Boracay's white beach

Boracay's white beach
Taken infront of Seawind Resort (2001)

Friday, October 3, 2008

Are you a Ner, Geek or Dork? Take the The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test

http://www.helloquizzy.com/results/the-nerd-geek-or-dork-test/?fromCGI=1&var_nerdiness=12&var_geekosity=15&var_dork%2bpoints=3


Your result for The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test ...

Modern, Cool Nerd

52 % Nerd, 65% Geek, 13% Dork

Modern, Cool Nerd

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.

Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)!

Congratulations!

Compared to other takers

  • 43/100 You scored 52% on nerdiness, higher than 43% of your peers.
  • 89/100 You scored 65% on geekosity, higher than 89% of your peers.
  • 13/100 You scored 13% on dork points, higher than 13% of your peers.




Take the test or type the address: http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/the-nerd-geek-or-dork-test


Saturday, August 2, 2008

My Wife's Pepper Lunch food trip

My wife and I had dinner at Pepper Lunch in the Power Plant Mall at Rockwell last weekend.



It was her first time to try Pepper Lunch. I've told her about it after my trip to Bangkok last January where I was able to try it out in the World Center Mall in downtown Bangkok. I was able to try the Hitokuchi Steak Cut then. And then last June, at Rockwell with a friend of mine, I had the hamburger and steak combo.

She had the Chicken Pepper Rice but without the pepper and I had the Salmon Pepper Rice and we shared a Sesame Chicken salad shake. You literally have to shake the plastic container where the salad is served in order to mix the ingredients.






She liked it but commented that the Pepper Rice meals are a bit pricey for something that looks like a rice topping meal. But she also said that the steak meals are probably worth the price as she assumed that the beef is imported.

We'll probably come back after a month or two and try the other items on the menu.

To the owners, Chef Jeroen and Cecile, kudos to your business venture!

Junior's Cheesecake - A New York Institution is now in the Philippines!

Saw this ad in the Inquirer last week.




It says that you can order Junior's Cheesecake from the main supplier in Kamagong St., Makati City or from among the residences that sell them (Rockwell, Alabang/Paranaque, Mandaluyong, Quezon City). But this for a limited time only, until September. Not sure if they were able to have authentic Junior's cheesecake flown in all the way from the US or someone who works with Junior's in the country and is making them locally. They even used the website link of the US outlet.

My wife and I have tried Junior's cheesecake when we were in NY last May. We had dinner there with her sis-in-law. And their cheesecakes are to die for. We were lucky that her sis-in-law was able to make table reservations for us. Otherwise, we would have had to queue for a table with the other patrons trying to wait for a table. We dined at the Times Square outlet.

I ordered the steak burger and strawberry milkshake, my wife had a salad. My wife didn't finish her salad in order to leave space for dessert.

Then we ordered a strawberry cheesecake and a chocolate cheesecake.

The cheesecakes are rich and are filling to the stomach.

Photos can be seen in my multiply site (http://tibo3rdph.multiply.com/photos/album/16/US_Trip_2008)

Will try to order and find out if the cheesecakes that they say are authentic.




Friday, May 9, 2008

Home cooking food trip: Chicken Inasal

I was at the Landmark Supermarket last Wednesday looking for pasalubong for our relatives in the US, when I chanced on this in one of the shelves of the supermarket. It's a bottle of Claude's Inasal BBQ marinade (one of the many bottled food products of artist/chef/cabalen Claude Tayag). So, I thought I'd get a bottle and give it a try. And it costs less than P100.00.

I remembered that I had purchased boneless chicken breasts and thighs about 2 weeks ago and were just sitting in the freezer. I was originally planning to cook the chicken parts with the Indian curry sauce given by my wife's cousin who was ssent by his office for an 8-week assignment in New Delhi. But since my wife isn't fond of curry or Indian food, I decided to use the marinade instead.

Instruction says to use 1/2 cup of the marinade for every kilo of meat (chicken or pork). Let it sit for about 2 hours before cooking or better yet, refrigerate it overnight so that the marinade would seep into the meat. One way of making the marinade seep into the meat is to puncture the meat with a fork.

Then I pan-grilled the chicken, however I didn't have a pan grill (those with ridges) so I used my regular teflon frying pan. I wanted to use my stove-top griller but didn't want to make a mess. I didn't have to oil the pan as the sauce already had oil in it, together with the herbs and spices.

Good thing I still had some sinamak (sukang ilonggo) in my cupboard. Which reminds me, I have to get fresh garlic, ginger and sili; and make a fresh batch of sinamak.

