Jellybeans in the City

Brand new HBO Original series HIS DARK MATERIALS premieres 5 November exclusively on HBO GO and HBO

The highly anticipated HBO Original series HIS DARK MATERIALS premieres same time as the U.S. on Tuesday, 5 November at 10am exclusively on HBO GO and HBO, with same day encore at 10pm on HBO. New episodes premiere every Tuesday at the same time.

Adapting Philip Pullman’s award-winning trilogy of the same name, which is considered a modern masterpiece of imaginative fiction, the series follows Lyra, a seemingly ordinary but brave young woman from another world. Her search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and becomes a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust.

The drama series explores a world in which sentient, talking animals are found in two ways: daemons and armored bears. Each human in the series is accompanied by their daemon which is the physical manifestation of a person’s soul and a reflection of their inner self and their lifelong companion through the world. Daemons take on the appearance of an animal, but with the voice and the intelligence of a human. In childhood, a daemon can change its animal form at will, but at a certain stage of adolescence a daemon ‘settles’ into its final form – forever reflecting the character of their person.

The series’ stars include:

Dafne Keen as Lyra Belacqua, an adventure-seeking 13-year old from a world that is both like and unlike our own. We meet Lyra as an orphan, having been raised in the sanctuary of Oxford’s illustrious Jordan College. Lyra is desperate to explore with her brilliant Uncle Asriel, until the fates intervene and she ends up on a thrilling and perilous journey of her own. A natural and adept liar, Lyra learns the value of honesty and lies when she becomes the owner of an extraordinary instrument that can tell the truth.

James McAvoy as Lord Asriel Belacqua, a brilliant scholar and a fearless explorer. Asriel is one of few who dare to undermine the powerful forces of Lyra’s world. His ambition is limitless and he will stop at nothing to achieve his ends.

Ruth Wilson as Mrs. Coulter, an enigmatic woman whose origins hold many secrets, and who has gained power in a patriarchal society against the odds. Intelligent and manipulative, Mrs. Coulter always needs to be in control; but her motivations are rarely as they seem.

Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby, an aeronaut-for-hire who can keep his head in a crisis, although he is often getting himself embroiled in trouble.

Anne-Marie Duff as Ma Costa, a fiercely maternal, high-ranking gyptian. The disappearance of her youngest son Billy is the latest of an increasing number of missing children, and acts as a call to action for the gyptian people to find and rescue them.

Clarke Peters as The Master of Jordan College, a man who understands politics and is Lyra’s guardian as she grows up in Oxford.

Ariyon Bakare as Carlo Boreal, an authoritative political figure who works with the Magisterium, but keeps many secrets and knows which ears to whisper into to achieve power.

Will Keen as Father MacPhail, a high-ranking member of the Magisterium whose belief is so unwavering that he will preserve its position at any cost.
Ian Gelder as Charles the Librarian, a learned man and counsel to the Master of Jordan College, who helps to care for Lyra.

Georgina Campbell as Adèle Starminster, a bright and inquisitive journalist who seeks to uncover the truth about the mysterious Mrs Coulter.

Lewin Lloyd as Roger Parslow, the 12-year-old kitchen boy of Jordan College and Lyra’s best friend. Where Lyra is a natural liar, Roger is naturally honest and kind. Roger often acts as Lyra’s moral compass.

Lucian Msamati as John Faa, a plain-speaking warrior and king of the Western gyptians, a close-knit, nomadic and honourable people. John Faa leads a band of brave fighters to action when it becomes clear that the governing forces of their world will not help them get their missing children back.

James Cosmo as Farder Coram, a gyptian and key advisor to John Faa. As an elder member of the community, Coram brings knowledge and wisdom to the gyptians. He is a brave fighter with an extraordinary past.

Daniel Frogson as Tony Costa, the eldest son of the gyptian Ma Costa. At 15 years old, Tony’s daemon has just settled, marking him as having come of age. Tony has a gruff teenage exterior as he tries to step into adult shoes, but is also brave and kind.

Tyler Howitt as Billy Costa, the youngest son of gyptian Ma Costa.

Ruta Gedmintas as Serafina Pekkala, queen of the Lake Enara clan, a 300-year-old witch with ties to the gyptians. Serafina believes that Lyra is the answer to the witch prophecy that will change the course of destiny.

