6.07.2014
Tim Ho, etc
Here is an account of the day I lined up for a taste of the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurant that is now in Manila, Tim Ho Wan.
When you see Instagram photos of the crazy lines outside THW, do not ever doubt them. Believe them and devise a plan to avoid them. That's what I did, or so I thought. I took a half day leave two Wednesdays ago to see Maleficent on IMAX. With roughly an hour of commute, I will be in Megamall at around 11am. By that time, that early, I thought, I wouldn't be waiting that long to be seated. With the confidence of a warrior, I texted my sister and aunt, we'll be having lunch at Tim Ho Wan. They replied, what is that?
I arrived a few minutes early and strutted away to Mega B. When I turned right, I was greeted with the image of an Instagram photo come to life. Wow, I said. Why? There are ordered stanchions for crowd control and people with empty stomachs are already lined halfway through. I scurried toward the end of the line and breathed deeply. The dining area was still empty. Ah, yes, I guess I wouldn't have to wait long enough. And then with a swift glance, I spotted a sign in printed paper hanging in the middle of the transparent wall saying: "OPENING TODAY @ 12NN."
What?!
It's now or never. A wait staff approached me, asked for my name and the number of people dining with me. I was informed to have everyone present by the time I'm called or else we wouldn't be seated. It is a strict rule that they follow so don't be stubborn. I asked for a menu and started ticking down stuff I wanted to eat. Nothing was priced above P200. I went all tick-happy. And waited. And waited.
In front of me was a chinita lady waiting for her chinita friend. Behind me was a family of chinita girls who were blabbing about their Tim Ho Wan experience in Mongkok. Most of the waiting patrons, I observed, were Chinese. Ha, of course. Dim sum. As 12nn approached, the queue just kept growing. You'll think there's a secret One Direction meet and greet.
Ten minutes before 12nn, the staff gathered into a wide circle for their pre-shift meeting (I always call it prayer meeting, heh). Staring at them almost killed my patience. I started chanting "pork buns, pork buns, pork buns."
Remember the strict rule I mentioned earlier? I was still alone when my turn came to be seated. My aunt and Nicole went to the grocery to buy movie snacks. My sister ran to look for them. The server apologized and guided me to wait behind her; they needed to serve the next person in line until "my crew" was complete. I gave her a phony smile. She wrote "chubby" beside my name in her cork board. (I know my chubbiness is a fact but work ethics, please. She should have known better than to let me see it. I was wearing a rainbow-colored shirt. She could have written that down instead. But I digress.)
Yadda, yadda, yadda. We were seated inside, unfortunately to uncomfortable chairs (ones that only support the end of your spine), and ordered. They left a list of the table's orders as a guide (they cross off the dishes as they arrive).
Now let's eat.
I liked the pork dumpling and the steamed egg cake the most. The reason I decided to queue, though, was for the pork buns. And the one-hour wait was worth it.
The bun was crunchy, flaky and sweet. Once I bit in, steam filled my mouth and I started crying. Kidding. The pork filling was sweet, but not overpowering. I don't know. I love it. It's so good. I'm still thinking about it. And now, the long lines make sense. The hype makes sense. I'm craving for more but I'm not stupid to fall in line again. They only allow carry out when you dine in. I guess I'll have to wait until they expand. I hear they're setting up a new store in Glorietta. Good luck with that, Makati professionals.
It was like Diner Dash inside. People are seated, order is taken, food is served, people eat, people pay, people leave. We ditched ASAP because we had a movie to catch, but with the queue outside, you're crass if you stay a minute longer than intended. But then again you waited forever to be seated so why not soak it in. You make your own life decisions.
Jesus, my stomach is grumbling. I'll fill it with water now. Goodbye.
When you see Instagram photos of the crazy lines outside THW, do not ever doubt them. Believe them and devise a plan to avoid them. That's what I did, or so I thought. I took a half day leave two Wednesdays ago to see Maleficent on IMAX. With roughly an hour of commute, I will be in Megamall at around 11am. By that time, that early, I thought, I wouldn't be waiting that long to be seated. With the confidence of a warrior, I texted my sister and aunt, we'll be having lunch at Tim Ho Wan. They replied, what is that?
