Day 352: Drink Up!

I never realized I never got around to publishing this.  But this is Kyla sipping up iced milk teas at E.S.Kimo just before we left for the airport.  Awesome, kid.  You make ninang proud.

Day 348: Dim Sum Dinner

So, today is all about food.  We had lunch at Quinella, which is probably my favorite Portuguese restaurant in Macau, where I had my favorite fried rice with smoked salmon and crab roe.  After visiting Fisherman's Wharf and the Red Market, we bought takoyaki and more milk tea.  The takoyaki in mainland China is actually better, but it was a close match.  Compared to the ones I've tried home, which is a disappointment.  Takoyaki does not have ketchup!  It does not have banana ketchup or mustard.  It's not a freakin' hotdog.  I have yet to find out how takoyaki in Japan actually tastes like, but I'm sure it's not served with ketchup.

For dinner, I went to visit my friend's parents, who have always been like my own, and we had dim sum for dinner.  In an honest to goodness dim sum diner.  Complete with noisy staff and quarreling customers.  Notice how they were watching me take a photo of the steamer baskets in the background?  Tito explained that dim sum diners are more of tea places than restaurants.  At the same time, a typical dim sum restaurant would be the equivalent of a goto or pares place in Manila.  Do not expect fine dining here.  The experience is great, though.  Plus the dim sum could not have been any better.  Even the tea served with it is awesome.

Day 346: Lomai

Welcome to Macau!  First order of business is a trip to Loja Canja Lok Fu.  Well, there was a side trip to get milk tea from Come Buy (I know it's a funny name, but they have really good milk teas).  Loja Canja Lok Fu is a hole in the wall noodle house where the you will find the best lomai you will ever taste in your life.  I'm not kidding.  I've been here every time I visit Macau and it never grows old.  My friends who live in Macau still go to this restaurant at least twice every month.  There's something about the noodles that's just different.  It's dry noodles, but the taste is all there.  I've never tasted anything like it anywhere.  Writing about it is already making my mouth water by just remembering how it tastes.

The place is also well-known to locals.  It's normal to wait for a seat to be available.  The facility has not much to offer and even if the staff is nice, they do not serve your food as fast as other restaurants do.  However, people still go back.  I've heard that they would sometimes close for an entire season and would open business when they feel like it.  Patrons still go, anyway.  There's really something about their noodles that's just addicting.

Day 343: Pino

I met with an old friend today to have ramen at Little Tokyo, which is a perfect fit for the rainy December weather.  We used to go here often to buy food from the Japanese grocery store.  One of the things we like buying is Pino, which is basically chocolate-flavored ice cream.  I love it because it's ice cream.  The flavor is fantastic, too.  I wish I could go here more often, though.

Day 341: Bibimbap

Ate at Bab House after running errands.  This is my Bibimbap.  I realized that I haven't eaten at a Korean restaurant this year.  I guess it's timely that this store opened at out office building recently.  I actually like Korean food.  It's very similar to Japanese food, only with more mixing involved.

Day 337: BonChon Chicken

A funny incident that happened to me the day before.  I bought BonChon for dinner, but was too tired when I got home to eat it.  I heated the chicken in the morning for breakfast, and I burned it.  See?  No culinary skills, whatsoever!

Out of my frustration over burning my heated takeout, I went back to BonChon to eat.  This time, I ate at the store.  No heating required.

Day 327: Spring in a Roll

Dropped by BreadTalk to get Cheese Floss, when I saw this.  The colors on the bread was very appealing.  Plus the funny names they give the bread adds a certain charm.  Now, if only they don't use as much plastic.

Day 316: Baked Potatoes

Pardon the poor quality, my hunger was more important than getting a clear picture. :P

Day 313: Panizza

We had dinner at the Tower Club with a visiting executive today, and this was the star of the dinner.  Panizza is this thin-crust pizza cut in lengthy strips which you roll over some vegetables.  It must be known for most people locally as Yellow Cab's Dear Darla pizza.

This is nothing like Dear Darla, though.  It's ten times yummier.  Comparing it doesn't even give it justice.  Chef Chris Locher came out to ask what we thought of the food.  I have to say, he's a master of his craft.  He also served us tiramisu (it was so soft and divine, you simply put a spoonful in your mouth and it melts right there) and homemade gelato (my favorite out of everything).

