I have been going through my #ramenphase for quite a while now. I seek out ramen joints in the hopes of tasting rich creamy broth, firm noodles and flavorful melt-in-your-mouth meat. The ramen that started this phase is actually the Signature Happiness Ramen I tasted during a Zomato Foodie Meetup at Hanamaruken, Ugong a year ago. (Check out my Zomato review here.)
Since then, I have been converted to a Ramen Girl. While I have gone around various ramen shops along my usual haunts in Pasig, Marikina and Quezon City, my thoughts would always go back to the ramen that started it all: the ramen that I measure all other ramen I tasted since against.
Imagine my absolute delight when one fine Friday, after a long and grueling meeting that extended to lunch time, my boss agreed to have a happy lunch with me and my work buddies at Hanamaruken in Trinoma. And oh, what a happy lunch it was!
Our group of four divided among ourselves:
2 bowls of Signature Happiness Ramen (Php580 each)
1 order of Gyoza (Php240)
Initially 1 order of Chocolate Lava Cake with Ice Cream (Php180) but it was sooooo gooood that we ordered another one!
The Signature Happiness Ramen lived up to its legend in my mind. One bowl was hearty and more than enough to satisfy two hungry and stressed office workers. The gyoza was also flavorful and whet our appetite for the ramen while the lava cake with ice cream was a decadent cap to the meal.
I look forward to embracing this kind of happiness again when I eat at other Hanamaruken outlets.
This Hanamaruken branch is located at Second Floor, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City (call 02 7209283 for reservations). Other branches are located at:
The Grove By Rockwell, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City (tel: 02 695 3643)
Second Floor, Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City (tel: 02 869 9857)
Hole in the Wall, Fourth Floor, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue, Poblacion, Makati City
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Wanting to avoid the Mother’s Day lunchtime rush to Tagaytay, the family decided to leave Manila early in time for brunch at Jaytee’s Home of the Best Bulalo and Kare Kare.
Named after the initials of its proprietors, husband and wife team Jessie and Tess Mojica, the restaurant is located at One Destination, along Aguinaldo Highway, affording its diners a scenic view of Taal Lake and Volcano.
I recommend dining inside the resto as its interiors are clean and well-appointed. You can just take your requisite Taal Volcano family group pics outside while waiting for your meal.
The resto prides itself on its Special Beef Bulalo (Php650, good for 5-6 persons), which is what we drove all the way to Tagaytay for. It did not disappoint, the meat was tender, the soup flavorful, and the veggies crisp. (Of course, the sinful bone marrow is the star of the dish.)
We also ordered veggie dishes Chop Suey (Php220) and Fresh Lumpia (Php190 – a real winner with crisp ubod inside, light wrapper and a peanutty garlicky sauce!). For variation of viands, we also ordered Crispy Tawilis (Php220) and Grilled Liempo (Php360). The oldies ordered Buko Juice (Php85) and Green Mango Shake (Php110) while the rest of the fam sipped on Cucumber Iced Tea (Php180 per pitcher). We also capped off the meal with a scoop of Chocolate Ice Cream (Php45 – a must for my little boy) and Leche Flan (Php180 – a little too sweet but that’s what desserts are for huh?).
The food were served family style by attentive wait staff, however, I found the tables too small to accommodate all the food we ordered. (They certainly made taking foodie shots a bit difficult.)
Since we arrived so early, we were able to avoid the traffic going to the resto-with-a-view places along this stretch of Tagaytay. We were also able to park our cars with no problem.
Jaytee’s Filipino Cuisine is located at One Destination Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay. For reservations, call:
Motherhood brings with it lots of challenges, some more heartbreaking than others.
Marie Humbert, in particular, saw her son Vincent brought down by a severe road accident which left him tetraplegic – unable to use all limbs – and having lost his senses of sight, speech, smell and taste. His only means of communication is by moving his right thumb.
The tragedy has left the former fireman devoid of any desire to continue living. His post-humously published book, I Ask For the Right to Die, was written by indicating to a journalist what he wanted to say using his right thumb. In it, he said “The life I am forced to lead is a shit life. It is not a life, it is not my life. I can lead it no longer; I will lead it no longer.”