I arrived a few minutes early and strutted away to Mega B. When I turned right, I was greeted with the image of an Instagram photo come to life. Wow, I said. Why? There are ordered stanchions for crowd control and people with empty stomachs are already lined halfway through. I scurried toward the end of the line and breathed deeply. The dining area was still empty. Ah, yes, I guess I wouldn't have to wait long enough. And then with a swift glance, I spotted a sign in printed paper hanging in the middle of the transparent wall saying: "OPENING TODAY @ 12NN."
What?!
It's now or never. A wait staff approached me, asked for my name and the number of people dining with me. I was informed to have everyone present by the time I'm called or else we wouldn't be seated. It is a strict rule that they follow so don't be stubborn. I asked for a menu and started ticking down stuff I wanted to eat. Nothing was priced above P200. I went all tick-happy. And waited. And waited.
In front of me was a chinita lady waiting for her chinita friend. Behind me was a family of chinita girls who were blabbing about their Tim Ho Wan experience in Mongkok. Most of the waiting patrons, I observed, were Chinese. Ha, of course. Dim sum. As 12nn approached, the queue just kept growing. You'll think there's a secret One Direction meet and greet.
Ten minutes before 12nn, the staff gathered into a wide circle for their pre-shift meeting (I always call it prayer meeting, heh). Staring at them almost killed my patience. I started chanting "pork buns, pork buns, pork buns."
Remember the strict rule I mentioned earlier? I was still alone when my turn came to be seated. My aunt and Nicole went to the grocery to buy movie snacks. My sister ran to look for them. The server apologized and guided me to wait behind her; they needed to serve the next person in line until "my crew" was complete. I gave her a phony smile. She wrote "chubby" beside my name in her cork board. (I know my chubbiness is a fact but work ethics, please. She should have known better than to let me see it. I was wearing a rainbow-colored shirt. She could have written that down instead. But I digress.)
Yadda, yadda, yadda. We were seated inside, unfortunately to uncomfortable chairs (ones that only support the end of your spine), and ordered. They left a list of the table's orders as a guide (they cross off the dishes as they arrive).
Now let's eat.
 |
| Pork dumpling with shrimp |
 |
| Prawn dumpling |
 |
| Steamed spinach dumpling |
 |
| Beancurd skin roll with pork and shrimp |
 |
| Steamed egg cake |
 |
| Rice with beef and fried egg |
 |
| Pan fried carrot cake |
 |
| Vermicelli roll with pig's liver |
 |
| Yum |
 |
| and yum |
 |
| and yum |
It was like Diner Dash inside. People are seated, order is taken, food is served, people eat, people pay, people leave. We ditched ASAP because we had a movie to catch, but with the queue outside, you're crass if you stay a minute longer than intended. But then again you waited forever to be seated so why not soak it in. You make your own life decisions.
Jesus, my stomach is grumbling. I'll fill it with water now. Goodbye.
5.17.2014
Five Favorites
It's been a crazy week. I juggled going home to two houses in one day, for four days. I slept for three hours on most nights, which made it extra hard to wake up even with two sets of alarm. Despite that, it's been productive and there had been an outpour of clarity and calm. But I'm not going to talk about that. I'm gonna go ride a Segway to do my segue and move on to a list of five things that made me happy this week.
1. I remember early mornings as a kid, waiting in the bench outside our house for a taho vendor to come by. My mom will send out big mugs and bowls to be filled with silken tofu, sago, and brown sugar syrup. I remember asking people why they stir their taho, how it ruins the taste. I would eat mine by spooning off two-thirds of the tofu first, and it is only when I reach the near bottom that I stir the remaining tofu with the syrup, and then I close my eyes and drink the sweet, bold, rich taste of my favorite breakfast snack. You see, childhoods are pivotal when it comes to the taste department.
I buy taho before coming to work whenever I feel a craving and, every time I do, I feel that there's just something missing. The taho in Makati (well, around RCBC Plaza, that is) never made me happy. It is watery and subdued, and the syrup tastes like it was taken off the pan before it even began caramelizing. Bottom line is, it never hit home. Last Sunday, after jogging around UP, I took two steps back after overtaking a taho vendor in the sidewalk. I bought a cup (a small one costs 20 pesos and I thought it was ridiculous), took a sip, and OH MY GOD, it is the taho I've been dreaming about all this time. I'd willingly pay twice if it was what's being sold beside Columns. I kept blurting out "ang sarap" until I finished the cup. It was that good.
