See you soon!

I've been keeping mum about it by request of Dodong. But I just can't help it as the date comes closer…Dodong's coming home! Weeeeee! We've actually planned out one of the long August weekends in Baguio and I'm just so excited! There is a whole lot to eat in Baguio. Cafe by the Ruins is definitely our first stop.

The beautiful photos are care of AllanKo.netThe last visit I've had to Cafe by the Ruins was when I was in 2004ish. So obviously, that was eons ago. But what I remember about it is the yummy freshly baked bread, which is just perfect for a hearty breakfast for two…

Kamote Bread

Chocolate Croissant for Dodong!

Fried White Cheese is Love.

Oh my. The photos alone are just making me sooooo freakin' excited for a Cafe by the Ruins date. If Dodong won't be able to wake up for an bright and early breakfast, I still wish I would be able to taste a classic Cafe by the Ruins dish: The Hubad na Longganisa.

Crunchy porky goodness with mountain red rice...drool!

Here's another Cafe by the Ruins dish that keeps me super excited:

Bacoooooooonnnnnn!

Bacon is just love…best shared with someone special? NOT! Hahaha! I think I'd be a bit selfish with my bacon. Hihihi!

Two weeks to go and Dodong will be here na! Yahoooo! Cafe by the Ruins here we come!

What other Cafe by the Ruins goodies could we order?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

P.S. Thanks again to Allanko.net for the lovely yummy photos.

I was as happy and fat as this kitty cat.

The other weekend, brother had his university graduation and a celebration isn't complete without eating out! So the whole family trooped to one of the most talked about hidden restaurants in the Rockwell area of Makati.Dodong adores chinese food a whole lot, and, of course, I was thinking of him as we were crossing the Osmena Highway (we came from PICC) into the Makati CBD.

What dishes he would have enjoyed? Would he kaya?

The Steamed Pork Belly

Steamed Pork Belly

Dodong and I do LOVE pork. Of course, this is a sure win. Though I was really expecting a more adobo-ey taste, it was not as salty, tangy nor sweet as the homemade favorite. BUT I would have loved it more if were adobo-ey.

Hot Pot Duck (?)

Hot Pot Duck

Not quite sure if Dodong would like this dish. I'm not a fan of boney food like chicken and fish (I know he doesn't like bones as much too), but this is worth trying. It has that malinamnam taste with a kick. Obvious ba ang daming sili eh! Perhaps a cold bottle of Tsing Tao beer would help cool down his palette.

Gongbao Chicken

Gongbao Chicken

My personal favorite! Super yummy especially when topped on a cup of hot steamed white rice! The peanuts add a nice contrast of crunch with the tender chicken cubes plus the oily, tomatoey, spicy (just right) sauce. I hope Dodong would like this too. It's not so spicy naman eh.

Hay. Missing Dodong more when I think about the food I ate there. What else is good to eat at 6404 Camia Street's Chinese Restaurant? Anything not too spicy for Dodong?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

An empty chair waiting for him at Cafe 1771

Dining at Cafe 1771 in Ortigas Center is actually not new to me. I've been there several times since my good friend's fiance is the marketing manager of the Chateau 1771 Group of restaurants. Soooo we've had a few get togethers and a sprinkle of business meetings in Cafe 1771.

Last Monday, I've had the privilege of dining there again for a piece I am working on for them. And this question bugged my mind: would Dodong actually enjoy eating at Cafe 1771?

In all honesty, maybe not. He'd come with me, but this isn't his cup of tea. Really. But I still think Cafe 1771 is one of my future date choices, whether he likes it or not. Hehehe! Why so?

Good Food!

My personal favorite which I've constantly been craving for is their Pasta Chorizo. But since I've eaten that gazillion of times, I tried to be more adventurous to check out they "new" offerings (versus the Pasta Chorizo which is a Chateau classic dish):

Fried Squash Flowers filled with Cheese and Anchovies topped with Arugula on a Napolitaine Sauce

Mushroom and Smoked Salmon Pizza

Okay, I'm guilty of still ordering the Pasta Chorizo but I did not take a picture of it. Hehehe!

Lovely (with British accent please) Decor

I love, love, love, love what Ivy Almario did to the place! Superly duperly! I am all for a splash of bright color to really uplift your spirits after a tiring day. Ahlavet! I so wish my house was like this…well in th future perhaps

A Warm Welcome to Cafe 1771!

Ohhhh mosaic details on the floor!

I so love this spot and the chair!

Abubuts to Go!

