CK has proven to be more than just a fast food chain that serves Chinese food people of all budget and persuasions: they serve inspiration too. CK’s ambassadors Jericho Rosales, Kim Chiu and CNN Hero of the Year Efren Penaflorida took time off their busy schedules to share stories about their humble beginnings prior to being the superstar/celebrities they are today. First off, Jericho Rosales.

The son of a fish vendor, Jericho traveled a lot with his mother and helped out with the delivery of fish to markets and volume customers. As proof that this was no act, we accompanied Jericho to the wet goods section of Farmer’s Market in Cubao, Quezon City. There he showed us pretty much how he knew the people in the market and how good he was in cleaning Bangus (milkfish)! He wielded to well that market vendors recognized that indeed Jericho Rosales is skilled with the cleaver.

This guy we all love. Efren Peneflorida is CNN’s Hero of the Year for 2009. A World Vision-sponsored child, he finished his education through the generosity of strangers. Upon graduation, he worked as a social worker passing forward the same generosity he had received as a child. He taught street children by traveling to their neighborhoods while pushing wheeled carts containing blackboards and other school materials that he uses to teach children. Even with all the fame and recognition, he is still pushing these carts to depressed neighborhoods to educate street children. CK was there to show us how Efren does it and how we can all help out.

He was nice enough to let me have a picture with him too!

Then, there was Kim Chiu. I asked her what her life was before and she mentioned that she moved from city to city and had lived with different aunts who had the money to send her to school. Until one day, her friends urged her to join Pinoy Big Brother. She auditioned in Cebu City and, as we all know, the rest is history.

They are Chowking’s Ambassadors to the 20-something demographic target market. It is not impossible for any of us to achieve our dream even in the face of adversity, as proven by the CK Ambassadors. Hard work and patience are just some of the ingredients, CK has. Indeed they are examples worth emulating.

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The University of Makati celebrated the annual Buwan ng Wika with music and dancing, entertaining a large crowd packing the Admin Mini Theater yesterday, August 20, 2010. Faculty and select students put their energies together to entertain and enjoin their fellow students in promoting the spirit of patriotism, love of country and environmentalism. Yesterday was peppered with programs and activities that not only entertained but also instilled social awareness. Breaking the ice were some inspiring words from College of Arts Sciences and Education Dean Milagros Torres. She stressed on how important it is to celebrate Buwan ng Wika because it reminds us of how the development of language significantly contributes to nation-building. And at the center of it all was this:

Oh yeah. Greenwich’s Shrimp and Garlic Pizza!!!! Of course there’s my favorite Hungarian Sausage Pizza.

There were several prizes given away to the students, especially those who performed. They all deserved it. Good to know that Greenwich was right there celebrating with them. Greenwich’s contribution only proves their commitment to encouraging the youth to do their part in the development of Filipino as the bridge to national unity and economic progress.

Mabuhay ang Wikang Filipino!

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Successful parties begin with serious and careful planning. That is what Josiah’s Catering offers. Aside from great food, they have some partnerships with class-A venues that will make parties and events memorable and convenient for your guests. When I was still working with Lawson Software, our Christmas parties were always catered by Josiah’s. Their food does not disappoint, so if you’re planning your wedding, or Christening or your daughter’s debut, I would highly recommend Josiah’s Catering.

Just because you think Josiah’s is a high-end caterer to many big companies, it doesn’t they’re not affordable. I have seen their menu and they have a package that will suit any budget. Visit them or give them a call.

You can also visit their website for more information.

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Tomorrow I turn 40. Talagang wala na sa kalendaryo, pero nasa Lotto pa rin! No I’m not going to talk about any restaurant here. Just some insights on how it feels to be 40. And my goodness, what a number it is. It’s like the second wave of puberty. You’re too old for Lady Gaga, but you’re too young for adult diapers. At 40,  many of my contemporaries have made something of themselves. Captains of industry, VP for this and that, kids who have boyfriends/girlfriends, positions of responsibility and authority. Maestros of the orchestras of life.

Though I am no Maestro, I am an entrepreneur and I play my own music. The world is my oyster.

I am at the top of my game and I am very happy. I have hurdled the most difficult problems that would have made ordinary people quit life altogether. I have made a name for myself in circles that were inaccessible to me some ten years ago. I have freed myself from the corporate world and I now have only myself as my boss. I did pretty good for someone who stands  five feet flat and without a Master’s degree. Because I measure my success commensurate to the tools that I have at my disposal, I feel good about what I have accomplished. My motto? Just because I can’t always have what I want, it doesn’t mean I have to stop trying.

After all those food tours, I am relatively healthy. That is something I am very happy about.

I will celebrate tomorrow with the things I love and the people who love me back. Now I will no longer feel offended if some kid calls me Tito. I will love strangers more because they would rather call me kuya. I don’t think I look 40. I actually feel 29 (sige utuin ang sarili), minus the recurring gout. To quote my former professor Joe Reyes of UP Visayas, “worry not, matter does not age.”

Yes it is happy.

