closed. With one eye, I squinted at the reading on the scale. 118.4. Darn! Ano ba! Lech. Sira din ang scale ni Father! Hahahahaha! ;p

I simply could not believe it. I mean I know I get ribbed a lot about the weight I've gained, but have I really let myself go that much?! Apparently, yes, and it was time to do something about it. Wah. =S

First, however, I needed some sort of motivation. Some sort of North Star that I can guide myself against to track my progress. See, I know myself. With the first person who tells me, "I've lost some weight", I'd be off celebrating with a venti coffee frap or a cup of froyo. So I decided to look through my archives for a photo of the "old me" I should be gunning after. I decided on this. It was a photo of me soon after I meat Hubby Sweet. Goodness, I couldn't believe this was taken just a little over 5 years ago! Santa Barbara. =S

Then, I suppose I was inspired by about 5 or so people in the office who have lost weight (some of them older than me, some of them in a perpetual diet without much success). Thing is, they were all on the Cohen diet which requires you to get blood tests and pay P50,000 (yes, I kid you not--albeit, supposedly in staggered payments) for a list of items you can and can't eat and in what quantities. I marveled at their weight loss (some as much as 20 lbs to date), but decided I have better use for my P50K. I decided to just strictly follow--one way or another--the South Beach diet (or something like it) which previously worked for me.

Quite serendipitously, two of my friends told me about the protein shake which came in choco or berry flavors. They've been taking it along with supplements that had one of them losing 10 lbs after one week, and the other 18 lbs and going after years of struggle with her weight. I can drink the shake as a meal replacement for a week, and I'm even allowed to eat fruits as snacks. "Hmmmm...," I thought, "it's not something I can do long-term, but I suppose doing it for a week wouldn't be too bad". So I tried the routine for a week, but while I lost weight, I did not lose as drastic a weight as my friend. "Oh, well," I thought, as realization sunk in, "There really won't be a shortcut for me this time."

What it did allow me to do is to rebuild some form of discipline with re: eating on time, eating the right of food and resisting the chips, pastries and sugar drinks that are regularly served to us during meetings. While it did not allow me to lose weight as drastically as my friends did, it, at least, allowed me that. =)

What I am thankful for, at least, is that I am back on track as far as healthy eating is concerned. Fruits and veggies have become my friends; chips have become the enemy. (Mantra until I get every single pound of excess weight off: "I would love to see my jawline again more than I love eating chips....I would love to see my jawline again more than I love eating chips...." Haha. =)) I've also done away with rice for now.

In the past few weeks or so, Goolai has been my favorite lunch buddy. I discovered it along with a office friends a few years ago when they still delivered to our old Citibank office. 'Am not sure if they still deliver these days, but thankfully, these "to-go" salads are available at the Robinson's Supermarket near House Pioneerso I get my stash at least once a week. I prefer their fruit vinaigrettes over their cream-based dressings (with the exception of their Tex-Mex salad). Goolai has made healthy eating really good for me. =)

Imagine:

Mixed Greens with Poppyseed Vinaigrette. Mixed greens with chicken strips, mangoes, strawberries, dragonfruit, walnut and poppyseed vinaigrette.

Mixed Greens with Raspberry Vinaigrette. Mixed greens with peaches, kiwi, dragon fruit, raisin, Feta cheese, honey almonds with raspberry vinaigrette.

Tex-Mex Ranch. Aaaah, this one shouldn't be considered a salad really. Haha. Still, I choose to consider it so because of the veggie, never mind the other ingredients. =D Mixed greens with ground beef, tomatoes, onion, grated cheese, nachos with tex-mex ranch dressing. =D


In addition to my North Star picture, I have decided to weigh myself only once a week using Father's digital scale in House Better. I wanted to lose weight, but I did not want to be obsessed by it. I do weigh myself every morning in the House Pioneer scale, but that scale is in kilos so I really just use it as a guide but don't obsess by converting the kilogram readings into pounds. So far, after 3 weeks, I've lost 6 lbs. Definitely not as quickly as I used to do it, no, but Hubby Sweet tells me 2 lbs a week is not a bad pace. I figured a week or two more of getting my system used to my new eating habits, then I'll pick up exercising again. (I know enough that unless I do actual cardio-exercises, I may lose weight, but I will be hard-pressed to lose the extra fat in the tummy area. =))

