These times aren’t new to me. I have seen worst days, months, years…the past 3 years has been a series of unfortunate events in my life with one mishap happening one after another in perfect, systematic order. Other men would have thrown themselves orbiting vertically down along a skyscraper - a death, cancer, job loss, wiped out savings, starting over yet again and the quintessential people who leave you at the worst time. But to me, this is just one other day, and the mishaps keep coming…it would have wiped out the mental states of other so-called lesser creatures. But what happens to me doesn’t define me, and they will never be my object of wrath, anger or depression. This is life. I don’t suck it up. I just let it slide and i press on. Because what happens to me, while really personal at times, will never faze me. hehehe… it doesn’t. 

Summers of Insomnia

Tadaa!

I'm back! yet again...
It's almost midnight and part of my life has been my insomnia since i was a kid. And part of my zooming thoughts now is "I wonder what happened to my blog?" Bam! Here I am! And to my surprise, my past month blog view is 522. Yes. Five Hundred twenty two. The highest page view in a month since I started my blog. And to think that my last post was September 2011. And it's about bagnet. And all its wonderful variations in a little place named after its registered number (see below).

and So I am back.
As I've mentioned, I have been an insomniac since I was a kid. And I think this malady of sorts, if you can call it that, was really exacerbated by summers of long readings in between high school breaks, with my older brother who shared my room. We would do marathon book readings during summer, and sometimes, we would challenge to finish a book in a day or two. So we would hole up in our room, reading like its an actual sports activity. We were lucky that our parents really encouraged this, and my paternal grandmother, who was a college professor, was a book collector, mostly fiction, and was also a notorious insomniac (I think I got it from her). It doesn't end there. If we have favorite books, we would swap. After reading it, we would discuss it. hahahaha! Nerd alert!

Of course, it wasn't always something my parents encourage. There were times that my mom would actually barge into our room early in the morning, on top of her voice, say, gising na!! She knows we were reading the whole night. She would literally throw us out of the room, so we can "contribute" to the long list of chores to do, and also to urge us to go out. That was high school. When we were in grade school, she made it her ultimate goal to keep us inside the house, and we were always outside, playing, telling stories till night time, sometimes walking or biking around till we were outside the 5 kilometer radius of our house (of course she doesn't know that, TILL NOW!). Sometimes, my mom would inspect us in the middle of the night, just to check on all of us. That was how we sharpened our talents for reading under the sheets. Of course, my mom would also always catch my older sister on the phone, in the dark, whispering to whoever she was talking to. Between us and my sister, she was always the greater evil then hahaha. So, we got away with our reading addiction.

Such were our summers. Summers of Insomnia. If we weren't reading, my kuya and i would be talking, exchanging stories till the wee hours of the night, sometimes till dawn. We loved it. I and my brother were never content with just, "It's ok","It's good", for an answer. That is totally lame. If you ask any one of the two of us, "How was your day?", prepare to sit back and listen to a full discourse on how our day was, with rich, detailed explanations and descriptions of details, it could actually rival the books we read.

Nowadays, my readings are confined to the bathroom. I read sparingly, due to so many other stuff that consumer my life - work, family, etc. I sure would love to go back to those summers. I plan to go back to a reading life, when I retire early. So far, it's still just a wish, never a plan.
Yet!

My current read - Honeymoon and other stories by Kevin Canty. Very nice read. Short and sweet. Short Stories are great bathroom reads, especially if the bathroom is inside your room LOL

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

bagnet in makati and its unlimited variations

One of my good friends introduced me to this place, though I have heard of it so many times in the past and also passed by it several times before. Along Estrella street in San Antonio, Makati, is a nondescript house whose front has been converted into this restaurant - 8065 Bagnet. Even the name is very plain and simple - the number is the actual registered number of the house.

You enter and you get an old home feel - old wood, old 60s architectural style,  old marble slabs. The walls are literally littered with books, plaques, memorabilias of a family. It's like entering your grandma's house. It's not unusual that it has a low ceiling, it was obviously formerly an anteroom into the actual house. There is a wall that has all these grafittis from patrons, and you can make out scribbles of celebrities. The place is owned by Kitchie Nadal's family. Call me starstruck, but I was waiting to catch her there. I've been there 4 times and never saw her. hahaha. Anyway, inside this unpretentious front is delicious, cardiac food.

