STK Ta Bay! sa Paolito's Seafood House

This set the standard for our whole stay at Cebu, each meal was compared to the awesome food we had at STK!

STK means Su-to-kil. Su for Sugba(to grill), to is for tola(soup) and Kil is for kilawin(to soak in vinegar).

Entering the place is an experience in itself, the place was an preserved old house converted to a restaurant, the windows were made of capiz and the entire place is made of wood, there were old paintings and even a baro't saya on display, there were antique instruments and the lightings were yellowish giving the effect that you are travelling back in time. Don't let the exterior fool you, the place is actually big in the inside - it can seat a lot of people without the feeling of being crowded. The place provided the intimate feel that help us bond as a group, though I imagine that it can be kinda spooky when you're left alone on that place. lol

What we had? For Sugba we ordered grilled squid and Tuna Panga, for To we ordered blue marlin soup and for Kil we ordered eel(but was later informed that it was unavailable). We also ordered a serving of Garlic Prawns and 2 bowls of rice. The Peso Damage ~Php1300.00! The meal served 8 people btw, 4 of mhcih are ricebusters. hehe Food was definitely cheap and ooooh soo yummy!

The Sugba - squid and tuna, were the bestsellers the marinade was to die for it was flavor that I have yet to taste here in Manila. The Squid was grilled perfectly it was not rubbery like most grilled squids I tasted. The Tuna Panga was so yummy that it forces us to use our hands to eat. I really can's say anything good about the blue marlins soup though but I really couldn't think of anything negative about the dish either, call it so-so. The Garlic Prawns were also a hit but the taste is something you can taste at our local Dampa places here in Metro Manila.

Would I go back? Yes, if seat sales permit it I would like to go there with my Boyito. Nothing could beat Cebu's STK!

If you are reading this Boyito, you better start saving up for our Cebu trip! :)

P.S Pictures courtesy of Mitch, sorry no pics for the grilled squid - we were starving! lol

STK Ta Bay! sa Paolito's Seafood House

#6 Orchid St. Cebu

63-32-2562700 or 2534732

Azurro - Linden Suites

Boyito and I had the oppurtunity to sample Azurro's cuisine at the Linden Suites last Sunday. The place was deserted when we got there maybe it's because it's a Sunday and people prefer to rest on Sunday nights OR maybe other people just opted to splurge on trusted foodie places. :)

Anyhoo, I came there with an open mind and low expectations. Upon arriving, we were greeted by a waiter who escorted us to a window seat. The place gave a good vibe with all the lights and the relaxing music.

I ordered their Braised Ox tongue with mashed potatoes while Boyito asked for thei fish and chips. The verdict? The Braised Ox Tongue was surprisingly yummy, and the meat literally melts on your mouth, slow cooking at it's finest! The mashed potato was the perfect complement to the Braised Tongue, it was creamy with just the right amount of seasoning to NOT overshadow the Ox's tongue. Did I mention that the dish could serve two people? It was good for sharing. cool eh?

On the other hand, Boyito's fish n chips was a bit on the bland side, nothing a bit of salt and pepper could not fix. I have to mention that I ate most of the fries that came with it, it was crispy and not drenched in oil and I loved it.

The downside though, is that the food was on the pricey end. Would we go back? For that price - no. But it was the worth the experience.

Azurro

The Linden Suites

#37 San Miguel Ave. Ortigas Ave. Pasig City 1600

6387878 loc. 8446

Persia Grill

Thanks to Ponstan, I was able to enjoy our lunchout last Sunday. We were walking around, trying to find the place with least people on it and we chanced upon Persia Grill which I believe is owned by an ex-PBB housemate, but don't ask me who, I can't remember lol!

We both are into kebabs and Persian goodies and I can say it's one of the best kebabs we ate, the beef was juicy and flavorful. My Boyito also ordered grilled lamb and it was surprisingly tender and was grilled to perfection. I could not believe that we only paid less that Php600 pesos for everything we ate. I also have to commend their Bismati rice, it was cooked just the way we ricelovers like it. The presentation of our meal was also very pleasant.