Another serendipitous discovery in this hopefully-not-so-quixotic-quest of mine is the Blood Type Diet. Two Saturdays ago, I was in the office (saying goodbye to what would have been a long weekend); there were last minute changes and back-up requirements for the Board Presentations. I arrived to find our CFO eating a plateful of pineapples.

"Breakfast?" I teased.

"Actually, yes," he replied, " I've lost 3 lbs this week just eating pineapples instead of bananas." Then he proceeded to tell me about this book that his sister brought home for him that states that people tend to digest and process certain types of food according to how well they react to the inherent chemistry in their blood (thus the term Blood Type diet).

"Depending on your blood type," he continued, "there is a chart of meats, grains, seafood, fruits, vegetables, etc. that would be most beneficial for you in the sense that it can be best processed by your system, food that are neutral and food that you should avoid entirely. It's a book by Dr. D'Adamo, but I can't remember the title right now. I think the book is also available locally. Try checking in National."

A quick internet check enabled us to get the specific title: Eat Right for Your Type by Dr. Peter D'Adamo. I did manage to find a copy in Fully Booked Boni High, except that they were out of the original Eat Right version so I got the Cook Right for Your Type version instead.

The original has the full explanation of why eating based on your blood type makes sense, but the Cook Right version provides a good enough overview of the rationale behind the type of food that each blood type needs to maximize and/or avoid. In addition, it provides several recipes that can set you down the path of blood type dieting. I've been at it since late last week (at least as far as the type of food is concerned), but this week I'll start being strict on the quantities and frequency as well. We'll see how it goes. =)

Before I decided to take things seriously, I picked my North Star. I suppose it also makes sense to post a starting point. =) The picture below was taken outside Dong Bei in a recent Binondo outing with college friends. (Thank you, Annette, for the pic. 'Hope you don't mind me using it. =)) To be fair, I looked happy, but I suppose that is not the point. I want to be happy, but look sexy. Haha! ;D

With only a little over 2 months to go before I hit the big 4-0, I suppose I've got my work(out =p) cut out for me.

Good God. Heaven help me. =)

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Goolai Salad Packs are available in most supermarkets. I'm fairly sure they're available in Robinson's, Rustan's and Landmark. Check your favorite supermarket's chiller section for availability. The last time I went, they also have a stand-alone kiosk in Virra Mall. =)

If you want to know more about Eating Right for Your Type, click here for the official site. As I tried to find out more about this type of diet, I found that it was also featured in Livestrong.com--which, rightly or wrongly, built more credibility for it for me. O, sya. =)

REMEMBERING GRANDMOTHERS & PAYING HOMAGE =)

Sometime last week, Hubby Sweet posted "What did your grandmother cook for you?" as his Facebook shout-out. It was a quote from Chef Alice Waters who may have been mentioned in the article he was reading about organic food.

In the comments bar, I posted, "Champorado, tocino, fried chicken and egg...every single day. And never, NEVER, akong nagsawa. =)"

His shout-out brought me back to simpler times, back to when my siblings, my cousins and I were between 5 and 7 years old. Back to the time when our parents were still working--when they used to drop us off at Daddy Iston and Noni's for the day. Noni was our maternal grandmother (my favorite grandmother actually, as I was her favorite grandchild. Walang kokontra. ;p.).

