friday night wish:

i wish i were here right now.

yep, it's that dark in there.  just like an old western saloon should be.

where there is always cold potent brew to be had, you can guzzle yourself to sleep, he he.

where the food menu is international yet unexpectedly cheap, think nasi goreng [this was a strange thing to find] to good old american burgers to european sausages.  don't forget to try the hot mustard!

where you can relax, unwind and cozily chat the night away.  not a bad idea to go by your lonesome too, there's discovery channel to stare at and soothingly faded music in the background.

where you can temporarily forget the outside world and pretend you're in an old cowboy movie, but not looking for trouble of course.

where you can find nice deli items to bring home to your kids, validating your 'me' time/date night or whatever.

i wish i were here right now. [sigh]

 DE BOERDERIJ

106-c DBC Bldg-H, McArthur Hi-way, Matina, Davao City
(near Ma-a junction and NCCC mall)

BayanSpan 082-303-2199

Smart 0921-971-1051

Globe 0927-998-5905

another crabby experience

i can't really say when i started seeing crab buffet restaurants sprouting all over the city.  to date i think i can count 5 recently opened ones.  i don't know why but i think the more high end Let's Crab Eat restaurant pushed for the opening of these more affordable options.

i got my first taste of the 'crab buffet concept' at Sari Makan Crab Buffet Restaurant.  A friend boasted of eating there twice and wanted to go back for more.  So when another friend made a quick round-up of us long time pals, Sari Makan was the first choice to feast in.  Due to the name [Crab Buffet] one friend actually thought that they only served crabs or sea food, which she is allergic to.  We contemplated on buying food for her to bring to the place [lol!].  I on the other hand was apprehensive of the crab thing, being an eat-with-your-hands kind of food, and i also dreaded the laborious task of picking the flesh from the many partitions.  Not worth the effort, most of the time, i thought.

but we were assured that there were other things to eat so we went to the place at 6 p.m.  which turned out to be the best time to arrive in a buffet restaurant.  the food is in all it's fresh, steaming-hot glory, untouched by previous diners, and the best seats in the house [meaning: nearest to the buffet table =P]

the other reason we chose the place was the unbeatable price of P270 per person which was the cheapest in it's league [or so we heard, somebody prove us wrong please].  i prepped myself by washing my hands well, instead of the usual alcogel, as it was going to be a serious meal up ahead.

the place had a straightforward, no frills ambience [hence we did not have to pay for it, he he] and can seat up to around 30 comfortably.  More importantly, i noted that the place was well-lit and really clean.  true enough there was kaldereta [i think] but it was a goat dish for sure and there was also kare-kare [oxtail stew].  Both were delicious, my friends swore, and tender too.  i can't vouch for the taste though as i do not eat goat nor beef.

i stuck to the sole crab and prawn dish which was really yummy i had to exclaim, 'sauce pa lang, ulam na!'  and the requisite fried chicken leg and of course my beloved rice.

the prawns were scrumptious.  as for the crabs, some parts were over-cooked and paste-like in texture.  but the claw-meat, which was intact and perfect, plus the finger-licking, lip-smacking sauce more than made up for that and the fact that there was hardly any aligue [crab roe].  they also had a decent dessert spread which i unfortunately, had no room for anymore.

i polished off, i think, 3 whole crabs [they were small okay] and a few more claws =P.  plus, there's something about sharing a meal with friends who are more like sisters, it just made it all more enjoyable and appetizing.

so if you ask me, yes it was worth all the effort of picking at the flesh.  they had more than the usual shell cracker, there was also a crab pick which suspiciously looked like a manicure-pedicure tool [just joking].

seriously though, i'd definitely go and get my hands crab-dirty all over again with my girls, anytime. =D

p.s.  sorry there are no actual crab pics as it was in-between refill time when i got up to take pictures. =P

Sari Makan Crab Buffet Restaurant
Bonifacio St. [beside Alsons]
Davao City

Davao's Big 'Little-Secret' Food Court

having lunch at 3pm poses 2 problems.

1 - you're so hungry, all the will power you need to keep your vow of skipping rice for a month is gone the minute you see the food line-up.

