As hyped us as we were to meet each other back then, God has far better perfect plans. He wanted you and I to have a good night’s rest. You and your mom got a head start. I slept at 3AM, waking every hour until 8AM. The long night did not dampen my excitement.

You still decided to stay a bit longer in your mom’s awesome womb. I was treading between the third and the seventh floors just to check you two. At around past two I was in a nap when the hospital room phone rang. While I was deep in slumber you decided to leave the confines of your mom’s womb and face the eager world that’s waiting for you.

I was awestruck. Dumbfounded. Mesmerized. It’s an inescapable elation brought about by a miracle with puffy cheeks. I was 23 on the 23rd of November. It could not have been more perfect. You were beyond perfection.A clueless and penniless dad I was. But you were God’s gift. Blessings abound from left and right. In Him we overcame challenges. Through a great Father I was learning to be a father.

Each day with you brought huge amounts of unspeakable joy. I was not perfect. You had your quirks. But we, together with your mom, are of one heart. The differences were bridged by pure love that transcends beyond speech and understanding.

One of life’s greatest joys is seeing you grow. Beyond the increasing consumption of milk and solid food, or the quick promotion into the next big diaper size, getting to know you brings growth in me also.

Time really flies when we’re having fun. It’s not a storm-free life, but through God’s grace we have been storm-proofed. And I am still in great wonder of how God is unfolding you each moment. Now you are still in all fours (with slowly frequenting on twos), feeling the earth and everything you pass by through your hands, feet and knees. I see you enjoy each little adventure that you encounter. Some are remarkable, some are scary bordering on dangerous. But watching you enjoy learning makes me reiterate more and more that you are God’s (not-so) little bundle of ecstatic joy.

In the distant future you’d have your own adventures. You’d venture into the world outside our sight and reach. But I won’t get too ahead of myself. That’s still so far away! In the semi-distant future we’d be foodies, or music purveyors, heck even backpackers! In the few months that we’ve been together we bond like paper and glue. I’m looking forward to conquests that you’d share with me.

Happy first birthday, son. I pray that your life is a life full of fun and love. May you experience how God has been so enthralled in bringing you into this earth. That He is showering you with blessings and goodness that overflows. Me and your mom love you!

And all your children shall be disciples [taught by the Lord and obedient to His will], and great shall be the peace and undisturbed composure of your children. Isaiah 54:13

• Only water can be consumed aside from the specified sweets.
• No eating of yummy fried chicken or Double Down.
• Finish the challenge before getting home (That’s 4 desserts in less than two hours).

1st stop: KFC – Ayala Avenue
With a work-tired body and empty stomach, I brave the newly opened KFC branch. People are dying to be fed with fried chicken but I beg to differ. Resisting the fried poultry temptations, I order the Mango Cheesecake and Choco Banana Pie. I chose to consume them while walking towards Ayala MRT station.

• Heavy! Two layers of cream (mousse and mocha) easily fills you up.
• Mocha cream and tiramisu powder creates a coffee-like taste.
• It tasted more tiramisu than chocolate due to less choco shavings.
• There was bread underneath but i got woozy consuming too much cream.

During my visit, I ordered the Pork Bagnet with TBA (Talong, Bagoong, Alamang). The shrimp paste and eggplant tickled my palette harmoniously! The paste wasn’t too strong and salty. The texture of the eggplant complimented it.

On the other hand, the bagnet’s real partner is the Ilocos vinegar. The Ilocano kick of the vinegar adds zing to the already wonderful fried pork. This amazing gastronomic ensemble costs only 90 Pesos!

A downside for me is that they don’t serve bottled sodas and that the canned variants are expensive. IMO, bagnet goes well with ice-cold softdrinks.

The crisp and the juicyness of the hailed pork variant are at par for both branches. All though, I think Stoops in Taft serves a better tasting bagnet. The open roadside eatery may have contributed to the difference. The Makati branch serves a clean-tasting bagnet. This is a matter of preference though. The cleanliness standards might be higher for Stoops in Makati since it caters to hospital staff (it’s beside Ospital ng Makati), office workers, and college students.

Stoops’ Taft counterpart has an eatery feel. The Malugay branch, armed with two aircons, couple of wall fans, higher ceiling, and vibrant orange-painted walls, gives off a restaurant vibe. Stoops Malugay’s enclosed design provides shelter from the sweltering heat and roadside pollution. The ventilation also ensures that the diners would not smell the same as what they ate. I think it’s 40 percent bigger than their Taft branch so more bagnet lovers and explorers can dine in.

Lunch time might not be the best time to visit Stoops. College students and office workers flock the place as early as 11 AM. I waited almost thirty minutes for my order to arrive. I did not experience this in their other branch. Office folks were ordering by bulk for take out, as there are options to order the bagnet in half and one kilo.

Besides pork bagnet, there are also other food options, mostly of Ilocano descent:

Hungry lunch crowd aside, Stoops is an awesome options to the plethora of restaurants in Makati. It’s comfort food done and priced right. The proper ventilation is a great bonus. Good thing it’s a couple of blocks away from my office. If it was nearer, I might frequent the place and happily die by age 30.