Mat Fraser as Raymond van Gerrit, a gyptian who joins the fight for the missing children but knows it will push their resources and capabilities to their limits, and worries that John Faa is getting them into a fight they cannot win.

Geoff Bell as Jack Verhoeven, a gyptian who is relied upon and trusted in a fight, but who has a chip on his shoulder because of the way that gyptians are treated by the rest of society.

Simon Manyonda as Benjamin de Ruyter, a gyptian and talented spy driven to find the whereabouts of the missing children.

Voice talents include:

Helen McCrory (Harry Potter) voices Stelmaria, Lord Asriel’s (McAvoy) daemon which is a Snow Leopard.

David Suchet (Poirot) is Kaisa, gyrfalcon daemon to the witch Serafina Pekkala (played by Ruta Gedmintas).

Aeronaut Lee Scoresby’s (Miranda) daemon is an arctic hare called Hester, voiced by American comedian Cristela Alonzo and Lyra Belacqua’s (Keen) unsettled daemon, Pantalaimon, is voiced by Kit Connor (Rocketman).

Mrs Coulter’s (Wilson) mysterious daemon, a Golden Monkey, doesn’t speak or have a name but his animal noises and vocal characteristics will be created by Brian Fisher (Detective Pikachu), who also serves as the lead puppeteer and CFX Coordinator on the series.

Puppets were used on set to help the actors form a relationship with their daemon before being created in CGI by Framestore.

Iorek Byrnison, a bear who Lyra meets on her quest will be voiced by Joe Tandberg (The Innocents).

In the frozen wilderness of the North exists a race of armored bears (or panserbjørne). Both skilled metal workers and fierce warriors, they have their own culture and laws.

HIS DARK MATERIALS is produced by Bad Wolf and New Line Cinema for HBO and BBC One. Executive producing the series are: Dan McCulloch, Jane Tranter, Joel Collins and Julie Gardner for Bad Wolf; Philip Pullman, Jack Thorne, Tom Hooper, Otto Bathurst; Deborah Forte, Toby Emmerich and Carolyn Blackwood for New Line Cinema; and Ben Irving and Piers Wenger for BBC One.

HBO is available on SKYcable Ch. 54 SD/Ch. 168 HD (for Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Lipa-Batangas) or on Ch. 402 SD/710 HD (for Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo). SKYdirect subscribers can watch it on Ch. 22 HD. HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming on HBO GO which is exclusively available to SKY subscribers. To subscribe, call 418-0000 or your local SKY office or fill up this form.

Show details and image 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.

Check out my posts on HBO shows:

Korean BBQ Lunch at Geonbae, Tomas Morato

The battle for supremacy among Korean barbecue joints rages on and Geonbae Modern Korean Bar and Grill puts up quite a fight.

Considering my affinity towards K-BBQ, it’s ironic that my foray here was by accident. My coworkers and I were planning to go to another restaurant nearby which happened to be closed for lunch on that day.

We scouted the area for another place to eat and found ourselves walking to Geonbae.

The restaurant’s name was coined from the Korean term for “cheers” or “bottom’s up.” From its dimly lit interiors with spotlights on the grill and the vibrantly colorful accent decor, Geonbae presents itself as a hip n’ happenin’ place for friends to hang out together while indulging their cravings for Korean barbecue.

Given our brief lunch hour, we decided to just go for Geonbae’s Php499 package which include unlimited refills of meats such as samgyeopsal (plain, spicy yakiniku, ginger, gochujang), smoked pork belly, spicy yakiniku pork ribs, spicy yakiniku moksal, herb pork jowl, pork bulgogi, pork intestine, sausage, woosamgyeop (plain, oyster, gochujang) and ginger chicken breast. To be honest, the sheer number of meats was already quite overwhelming and we found ourselves gravitating towards tried-and-true variants such as plain samgyeopsal and woosamgyeop.

The package also includes unlimited refills of banchans such as fried and steamed mandu, fried takoyaki and kimchi, as well as soup, rice and cheese.

I just have to say: Geonbae really holds up well in comparison to other Korean barbecue joints in the area in terms of ambiance, variety of offerings and value for money. It also does well when it comes to service: the dishes are served and refill requests are seen to quite promptly.

