Poco Deli

The entire week I was craving for Poco Deli. When I transferred to our company's head office, I was able to get to know some colleagues who are as passionate as I am when it comes to food (read: gustong gusto kumain). Among the places she mentioned, I can't seem to forget Poco Deli because good red meat spells comfort food. One night a month ago, I was happy to see the sign that it is opening in Ayala Triangle! Then 2 weeks back while jogging in the garden I saw the place on soft opening thus I immediately informed my colleague and we went out for lunch last week.

Now, I can't forget that Tuesday lunch because of the meatloaf and bacon so I keep telling Person A to try the place with me and thus we found ourselves at Poco Deli on a Saturday afternoon. 

The Place

The deli has an understated elegance with its soft lighting, industrial accent pieces, hardwood furniture and a selection of wines on one wall. The restaurant seats around 50 and has a good view of the garden. 

We came in just after lunch time and with the place to ourselves, good food and ambiance, we had fun wedding planning while we tried to digest our food and make space for dessert. I mentioned to Person A, if this is what wedding planning is all about, then I am going to invite him to plan our wedding each week!

Homemade German MeatLoaf (PhP 350)

A traditional meatloaf recipe handed down from several generations of German butchers. 

Two huge meatloafs, grilled served with 2 eggs and bacon rice. Please don't expect spam. Hehe The meat is soft and juicy. Very delectable. Two thumbs up!

Bacon Slab (PhP 320)

Thick, savory slices of bacon - a taste of heaven for bacon lovers.

Oh yeah! The slices are so thick that you think you're ordering pan-grilled liempo! It's also juicy and the difference you get the cured-meat taste in really thick bites! Heaven!

Citrus Delight (PhP 120)

I washed down my breakfast fare with carbonated water spritz with lemon, oranges, lime and grapefruit. It actually tastes like diluted Sprite with citrus flavors. It's in a karaffe and can be shared by 2. It's okay but not great.

Erdinger (PhP 200)

The gentleman elected to pair his meal with beer. As he pointed out, we're having European food, so why not do it like the Europeans do! 

Yeah... yeah... okay. The beer is very refreshing, subtle tasting so very good with flavorful red meat.  Though it would have been better if it was served ice-cold. 

As I told you, we rated the entire meal 4 thumbs up and having said that, we're not done yet. We ordered dessert, one each! 

Red Velvet Cake (~PhP 150)

3 layers of red velvet cake frosted with white cream. The cake is moist and the frosting is very creamy. Again, another great one.

Cappucino (or was it Latte?) Cake (~PhP 150)

Extra-moist, soft, espresso-flavored cake topped with milky-cappuccino frosting. The flavor is very strong and it's sooo goooooood!

Because we're full, we ordered brewed coffee to help us digest everything. This organic coffee is also nicely-brewed, one of the better ones.

In Summary

1. The place is cozy and has this understated elegance tone. It is perfect for casual romantic date, catching up with friends and family gathering. 

2. The food is greaaatttt! The meatloaf, bacon and kielbasa I tried were exceptional, like no other in Manila. The serving size is also huge, can be shared by 2 ladies who don't eat a lot. Dessert is also divine. The blackout chocolate cake, cappuccino cake and red velvet are awesome also. Everything is  very flavorful and moist. 

3. With the serving size and food quality, price comes cheap. It's so sulit.

Poco Deli

Ayala Triangle Gardens (Makati Branch)

21 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig (Pasig Branch)

63.2.477.4332

Job and Life of Pi

I discovered something new about Person A (aka the fiance) just before we watched Life of Pi. Out of the blue, he shared his favorite passage in the Bible:

According to him the story of Job is one of the best stories to teach humility and I agree. And now it makes sense why he's one of the simplest person on the planet you'll ever meet. We indeed came to the earth with nothing and we will leave literally with nothing as well. Watching Life of Pi complements our random sharing and it's a well-spent Saturday afternoon.

We walked along Ayala, I was amazed by the shoots..... 

he thought I exclaimed "Schutz". I think I trained him well.