2 - you're so hungry, your brain can't seem to zero in on any food establishment which will seem worthy of an inevitable food binge [not to mention, thinking of one that won't put a hole in your pocket]

well, it happened to us yesterday and after about a few minutes of wasting gasoline trying to think of a place to eat, my sister finally remembered an eatery she wanted to try.  she said she saw a long line of 'lunchers' around a week ago.

the place is the opposite of hoity-toity, but it's not your scary possibly-hepa-a-infested venue either. it's like the in-between of a fastfood and 'carenderia', but with restaurant trimmings. think: non-aircon, turo-turo style service, banquet tables, wine glasses, breakable serving-ware and plate-ware.  and an abundance of RC cola drinks.

the food was great considering the price, tasty, and the variety of choices was mind-boggling, from streetfood fare of crispy chicken skin, to lutong-bahay guisadong gulay to fish wrapped in pandan leaves on a bed of coconut milk-based sauce.

as a result we ended up sharing 3 cups of rice, 7 servings of different ulam and 2 bottles of RC cola.  we only spent P188.

i checked out the rest of the place with its super high ceilings and an odd shaped serving and dining area, it was a hot day but the heat wasn't so bad with the ceiling fans.  i think it used to be a company-building garage in its other life.  i was all the more surprised to discover that it was a wi-fi zone.

the place was surrounded by dormitories and a school was just a block away, hence the long lines at meal hours.  they close at 12 midnight and there are viands displayed all day long, prepared at odd times.

as we were about to leave, the staff was displaying 2 freshly cooked, steaming-hot viands, making us wish we had just arrived.

TOP SAW FOOD COURT
Narra St., Davao City [between Sta. Ana Avenue and Monteverde St.]

a kitchen that's bound to grow bigger

Tiny Kitchen, if memory serves me right, started out by selling their bread in supermarkets.  the nice packaging made me get one loaf and try it.  the next thing i remember is that they began selling bottled tuyo and other delicacies and not long after, they had their own tiny store in Mabini St.

they sell all kinds of baked goodies as well as frozen ones you could re-heat in the home oven.  i used to tell the lady behind the counter to put tables so they can serve dine-in customers.  and about a year after that, they did open up a new and bigger shop.  slowly the menu board started to fill-up with yummy sounding items.  i finally found the time to sit down and eat there today.  they had a new pasta item on the menu, but the name escapes me now, dang!

it was Penne something, something that was definitely spanish.  i loved it.  it was obvious that they used great ingredients as it tasted nothing like those canned sauces we usually get in restaurants serving pasta [ you know, even the imported ones taste like the can they came in]

the sauce of this dish is rich but not cloying.  you could taste the spanish chorizo it was infused with, and the mussels were soft and tender with no fishy smell at all.  i usually don't like mopping up left-over sauce with bread but this time i did.  i wiped the dish clean. Yum!

TINY KITCHEN
F. Torres St., Davao City
[082]2346095

p.s. the pasta dish is named Penne Catalonia.  and i was right, it is spanish.

a sad coffee experience

the heat in davao is unbearable and one particularly hot afternoon, just the other day, as a matter of fact,  as i was leaving SM to claim my car from the 'in-house' carwash... he he, that was a very good example of a run on sentence, a really bad one. Lol, anyways, on with my story.

i espied the hot sun as i was about to leave SM and to delay my encounter with a blast of hot air, i decided to arm myself with a cold coffee.  i  dropped in on Karl's Koffee Korner and ordered a really cold and really strong frapp.  i was not familiar with the menu, so i asked help from the server.  he told me that their coffee frappe was the strongest, given that it is made purely of coffee, no chocolate or ice cream to tone it down.  i paid a hundred bucks for their coffee frappe and eagerly waited for my respite from the heat.

when the barista gave me my order i noticed that the color of the concoction seemed suspiciously pale, i took a sip and to my dismay, i tasted sweet and creamy with just a hint of coffee.  i told her that i asked for a really strong one and she answered me with 'but all our frappes are made from light coffee' [whatever that means].  i repeated that i ordered strong coffee. of course, she just repeated what she first said.

i asked why the other server said that it was a strong blend.  she countered me with, 'ah, among the 3 frappe flavors, that was the strongest, but it is made of light coffee.'  i was contemplating on just accepting my plight, i was too lazy to argue, when she [the barista] said, if i wanted it strong they can add espresso, but i have to pay an additional 60 pesos.  stupefied from the confusion, i agreed, paid the additional charge, and waited again.

after a few moments, my order was ready and looked slightly darker than what i was first served with.  thinking that i got what i paid for, a whopping P160.00 for a frappe, i accepted the coffee, stood up and left Karl's.  as i sipped it on my way to the car wash, i noticed that the thing was not as heavy as the original version they first gave me. my mouth then met a tepid, watery, and slightly bitter excuse of a coffee frapp.  and after a few sips, there was no more liquid left  the cup was still more than half full, of whipped cream that is.

