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

Lamma Island, Hong Kong

The pier


Fu Kee Seafood Restaurant (okay, don't laugh)



Our boat...

Last October 31, we sailed to Lamma Island, ate a feast and had a nice time.

Fu Kee has good food, cold beer, nice wine. All you need is company you like and you're set.

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

Il Pirata

It was Easter. And my cousin (who just finished his nursing degree) was in town. So we met up at SM Mega Mall's Toy Kingdom before heading to Eastwood City's Il Pirata.

I first went there last year a few weeks after it first opened. I got to meet the owner's son (i remember Diona and I talked about him a little). What is unique to this place is that it looks like you are inside a pirate ship. Some may not like the novelty of the idea since it serves Italian food (but who says there can't be any Italian pirate ships ;P) But I like the food.

While there, we saw Paolo Contis, Isabel Oli and Keempee De Leon in another table.

Anyway, my cousin who is a professional dubber, has added script writing/editing (he translates and edits scripts of television series) as part of his bread and butter. He was convincing me to edit scripts. But when I found out how much they get paid vs the time they spend to edit, I was appalled! I'd rather stick to print, thank you. We joked about the writers' strike in the states, that we should probably also do the same here. But then, we are not as organized here.

Oh. A bucket with pizza at Il Pirata is P270 (from what I can remember).

Playa Calatagan

Last Saturday, I went to Bluewave Commercial Center ang got to watch two bands perform: Ministick and First Five and Half, I think. The latter's vocals are two bald guys who were kind of funny because they were straight (at least that was how they appear to be) yet were really game. Plus their repertoire included lots of 80s music. Ministick also was good.

So anyway, I went to Playa Calatagan, Batangas the next day. And as you can guess, I slept the entire trip. We had lunch at the Beach Club, the area that would be made exclusive for its homeowners. They serve beer here, P70 + 10% service charge and was playing chillout, beach music. For now, people can drive here and rent water cabanas (P300 small, P500 medium, P700 large) and just enjoy the facilities while the public facility which is called Beach Resort is under development. There are garden cabanas, too. Rates start at P500, i think. The rates are good for a half-day which means either opening to 1 pm or 1pm to 6pm (closing). Great for family outings because the water is really shallow so parents don't have to worry much. If you don't want to use the pool and/or would like to bring your own food and beverage, beer included, you can still access the beach at an area called The Picnic Area where there are several benches and tables. It's still free as of now. But of course, there will come a time when Landco will have to charge entrance.

Conways

Last Saturday, went to Conways at the Second Level of Shangri-La Makati City. A band called Replay played. Older crowd. There were families who were hanging out (from teenagers to their grandparents, I suppose). A bit pricey, P180, per bottle of San Mig Light. But I guess it's one of those bars where you can bring the entire family and have a great time dancing to music that cuts across generations (read: social dance music).

It would be best though to bring a guy who knows how to "lead."

Days before, helped developed a new drink. Called it Vino Verde: cucumber, ripe mango, rhum and menthol liqueur. Try it!