Happy Tummy, Happy Team

And with this week’s festivities, team must be doubly happy!

First, a Japanese-themed birthday lunch at Yabu for our October babies, Kat and Jake.

Second, a grill fest to Seafood Paradise celebrate Abe’s and my birthday.

But wait, there’s one more next week!

Happiness indeed.

FMM: Panfilo

One time, my colleagues and I were talking about 90s groups and songs. We all had our favorites, from Green Day to Nirvana to C&C Music Factory.

Suddenly, one of them said: "Basta ako, ang favorite 90s song ko, yung Panfilo."

To which I replied: "Panfilo? May 90s song ba na Panfilo?"

His reply was: "Meron. Yung 'Panfilo, this band is gonna play my tune, Panfilo, I wanna, I wanna tell you so.'"

Then, I thought: "Oh, this Panfilo."



Not only do we have old music on Fridays, we have old jokes as well!

FMM: Going Krazy

One of the genres that defined the 90s - aside from grunge - was the genre of feel good pop. They were songs that were always upbeat, repetitive and addictive. This sound spawned many European groups, most of which my friend calls Eurotrash. Hahaha.

While groups like Vengaboys and Aqua dominated this genre, one of my favorite songs was from an American group called Boy Krazy. (Yes, with a K. How juvenile.)

It's a song that reminds me of my former colleague - Minnie - who would sing this a lot. So, for anyone who was into listening to music in the 90s, I'm sure you remember "That's what love can do."



Call me crazy, but this song still hits the spot after almost 20 years.

Happy Hour

Since Le Shigmeister is going to be on holiday starting tomorrow, the expat group at the office decided to have an early Christmas dinner to cap the year, and to celebrate Le Shig's quest to become the next Vegas high-roller. Like any special occasion within the group, we decided to have dinner at Ruth's Chris'!

  Honestly, the phrase "fish out of water" applies to me whenever we dine at Ruth Chris. Why? The specialty on the house is steak. They've got the best steak in Hong Kong. You can have it cooked precisely the way you want to. They've got different cuts to suit different tastes. And their beef is soooooooooo good, it melts in your mouth. 

Incidentally, I'm pesco-vegetarian. 

Yup, while i'm surrounded by 12 carnivores who are happily gorging on 12oz Rib Eyes, I have to eat this teeny Seared Ahi Tuna with Red Pesto Sauce. Honestly! Each time we eat there, they call me a woos and put the "L" sign over their foreheads once my order arrives. 

As Peter so clearly puts it: "We dine at the best steak house in Hong Kong and YOU'RE EATING FISH?!?!?!?" I often retaliate by saying: "I'm actually here for the company, and not for the food," followed by bambi-eyes and an innocent smile. 

Yup, that gets them everytime. 

Speaking of company, this is the first dinner i'm having with our new colleague, Jeff. And I must say, Jeff is absolutely, undeniably, unbelievably funny! Throughout the course of our 4-hour dinner, he just brought out joke after joke after joke after joke after line after line after line after line and we just laughed our arses each time. 

His jokes were so diverse, from Benny Hill to Dr. Who to pirate talk. Then he'd make fun of the national anthems of his native Australia and England. Plus he sang this South African song which was soooooooooo funny, I thought Pete was going to spew out his asparagus. 

It's been a while since I laughed out so hard for so long! At one point, we were in tears. The term "happy hour" must've been coined for events like these. Now my stomach is so bloated because of the tuna, all those glasses of red wine, and all the air i've sucked in by laughing so hard. I definitely need to find some activity to do before going home and going to bed. 

That's why at quarter to midnight, I'm at the Central MTR station, blogging about that happy dinner we just had.

Hole in the Wall

It doesn't get more homey than this hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant that my officemate introduced us to.

Located almost across the Causeway Bay Market complex, there are the ubiquitous stalls that sell everything from herbs to fruits. You'll notice a barrage of signages that are commonplace in Hong Kong. But if you look closer, one stands out because it's not written in Chinese or English -- but in Thai.

It's a little white signage that leads up to a narrow flight of stairs. What greets you at the end is this quaint little Thai grocery which sells everything from spicy sampaloc to coconut milk to tamarind juice.

Television sets are strategically located around the area and they show Thai variety shows which we suspect are beamed in directly from the country. It's your usual Eat Bulaga type of program with slapstick humour, song and dance numbers, and pretty hosts trying to engage the audience.

Then it hits you. There's a narrow door in between the shelves -- it's almost a hole in the wall. For the uninitiated, the crevice is nothing short of a mystery. But for the informed -- like my officemates -- what lies beyond is a taste of real Thai home cooking.



The hole leads to a small room where you see 2 small tables, a few chairs, and the customary dining implements and condiments on top of each. I've been told that local Thais based in HK would scope out this place because the food is as authentic as eating it in Bangkok.

Orders are placed on the cash register. The cashier is also the owner, and the cook, in this joint. Talk about multi-tasking. Don't expect a menu, because there isn't any. But if you're a regular, you'll know what kind of food she serves daily: Pad Thai, Papaya and Crab Salad, Minced Pork, Fried Catfish, just to name a few.

After she takes your order, you are asked to choose your drink from the refrigerator and take your seats. While waiting, you're treated to all the visual trappings of Thailand. Aside from the TV show, there are photos of the King and Queen of Thailand, an altar for Thai monks, and a couple of posters for local brands.

The cooking might take a bit of time since she's working alone in the kitchen. So if you order 4 different types of dishes, she'll take 4 times longer. Crowds coming in opt to either order the same dish, or just pick one of the pre-cooked dishes arranged "carinderia-style" inside the grocery.

My Pad Thai was served first, and the wait was worth it. Both Vivian and I agreed that it's the closest thing to real deal. (We've both tried Pad Thai in Bangkok street kitchens. It's almost the same.) Then the other orders came in one after the other.

Funny thing was, when Prem's order arrived, she noticed that it was missing a boiled egg. She proceeded to ask the waitress/cook/owner where it was. Her reply was to just get it herself because she's still cooking Keat's dish and it might get burned. Talk about a one-woman-show!

While savoring the great cuisine, I gathered more information about this little Thai treasure trove. If you want special dishes, or if you want to order en masse, you have to call them a day in advance. Since the owner/cook/waitress only uses what she finds in her fridge, ordering in advance will prod her to go to the market and buy more ingredients. Also, the owner/cook/waitress only speaks Cantonese and Thai, so English-speaking folks such as myself can either drag along an interpreter, or ask someone who's versed in Thai to write down your order and just show it to the owner/cook/waitress.

Our meal was capped off with the best Papaya/Crab salad I've tried. After that entire experience, we were all satisfied gastronomically and culturally, and had this happy-camperish smile drawn on our faces.

But that wasn't the best part. We later found out that each dish only costs HK$20! That's practically a steal considering how excellent the meal was. Plus, it had the seal of approval from 2 of our native Thai officemates -- so you know that it's really, really good.

While walking back to the office, I found out that the accounts team eat at that hole-in-the-wall place at least once a week. After today's little soujourn, I must say i'll be joining them each time.