Flowers at the Sofitel Metropole

Pretty flowers make my day. Somehow they make me smile. More than receiving a bouquet of flowers, I would much rather plant them. Too bad there's not much space at home. Oh well. I get to do that when I'm at my lola's house in Baguio. So as a compromise I love looking at floral arrangements.

Here are a few from the Metropole. Simple yet so pretty.

At the hotel entrance

At one of the cozy nooks

To cheer you up while eating

Or when you're having a nightcap

Maybe I can try to do this at home sometime...Kailan kaya?

Proposed Hanoi Itinerary

My former boss Men and his wife are going to Hanoi next week. They asked me if I could provide them with an itinerary. Been to Hanoi twice but I never really jotted down the places I visited and the restaurants I tried. So with the help of my friends in Hanoi, here is a list of places that I suggest you try.

Dear Men,

Check these places out: (The first 5 items' text are taken from Lonely Planet)
(Pictures are mine)

• 
  

  1 Old Quarter

  Discover the Asia you dreamed about in the bustling back streets of the Old Quarter
  
• 
  

  2 Temple of Literature

  Step into history, and a spiritual retreat from the busy streets beyond, at the Temple of Literature
  

• 
  

  3 Water puppets

  Enjoy a giggle at Punch and Judy in a pool, watching the city’s famed water puppets
  

• 
  

  4 Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum

  See ‘Uncle Ho’ in the flesh at Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum
  
• 
  

  5 Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

  Piece together the country’s ethnic mosaic at the wonderful Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
  

Food and Restaurants:

When you're at the Old Quarter, try "Bun Cha Hang Manh" Restaurant in No.1 Hang Manh Street - for pork skewers and spring rolls with salad. No ambiance at all (as in 0 for ambiance) but food is good. You sit on small plastic stools. Bring your own chopsticks lest you use the one that have been used and just washed.

For Vietnamese food from different regions go to Quan An Ngon at 18 Phan Boi Chau [Between Ly Thuong Kiet and Hai Ba Trung, one block East of Le Duan.] Think of fastfood dining al fresco style. The place gets full so it's good to be there slightly before lunch or dinner so you can get a place. I kept going back here because there were so many choices all in one place.

La Place at 4 Ấu Triệu street. Didn't try this but this is my friend's fav restaurant. They also serve the grilled pork on skewers and noodles but place is cozy and nice according to her. Around that area (St. Joseph Church at the cross between Nha Tho str and Ly Quoc Su streets) are interesting shops too.

"Chim Sao" at 65 Ngõ Huế street. I didn't try this too but she recommends it.

Hanoi Garden at 36 Hàng Mành according to her also serves good vietnamese food.


When you're around the lake, try the cafe's there so you can rest a bit after much walking. Around that area is Fanny's Ice Cream which is a must too. Think of it as a reward for all the walking you've done.


Their well-known fastfood is Pho 24 for a bowl of steaming noodle soup and bread. I tried the one around the lake. Just google address.


Afternoon Tea and Chocolate Buffet & Sunday Buffet at Sofitel Metropole. If you are there on a Sunday, you shouldn't miss the Sunday buffet ($50/pax). The spread is not that many like the Sofitel here but the quality of food is superb. Most of it is from France and the presentation is more than stunning.

Assorted cheese and bread

If you can't make it to the Sunday buffet, go for the Afternoon tea and chocolate buffet which they have everyday. There are 2 Sofitels at Hanoi so you have to mention Metropole or else they will take you to the other one far from the lake.

Music and Entertainment:

Go to Metropole in the evening for some jazz music and have a scoop of strawberry sorbet and get some drinks.


Hanoi Opera House. Try to catch a show or a ballet performance. Then you can have coffee after or before the show at the coffee house in the grounds of the opera house. You won't miss it.


Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel. Right beside the Hanoi Opera House. If you want to listen to a string quartet for free, hang out in the lobby at 5 or 6 pm and enjoy the music.

SHOPPING:

I suggest you check out the Dong Xuan Market (North of the Old Quarter- google the address) first before buying in the small shops at the Old Quarter. I found it to be cheaper here. This is a 3-storey market full of items. Near there is the Paper Shop where I took the nice colorful picture.

Paper Galore!

Snackin' Silly on S&R's Snackees

The last three brownies left

Oh my, last week was quite busy. All the busyness and stress translated to frequent munching on sweet desserts, specifically my chocolate "snackees". It gave me the needed energy boost and made me a bit happier :-)

Bought a small pack of "snackees" from S&R. Approximately P250 per pack, it reminded me of the two-bite brownies which I used to buy with Amy at Wholefoods, NYC. The one at Wholefoods tasted much better- more moist and chocolatey. But well, the snackees are good enough to perk you up especially on a busy work day. Sometimes you don't have time for a real lunch so these do come in handy. And for the cost, it's definitely worth it.

Happy to discover these. I will surely go back to S&R to buy some more.

Loving My Gold-Studded Sandals

Saturday, July 25, 2009. Met up with the Divas (Sittie, Joy, Bel and Ann*) for lunch at Chili's Greenbelt 5. Couldn't wait to wear my latest purchase-gold-studded black sandals from People are People.
"Those are a fierce pair," said Ann as she accidentally peered under the table during lunch. I guess my footwear was hard not to notice.
"Oh, yeah. Not into the girlie-girl look. I want something that's a bit edgy," I replied.

