food · Restaurant reviews

Bread and Bakers Munoz, Puerto Princesa’s Chaolong (almost) in Quezon City

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

20150517_114236

It is no secret that I am a fan of Puerto Princesa (as evidenced by the post here) and the food. Fresh, cheap and uncomplicated, it’s easy there. Everything is mostly a tricycle ride away. I could go on and on about what I love about the place, but that is not the point of this post, but the chaolong.

I discovered chaolong on my 3rd(?) visit to Puerto Princesa. I had gone to other Vietnamese joints previously (Saigon) and raved about it, but on the third, we went to local favorite Bona’s, who serve the most local version of the beef noodle soup. It is not fancy. It’s mostly a bowl of tasty broth, a few chunks of beef and noodles. The ambiance is your typical Filipino down home joint, al fresco dining, utensils in hot water for cleanliness, monoblock chairs strewn across the way. It was awesome. They also had a Yakult slush shake that was perfect to cool off after the hot broth and thick french bread. It is one of the reasons I miss Puerto Princesa, and rightly so.

When we read that there was a chaolong place in Quezon City, we had to go. People’s reviews online were raving about it, and even in this crazy summer heat, we itched to try a bowl. So off we went one lunch after errands last week, in the blazing heat. We almost missed it, even if it was along Roosevelt. If you’ve been along that road, you know that there are a lot of establishments along the road and if you blink, you’ll miss it. Thank goodness for the large sign proclaiming “Chaolong”.

It was humble too, al fresco, empty, had a few pieces of baked goods in the display. We ordered bowls of chaolong and plain french bread to dip in. It took a while to serve, we assume that it’s because they make it to serve because of the aforementioned quiet space. So if you go, prepare to wait around 10-15 minutes to get your bowl.

 

It was not spectacular, it was mostly, okay. The bread was the savior of the meal, being the right amount of crusty without being dry. The chaolong was a little off, but good enough to satisfy cravings until you head back to Puerto Princesa for the original. A bowl will set you back P65 and bread will be P15 per roll. Good for lunch, especially when it starts to rain. They are open 7 to 10 Monday to Saturday and 8 to 7 on Sundays.

How to get there: Drive along Roosevelt Munoz until you see the Metro Gas Station with the 7-11. It is right across from there.

And now to petition them to make Yakult slush.

Jodythinks · Love/Life

From where we’ve been

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

Too many times, we focus on our pain. What we’ve been through, what it took to get here. What it took for us to survive. Rarely do we remember the people whose pain we’ve caused, directly or indirectly. The people who we’ve forgotten about because we were all too busy thinking about ourselves.

So today I want to apologize for the people I’ve hurt in the past with my actions, directly or indirectly. I have not behaved well in the past, and I’ve stepped on some feelings that I thought in my previous logic, was better for them in the long run. I’ve been a jerk, a d*ck even when it comes to people letting me know their feelings (in the past). I don’t handle it well. I’m not very good at confrontation, and for me, that is one of the most uncomfortable things one can go through, because I’ve been at the other end of that, and it really can be thoroughly humiliating (You’d think knowing that I would have been nicer, but I wasn’t).

I’ve not behaved completely scrupulously in the past, a fact that does not escape me, and still bothers me. I have behaved badly, unsure if what I was doing was affecting other people, and too in it, lazy, or scared to check. Deep down, I felt some things were off, but at the times, I was too insensitive, uncaring, chalking it up to youth, and thinking that we only live once.

But now I do.

And I apologize. I am sorry for what my actions has caused others. I know life is now where it needs to be and it took a lot of tears, sweat and screaming matches to get there. It’s been quite a ride, and it’s not over yet, but before we slow down, I’d like to brake before I break any more bones or bruise any more cheeks.

I am a different person from who I was years ago, even a month ago and I’m learning more and more about how things affect one another, and I hope that somehow, this universe will heal more of itself, and have less of the negative, hurtful things that it has been dealing with all these years. Because really, haven’t we hurt each other enough already?

Who have you hurt in the past that you want to apologize to?

 

Jodythinks · welcome

Hello, Chunky

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

Chunky

This is Chunky Butter. New lady of the house, licker of all things. She is a Holland Lop we adopted in March from a farm in Batangas, and it’s been a joy to be with her. She is definitely a character, going from an enthusiastic cuddler to running away when someone is trying to approach her. She loves hay more than pellets. She tends to be territorial about basil, and she licks every dang thing she can reach.

She is a tiny little thing, and from what I’ve read, she’s not going to be as big as Chester, which is good, that she’ll still get big enough to play with him but not too big to not be comfortable in our space. Her name was derived from the Chunk on her nose, which is a characteristic of her coloring, “broken” from what I’ve read.

