a pre-view of more & authentic Vietnamese meals

 

Who wouldn't love these ladies?  They would drop whatever they are doing, reschedule meetings, and meet up, even if there was no magic word (remember, buffet?), just to watch a movie.  Bubut wanted to see "I do Bidoo Bidoo" .  me too!!!

 

Yayo treated us to a late afternoon snack at Pho Hoa Vietnamese Restaurant ..

.... a pre-view of more &  authentic Vietnamese meals!

 

fried spring rolls

fresh spring rolls

pomelo salad

banh mi (grilled chicken in french baguette)

 

I forgot to bring my Nikon and just used my camera phone. The main dining room wasn't well lit, [That explains the dark shadows]. Oh , and I also forgot to take a photos of the Pho.

  Pho is my comfort food, and my son's favorite too.

 

Shall I go back to Pho Hoa?  oh yes... I always do, almost twice a month,

... every time we watch a movie in Eastwood.

 

/ betsisanders 2012

 

 

 

Binulo, Clark, Pampanga

 

Binulo is a kapampangan restaurant at Manuel A. Roxas Ave., Clark, Angeles, Pampanga. It is along the main hiway, near a gas station. This is my second time to eat here.

 

I particularly like their Giant Okoy and Sinampalukang Manok. The last time we ate here, the sinampalukang manok was served inside the bamboo, but they had difficulty in taking out the chicken pieces. This time, only the rice was served in banana leaves inside the bamboo.

 

You can't go wrong with dessert. The turon had saba, langka and macapupno inside. Superb! Their tinok tibok is not as creamy as the one we buy at Susie's.

 

Shall I eat here again?  YES

Picture with Hubby and some dental colleagues and classmates from UP.  (the three musketeers)

Thanks for the treat, Dr. R!

/ betsisanders 2012

 

Oriah's "My Mistake With a Vampire"

My Mistake With a Vampire

We all make mistakes. Let me tell you about one of mine.

Recently I went unconscious for a nanosecond and picked up the phone even though I knew it was a call from someone who I experience as draining my energy (no psychic ability involved on my part, just call display.) Energetically it's a vampire-prey relationship (which I’ve been understanding more as I read Unholy Hungers: Encountering the Psychic Vampire in Ourselves & Others by Jungian analyst Barbara E. Holt.) I ended contact with this person a couple of months ago when I realized it was the only way I could not feel fed upon.

I’m not saying there aren't other ways to stop energy-draining patterns in a relationship, just that I could not find one in this case. I’d tried being explicit about what I could not do, being brief, making contact less frequently, only having contact when others were around, being open-hearted and compassionate, being fierce and direct. I’d looked at my part, and I’d had some insights. I’d understood what was happening and why, but the energy drain continued. So, I stopped having contact. I didn’t offer a lot of explanation (had been down that road many times in trying to shift things.) I just said (as much to myself as the other really,) “I’m done.”

We can all, at times, be unintentionally draining to others- yes, there’s a little shadow vampire in everyone, and yes, some folks’survival strategies lean more this way than others. Sometimes it’s a pattern in a particular relationship- as it is with this person and me. When we didn’t have contact- as happened recently when I was on retreat for two weeks- I noticed a real and sustained increase in my own energy.

No one likes to lose a habitual source of energy and comfort. So, I wasn’t surprised when the phone calls continued. I did not pick up. I deleted the messages. Each time I sent a quiet prayer for the other, that they find what they need and know they are loved. (Yes, you can love someone and know that contact is a bad idea.)

But recently, inexplicably, I picked up the phone one evening when it rang, knowing it was this person. It may have been a moment of weakness or a moment of strength, a moment when I was too tired to think straight or thought I could “handle” it. Whatever it was, for an instant I went unconscious about what I know. Sometimes that’s all it takes to revert to old habits- a moment of unconsciousness. As we spoke I could feel my energy plummet as the other's voice became increasingly animated. It was very strange- like watching water being siphoned from one container to another. I got off the phone in seven minutes, and that’s when things got interesting.

My inner critic went nuts: “Well, that was brilliant! Finally get the energy to write and just throw it away. How stupid was that!? And now the door is open. It’ll be a long spiral down into days in bed. And the calls will keep on coming. . . . “

You can always count on the inner critic to start catastrophizing. I was disappointed in myself and, for a moment, more than a little scared that there might be some truth in the critic’s dire predictions. I lay in bed and took long slow breaths into my belly, asking myself, “What is actually happening in my body?”

I could feel a dull sensation behind my eyes- like a black fog- and a heaviness in my legs. I realized that the precious feeling of being solidly awake and embodied that had been so vivid in the last few weeks had dimmed a little- where it had been, in the centre of my body, there was a wobbly feeling. The critic chimed in again, but I over-rode it, keeping the tone of my inner self-talk gentle but firm.

“It’s okay. I made a mistake. I’ve made this one before and survived and regained equilibrium. This time was brief, so recovery will be speedy. I am learning. Learning takes time. Old habits die hard, and new ones take time to establish. Being fully conscious in every second is not possible, so mistakes are inevitable. Nothing dire has happened. I caught it quickly, and I know how to recover from much worse. It will be okay.”