In a move that sparked controversy amd debate in France and most of Europe where euthanasia is still among the strongest taboos, Marie decided to fulfill her son’s wish.
This real-life drama is the basis of the French movie “A Mother’s Fight.” This May, CinemaWorld brings this title for free on SKY On Demand, allowing registered users of the video streaming service to view the movie online for one month at no additional cost.
To use SKY On Demand, register at skyondemand.com.ph. You can watch the movie and more using your computer’s browser or by downloading the SKY On Demand app on the Google Playstore or the Apple App Store.
CinemaWorld is a 24-hour, movie channel that premieres the world’s best and award-winning movies, box-office successes, critics’ favorites from all around the world. SKYcable and One SKY subscribers can add it to their channel line-up for only Php150/month.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper begins to burn.
This is central to the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Considered to be one of the author’s best works, Fahrenheit 451 tells of a dystopian future wherein books were outlawed, facts and history are rewritten, and firemen, instead of saving things from burning, are actually tasked to burn books.
Michael B. Jordan (“Creed,” “Black Panther”) stars as Montag, a young fireman who questions his loyalty to the regime and to his mentor Captain Beatty, played by Michael Shannon (“Boardwalk Empire,” “Revolutionary Road”) after his encounters with Clarisse, played by Sofia Boutella (“The Mummy,” “Kingsman: The Secret Service”).
The film is directed by Ramin Bahrani (“99 Homes”) from a screenplay he co-wrote with Amir Naderi (“Vegas: Based on a True Story”).
“I have always loved Ray Bradbury’s prophetic novel ‘Fahrenheit 451’,” says Bahrani. “The concept is so provocative. Three years ago, I started to think about it again, because the world was frighteningly catching up to what he had envisioned. Bradbury said that we demanded, we elected, for the world to become this way. That’s different than having a totalitarian government take over. I found that to be true, because we have willingly given up our knowledge, identity, books, history, dreams, culture – everything – to tech companies, big business and politicians.”
FAHRENHEIT 451 follows Guy Montag (Michael B. Jordan), the most popular fireman in his district, with a mandate to achieve happiness and social harmony by burning books, physical or electronic, deleting and altering history, art, photos and facts, and replacing words with simplistic emojis. “Natives,” or citizens, mainly stay home, happily interacting with screens and getting anything they need from “Yuxie,” an advanced AI personal assistant that listens to and watches them at all times. “Eels” fight to save books, knowledge and culture. When firemen catch them, they punish Eels in public burnings, which are broadcast to the city on giant building-screens; the Eels’ digital identities and histories are wiped clean and they are banished to Talay City, a poor slum with very little technology.
Captain Beatty (Michael Shannon) is Montag’s mentor and friend, and the head of the regional fireman brigade. He is grooming Montag to take his place, but Beatty also harbors a secret: a desire for knowledge and books, exactly what he trains Montag to burn. Beatty manages to ride a fine line of contradiction to survive within the Ministry. He finds himself losing control of Montag, his prized student, who is haunted by dreams and increasingly questioning his beliefs. Interacting with Clarisse (Sofia Boutella), an Eel-turned-informant, Montag is drawn to forbidden knowledge. The turning point comes when an old woman burns herself alive, in front of Montag, for her books. Now, Montag must know why.
His first step: steal a book. Next: find Clarisse to explain it to him.
Through Clarisse, Montag connects with rebel Eels who are preserving books by memorizing one author’s work and “becoming” that novel. They have developed OMNIS, a way to store all of humanity’s art, history and literature in a microscopic strand of DNA – an advanced form of a technology that exists today. The Eels need Montag to use his status as a fireman to protect OMNIS.
A conflicted and suspicious Beatty realizes that Montag has aligned himself with Clarisse, betraying him and the Ministry. Beatty confronts Montag, resulting in a series of fiery standoffs in which Beatty tries to bring his apprentice and only friend back into the fold. But Montag can’t be saved. He has a goal: save the OMNIS. Mentor and apprentice will have to face the inevitable tragedy that neither friend wants: One of them will have to be destroyed.
