food tripping

Last weekend was a weekend of celebrations. And what would a celebration be without food? Just thinking about what I had that weekend makes me feel stuffed!

On Saturday, to celebrate my sister's birthday, we had our lunch at Chef's Quarters at the Atrium in Megamall. I've tried this resto a few times before and though I'm not much of a steak lover, I must say how they do their steaks is masterful (though I'm no judge). We had Tessie Tomas Salad for starters which, I must agree, is their best seller, salad wise; then we had N. Carolina Pulled Pork in Cabbage Relish Tomato-Coriander Salsa and Rasperry Sauce (hew! that was a mouthful and the name says it all); a juicy and tender Churrasco Beef Tenderloin in Chimichurri Sauce cooked medium well; and some Seafood Paella. For dessert we had Banana Langka Crepe Samurai and Ube Cheesecake Creme Brulee. What can I say? Everything was delicious and had me full and going 'til dinner time.

My "Singles" friends and I had our Christmas dinner get-together at My Thai Kitchen in Eastwood Mall. We finished off our plates with Tom Yam Goong (shrimps in hot and sour soup), Khau Kluk Gapi (bagoong rice with sweet pork and green mangoes), Yam Pak Bung Grob (deep fried kangkong with spicy sour pork and shrimp dip), Gai Hor Bai Toy (Chicken in pandan leaves) Tod Man Goong (shrimp cakes with chilli sauce).

We had coffee and cheesecake at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to cleanse off our palates after that heavy meal...or maybe just to chat and catch up a bit more. I guess a four-hour meal just wasn't long enough.

On Sunday, a joint birthday party between my sister and her bro-in-law was celebrated at Bono Yaki Resto along Libis Road. We had a buffet lunch of Japanese, Korean and Chinese dishes. I'm still deciding which among the dishes was my favorite. I guess I would have to try them all out again! Every single dish including their dessert/pastries, I swear, was deeee-lish! We had fun grilling their wide array of seafood and meat dishes. By the time we were done trying out all their foods, we were the only ones left at the restaurant.

Well? Have I made you crave for steak or seafood or cake yet? I know I'm hungry for some!

What I had last weekend was more than just mouth-watering food to sustain the body...what I got was nourishment for my spirit! Laughter shared, catching up with amusing stories, fellowship, wide and unpretentious smiles, affecting concern, ghost stories, running after babies and kids - these, and not the food nor the places visited, made my weekend special. We celebrated more than birthdays or get together...we celebrated God's blessings - life, family, friendship!