And slowly, I relaxed and moved into a deep, restorative sleep.

We all make mistakes. What matters is what we do with them. Brene Brown's research shows that we do not learn more or learn faster if we are shamed by ourselves or others. The shamanic path in which I was trained emphasised the willingness to learn from our mistakes, and one of the things we can learn is to offer ourselves tenderness and mercy, and then- we begin again with renewed energy and deepened wisdom.

Oriah (c) 2012

********

i would have shared this in facebook but I only have a few friends. best to share it here for more people to read.  i love Oriah!

... my human experience

What else can be more human than pain? Sleepless nights,  physical pain,  tears. (chronic pain syndrome & fibromyalgia).  Today, my body is challenged with this most human experience.

I create ...

Title:  Nude
Size:  5 x 7 inches
Medium:  Acrylic on Museum Wrapped Canvas
Artist:  betsisanders 2012

 

 

 

 

Long Weekend in Clark

On our way to Fontana Leisure Park shortly after turning right at the Angeles Exit, I saw this fruit stand selling 'atis' also known as sugar-apple, custard-pineapple or sweetsop. It's that time of the year, atis sold on the streets of Angeles. Php 120/kilo. Saw some atemoya being sold for Php 400/kilo. ... - ber months soon! ♥ it!

For the long weekend, we headed to our usual getaway, to relax, swim, duty-free shop and go food-tripping with family. It was a welcome surprise to see good old friends from dental school.

I posted this photo in Facebook, with this description. "Betsisanders was with "three classmates & dental colleagues" over the weekend in Clark.Been searching google for famous trios to name these three ... 3 stooges? 3 blind mice? 3 little pigs? 3 wise men? The Chipmunks? Earth Wind & Fire? The Bee Gees? Ready, Willing & Able? See, Hear & Speak (no evil)? ... O well, I guess my 'three good friends' will do !!!"

FB friends suggested The Three Musketeers (Tess), Tres Caballeros (Bambi), Tres Leches Cake (Tinali), Hok Lok Shiu (Ronnie) and Tall Grande Venti (Sandy). Hmmmm ....



Lunch was at Binulo, my second time to dine there. Ranny treated us to lunch. (Will post a separate blog for Binulo.)

sisig pizza

blueberry cheesecake

We met up again later in the evening at ABC hotel's poolside for dinner and drinks.The 'three musketeers' just had sisig pizza, chicken wings, and beer! I got a blueberry cheesecake and a frozen margarita since Hubby and I already had an early dinner of dimsum, noodles and congee with SIL & family at Red 8, Fontana Clubhouse.

Always good to reminisce about the old days. It felt as if we were still in dental school. "Friendship isn't about being inseparable. It's about being separated and nothing changes."... Talking about that 'poll' that the boys did on who was/were the ugliest girl(s) in class often made me wonder what my ranking was. (Being the only chubby one in class!) ... ?... :( ... And why they didn't let me vote, since I am like "one of the boys" , a drinking and smoking buddy ! O well ... At least, I was privy to that poll and have always known who the winner(s) were.

>>>>>>>>

Food tripping on Kapampanan cuisine at Eveybody's Cafe, near Nepo Mall. (separate blog to follow).

Fun weekend!

Brasserie Cicou

Everything you need or want to know about this restaurant is in their website (www.restaurantcicou.com).

I could never get a table at this fine dining restaurant when it was still in Makati. The restaurant either had an event or was always full. My friend, Mayee, posted photos in her Facebook account and highly recommended this place. Bloggers only have exemplary, persuasive and positive reviews about Brasserie Cicou.

The move from Makati to Greenhills and the shift from the very formal dining ambience (quite snobbish) to a more family friendly casual bistro / cafe, made me want and crave dining here, but it still took me quite a long while to come and eat here. [I don't eat oysters, clams, mussels or snails. I also do not like foie gras, or dishes with liver, and I try to avoid eating beef. Those are probably the reasons.]

It was our 26 th wedding anniversary last weekend and thought of treating the boys to a French meal. We usually have late lunch at 2 or early dinner at 5. The restaurant only serves snacks from 2 to 6. That's alright! I only wanted to eat dessert, (Kouign-amann, macarons and profiteroles).

Kouign-amann & Salted Caramel Ice Cream at Brasserie Cicou.

Kouign-amann  Php 310

Kouign-amann (kween a-mon), Breton pl. kouignoù-amann) is a Breton cake. Its name is from the Breton words ("kouign") which means cake and ("amann") which means butter. Its texture is similar to a croissant. It is round and crusty, made with bread dough that contains layers of butter and sugar folded in, just like how puff pastry is made. It is baked slowly until the butter puffs up the dough and a crusty outer layer is formed when the sugar caramelizes. Yum yum yum :)

Anything that has sugar and butter is delicious. Add a dollop of salted caramel ice cream, is heaven on a plate!