On the downside, I think the waiters/waitresses were not aptly dressed. The place has a 'sosyal' vibe going on with the lightings, the chairs the table and even the light music but the people greeting you and serving you pulls it down to a canteen vibe.

Anyhoo, a place with good food and clean restrooms is a place to go back to, in my book :)  

JUST IN: I googled and the place is owned by Kian Kazemi and there are several other branches open in the metro.

Persia Grill

Sky Garden, SM City North EDSA, North Avenue cor EDSA

My Epiphany

After our meet-up with Val and Jorell, the boyf and I went to the mall with high hopes that a tooth expert could and would relieve me of the pain caused by my wisdom tooth(which is a another story), but we ended up catching a movie, eating out and impulse buying :)

We went to Bench for his muscle shirt fix and my lace fix and was approached by a smiling saleslady - I was my usual ms. congeniality self when I noticed she wasn't reacting much and was just smiling. I then realized that she has a special ID that says she is deaf -- That made an impact to me, she is a pretty girl but she is physically impaired yet she was working her ass off and trying to make her life as normal as possible. She is inspiring.

I know a lot of people including myself, who rants and cusses life for all the heartbreaking things that come their way, for all the hardship and pain that comes with living, we don't really realize how lucky we are because we are given a fair chance to fight the never ending battle of life. I was feeling down recently, people are calling me fat and it's kinda getting to my nerves. I just don't see why there should be a stereotype, I am made like this and I believe that people should never ever change their wiring to please other people. I have been trying to diet and now I know why I am not succeeding, because I am doing it to adhere to a standard, I am doing it not for myself but for other people. 

Seeing that saleslady made me realize how lucky I am that I can hear, see and enjoy life to the fullest! She is an inspiration and I admire the BENCH managemaent for letting handicapped people join their company and give them a chance to make a difference in their lives and to inspire others. Kudos to BENCH! 

Daddy

It's been a rough month, daddy has been in and out of the hospital. I thank God for small blessings - I thank Him for making daddy's wound heal even if its really slow, for giving daddy the energy to join us for noche buena, for all the people helping us financially, and for friends and family who pray for dad's continuous recovery.

When I look at daddy, I remember how he took care of us, how he provided for a large family and though life wasn't perfect for us, he and mommy made our life seem perfect. I notice now how he seemed to shrink and he looks far older than his age. A far cry from the daddy that I remember. 

At night, when he sleeps I can hear him cry from pain, every movement is an effort for him and it pains me to see my daddy that way. It's hard for mommy for my brothers and sisters.. for our entire family to see daddy in pain and we can't do anything to make him comfortable.

For Christmas, I wish that Papa Jesus can make my daddy stay longer with us. I want daddy to be in Andi and Gio's graduation, our weddings, I want him to grow to old with mommy and be able to play with their grandchildren. We need prayers, I believe that prayers do wonders.. 

Wedding fever

Oh hell, I am a girl and that gives me the right to plan and imagine what my wedding will look like hehe

I want to have my wedding ceremonies at:

http://stalphonsusrebuilds.blogspot.com/

Awesome place, and the door is the 'right' door. hehe I am very particular with the door that opens up for the bride :) awww..

Speaking of weddings, I'll be attending quite a few starting December to June next year, so I am planning to lose weight. Emphasis on the work 'planning' hehehe So hopefully nobody tempts me to eat much. I won't even show up on dinner get togethers haha tipid na, makakapayat pa. Wish me luck :)

Reserved

Everybody is getting married na. And they are using all the good motif kasi nakareserve na  daw sa knila yun hahaha Jaja and Goeff used the green and bronze motif - so I had to scratch it off my list, Val and Jorell are using a similar color scheme and Sharl and Oli will be using green as well.

I'll be using (drumroll please!) - peacock colors as my wedding theme. Reserved for me. Check the timestamp of this blog pa. LOL

I'll be using indigo, teal, fuschia, aqua, olive, gold, copper, and bronze. Colorful wedding :)

I want tropical flowers, purple orchids and blue flowers.. ooohhh

Bridesmaids would have peacock feathers as headdress. And the flower girls would have cute little wings on their backs..

O nauna nako sa theme na 'to. hehe Reserved!

