Island of Wet Rice (and beer for RM4)

In Langkawi, Malaysia last Friday.

I have friends whose idea of a perfect vacation is drinking ice-cold beer on the beach. I miss these guys and they would have made this quick island stop merrier. and noisier

Anyway, while here, I remember how beautiful Bora and Palawan islands are and I felt that the Philippines has much to learn of how Malaysia does its tourism promotion programs. And I made a resolution that if I were ever going to work for the government again, it would have to be with DOT.

Dinner with a Baron

Last Saturday, had dinner with a Baron and his Filipina wife in a village near the airport. He was 80+ but was still very strong he actually set the table (he did 12 or 20 laps earlier that day).

It was a nice meal and being born to a wine-making family, it was expected that he was a lover of wines. It was amazing though that before we ate dinner, he was having a bottle of San Miguel Pale Pilsen. During the meal, he had two (or three) glasses of red wine. And after, he made coffee for himself and for everyone. His wife served lemoncillo, lemon liquer. It was the first time I had one and my! it was such a strong drink. She said it aids digestion. I thought, the acid might as well do some good.

I found a lemoncillo recipe which seems very doable.

There were three women and two men in this table. Two couples and myself, a single person. I felt weird that I was there. It was a good thing though that I was leaving for a cruise the next day which kept me from thinking about why am I still single.

Mogwai

Mogwai was it for Friday night last week. Good friend from China came home to do pamamanhikan to his fiancee's parents in the province.



Onigiri


Before going to Cubao Shoe Expo, went to Kozui, a green tea place along Tomas Morato where I collected a pack of shelled pumpkin seeds and cheese hopia from Sonya's Garden. I was made to try Onigiri, a snack made of Japanese rice (yes, I was forced to eat rice with my Roast Green Tea Latte with soya milk) shaped into a triangle. It had bits of tuna and some salty japanese sprinkles and had a nori strip at the bottom. It will be part of the pastry display of the store soon. I imagine this to be effective in lining one's stomach before drinking. It will actually go well with beer, I imagine, because it is rice and fish (which you can conveniently bite into like a piece of bread--not that i eat bread with beer).




(Mogwai images by pro photographer Nicky Sering)

Anyway, Mogwai is a place (restaurant-bar with a theater or screening room on the second floor) owned by Erik Matti and Lyle Sacris. It's a cozy place and we always choose to meet here now that everyone has outgrown (or simply find it not sulit to go to) Sarah's and Molo's. Beer is affordable here. But what I do like are the lava cakes, both dark and white (P90 a piece), the Alamid cofffee, and a plate of spaghetti with fish fillet smothered with achovies.

It was packed that night. While waiting to be seated, I asked my friend what he was going to bring for the parents and if it was lechon? His answer, as usually, was funny that I am actually "all for it" for its novelty. He said he was bringing boxes of Krispy Kreme. Hahaha

Q and 5point4

Got to try a few sips of the following last Saturday:

Q Vodka with Green Apple (330 ml), a product of Australia, 6% alcohol/volume
- the very artificial green apple taste overpowers everything else. i'd easily choose vodka tonic or vodka sprite. but it's 6% alcohol. just like SML. i'd probably choose this if it's less than 100 calories and i'm trying to be more "lady-like"

Five Point Four (275ml), a blend of rum and tropical and sparking "something", 5%alcohol/volume
- really sweet. even a five-year old girl enjoyed it.

Generally, i hope bottled cocktails have calorie values printed in their labels.