They say that watching TV has its subliminal effect. I may have to agree this time as what we’ve done a day after the Balloon fest is somewhat similar to the recently concluded Amazing Race Asia Season 2. No, there’s no running involved, no Henry-Trinidad-arguments and definitely no clues nor roadblock to beat. But of course there’s money to be budgeted (I always imagine myself saying, “Money is no issue!” kelan kaya?). I can somehow relate to the show though as my 2-weeks of “re-gym” made me somewhat near Marc Nelson’s six-pack abs. I wish.
Flashback. Waking up at Swagman hotel still with the after taste of San Mig lights beer and the flavorful chicken curry my wife shared with me during last night’s dinner, we just did some stretch, a shower of course, then we packed our things immediately. We avoided having breakfast at the resort thinking that the breakfast menu is quite stiff. Instead, we opted for the nearby McDonald’s and had our hearty late morning meal for just more than P100.
Actually, the reason why I’m trying to control our first meal, both budget and volume, is because we’ve been planning on checking out Everybody’s Café. So after Angeles, we were on our way to San Fernando, where the main restaurant is located. We got the idea of going to this famous Pampanga restaurant from a TV (see, TV again) show which if I’m not mistaken is from the Food Network channel. The host of the show ate frog legs in this resto and that perk up my appetite to try this exotic food.
We arrived in San Fernando about an hour later. The city is surprisingly good and looks more developed than I expected. The presence of several major car dealerships reaffirms this observation. A couple of minutes after entering the city and spending a few more time asking for directions we eventually located our objective. To my dismay, it’s not the one that we saw on TV. My wife later mentioned that what we’re expecting is actually in Angeles – it’s their branch store. Ti abi. To save the day, and our grumbling stomach we proceeded still.
From the outside, the place looks just like any old residential house. And with only one SUV parked that day, a newcomer wouldn’t even think that inside is a restaurant if not for the large sign just at the right of the entrance. But just after stepping inside, the sight of the food display gave me a hint that we are in the right place. At this point I was already starting to check every food tray for something looking weird, with long legs and webbed feet, and that resembles those we see in ponds – frogs. Unfortunately, there were none. Good thing the old lady at the counter sensed my craving for kapampangan delicacies. She politely offered buro with mustard leaves, fried hito (catfish) and of course to my delight, fried camaro (crickets). We also ordered Tapang Kalabaw – this became my instant favorite since I had one in SM Clark’s Cabalen.
Tapang Kalabaw
Camaro!
Once the foods were served, I was a bit surprised that there was little hesitation (esp. from my wife) to dig the foods in front of us. The camaro tasted just like small shrimps if not for the hollow stomach and dark brown color that reminds you otherwise. And the buro and mustard leaf combination reminded me of my late lola’s preparation when taking the nganga (leaves and lime chewed usually by elders). Overall, we enjoyed the weird lunch. Burp. Spent: P500+
Too much cricket!
Upon finishing our kapampangan meal we still had time to check out San Fernando’s malls which we unintentionally discovered when we took the wrong turn while looking for the resto. So with full stomach we find window shopping a good way to burn calories – I’m still wondering if how much calories did the fried crickets deposited in me. I observed that unlike the malls in Manila and Cavite, Robinson Starmills and SM San Fernando are a bit deserted (and sleepy) when we came in. So after grabbing some items, we decided it’s time we head back to Manila. Spent: P1000+
It was just around 1:30PM when we left San Fernando. Traffic at NLEX was smooth and we only got stuck starting in Cubao and the area before Ayala. We realize we still had time to kill; To the delight of my wife, I agree to drop by Glorietta Center in Makati. And besides, our car badly needs a wash.
Inside the mall, the temporary stalls located at one part of the mall reminded us that a renovation is still on-going to repair the site affected by the December 07 blast. Suddenly I felt like going back outside. However, that feeling was soon forgotten once we got in Glorietta 4. And as if to continue my quest for local foods I decided to take my snack from Taco Ilocano – Ilocano style empanada. My wife got something different too. Right after the calorie pile-up, we went to watch the movie “The Eye” in one of G4’s cinema. It’s been quite some time since we last watched a film in this mall. Spent: P1500+
By around 6pm we were already on our way back home. And then the thickening traffic flow gave us another reason to make our final stop - we dropped by SM Mall of Asia (MOA).
Once we got out of the elevator from the parking lot, all the food we took a couple of hours ago seemed to just disappear out of our bellies – we are hungry once more. So we combed the area and found ourselves facing the Manila bay at the rear portion of the mall. And there in front of us we saw that something new has been recently built in that vicinity – SM by the Bay.
We excitedly crossed the bridge to check the area; and it was as if all of a sudden we were transported into another place. We kept on reminding ourselves that we are still in the Philippines. Whoever thought of doing this place deserves more than just a pat at the back. It was packed with people, it is clean, it’s enticing, romantic and more importantly, the choice of places to eat is overwhelming. Almost an hour later of picking which is which, we eventually settled in Aling Tonya’s restaurant. We ordered calamares, sinigang na isda and of course, last but never the least, San Mig lights beer. What a wonderful way to cap the Balloonfest. Spent: P800+.
There goes another trip with my lovely wife, another well deserved outing for the two of us. Until the next road trip, and good food to deal with. And by the way, I need another set of coin banks.
Posted by crisn
