THE MYSTERIES OF THE AYALA TRIANGLE: BRING OUT THE WEE NAM KEE

Just as I was starting to feel good about myself beside these two shorter girls,

Thomas comes in and decides to stand right behind me. Thanks Man.

       During the Christmas vacation, my college friends and I set up a get together for the holidays. Nothing too fancy, just lunch at a nice restaurant where we could catch up with one another. I haven't kept up with very many people from college, but for some reason, my friendship with Abby, Karen, Thomas and Krystal has endured the test of time (*tear*). In fact, I'm proud to say that it was none other than I, that introduced Karen to her future hubby, Ted (Of course Ted deserves a little credit too for getting her to say "yes"). I wanted to make our lunch to be something I could add to my blog, preferably a place that I hadn't been to before. 

        Since I had started my "Ayala Triangle Series" with Bon Chon Chicken, I thought it would be nice to add to that, as opposed to the usual mall restaurants we tend to drift to whenever we make plans to go out. Karen had already eaten in BFAST so since I had been hearing rave reviews about Wee Nam Kee, I felt that would be the next best place to go to. But unfortunately, I had just told Thomas to meet me at BFAST, thinking he was still on the road and on his way. Apparently, he go there ahead of all of us, so decided to get us a table. It was only after I called him back to tell him we're changing venues to Wee Nam Kee did I find that out. 

     Although it was obviously an awkward situation for him, luckily for me, Thomas is suave in his own way. He took a big gulp of his glass of water, stood up and said to the waiter attending to him in his deep baritone, "Masarap ang tubig ninyo, ha?" (Your water tastes great!), then casually walked out of the door and made his way to Wee Nam Kee. In fairness to the waiter, he courteously answered, "Thank you, Sir.", proud of his.. Umm.. Purified water provided by "Aqua Pure".

THE CROSSROADS..

‎50 years from now, when I reach the crossroads of my life, 

which road will I take? 

 

THE MERCATO CENTRALE CHRONICLES: DAY TWO

My version of a "Bouquet'

     My Mercato Centrale Chronicles continued with a Sunday visit. Rina got out of work by noon, so we sped to BGC and got there a little before 1pm. Since they close at 2pm, I knew I had my work cut out for me. We were both starving, but of course, if there was anyone who could do this, it was me. 

    First thing I noticed on my second day, that I didn't during my first, was the live performer. There was a guy doing an acoustic set and.. well.. he was kinda awful. And though his singing wasn't very easy on the ears. the smell of the food all around me was easy on the nose, and helped drown out his warbling. But then at the end of the day, I realized it really didn't matter who sang. They could've had U2 there as their special guest and I wouldn't have noticed because I was so focused on the food. 

     If you've been to Mercato Centrale, you know what I'm talking about. 

THE BIG BAD BLOGGER THEORY

  
    When I first started "The Pickiest Eater In The World" Blog, I never once thought about making it into anything more than me, giving my honest opinion of places to eat, to anyone willing to listen. 

       I'll be honest with you.. I was initially hesitant to tell people I have a blog, simply because.. well.. in movies and TV, having a blog is always depicted as being so geeky. Whenever Rina would mention it to someone, I would get slightly embarrassed. Then friends started telling me how much they enjoy reading what I write. It made them laugh, and more importantly, it made them hungry. I decided to embrace my inner (and outer) geek and just say, "What the hell, I'm doing this." 

THE MERCATO CENTRALE CHRONICLES: DAY ONE

(The night before we went to Mercato Centrale) 

Rina: I feel so sick, I don't think I can go out tonight. 

Richie: That's fine, stay home and rest. So you can't go to Mercato tomorrow?

Rina: I can.

Richie: What? I thought you were sick?

Rina: Ah basta.

      Considering our love for food (and Rina's love for Tiangge Shopping), it comes to no surprise that Rina and I enjoy going to weekend markets. When Rina and I lived in Ortigas, we would go to Banchetto along Emerald Avenue almost every weekend. Then when we moved in Makati, (and whenever Rina would wake up in time for it), we would frequent the Legazpi Sunday Market. I enjoyed both, but truth be told, The Legazpi Market was more my thing - probably because it was less congested, and, I'm not exactly a night person (Banchetto is a night market). My only problem with the Legazpi Market, was that I foundnd the stuff they had there a bit too pricey.