There was no cable TV back then. We had five channels: GMA7, BBC2, RPN9, IBC13, NBN4. Cartoons were only aired every Saturday morning. Sesame Street was aired once in the morning and replayed in the afternoon. In the time in between airings (yes, we also watched the replays, haha), we kids had to find something else to entertain ourselves with. Usually, we'd be running around, playing "football" with a cheap plastic ball in the front yard. Sometimes, we'd be playing house. Then, there'd be those times when the weather was just too sticky-hot--when Daddy Iston would either bring out the garden hose to spray us kids with, or when Noni thought it better to just let us "swim". HAHAHA. They had no pool; my grandparents weren't rich. When they asked us if we wanted to go swimming, it actually meant that several basisn (although the term "batya" seems more apt, haha) will soon be brought out (one for each apo). Me, I was special. While everyone else got to sit around in their "batya of choice" (haha), I got to sit in a mini-drum that had me submerged in water up to my neck, never mind that the bottom was probably thick with "lumot". I remember us regularly wasting half a day away just sitting there in our underwear. =)

The other half of that memory is precious. See, back in those days, Noni cooked food not in the proper kitchen inside. She did it in the makeshift kitchen outside. The gas range inside the house was used only for reheating food (pretty much how we use the microwave these days). The real cooking was done outside on a makeshift stove made out of stone, fueled by logs (pugon) and dried twigs.

The laundry area were we sat around until we turned into human prunes was next to Noni's makeshift kitchen. Every day we'd watch her carry plates of ingredients out through the back screen door. She would set them on the table, before turning around to try and get a fire going. She'd pick the logs carefully. They would have to be dry enough for them to catch fire. Then she'd arrange them on the "stove", careful to leave space for air in between each piece of wood. Then she'd crumple several pieces of old newspaper and insert them through the pieces of wood. Then she'd light a match and ceremoniously hold it long enough on each of the pieces of newspaper, waiting for each to catch fire and ignite the logs. Pretty soon, she'd get a good fire going. I remember the smoke. Goodness, the smoke! It would've been an environmentalist's nightmare, but those were simpler times when burning wood ovens were not necessarily a bad thing. If any, they made for better tasting food.

And so we'd sit around soaking while Noni cooked several dishes in quick succession, taking advantage of the going fire. When Hubby Sweet posted his shout-out, I said "Champorado, Fried Chicken, Fried Egg, Tocino" because I was pretty sure those were our daily staples. Daily staples that we never seemed to get tired of.

Then cousin Zaldy posted, "My lola's EMBOTIDO...YUMMY!!!" and I found myself nodding, "Ah, yes! Noni's embotido! Sweet, salty, smoky, simple yet rich. Sausage, carrots, green peas...." I found myself reminiscing and mentally agreeing.

Then, apparently not quite done, cousin Zaldy followed it up with another comment, "And my lola's HOME MADE HAMONADO!!! =)", and I found myself smiling and thinking, "Ah, yes! Noni's homemade hamonado." I remember the leg of some pig sitting in a ceramic basin as Noni cured it with a mixture that I never got to ask her about. Then she'd "bake" it in a big wok (the elders called it talyasi) in the makeshift stove outside. My favorite part was when it was already cooked, properly browned in some parts, a thick layer of fat glistening on the edge. Then, she would sprinkle brown sugar all over it, covering the fat as she waited for the steel spatula she set on the burning fire to heat up until it glowed red-hot. Ceremoniously, she would pick up the steel spatula, telling us kids who were watching her eagerly, to stay a good distance away. In a graceful move, she would sear the glowing steel spatula onto the brown sugar and just the mere memory of the sizzling sound and of the sweet smell that followed as the brown sugar caramelized into the fat still makes my mouth water to this day. "Ah, yes," I thought, smiling as I reminisced, "Noni's homemade hamonado."