Had I let the marinade and chicken sit overnight, the marinade would have seeped into the meat more. But still, it tasted great!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Food tripping: Bun on the Run - President Ave., Pque.



Finally got to check out the branch of Bun on the Run along President Ave., near the intersection of Elizalde Ave. Been passing the place everytime we would visit my in-laws. Parking is a problem as there are few slots in front of the place. And they don't do delivery. Not much space inside, there were 4 small tables with stools.





I ordered their well-known Choriburger and fries and a bottle of Tropicana Orange Twister. First time I had a Choriburger was back in my high school days when they had a kiosk at the second floor of the Greenbelt 1 mall. After getting movie tickets, I would order 2 Choriburgers and would chow down on them while watching the movie.

Their Choriburger tasted a bit saltier than I remembered. I forgot which blog I read but it did mention that it was a bit salty to the taste. I had to take sips of my orange drink once in awhile just to wash off the salty taste.

After finishing my meal, I mentioned to the staff that the patty was a bit salty and they confirmed this as they have received a lot of comments about it. They said they'll mention it to the owners. I hope that they'll be able to adjust the recipe.

I learned that aside from this branch and in Metrowalk, there are 2 more branches of Bun on the run. One is along Rufino Ave. (formerly Herrera Ave.) in Legaspi Village, and a more recent one in Trinoma.


Friday, April 25, 2008

Let Go Of Your Table Manners!

If you have the chance and you're hungry like a wolf, check out the new Burger King Steakhouse Burger!

100% Angus Beef!

This burger is next on my list!

Slammer Burgers

I first read about Slammer Burgers when the group owner of Gimik group read it in the blog of Francis Ibanez and posted it in the group.

That day he posted it, I was at ayala center and saw an outlet of Slammer Burgers in the food court of Ayala Center G4. But since I've already ordered from Meisters by Almon Marina, I told myself that I'll have to try next time.

And so, I was at ayala center this morning and was able to try out the Slammer Burger in the G4 food court.





I ordered the 2 pcs. roasted garlic slammer for P60.00 and a regular order of belgian fries for P40.00 without dip. If you want dip with the fries, it costs P45.00.





I thought that the roasted garlic variant would have chopped roasted garlic. Instead they use garlic sauce. And as mentioned in the blog, the fries did taste great.



The serving size of the 2pcs. was just right for me but had I really been hungry, I would have gotten the 4 pcs.



Their other variants are plain, cheeseburger, jalapeno and bacon mushroom melt. They offer them at 2pcs., 4 pcs. and 8 pcs.



Burger lovers should check out this new burger joint.


Thursday, April 3, 2008

Previous food trippings

had dinner at racks in magallanes about 3 months ago. we ordered their mixed platter (grilled chicken, pork tenderloin and baby back ribs) with sidings of carrots & corn, pork & beans and corn bread. their grilled items still taste great! wanted to take home sone barbeque sauce but they didn't have available for take out.





saw some pepsi deluxe in sm supermarket at sm dasmarinas. got one of each, strawberries and cream and creme caramel. both tasted great but i preferred the creme caramel.



and together with the pepsi deluxe, i tried two of the new e-aji potato chips, light salted and sour cream and chives. tastes better than jack and jill's potato chips and tastes as good as oishi potato chips and frito lays.




was up in tagaytay once and went to bahay pastulan (maryridge) to buy some ube jam for balikbayans, same makers of the famous ube jam in baguio, and thought i'd also try their pandan kutsinta.







still one of my favorite merienda fare whenever i'm at the food stalls of an sm supermarket, fried lumpiang gulay and tokwa't baboy with sago't gulaman.




my wife and i had breakfast at max's and tried their adobo flakes and hungarian sausage. their breakfast comes with a cup of coffee.








i also tried the breakfast menu delifrance. i liked it coz it had a small fruit cup but was a bit disappointed with the serving portion of the viands (as you can see in the photo) for the price they charge.





my wife and i had dinner once at david's tea house located along aguinaldo highway in dasmarinas, cavite. we ordered their polonchay soup, asado siopao and mixed dimsum platter. the soup was big enough to serve 4 people, as well as their mixed dimsum platter. all were delicious!










was driving up to tagaytay once and i cut through santa rosa. since it was about 12 noon, i decided to stop at the paseo de sta rosa to have lunch. i remembered from a forum or a blog that the hamburger sandwich of crepe breton came highly recommended even though they were not known as a hamburger place.

their hamburger patty was cooked just right. it was topped with mushrooms and onions and a lettuce leaf, with coleslaw on the side. and for dessert i had their peanut butter and jelly crepe, which hit the spot. i had to walk around the shops first before i continued my drive.






during the lenten season, i tried chowking's lenten offer of fish with chinese tofu in oyster sauce. it tasted better than their other fish menu.




want a piece of choco chip cookie? a really big piece of choco chip cookie?? head on to aristocrat and get their giant choco chip cookie. it's about 8-10" wide. a great gift item.







