Meals with Mark: Mucho Gosto

Mark and I are in One Ayala so often, we've tried almost all restaurants in the mall.

We have our go-tos like Tim Ho Wan, Chili's and Friday's. We've tried all the Bistro Group restaurants in the environs. We've had one-off lunches and dinners at Fat Seed, Khao Khai, Ebi Ten, Stuffd - and the list goes on.

But one place that we always pass by but haven't tried yet is Bom Gosto.

It's the European Concept of The Vikings Group, and it's an ala carte place. Yup, while most concepts of The Vikings Group are buffet places, this one goes against the grain. 

Since we're going against the grain anyway, we decided to try it for lunch today.

Like most Bistro restaurants, they also have an all-day set menu, which is what caught Mark's eye when we first passed by. After browsing the menu, the already knew what he wanted. So did I.

For starters, we had the croquettas and tomato salad with parmesan texture. (It was the "parmesan texture" that got us.)

For the mains, we had the chicken cordon bleu and shrimp alfredo pasta. It was so appetizing, we forgot to take a photo of it. 

Because there's always room for dessert, we had the Classic Torrija.

Overall, the food, ambience and service was well worth its price. Not bad for our first experience here.

And looks like it won't be our last.

FMM: Living in a bubble

In my mind's playlist, there's a long list of songs that are inextricably attached to films. Whether the song was part of the film itself, or the song was incidentally played somewhere in the theater, these songs suddenly have a different and deeper meaning.

Most of these songs are old ones, so it's time to feature them as Friday Magic Madness songs.

In 1976, there was a film that would often be shown in RPN-9 entitled "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble." It starred John Travolta as a teen who was born without an immune system, so he had to live inside a plastic bubble his entire life.

There was a scene - not sure if it was the ending scene - where he finally steps out of the plastic bubble and rides off on a horse with the love of his life. And the song that was playing in that scene was this 1976 hit from Paul Williams.

"What would they say" was written for the film, and it was a perfect match for the scene where it was played. There was a feeling of freedom and joy that captured that final scene.

Now that I've played this song again, it's time to scrounge youtube for the film itself.

City view

Look who had a glow-up.

The Medical City lobby just had a makeover. 

The area which used to be open and had a fountain is now enclosed, air conditioned, and laid out with more couches and waiting areas.The area leading to the garden now has floor to ceiling windows, which highlights the nice view outside.

While the old lobby has a sense of nostalgia for me, this new one looks pretty fine.

Rice above

Amazing how local chefs are continuously finding ways of elevating local dishes.

Biboy and Liz brought this box of rice cakes from a famous shop in Laguna.

It's the traditional bibingka, but elevated through its flavours. Aside from the classic bibingka, they also have choc-nut, almond yema, and ube. As an 80s kid, the choc-nut one was the best for me.

Alas, their only store is in Laguna, so it might take some time before we get to enjoy these rice cakes again.

What sorcery is this?

This is the legitimization of the Pinoy habit of dipping their fries in sundae.

Frankly, I'm so tempted to try this out.

Scared. But tempted.

You say potato, and I say...

Baked!

Speaking of comebacks, one of my fave Wendy's products is finally back!

Back in college, Wendy's Baked Potato at their Quezon Avenue branch was my go-to meal. Paired with their iconic iced tea - it was bliss!

As their old tagline goes: It's the best time for Wendy's!

Color Story: Taupe tier

This is one of my most watched scenes from "Desperate Housewives."

It's less than 4 minutes, but it's bursting with quotable quotes that's been living in my head rent free for years now. 

One of the standouts for me is: 

GABY: "I said taupe, this is clearly beige."

MANAGER: "We don't have it in taupe."

GABY: "Second floor, third mannequin to the left. Look alive!"

Watching this again inspired this post about an outfit from 2 of my go-to shopping places.

The taupe top is from Bocu. It's a classic, boatneck shell that goes well with everything. And because of the simplicity of the top, the pants should make a statement. And that's what this pair from The Landmark can boast of.

It's a wide legged pant with asymmetric panels that sway when you walk. Together, it's an outfit that's simple in terms of colour, but generous in fashionable details.

And that's today's top taupe look.

Visual feast

It's been a while since I've posted about Taylor Swift, so this is long overdue.

I've seen her music video for "The Fate of Ophelia" many times already, and I'm still in awe at the art direction and visuals of this video.

Each vignette is thoughtfully conceptualized and beautifully executed. Each one has a strong concept - Esther Williams' synchronized swimming, Parisian showgirls, Mod 60s dancers, 40s pin-up girls - each one was a feast for the eyes.

And let's not forget the song itself, that's a feast for the ears, too.

This is how MVs should be done. And Taylor knows how to do them perfectly!

FMM: Hit it!

Call it "last word association," but after writing about Jack in the Donuts, this song immediately came to mind.

"Hit the Road Jack," is one of the most popular songs from the iconic Ray Charles, with Margie Hendrix adding vocals to the ditty.

Even if this song was released in 1961, if you listen to it now, it still feels fresh, relevant and catchy. Not bad for a 65 year old song.

No wonder it was such a hit!

Not in the box

Speaking of donuts, there's a new entrant in the donut game.

And it's from Japan!

Jack in the Donuts is in Glorietta!

Now, aside from Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory, we have another source of authentic Japanese donuts in MNL.

When the news first broke out, my first thought was "Jack in the Box." Yup, that iconic American fast food chain which was here in MNL once upon a time. Too bad they didn't survive, they had good onion rings!

Here's hoping that this Jack will last longer.