Then Sister Pusjing joined the trail and posted, "Si-cream with langka! :-) Macaroni Soup! And, Harming, anong tawag dun sa pang-special occasion food na talya-talyasi lutuin ni Noni? May hotdog, chickpeas....", and I remember thinking, "Si-cream with Langka! And Macaroni Soup! How could I forget?!". Si-Cream is Noni's play on the word Ice Cream. Back in those days, Magnolia was only served if someone was celebrating his birthday. During ordinary days, us kids would have to content ourselves with either the 5- centavo ice candy that is being sold by our next-door neighbor or with ice shavings that Noni gets by rubbing a bowl against the side of the freezer (hahaha!). This was before the advent of no-defrost refrigerators. Then she'd take the bowl of ice, heap strips of fresh langka over it, before dousing it with a good portion of Alaska Evaporated Milk and a teaspoon of white sugar for good measure. One can call it Langka Con Hielo, I suppose. We called it Si-cream. Haha. It was simple, but heavenly. ^_^

Oh, and yes. Noni's Macaroni Soup. Shell-shaped pasta swimming in milky chicken soup. Nothing complicated, and yet it was everything that Chicken Macaroni Soup ought to be.

Sister Pusjing's post was followed by a few more comments and "likes" about how Noni was the best cook ever, about how they missed her, about how they missed her cooking.

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Hubby Sweet and I ate in a restaurant once. I had read about it in some article prior, and found the concept endearing.

The restaurant was really more of a levelled-up carinderia. It was owned by Katrina Ponce-Enrile. Her reason for putting up Petra & Pilar was simple, she said. She wanted to share the dishes her lolas used to prepare for the family. Petra is her paternal grandmother; Pilar is her maternal grandmother.

Armed with nothing but stock knowledge that Petra & Pilar was on the ground floor of the Jaka Center which was along Pasong Tamo (between Makati Cinema Square and Buendia), Hubby Sweet and I set off to find it. Finding Jaka Center was easy enough. Realizing that Petra & Pilar was on the side of the building (along a one way street) was the difficult part. Thankfully, the building guards were helpful. Waiting for a break in the steady stream of cars passing through, they slowly guided us (blinking hazard lights and all) to the restaurant's parking lot. I liked the restaurant's facade. Simple but classy.

Maybe Petra & Pilar is for the lunch crowd. When we got there for dinner, there was only one other couple eating inside. Just as well. At the end of the day, sometimes, one could really do with a little peace and quiet.

The "turo-turo" was on the far end of the restaurant, but before we could get there, we were sidetracked by the Delimondo cove right by the door. Not yet too hungry, I told Hubby Sweet to go and check the food if he already is, but I wanted to check out the deli goods first. I've heard much about them--mostly from friends who frequent the Salcedo Saturday Market--but I have not, until then, had the opportunity to try them out.

The goods with their plain white labels and simple text branding looked, for lack of a better term, almost "artisan". Being displayed against a simple backlit wall also added to the drama.

I found the Ranch-Style Corned Beef that my friend was raving about. I wondered how much different it would be compared to Palm (which is my favorite brand) or even Purefoods for that matter. I decided to take three cans just to find out.

"Ma'am , malapit na kaming maging available sa Robinson's kung magustuhan niyo siya," the deli attendant offered, "Yung iba po kasi, di naman nakakapunta palagi sa Salcedo."

I smiled and thanked him for the info. I moved beyond the corned beef to the other goods on display and instantly found myself thinking this place would have been heaven for me had it still been The Wander Years. Bottles of "instant food" that at least had the semblance of being "home-prepared". Haha. =)

There was Calamares en su Tinta, and I imagined it would be perfect with pasta. Pasta al Nero. ^_^ I was tempted to take one, but decided to reserve the purchase for another trip, thinking about how much food we still had leftover in the ref at home.

There was also Bottled Callos which pretty much sealed the deal for me that, one way or another, I would have to go back. =)

I also found Bacalao a la Vizcaina. I am not a great fan of fish, but I did remember Father wishing out loud quite recently about how he missed the Bacalao in I-forgot-what-restaurant and decided to buy one as well just to take home. (Note: Father, when he tasted it, found that it was not salty enough. Bro-in-law G-Genius, however, thought it was really good Bacalao. =))


Further down, I found bottles of Chili Oil. I had wanted to get a bottle for House Better, but decided to postpone it again for another trip. Just the weekend before, I had gone home with a bottle of Claude 9 XO sauce and a bag of chili flakes. I figured, well, the Delimondo Chili Oil can wait. =)

"Ma'am, pag Christmas po, we actually make Christmas baskets. Pwede po kayong pumili, tapos we can wrap it for you," the deli attendant said as I surveyed the sausages and the cold cuts in the chiller.

