Mrs. Saigon

Tonight she was Mrs. Saigon.

They said Pho 24 served good food. I said it's time to eat. I needed to order fast, and I was not looking back. We'd devour 'em clean, that's what this dinner's about.

Ah, it's my Queen, ah yes! Lower your lips and let's sip. I paid the moon to get these fresh treats. Voila! At Powerplant Mall. Welcome to Pho 24!

The heat was on in Pho 24. The food was hotter than hell. All of these dishes would be Mrs. Saigon's. God, the craving was high. Was there a hunger strike going on? Don't ask, I ain't gonna tell.

See our soup bowls, they're just the right size. Didn't you enjoy how they filled up our guts? Look from above, they'd knock out your eyes. (Above: Pho do vien -- seafood noodle soup. Below: Pho tai gau -- beef tenderloin noodle soup with fat brisket.)

Let me buy you a tea (or coffee). Tonight we're out of our minds. Not to mention reasonable price. (Left: Ca phe den -- Vietnamese coffee. Right: Tra da -- Vietnamese tea with ice.)

We were satiating, and we came back here tonight. The village we came from didn't seem far away. All of our loved ones knew much more what to order. But I knew, I had stomach like the sea. A million calories were in me. (Above: Garnishes for Pho. Below: Cha gio -- deep fried spring rolls.)

Pathologic Eating

It was an ultra-busy day at the Philippine Society of Pathologists (PSP) Headquarters in Malakas St., Diliman. So, to replenish my energy stores and to refresh myself during this super hot and tiring day, I decided to have my lunch at Yviana.

Yviana is a popular refreshment spot among Filipino pathologists because it is strategically located right across the PSP Building in Malakas St, Diliman, Quezon City. It is a small cafe -- humble, I must say -- in a predominantly residential area. Situated near three tertiary hospitals: the Philippine Heart Center, East Avenue Medical Center and AFP (V. Luna) Medical Center, it is a preferred dining venue for physicians and healthcare workers in the area. From the outside, it may look like an ordinary bakeshop, but this establishment offers more than just bread. They make really good muffins, food for the gods and butterscotch. (For my pasalubong, I actually bought a big bag of butterscotch slices for Mom). They also serve meals and snacks. And yes, oh yes, don't forget to try the chocolate cake! It's to die for.

 For today, I ordered one of my favorites: embutido. I love embutido, in general, but Yviana's version has its unique delicious taste. The consistency is soft, yet it is very meaty. It doesn't have that cereal-crumbs-flour-extender texture. Moreover, it is not the typical rod-shaped embutido -- the square contour makes it more visually appetizing. The egg is cooked the way it should be cooked... for me -- malasado. Yviana also serves really flavorsome la paz batchoy. The dinuguan is also a must-try.

Eating For Absolution

It was an iceberg that sank the Titanic. It's also an iceberg that's lifting me high.

Oh, Icebergs. The glucose rush releases too much endorphins and gives me that exhilirating, euphoric feeling.

Unluckily and oddly, my favorite, blueberry cheesecake parfait, was phased out. Scoops of creamy cheese-flavored ice cream topped with blueberry syrup and cheesecake cubes. Perfect. Almost heaven. But just like the Titanic, it's gone now. In all branches.

As the name implies, Icebergs is mainly an ice cream restaurant. They also serve meals, sandwiches and other non-dessert items. Interestingly, they taste good. So good you'll sink to the ocean floor. Mom and I always order club house sandwich, buffalo wings and halo-halo -- those are our favorites. Surely, ice cream, sundaes and parfaits are just the "tip of the iceberg".

More than an ice cream house. Icebergs is a place to be when craving for different kinds of good-quality food. There are several branches scattered in the Metro, but I always frequent the ones in Robinsons Ermita, Mall of Asia and Seaside Drive for proximity reasons.

The Queen with her favorite. Halo-halo. The 'tip of the iceberg' is really eye-catching. See those two big scoops of ube and cheese ice cream? Yummy! (Left: Icebergs Robinsons Ermita. Right: Icerbergs Mall of Asia)

Icebergs sizzling sisig is a contradiction. It's not fatty, unlike the usual sisig in other more popular restaurants which is composed of small cubes of fat floating in pools of animal oil. And I prefer the egg served separately, malasado. (Icebergs Seaside Drive, MOA Complex)

Mom doesn't eat buffalo wings unless they're from Icebergs. This one in the photo is a surprise pasalubong for her Majesty at 4:00 AM!