And since my coworkers and I availed of a Booky Prime privilege that gave us a Buy 3 Get 1 deal on our meal, we ended up paying leas than Php420 each for our meal. Not bad, huh?

This Geonbae Modern Korean Bar and Grill branch is located at 115 Scout Delgado Street, Bgy. Sacred Heart, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 4298549.

Other branches will open at Maria Clara Street, Bgy. Sto. Domingo, Banawe, Quezon City and at Third Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City.

Japanese food faves at Hanako, SM Pasig

Japanese restaurant Hanako got its name from a popular female given name in Japan which translates to “flower girl.”

Coincidentally, I recently dined at its SM Pasig branch after an all-girl’s outing with my mom and my daughter #ExhibitA. At this restaurant, we were able to sample tasty and authentic Japanese dishes which are also easy on the pocket (and made even easier by Zomato Gold… more on that later).

This outlet brings the color and vibrancy of Japanese street eateries inside the mall, attracting diners with its boldly colored banners and food posters.

Japanese food remains among my family’s favorite cuisines. We love the simple yet strong flavors and the contrast in textures that make each bite tasty and interesting.

Take our lunch orders for example:

Salmon Tartare (Php224). Small pieces of salmon mixed in mayonnaise, togarashi (Japanese chili pepper), tempura flakes and chopped scallions. A delicious start to the meal!

Ebi Tempura (Php279). Five large prawns battered then deep fried to a beautiful golden brown, then served with tempura dipping sauce. A mainstay in many of the fam’s Japanese meals!

(Trivia: Did you know that the method of preparing tempura was introduced in Japan by Portuguese Jesuits in the mid-16th century?)

Chicken Karaage (Php199). Boneless chicken thigh pieces are marinated in a mixture of ginger and soy sauce, then coated with starch and deep fried before being served with a side of Japanese mayo for its dipping sauce.

(Trivia: Did you know that in the US, chicken karaage is sometimes called JFC, or Japanese Fried Chicken?)

Tonkatsu (Php219). A juicy piece of pork cutlet, seasoned then panko-coated and deep-fried, then served with a salad of shredded cabbage and katsu sauce. How can you go wrong with this dish?

(Trivia: Did you know that ton translates to “pork” and katsu – a shortened form of katsuretsu – is a transliteration of the word “cutlet?”)

Chahan (Php79). Flavorful dish of rice stir-fried in a wok with some minced meat and chopped vegetables.

Our lunch of our favorite Japanese food is a happy cap to an outing of three generations!

This Hanako branch is located at SM Center Pasig, Frontera Drive, Bgy. Ugong, Pasig, open daily from 10am to 11pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 5848708.

Other branches are located at:

Second Floor, Regis Center, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Second Floor, The Rock Lifestyle Hub, Holy Spirit Drive, Bgy. Holy Spirit, Quezon City
131 C. Armstrong Avenue, Moonwalk Village Phase 1, Paranaque
30-C Dona Soledad Avenue, Don Bosco, Paranaque

Classic Negrense cuisine at JT’s Manukan Grille, Tomas Morato

One particularly rainy day, a coworker was craving for barbecue for lunch. Well, for me, barbecue as the main highlight of the lunch meal would be too basic (Yes, sometimes, I’m a diva like that!)

After much debate, our group decided to have lunch at the nearby JT’s Manukan Grille to get the best of both worlds. She can have the pork barbecue she has been craving for while I get to experience authentic Bacolod chicken inasal.

The restaurant was started by award-winning character actor Joel Torre (hence the name “JT”) and his wife, Cristy. From its humble beginnings as a takeout counter, the brand has grown to eighteen outlets all over the metro.

The restaurant operates on four principles: masarap (delicious), mura (affordable), malinis (clean) and masaya (happy). All of these principles came into play during our meal.

Located at the corner of Sgt. Esguerra Avenue and Scout Borromeo Street, the restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating areas. It is marked by decor that denote its Negrense origins such as the Masskara masks painted on the walls and its association with the actor such as movie posters and that fun wall mural that offers a fresh take on The Last Supper that adorn many Filipino dining rooms.

Chicken inasal is made of chicken pieces marinated in a mixture of calamansi, pepper, coconut vinegar and annatto then grilled over hot coals while being basted with the marinade.