let's just say that, the sun, and time, were on their side.  i had no intentions of marching back to Karl's and extending my 'fun' in the sun.  and i had to rush to the airport besides.  i muttered to myself why i didn't just accept the order as is.  cold, thick, creamy and sweet was definitely better than lukewarm, watery, and almost tasteless coffee.

lessons learned from the experience:

1. leave well enough alone
2. never go back to Karl's Koffee Korner

starting from the core

it's going to be my fifth session tomorrow.  and so far, i'm loving every minute of it.  i first got introduced to Pilates more than five years ago.  i was in cebu and one of my friends there asked me if i wanted to try a new fitness work-out she recently started.  one thing i couldn't forget about that session was the fact that it sapped out your energy, even if you hardly moved with your back flat on a mat 99% of the time.  it was one calorie-burning session indeed.  i never tried it again though, as i was in my active phase then, i preferred the usual weights and cardio exercises you usually get in gyms.

this time though, since i wanted something new and not so hard on the joints, i decided to try pilates again.  i checked out Coreworks Pilates, as recommended by my sister and some friends.  Conveniently located on my way to work, it was not difficult to decide on the place.

One big plus is the fact that your work-out sessions are done one-on-one with a certified instructor, i need all the pressure i can get.  my main goal is to lose weight but i soon learned that i could do that and so much more. I happily discovered that Pilates can do wonders for my posture and i'll dare hope a little bit more, i might even learn to move with more grace.  But the best thing about it is, it's one of the best exercises for scoliotics like me.

on the first meeting i was told that it was going to be a mental and physical exercise.  i soon learned what Marie, my instructor, meant as she started spewing out instructions for each and every movement you were supposed to make.  Focus is vital to execute a movement correctly.  Lose concentration for a moment and you suddenly have no idea what it is you are supposed to do.  in a way, it is a chance to forget about everything else.  forget about the work waiting for you in the office.  forget about what to prepare for dinner, forget about the errands you still have to do.  instead, you think about each flex and point you make, how you are supposed to keep your back flat while doing the leg movements, and making sure you are getting all the force and energy from your core [which simply means your abdomen].  if you manage to execute even just a few perfect moves, you are rewarded with a sore core the day after. =D

so if you are looking for that new thing that will drive you out of the gym rut, the ennui to get fit, try out the sessions at Coreworks Pilates.  They are one of only two centers in the Philippines who have authentic equipment and certified staff.  Yes the session rates are pricey but definitely worth every peso.

this picture from here.

Corework Pilates Rehab and Fitness Center

Patio Valencia Corporate Center, Jacinto-Mapa Sts.

Davao City, Philippines, 8000

Phone: 082-3008838

Open Mon - Sat: 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

going nuts over donut...

... boxes, that is.

wel, im sorry if my 'come back' post is more of a rant but i just can't help it.

why is it such a big deal for dunkin donuts [nccc mall branch]???  why is the friggin box such a big deal??? what am i saying?  they refuse to put the donuts i want to buy in a box if i don't stick to their prescribed combos.  i don't get it.  even if i buy the ones that are more expensive than what they are offering me they insist that they can't give me one measly box.

if my daughter wasn't such a donut freak, i wouldn't waste a second trying to talk sense to these unreasonable dunkin donuts personnel.  i don't know why i need to explain to them why donuts should be sold in boxes not in cellophane bags.  they should know this, for goodness sakes, without the box the donuts will be crushed, mushed-up, soggy and simply yucky looking by the time i arrive home.  who will want to eat them?  who wants to eat a donut that looks like it's been trampled on.

i initially had the same problem with the 24-hour Duterte St. branch but after saying i was gonna order more than the actual value of their original promo, they gave in.

alas, this nccc mall branch staff looked like he was about to throw a tantrum as he was punching on the cash register.  of course he relented, i glared at him and almost threw a tantrum myself.

it was well worth the stress in the end.  my little girl was ecstatic when i arrived home with a box full of fresh donuts, and she had plenty of chocolate varieties to choose from.

i wonder when the dunkin donut gods will get it.  donuts belong in boxes, not in cellophane bags! sheesh!
 --------------------------------------------------------
postscript:  i finally raised my dilemma to the Supervisor at the SM branch and she graciously assured me that she will communicate with the other branches.  i was so happy albeit perplexed as to why the crew at the SM branch made no fuss at my request.  all they said was, 'ah, free box ma'am?, sure!'  Now that's what i call really good customer service!  hurrah for people behind the counter who know how to listen and understand simple logic!