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2. It was almost midnight when my aunt started unpacking her baggage straight from the airport last Monday. I received a set of makeup brushes and a brush cleanser (YAY) -- I was so ecstatic and it was evident in the way that I was swirling the kabuki brush around my face while staring at everyone in the living room. Anyway, that wasn't my sweet. We started a mini fashion show-slash-photoshoot with Nicole, one that she clearly enjoyed. Here's my niece being all so kyot.
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3. A few late night laughs from the past two weeks. Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers are my late night best friends.
Second Chance Theatre
Jennifer Lawrence
Ew! with Seth Rogen and Zac Efron
Bonus: I needed to add this because DANE DEHAAN
4. I went to the NBS Warehouse Sale last Friday just to look around. I had zero intentions of buying anything because I was on a tight budget. I noticed that there weren't many options to choose from, which was a good/bad thing, depending on your preference. I made one purchase, though, Melanie Dunea's My Last Supper, The Next Course. I found it lying on the bottom of a stack of books and I immediately grabbed it and hugged it like my life depended on it. It took a while before I convinced myself to proceed to the cashier. It was big and wonderful and a bargain at P150. It was worth it.
5. Okay. Hey. I'm putting this last but it's definitely the highlight of this list. Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy on The Graham Norton Show. I don't think I need to stress how already perfect the show is. I've seen it four times already. The chemistry of these three mutants is palpable. Hugh Jackman is the life of the party. It really shows how fun of a host he is. Michael Fassbender has a pretty face, a big mouth, and an almost perfectly cartoon-y set of teeth. It's the first time I've heard his real accent and I find it amusing. Do I even need to explain James McAvoy's effect on me? His face, his wit, his accent, and all his sexual innuendos made my week (and made me weak). Below are snippets from the BBC YouTube channel, but you must see its entirety. You just have to.
*Not that it matters, but I've noticed that they are actually seated by age, starting with Graham on the left (oldest) to James (youngest).
1. I remember early mornings as a kid, waiting in the bench outside our house for a taho vendor to come by. My mom will send out big mugs and bowls to be filled with silken tofu, sago, and brown sugar syrup. I remember asking people why they stir their taho, how it ruins the taste. I would eat mine by spooning off two-thirds of the tofu first, and it is only when I reach the near bottom that I stir the remaining tofu with the syrup, and then I close my eyes and drink the sweet, bold, rich taste of my favorite breakfast snack. You see, childhoods are pivotal when it comes to the taste department.
I buy taho before coming to work whenever I feel a craving and, every time I do, I feel that there's just something missing. The taho in Makati (well, around RCBC Plaza, that is) never made me happy. It is watery and subdued, and the syrup tastes like it was taken off the pan before it even began caramelizing. Bottom line is, it never hit home. Last Sunday, after jogging around UP, I took two steps back after overtaking a taho vendor in the sidewalk. I bought a cup (a small one costs 20 pesos and I thought it was ridiculous), took a sip, and OH MY GOD, it is the taho I've been dreaming about all this time. I'd willingly pay twice if it was what's being sold beside Columns. I kept blurting out "ang sarap" until I finished the cup. It was that good.
2. It was almost midnight when my aunt started unpacking her baggage straight from the airport last Monday. I received a set of makeup brushes and a brush cleanser (YAY) -- I was so ecstatic and it was evident in the way that I was swirling the kabuki brush around my face while staring at everyone in the living room. Anyway, that wasn't my sweet. We started a mini fashion show-slash-photoshoot with Nicole, one that she clearly enjoyed. Here's my niece being all so kyot.
3. A few late night laughs from the past two weeks. Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers are my late night best friends.
Second Chance Theatre
Jennifer Lawrence
Ew! with Seth Rogen and Zac Efron
Bonus: I needed to add this because DANE DEHAAN
4. I went to the NBS Warehouse Sale last Friday just to look around. I had zero intentions of buying anything because I was on a tight budget. I noticed that there weren't many options to choose from, which was a good/bad thing, depending on your preference. I made one purchase, though, Melanie Dunea's My Last Supper, The Next Course. I found it lying on the bottom of a stack of books and I immediately grabbed it and hugged it like my life depended on it. It took a while before I convinced myself to proceed to the cashier. It was big and wonderful and a bargain at P150. It was worth it.
