Lunch Buffet at Paul Calvin’s Deli

Rochelle and I had a chance to try the lunch buffet at Paul Calvin’s deli located at the Fort.

It’s located at the ground floor of Forbeswoods Heights.

The deli products were sparse the day we were there.

The ground floor was small with only a few tables.

The bigger second floor was where the buffet was located.
The weekday lunch buffet costs P275 only! Where can you find a deal like that in The Fort? Last week I had 1 hamburger for P280.

That’s chef Paul Calvin at the pasta bar.

The food was simple but well cooked. It was the essence of a home cooked meal. There were few choices but you won’t be disappointed with the taste. You’ll definitely get your money’s worth and leave full when you eat here.

They also have Sunday brunch for P250 only.

mixed greens


fried rice


yasai itame or stir fried veggies

We were late that’s why the chafing dishes were half full or almost empty. We still managed to eat our fill though.

baked sweet potatoes w/ pineapple

I don’t eat dark meat from chicken but this chicken teriyaki didn’t have the usual dark meat taste. It was fall off the bone tender and it was obviously well marinated.

chicken teriyaki


fish and tofu

The spareribs were our hands down favorite. We finished all of what was left in the pan. It was very tender, juicy and the flavor was yummy.

lemon grass pork spareribs


Korean braised beef

We wondered why this dessert was called betamax brulee. Jay, the marketing officer, told us that this was his mom’s recipe. It’s actually leche flan with carrots below. It was ‘beta carotene to the max’ hence the name betamax. It was delicious but a bit sweet. The leche flan was thick and creamy and the carrots tasted like sweet potato strips. It added texture and complemented the leche flan. What an ingenious way to add veggies to dessert.

betamax brulee

Thank goodness they came out with a new one.

fruit tarts


fresh fruits

The malunggay loaf is their bestseller. Another veggie meets dessert creation. This would be a great snack for kids who don’t eat veggies. It tasted like banana or carrot cake. You don’t taste the malunggay at all. They sell this in the restaurant too.


malunggay loaf


Jay Em and Paul Calvin

They sell different kinds of bread and cakes on the ground floor.

garlic bread and pandesal

custard cake, blueberry muffin,
pandan cupcake


calabaza, carrot & banana cakes


ensaymada
Paul Calvin’s Deli
Unit 1111 Forbes Town Center,
Fort Bonifacio, Fort Bonifacio,
Taguig 1201 Philippines
telephone: 856-5900

Balance Sheet of Life


BALANCE SHEET OF LIFE

Our Birth is our Opening Balance!
Our Death is our Closing Balance!
Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities
Our Creative Ideas are our Assets

Heart is our Current Asset
Soul is our Fixed Asset
Brain is our Fixed Deposit
Thinking is our Current Account

Achievements are our Capital
Character & Morals, our Stock-in-Trade
Friends are our General Reserves
Values & Behavior are our Goodwill

Patience is our Interest Earned
Love is our Dividend
Children are our Bonus Issues
Education is Brands / Patents

Knowledge is our Investment
Experience is our Premium Account
The Aim is to Tally the Balance Sheet Accurately.
The Goal is to get the Best Presented Accounts Award.

Some very Good and Very bad things …
The most destructive habit…Worry
The greatest Joy…Giving
The greatest loss…Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying work…Helping others
The ugliest personality trait…Selfishness

The most endangered species…Dedicated leaders
Our greatest natural resource…Our youth

The greatest ‘shot in the arm’…Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome…Fear
The most effective sleeping pill…Peace of mind
The most crippling failure disease…Excuses

The most powerful force in life…Love
The most dangerous act…A gossip
The world’s most incredible computer…The brain
The worst thing to be without…Hope

The deadliest weapon…The tongue
The two most power-filled words…’I Can’
The greatest asset…Faith
The most worthless emotion…Self- pity

The most beautiful attire…SMILE!
The most prized possession…Integrity
The most powerful channel of communication…Prayer
The most contagious spirit…Enthusiasm

Life ends; when you stop Dreaming,
Hope ends; when you stop Believing,
Love ends; when you stop Caring,
And Friendship ends; when you stop Sharing!!!

Thanks Judie for this email!