Our orders included Paa (chicken leg and thigh – Php120), Pecho (chicken breast and wing – Php135) and Pork Barbecue (Php35 per stick), which we enjoyed together with lots of chicken oil, the soy sauce with calamansi and chili pepper dipping sauce, flavorful garlic rice and bowl of hot broth.

I also got myself an Allmytea Iced Tea (Php50 for single serve | Php70 bottomless) which is a good partner for the inasal.

See? Sometimes, we can have the best of both worlds!

This JT’s Manukan Grille branch is located at Scout Borromeo corner Scout Ybardolosa Street, South Triangle, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 12 midnight. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 9288085.

Other branches in Metro Manila are located in:

Quezon City: Valencia, Banawe, Libis, Eton Centris, Novaliches, Project 8, Ever Gotesco Commonwealth, Blue Ridge
Makati City: Bel Air, Makati Central Square
BGC: Justice Drive, Sapphire Residence Tower
Pasig: Ortigas Home Depot
Manila: Ermita
Paranaque: Victory Food Market

Gong Cha, Tomas Morato

The name Gong Cha (“the emperor” and “contributed” in Chinese) denotes “the best tea contributed to the king from all possessions.” it now translates to the store’s central philosophy: to treats its customers as emperors and provide them with only the best products.

While the area in Tomas Morato is now teeming with milk tea shops, for the longest time, it was only Gong Cha in Il Terrazzo Mall that my officemates and I were aware of.

Recently, after lunch nearby with my officemates, I opted to drop by and give in to my personal milk tea obsession: to taste each milk tea shop’s version of pearl milk tea with salted cream.

At Gong Cha, this takes the form of Milk Tea with Pearl Jelly (Php85) topped with Gong Cha House Special Milk Cream (Php42).

Gong Cha’s pearl milk tea is made from premium tea leaves freshly brewed every day and served with chewy tapioca pearls. The special salted cream that tops my drink is rich and frothy, definitely complementing the tea’s flavor.

I enjoyed myself with this drink as my well-deserved afternoon indulgence at work.

This Gong Cha branch is located at Second Floor, Il Terrazzo Mall, Tomas Morato Avenue corner Scout Madrinan Street, South Triangle, Quezon City.

Other branches are located at:

Quezon City: Eastwood Mall, Robinsons Galleria, Cyberpark Tower 1, Shopwise Araneta, Robinsons Magnolia, UP Town Center, SM Sta. Mesa, Fisher Mall, Trinoma Mall, SKY Garden and Main Building SM North EDSA, SM Sun Mall, Amoranto Street – Banawe, Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, SM City Fairview, Ayala Fairview Terraces
Pasig: L&Y Plaza Ugong, Ortigas Technopoint, Ayala Feliz,
Marikina: SM City Marikina
San Juan: Theater Mall Greenhills Shopping Center, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Santolan Town Plaza
Mandaluyong: Greenfield District, SM Light Mall, Forum Robinsons
Taguig: Uptown Place Mall, SM Aura Premier, Vista Mall Taguig, Fort Victoria Building, Venice Grand Canal Mall
Makati: Powerplant Mall, Glorietta 1, Glorietta 4, SM Jazz Mall, SM Makati, Landmark, Greenbelt Hamilton Tower, San Lorenzo Place Condominium, Shell Magallanes
Pasay: Newport City, Met Live Mall, MOA Arena, Entertainment Mall MOA, SM by the Bay
Manila: 2 Torre Lorenzo, The One Grand Centre, SM City Manila, Robinsons Place Manila, SM City San Lazaro, G-2 Avenue of the Arts, Lucky Chinatown
Caloocan: SM City Sangandaan
Paranaque: SM City BF, SM City Sucat,
Valenzuela: SM City Valenzuela
Las Pinas: The Village Square Alabang, SM Southmall, Vista Mall Las Pinas, Evia Lifestyle Center
Muntinlupa: Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Friendly meetup at Camp Curry, Ayala Triangle Gardens

Every time my friend Tina returns to the country, we try to get together to catch up. This has long-standing has been going on for some years now.

While we gravitate towards our favorite places in the Greenbelt and Glorietta areas for our meetups, every once in a while, we like to shake things up by trying out a new restaurant.

This time, I suggested we meet up at Camp Curry, the camping-themed restaurant in Ayala Triangle. This eatery’s interiors attempt to bring the outdoors inside through all the camping paraphernalia.