She has been sick since we’ve gotten her however, from having stomach problems, to sneezing fits we have not been able to get rid of for months, we’ve taken her to the vet so much they know her by name. I’d like to stop worrying about her, but this has been a learning experience on what to consult, the delicate nature of bunnies, and bonding with her. When Chester has been with me sporadically, she has been with me almost all her stay with us. She’s gotten bigger and more enthusiastic, and has been more comfortable in the space.

I love this Chunk and I hope she gets better soon. Just keep swimming!

Jodythinks

A Love Letter to the movie Ten Things I Hate About You

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

The teen movies of my generation (Okay, I just pulled the “my generation” card, yikes) didn’t involve vampires, wolves, or a lot of supernatural love triangles. It was mostly a very pretty version of the high school experience, mostly ending in climactic scenes involving the prom. I loved three in particular, She’s All That (Hello Freddie Prinze Jr.), Drive Me Crazy (Makeovers and girl fights) and Ten Things I Hate About You.

I loved Ten Things I Hate About You the best out of the three because the protagonist was an angry, verbose, feminist who wrote, played guitar, and played football (soccer, same diff). She liked rock music, got in trouble for being too opinionated, never followed what anyone thought they were supposed to do, but still managed to go assimilate into the crowd when needed at a party and (almost) pulled it off.

I.E. the person I wanted to be in high school. Who could juggle all those activities and still have a life, without caring what anybody else thought, and wrote in iambic pentameter. Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) was my adolescent hero for a lot of reasons.

Back to the movie. I love it mainly because of two scenes:

  1. Heath Ledger’s very public apology singing Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. One, that breathy, almost perfectly on tune rendition with a slight Aussie accent, acapella until the school band starts, dang. I still think that it would take a lot of cojones to pull that off, and I don’t know how it worked since it was so camp, but it did. Even the chase scene at the end with the school security was priceless, with him slapping the butt of the chubbier one chasing him. Fifteen years later, still the best public declaration of love (real or fictional) that I’ve seen.

 

  1. The Paintball date. After flashing her football coach to get Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) out of detention, they head to the marina for a paddleboat, and then to a deserted paintball field where, instead of shooting guns, they were armed with balloons filled with paint that they got to throw at each other. Growing up, I truly believed there were places like these in real life, and my goal in life was to go on a date at one of these places, and scoured newspapers and the internet for any similar ones opening here. I now realize that this might not have existed at all as one, paint is expensive and even actual paintball gun ammo which carries about 1/18th of the paint that those balloons had is expensive, never mind the cost of the jumpsuits they had to wear, who would do this as a business venture?  It was amazing though. They had the place to themselves. They got a little dirty but looked like a rainbow exploded on them after (which, I do like color). The ammo didn’t hurt (much, I hope), and it ended with a movie star kiss, where he threw away his goggles before leaning in for a smooch.

Suffice to say, it’s been more than a decade later. Heath Ledger is gone. Julia Stiles has moved on and off from Dexter, and Joseph Gordon Levitt has had a movie where his character enjoys his own company all.the.time.

I still love it. It’s on my playlist for feel good movies that don’t want to make me hit myself for too much cuteness.

Have you watched this movie? Tell me what you think!

Jodythinks · Love/Life · Thanks

Not bad, 29, not bad at all.

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment
Bantayan Island
Not bad at all

 

The view from Bantayan island in Cebu was gorgeous. A sleepy tourist town, it is 4 hours away from Cebu City, with a 3 hour bus ride and 1 hour ferry ride to get there. It was my first time to visit my birthday weekend, after hearing about it for years, finally getting there for my birthday.

You will find it hard to get lost there, as it is small and filled with very helpful locals most willing to help. They have their own recommendations of course, and you will be offered a ton of services, but on the whole, they’re just nice.

It is also an island full of expats, seemingly German, who’ve married Filipinas and have built their lives there, with resorts, restaurants and other business that cater to those who just want to enjoy the island, no matter how short or long. It has become such a normal thing, that our sicad (pedicab) driver pointed out that a new, posh neighborhood mostly consisted of Europeans who have Filipina wives.

That is to say, this is not to be a commentary on the society of Bantayan, or the choices of women and men from different sides of the world.

It is an appreciation of where I was, turning 29, on an island, with who I was with, and what I’ve done so far to get there.

I dreaded 29, it seemed, OLD. I know if you’re older than me, you will roll your eyes at this, and if you’re younger, you’re probably nodding your head. 29 is the last of my 20s, of what is supposed to be, your formative adult years, where you can make mistakes, take your time, and explore. I have been, suffice to say, not much of an explorer. I have been wary of too much insanity, of too much risk, taking into account what my friends have done before me, and what limits me as a person of my own income, and responsibilities.

I do not travel a lot. I admit it. No matter how much fun it seems to blow savings and “figure it out later”, things have come up in my life that have prevented me from going away too long, or too far. I am also, a person very much attached to the person in my life, and if they do not want to go, I am embarrassed to admit that I would be quite disappointed to go without them (barring a few instances here and there).