This is actually fairly new. The last time I visited, wala pang mga abubuts and useful useless cute stuff on the counter like leather bound journals, yummy smelling hand sanitizers, notepads, calendars, pencil cases, pouches and more…

Shopping inside a resto? Pwede!

I was super tempted to get myself a pouch and a notepad or calendar but tipid mode. So next time na lang Hehehe!

Ganda da va? Would you visit Cafe 1771 too?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

P.S. Sorry pa din sa photos. Pls continue to pray for the Lumix LX3 for me

P.P.S. If Dodong would enjoy something in Cafe 1771, it would be this:

Chocolate something something dessert

Pairing beer with food? YES!

Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of joining the launch of the San Miguel Lifestyle Brews Degustation dinner at Chateau 1771, Greenbelt 5 as part of my work with Anton Diaz. Okay, I wasn't supposed to be there since I gave up my slot to somebody else, but fortunately another person forgot about the dinner and gave me a chance to sit in and enjoy great beer together with equally great food Yey!

But despite of being so happy I got to join the gang for dinner, I was also sad because this degustation dinner is something that Dodong would also enjoy. We both love food and eating out is not the same without him.

So what would Dodong enjoy on our future San Miguel Lifestyle Brews Degustation dinner date?

Okay before we go to that, what is the supposed guidelines for beer pairing? According to the brew masters at San Miguel Lifestyle Brews, the basic principles are (of course, these are pairings with their beer brands na):

• San Miguel Premium All-Malt goes best with poultry and seafood
• San Miguel Super Dry goes best with pork and beef
• Cerveza Negra goes best with anything sweet (i.e. dessert)

So now, what are the dishes that Dodong would enjoy on our San Miguel Lifestyle Brews dinner date? Hehehe!

DISH #1: GRATINATED SCALLOPS WITH SAN MIGUEL PREMIUM ALL-MALT

San Miguel Premium All-Malt with Gratinated Scallops

San Miguel Premium All-Malt beer is actually my personal favorite! I'm super kuripot but I'm willing to pay for this beer baby! And I think that this was the best dish of the night.

Scallops were the best I've ever tasted to far. It was fresh and light, contrasted by the rich, creamy sauce topped with crunchy breadcrumbs. Super YUM! And super bagay with San Miguel Premium All-Malt Kung pwede lang humingi ng second serving, I would have asked for another dish for myself. Hehehe!

DISH #2: BONELESS CRISPY PORKHOCK WITH RED ONIONS AND CABBAGE

Anything is good with pork and its crispy skin...drool...drool...

I would call this pinasosyal na boneless crispy pata I love, love, love pork so I do appreciate this dish all the more. Lalo na with the crispy skin! Cholesterol Haven! The bitterness of the San Miguel Super Dry actually complimented the slight tang from the cabbage, which was cooked sauerkraut style.

I just couldn't guess what the sauce was made of. Anybody care to enlighten me? Hershey? Spanx? Dedet? Meg? Hehehe!

DISH #3: DOUBLE GANACHE TART WITH CERVEZA NEGRA

A meal is never complete without dessert (and a Cerveza Negra!)

This was the perfect match! You'd actually hesitate (like I did) because you would never in your life imagine beer to be paired with dessert. But one bite of the double ganache tart and a sip of that Cerveza Negra…ay grabe! The flavors all just blended together.

And the double ganache tart is something Dodong would love since he is the chocolate addict. Yes, you read it right. He loves chocolate and I don't. It's so not girl-like right?

I preferred the Filo Mille Feuille than the double ganache tart. Hehehe. But for a perfect beer match, the double ganache tart still reigns supreme with the Cerveza Negra.

I was so busog that night and so happy to have experienced a gourmand meal Hehehe! But still wish Dodong was there too Howell…

Kudos to the Chateau 1771 culinary team led by Chef Vicky Pacheco for coming up with the great food and to the San Miguel Lifestyle Brews team for introducing this wonderful concept with their world class beers Cheers!

I heard that they will be offering this beer pairing menu in Chateau 1771 for this month, so better get your asses there to check it out. Let me know how you find the pairings

PLUS they will be having another dinner with a new culinary team as well. Hmmm…what restaurant would be the next San Miguel Lifestyle Brews degustation dinner venue? Can you guess? I wish Dodong were home when the next degustation dinner happens. Sigh.

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

P.S. I know sorry for the pictures. Pls do continue praying that I get to buy my camera by next month

P.P.S. Pls do answer a quick survey to get to know you better here

Wish you and I were here...