"Really?" I told him, "Babalik ako. Gandahan niyo ha." And, at that point, I really meant it.

"OO, Ma'am. Maganda," he continued, as he handed me a small bag with my purchases. There was much more to look through, but I figured, it was already time to join the Hubby at the food line.

I went up to the turo-turo to find Hubby Sweet looking at a menu. The turo-turo was already closed, but was advised by the attendant that we can order ala carte.

Hubby Sweet decided to go for the Adobo sa Luyang Dilaw. Apparently, it is a dish fairly common in the Southern Luzon provinces, but not so in Manila. In a place that prides itself on "my lola's cooking", I suppose it made sense for him to choose something that would bring him back to his childhood roots. I initially found it weird (being used to the dark adobo of Manila), but decided I actually liked it after trying. There was something interesting about the way the "cool" ginger note, blended with the sourness of the vinegar. I suppose there was no soy sauce used for this version. Possibly only salt.

I couldn't quite figure out what I wanted. I found the description of the Bicol Express interesting (although how it was actually described escapes me now), so I ordered it--except that when it arrived, I was sadly disappointed. I prefer my Bicol Express more coco creamy than milky, and this version was milky. It also was not spicy enough. This one, I can skip it next time. =S

Good thing that with my indecision (or gluttony, depending on how you look at it, haha), I decided to also order the other dish I was eyeing. Batchoy Tagalog. I grew up with the dish. Mother used to make a great version even though she does not eat it herself (don't ask me how she managed). With recent diet restrictions for the "adults" in the family, however, she has not cooked it in quite a while. I secretly celebrated the fact that it was available in Petra & Pilar. Hot, gingery soup. A bowl of innards. It was a perfect foil to the soft drizzle outside, and at first sip, it was love. ^_^ Now, this, I would go back for. =)

I looked over to Hubby Sweet, and asked him what he thought of the place.

He shrugged and smiled, "Uh, Tweet, para lang siyang lutong bahay."

Haha! OO nga naman. Then again, sometimes, that is not necessarily a bad thing. =)

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I used to think Noni was the greatest grandmother cook in the world, but Hubby Sweet seems to think it was Yayay, even as Katrina Ponce-Enrile thought it was Petra & Pilar. I'm pretty sure Patita and Ray*-B think Lola (as in my mom) is the greatest. I suppose the feeling is universal. (Hence, the catchphrase, "Wala ka sa lola ko!" Haha. =D)

That said, I am sadly inept in the kitchen and so there is no way I could pass down the recipes that Noni has passed on to Mother. Writing this post, however, made me realize, one way or another, I would have to find a way to document them so that, long after we're gone, they can continue to be shared. After all, it is in sharing that we remember. And it is in remembering that we keep the stories of old alive.

Darn it! Now I miss Noni. BIG. TIME. *Sigh. =S*

COFFEE CUPS & GARDENS =)

It was a particularly crisp February morning. We were on our way to Tagaytay to celebrate Panet's birthday (our tita who hosts Sunday lunch for us every single time at Eduardo's).

Traditionally, the cousins come together and plan her birthday surprise (which is never really a surprise, I suppose, because Panet has come to "expect" it). We usually hold a special dinner in one of the Metro restaurants, and was even crazy enough to plan a lunch birthday party at McDo Fort once just to throw Panet off our usual birthday surprise track. This year (and this is a much delayed post--2 years delayed, I think, haha), Lolo Art kindly offered to arrange it with the Tagaytay Royale clubhouse and simply have the cousins foot the bill. Go. =)

Now, I've always liked roadtrips, but this one, in my mind was special. I don't go on roadtrips very often with my parents, and really wish now that I could. During the Wander Years, I was too independent-minded, and I suppose with much to prove, I would much rather go through things alone or with my, uh, other friends who also felt the need to prove that they were finally adults. Not so these days. More settled and with nothing more to prove on both sides, my relationship with Father and Mother has evolved to include easy friendship.