Nestle Ice Cream Pops

was at shopwise makati last tuesday having a snack while waiting for my car to be washed nearby, then all of a sudden there was a heavy downpour of rain.

so while waiting for the rain to stop, went inside shopwise to cool off. then i decided to try the new nestle ice cream pops.

they're bite size vanilla ice cream coated in chocolate. they come in handy tumbler containers and cost P25 and P75. i got the P25 container.

there are about 20 pieces in the small container. great for snack time!













Thursday, March 13, 2008

Chi's Brick Oven Kitchen - Aguirre Ave., BF Homes, Pque.

my wife and her best friend were planning to meet a balikbayan classmate of theirs. and since all of us were staying in south of the metro, i suggested that we go back and try the pizza and pasta of chi's brick oven kitchen in bf homes.


the first time we went was last month, and we only tried their mango ice box dessert and got their puchon (pugon lechon) to go.






while my wife and her friends were swapping stories, i ordered the pizza chips for our starter. it's pizza dough with olive oil brushed on it and topped with parmesan and a pimiento dip.

this is a great appetizer.


for our main course, i ordered 2 kinds of pasta; the rigatoni in 3-cheese sauce



and the chorizo alfredo



the serving size of their pasta is enough to feed 2-3 persons.





i also ordered 2 kinds of pizza, the chicken bacon mushroom melt



and the salmon pizza



both pizzas were 12" and had 8 slices each. the crust was cooked just right and both tasted great! the prices of their pizzas range from P160-220.
we were so full from the meal that we didn't order dessert, just coffee and tea but we were given a plate of their brick oven chocolate cake by apple tirona (the owner) to try and share.
their brick oven chocolate cake was the best that i've tried so far. it was like a choco lava cake, the outside was a bit crunchy and the inside was moist and melted chocolate flowed out as soon as the it was sliced. it was topped with vanilla ice cream and maraschino cherry.



another dessert of theirs is the mango ice box cake, which i mentioned that we tried the first time we went.





the place is nice, quaint and cozy. it could fit about 25-30 persons. when we got there, there was a group of about 12 which had a long table.
here you'll see the wooden trays that they use when serving their pizza.




they also have separate smoking area which has its own aircondition unit and exhaust fan.








the main attraction of the place is the open kitchen where you could see the brick oven. they use dried sampaloc logs to fire up the oven.




















i wasn't able to take a photo, but they also have a small open air area for children to paly in while waiting for the food to come or while their parents are having fun telling stories with their friends.
the place is owned by chi and apple tirona. both had their own careers prior to opening the restaurant. and one day, they decided to leave their careers and start up a pizza-pasta place.
kudos to both of them!
so, when you're in the south of the metro, check out the place. it's an alternative to those expensive italian restaurants.

Jatujak Thai Food - SM Megamall

some say that after you've been to another place, you tend to look for the food of that place. in my case i was in bangkok last january with our other managers for a tourism event and my tongue was still looking for that thai taste.


and since my wife wasn't able to join my on my trip, i decided that we have dinner at the new branch of Jatujak Thai restaurant, located at the ground level, bldg A of SM Megamall. it's located right beside the vietnamese resto, lemon grass, which is also a great place to eat. where there are 2 japanese restos too.


we ordered the tofu salad, which had some lettuce leaves, julliened carrots, bean sprouts, peanuts and a nice blend of sweet and spicy dressing.


we also ordered the grilled squid, which was tender



and the chicken satay in peanut sauce, which had a dip that was tasted very good. the dip was some sort of cucumber in vinegar but the vinegar wasn't too sour.

i also ordered the thai iced tea for drink




and for dessert, we had the Thai version of halo-halo. i think it's called ruhmvit. please correct me if i'm wrong.



our dinner cost us about P800.

the food tasted great and their menu is quite affordable.

this is their 3rd branch. the first one opened in the block of SM City North and the 2nd is in Mall of Asia.

the waiter said that the restaurants are owned by filipinos and that their chef is thai, who oversees all 3 kitchens.

i told him, if he gets the chance, to ask their chef or the owners if the name of their restaurants came from a name of a park in bangkok, the chatuchak park, where they have their weekend market.