My Purpose

Sometimes I get so tired of the way my life goes - I get tired of the supporting my brothers and sisters, I get tired cooking, cleaning the house, thinking of next sem, thinking of how daddy's therapy is going, how mom's blood sugar is doing, planning the next year for our family - lahat! yeah, I get tired of my resposibilities! Sue me for being human.

But after every outburst, I realize how much I love my family and how much they love me back then I go back to being the ate and the daughter that they need.

It's not easy being the ate of six kids (yeah I still call them kids! haha) and the daughter of a half-paralyzed dad and a diabetic mom. It was never my parents' intention to pass their obligations to me, they did not want to get sick, they did not foresee that they would not be working at such a young age of 50 and 46. I love them for trying to help me even in their condition, I love the fact that mommy always prays for me before she goes to sleep and I love the way that daddy still calls me his "son na babae" and that way he makes me, mommy and my brothers and sisters laugh with his antics.

I am lucky to have brothers and sisters who appreciates all the hard work that I do and makes adjustments when I'm financially broke. I have Denise, who is a CPA right now, Dane who just started working last week and graduated as cum laude from UST last March. Enzo, who despite being the lokoloko strives  every semester to bring home passing grades. Gio who I look up to for pursuing his dreams and gets consistent A++++ grades in his PT subjects. Then there is Andi, my beautiful sister who makes me smile each time she asks for something for school - sbrang nahihihya! She belongs in the top 10 of her highschool class. Of course there's Gino who is an achiever in his own way - we are just a  year apart and I did not get a chance to help him out pero I admire him for supporting himself and not being a financaial burden to my parents.

I was crying yesterday because this green little monster in me came out - envy. I started thinking why I do not have a big savings account just like people my age, why can't I buy the things I need without planning waaaaaaaaaay ahead before spending. Then I realized that my biggest investment is my family, and I get the fruits of my labor through each smile and each hug and kiss I get from my family. I am rich because I have 3 wonderful sisters, 3 equally wonderful brothers and 1 and 1/2 parents (si daddy kasi half nlng gumagana hehe) that other people can only wish for.

Now I know my purpose - Papa Jesus sent me here to be a blessing to my family. 

Recipe: Ampalaya con carne

Ingredients:

2 pcs medium size Ampalaya

1/4 kilo beef giniling

1 onion finely chopped

5pcs garlic crushed

oyster sauce

patis

ground pepper

salt

1. Chop ampalay into small sizes and wash in salt for 3 times. Set aside.

2. Saute garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is slightly transparent.

3. Add the grinded beef until it changes color and let it simmer in its own oil.

4. Add a bit of fish sauce(patis) and pepper for flavor. Let it simmer.

5. Add the ampalaya then add a little water. When the ampalaya is already cooked add oyster sauce, add patis and pepper if necessary to suit your taste. 

**Chicco does not normally eat ampalaya, but he liked the recipe above. When washed with salt, the bitterness of the Ampalaya is lessened. I added oyster sauce in this recipe to overcome the remaining bitter taste the amapalaya has.

Fortunately, my brothers and sister also liked the recipe! woohoo! This is a nice way to cheat them into eating veggies. hehehe

Blast from the past

I always open my facebook account, its one of the sites that I go to whenever I go online. I never knew that one of my biggest surprises of 2010 would be from a facebook message.

It is nice to be part of new beginnings, and I am honored to be invited to Val and Jorell's wedding. I have known them since college and I remember Val's debut like it was just yesterday, Jorell's two-toned top and the joy of spending a night out with friends. I remember that during that time their relationship was kept a secret and when it Jorell's turn to say a message to Val, the room suddenly became quiet. haha

Their relationship did not survive college, they broke up. But, it was no surprise that they got back together after a while, they are perfect for each other and their relationsship is a living proof that true love exists. They are couple to look up to and it makes me super happy that they would be Mr. and Mrs. Tan next year and I would be there to witness the moment when they become one.

Of course, an added bonus would be that Kat and I would be joining the ceremony as bridesmaids! Kath would be flying back to Manila for the wedding and it would be a reunion for us B11 girls :)

I am soooo looking forward to May 1, 2011! woohoo!