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All from the same IP address sent on August 6, between 10:19 am to 11:15 am.

This says a lot about how things work in your organization. It is reflective of what your vision and mission is based on.  If you at PPLIC just wanted to silence me, all you could have done was write me an apology email saying you promise to mend your ways and I could have posted it here for you. A simple email that explained why your agents have become deceitful and have promised prizes and all just to compel them to buy insurance.

There is such a thing as soft sell and that is usually more effective than what PPLIC agents are doing now. You might want to look in on that. Because of the subtlety of soft sell, my whole family got ALL their insurance needs from Philam Life. And we were spending load to call the agent. Their insurance plans sell themselves, as it is also with other reputable insurance companies like Sunlife, Insular Life, Ayala Life, etc.

To PPLIC people, DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME SPAMMING MY INBOX! You have a lot of brainstorming and LEGITIMATE SELLING to do.

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It is finally here. The Philippine Tatler’s Philippines’ Best Restaurants Guide Book 2010. This year, the Philippine Tatler did away with the usual cocktail at the Manila Polo Club or hotel. The generous people behind the Philippine Tatler and American Express Selects have collaborated to bring us the Best Restaurants Charity Week. Beginning on August 13 to 20, 64 of the country’s best restaurants have joined the effort by creating special menus and have pledged 10 percent of their gross earnings from these menus to Hands On Manila, non-profit organization that does volunteer work with public school students in both elementary and high school.

So what are the participating restaurants? Listed here are the 64 participating restaurants. They’re arranged alphabetically.  Take your pick and be ready to dine for a cause.

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Here are the numbers you need to remember, including the prices. Because once you’ve tried this chocolate cake, you will never look for any other chocolate cake again.

This is how it looks like when you open the box. It actually looks less appealing than the usual cakes that we buy from our favorite bakeshops. Worry not, there’s more to this cake than meets the eye. Yup, it’s homemade.

Homemade or Commercial?

Many people say they’d rather buy from the bakeshop than make their own cake. True, it’s cheaper and less troubling. Homemade is always a winner in the taste department. Nothing beats homemade because if it were up to you, you would always use the best ingredients, the best chocolate and a few more extra hours stirring and whipping by hand, just to make sure your cake is perfect. Tita C now lets you have homemade chocolate cake without having to do it yourself. Just order two days in advance.

See how moist this is? I kid you not when I say this cake is simply divine. The icing is not so sweet. The cake? Well, it’s like soft pudding, it melts in your mouth. And Tita C doesn’t stop there. She puts one more goodie to the whole cannoli. This cake’s got sauce.

Now this is chocolate cake heaven. Call them now and order. Believe me, it’s worth the two-day waiting time.

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Japanese food rarely ever comes cheap. Mostly because the ingredients need to be fresh at all times. Sourcing these ingredients is not easy because many of the spices need to be sourced from Japan. So imagine my surprise when I tried Red Kimono Restaurants “better than buffet” smorgasbord. So why is it better than buffet? Because for as little as P535 (US$11.65), you get to order all the Japanese food you can eat from their special menu.

It’s a modern Japanese restaurant, therefore expect a lot of fusion cuisine. I would say that Red Kimono food is the missing link that bridges local tastes with authentic Japanese cuisine. A sort of preparatory cuisine for the uninitiated, which is probably most of us. While the so-called truly authentic Japanese restaurants of Little Tokyo can be priced prohibitively, Red Kimono is the perfect alternative for those who have not acquired the taste for it. For those who have the taste for the real deal, Red Kimono is just as good and as filling its high-end competitors, but with a more affordable price tag. Red Kimono is perfect for family gatherings and dinners with friends.

To attack a buffet and get your money’s worth, you need to have a strategy. Most buffet restaurants make money by banking on the fact that you can’t eat as much as you want. There’s this psychological effect when you tell someone they’re eating buffet, a kind of comforting feeling. Unlike when they’re ordering ala carte, it’s like there’s some kind of restriction that you can only eat one dish and that’s it. Red Kimono is calling it “better than buffet” because you can order all you like from the special menu. Order to your heart’s delight and still pay the same flat fee. Not bad! Here are some important tips on how you can maximize the buffet.

Tips on how to get the most out of Red Kimono’s “Better than Buffet”

1. Order only one rice dish per person. I recommend you order the Mixed Kamameshi Rice for two persons. The servings are big and the rice is good by itself. If you don’t want the Kamameshi Rice you can go with the Gohan (plain steamed Japanese rice) or a Sushi or Maki, but never both. It’s all rice and you will not get to the try the rest of the menu because the rice will make you full right away.
2. Don’t hesitate to order the prawn tempura because it is so good. The Prawn Tempura has more substance than the mixed tempura so I suggest you concentrate on that.
3. Go for the Chicken Teriyaki than the Pork. It will digest easier and it is not as filling as the pork. Chicken teriyaki is also softer than the pork.
4. Always finish before ordering. Don’t order when you haven’t finished the food on the table. Believe me you will end up paying double if you don’t finish your food.
5. Make room for dessert. You must try their Green Tea Ice Cream. It is very very good.