What's the food?
It's main feature, as the name states, is bagnet. In all forms imaginable. Dinuguan, kare-kare, etc. Bagnet, to the uninitiated, is pork (usually boiled pork belly) that is popular among Ilocanos. It's from that region, and I think the main difference between a lechon kawali and bagnet is that it is fried twice - first, a slow fry and then the second, a boiling fry. Now I am not sure about this, but nevertheless, it is great! It's quite similar to chicharon Camiling from my mom's province, Tarlac. But chicharon camiling is boiled twice and then slow fried to a crisp, whole, the inside juicy and succulent. But that's a different, and equally delicious, story. Back to 8065 bagnet. We ordered the dinuguan and the kare-kare. You can actually order 1.5liter  coke products here, so we also ordered that. We didn't order the original bagnet anymore. You can actually order it as a serving (1 plateful without rice) or as a rice topping. The topping cost only P99. Now that's a treat!

How was it?
Now I was bracing for the dinuguan to be something like bagnet thrown with dinuguan sauce. It wasn't. I think they actually cooked the meat with the sauce, because dinuguan juice just oozes out of the meat. But the Kare-kare, they definitely poured over the sauce. It's ok though. They probably wanted to maintain the crispiness of the meat. But both are great!! We also ordered their ensaladang talong, which is probably very close to homemade ones. Very nice!

Their sabaw is a piece that can stand on its own. Sobrang sarap, and you have to sip it piping hot. There are slivers of repolyo thrown in for healthy measure (yeah right), but even without it, it's a standout. I suspect it's the broth where they boil all the bagnet.

Would I invite you if it were my party? Oh, yes I will!! Except for the wait staff who obviously were not trained on proper waiting, and were selectively blind and deaf on all of my visits, this place knocks you off your feet, even with the grungy ambience.

How cheap is it? Cheap enough for you to shout out that you will treat the whole barkada! Taya ko ito! On my second visit there, we were just two, and we ordered all of the stuff I mentioned in this article and it was just around 500 pesos. Not bad....the price of two big mac meals upgraded to large comes close to its price, but I would choose the bagnet fare anytime.

5 stars for taste. I must warn you though, to slow down if you are on heart medication.
5 stars for price!!! It's so cheap, I can eat there everyday! I want to, but I shouldn't. It's good that my cardiologist does not subscribe to my blog.

Come to this place. You just have to go out of your way to get there but it's worth it! And it's open till really late night.

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

Ho Chi Minh and the surprise of a great city

A few months ago, I went on a business trip to Vietnam, to Ho Chi Minh to be exact. While I have been to Hanoi before, most of my friends said that the two cities are worlds apart. So I wasn't expecting much and just reserved my biases for later. Traveling often requires that you have an open mind and eye. Otherwise, you will not enjoy any part of it.

So we went, and went around. Ho Chi Minh doesn't disappoint - it's bustling, it's restless, it'c very clean and it's quite orderly. they have their share of their westernized mindset and have a big chunk of luxury items strewn around the metro for good measure, but you also see the vestiges of the past and its communist link, though it's more of the positive, safe side.

Ho Chi Minh is hot, fashionable, stuffy, loose, out there. It is very traditional, yet very open. It is very young and raring to go. It's also very delicious and filling. Plus, it's also affordable and near. If you want a new travel experience on a budget, you have to go to Ho Chi Minh.

Just going around will tell you that Ho Chi Minh will be one of the most progressive cities in Asia and the world, quite soon, really.

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

won ton: my new food discovery format and the promise of regular posting

I am back, and while no one really gave me a big push to go back, I realized that no one would and that if I plan to keep a blog, I might as well post, so that people who stumbled into this will have something fresh to read.

Now that I am back, I will be posting more food encounters with a more "rigid" rating - what's the food? how was it? would i invite you if it were my party? how cheap is it?  1 to 5 stars for taste and price. These will be the sections for each of my food blog. For other posts, it's still free for all, LOL.

here's the first one then...
Won Ton restaurant is in Greenhills, the shopping mecca of pirates and their supporters. I know because I am one of them every now and then, LOL! Now aside from fake bags, watches and shoes, and the fantastic furnitures, the chinese delis, the pearls from our Muslim brothers and sisters, the cell phones and gadgets and all the pirated apps for your ipad, Greenhills also has its share of really good food.

One of the new discoveries here is Won Ton. It has two branches - one in Promenade, and another inside the shopping center.

What's the food? Chinese made fast and done pinoy-style. The place is clean, simple, with very fast service and good enough waiters. They will approach when called, they will give you your food in due time and they won't bother you until you call them again.

How was it? Really good, food with no bullshit. They don't try to be extravagant or pretentious. It's plain and simple good food that makes you warm and satisfied. Comfort food!

Star/s of the menu: signature dishes are 1. fried chicken wings with vinegar dip 2. fried pork chop with tofu salt and pepper style. Fried but no oily aftertaste. The Chicken's vinegar dip is superb. 

Would I invite you if it were my party? Definitely! It has other stars on the menu, like their version of the Korean dish, Japchae, their selection of fried rice, their selection of tofu dishes and their beef with broccoli.  They also have noodle soups, with their clear soup that is very meaty in flavor and yet so clean to the taste - no heady feel, no oily residue, just flavorful soup base, with above average ingredients.