12 annoying types of Facebook users

Here are 12 of the most annoying types of Facebook users: (from CNN)

The Let-Me-Tell-You-Every-Detail-of-My-Day Bore. “I’m waking up.” “I had Wheaties for breakfast.” “I’m bored at work.” “I’m stuck in traffic.” You’re kidding! How fascinating! No moment is too mundane for some people to broadcast unsolicited to the world. Just because you have 432 Facebook friends doesn’t mean we all want to know when you’re waiting for the bus.

The Self-Promoter. OK, so we’ve probably all posted at least once about some achievement. And sure, maybe your friends really do want to read the fascinating article you wrote about beet farming. But when almost EVERY update is a link to your blog, your poetry reading, your 10k results or your art show, you sound like a bragger or a self-centered careerist.

The Friend-Padder. The average Facebook user has 120 friends on the site. Schmoozers and social butterflies — you know, the ones who make lifelong pals on the subway — might reasonably have 300 or 400. But 1,000 “friends?” Unless you’re George Clooney or just won the lottery, no one has that many. That’s just showing off.

The Town Crier. “Michael Jackson is dead!!!” You heard it from me first! Me, and the 213,000 other people who all saw it on TMZ. These Matt Drudge wannabes are the reason many of us learn of breaking news not from TV or news sites but from online social networks. In their rush to trumpet the news, these people also spread rumors, half-truths and innuendo. No, Jeff Goldblum did not plunge to his death from a New Zealand cliff.

The TMIer. “Brad is heading to Walgreens to buy something for these pesky hemorrhoids.” Boundaries of privacy and decorum don’t seem to exist for these too-much-information updaters, who unabashedly offer up details about their sex lives, marital troubles and bodily functions. Thanks for sharing.

The Bad Grammarian. “So sad about Fara Fauset but Im so gladd its friday yippe”. Yes, I know the punctuation rules are different in the digital world. And, no, no one likes a spelling-Nazi schoolmarm. But you sound like a moron.

The Sympathy-Baiter. “Barbara is feeling sad today.” “Man, am I glad that’s over.” “Jim could really use some good news about now.” Like anglers hunting for fish, these sad sacks cast out their hooks — baited with vague tales of woe — in the hopes of landing concerned responses. Genuine bad news is one thing, but these manipulative posts are just pleas for attention.

The Lurker. The Peeping Toms of Facebook, these voyeurs are too cautious, or maybe too lazy, to update their status or write on your wall. But once in a while, you’ll be talking to them and they’ll mention something you posted, so you know they’re on your page, hiding in the shadows. It’s just a little creepy.

The Crank. These curmudgeons, like the trolls who spew hate in blog comments, never met something they couldn’t complain about. “Carl isn’t really that impressed with idiots who don’t realize how idiotic they are.” [Actual status update.] Keep spreading the love.

The Paparazzo. Ever visit your Facebook page and discover that someone’s posted a photo of you from last weekend’s party — a photo you didn’t authorize and haven’t even seen? You’d really rather not have to explain to your mom why you were leering like a drunken hyena and French-kissing a bottle of Jagermeister.

The Maddening Obscurist. “If not now then when?” “You’ll see…” “Grist for the mill.” “John is, small world.” “Dave thought he was immune, but no. No, he is not.” [Actual status updates, all.] Sorry, but you’re not being mysterious — just nonsensical.

The Chronic Inviter. “Support my cause. Sign my petition. Play Mafia Wars with me. Which ‘Star Trek’ character are you? Here are the ‘Top 5 cars I have personally owned.’ Here are ’25 Things About Me.’ Here’s a drink. What drink are you? We’re related! I took the ‘What President Are You?’ quiz and found out I’m Millard Fillmore! What president are you?”

You probably mean well, but stop. Just stop. I don’t care what president I am — can’t we simply be friends? Now excuse me while I go post the link to this story on my Facebook page.

Which one are you???

Earle’s Delicatessen

Earle’s Delicatessen is located in the same building as my gym. I’ve always wanted to take pics but I always forget to put my camera in my gym bag. Today I finally remembered. Earle’s is at the back entrance of Wynsum Building.

I’ve never eaten at Earle’s. I usually buy their deli meats and sausages and make my own sandwiches at home.


Earle’s menu


All the deli meats I’ve tried were good but my favorites are their roast beef and roast chicken.
They also sell some Spanish cheese.

