John & Yoko

Last night, we went out for dinner and a drink at John & Yoko, Greenbelt 5. I have been there a couple of times but it's the first time that I tried their Vodka Lychee. For P118 a pop, it's quite good.

Note on the Dinner: The salmon sashimi was okay. The Seafood Shabu-Shabu was a feast if ordered just for two (I believe this can be split among four people). The place, as always, was busy although we arrived quite early for dinner and was able to talk without having to raise our voices, if only for a while.

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.

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.

Plato Platina

Check Out: Plato Platina
Location: Blue Wave, along Macapagal Ave., Pasay City
How to get there: Car/cab but if you're saving your cash for the good food and wine, take MRT, get off at Taft Ave. Station. Go down the stairs. Ride a jeepney to MOA and get off Petron Station. When I do ride a jeep, I sit infront (where I feel safer) so I can tell the driver to stop at Petron. You can also amuse yourself when he barks "MUWAH! MUWAH! MUWAH! to throngs of people coming down or from the mall. From Petron, you can walk to Plato Platina which is already visible from here.

If you love paella and would want something different, order the Paella Nero. Really tasty sticky rice with black squid ink and hefty chunks of meats, vegetables and seafood. If you're on a diet (trying to cut calories from food to make way for the wine), order the Three Season Salad or the PESCE DI ZAFFERANO IN PATATA CON PESTO or just ask for the "grilled fish with vegetables and white wine sauce" or simply "grilled fish." The pizzas are GREAT (really thin, crispy crust)!

This is also one place to have a lava cake which is baked upon order and served with Fiorgelato (yes, lovely ice cream).

I suggest you get wine to go with the nice meal. With an extensive wine list (I think all the decent wine producing countries are represented here), you might get intimidated with the wine/bar list. But don't be. All of them were personally picked by one of the owners who is a self-confessed wine fan. If you're not sure what to get, just ask the waiter to recommend. The bottle in the photo is good.

SML (P60++) is available should you want beer with pizza.

So since this is not a "new place" for me, I am writing about this book that I had a chance to read the first few pages of (inside the mood lighted Plato) while waiting for the owner of the book to finish her meeting. It's called "Thick Face, Black Heart" by Ching-Ning Chu. Very interesting non-fiction. It describes "Thick Face" as the shield that protects one's self-esteem from bad opinions of others while the "Black Heart" repsents ruthlessness which it is not necessarily evil (the author went on to illustrate the latter point with examples that made me agree that being ruthless is not necessarily bad). But I should really read first AS Byatt's "The Virgin in the Garden." Anybody got a copy?