Now that you know all this, I suggest you run to the nearest Red Kimono in your area. Check out their website for more information. Don’t forget leave room for dessert.

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1990 was the year when I had the most wonderful vacation of my life. My sister offered to pay for our airfare and we all decided to go to Thailand, Singapore, Japan then on to the US. It was a month and a half of fun, laughs and great memories. Allow me to share some with you.

• Bangkok, Thailand. My mom had been itching to go to Bobe, market in Chinatown, because she thinks the trinkets are cheaper there than in the malls. My sister argued with her saying that it’s all the same as in the mall and that the goods are of the same cheap quality anyway. Mothers, in general, will never listen. Especially when it comes to shopping. They always think they know more than their kids do. It’s been my mom’s nth visit, but my sister had been living in Bangkok for two years by then. My ate knew more than my mom did, but my mom still insisted on her way and so off to Bobe we went. Hours and hours of scouring the little nooks and crannies of Bobe, she finally got tired (and out of cash) so we hopped in the first cab we could get and went home. When we got home, she happily showed my sister the stash she bought.   Two days later, she was cursing at herself. She saw the same stuff on sale at the Central Department Store. My sister and I had a good time laughing at her.
• Singapore. My sister booked us at this nice hotel called The Phoenix Hotel (sadly it’s been torn down now). It was located right in the middle of Orchard Road with its other entrance facing Somerset. I loved the hotel. It was my first time in Singapore, my mom’s too. I was amazed at the buildings and the really big airport. We were told that shopping was the best thing to do in Singapore and my mom wanted to buy a handycam. So there we were, looking around. The bad thing about coming from Bangk0k is that you think all people will appreciate a good haggle. Back in 1990, Singaporeans weren’t the friendliest of shop keepers, so if you haggle, you were expected to buy it. My mom haggled and haggled some more, but didn’t buy because she wanted to see if there was another place that sold the same item cheaper. The shop keeper wasn’t too happy and started saying unsavory things, mostly directed at us being Filipino. National pride took over and my mom started lashing out at the shop keeper for saying the things that he did. Her loud voice booming over the little man’s unintelligible mutterings. No, she wouldn’t leave without having the last say. That’s my mom.
• Tokyo, Japan. We were picked up at the Narita airport by some of the my sister’s friends from the Philippine Embassy and taken to a really small hotel called the Asia Center of Japan. Never have I seen such small hotel rooms! Really tiny! Of course, my mom complained about the room size and my sister told her that it was the cheapest hotel with a really good location. It was a stone’s throw away from Ropponggi. After settling in, we walked into a convenience store. My mom realized that a bottle of water cost about P75 when converted. Then she frantically did the math on all the meals we’ve had since we got to Japan, including the toll fees my sister offered to pay from the airport to the hotel. Again she cursed at the high cost of everything Japanese and despite all the walking and subway rides to this and that mall, this and that market, she realized it was all terribly expensive.  By the third day, she was so thankful it was time to leave. She was happy with her pictures and that doll she bought from the airport, which she still kept in her room 16 years later.
• USA. After Japan, my mom found this place heaven. All the corned beef, luncheon meat and macaroni and cheese that we could get our hands on. My mom tells everyone she loves San Francisco. When we went to Illinois, she professed she loves Illinois. One city she hated; New York. 1990 was pre-Giuliani and there were guys in hairnets walking around the apartment we stayed at.  In Trump Towers she despised the sale because it was too expensive to be called one, but kept egging my sister to buy that Bally pair of shoes because it was a good buy.

Four years ago today, her life ended abruptly leaving us confused and angry. I hated everything and everyone that made me feel bad about losing her in such a sudden and unguarded time. But the hate can only protect me for some time. I had to outgrow the hate and learn to move on. So now, I am moving on and grieving. Finally I have let the grief take its course and have learned to accept that she is no longer among us. She may not be there to smack me around when I make a mistake, but she is definitely there to celebrate our successes, big and small. My mom will always be my patron saint of shopping because she’s all I ever think about when I walk into a mall. Ma, without you we wouldn’t have been strong enough for anything. We love you and we miss you.

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Three Sixty is a restaurant and bar located at the second of the A.Venue Hall, Makati Avenue, Makati City. The restaurant cum watering hole serves more than just great food and drinks; they serve entertainment. The live music is awesome. I personally love their repertoire. They also let you sing to your heart’s content. They will play any music you like.

Seen here is fellow blogger Enrico Dee or Byahilo as he is more popularly known. His rendition of “Just Once” was fun to listen to. Not to be outdone, Winston of Batang Yagit retaliates with one of his crooner favorites.

I almost forgot about the food. I highly recommend the lotus rice,

the noodles,

and the Korean Beef Stew.

Dessert time calls for the lovely Banana crepe,

and the innocent looking Butchi

that is actually a Ferrero Rocher chocolate treat on the inside.

Talk about innovation. Come to Three Sixty when you want great food and hearty laughs.

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