Had a busy weekend, relatively speaking :) Attended Ali's surprise birthday bash for B, and it was a good occasion to meet up with old friends. We literally closed the place. Hehe. Good times. I will always be lucky to have these friends in my life. 

Labels: food, shopping, weekend

Then we ordered their Greek dessert called Baklava. It's nutty, sugary, and has a taste of cinnamon... I liked it though the other girls were not so much into it... We had no more room for the Greek coffee (that might have went well with the dessert), but certainly something we'll go back for..

We shelled out around P275 each for the food... It was well worth it!! Even just for the wonderful dinner we had. The food was great, the host (Manos, I guess) was hospitable (he would check in on the guests and he personally assisted in the parking and backing out of the parking, which was kind of a nice touch), the ambiance had this homey feel to it.. Nothing too pretentious, although the place is not air-conditioned, and this may pose a problem for summer dining and then, there are the fumes. hehe. It's also on the other side of the road, so no Taal views from this resto. But, well, I've seen the view a million times, and while it's nice and all, the food at the taverna makes up for most of the misses I can think of (sablay daw the restroom, but I didn't get to check it out, so no opinion on that end).. So, it's highly recommended, and I will come back for more :) (I wanna try their gyros/shwarma).

After dinner, we proceeded to the Cupid party at Melrose Place, err, Gov Hills :) It was the usual crowd, plus a couple of new faces and guests. Nice turn out. Food and drinks - ok. Thanks to Ampost for the sponsorship!! It was helluva fun night, but we missed your antics and Steve Jobs stories!! Hahaha!! And thanks to our housemates (Joseph, and Nevo - yan ha, special mention na), for the heart lollilops, even if you failed to give it to us that night.. Hehehe!! Sweeettttt!! :)

Labels: food, R, valentine's

There are so many things that one can enjoy in life. There is joy in something new.. Like eating someplace new. Don't you just love looking at a menu and seeing you neither can pronounce nor know what you are looking at? Don't you just love the feeling of excitement that comes with the anticipation of experiencing something that you've never experienced before? Like say, Indian ice cream, which you find out you didn't like, but then, hey, you're not supposed to like everything after all. As in life where it's the journey that matters, it's the experience that matters.

Prince of Jaipur, is a good experience. It's pricey and although I've not eaten in a lot of Indian restaurants, I do believe my novice tongue loved the food. Their butter and garlic naan is something I want to go back to. Hahaha.

And then there's the joy of the old and familiar. Like friends you've known for more than half your life. Nothing beats that. These are people whom you'll know will remain a part of your life, through good and bad, most likely till your last breathe. And that knowledge is priceless.

And then there are friends whom you have known not quite as long. But are also a big part of your life. Even if you're two hemispheres and oceans apart, they remain close to your heart. (Yeah, I'm talking about you M***.. :) Thanks for calling.. and thanks for always, always being a good friend!)

Labels: food, friends, restos

Prior to meeting Vietnamese-American friend T, I was never adventurous when it comes to food. But he was someone who introduced me to a new cultures (among other things), via the restos we used to go to while we were in Oregon.

I learned to eat with my hands, with 5 or so other people dipping their hands in the same huge plate of food at a Morrocan resto called Marrakesh :)

Before, the only Indian food I ate was our Filipino version of chicken curry. After eating in Swagat, my taste buds literally got burned, but I discovered I loved rotti, and tandoori chicken..

And of course, he introduced me to Greek Cuisina, one of my fave places ever to eat in Portland, not just because of the food, but because of the atmosphere of fun. Entertainment includes a belly dancer moving about the whole resto, plate-breaking for bday celebrants, newly-engaged, and all sorts of celebrations.. They encourage everyone to dance with them on the floor to traditional Greek music, and just be a Greek for that night.

I kinda miss being adventurous in food like that. Since I got back to Manila, I've stuck to my usual Chinese cuisine. Whenever someone asks me where to eat, I'd say, anywhere Chinese. But tonight, in honor of my friend T, we will go check out Prince of Jaipur at the Fort (thanks, baby for the recommendation). I have done my share of research, and I think this one is worth going to.

Yeah, I'm going to discover new cultures, one plate at a time. ;)

Labels: food, restos