I do like the beach, and staying in places where I can just sit, take a dip in the ocean, have a nice walk, and eat great food. It’s not much, compared to dreams of Paris or Rome.

So when I found myself doing just that, in a trip that someone else planned, executed and paid for, I couldn’t help but pat myself in the back and thank my lucky stars that I was there, I was happy, and I was whole.

It was, in my mostly down and up life, an amazing moment of peace and contentment that I was extremely grateful for, that I will look back on when people ask me how old I am, or ask when I’m getting married (no plans yet Tita), or how much weight I’ve gained lately (quite a lot), or the scars on my legs that have accumulated lately (bun life).

Not bad Jods, not bad at all.

Jodythinks · Love/Life

Of jewelry, and ancestry

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

Last week, I bought my first piece of jewelry. Why does this matter? For most of us, jewelry doesn’t. And in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t. A shiny piece of rock, a  glint of metal that catches the eye, and sometimes even brings you more trouble than its worth. Jewelry is affectation, meant to show success or just an affinity for things that are pretty.

My lola (my dad’s mom), loved jewelry. I remember growing up and going to her house 3 hours away on weekends to stay the night, and being asked to go into her room, and walking out with a ring, or necklace or a matching whole set. She liked the shiny of diamonds, and collected a lot, and us being her only immediate grandchildren, and only two girls, we were the ones who received them.

I am not saying in any way that we are wealthy. She was comfortable with her small businesses and didn’t like to spend on most anything really. She hated travelling. She wasn’t one to spend on food. She never liked shopping because it meant a trip to Manila, and was not a fan of being away from her home too long. She did like her trinkets. I remember not being impressed with diamonds and other rocks because I saw her a lot of times with a lot, wearing them to bed, and stretching out her lobes so much she needed surgery to fix them. (Ladies, this is probably sounding graphic, but it was true, so please, don’t sleep with your earrings on, or have to have your earlobes sewn back together because they’re so stretched out).

So I guess this is mostly a story of my lola, who had her birthday on April 2nd, and I’m hoping nodding with approval up there when I picked up the eternity band and never put it back down. It is now sitting on my right ring finger, a little bit too shiny for my old fading shirt and ripped shorts sitting near a pond full of tilapia, but just too pretty to say no to.
So hello Lola. I hope this Easter you and Ninong bonded over coffee and pandesal, and watching over us, a little extra shiny now.

 

food · Restaurant reviews

Your Local: Unexpectedly familiar

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

The website for Your Local says “A new take on familiar flavors.” I would like to agree. While a couple weeks ago was my first visit to the joint, the place felt recognizable, while being fresh.

I had heard of Your Local before, you can’t help but, if you read food blogs and local websites like I do. And my confession of the day is, while I am a voracious eater, trooping to Makati isn’t really my cup of tea. I take great reviews of restaurants down south, and file them away for other times, when I know I’m meeting friends from the south, or for when I can drag people from our cozy nooks in the north to travel the two hours both ways to get to eating places in Makati or the Fort.

But I digress.

I headed to Your Local a couple weeks ago with a friend who was visiting from Singapore. She made the reservation and we headed to Makati to try the joint. It was packed when we got there before our 7 pm. People were waiting outside for tables, and there was no parking to be had (which, since we walked from Greenbelt, wasn’t a problem for us, but may be an issue with 90% of the customers).

I had the day’s special, a truffle cream pasta (P550?)

Truffle cream pasta

With a glass of Moscato (P250). The server, who was very nice, suggested appetizers but since we came from a sashimi snack at Tokyu, we refused. I knew truffle cream pasta could be very rich so I hesitated ordering more.

Several minutes later, the server sets down two glasses, on the house, as my friend knows one of the owners of the place.

I got Tinker, a drink made from vodka, earl grey tea, lemon and rosemary. My friend got Social Dysfunction, a drink of many liquors, starting with Bacardi 151. Suffice to say, I was very happy with my drink, and would consider coming back to Makati just for another glass. My friend was very carefully sipping hers, having had a shot of it before, and having ordered the Lamb Rendang, coating her stomach with food so she could get home without causing herself injury.

Verdict: Fun food, really good drinks. Need reservations. Expect a sprinkle of Singaporean favorites with steak and potato options. Don’t go for a first date. The place is lit very romantically but the tile on the walls bounces back audio, thus making conversation kind of a strain. Works for a third date though, since you have to lean in next to your date to speak. Tip: The joint’s walls open to Yardstick Coffee so you can extend the date to an after dinner coffee or their Carmen’s Best ice cream topped desserts. Bring at least P900 a head for food and drinks, more if you want to get that coffee.

