Once in a while, I like get together with friends especially during the holidays. Problem is, we’re all a little low on cash because we are not children and we were the ones who had to give money away. It was all fun, nonetheless. So when it was time for us to meet and swap stories, we all decided that though we want to dine big, our wallets had become a whole lot smaller. Dampa sa Riverbanks, Marikina was our best alternative.

Dampa sa Riverbanks is a Mecca for those who are looking for cheap clothes, bric-a-brac and entertainment. Marikina is a fine city known for the discipline of its citizens and the low crime rate. I love coming to the Riverbanks Mall because of its character and strong penchant for all things pleasant and, yes, cheap. Marikenos are a warm and friendly people and despite its proximity to the center of business, Marikina has an old provincial feel. Food is available and is relatively cheaper than other part of the Metro. Dampa is no exception. The food in this place is cheap, tasty and fresh.

Excuse my photos, the light is not very good. I have eaten in the place three times now and I love it! The service, the food and the prices. I can’t help but harp on the prices because the food here is truly something to rave about. When I dined here with my friends, we had fish, squid, chicken, sisig and green mango with bagoong. The last one is free for everyone who eats there.

You begin by choosing from numerous stalls that have the food skewered and marinated on display.

I love the Chicken Barbecue. I always make sure I order that. Only P70 (US$ 1.63) for three pieces on a bamboo skewer.

Then I ordered Sizzling Sisig, which is made of a pig’s ears and face muscles marinated to perfection and cooked on a metal grill. The raw egg makes it even more delicious.

Then we ordered for a slab of Blue Marlin cooked in Sinigang broth. This was a bit more pricey than most of the food, P150 per slab of fish (US$ 12.30). Still it was worth every cent. When you come here, dine at Fortune Grill (the one with the blue table). Their service is wonderfully fast.

They also had this grilled stuffed squid dish but I did not take its picture because they put cheese on top of it. To me, it was not appetizing, but my friends enjoyed it anyway.

So if your budget is low and you want to eat good food, Dampa sa Riverbanks is the place for you. Here you can laugh and enjoy the evening air with friends, family and beer. Parking is a breeze at P15 flat rate. Curious about our bill? Here’s what we spent:

I highly recommend Dampa sa Riverbanks for all ages and religion. Come bring your party to Dampa!

This slice is actually good person for two persons of moderate appetites. The mixture of chocolate and bananas are such a wonderful surprise, especially to those who are uninitiated in the ways of the sweet tooth. Check out their menu and prices!

The best time to go here would be during the during the holidays, when the Ayala Triangle Gardens draw a crowd because of their synchronized lights and sound show. After a fun-filled event with your family, why don’t you hop on over the Banapple and try their cheesecakes?

Another year is done and we’re still standing. And for that we have a lot to be thankful for. For our shortcomings and excesses, and bad decisions, still we must look at the past year with a smile. We have gone a long way, and an even longer road is ahead of us but we manage, year after year despite all the challenges at work, family, relationship, business.

Despite what geomancers, astrologists and numerologists say, WE MAKE OUR OWN SWERTE. The road to success is always a difficult one. The bigger the success, the steeper the climb. No matter what the result, your efforts will always be rewarded, though sometimes it’s not what you want. Still I believe something good will always come out hard work. Always.

So sing, dance and make merry. Greet the new year with optimism and don’t forget to give yourself a pat in the back for a job well done, despite the hardships. It’s another year and 365 days of struggle await you. However, tonight we relax and rest on our laurels for tomorrow a new battle begins.

Happy New Year to one and all!

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that the Dela Paz’s were wrong and that maybe they did challenge Nasser Jr to a fist fight, as the Pangandaman’s claim. Wow, that’s stupid! A 14-year-old and a 56-year-old challenging a politician to a fist fight in the presence of their bodyguards? For a 10-year golf veteran and member of Valley Golf, that doesn’t make sense at all.

The best thing the Pangandamans could have done was walk away, if indeed the Dela Pazs were challenging them. Beating them to a pulp was not the answer as the Dela Pazs were civilians, unarmed and terribly outnumbered. You just don’t hurt people if they do not try to hurt you, physically. The hurt to the ego could have been overlooked, as the Pangandamans were in a position of power they could not afford to flaunt. But it seems that they did.

So because the Pangandamans are under GMA’s good graces, they can always get away with anything. With the way things are going, I don’t see much public outrage over the matter, perhaps except for the bloggers who totally sympathize with Bambee. I would really love to see the “wheels of justice” turn in favor of the non-politicians. IF WE ALL MAKE NOISE, THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT AND THESE POLITICOS WILL LEARN THEIR LESSON. REMEMBER, IT CAN ALSO HAPPEN TO YOU.

Unfortunately for the members of the Havila AAR Tour, there was a mix up with the food and there wasn’t enough for the guests. Noreen and I ended up buying Adobong Itik (duck meat cooked in soy sauce and vinegar) just to ease the hunger. For P205.00 (US$ 5.00) a plate, it seemed a little too steep a price for the size of the serving, which did not seem to be enough for two. Since food is expected to be cheaper outside Manila, I found their prices a little too high. However, upon tasting the dish I’d say that the flavor paid for the dish. It was worth it.

I have to do a more objective review of their service. I only got to buy one dish and with all the confusion, was not given a receipt. I even had to get the dish from the kitchen area and reiterate that I was going to pay for it and that it should not be charged to the tour. Plus the fact that it was lunch hour and the orders just got all mixed up in the fray. I will return to this place and order the other exotic dishes on their menu, such as the frog legs, the crispy alagaw leaves and the rose petal salad. For the tour they served crispy pata, kare-kare, crispy kangkong, baked tahong, mango and eggplant ensalada. Sadly I only got to sample a piece of the crispy kangkong (which was quite good, by the way) and some rice. Luckily I got some good pictures before the buffet ran out.