Notes Michael Shannon, “This is a good time for FAHRENHEIT 451 to come out, because it seems like we are drifting away from pure information as a society. Everything now is more oriented to opinion and propaganda, and the technology that’s available is allowing us to create a dangerous non-reality. For my character Beatty, it’s not even important whether something is a lie or the truth. That’s an antiquated notion, and that’s something we’re seeing in our culture today. But my own personal mantra is ‘pay attention’ – we think we’re getting all the information and facts, but often you can’t rely on the validity of what you’re reading or seeing these days.”
Says Michael B. Jordan of his character, “He’s the golden boy, you know? And with that type of pressure on him, there’s also a pressure to continue down that path – not to go back, not to turn left, not to make any mistakes. I think the message of the film and the book is very important today, when our freedom of choice and freedom of speech – our rights as human beings – are being tested. Don’t always do what you’re told. Do what you feel is right. That’s something my character Montag learns as he starts to question what the Ministry taught him and slowly but surely begins to think for himself. Know that you have freedom of choice. Don’t rely on someone else to tell you what is true or what your reality is.”
FAHRENHEIT 451 will be streaming on HBO GO and premiering on HBO, the same time as the U.S. on Sunday, May 20 at 8am, with a same day primetime encore at 9pm.
Series and episode details provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
Buy Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, on Amazon.com.
Despite the resto being a fixture in many an Isko or Iska’s memories of college days in the UP Diliman campus, I have, ironically, only eaten at The Chocolate Kiss Cafe twice in my life, and both times took place years after I graduated. This is probably because my student allowance can not accommodate a meal at the poshest (at the time) restaurant in the campus.
The most recent instance was after attending the #KahayupanSaDangal exhibit at the nearby Bulwagan ng Dangal. My daughter and I decided to have dinner at #ChocKiss (as the kids call it nowadays).
Although there was ample parking space around the UP Bahay ng Alumni where the resto is located, it was sparsely lit. Even the walk to the second floor lacked proper lighting.
The resto’s interiors, however, were amply lit and had a cozy atmosphere. Covers of popular music were played live by violinist Royce Aviguetero and guitarist Bobot Mabalot in the background as we dined. On the walls were displayed whimsical and colorful artworks by Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK) member Yas Doctor.
We split orders of Ceasar Salad (Php210), Beef Salpicao (Php315) and a slice of Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (Php145). The salad lived up to “the good stuff” positioning of the resto; the resto’s own-recipe Ceasar Salad dressing gives good flavor to the greens, bacon bits and croutons. The beef dish was passable: the cubes of ribeye steak were tender, well-seasoned and were well-complemented by the garlic rice and steamed veggies. The cheesecake, however, was a bit of a letdown: the chocolate chips distract from the rich flavor we expect from a New York-style cheesecake, resulting to a too-sweet cake.
We were supposed to order the Carrot Cake that ChocKiss is known for but the last remaining slice was already reserved for another diner. But hey, that’s what next visits are for, huh?
The Chocolate Kiss Cafe is located at the 2nd Floor of the UP Bahay ng Alumni along R. Magsaysay Street (across the UP Film Center), UP Diliman Campus, Quezon City. For reservations, call +632 433 1140 or +632 434 3577 or email goodstuff@thechocolatekiss.com.
The other branch is located at the 2nd Floor, Urban Turf, UP Town Center, along Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. For reservations, call +632 946 3276.
Click here to visit The Chocolate Kiss Cafe website.
Did you know that Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling wrote a series of crime novels under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith?
Proving once more that her literary prowess extends beyond children’s fantasy, Rowling penned the Cormoran Strike series which depict the eponymous war veteran turned private investigator whose unique insight and background as a military police investigator proved crucial in solving three unsolvable cases.
