Remembering Summer

So, I was commissioned to contribute for this article on www.spot.ph. It was a tough task but someone had to do it :) Read the entire article here.

Boat Ride and Sirocco

We boarded a Chinese junk (at Shangri-La, Silom) and sailed for a few hours along the Bangkok river. It would have been enjoyable had it not been for a headache I always seem to have in the afternoons when I am in Bangkok. The junk was specially rented. We had drinks and dinner on board.


Lucky we missed the rain!


It was a lovely ride!


Later, we went to Sirocco at Lebua Tower, said to be the "world's largest al fresco restaurant." Located on the 64th floor, the view was fantastic! I had a mojito for THB450. I would recommend one of the house specialties, however.



Sirocco
State Tower
1055/111 Silom Road
Bangkok, 10500, Thailand
02-6249555

R&J Bulalohan

Along Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City (across Mandaluyong City Hospital and Chow King), this is one place where we frequent to. Not for the beers, though. Not yet at least. It has a very provincial ambiance to it. Mixed crowd. Walls are peppered with photos and autographs of celebrities who have celebrated with or at R&J (they cater, too).

A bucket costs P192 only. Open 24 hours. Cheap food. With a karaoke machine.

I want to try the Tanduay Ice, soon.

Dimensione

Went to Fort Bonifacio High Street with my good friend Anthony and went into two of my favorite places in that area: Fully Booked and Dimensione. I developed an immediate liking to the nice lounge area at the latter. I thought to myself, this was a perfect set-up for enjoying some cocktails with my friends--leather sofas and acrylic tables. If you have a place as hip as this, you can just invite your friends over and mix your own cocktails.

Totally unrelated but very related to drinking!

Banana Leaf and Oody's

Singha. aaaahhhh

Last Friday, we met up at Greenbelt and we talked about putting out a webzine or a blog on design. We then went to feasted on Asian food at Banana Leaf. I ordered a Singha beer (Php90, I think). It was good.

Nice shirt, eh? This isn't mine.

We then moved to Oody's and had a round of San Mig.

The next day, I went here (see ticket). It was hair-raising, awesome and terrifying at the same time (Ely Buendia had to be brought to the hospital). Too bad I didn't drag myself to the post concert party which I heard was fun.

Vodka at The Hague

So I have been having a "The Hague" bug lately. My friend, Dazzle, sent me these videos.

Lekker Tagay

Ariane's Kapiskora

More reasons to go to Holland!

Waterfront Hotel Lahug Lobby

Cozy interiors. Look up and see (read?) a bit about history.

A bottle of San Mig Light costs P114. something inclusive of tax and service charge.

After watching the presentation at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) called Festival of Festivals, we capped the night at the lobby of Waterfront Cebu City. But considering this was a nice hotel, the price is acceptable. I remember, a bottle of water in one of Manila's older hotels costs P100 already.

Bollywood Night

Before going to dinner with friends at Bollywood, Greenbelt, last Friday night, dropped at Powerbooks and ended up buying a book on cocktails. I can't wait to try the recipes out. (As I have not taken a photo of the cover, I cannot post it here).

Bollywood is a swanky Indian place (you can tell, right?) where food is good, with belly-dancing on flat screens and live Indian music. Find Bollywood Bistro and Bar at the 3/F Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center.

Jack's Loft

Last Sunday, I was particularly delighted to have finally made my brother go to Eastwood to watch a movie (oh make that two, Ironman then When Love Begins which by the way was not at all a good decision to see them in that order). In between movies, we went to Jack's Loft.

If you want ambiance and a loungy feel, Jack's Loft is the place. I had the opportunity of talking to one of the owners of this joint a few months back and this, he says, was inspired by his brother-in-law's loft in Canada if I remember it correctly. They used to hang out there a lot when he was still based there. So, yes, it is the perfect place to do just that.

There's a nice space upstairs where a group can sit on floor pillows and chat the night away. It's actually a dessert bar so do try some. The cheesecake is baked and not gelatin-based which is good.

And they serve beer and sosyal pulutan, too.

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

Lecka Lecka Bar and Restaurant

In my commitment to discover new places, even while in KL, Malaysia, I took time to take some notes on where to drink. Across Pavilion, is Lecka Lecka, beside the Starhill Gallery signage. Stella Armois is atRM24 Heineken RM21. And the music and the ambiance is great for chilling (as long as it doesn't rain). The pizzas are great, too. Thin crust and lovely cheese. Try the Local Pizza (i think that was the name) at RM35 (or was it RM45) which is served with pickled green chilis, chili sauce and something else (which I had no interest in).

The night before, went to Retro Club along Jalan Pinang where there are other clubs/bars like Rum Jungle Bar (saw an outlet in Ipoh, Perak but didnt drink there). Stella Armois is just RM18. Hawkers sell 600ml Tiger Beers at RM14. Which is like equivalent to 2 bottles of the prices above.

When asked where we went to drink last Friday night and I said "Lecka Lecka," Ong said it sold ice cream. So it's not only Sarah's Ice Cream Shop near UP campus that sells beer then. Amusing.