Armed with GCs I received from a previous event, I treated Tina to tasty dinner.

Now, as its name implies, Camp Curry specializes in dishes with curry. However, since Tina and I are not too crazy over curry, what we got ourselves for our meal instead included:

BBQ Pork Belly with Rice (Php249) and BBQ Beef and Mashed Potatoes (Php310). Tender pieces of meat freshly cooked right on the grill in the open kitchen and served with fluffy and creamy mashed potatoes (Tina had her mashed potatoes replaced with rice).

Camp’s French Toast (Php150). Milk infused bread dipped into egg batter then toasted in a hot iron skillet, dashed with a cinnamon mix and topped with vanilla ice cream.

Mango Lassi (Php150). Pureed mango is added to a spiced yogurt drink, resulting to a sweetly exotic drink.

The meal turned a habitual get-together between two friends into a gastronomic adventure!

Thanks to Camp Curry for the GCs!

This Camp Curry branch is located at Ayala Triangle Gardens, Salcedo Village, Makati City, open daily from 11am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 8516730.

Another branch is located at Ground Floor, Ayala Malls Feliz, Dela Paz, Pasig City, open daily from 11am to 10pm.

Disclosure: Our meal was sponsored by Camp Curry in the form of gift certificates I received.

Happy lunch at Cafe Shibuya, Trinoma

During a lull in an otherwise busy workweek, my officemates and I went to Trinoma Mall for lunch and to do some errands.

It’s been a while since we last had our taste of Cafe Shibuya’s offerings so we were looking forward to having them for lunch.

Cafe Shibuya got its name from the Shibuya Honey Toast, also known as the Brick Toast due to its bulk. This popular Japanese dessert is made with a thick piece of fluffy toasted bread topped with sweet ingredients such as whipped cream, honey, maple syrup, fruits and chocolate syrup, among others.

This particular branch of Shibuya Cafe is more of a kiosk located along the second floor hallway of the mall furnished with tables and chairs so that patrons can dine in. Despite the space limitations, the cafe is still featured the light and airy design of its other branches, along with frames with inspirational messages as its wall decor.

Aside from the eponymous Shibuya toasts (both sweet and savory kinds), the restaurant also serves rice meals, pastas and cakes, as well as coffee- and fruit-based drinks.

For our lunch, we had:

Crispy Pork Belly with Kimchi Rice (Php355). Sweet and salty deep-fried pork belly served fried egg and nori shreds in a bowl of spicy kimchi rice.

Fish Florentine (Php265). Pan-fried dory doused in a creamy and cheesy bechamel sauce accompanied by rice pilaf and a side of tomato and corn salsa.

Shibuya Benedict (Php295). Shibuya Cafe’s own spin on the brunch classic, this consists of farmer’s ham, deep-fried poached egg, shiitake mushroom topped a thick toast and doused in a housemade Japanese mayo cream sauce. This is served with a side of potato chips and a Mentaiko mayo sauce.

Well, it was a lovely way to get reacquainted with old faves…

This Cafe Shibuya branch is located at Second Floor, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-asa, Quezon City, open Sundays to Thursdays from 10am to 9pm and Fridays to Saturdays from 10am to 10pm.

Other branches are located at

Second Floor, Building A, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
Third Floor, Glorietta 2, Ayala Center, Glorietta Complex, Makati City

And since we booked our table at Cafe Shibuya using Eatigo, we got 30% off our lunch meal!

Eatigo is a restaurant reservation app that offers time-based discounts everyday in its 2,000 partner restaurants.

THE HEAD, by The Mediapro Studio, HBO Asia and Hulu Japan, is currently shooting

THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO, HBO Asia and Hulu Japan are shooting the first series by Àlex Pastor and David Pastor in Spain, more specifically in Tenerife. Directed by Jorge Dorado (“El Embarcadero”, “Mindscape”) for 12 weeks, this survival thriller is set in one of the remotest places on the planet – Antarctica. The shooting is taking place in the Canary Islands and Iceland.

The Pastor brothers and Jorge Dorado have worked with Ran Tellem (“Homeland”), Head of International Content Development of THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO, in the creation of this thriller.

The project, one of THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO’s major investments, took its first steps in 2017 at the prestigious International Series Mania Forum, held in Paris. The Head was presented at a pitching session and aroused great interest among representatives from the media and entertainment sector.