***

Stoops Bagnet Ilocos
The Zone, 7224 Malugay St.
corner Gil Puyat Ave.,
Brgy. Bel-Air, Makati City
Mobile: (0932) 154-7881

Bfast’s Corned Beef

The corned beef that I am accustomed to is pinkish, shredded, and canned. Bfast’s corned beef is obviously not that, adhering to the ordinary and textbook definition of the famed beef variety. I initially thought it was fried pork. It has a robust beef flavor that can be too powerful when taken in bulk.  And since it’s not shredded, the corned beef was heavy. The oil and the beef fat added to the heaviness.

Bfast’s Bacon

Bacon is my breakfast/brunch staple. Seeing this delightful pork goodies excited me more than the other dishes. I was quick to dig in! And it did not disappoint. This bacon was made with love. It has a rich, smoky taste without being too salty. There was more meat than fat.  The bacon was soft and easy to tear apart using one’s teeth. It was not soggy as I’ve read in another food review.

Halo-Halo Shooter

I was nearing the end of my buffet journey when I saw the staff placing a new food nameplate on the buffet table. Desserts in shot glasses have been popular for the past few years but it’s my first time to read about Halo-Halo in a tiny glass. I asked about it and they staff prepared one for me in a matter of minutes. They served it with a dessert spoon, which I found useless since it’s in a shot glass. At first glance it did not look much. I was expecting it to resemble Razon’s ice, cheese, and milk halo-halo. But when I tipped it over to drink it like alcohol, I was surprised that it’s not that easy to chug! More than the evident carabao’s milk, ice, and pinipig, it was an authentic halo-halo. Beneath the glass are the hodgepodge of ingredients masked beneath the milk. The spoon had a purpose after all. The carabao’s milk added extra oomph to the halo-halo.

Overall, the buffet choices were satisfying. The meats are heavy in portion and due to the extensive use of oil. The desserts made the 288-peso buffet a bang for the buck, as well as a worthy palette cleanser. Add to that the daily change in buffet components to make sure patrons will not grow tired being fattened up.

I just hope that the buffet starts earlier (like 7AM) to cater to breakfast people. 10AM is nearer to lunch than breakfast, which is an oxymoron to the establishment’s name.

But I would love to devour again on the tapangus and bacon. Bfast’s desserts are also enticingly wonderful, probably the best among the restaurants in Ayala Triangle Gardens. This might become a monthly thing, if the budget permits.

***

Buffets at Chef Laudico’s Bfast run from 10 AM to 3PM on weekdays and 6 PM to 10 PM on weekends. Price is 288 pesos with free bottomless iced tea or coffee. You can always ask the staff for other food items that are not yet on the buffet table.

Chef Laudico’s Bfast
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City
Landline: +632 901-0882, 856-0634, 856-0541
Mobile: +63 917-800CHEF (2433)
Website: www.cheflaudico.com.ph

When I got at the restaurant they were still fixing up the buffet table. It’s one-third of the usual buffet table juggernauts in Dad’s or Yakimix, probably due to the space restrictions. I heard there are different dishes everyday. So what I will share below are the ones that I chanced upon and was able to devour.

Risotto and Tapangus

Risotto for breakfast is a refreshing break from garlic rice. It’s very flavorful and cooked just right. The seasoning is very controlled risotto still gives way to the viands that it accompanies.

The Tapangus on the other hand got me at first bite! Angus tapa raises the bar for tapsilog. I could have this everyday. The tapa is celebrated with lots of oil. It sets my palette’s expectations for the next dishes that I will try throughout the course of the buffet.

Karnevorous Omelette and Angucino

Eating at Bfast is not for the literal faint of heart. Meat is not an enemy and oil is deemed as a sauce. This became more evident in their omelet and Angucino. But the usual ‘silog’ folk will not be alienated at Bfast. An adjustment of the senses will be gastronomically done little by little. The usual Filipino breakfast suspects are made available, but prepared and presented according to Chef Roland Laudico’s peculiar preferences.

Tinola Arrozcaldo

I did not taste any Malunggay Basil Pesto in this soup, in contrast to previous versions tasted by other bloggers. This is not your roadside arrozcaldo. It’s not even yellow (I have this notion all arrozcaldos are). But the native chicken is pleasant and soft. The soup itself doesn’t require the normal seasonings like fish sauce or garlic as the flavors as perfect on its own.I would have had more of this if I’m not taking the buffet route.

Suman Pana Cotta and Carrot Cake

I would have opted for the regular menu if they weren’t offering desserts at the buffet. I’ve heard wonderful things about Chef Jackie Laudico’s desserts I can now attest to them! Though initially I thought the suman was biko/sinukmane, but merging it with pana cotta is just sheer genius. The sweetness of the suman blends beautifully with the acidity of the pana cotta. You can have as man of these without feeling queasy from too much sugar. Same goes for the carrot cake. It’s not too sweet that sweet tooths will still love.