How cheap is it? Cheap enough for me to treat you. Prices are reasonable and servings are often good for two (I count myself as two... no, really, I always eat for two).

So if you're in Greenhills, and you've had your fill of shopping, or wandering around, or you just happened to land somewhere near, this place is worth the search. I give this place 5 stars for deliciousness and 5 stars of affordability.

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

Old Manila

Last January 2, since we weren't doing anything except eat all the leftovers from the holidays (and boy, they don't look like leftovers - it could still feed you for the next week), we decided to have a mini roadtrip in the metro. It was a wise decision because there wasn't much traffic - everyone was home or visiting others, eating leftovers from the holidays.

We decided to go to Manila, and find out how much it has changed since we were kids. We used to spend our summer vacation either in Pampanga, my mom's province (it's actually Tarlac, but her sister lives in Angeles, and it was a shorter commute back then, so we go there), or to Sta. Cruz, Manila, my dad's hometown.

Now Pampanga and Manila are worlds apart - Angeles then, was at once, bucolic and worldly, with the GI's all around and the fresh air smelling of chicken poop and PX goods, of friendly strangers, of everyone claiming to be related to each other - it was a warm feeling. Manila, on the other hand, was a bustling, chaotic mix of noises, urban dirt, and exciting unfriendly places and faces - everyone was anonymous, yet, in that old sector, my cousins and I know everyone and know who to hang out with.

In Manila, we would often take jeepney rides or just plain walk around in the vicinity of Sta. Cruz. It's quite a fantastic thing to do, specially when we were just 10 or 11 years old then. Everything was big, and everything was a wonder. It was actually quite dangerous then, and probably much more now. It was the martial law years then and it was the time when Manila was undergoing a change for the worse - buildings were beginning to deteriorate and people were becoming meaner. But those were wonderful years then, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Enter now, and I see a quiet Manila (because it was a sunday), and I see some of the old buildings still there, but completely defeated, wearied by time and neglect. But it sure still shows us the glory of what was Manila then. I wish that the Manila government would be much more focused on saving our heritage sites there and also other sites that are worth saving, buildings that give Manila its distinct character and its true place in the history of the world - a great City that truly has a heart that is still alive and kicking after all these years.

Quiapo Church

Typical church bell tower showing the artistry of centuries-old architectures in Manila

Downtown, the old business district

Syvels!!! 

Art Deco Style, common among pre and post war Manila Buildings

Capitol Theatre, along Escolta, designed by no less than Juan Nakpil

Capitol Theatre

Chinatown welcome Arch

Binondo Church Exterior

Ongpin Statue

Binondo Church

Post Office

City Hall

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!

Shoppingu ya dainingu Yamazaki de

I have been to Little Tokyo several times in the past few years, and i must say they really offer a good variety of Japanese food at very affordable prices. While most are not perfect or excellent, they are still a good buy. But one place in the compound comes through as an affordable and delicious treat, all at once - Yamazaki grocery and Ramen house.

The place faces Makati Cinema Square, and is right beside a Japanese spa. Inside is a very lowly looking grocery, but it is stacked full of everything you will need, Japanese food-wise.

They have sauces, seasoning, frozen seafood, meat and processed food. They also have noodles, drinks (non and alcoholic - they have all of my favorite coffee and juice drinks there) baked products, snack food - you name it, they most likely have it. On the left side of the grocery is the ramen house area, with a smoking and non-smoking section (yey!).

Japanese crepe cake, sliced to bite size. yummy!

The selection of ramen is decently wide, and are priced lower than most other ramen places. They also have other dishes, but they stick mostly to ramen.

I must say, their ramen is comparable to ramen I've tasted in the city. The service is fast, the menu is in Japanese and English (another yey!), and the friendly Filipina waiting staff can actually explain to you the dishes if you ask for it (another yey!). They cater to mostly Japanese clients and the place is very quiet, homey and modest and very, very clean.

the smoking area

menu in english, yey! and the wait staff can explain each dish to you, if you want!

gyoza is crunchy outside and melting delicious inside!

some of the Japanese pocket books they lend to customers

Their ramen is really good, not too oily, ingredients are fresh and serving is large enough

each table is partitioned for privacy. the place is modest and clean

Their customers are mostly Japanese the last time I went, but the grocery has its share of Pinoys like me.

While it may not be comparable to venerable Japanese establishments like Hatsu Hana Tei or Kimpura or Shinjuku, or even Tsumura, it tastes a lot better than most other Ramen shops I've visited. So if you are hungry for some Ramen, but is not open to spending a whole lot but still looking for something worth it, your place is Yamazaki. It's near, it's delicious and it's affordable!

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!