Álvaro Morte (The Professor and mastermind behind the ambitious robbery in “Money Heist”, and a character that has earned him widespread international success; “The Pier”, “El secreto de Puente Viejo”, “To Love is Forever”), Tomohisa Yamashita (“Code Blue”), Laura Bach (”Sprinter Galore”, “Rita”), Mònica López (“Hierro”, “In the city”, “The uninvited guest”, “Acusados”), Alexandre Willaume (“Below the Surface”, ”Deep State”, “Tomb Raider”), Katharine O’Donnelly (“Mary, Queen of Scots”), John Lynch (“The Terror”) and Amelia Hoy (“Below the Surface”, “Killing Eve”) are part of the international cast of the series.

According to Javier Méndez, Chief Content Officer of THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO, “The Head is an example of the direction we’re headed in, with ambitious and complex international projects based on great stories. The Head is a major step in the Studio’s strategy to guarantee that the best stories reach our clients around the world; to do so, we have excellent partner like Hulu Japan”.

Laura Fernández Espeso, Corporate Director and Co-Head of TV of THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO, commented: “The Head is the fruit of many months’ labor to meet deadlines when demand for content is huge. Having talent like Jorge Dorado and Àlex and David Pastor working from the beginning to build and shape this project, altogether with a great international cast and a prominent partner such as Hulu Japan, gives an idea of the magnitude of the project. It is a privilege for THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO to bring this amazing series to the audiovisual market”.

The dark, long months in Antarctica, the cold, the wind and the large stretches of ice, along with the feelings of loneliness and claustrophobia, are the distinguishing features of this six-episode series.

The plot of “The Head”, with dialogues in English and Danish, is set in the Polaris VI international base, in Antarctica. A small group of scientists from several countries will be in charge of the base during the long polar nights. But in the middle of winter, the base stops communicating with the outside world.

“After a process lasting two and half years, we at THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO are proud to bring this unique story to the screen”, explained Tellem. “’The Head’” is about Good and Evil. Our story begins when a group of people find themselves completely disconnected from the world, in the frozen darkness of the South Pole winter. For the unknown killer among them, this is the perfect setting. For everybody else, telling good from evil just might be the thing that saves your life.”

He adds, “The moment Hulu Japan joined us, we felt it is more than just a regular collaboration. The opportunity to include a Japanese character in this international thriller was a challenge we embraced from the first moment. Having Tomohisa as part of our cast is a great addition to THE HEAD. Together with his acting abilities and charm, he brings a fresh approach, a new world rarely seen on European shows. We feel it will be a great impact for both the Japanese viewers of the series, as it will be to audiences in Europe and other regions of the world. We are excited and eager to meet Tomo on the set and get busy. We are also delighted that HBO Asia has come on board, so THE HEAD will get a wider distribution across Asia.”

“Following the success of MISS SHERLOCK, the first HBO Asia Original co-production with HULU Japan, we look forward to bringing yet another production in collaboration with HULU Japan,” said Jonathan Spink, CEO, HBO Asia. “We look forward to adding the survival thriller, THE HEAD, to our slate of HBO Asia Originals and bringing it to audiences across Asia when it premieres.”

“In ‘The Head’, I made some contribution to the development, which is quite unusual,” director Jorge Dorado explains, “because directors normally join in at a much later stage. And this is very interesting, because this way, the story in a way becomes yours too.” The director also emphasizes the work of THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO: “At the moment, no one else in Spain is doing projects of this magnitude and with such international ambition.”

Àlex and David, who have worked on the screenplays of “The Head”, along with Isaac Sastre, define the production as a “claustrophobic thriller with a central mystery.” “The series plays with two different times, because the idea is to find out who the murderer is, the reasons why they have done this, and if there is something else behind or beyond what seem to be a series of crimes,” they suggest.

The Pastor brothers have a brilliant track record in filmmaking with titles like “Carriers” and “The Last Days”, both written and directed by them, and “SELF/LESS”, written by them, directed by Tarsem Singh (“The Cell”) and starring Ben Kingsley and Ryan Reynolds. They made their debut in the TV world with the series “Incorporated”, for the US channel Sy Fy, produced by Pearl Street Films, which is Matt Damon’s and Ben Affleck’s company. The Pastor brothers were in charge of the screenplay and the direction of the pilot episode. Recently, they have directed the film “Hogar” for Netflix.