Dodong and I super love food. It's one of those passions we share. And last Friday at Our Awesome Planet's (OAP) Ultimate Taste Test (UTT) 4.0 at the NBC Tent, I was just so sad that he couldn't be with me. All those new food finds to taste and no one to share it with Well, there were friends and family, but it would be different with Dodong…

I actually was quite busy overseeing some details of the UTT 4.0 as I closely worked with Mr. and Mrs. OAP and Creative Juice to make this event possible. Rushing around to make sure that we fulfill our client's requirements. Meeting, greeting and GRO-ing the clients. Checking up on Rache and the rest of the Creative Juice team if they needed help as well. So I really wasn't able to take pictures (no food porn) and all…FAIL!

But if Dodong were here, these are the food stalls we would definitely enjoy together…

Pepita's Kitchen Lechon

Ohhh lala. Of course, this is a Pinoy Feast staple. But Pepita's gives you lechon with a twist: 1) it's boneless! 2) it comes in five international flavors: Filipino (of course!), French, Hawaiian, Chinese and Spanish. I was so sad that I was not able to taste at least one bite. Dedet sample naman? Hehehe!

Email pepitaskitchen@gmail.com and add them on Facebook for more info and your special orders

Jam Food's Angus Beef Tapa

Oh my, this I was able to try! Thank God! REALLY Good melt in your mouth flavorful tapa. They even have a special vinegar to go with it. I forgot the variants though. Another fail! Anybody who remembers their vinegar sauces?

I would love to cook a batch of angus tapa for Dodong's brunch (He's not a breakfast person) or maybe pang midnight snack. With matching sinangag (garlic fried rice) and scrambled eggs. Grumble. Just imagining is making me a-hungry.

Oh anybody got some info on their contact details? I do want to order beef angus tapa too.

Muscovy Duck Ham

And this too, I fortunately got to try. Dodong also enjoys eating duck so this will truly be a treat when he comes home. It's sweet and salty and fatty all at the same time. Soooo yummy! I think it would be perfect with a slice of Queso de Bola and perhaps a slice of toasted pandesal. Nomnomnom!

Care to share where we can order? Perfect for Christmas right?

Dulcelin Gourmet

GRABE ANG SHORTRIBS! I super loved it! I was lucky enough to get to taste 2 slices of the oh-so-tender and flavorful short ribs because I was able to line up towards the end of the event. Food-gasm galore! I didn't like the pulled pork mac and cheese though. I found the pasta overcooked. And their mango torte is just a classic dessert. I remember eating a whole lot even if I had a terrible toothache.

Check out their website here

if you notice, these are all meat purveyors. Dodong is really a meat lover, that's why. So I am looking forward and crossing my fingers that Dodong would come home during the future UTT events this August and October. Hope to see you guys there too!

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

P.S. Again, apologies for the crappy photos. I had to make do with my camera phone. I hope you pray with me that I get my new camera soon

P.P.S. Don't forget to answer the Loving the Distance readers' survey here. I'd really want to know what other stories to share

Time to reflect on the past, present and future...

It's Holy Week already and the Philippines is on a stand still with the very much awaited long break. For us folks who'd rather stay in the city versus braving the highways and byways to the provinces and vacation spots, pride ourselves in alternative activities to keep us busy during the deadness of the city for Holy Week reflection. One of these activities is the traditional Holy Thursday Pilgrimage up the Antipolo Church, where the Our Lady of Good Voyage resides.

Before Dodong and I were Dodong and I AND when we were already Dodong and I (digs?), Holy Thursday Pilgrimage is a must. It's a chance for us to join the crowds by the millions (Yes, they said that crowds reach 2.5Million people!) in prayer and penitence. And ever since he left for greener pastures in the desert (Oh the irony), we have not done the pilgrimage together. So my wish for a future date is to be able to walk the crowded streets of Ortigas Avenue extension with Dodong.

I know it is not at all romantic but it brings us back to the days when we were still not Dodong and I. Cheese! And don't you think it would be nice to pray together at the foot of Our Lady of Good Voyage for our next journey TOGETHER?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

Quiet please. Work-in-progress at The Collective

Earlier this morning, together with one of my most favorite people in this world, my friends from Maven Secrets, Anton introduced us to a super exciting and new Future date place for LDR couples like Dodong and myself in The Collective in Malugay Street, Makati. (Well, at least, I think it's a place I'd like to explore with him very soon. Hehehe.)