And there's an actual caterpillar along Ayala! I have mixed feelings about Makati these days... I like the place but we all have to move on.

Then he took this portrait of me with my point and shoot. It captures how I feel. 

Now back to Pi Patel and Richard Parker, it's a lovely story and most likely it will make you want to have your own Bengal tiger. I was never a cat person but an afternoon in a Bengal tiger sanctuary in Kanchanaburi, Thailand made me into a convert. Sharing with you Person A's photo of 2 adult tigers playing in the pond.

Here's my Richard Parker experience.

I can do this over and over again. 

Speaking Engagements

The entire afternoon I was staring at the token I received for a speaking engagement. I wanted to open it but it was prettily wrapped and more importantly I want to win over my EQ (emotional intelligence) and thus, I had to prove to the token that I can win over my EQ. 

Seriously, token and work aside, it dawned on me that I am blessed to be given the chance to share my stor(ies). 

The past 2 years I was invited twice, on my personal capacity, to speak in events. The first one was about choosing the right career (the talk I gave was entitled "I Am, I Choose, I Can") and the second one was Event Marketing. 

This realization appalled me. Yes,  a hardcore engineer is giving career (HR?) and marketing talks... and I am just all over the place. Jack of all trades, master of none. 

Sol Karen M. Regalado, J.O.A.T., M.O.N. 

Pwede! Talo ko pa ang PhD or MD or PMP. For what it's worth, I seized the opportunity and surprisingly enjoyed it.

Now the past 2 months, I had the chance to speak publicly again. The first one was during my high school reunion.

This is me about to give a toast. Pardon the margarita, it's the drink that I ordered when I was about to take the stage and decided that I should propose a toast.

I would've wanted champagne para kunyari sophisticated.

Here's an excerpt of what I shared. 

A couple of weeks back, my SFC community asked me to share about my love life blessing in 2012. Siguro inisip nila sa wakas may magpapakasal na sa akin! 

Thank you Rachelle Marie Dangin for this photo.

I was hesitant because part of the sharing is too personal and I am not sure if Person A would like the idea that I share very personal things about us. Unlike me who's walang hiya, Person A is a very shy and super private person. Kaya as much as I can, I don't use his real name on the blog - out of respect. 

Here's the outline of my extemporaneous sharing entitled: A Sharing of an Impatient Bride...

After minutes of pondering, I picked up 3 lessons from these experiences:

1. The great personal stories that we're blessed with are probably meant to be shared.

2. If people ask you a favor to speak, unless you have a very good reason not to accept, it is always good to say yes. If you can inspire 1 person in the crowd, that is already a success.

3. And if you are asked to speak, please please prepare. You owe the audience the story that they want to hear and the least you can do is give them a great time.

Milky and Sunny: Best Pancake in Town

I think I found the best pancake in town from Milky and Sunny in Kapitolyo, Pasig. 

I've been on a hunt for the best pancake in the city. I tried lots from the wallet-busting places to the fast food joints but I'm still looking for that perfect combination of fluffiness and subtly-sweet tasting pancake. Luckily, I organized a brunch date with a friend around Ortigas area and since I want to try somewhere out of the ordinary, my online search led me to Milky and Sunny.

The Place

The breakfast joint is a mom and pop restaurant in Kapitolyo - where one of the best hole-in-the-wall places are in Manila. It is a ~30-seater restaurant with fresh, cute and quirky interiors. 

The color scheme is  white and aqua/teal with cute decorations on the wall. 

I noticed that the paintings have prices - so I guess they're for sale. 

There are only 2 servers in the restaurant when we went there on a Sunday morning and it feels like you're eating in someone else's apartment - only much rustic and rugged.

The Food

The place is a breakfast place. It serves pancakes, omelette, corned beef and all the red meat you cant think of, coffee and milkshakes! Gosh all the breakfast goodness.

Banana and Peanut Butter Pancake (~PhP 160)

Three, medium-sized pancakes stacked on top of each other with a dollop of peanut butter and banana slices in between pancakes. Perfect combination of soft pancakes with not-too sweet peanut butter and subtle flavor of banana. 