It was a particularly crisp February morning, and as soon as we got through the Rotonda, we decided to shut off the car aircon and roll down the windows instead. It was early enough; no car fumes yet on the usually busy thoroughfare. Just as well. We don't get "fresh air" that often in Manila, and Mother really prefers fresh air to the aircon. Father was wearing a crazy grin. As usual, I suppose he is just happy to be on a car going somewhere. I highly suspect I inherited my highly-developed wanderlust from him. Haha. =)

It was just Hubby Sweet, Mother, Father and myself in the car this time. Sister Pusjing and family--who usually rides with us on roadtrips--has decided to celebrate her own birthday in advance by spending the night in Tagaytay. We will just be meeting them there.

When you go on a roadtrip with Mother though, you have to be prepared to leave early. She hates traffic, and really, in everything, she'd rather be an hour early than 10 minutes late. (I realize now that I inherited my highly-developed need for punctuality from her! Haha. =)) Which is why, before 11:00 am, we were already in Tagaytay, much too early for Panet's birthday feast. No biggie.

"I suppose we can just have coffee somewhere," I suggested.

"Bag of Beans?" Hubby Sweet asked. It was almost our default coffee place in Tagaytay.

"Yup," I nodded.

Father's grin grew wider. =)

I discovered Bag of Beans years ago. BFF Marts and her then-BF-now-Hubby-BJ introduced me to it. We were a group of about 6 or 8, and had just come from a volunteer Habitat-for-Humanity housebuilding activity. We were all young and single, and in no real hurry to get home. I remember going down a flight of stairs into a garden, illuminated by candles--an attempt to help dispel the darkness that will soon follow dusk. I fell in love with the garden then; it was enchanting. The coffee was good. Their own home-baked bread even better. The image of BFF Marts fighting with the resident monkey who took revenge by throwing nuts (I think) at then-BF-now-Hubby-BJ still makes me laugh to this day.

A few years ago, on another roadtrip, I introduced then-BF-now-Hubby Sweet to it. That was my best visit ever to Bag of Beans. It was early morning. The garden, even without the twinkling candles, was just as enchanting. I was just set to have coffee, bread and butter then, but when we walked in, we found a buffet table laid out with beef tapa, tocino, fried fish, rolls of every-kind, coffee, tsokolate-eh, etc., etc.! P250 per person, the waiter said. Sold! Haha. (Click here and here to read my past blogs on it. =))

The buffet has since been discontinued. Just as well. We were not here for the buffet this time anyway. I just thought Bag of Beans would be the perfect place to take my parents to. Father loves coffee. Mother loves gardens. Bag of Beans is all about having coffee in a beautiful garden. =)

We walked down the stairs, under a canopy of floral ivy. Mother smiled. She likes gardens, and usually picks a thing or two to apply to her own in House Better.

The cabana were Hubby Sweet and I usually sit was already occupied. We looked around and decided to stay under one of the "umbrella-covered" tables in the middle of the garden.

"Pa'no ginagawa yung leaf imprints?" Mother asked as we sat down, clearly referring to the leaf marks embedded on the walkway.

"I'm not sure, but I saw it on TV once," I replied, "I think they press real leaves on concrete that is relatively stiff, but not yet fully settled. Then once the concrete hardens, they just take out the leaf and the imprint stays on the concrete. Then they paint."

"Oh," she said, smiling, an idea clearly forming in her head.

"Eh yung mga nakasabit na lamps, sa'n kaya nila nabibili?" she asked.

"I think they sell it in the country store next to the bake shop. We can check it out later," I replied.

"Sige," she said. (NOTE: We did, but it was still sadly closed when we got out.)

"They actually sell the plants," I volunteered, thinking that she might want to bring some back home to Manila.