Profiteroles ... are mini creme puffs, that I can make. But what makes their profiteroles taste a lot better is the ice cream filling. Tasted like Beard Papa's cream puffs .

                                                                  Profiteroles Php 220

I forgot to order the macarons and the boys stopped me from getting them because they were quite full. There will always be a next time. Something sweet to look forward to.

Here are the other dishes that we got. They were goodt, not bad, but lacked salt. Small saucers of rock salt are on  the tables. The boys were sticking their fingers in the rock salt and I did not like that at all. I imagined all the customers doing the same thing, sticking their dirty fingers on the salt. Hubby said that salt has antibacterial properties.. But, is it also anti dirt? :( so, I requested for iodized salt , which they placed in a similar small dish, with a serving teaspoon. That's better!

                                                           Quiche  Php 150 each

Vegetarian Pasta Php 300

Spicy Lamb Sausage Php 350

Shall I go back to Brasserie Cicou? Of course, asap!

/ betsisanders 2012

Happy Pizza in Siem Reap

I have always wanted to visit Angkor Wat and even more so, when my friend (Ranny) told me about the happy pizza (spiked with special herbs used by Alice B Toklas) served in most restaurants at the Pub Street near the Central Market. Our tour guide did not know where to find the happy pizza place. So, we asked the 'kings' of the streets, the tuktuk drivers. Swanee approached one tuktuk driver and asked, do you know where happy pizza is? of course! :) .

.... my search for happiness has come to an end... and it is in pub street, siem reap, cambodia!!! hahaha .. happy pizza =) =) =)

betsisanders / july 2012

lovely birds / watercolor

Title: 'lovely' birds
Size: 5 x 7 inches
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Artist: betsisanders
.

"I long for silences with another where there is nothing to forgive or explain or justify, where we agree to abandon quickly spoken words for a time so we do not abandon ourselves or each other, the silences where no one asks me to choose between belonging to myself and being with the world."
Oriah, Mountain Dreamer

Don't you just love this piece from Oriah? She puts together simple words so beautifully. She doesn't use overelaborate, flowery, oratorical words. Those highfaluting terms that some writers use are incomprehensible!

Oriah talks about silence, a shared silence. That is how friendships should be. To be able to understand the other's silence is a true test of friendship. Going for long periods of time without a phone call, an SMS or even an email from old friends, yet still feel connected to each other, is priceless, precious. I thrive on this kind of relationship.

********

finally met up with an old frined, my bff , aya :) we were laughing and chatting like we were still in high school . as if time, like the thirty years that separated us, never transpired. we are those two birds chirping away.

betsisanders / August 15, 2012

[The watercolor painting is my version of an original painting by a foot and mouth artist, Bestham]

Basil, Thai Restaurant

Basil, Thai Restaurant at the corner of White Plains, near Temple Drive, QC.

Just four sentences...

Authentic Thai cuisine, only 10 minutes away from where I live.
Food here tastes better than Mango Tree.
Shall I go back?
SURE!!!

We brought home a lot of leftovers, and we were too full to order dessert. Will eat dessert first next time :-)  / betsisanders 2012

Galileo Enoteca Deli in Eastwood

Tucked away at the second floor of Dulcinea, but right at the corner of the main street of Eastwood City Walk 2 and the main road, is this wine bar and restaurant that serves authentic Italian cuisine.

Before we watched the 'Bourne Legacy' (which should be renamed as Bored Legacy.. hahaha / Alvin slept in the middle of the movie!)... we had dinner at this place that several bloggers have been talking about, and writing rave reviews. They must have been given free dinners or big discounts.

To get to the restaurant/bar, you have to enter a small, inconspicuous door beside Dulcinea, then go up two long flights of stairs, where several posters (they didn't look like paintings) hang on the walls of the staircase. Then you reach a landing, where there are three doors. One leads stairght to the kitchen which was unfortunately wide open when I got to the top of the stairs. The other door had a sign, 'for employees only'. The middle door led to the restaurant.

The place had walls and walls of wine bottles, a small display of assorted cheeses and a few loaves of their complimentary bread were encased in ther small display refrigerator, (don't know what you call this, will research on it!) The restaurant had two levels which can accommodate 25 people in each level.

We ordered the set meal, assorted cold cuts and cheese, a bowl of pasta, a glass of red or white wine and gelato for dessert. Alvin got the Margherita Pizza and I chose the Pan Seared Lemon Chicken with a side salad and mashed potatoes. The food wasn't that spectacular. I still prefer the panizza of Uncle Cheffy and the food at Italianni's.

.

>>>>>


When I asked the female server what flavors of gelato they had, she answered, "Ma'am we only have pistachio." .. and pronouonced it like Pinocchio.  I just stared at the lady server and said "Ok, we'll have that." Boyet said, "maybe they were trained to pronounce it that way by the owners  since all the other waiters were saying pis-tak-ki-yo!".. maybe so,  the italian way of pronunciation. 

>>>>>>

I don't really rate restaurants since you have to consider a lot of factors like ambience, food, cleanliness and value for money. so I just ask myself ..." Shall i go back to this restaurant?"   My answer is NO.