It is served with syrup.

I am coming back for this.

Tomato, Mozzarella and Pepperoni Omelette (~PhP 150)

My friend exclaims, "pizza?" Yes, reminds you of pizza. The omelette is not salty but I can't taste the mozzarella though pepperoni is generous. It's good but not remarkable. 

We also ordered coffee but it was okay.

In Summary

1. The place has a perfect brunch ambiance - fresh, laidback and well-styled. It is good for family brunch, catching up with friends and a relaxed date.

2. Pancake is good! -(",)-*wink* I'm betting everything on the menu is also good. I am curious about the milkshake.

3. Price is fair: not expensive and serving size may be good for 2 persons if you don't eat a lot.

Milky and Sunny

Milky and Sunny Facebook Page

9 East Capitol Drive

Kapitolyo, Pasig

Mon - Sun, 7am - 10pm

63.2.654.2049

Bahama Mama

Because I was late for gym class and rumor has it that the instructor requests late comers to get out of class, therefore I headed to the nearby salon and had a mani-pedi-foot-spa instead!

Essie's Bahama Mamma

It's rich and deep yet pretty shade of plum. If you're tired of the usual blood red, this is a classy substitute. It comes out nice on fair and rich-toned skin.

Therefore tonight, Wallet ko lang ang pinagpawisan!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Jump In

While driving home this afternoon, I heard this song over the radio. I was reminded that it was one of my pick-me-uppers last December. 

I first heard this song when I was undergoing the first of the maaannnnyyy changes that came my way in the last month of 2012. I was driving on my way to work and RX played the song; I took it as a sign for me to move on and things will fall into place. At that time, I didn't know that it was for Smart's Jump In campaign.

Most of the time, change is always for the better. 

If you're going through change right now and it's still not making sense, chances are it's for the best in the greater scheme of things. It played out that way in my life. 

So, I hope this song will at least get you through the week.

Now's the time
Can't make it wait
It's your life
Don't hesitate

Live it more
It can be great

(Jump in)
Don't waste your time, your time
(Jump in)
Just live your life, your life

Jump into the future
Jump into a new day
Jump into the new you
Jump into a new way

Antonio's

Person A and I have a strange love affair with Antonio's . The past 3 years we've been trying to reserve a seat in this Miele Guide - listed restaurant and every time there's a good reason why we can't claim our reservation: the place is not available on our chosen date and the other time we don't have the time to drive to Tagaytay hence we had to cancel and book a table at Lolo Dad's instead. The latter is not bad at all, I tell you, it's still one of the best fine dining experience I ever had! So this time, we made sure that we get to enjoy Chef Tony Boy's creation and enjoy we did!

The Place

Antonio's is a quaint, fine dining restaurant in Tagaytay. The restaurant is unique because it is packaged as an estate-like experience wherein you are invited to the Chef's own weekend home. I love the huge gate, the intricately-designed wood works and especially the well-manicured garden. 

Upon entering the tiered-dining areas, you know that chic and elegance are its catch-phrase: the black, white and red palette on wood express it all.

According to the restaurant's website, "Antonio's is much more than a restaurant. It is an experience - an experience we encourage each and every guest to savor and share". What made us very curious with this place, which opened in 2002, it is consistently rated by Miele Guide to be the number 1 restaurant in the Philippines since it started publishing its list in 2008. 

Let me highlight its staff as well. I had the chance to coordinate with them and every time they have accommodated me and extremely well-versed with the place and food. Service is exceptional and to put more meat to this phrase, the waiter interchanged our order with the next table. Good thing, no one started eating or touching the plate hence there were no consequences. However, when Person A got the bill, he noticed his wine was not included. He asked the staff what's the reason and she answered, "Compliments from the waiter". 

The Food

Antonio's offer set menu, when you order the main course, it comes with salad, soup, dessert and coffee or tea. Since we are at Antonio's, we decided to go for the steak (good for 2 persons) but that's getting ahead of the story. 

Grilled Portobello Mushroom with Foie Gras 

The portobello mushroom was grilled nicely, very soft and has that nicely grilled taste. The consistency is similar to that of the foie gras! It can pass up as a filler. 

