Wholesome

Gasthof Restaurant is on the "must go" list of most everyone who visits the paradise that is Boracay
Right on the beach - in the center of it all,
With a bevy of minimally clad beauties cavorting about.
Taking on a German beer garden feel
With some of the best seafood, sausage and meat grills on the island
Famous for it's lip smackin', mouthwatering baby back ribs.
Gasthof ...

I sat leisurely in my chair
Beer in hand
Peering impatiently at the grill
Waiting as prawns, fish, and clams simmered over hot coal
And of course - the famous baby back ribs ...
I had to have baby back ribs

I could hardly wait
I closed my eyes
I imagined a time long , long ago when I first visited the secret island that was "Bora"
A time when the crowds were not so thick
The beach not so crowded
Hotels were far and in between
Restaurants were exotic and imaginative (including one perched on a treetop)

A time when it was still Borah-kai,
As opposed to Bora-khey
A time when breasts were real
And swim wear covered enough of the body to leave room for imagination

A time when "party" was a noun - not a verb
A time when "cell" was a room at the police station - not a phone
A time when Michael Jackson was "thrilling" - not weird
A time when "clowns" were in the circus -not in government

So long ago ...

The aroma of grilled baby backs now filled the air
I excitedly took a swig of the San Mig in my hand
The waiter walked towards me
With my culinary treasure on his tray
" Enjoy your meal" - he said
The prawns, clams and fish soon followed ...

This was the life
Few moments can match the fulfillment
I took a bite
No disappointment
Tasty, tangy, delicious ...
I was a happy guy

I looked out towards the road
Watched the people walking by
Looked helplessly on as a dilapidated taxicab turned the corner
And slammed directly into a waiting 6-wheeler truck
Creating a monster traffic jam ...

Whaaaaaaaaaaat?
Wait wait wait
Wasn't I in Boracay?

Well ....
Sort of
I was in Gasthof Restaurant and Grill - (of Boracay fame),
And Gasthof has come to Makati
Yup - in the middle of urbantown Makati itself

Gasthof's first branch outside of Boracay
Is making waves
As people trapped in the urban jungle of Makati
Troop to this three level resto
Serving it's original recipe of famous ribs and grills

No sand, no sea , no surf
No bikinis, no thongs
No surfboards, no paraws
Just beer or wine
And good ole' beach food ...

Totally "wholesome" - as opposed to some holes
Imagine na lang ,
It's as good as ...

Drop by
It's deja vu all over again for the 2nd time
Something similiar
Something family
Kinda'

Pwede na din ...



































































































Gasthof Restaurant and Grill
Ground Floor, A. Venue Mall
7829 Makati Avenue
Makati

(63-2) 382-8407

Consistently Delicious

My mom is a neverending song

in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being.
I may sometimes forget the words
but I always remember the tune.
-Gracie Harmon -

Mother's Day
I sat across the table from Mom
Memories floated by
I looked at her and knew how blessed I had been in life
She had always been there
Never questioning
Always giving
Ever caring
Being Mom ...


We were having dinner at Felix - located in the swank Greenbelt 5
This new arrival at the tree-lined "outside" strip of the mall is starting to attract a loyal following
Enter a comfortable casually elegant dining niche
Here Chef Florabel Co ( chef to the stars) whips up a formidable array of wonderful Filipino-Continental fusion cuisine
Never confusing, always interesting, consistently delicious ...

The menu is marked by culinary interpretations of names of places and people that apparently are significant to the imaginative chef

Picture this:

Gen San - devilishly spicy tuna with garden salad

Mactan - grilled prawns with dried scallops, chili cucumber, radish and XO sauce served with brown rice risotto and green asparagus
Gaithersburg - braised short ribs with foie gras served with brown rice
And my most favorite of all ...
Farrah - foie gras fried rice
Not to forget the "must try" dessert -
Julia - a choco mani cake
(heaven for chocnut freaks like me)

Sounds interesting?
Looks interesting?

I recommend it
Truly worth a visit
Go
Have a wonderful dinner

And while you are at it,
Bump into some showbiz personas
(the grapevine says that Ben Chan of the Bench retail empire, as well as the Richard Gomez/Lucy Torres lovebirds are co-owners)

Fine dining
Great wine choices
A canopy of trees
And perhaps a glimpse of your favorite movie star
What better way to spend a special evening ...


(Happy Mother's Day Mom !)



Felix
Greenbelt 5, Legaspi Street
Ayala Center
Makati

(63-2) 729-9062

Suckin' on a Wing

Finally ...
A post from the disappearing blogger
Miss me?


Sorry - it is just that ...
I have never been so tired in my life
The end of the day finds me brain dead
Physically zonked
Emotionally exhausted

The pressure is so high
The stress is tremendous
The uncertainty is unsettling
The expectations are unbelievable

Who invented "work" ?
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I have never needed a break as much as I do now ...

Time to blow off steam
Have a festive time
Feel good
Forget my worries and my cares
Just be ...


Luckily -
HOOTERS is in town
Yes folks -barely a month old
The nearly famous Hooters Restaurant complete with their Hooter Girls welcomes Manila's maddening crowd ...



























Hooters is an American restaurant chain started in 1983 and now with about 435 branches worldwide.
It's claim to fame aside from their variation of the usual American menu is the all female "Hooter Girl" service crew
Clearly an attempt to play on the males attraction to scantily clad females, Hooters has nonetheless somehow positioned itself as a "neighborhood family-friendly restaurant"















I walked in with a high school buddy
Talking and laughing about days gone by
Somehow the "good old days" always seems a such a source of comfort ...

We sat at the bar and started browsing the mouthwatering offerings of the menu
Typical americana fare
Buffalo wings, french fries, burgers, nachos, grills etc.
Our eyes were flitting from the menu to the moving "targets" around us who were mostly in orange shorts and white tank tops
A few "bigger" cleavages in black uniforms belonged to imported Caucasian mentors - here in the Philippines to coach their "smaller" Pinay counterparts
Boldly emblazoned on someones formidable chest was the "espirit" of the place - "delightfully tacky yet unrefined"
We started a conversation with some "girls"
Tacky yet unrefined indeed
Talking about nothing in particular - mostly food (or was it about "eating")
Just hooting with the hooters ...








































It is a happy, boisterous place
Smiles, laughter and a lot of head-bobbin' , back-slappin' , beer-guzzlin' fun can be had here
Despite the rowdy, sleazy image that may first enter one's mind - it is really a harmless generic American restaurant in the mold of TGIF and the likes
There were families and kids enjoying the place, just as there were cross-eyed males trying to enjoy the "view" as much as the food

Hooters is a fun place
Friendly crew
Good food
Great drinks
A great place to meet with friends




And the "hooter girls" ?
Uhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Lets' just say - for the most part, I would probably need a significant amount of beer
Well -
Okay
I would need a lot of beer
I am shy like that ... (yeah right)



























Whatever ...

If you are looking for a new breastaurant?
Hooters Philippines has opened it's doors
Seeya
I will be the cross-eyed, pot-bellied nerd at the bar ...
Suckin' on a chicken wing
And drowning in a beer

















Hooters @Manila Bay, Philippines
Building D, Units 1-6
San Miguel By the Bay
Mall of Asia, Pasay