      It's been a while since I've been to either, so when I heard about "Mercato Centrale", the weekend market that opened in Bonifacio Global City late last year, I was eager to check it out. I had heard so many wonderful things about it, and an eclectic selection of food stands, that I knew I had to set a date for Rina and I go. 

     With Rina's work, we can never seem to match our schedules, and since i'm not going without her (I'm not allowed to, not to mention that every time I try to cover a place on my own without her, my pictures look crappy) the earliest date we managed to set was a Saturday in the second week of January. 

      Friday night, my friends from work decided to go on a spur or the moment trip to Banchetto. Looking back, especially since it was a Pay Day weekend, I guess that wasn't exactly the brightest of ideas. We got to Emerald avenue at around 11:40PM, and it was like People Power on the streets. This was not the Banchetto I would go to two years ago.. I guess things really picked up for them. But the thing was, tents were still being set up, and I was assuming they were an hour away from serving any food - and that's not including the long wait I was anticipating at the queue.

       I'm a little bit claustrophobic, so i feel kinda uneasy with large crowds, so I was thinking of calling it a night. And two other factors were on my mind - The first was, Rina wasn't feeling too well, so I thought maybe I should go home already. The second was - I REALLY wanted to go to Mercato Centrale in the morning.. and If I stay up too late, I might not wake up in time for it. 

      So in the end, I had two choices. Wait it out at Banchetto, or go home to prepare for Mercato Centrale. 

      I made the right choice. 

THE FLYING PIG HAS LANDED!

 I'm a "Flying Pig".. get it? A "Flying Pig?... never mind..

         So I'm sure by now, you all know I won the online contest of myfoodtrip.com, right? Meaning, yes, you lucky devil you, are reading the actual written works of Mr. Myfoodtrip 2010, himself. Please.. try to control yourself. (from hurling?) hehe..

       A few days after the winners were announced, I got an email from the lovely Leslie of myfoodtrip.com, congratulating me and as well as coordinating the pick up of my prize. My options were to either have someone pick it up, have them send it through "Snail Mail", or if I would be picking it up. Rina wanted me to pick it up so she could take pictures, ya know, for memories sake. I thought it would be a cool thing to blog about as well. Of course, I asked permission first from Leslie if I picked it up in person, if they'd allow Rina to cover it for my blog, which she of course said was no problem. So Leslie and I set a date to meet over at Eastwood so I could pick up my prize. 

     Picking our meeting place for me was easy. What kind of carnivore wouldn't be drawn to a restaurant with a name like "The Flying Pig"?                     

WHO LET THE PIG OUT?!

It finally happened. I've eaten so much pork, I've transformed myself into a pig.

        During the Christmas break of 2009, a group of my friends from work, together with Rina and I, went on a road trip to Laguna, with the intent of going to Enchanted Kingdom. Given that it was the Christmas season, It should have been a no brainer: Theme Park + Christmas Vacation = Chaos. That trip eventually turned into our visit to Kanin Club, which we all thoroughly enjoyed. However, as I mentioned in that previous post, The signs for the restaurant "Pig Out" stuck clearly in my mind.

    I love the name, Pig Out. You instantly know it's all about the meat, and you can eat to your hearts content without being judged. In fact, I found it funny no other restaurant ever thought of using that name before, especially since it got my attention. I swore to Rina that she and I would eventually go back some day. Of course, since it was out of town, it wasn't really that easy to schedule an excursion to Laguna. 

       Funnily enough, roughly around one year to the fateful day that I saw that sign, Rina and I, together with my father in law, my sister and law Chaikka, and her irrepressible partner-in-crime, Don, had planned to visit our Aunt's vacation home in Batangas. I did a little research before I left, and I saw a dish that left me intrigued.. "Chicharon Fried Rice".