Their sausages are a bit salty when eaten alone but perfect in a bun. I plan to use their sausages in a pasta dish soon.
My favorite sausage is their thuringer bratwurst.

Luckily I saw some familiar faces and they kindly allowed me to take pictures of their sandwiches.

Italian sandwich P145


BLT sandwich P146

They also sell several grocery items in the store.

salsa balsamica


riso carnaroli


riso baldo


four seasons & mango concentrate


Van Boutte coffee

homemade bottled sardines, bangus &
gourmet tuyo
horseradish mayo & roasted garlic mayo

Earle’s Delicatessen
G/F Wynsum Corporate Plaza
22 Emerald Avenue,
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Metro Manila, Philippines

G/F The Columns Condomminium Tower 2,
6821 Sen Gil Puyat Ave. Makati
telephone: 900-3354

G/F Alfresco Area, South Supermarket,
Westgate Center, Alabang
telephone: 771-3354

Lunch at Chili’s

If you’ve been following this blog you’ll know how much I love burgers. You’ll also know that I’ve tried several burgers around Manila. Some were good while others were disappointing. Elisa and Elaine told me that the best burger can be found in Chili’s.

I dragged Sergei, who jumped at the chance of a free lunch and my excellent company, to Chili’s. To be fair with my burger comparison, I ordered the plain Oldtimer burger without cheese. I always order a plain burger so I can taste the quality of the beef and not all the cheese and other toppings that also add a ton of calories and fat. I ordered my burger medium on a whole wheat bun.


oldtimer burger P280

The heel of the bun had mustard, pickles and onions -things I don’t like in my burger. So I flipped the burger and just ate it with the crown and the lettuce and tomatoes. I loved their fries which were thick, crisp, lightly salted, not greasy and still had their skin on.

At first bite I knew this was it. The burger patty was thick and made of 100% pure beef and nothing else. All it needed was a few shakes of salt and it was perfect. It was a tad dry but it was probably due to the lean meat. This is my kind of burger. It tasted like ground steak. I offered Sergei only tiny taste of my burger because I didn’t want to share. This burger was worth every peso. Some may say it’s expensive. I don’t think so.

Sergei ordered this smoked turkey sandwich with swiss cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. His only comment was it lacked mayonnaise. I think I left happier than him.

smoked turkey sandwich P395

Chili’s Grill and Bar
26 Missouri St.
cor. Nevada St.,
Northeast Greenhills
San Juan, Metro Manila
telephone: 727-2959

Profound Thoughts

I Believe…

That just because two people argue,
It doesn’t mean they don’t love each other.
And just because they don’t argue,
It doesn’t mean they do love each other.

I Believe…
That we don’t have to change friends if
We understand that friends change.

I Believe….
That no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe…
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.

Same goes for true love.

I Believe….
That you can do something in an instant
That will give you heartache for life..

I Believe…
That it’s taking me a long time
To become the person I want to be.

I Believe…
That you should always leave loved ones with
Loving words. It may be the last time you see them..

I Believe…
That you can keep going long after you think you can’t.

I Believe…
That we are responsible for what
We do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe….
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe…
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe…
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe…
That my best friend and I, can do anything, or nothing and have the best time.

I Believe…
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you When you’re down, will be the ones to help you get back up..

I Believe…
That sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, 
But that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe…
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had
And what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

I Believe…
That it isn’t always enough, to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe…
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I Believe…
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
But, we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe…
That you shouldn’t be so eager to find
Out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

I Believe…
Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.

I Believe…
That your life can be changed in a matter of
Hours by people who don’t even know you.

I Believe….
That even when you think you have no more to give, when
A friend cries out to you – you will find the strength to help.

I Believe…
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe…
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I Believe…
That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in, I just did.

‘The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything.

Thank you God for all the wonderful people who help us throughout the journey of life…

May Angels guard you and guide you

Thanks again to Judie for emailing me this.

Gloria Maris Take Out

It’s Monday again. In most offices that means you’ll be in one meeting after another. What do you eat during a meeting specially when your meeting overlaps into lunch break? Since my store Small Office Solutions is in an office building we constantly deliver lunch packs, sandwiches, junk food, dessert and drinks to various offices who have employees in a meeting.