"Nah," she said, shaking their head. "These kinds of plants thrive here dahil malamig. Sa Manila, malalanta lang sila. Or kailangan silang i-water several times a day. Eh, sa atin pa..." she trailed off, referring to the fact that in Paranaque, water from the regular pipes is scarce, and people have actually made a good living out of delivering water to homes.

The waiter approached us, menu in hand.

"I'm not hungry," Father said.

"Ako din," Mother seconded.

"We can just get coffee or hot choco," I suggested, "and bread. You have to try their bread!"

"Kuya, dalawang kapeng barako," I ordered, "Chaka bread basket with butter and marmalade."

"Hot choco sa'kin," Hubby Sweet piped up.

"Orange juice lang ako," Mother said.

The waiter nodded and smiled, then turned around back to the kitchen. He was back in no time with our mugs, and quietly set the bread basket in the middle. It was freshly-baked, crusty but soft. It still felt warm through the cloth bread basket liner.

We all dug in. The butter melted as it was spread on the warm bread. The marmalade spread just as easily on top of it.

Father took out the newspaper he had brought along for the trip. Mother continued to survey the garden from where she sat. It was a scene right out of House Better, actually, except that we were in another enchanting garden, about an hour away.

Regular life is often complicated and chaotic. Not so that day.

It was a crisp, easy Sunday morning with family.

Hot drinks on hand.

Warm bread on the side.

In its utter simplicity, I found perfection.

I would be so lucky just to have more days like these.

*Sigh. =)*

A TASTE OF SINGAPORE =)

During our late high school and early college years, Father was based in Singapore. For practical reasons (mostly so as not to disrupt our schooling), Mother deigned it better for us to stay in Manila. Consequently, long weekends would find Father flying back home; summer and Christmas breaks would find us flying to the Lion City.

Now, I've always loved the city. Never mind that some people find it boring.

I suppose it had a lot to do with the fact that the first time we landed was in December 1988--when all of Orchard Road looked like some Christmas Giant threw up sparkles, lights and decors all over the buildings and trees. It was so festive, you'd think the primary religion was Christianity when it was really not. Never mind that Singapore did it for the tourists, I do remember the scene automatically dispelling the melancholy I felt about being away from the clan on a holiday that we, as a family, usually spend with them.

I suppose it also had a lot to do with the fact that Singapore was, for lack of a better term, efficient. And clean. And orderly. And green. And smoke-free. And everything else that I wished Manila could be--if only we had the political will and commitment to do it. It's not from a lack of trying. I'm not sure if you actually noticed that, with every change in administration, trees inevitably get planted along the main roads, and signs are put up proclaiming the "Greening of Metro Manila"--only to find the same trees wilted and covered with dust a month later. The thing is, we treat the trees as decor, when we ought to treat them as a commitment. (Sidenote: I'm glad that they actually passed a law that requires people to pay extra for shopping bags every Wednesday; it's, at least, a good start.) To say that I was fascinated with the city transforming itself from an urban jungle into a garden state was an understatement. I suppose though, it is really much easier to focus on "aesthetics" when one does not need to worry about having to feed practically 80% of its population.

I digress.

The other thing I loved about Singapore is the food. I have yet to eat anything there that I did not like. Weekends would inevitably find us in one of the Hawker's Centers each downing a bowl of Hainanese Chicken Rice and wolfing down Chili Crabs like there was no tomorrow. Good food. Good price. =)

Which leads me to the point of this post. Good Chili Crabs, one can find in Manila. Good Hainanese Chicken Rice is not as easy to find.

