DESPEDIDA FOR TITA PET AT BASIX RESTO, DUSIT HOTEL

Today, Kaye and I left for Dusit Hotel to meet up with some relatives having a despedida celebration for Tita Pet at Basix restaurant. Tita Pet arrived about a week ago and during one kitakits at Papa’s condo she asked for me and so before she left they made sure I would be around during her despedida. Only my daughter and I went there, although the titas instructed that the hubby and I were actually invited, as he is a bit uncomfortable when eating in big hotels and restos.

So here are just some of the food we ate at Basix. By the way one good thing about their buffet is their ‘cross-over’ thingy meaning even if we chose to dine at Basix restaurant itself, we can cross-over and eat/order food at their three other restaurants Benjarong (specializing in Thai cuisine), Umu (Japanese cuisine) and Cosca (Italian food). Basix itself served continental buffet and from there I chose basically meat dishes like hams and steaks and a bit of tempura for my first plate. There was also a salad bar but I guess I forgot to take some or maybe I just decided to throw away my ‘diet’ conscience for a day.







Then, for my next plate Kaye and I went to Umu with Mama Heidi and Auntie Bebs to get our Japanese favorites – salmon sashimi, tuna sashimi and of course…California maki! Yummy!















I also tried their authentic Pad Thai which the others ordered at Benjarong restaurant. I didn’t go up there na since I felt full already. Instead, Kaye and I feasted on dessert of fruits dipped in chocolate because they had a chocolate fountain!












The final meal we had was the Flourless Chocolate cake topped with Vanilla Ice cream from Tosca - it was so good that I forgot to take pictures…sorry! Meanwhile, here are some of the other food fares at Basix that we didn’t get to taste because we were already quite full, maybe next time! And I’d be sure to bring the kids too! I just wish that they were here to be able to see one of my favorite aunts in the world, there are only quite a few. Tita Pet and I became close when her husband (my Uncle Melo) died and she went home to the Philippines to bring his ashes. I joined the party that scattered his ashes at Laguna de Bay and during the trip we talked a lot. Our communication extended even long after she returned to her home town in Australia, primarily thru emails so I guess it is quite understandable why she would look for me whenever she visits the country. Goodbye Tita Pet, I wish we had more time to talk and catch up on things. Here's hoping we could spend more time together next time!

Buffet Breakfast @ Fishy All the Way (Libis)

Okay, okay I know this may be truly sinful but we couldn’t help ourselves!?!? We just had to eat breakfast buffet after running at the Yakult Fun Run for a whopping cheap price of PhP 150 per head but I promise this would be our last time to do this! (Hehehe) Because I know it truly defeats the purpose of running if you just eat to your hearts content at a buffet breakfast like the truly sumptuous breakfast spread that they have at Fishy All the Way at Libis.

I started my breakfast with an appetizer – waffles and a little lugaw - just a bit so as not to excite my tummy because indeed with the numerous choices available, one would be truly overwhelmed! Then, I followed it with my main course for the breakfast – pancit palabok (instead of fried rice), omelet (though not the make what you want kind) hotdogs, salami, beef tapa, lumpiang shanghai, and spicy sardines. There was even chicken adobo, ham, longganisa, noodles, etc (which I didn’t try anymore). Finally, I had some desserts – more waffles (with either apples or bananas / choco or maple syrup – or even everything on top if you want!) and some kakanin (palitaw, corn maja, bibingka and fried sweet saba)I guess all the calories that I shed during the one-hour 5K fun run were all for naught eh???? Well, next time after running, we’d stay away from buffet breakfasts! But for just this one time I’m glad that I didn’t hesitate to leave my diet behind and ate at Fishy all the way for it is one truly sulit meal that I would return to again!

Chocolate Kiss Moments

Last month my Mom and I had a little bonding moment… you see we were never really close. She was not that type of mother – the caring, over-protective kind who will fuss over you and ask you how you were or if you have eaten. More often than not, we were left to the care of yayas and she was well… busy with her work. Not that I have any reason to complain – we were all brought up well… all I’m really saying is that we never really got the chance to be with each other often, especially while I was growing up. Hence, our bonding moments as mother and daughter were really few and far between.