This is the embodiment of mortal sin. Strawberry float. It's like 500 cc of regular sugar-loaded soda with strawberry syrup, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and slices of sweetened strawberry. So sinful yet so divine. My mouth will go on.

Bench Body

Bench... my all-time favorite clothing line since high school. (You know, Richard Gomez and his famous rowing TV commercial in the early 1990's.) Just the perfect fit. Just the perfect size. Just the perfect comfort. And just the perfect price. I've tried several other local and imported clothing brands, but I've always ended up choosing Bench. Clueless. But yes, I am, in fact, the ultimate Bench hunk. Here's me, everything Bench.

Sta. Cruzin'

Why I love going to Sta. Cruz in Manila.

Yeah, there is money there. I go to Sta. Cruz every week to collect specimens from my doctor friends. Aside from that, Sta. Cruz is a culinary sanctuary. The streets of Masangkay, Benavides and Doroteo Jose are studded with eateries, canteens and restaurants that serve authentic and delectable Chinese food. Here are some of the food spots that I frequent:

 

Wai Ying Fast Food. My all-time favorite Chinese fast food since medical school. Wai Ying is located in Benavides St., a short five-minute walk from the Metropolitan Medical Center (and a quick 10-minute drive from UST -- perfect for medical students who intend to have a "quickie" lunch). Every item in the menu is a must-try. I always order pata-bihon -- it's mami but bihon is used instead of the usual Hong Kong mami noodles, mixed with two big pieces of patatim. Their mami is best paired with siomai or shrimp chong fan -- chewy shrimps wrapped in ho fan sheets and immersed in asado soy sauce. In the photo: beef-bihon, shrimp chong fan and almond jelly. 

 

Heavenly Grace Vegetarian Restaurant. All flora, no fauna. This is a small restaurant along Masangkay St. right beside the Philippine Academy of Sakya. The food is comparable to the more commercialized vegetarian restaurants in shopping malls, only cheaper and more reasonably priced. One will be surprised to see high school students from nearby schools eat here for lunch -- definitely a good way to incorporate vegetables in the diet of the younger generation. In the photo: budget meal composed of two ulam (sweet-and-sour veggie meat and eggplant guisado) and rice with iced tea, all for Php 65.

 

Ha Yuan Fast Food. I was introduced to the best maki ever created at the age of 8 (circa 1984) when my aunt Flor brought me to Ha Yuan in the food court of SM Cubao (then, "Shoemart"). Maki became part of my culinary vocabulary eversince. Along Masangkay St., a few meters from Claro M. Recto Ave., is this old-fashioned Ha Yuan branch. Maki is actually bite-size pieces of breaded meat in thick, mucoid, soy-based soup and with scallion topping. Simple but totally pleasing to the taste buds. The establishment also serves noodles, rice meals and dimsum.

 

The New President Sharksfin Seafood Restaurant. An accidental discovery when my Mom and I arrived in Avenida and we were looking for some really nice restaurants in the area. "President" is situated in the ground level of the Manila Grand Opera Hotel, a neat 3-star hotel in the corner of Doroteo Jose St. and Rizal Ave., right across the Doroteo Jose LRT station. The restaurant provides a retro ambiance, as the walls are decorated with photos of movie stars and celebrities in the 1950s. Appropriately called, the hotel stands at the site of the historic Manila Grand Opera House. The restaurant serves the best-tasting chicken feet in the Metro.

 

Masuki. A lutong-bahay style Chinese fast food in Benavides St. towards Binondo. There are only three items in the menu -- mami, siopao and siomai -- and those are indeed the very specialties of the house. The mami and siopao taste like they are "traditionally" prepared, in contrast to the "commercial" taste of modern Chinese tea houses. Interestingly, Masuki is operated by the same group that owned the very famous Ma Mon Luk, claimed by my Mom to be the best mami house during her college days (circa 1950). In the photo: asado mami, special asado siopao and pork siomai.

 

Mom and I in one of our Sta. Cruzin' food trips. A hot and delicous serving of asado mami in Masuki.