Show details and image provided by HBO in a recent press release.

Check out my posts on HBO shows:

Gelato break at Cara Mia, Robinsons Galleria

It seems that no matter the weather, frozen treats are a sure bet. Whether your find yourself in the midst of a sweltering summer or wet monsoon season, you can always take comfort in something cold and sweet.

Take gelato, for example.

This dessert which originated from Italy has become a mainstay in the Pinoy dessert scene. And why shouldn’t it? Made with a base of milk, gelato uses a lot less cream than ice cream, resulting in a denser and creamier dessert.

Premium gelato brand Cara Mia (“my dear” in Italian) got its start when Fr. Gianluigi Colombo, the Salesian Priest who started Amici di Don Bosco in Makati started selling gelato in one of the sections of the cafeteria style restaurant when it opened in 2001, in effect making it among the first to offer this kind of dessert to Pinoys.

Years later, Cara Mia was spun off into a separate brand with its own stores all over the metro, such as the kiosk in Robinsons Galleria that my son and I visited when we were in the mood for dessert after our steak lunch.

We gave up trying to walk off the calories and just opted to sit down at the kiosk and relax with our chosen cup of gelato.

I got myself a Coffee Mudslide (Php95), a sweet treat fortified by espresso shots incorporated in the gelato.

My son got a cup of Cookies and Cream (Php95), rich vanilla gelato interspersed with Oreo crumbs, definitely one of his favorites!

What a lovely end to meal and a way for mom-and-son to spend some quiet time together!

This Cara Mia branch is located at Level 2 Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Center, Quezon City.

Other branches include: Ayala Malls Feliz, Greenhills, Don Bosco, Tomas Morato, Ayala Triangle, Alabang Town Center, Robinsons Manila, Estancia Mall, Trinoma, Fairview Terraces, SM Megamall, SM Fairview, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Greenhills Promenade, Festival Mall, Gateway Mall, Venice Grand Mall and Uptown Bonifacio

Cara Mia products can also be enjoyed inside Amici stores such as UP Ayala Technohub, SM Mega Atrium, SM North EDSA The Block and Katipunan Avenue.

Pinoy comfort food at Goto Tendon, Tomas Morato

Would you believe that Tomas Morato’s newest gotohan and paresan came about partly out of boredom?

As the story goes, Jenny Penaloza was feeling bored having given up her career to become a full-time mom. Her husband John then suggested making a business out of her culinary specialty: the goto.

Goto is a type of gruel dish popular in the country made with glutinous rice and beef tripe, simmered in a ginger-based broth.

The recipe was taught to Jenny by John’s grandmother, Lola Nena Penaloza. Since then, she has been tweaking the recipe until she decided to launch the goto restaurant her husband suggested.

Having heard good things from my officemates about this gotohan nearby, I decided to join my friends at Goto Tendon for lunch.

Our meal consisted of:

Goto Tendon (Php158 for small | Php198 for large). Based on this dish, among the tweaks that Jenny applied to traditional goto recipe is the addition of imported US tendon and quail eggs, making the porridge even heartier.

Beef Tendon Pares (Php158) and Sizzling Beef Tendon Pares (Php178). The traditional pares (beef stew paired with soup and garlic rice) is further enhanced with imported US tendon. It can be served as is or on a sizzling plate.

Tokwa’t Baboy (Php118). Fried tofu with pork bits served in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, chopped onions and chili peppers. This went so well with the goto tendon.

Considering that this was my first taste of beef pares (I had taste of lamb pares later in the week at ALTA by Relik), I’d say the experience was not bad at all. I wouldn’t mind returning for another taste of beef pares, especially with those chewy and flavorful bits of tendon!

This Goto Tendon branch is located at 49 Scout Tobias Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City, open Sundays to Thursdays from 11am to 3am and Fridays to Saturdays from 11am to 5am. For inquiries or reservations, call +63 2 518 5527.

Other branches are located at:

Maysilo Circle, Plainview, Mandaluyong City
Food Court, Ground Floor, Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, Greenhills, San Juan City
Bayani Road corner T. Arguelles Street, Galas, Quezon City