5. Okay. Hey. I'm putting this last but it's definitely the highlight of this list. Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy on The Graham Norton Show. I don't think I need to stress how already perfect the show is. I've seen it four times already. The chemistry of these three mutants is palpable. Hugh Jackman is the life of the party. It really shows how fun of a host he is. Michael Fassbender has a pretty face, a big mouth, and an almost perfectly cartoon-y set of teeth. It's the first time I've heard his real accent and I find it amusing. Do I even need to explain James McAvoy's effect on me? His face, his wit, his accent, and all his sexual innuendos made my week (and made me weak). Below are snippets from the BBC YouTube channel, but you must see its entirety. You just have to.
*Not that it matters, but I've noticed that they are actually seated by age, starting with Graham on the left (oldest) to James (youngest).
5.09.2014
Life & Other Things
The writing hiatus wasn’t intentional; I just had no dire need to be active online. My last update was roughly eleven weeks ago. That's the longest time I've been absent from this blog. Although I still tweet occasional brain farts, I also haven’t been on Twitter as
often as I used to (i.e. from backreading every single tweet to just catching less than 50 tweets per day). Nothing drastic happened, really. It’s just a change of
pace, peace, and pleasures in life. And I’m here to dump some things that I
haven’t shared during my trippy seclusion.
The family celebrated lola's birthday over brunch and then after a quick stroll around the mall for an hour, we had pizza even when we were all still obviously full. You see, we like to be fat.
I got to be a ninang again, and I had no clue what to do since my first ninang duties were for Nicole (I was still a student back then so basically all I did was show up at church). For JD’s christening, I had to ask people what the custom was in giving gifts. I even asked Taira if I had to wear white. She laughed at me. It was a mini-reunion with A&M, and a smack to the face of how old we already are. Godchildren = 2. Maturity = 0.
Brunch date with the girls during Regina's brief Manila visit. It was our first time to try π (Pi) Breakfast & Pies. We enjoyed the food and had a crazy fun time. The other diners came and went and we stayed for more than two hours browsing through Tinder and taking panoramic shots of ourselves while doing our usual catch up. We proceeded to 10A Alabama afterwards for the Arts and Crafts Fair, which takes place quarterly. It was so very hipster, whatever the tweens mean by hipster. There was an abundance of awesome stuff, from succulent plants to postcards, to ubiquitous washi tapes and handmade trinkets. There were paintings and wallets made out of pages from Archie comic books. There were wands and framed illustrations and typography, homemade perfumes and soaps, even macarons. It was a new scene for me and I'm sure it won't be the last.
I was able to exercise some skillz in the hair and makeup department during our company's 10th anniversary party, which I believe was a better use of energy since I did not attend the event, doing curls and updos and painting people's faces to make them prettier. All girls are pretty. I like making them prettier.
It has been four years since I've last been to Tagaytay, to drink coffee. That was lame. Two weeks ago, some office friends and I went down south as an excuse to fan off the Manila heat. We were wrong. Tagaytay was an oven ready to bake your pizza doughs to a perfect crisp. I got burnt. The discoloration in my arm is evident. There is a serious ombre happening in there, which is only visible to me because I still wear cardigans outside the house even when it's summer. I know. I'm a freak. Anyway, we spent the morning in Caleruega. The afternoon was split going to Sky Ranch, Picnic Grove, and having an early dinner. I'll probably make a separate post about this.
Family reunions. Tita Joan and Tito Edison visited from Australia. I haven't seen them in YEARS. Next week, Tita Che will be here and it will be bittersweet because she won't be back in a while until she gets her Green Card. Aah, everything in life is bittersweet.
Family reunions. Tita Joan and Tito Edison visited from Australia. I haven't seen them in YEARS. Next week, Tita Che will be here and it will be bittersweet because she won't be back in a while until she gets her Green Card. Aah, everything in life is bittersweet.
I’ve been answering randomly generated questions on ask.fm when I feel really bored and my answers are equally boring but if you want to have a look see, you can troll through my 38 answers so far.
M U S I C | T V | B O O K S
2013 was definitely an awesome year in terms of album releases and I haven't heard half of them yet. I was able to pore over the music of artists that I haven't been aware of before January, and then some. I breezed through Gabrielle Aplin's English Rain, Laura Jansen's Elba, and KT Tunstall's Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon once. My play count increased, however, with Beck's Morning Phase, Ben Howard's Every Kingdom, Peter Griffinson's Maybe Someday, Sam Smith's EP + singles, OneRepublic's Native, and Tom Odell's Long Way Down. Particular tracks that I am obsessed with: I've Told You Now, Promise, Burning Bridges, Grow Old With Me.