Find your way to Your Local here:

Contact Details
ADDRESS Universal LMS Bldg. 106 Esteban St. Cor V.A. Rufino St., Legaspi Village, Brgy. San Lorenzo, Makati
EMAIL hello@yourlocal.ph
TELEPHONE +632 8236206
MOBILE +63917 6543355

Jodythinks

Today’s borrowed thought

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

quiet talksI know I will sound boring with today’s thought, but sometimes, it really is the real, tiny things in life that are experiences. Finding the time to have a real conversation. Staying awake just because, when you’re used to sleeping at 8 pm. These are some of the experiences that stand out.

Live the reality that not everything is something that sounds like it should be written on a movie script, because life usually is. Quiet.

Well at least mine is. And right now, I am happy about that. Drama has no space in my life right now, so please, unless necessary, please leave it at the door.

What experience have you had recently that jumps out at you?

food · Jodythinks · Restaurant reviews

Duck and Buvette: Comfortingly good.

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

When a former colleague asked to take us to dinner for a celebration of a year well done, I had to look for a place in the Shangrila area. It couldn’t be too weird, as our colleague is notorious for being picky, and it couldn’t be too far because we only had a limited amount of time. I had settled with Duck and Buvette because the reviews were good, and not being very familiar with French food or any version of it, it was something we had to try.

For something we all weren’t familiar with, the style of cooking at Duck and Buvette (or at least the dishes we tried), felt comforting and recognizable. Beef with potatoes, veal with corn, fish dishes. Bacon(!).

My friend, being a big fan of all things bacon, ordered the Maple Candied Bacon and Lemon (P175) to start, and this is what we got:

Maple Candied Bacon and Lemon

They were good, I just needed them a tad crispier, as I am of the thinking that bacon should always be crispy.

The table favorite was the 8 hour Angus Briskets (P370), creamy, melt in your mouth beef with garlic mashed potatoes that i wanted to steal from the two people (out of four of us there) who ordered it.

 

8 Hour Angus Briskets

I had the Veal Shank and Smacked Corn (P550)

Veal Shank and Smacked Corn

For me, a really manly type dish that was full of beefy flavor, made a little delicate with the corn.

Verdict: We shall return. Especially for the mashed potatoes.

Prepare to spend: Around P600-P700 per person for food and drinks

Duck and Buvette

02 6310675
+63 9179324843

Level 2, Main Wing, Shangri-La Plaza, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City

 

food · Jodythinks · Restaurant reviews

Patio Vera: Gorgeous area, menu hit and miss

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment
Patio Vera’s Beef Steak and Paella Valenciana

I can’t take credit for finding Patio Vera, as it was the significant other that found it and made reservations the first time we went there. I was awed. The place was gorgeous. It’s set in an outdoor patio, with an all white room that’s airconditioned for those who want their dinner a bit brighter. Filled with vintage knick knacks, I was openmouthed the whole time I was waiting for our food to arrive, and how do you not, with this all around you:

Flowery pretty

The menu is fairly simple, nice Filipino favorites with a sprinkling of other cuisine. It is divided in simple categories of soup, salad, and main ingredients (Pork, Beef, Veggies, etc.). Our first visit, I had the Fabada (P115) soup, which according to their menu was white beans, pork knuckles and chorizo. It was great. Soothing, smooth, and really quite heavy for a single serving. This made me too full to finish my Salpicao Aglio Olio (P325), which the boyfriend finished. To be honest, it was a little too oily for me, too much richness on one plate, and after a rich soup, I couldn’t manage more than half the serving.

Boyfriend had the Halaan in Ginger Wansuy Soup (P99), which had a nice kick and a surprisingly good touch of wansuy, and the Spare Ribs (P325). He left half the ribs on the plate, as they were half slabs of fat, which is nice for a lot of people, but for him, too much as well.

This was not the last time we would go, in fact we went a month ago with his family. A bigger group, we were seated in the middle of the patio, and ordered significantly more dishes. Here is what we ordered:

Crispy Pata (P595) which was huge, enough for 3-4 people on its own. One caveat was the soy sauce that usually accompanies the dish had a sweet taste, which is not really for me.

Classic Kare Kare (P395) large serving too, 3-4 people as well. Vegetables were fresh, there were both oxtail and tripe, which works for me as I’m partial to tripe. Sauce was a bit sweet, but goes nicely with the bagoong.

Beef Steak (P345) good for 2-3 people. Nothing special, but good for those wanting traditional beef steak.

Everyone also had a Fabada which went over well with all.

Verdict: Go for the ambience, try the menu as it can be hit or miss. I am definitely a bigger fan of Patio Vera’s space, their menu I’m still going back and forth on.

Prepare to spend: Around P400-P500 a head with drinks.

Where is it:

70 General F. Santos Street, Calumpang, Marikina City

Please reserve a table before going as they can fill up (02 2390615), and be prepared to be a little patient on parking as there isn’t really space to park, it’s just on the street.