British television station BBC adapted the novels as a seven-part miniseries titled C.B. Strike, starring Tom Burke (“Only God Forgives,” “The Three Musketeers”) as the title character. The mini-series, will premiere in the Philippines on May 12 (Saturday), 10pm on Cinemax (ch 198 HD | 36 SD on SKYcable), and will stream on HBO Go, HBO’s online streaming service exclusive to SKY subscribers. The series also stars Holliday Grainger (“The Borgias,” “Bonnie and Clyde”) as Robin Ellacott, Strike’s assistant.
Episodes cover the first three novels in the series and include:
#01 “The Cuckoo’s Calling: Part 1”
Premiere: Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 10pm
After supermodel Lula Landry is found dead outside her London flat, war-veteran-turned-private-investigator Cormoran Strike is visited by Lula’s adoptive brother John Bristow, who disputes the police’s assertion that her death was a suicide. Strike tasks his temp secretary Robin Ellacott with background research on the case, but instead she uncovers details about Strike’s own illustrious yet troubled past. Meanwhile, Strike attempts to track down DI Eric Wardle, the chief investigator on the case, as well as those who may have seen Lula in her final days, including her wealthy neighbour Tansy Bestigui, famous rapper Deeby Mac, designer Guy Somé, and Lula’s best friend Rochelle. Written by Ben Richards; directed by Michael Keillor.
#02 “The Cuckoo’s Calling: Part 2”
Premiere: Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 10pm
Strike connects with a model, Ciara, who offers insights into Lula’s complex friendship with Rochelle and introduces him to Lula’s volatile boyfriend Evan. Robin learns more about Strike’s past from his sister Lucy, and contemplates taking a more stable position in a corporate office. Strike questions Tansy about her changing accounts of the night Lula died, and tries to get to the bottom of Deeby Mac’s whereabouts – and why the building’s security guard didn’t see anything that night. Written by Ben Richards; directed by Michael Keillor.
#03 “The Cuckoo’s Calling: Part 3”
Premiere: Saturday, May 26, 2018 at 10pm
Robin gets a taste of private investigating at a high-end shop Lula visited the day of her murder. Later, she and Strike try to track down a hooded figure in the CCTV footage that Strike obtained from police, as Lula’s long-buried family secrets come to light.
Written by Ben Richards; directed by Michael Keillor.
#04 “The Silkworm: Part 1”
Debut date: Saturday, June 2, 2018 at 10pm
Strike investigates the disappearance of a provocative author, Owen Quine, whose wife Leonora has come to Strike for help. Questioning those in Owen’s inner circle – agent Liz Tassel, author Andrew Fancourt, publisher Daniel Chard and editor Jerry Waldegrave – Strike is eventually led to a gruesome crime scene plucked from the manuscript of Quine’s next book, “Bombyx Mori.” Finding herself caught between Strike and her fiancé Matthew, Robin sets up an introduction between the two. Written by Tom Edge; directed by Kieron Hawkes.
#05 “The Silkworm: Part 2”
Debut date: Saturday, June 9, 2018 at 10pm
Strike tries to convince DI Anstis, the lead investigator on the Quine case, that their prime suspect is not the murderer. Later, Strike lunches with Quine’s agent, Liz Tassel, while Robin tails Quine’s rival Andrew Fancourt, finding a possible clue at Fancourt’s wife’s gravesite. Delving deeper into the hidden meanings and concealed secrets in Quine’s “Bombyx Mori,” Strike and Robin scour all corners of London’s literary world to unmask the killer. Written by Tom Edge; directed by Kieron Hawkes.
#06 “Career of Evil: Part 1”
Debut date: Saturday, June 16, 2018 at 10pm
Arriving at the office, Robin is horrified by the delivery of a gruesome package: the severed leg of a teenage girl, Kelsey Platt. Convinced the girl’s killer is sending him a message, Strike looks into suspects from his past who each have vendettas against him. As Robin’s relationship with Matthew hits an impasse, the investigation takes her away on an overnight trip with Strike. Written by Tom Edge; directed by Charles Sturridge.