I serendipitously came upon really good Chicken Rice at the old Philippine Plaza coffee shop, but I don't think they retained it in the menu after they renovated the coffee shop into Spiral. People tell me that there is this restaurant in front of Pan Pacific in Malete where they serve authentic Chicken Rice (the Chef is Singaporean), but they said it's quite pricey. Besides, I no longer have the patience to weave through Malate traffic, much less the patience to find a decent/relatively safe parking space--at least no longer at the levels I used to have during the Wander Years. I also tried the Chicken Rice at Makansutra at the Manila Ocean Park, but it was only "OK lang" and failed to live up to my high hopes. During one stop at Edsa Shang, Hubby Sweet and I also decided to try the version at Penang Hill. Two words: STAY AWAY. Variation to the two words: DON'T TRY. I wanted to cry after trying that version. Naku! =D

Father has since moved from Singapore to Glendale then back to Manila, and yet the family's craving for a decent Chicken Rice has remained. I mean, it is not really too big of an expectation really. Our thinking was that we used to eat good Chicken Rice in the hawker's centers (which is a levelled-up version of the local carinderia). How can the local restaurants not get it right?

Well, someone finally did! =)

Cousin-in-law Mi was the first person who asked me to try it. I think the owner was a personal friend. Admittedly though, I have not gotten around to it, until last June when we were originally supposed to go out for Father's Day, but had to cancel because Mother was not feeling well the entire week. It was a sort of Eureka moment when the idea of ordering Hainanese Chicken Rice for take-out danced around like a lightbulb in my head.

Stevie's Hainanese Chicken Rice to the rescue! =)

I had to scramble around the internet to find the contact details because I couldn't find Mi's original email, what with all the junk in my inbox. I did not have a hard time because, apparently, in the time between Mi's original email and me finally getting around to actually trying it, most of the leading bloggers in Manila have already had their fill and were singing high praises to it. (Click on the link for the posted reviews on Dessert Comes First and Market Manila.) All the reviews got me even more excited. Yey! ^_^

Calling was easy enough. With the entire family (including yayas) descending on House Better for Father's Day, we ordered four orders. On the side, Sister Pusjing decided they will also drop by Pixie's to get several orders of their much-raved about inihaw na bangus. I gave them an 11:00 am pick-up time, and asked Sister Pusjing to pass by for it on their way to House Better. All set. =)

Except that come Sunday, it was already way past 11:30 am and Sister Pusjing and family were nowhere near House Better. I gave them directions to Stevie's (go to the Bel-Air gate near Shell Buendia), but apparently they did not need it. There was a looooooong line outside--about 20 cars or so--all waiting for their orders! Naku. =D They finally got to House Better at 12:30 with 7-year old Patita declaring as soon as she stepped through the front door, "That Chicken Rice is sheer torture!" Hahaha. As Sister Pusjing explained, it soon became clear that she wasn't referring to the long line and the long wait. Apparently, the entire trip home, the scent of the Chicken Rice wafted through the car and Patita had to endure the entire trip smelling it, but having to wait to get to House Better before she can eat it. Haha! ;D

Stevie's did not disappoint (although, when I first saw it, I thought, "Ay, mas maraming chicken kesa rice!" Haha. How plebian. =))

The chicken was moist and flavorful. I was a bit surprised to find it "swimming in broth" as I was used to the Hainanese Chicken already being served "dry" on top of the rice. Still, no biggie. We all used the broth as "soup" of sorts to top our rice. Haha.

Oh, the rice. Fragrant, flavorful, jasmine rice. None of the cheap kind that comes out either hard or clumpy. Good Hainanese Chicken Rice lives and dies by the quality of the rice, and Stevie (naks, parang kilala ko siya, haha) made sure that their rice lived up to expectations.

The entire set came with traditional dipping sauces: smashed ginger in sesame oil, chili sauce (which was not to spicy actually =(), and the sweet-salty soy sauce mix.

It also came with a glazing sauce which we were supposed to pour over the chicken if we wanted to reheat it. It was supposed to prevent the chicken from drying up (which also, by the way, explained why the chicken was set in broth still).

Reheat? We did not. We did not even re-plate. Haha. The entire thing (aluminum trays, plastic cups and all) were placed on the lazy Susan soon as it arrived. Game na ang lunch agad.

I will keep a secret how long it took for us to finish the entire thing. Haha! ;D

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If you want to try Stevie's Hainanese Chicken Rice To Go, call 0906-5084155. It's P950 per set (at the time we bought anyway), good for 4 people. =) Go. Now na. ;p