I recently attended a production meeting for our upcoming high school homecoming at the office of our show producer. It was my first time to attend a meeting there and luck was on my side. The meeting was set for lunch and my classmate Cherry was tasked with bringing food for lunch. I was expecting maybe some sandwiches or fast food fare. We were ecstatic to learn that Cherry brought food from Gloria Maris. Look what Cherry brought to the meeting. It was really my lucky day.

what a spread!

The sauce for the noodles were in the plastic containers above. It was good even without any sauce.

fried noodles

salt & pepper spareribs

The roast chicken was served on top of man tao or fried dough. The chicken was good but the man tao tasted a bit oily unlike my favorite man tao from Choi Gardern.

roast chicken on man tao

beef w/ broccoli

This was my favorite dish. I’ve never tried it before. Strips of roast duck were mixed with mayonnaise and jelly fish and topped with an assortment of fruits and glazed cashew nuts. It was a very hearty and refreshing salad.

roast duck salad w/ fruits

I think one of the containers of sauce was supposed to be poured over this fried rice for it to be Fookien fried rice. In our eagerness to eat we forgot all about the sauces.

Fookien fried rice

We had a great lunch. Thanks Cherry! Too bad our next meeting is scheduled for after lunch.

Gloria Maris
G/F Greenbelt 2, Esperanza St.,
Ayala Center. Makati City,
Metro Manila
telephone: 757-4171 to 74

How to get the last drop out of containers?

I usually squeeze the life out of my toothpaste tube to get every last bit. I also invert shampoo bottles to get the last drop and scrape the mayonnaise and peanut butter jars til the sides are clean. Hey times are hard and we must conserve!

Check out this consumer report article on how much is really left in lotion tubes and other containers we can’t squeeze to death. You will be surprised with their findings.

Another Sunday Lunch at Choi Garden

Have I mentioned Choi Garden is my favorite Chinese restaurant? We eat there at least 2 Sundays a month. Add to that the occasional friends get together and hot pot yearning, I’ve eaten there 4 times in the past month! I don’t mind since I never get tired of eating their excellent food.

When we ate there last Sunday we made an effort to order all new dishes. By the way, all the non-food pictures here were taken by 10 yr. old Michelle. Don’t you think she’s good? She’s my official assistant every Sunday.


entrance of Choi

This is the small dining area right after the main door. The lighting is really red!

We always order roast pork at Choi’s because they have the juiciest and most tender pork in town. And the kids just love it.

roast pork

For me their pigeon is the best. Even better than the ones I’ve tried in Hong Kong. It’s very juicy and the flavor goes all the way to the bone.

fried pigeon

This e-fu noodles have no meat and just a little veggies but it’s so good. The secret is in the intensely flavored stock and sauce they used.

e-fu noodles

wintermelon soup

This is my new favorite dish. Normally it’s served as 1 square of tofu with some veggies per person at a cost of P120 per plate. We requested them to cut the tofu in half and serve it in a big plate. This is made up of 5 orders. The tofu tastes like egg custard mixed with tofu. It’s doesn’t taste or look like your usual tofu that’s firm and white. This one is light yellow and very soft and flavorful.

tofu w/ polunchay

This is another of the kids’ favorites. It’s fried siopao dough without any filling inside. When it comes to your table hot eat it right away. It tastes better than Krispy Kreme donuts.

fried man tao

This is another new favorite recommended to me by my hs classmate, Jennie. Beef ribs are cooked with a liberal amount of peppercorn and soy based sauce. The beef is so tender and spiced just right. This is perfect with white rice.

pepper beef ribs

The taro and Chinese sausage fried rice was also very good but we were already full by the time it was brought to our table. And it didn’t go well with the beef so we just took most the rice home.

taro and sausage fried rice

What? There’s more food! Too full to eat anything else. Hmm this fish is good. So full already. I love the garlic and soy sauce on the fish.

steamed fish w/ garlic

Ok I can skip the veggies.

spinach w/ 2 kinds of eggs

Ok ok I had to taste 1 abalone. It was soft but canned abalone tastes better.

steamed fresh abalone

There’s always room for dessert. Besides these are all our favorite desserts.

almond shake w/ fruit cocktail


masachi


sesame paste inside


butchi

bean paste inside
Choi Garden has a lobster festival ongoing in case you’re interested.

Choi Garden Seafood and Shark’s Fin Restaurant
12 Annapolis St.
cor. Purdue St.
San Juan, Metro Manila
telephone: 727-6042