#07 “Career of Evil: Part 2”
Debut date: Saturday, June 23, 2018 at 10pm
As Strike and Robin search for clues on their three suspects, Robin’s mother arrives in London to encourage her to make a decision about the wedding. After visiting with Kelsey’s sister, Strike is scolded by an angry DI Wardle for meddling with police business, while Robin questions a suspect’s girlfriend. With the killer continuing to taunt them, Robin inadvertently puts herself in danger as she and Strike arrive closer to the truth. Written by Tom Edge; directed by Charles Sturridge.
Series and episode details provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
Bingsu treats have grown in popularity in the metro, especially now with the searing summer heat. Bingsu is a Korean dessert characterized by shaved ice sweetened with condensed milk and topped with fresh fruits, yogurt, ice cream and bits of yummy baked goods.
While the fam is exploring options for lunch in Bonifacio Global City during a particularly hot summer day, we came across this branch of Hobing Korean Dessert and couldn’t resist having our dessert here. After eating our lunch at nearby Tenya Tempura Tendon, and, eager for something cool and sweet to counter the hot and humid weather, we proceeded Hobing.
Despite being billed as the Korean halo-halo, bingsu is best enjoyed when the shaved ice and toppings are not all mixed together. This allows you to enjoy the varying textures and flavors that went into the bingsu.
We ordered a large serving of Mango Cheese Bingsu (Php320), thinking that a regular serving will not satisfy all of us. What we got was a delectable and prettily presented confection: finely shaved ice flavored with mango syrup, surrounded by huge cubes of ripe mango and topped with rich New York Cheesecake bits, vanilla ice cream and slices of roasted almonds.
We are definitely eager to try Hobing’s other bingsu offerings soon.
This branch of Hobing Korean Dessert is located at the 3rd Floor of BGC Stopover Pavilion, Rizal Drive cor 31st Street, Bonifacio Global City. Other branches of Hobing Korean Dessert are located at:
Considered of the most successful tendon restaurant chains in Japan, Tenya Tempura Tendon opened its doors in the BGC Stopover Pavilion. Its goal, driven by the vision of its founder Mr. Yoshio Iwashita, is to provide diners with high quality yet affordable tendon and tempura.
Tenya prides itself on the quality of its ingredients – such as the sweet succulent tiger prawns, the heart-healthy canola oil, Japanese rice and secret dontare sauce for its tendon – and its methods to produce consistent and tasty tempura such as the specially designed infrared heat technology-powered fryer.
Tempura is one of Japan’s most popular dishes, characterized by seafood, meat and vegetables covered in a light batter then quickly deep-fried to produce tempura’s signature golden-brown hue.
During our family’s recent foray in BGC, we chanced upon this Tenya branch around lunchtime and decided to try it out.
We ordered a Yume Ooedo Set (Php1,295) which consist of 6 black tiger prawn tempura, 6 kani sticks, 3 squid, 3 fish tempura, 2 small kakiage (chopped vegetables and seafood), 3 battered green beans, 3 battered sweet potato, 4 rice and 4 miso soup. Aside from that, we also ordered a 5-piece Salmon Tempura (Php310).
The servings were hearty and the textures and flavors were varied enough that we did not experience umay (roughly translates to flavor-fatigue). The batter was light and adhered well to the fried seafood and veggies. Given that all four of us ate our fill, our orders were affordably priced indeed.
The service staff were friendly and accommodating, quick to assist us with our requests.
My only complaint about the experience was that the store’s airconditioning system was not able to counteract the summer midday heat.
This Tenya Tempura Tendon branch is located at the 2nd floor, BGC Stopover Pavilion, Rizal Drive cor 31st Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig (Tel No: 02 – 512-4776). Other branches are located at:
Ground Floor, Market! Market!, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City (Tel No: 02 – 833-9682)
4F SM Megamall Bldg. A, Doña Julia Vargas Ave, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City (Tel No: 02 – 696-5996)
Food Street, Ground Floor, SM Southmall, Almanza, Las Piñas City (Tel No: 02 – 984-3872)
Jellybeans in the City 