      Given that dish in mind, I thought it would be perfect time to make a little side trip to Pig Out.  (Pun intended)

HOME COOKING PART 3: A TALE OF TWO NEW YEARS

New year, Same old appetite..

          Everyone usually braces themselves during the Holiday season, mainly because they know they're gonna get seriously fat (or is that just me?). As usual, my mom was going to go all out again for New Years eve, so I was strongly considering just eating lightly during the day, so I don't punish my body too much during the evening. 

        Unfortunately, of course, that was not going to happen. In fact, things got more complex, because I realized we were scheduled to visit Rina's family in the early evening before going back to my parents place in Antipolo before midnight. It's one thing to prepare your body for one grand New Year's Eve feast, but how do you prepare yourself for TWO amazing feasts? 

           Since I knew the weight gain was inevitable, no matter what, I decided to just accept it and chalk up my new year's resolution as " Lose Weight" once again, as it has been for the past.. umm.. two decades. 

         Fantastic food with the people I love the most? What  a great way to start the year!

THE MYSTERIES OF THE AYALA TRIANGLE: THE BONCHON CHICKEN CRAZE

Learning to fly.. but I Ain't got wings...

         Late last year, when Bon Chon Chicken opened up shop at the Ayala Triangle Gardens, I had so many people go up to me to ask if I'd ever been there, and I got tagged to numerous pictures of half bitten chicken wings on face book! To be honest, I had never heard of Bon Chon Chicken before seeing the sign in Green Belt where there second branch was set to open by late December. A little research showed it was voted the "Best Chicken in America" (Although I'm sure Foghorn Leghorn demanded a recount).

        One evening, in which the schedule of Rina and I finally matched, we decided to check out what the hype was all about. What is it with this chicken that seemed to drive people insane? Rina's good friend, Zee always gives us some awesome suggestions for places to try. She was the one that suggested we go try Wingman. This time, however, she was emphatic that we try Bon Chon - almost like our lives depended on it.

      Taking that into consideration, Rina and I, armed with her trusty camera, and my voracious appetite, embarked on a journey that would unveil the secrets that lurk within the mysterious Ayala Triangle, and Bon Chon Chicken.  

HOME COOKING PART 2: CHRISTMAS AT VALLEY

Ho Ho Ho-ooooly crap that smells so frickin' good!

     I'm taking a break from all my restaurant posts and showing you how we Zamora's roll during the holidays. Like I said before.. Boy, can we eat!

        I gained around 10 pounds this holiday season. Even though I promised myself I wouldn't, I still did. 

      As you can imagine, holidays with my family always involves a huge feast, and my mom takes her Noche Buena very seriously. When it comes to hosting an event with the family, my mom has no idea how to keep things "small". But for someone with my appetite, that works out just fine. As I mentioned in my previous "Home Cooking" post, my sister Rose is an internationally trained chef, so we are always eagerly awaiting what dishes she'll be whipping out on Christmas Eve.

         Rose and my mom joined forces to great their version of a Christmas miracle.

          To all my cousins overseas.. brace yourselves.. hehe

THE SPIRAL AT SOFITEL CELEBRATION

Spiral, we have arrived. Brace yourself.

        When the Mr. MyfoodTrip contest began, I had to fill out sort of a questionnaire, just so people of the myfoodtrip.com community could get to know me better. One of the questions I was asked was:

"Name your top 1-3 favorite restaurant/s, and your reason for liking it/them"

        My answer was Brazil Brazil!, Harbor City in Cebu, and Spiral in Sofitel. 

        My reason for Spiral, was this:

"Food as far as the eye can see. How can this place NOT be among my favorites? Spiral cafe has what I believe to be the longest buffet line in the Philippines, bringing together cuisines from around the world into one magical place. (Yes, Virginia, a place like this actually does exist) I usually start at the Italian section by grabbing a slice of Pizza, just so I have something to munch on while I'm walking around. The place is so huge, and the choices so many, you'll probably be moving around a lot, so you'll be getting a healthy work out AND a great meal in the process! (I keep telling myself that and yes, It helps me sleep at night)."

          So when I won the title, I thought it would be appropriate for Rina and I to celebrate at - where else?