Now the foie gras is excellent. It's so soft - almost liquidy! Lastly, the sauce just amplifies the taste of the appetizer. 

It is safe to say that Person A and I can't get over this dish.

Antonio's Organic Mesclun Salad

Bleu d'Auvegne crumbled, glazed walnuts, dried currants and cranberries, with raspberry vinaigrette, drizzled with basil oil

Ang sarap! The salad tastes so fresh and healthy! The leaves are very crunchy while the berries and vinaigrette provide a sweet taste tempered by the saltiness of the blue cheese. Let me share also that the serving of blue cheese is humongous!

Cream of Kohlrabi with Pancetta Soup 

Kohlrabi is from the cabbage family while pancetta is Italian's version of bacon.

The soup is served warm, tastes mushroomy and is frothy on top. Pancetta provides texture and added saltiness to the soup. Serving size is generous. It's really good. 

Grilled Certified Angus Ribeye Steak (good for 2 persons!)

700g ribeye, rubbed with cardamom, with Antonio's sauce, chimichurri. 

It comes with a lot of choices of side dishes, I had truffled mashed potato 

while Person A ordered Antonio's Black and Green olive rice. 

The steak was nicely done, thick slabs and goes well with the sauces. It's really good. It is a 700g order and I tell you it's a lot for 2 individuals! We think it's good for 3 persons. Here are the sauces.

Poached Pear in Port Wine with Vanilla Ice Cream 

Anything cooked in wine is always good. Having said that, this half a pear is really good.

And the vanilla ice cream is divine. This is a winner.

Felchlin Maracaibo Chocolate Terrine w/ Double Cream and Roasted Pistachio

I am proud to share that I chose our desserts and both are winners.

This one tastes subtly creamy then the chocolate flavor just explodes. Add the cream and roasted pistachio, we love it. 

Wildrock Pinot

This is Person A's red wine. It's the first wine that he thinks is really good. 

Just sharing.

We ended the meal with a cup of coffee. I should have chosen the herbed tea as I was very full.

In Summary

1. All in all, Antonio's is worth it's Miele Guide status. The place is very quaint, elegant and chic. The ambiance is formal-casual hence perfect for romantic dates and sophisticated meals with family and friends.

2. Price point is expensive BUT looking at the quality of food and the number of courses, I say, it's still value for money. 

Antonio's

Tagaytay

Tuesday - Sunday, 11AM to 2PM, 5:30PM - 8:30PM

63.917.899.2866

Awww...

At a wedding fair, Person A and I noticed an old man escorting his wife to the restroom. What surprised us the most: it seems like the that 2 were also scouting for vendors and suppliers  - as evidenced by a number of brochure that the gentleman was holding!

And according to the gentleman's name tag, his name is also Ernesto! Hmmmm.... Very cute and very interesting.

Some hours later, that huge, huggable thing was the dinner companion of a young couple near our table.

It was an amusing sight. The stuffed toy was much bigger than most people in the restaurant. 

Interesting Things This Week

Swiss chocolate Ovaltine at the grocery store. Hmmmmm.... has anyone tried this?



While we're at it, the Belgian chocolate from where else... Belgium!...  which was Person A's pasalubong.  

I'll share this with you in my later posts, it's one of the better ones.

Mint-flavored frozen yogurt from Golden Spoon! It's really good, especially with chocolate toppings.



An expansive view of the golf course from a restaurant window.

This horse and open-top carriage painting.

The most heavenly Barako cheesecake!

This cute, tin pail-inspired sink. Makes me want to have one in my own bathroom, save for the tiles - I want another design.

And the MULTITUDE of sports cars plying SLEX over the weekend. This one was driven by a responsible driver.

Makes me think "Yumayaman na nga ang Pilipinas!"

This cat which was trying to accompany and nudge a dead cat. The scene was heart-wrenching while I was buying balut from the neighborhood magbabalut.

Lastly, the dainty, customized pocket mirror.

I love the polka dots and the romantic shade of pink! Thank you, Geri!