Our moment actually started out as still work-related… you see even after she has retired, she has not stopped working. She continues to work part-time as a researcher for AIM to add to her income as a professor and she took me in as one of her researchers for a writing project. And as part of the research, my study was reviewed by a UP professor. She joined me in hearing the comments/ suggestions made by the professor (which were many by the way!) And when it was over, we decided to eat lunch inside the campus. It was her treat – maybe her way of assuaging my prickly pride – what with all the revisions I have to undertake with my study! No but kidding aside I wasn’t really all that hurt with the comments. In fact, it was understandable since it was my first time to take on a research project of that magnitude and I really welcomed the suggestions she made so I can further improve the paper. I guess mama really just wanted to share with me her many blessings and have this chance to spend some time together.

I chose the place where we will eat – at first, I suggested the UPCAS cafeteria but it was lunchtime and expectedly packed. So off we went to Chocolate Kiss since I haven’t eaten there yet but I have already read many good reviews of the place. Mama has eaten there already –many times during her meetings with a former UP Alumni president (because the resto was situated in the 2nd floor of the UP Bahay ng Alumni) and she said the food was good.

The ambiance when we entered was quite charming – a perfect date place, not so quiet but neither boisterous as to disturb the diners. I heard they even play the piano on weekend nights... very nice indeed! As expected, the place was quite full, but we were lucky to get a table for two near the window which offered us a wee bit of privacy. We both ordered pasta – hers was pesto while mine was my all time favorite, carbonara and it tasted great! We also had iced tea which was served with some form of syrup as sweetener or maybe it was honey – I couldn’t really tell. But the coup de grace was their cakes – I wanted to taste them all but the prices were a bit steep so I made mama take her pick. I could not remember the name of the cake, all I can recall was how good it tasted – I think it was walnut something.

While we ate all the great food, we had fun chatting about the goings-on in her life and the house – now that my brother is back home, she had lots to say about his new shenanigans, but she’s not really complaining. She didn't harp all that much and there were less complaints in her stories. Admittedly, her aura seemed much better now.

Still, I am glad when she mentioned that she has ceased to dwell on the negative side of life, thanks to an inspirational CD that helped her a lot. I’m happy that she has found something to help her be happy or even a bit more positive about herself and her life. I’m happy too that she has her friends to always support her. I guess what she needs more right now (is not a new lover!) but to realize that her family, too, will be here for her. So here’s hoping we’ll have more bonding moments like these… just to let her know I’m here if she needs someone to talk to...

NAPOLI'S PIZZA

This isn't really a review... I do not claim to be a food critic - I guess I just want to post photos of what we ate last week when my office mates and I hied off one afternoon to escape from abominable persons in authority and just let off steam. I guess after a week of waiting ... (for nothing!!!) my co-workers and I decided to just go off and eat at this really cool pizza place which is just a short distance from our workplace.



It was a Friday, anyway... and a payday so even if there wasn't really an occasion to celebrate we figured we had enough reason to brood--- in fact, we have been depressed the entire week!!! (or to put it more accurately - an entire year!) So in the end we decided to just stop hoping (for it!) and just celebrate the fact that we can still find a reason to laugh about it and forget (that the promise was ever made) ... that way we won't be so depressed if it doesn't come true (diba???)



The resto was highly recommended - the food even more so - check out the pizza and spaghetti meatballs we had. The pizza we ordered was quite huge and there was just four of us! We even ordered spicy chicken wings and spaghetti so by the time the pizza arrived, I was already quite full... but I still tried the two flavors we had - coz you can split the pizza in half and have two different flavors served at the same time. All I can say was that it was great! The service was great... and the staff was kind enough to take our picture...



Here's hoping we'd be able to go back to this place soon ... and maybe next time we'd really have a reason to celebrate...