Unlike how most people would probably envision work-related functions, this was a very relaxed dinner.  There were a lot of thoughts shared throughout the entire dinner, it felt more productive than I expected it to be.

Day 312: S'mores

Recently, my need for sugar intake is on a high.  Not simply because I'm craving for sweets, more because I need it to keep my energy up.  I thank the gods of Starbucks for producing s'mores, then.  Chocolate and marshmallow is about enough sugar to keep me bouncing around the entire day.

Day 308: Caramel Tarts

Found this in Salcedo Market.  I had a very interesting conversation with a colleague before going home.  It was great to exchange banter like that with people whose opinion you respect.  We talked about how perspective changes attitude towards different things.  Which reminded me of a song I'm currently earworming on: Blame It On The Girls (Mika).

Day 305: The Best Thing in Life are Sweets

They're just too cute for words.

Day 303: Yellow

I love my macaroons!

I was too lazy to go out or fix myself something to eat, so I had food delivered from Bizu.  Included an order of Macaron de Paris.  Happy kid again!

Anyway, I have to say that this shot was inspired by a travel video I saw a few months back on YouTube about the city of Paris.  I'm not big on the allure of Paris, but this video kind of changed that perspective a bit.

Day 298: A Taste

Make this moment last forever, steal it - A Taste (The Lalala Song) by Sofia J.

I was craving for a taste of good old taho today.  I needed something sweet to amp my sugar rush.

Day 294: The Baker's Hat

My favorite fro-yo flavor from White Hat.

I spent time over breakfast and ice cream with a friend.  I love old comforts.  I'm not very fond of change.  I accept it, but I'm not really fond of it.  Knowing there are certain things that are constant makes you value them so much more.  Like old friends, conversations, and the flavor of frozen delights.  I appreciate these things as they make me feel less Crazier (Taylor Swift).

Day 292: Chicken Fingers

I had a sudden craving for KFC's hot shots.  Unfortunately, they didn't have hot shots when I ordered.  I settled on having fun shots for dinner, then.  It's the same, it's just that I miss the spicy flavor that comes with hot shots. Nevertheless, I'm grateful for the meal.

Day 291: Chocolate Spread

I'm a big Nutella fan.  It's part of my regular grocery list.  I love it best with bananas.  This time, though, I decided to try out Finetti.  I was wondering if it would be better or if it will actually taste the same.  It's very similar.  The mixed cream gives it a different taste.  I can't say it's better, but there's comfort to a good old Nutella flavor.

Day 288: Flat Bread

I found these flat bread with rosemary at Salcedo Market.  I found it appealing that it can be dipped into anything.  I've tried it with paneer, cheese, cream cheese, chocolate hazelnut spread and jam.  It hasn't disappointed me yet.

Day 281: Gelato on a Rainy Saturday

Met up with a friend to have dinner and watch a movie.  We finished dinner early, so we decided to get gelato while waiting for the film to start.  My friend had Amarena (the pink one) and I had Straciatella (blurry one in foreground).  I love ice cream while it's raining.

There was an event at the store in front of Gelatone, and we sat eating our gelato while watching young folks in their party clothes looking savvy and cool.  I realized that I used to be one of those kids.  Not that I'm saying I'm old, but I somehow feel that I don't belong in that scene.  I guess, there will be a time when you will outgrow certain things.  I can't say it's getting old, because I don't feel old.  It's more of moving on.  You somehow get to a point where you realize, there's a lot more to life than this.  So, you go out and search for it.

Day 278: Custard Pudding

My fridge smells like milk.  That's because I made myself some custard pudding.  I know it looks like a lot, but by the time you're reading this post, majority of it is gone.

I bought this instant custard pudding mix from a Japanese grocery store near where I live.  It's interesting because the entire instruction is in kanji and I had to Google how to do it.  It tastes pretty good, specially when you add the sugary topping (similar to arnibal).  I think I'll try making these next time with more milk.  I used only half a cup of milk for this, but I think I would like it creamier.