Wore those sandals with a printed black dress from Topshop accented with white lace on top and frilly at the bottom. Now you know why I didn't put on my usual ballet flats. That would just be too plain and boring.

*The two other divas are based abroad. Cheryl resides in Texas while Elena works in Abu Dhabi.

A Tale of Two Martabaks

A must...if you find yourself in Jakarta. Don't attempt to buy this in restaurants or hotels, you'll regret it. Go to the warung (street vendor) and ignore the smog while waiting for your order. You'll soon forget that you're out on the street, sweating from the heat and waiting in line. Once you take a bite and sink your teeth into the freshly made martabak, you'll realize that it's worth the trouble. Still warm to the touch as you let out some of the steam from the box- these crepe-like squares are the perfect after office snack or even dinner for me. It's crispy on the outside, soft and flavor-full on the inside. Dipping this tasty crepe-like finger food in the accompanying vinegar-dip gives me more satisfaction than biting into a crispy chicharon (deep fried pork skin). I'd be happy if I could eat this everyday.

There was a ray of hope for a martabak-lover like me from Manila. My friend who was walking in the Mall of Asia (MOA) saw a restaurant called Martabak Cafe and hastily told me about it. Next thing you know, there I was with my mom and dad in tow eager to share with them my delight for this simple Indonesian dish. Looking at the restaurant from the outside, we could tell that the place was not inviting. Despite these warning signals, I forced my folks to try eating there even if my mom is quite a picky eater to say the least. My dad, well, I don't have to worry about him- he eats anything. So there I was eagerly waiting to dig-in and have them taste that wonderful martabak I've been raving about. To my horror and utter dismay, the martabak they served was the most unappetizing thing I've eaten. The thing was so oily, that it'll make your lips glisten from the oil. What a sham this thing was! It wasn't crispy at all. They were instead soft gummy squares dripping of oil. Oh my, they probably deep fried it while the oil wasn't hot enough which isn't the way it's cooked back in Jakarta. Lesson learned- don't settle for second-best EVER!

Just like anything else in life, whether it's getting into a relationship, choosing a job, or something trivial like selecting a restaurant, take note of the warning signs early on. Good thing this was just me eating martabak in a terrible restaurant which I later had to drown out with Hagendaas ice cream just to take the taste off my tongue.

Terrible restaurants like these are analogous to bad relationships, don't even think of going back there!

Martabak Cafe
Ground Floor Mall of Asia,
Pasay City

Feeling Incredible?

Over lunch at Bouna Vita, my friend Vonj asked me if I had seen "The Incredibles" the movie. Told him that I haven't seen it. I used to watch movies twice a week more or less but with my busy schedule I haven't had the time to go regularly for the past three years. Pathetic if you ask me. Anyway, I digress, back to Vonj. He said that I looked like one of the antagonists in the film. Since I haven't seen it, couldn't really comment.

This afternoon he sent me a link so I could see.

Picture from here

I think the hairstyle and the shape of the face are close. Just like most cartoon characters, the body shape is way too exaggerated.

Will have to see this film soon!

Buona Vita: Serving Good Italian Food in Cavite

It was a Saturday, June 15, when I met up with the Agile gang (Ron, Vonj and EJ). We would usually meet at Makati but they decided to troop over to Alabang so that I could have a quick lunch. It was my dad's birthday and I couldn't stay that long. I suggested Kanin Club at Wetsgate because I wanted to try the crispy dinuguan that my cousins have been raving about. Was really looking forward to the crispy dinuguan but Ron is sooo picky when it comes to food. He doesn't like seafood and the dinuguan didn't seem palatable to him. So after a five-miunte-where-do-we-eat conversation in the car, we finally decided on Italian. I've had enough of ho-hum food at Italianni's so I suggested that we try Buona Vita right across Verdana along Daang Hari.

It was my third time to eat here. Cathy T. introduced me to this restaurant when she organized a lunch for Luchie H. who was in Manila for a few days. Because I loved food and the coziness of the place I brought my folks the weekend after. Mama and Papa loved it. My mom particularly liked the five-cheese pizza. Papa loved the oysters.

Now back to the Agile gang. For starters, they served bread with accompanying pesto and tomato dips. This was Ronald's favorite hands down. Even after the main course, he kept requesting for refills. Good thing the servers obliged.

The baked oysters were next. This was so yummy. It had the right hint of heat to cut the cheesiness of the dish.

Our main course consisted of 2 pizzas- five-cheese pizza and another one with meat plus an order of canelloni. One of the best thin crust cheese pizzas I've tried south of the Manila. So you've gotta go there, I tell you!

We capped our lunch with a heavenly bite of tiramisu, panna cotta and a cup of coffee for EJ.

We had to chalk up P500 each but it was well worth it. Driving down to Cavite isn't all that bad when you can stop over at Buona Vita and have good homestyle Italian fare.

Buona Vita
From Alabang Town Center, take Daang Hari.
Keep driving until you see Verdana to your left.
Buona Vita is just across Verdana.