The crispy pata.

The eggplant ensalada. I think this was meant to be a side dish.

The mango ensalada with what looks like bagoong (shrimp paste). Another side dish.

Baked mussels.

The crispy kangkong leaves. Really good. Too bad I missed the sauce.

For the non-foodie, there are paintings and artworks galore at Balaw-balaw. From the entrance to the second floor of the restaurant, several artworks and papier mache Higante (giant) heads, masks and miniatures adorn the walls, nooks and crannies. It is indeed a feast for the senses.

Taken at the entrance to Balaw-balaw.

Entering the restaurant.

The Higante miniatures.

The Higante masks.

Finding a table.

Noreen and Nina.

No, it’s not just another noodle shop. Though it may look that way on the outside.

My friends, this noodle shop is one of the very few (in its price range) to serve fresh hand-pulled noodles at astoundingly affordable prices.

Seems like the owner didn’t know that many numbers for his prices. Either it was P80.00 (US$1.95) or P85.00 (US$2.07) for a heaping serving of delicious hand-pulled noodles. With or without the broth.

There was even the treat of seeing how they prepare the noodles from behind a glass window.

This technique has been studied by their chefs in China before venturing out in the business. But then, of course, in the final analysis it will always be the taste and flavor of the food that will make or break a restaurant. The couple who owned this resto, seemed to have really put in all their time, money and effort on this resturant.

So troop to Banaue corner Amoranto, right across the Tasty Dumplings restaurant. Please do try it!

Barbecue at P30.00 each (US$0.70), pinalamanang inihaw na bangus (stuffed broiled milkfish) at P120.00 (US$3.00) each and succulent chicken barbecue at P110.00 (US$2.70) apiece.

Inihaw na tilapia (broiled grouper) at P100.00 (US2.45) each. Juicy and sizzling.

Paksiw na pata (pork hocks cooked in soy sauce and vinegar) at P150.00 (US$3.65) per order.

A sushi tray at P100.00 (US$2.50) is not cheap, it’s ridiculous! But it tasted wonderful. Salcedo Saturday Market is really a gold mine for people who enjoy good food at lower-than-average prices.

She always pays for dinner and for me, it makes the desserts a bit sweeter, the steaks a bit juicier, the pasta, a bit more tender. I decided to bring her to Bonifacio High Street’s New Orleans Restaurant, the one beside Claw Daddy. I wanted her to see how much High Street has changed, and on a Saturday night the place was packed with people. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for us to find a table for five.

From the left is Mercy, my sister, my Uncle Rudy and Noreen.

Ah so again she complains about my weight. It’s so like her. I had to endure the sermon about the health hazards of being overweight (yeah, tell me about it). Lucky for me, the ride to High Street wasn’t a long one. But I don’t really mind. I’d be more bothered had she been silent.

While waiting for our orders, New Orleans staff gave us corn on the cob and potato wedges to munch on.

Their corn is very sweet and juicy.

So despite expressing her disappointment with my slow weight loss, she feeds me anyway, Cajun style! I had the barbecue blackened chicken with mashed potatoes. A wonderful dish at P320+ (US$8.00).

Noreen had the Jambalaya with seafood An order cost P475+ (US$12.00).

Ate Tess, Mercy (her PA) and my Uncle Rudy had a salad (I didn’t post the picture because it wasn’t clear enough), a full slab of barbecue ribs, and jambalaya with blackened dory. The salad was P405+ (US$10.00), the ribs were P650+ (US$16.25) and the dory cost P350+ (US$8.70).

Dessert came as Lava chocolates (not very appealing to look at but definitely one of the best chocolate desserts I’ve ever tried) at P150+ (US$3.75). Then I ordered Banana Foster with vanilla ice cream. Outstanding dessert at P135+ (US$3.34).

New Orleans also has a dixieland jazz band playing good music for their diners. Not very loud, just right. We weren’t straining to hear each other. So the laughs continued.

On our way home, my sister wanted a picture of us taken with the signature High Street rock with falls in the background. It was truly a moment to cherish.

A pair of ticket I bought through my friend, Khursten (thanks pala ha!) as far back as October, when the P500 seats (US$12.00) were still available. I had a good view of the musical from the balcony area. Kinda far, but wasn’t much different from the view of those from the Loge, where each seat was worth P1,000 (US$24.00).

Funny how so many people have forgotten about Gary Coleman and the TV sitcom Diff’rent Strokes. According to an interview of Aiza Seguerra, she said she didn’t know Gary Coleman until she got the role to play him in Avenue Q. Gary Coleman played this little funny kid in a hit 1970s sitcom where his dialog was a little too imaginatively tacky for a kid. Apparently, Gary Coleman had this health condition that stunted his growth, so even as an adult he could still play kid roles. Problem is, no production outfit wanted to hire him after a series of unfortunate events in his life, including his lawsuit against his own parents. Yes folks, before Macaulay Culkin, there was Gary Coleman. Sometime in the 1990s he was reported in a TV show to have been seen working as a security guard. Then Avenue Q came his way in 2005, I think. It sure takes a lot of strength (for the lack of a better word) for him to be drawing laughs at his own expense in the original Avenue Q, that is.

(image borrowed from Philippine Entertainment Portal)