I don’t know what I watch anymore. Sometimes I think that I’m
better off ignoring online torrents. Scandal and Suits have both ended, so
there’s nothing to look forward to on Fridays. Well, aside from The Vampire
Diaries. I started watching new shows: Believe, Crisis, Mixology, Faking It, Kitchen
Casino, About a Boy, and Friends with Better Lives, all of which I am fairly enjoying. I finished watching Lindsay Lohan's docu-series, Lindsay, which I must say was really interesting. I’m on track with The Mindy Project, Saturday
Night Live, Orphan Black, Game of Thrones, Awkward, The Blacklist and The Voice. I’m a few episodes
behind on The Originals, Intelligence, Hell’s Kitchen, Cosmos, and Resurrection. Late
Night with Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon are staples. I
may have already given up on Hannibal, but we’ll see. I’m going to start
Fargo and Silicon Valley when I find the time. Oh, and also, I have to already
watch My Mad Fat Diary’s second season because I keep forgetting. I'm not sure if you noticed, but that’s a lot of television. There are titles not listed in here but let's just keep it at that. My Twitter feed is already an embarrassing display of my lack of productivity as it is. BUT BEFORE I FORGET, JACK BAUER IS BACK!!!
I’ve been slacking on my readings (yes, plural),
which is essentially bad. The ones that I have read aren't exactly brain stimulants, but I can't really blame myself. I have a pile of substantial books ready to be conquered but whenever I see how far-off I am on my Goodreads challenge (I'm currently 3 books behind schedule--again), I spring back to my safe haven, romance and young adult fiction. My currently-reading list is growing and it's a shame. I've hailed May as my big re-reads month, so here's to not particularly getting a grip and soldiering on.
***
I believe that during this entire time, I have balanced being present both online and in real life. I've had a fair amount of interaction with real people in the last four months that I can totally be proud of, basing on my history of flaking. What I plan to focus more on now is my health. If only it were easy and if only I had the discipline, I would normally say. Slap me in the face and let's try to kick that pessimism out into the waters and let it drown. I'm joining a fun run that I didn't sign up for this Sunday. I guess it's a start?
2.20.2014
Trouble Will Find Me
I'm in a muddy state right now. I'm a complete mess. How do I cope? How do I cope? By writing about it, of course. Or not, since my head's in shambles because of overwhelming emotions that I want to feel firsthand but cannot, because of reasons. It's complicated. It's too darn depressing. Help me. Hug me. Stay inside this rosy-minded fuzz with me.
OHMYGODTHENATIONAL. I'm choking up just by typing this. I am sorry, 25-year old fat self, for not trying hard enough to get you tickets to tonight's concert. Don't be too hard on yourself. There will be another one. And you'll go. And there will be somebody solid you can hold on to by then, when your knees buckle and tears start flooding down your face while reveling in Matt Berninger's calming baritone. And you can bawl your eyes out without a moment of hesitation once you finally hear Apartment Story live. Then would be the best time. Then would be the perfect time.
But right now you're going to be okay, as you always have, with their discography in your iPod, and this,
which, of course, you have already downloaded and watched thrice as of this writing, eyes brimming with tears and electricity shooting through your veins. And hey, lighten up! Because that lovely person who introduced you to The National just posted a selfie with Matt on Instagram awhile ago and that is like a shower of bazillion sparkling stars right in front of you, making you gag with happiness for her, and for you, for reading her post that changed your life more than two years ago.
So yeah, let's not fuck this over.
OHMYGODTHENATIONAL. I'm choking up just by typing this. I am sorry, 25-year old fat self, for not trying hard enough to get you tickets to tonight's concert. Don't be too hard on yourself. There will be another one. And you'll go. And there will be somebody solid you can hold on to by then, when your knees buckle and tears start flooding down your face while reveling in Matt Berninger's calming baritone. And you can bawl your eyes out without a moment of hesitation once you finally hear Apartment Story live. Then would be the best time. Then would be the perfect time.
But right now you're going to be okay, as you always have, with their discography in your iPod, and this,
which, of course, you have already downloaded and watched thrice as of this writing, eyes brimming with tears and electricity shooting through your veins. And hey, lighten up! Because that lovely person who introduced you to The National just posted a selfie with Matt on Instagram awhile ago and that is like a shower of bazillion sparkling stars right in front of you, making you gag with happiness for her, and for you, for reading her post that changed your life more than two years ago.
So yeah, let's not fuck this over.
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