There’s more!

***

Buffets at Chef Laudico’s Bfast run from 10 AM to 3PM on weekdays and 6 PM to 10 PM on weekends. Price is 288 pesos with free bottomless iced tea or coffee.

Chef Laudico’s Bfast
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City
Landline: +632 901-0882, 856-0634, 856-0541
Mobile: +63 917-800CHEF (2433)
Website: www.cheflaudico.com.ph

Well played marketing strategy, McDonald’s. I am at the behest of your latest Big Blast promo.

It was a toss up between Oreo Overload McFlurry and the Double Hot Fudge Sundae. Dang, they sure know their adjectives!

Mickey D’s sundaes are always the winners to me. They’re solid and flavorful. It does not give off a taste similar to local soft serve ice creams sold in mall kiosks. And upsizing a Hot Fudge Sundae means double the fudgy goodness! More fudge to scrape!

But let’s not forget – with great power comes great responsibility. In dessert speak,  bigger desserts entail more water to chug afterwards to prevent McSore throat.

You’ll need to purchase Starbucks’ handcrafted beverage to avail of this promo.

Here‘s an interesting post detailing the new Starbucks lunch sandwiches.

Quantum Cafe

Nestled in the corner Kamagong and Bagtikan streets is Quantum Cafe. This resto is a popular haven for veggie lovers. A vegetarian all-you-can eat lunch buffet costing P250 every Monday and Tuesday is also available.

In the evening Quantum Cafe is home to trivia junkies and music folks thanks to their quiz nights and gigs.

Can’t wait to try the buffet and join the quiz nights!

ClicktheCity.com has a recent post about Quantum Cafe.

Hong Kong Roast – HKR Food Express

Walking deeper towards Bagtikan-Sacred Heart extension streets, you won’t miss HKR’s giant door sign. If you’re craving for some HK cuisine, this is a worthy turf to set your bellies on.

HKR’s Roast Pork Rice (P99) wonderfully marries the sweetness of honey into the finely cooked pork. Being soft and braces friendly adds points to its value.

Another favorite in HKR is their Hot Lemon Coke (P65). Served in old-school metal mug, this drink is heaven especially for those with ailing throats.

Purple Oven

From HKR, tread into Sacred Heart Extension and turn right at the end. You’ll spot Purple Oven on your left.

Though no one has officially confirmed, this bake shop has been long rumored to be  Starbucks’ pastries supplier.

Looking around one can easily spot the usual suspects – chocolate dipped doughnuts, chocolate dome cake, tuna turnover and banoffee pie (just larger).

Cakes are sold in whole quantities while cookies and pastry bars (e.g. choco revel, lemon, and food for the gods) are available in boxes. Freshly baked breads however can be bought in singles.

IMO, the rumors are true. Their honey glazed doughnuts (P35) confirmed it with my taste buds.

***

Quantum Cafe
FERON Building
9590 Kamagong corner Bagtikan Streets,
Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Landline: (63 2) 519-0757
Website: http://www.quantumcafe.ph

Hong Kong Roast – HKR Food Express
7467-C Bagtikan Street, San Antonio Village,
Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Landline: (63 2) 553-7846

Purple Oven at Sacred Heart
YMCA Building Dau Street,
Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Me and my bro attended the 5PM screening as the 8PM has already been sold out days before. But the 5PM schedule was also a full house. Students were the major population, but there were also office folks and even celebrities (e.g. Euguene Domingo, Aiza Seguerra, Juris, Joyce Bernal).

Head writer Raymond Lee – who also wrote Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros – delivered a short intro. He informed us this is the first time that the film was to be screening in 35mm film.

The whole theater was laughing at every pun and joke delivered. The plot is highly commendable. Standouts for the film were Roderick Paulate (side note: the original Petrang Kabayo was showing at the adjacent theater) and John Regala. Eugene Domingo can do comedy effortlessly. Young stars Martin Escudero, Kerbie Zamora, and Lauren Young did not disappoint as well. Even the supporting cast are highly capable of inducing laughs, especially the Zombadings and Supernatural Macho Dancers.

OFFICIAL TEASER # 1: ZOMBADINGS (Patayin Sa Shokot Si Remington)

It’s a very amusing movie that spells fun at every drive and turn. Everything has life, even the supposedly dead cast. Zombadings is very smart to showcase subplots stay faithful and connect to the main plot.

The film speaks of love and respect regardless of labels. Beyond the comic elements are applicable life lessons snucked in with flamboyance and wit.

After the screening, a Question and Answer segment was held. Lee, together with main stars Kerbie, Martin, and director Jade Castro were there to cater to the viewers’ questions.

As an added treat,  Zombadings were roaming around UP theater during the Q&A.

We left the theater with happy hearts! The crowd of the sold out 8PM screening were already lining up when we got out.

Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington is a film of substance that is light and has high mainstream value. Award! Indeed.

It will be shown in theaters nationwide is on August 31.

My thoughts miss me and they are amusingly chatty.