When I actually received the advise on the change in the venue last night, I was like HUH??? What is The Collective in Malugay Street??? All I knew that it was a place in Makati famous for the car shops and infamous for the floods during the rainy. Little did I know that I was in for a real pleasant surprise…

Behind the unassuming steel gates is a haven for those who are just real tired of the usual bling bling and pizzaz of mainstream retail stores in the malls. The Collective is literally a collection of shops within a formerly musty and stinky warehouse compound. One of the forces behind the movement and co-owner of The Outerspace Gallery, Dustin Reyes, describes The Collective as "an honest space". In my opinion, it is where there are real people and stories behind the shops.

The Collective is pretty much a work-in-progress with only 3-4 establishments operational: The Outerspace Gallery (where we had our lecture and had no art on display…sadness),

Well, except for these sets of cute and romantic coasters

Hocus New Old Bike Shop and Screen Printing,

Vintage bikes for restoration! Nice!

Sundae (vintage clothing store – closed when we dropped by),  and B-Side Bar (closed because we were there in the morning. duh.).

But there are definitely a whole lot of other stuff to look forward to at The Collective such as Wabi-Sabi Noodle House and Vegetarian Grocery

Vegetarian Ramen for two?

and The Ritual (which I wasn't able to take a picture of…Boo.), a local organic grocery store with super within budget prices (a very thoughtful business that makes organic produce more accessible to NOT YET uber rich people like myself), led by Rob Crisostomo and girlfriend Bea Misa.

I'd compare The Collective with our long distance relationship, or perhaps any relationship for that matter, which is always a work in progress. Thus making it all the more exciting because you always have something great to look forward to Wouldn't you agree?

2 seats reserved for Dodong and me at The Collective Courtyard

So watch out for the full launch of The Collective real soon. I know that the supposed launch this evening got cancelled. But I am pretty sure it was all for the best Looking forward to sharing another The Collective experience when Dodong comes home next time

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

P.S. Sorry for the grainy shots. My camera is still in the dumps, so I had to make do with my phone's camera. Ok pa din ba naman yung pics? O hindi?

The Philippines literally STOPS today to tune in to the Pacquiao – Clottey fight. We countrymen do support our boxers!

Anyhoo, while waiting for the undercards to finish and the Pacman-Clottey fight to begin, I thought that watching a Pacquiao Boxing match would be a great date idea right? That is if Dodong's homecoming coincides with another Pacquiao fight.

Prayers out to Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao. Hope he wins!

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

P.S. Of course, Manny Pacquiao won! But I do personally think it was just too boring. Clottey just hid behind the gloves, like hiding behind his mommy's skirt. Boo.

One of my most favorite play is back! Avenue Q returns to Manila on its 5th run (OH WOW!) with Rachel Alejandro back as Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut along with new comer to the cast Calvin Millado as Brian. I so want to watch since I watched Carla Guevarra back in 2008.

Why would Avenue Q be a super fun date with Dodong?

Avenue Q is a great way to introduce Broadway

Dodong is definitely not the Broadway play kind of guy. He's your typical blood-sex-sports-history-comedy kind of guy. So action movies, war movies, sports movies, no-brainer comedies are more his style.

And since Avenue Q is definitely a laugh your socks off kind of play. FYI for those who haven't watched Avenue Q: I would describe it as an adult Sesame Street. They have puppet characters and humans who sing and dance (and make you laugh!) about the hardcore stuff on REAL LIFE.

Avenue Q has really FUNNY songs!

Here are some Avenue Q's the song titles: The Internet is for Porn, Everybody's a Little bit racist, If you were gay, and What do you do with a B.A. in English (a.k.a. It sucks to be me). Funny di ba?

If Dodong would get the chance to watch and listen to the lyrics, I could just imagine him guffawing and snickering all throughout the show. He would be sooo cute! Hihihihi! Kinilig ako

A great photo opportunity with the puppets (and the stars!)

Wouldn't it be cool if we could both have our pictures taken with the Avenue Q puppets? Pwede kaya? I am again daydreaming of the fun possibility He'd be so excited to do funny poses while photo opping. Hehehe!

And I'm just so sad that Dodong isn't here to watch it with me. Boo. So I will just stick to my daydream. Or maybe just watch it with friends instead.

But for those with their honeys with them, catch Avenue Q this March 12-27, 2010 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza Makati City. You can check the seat plan and how to get your tickets here.

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

The world famous Batad Rice Terraces amphitheatre

Last weekend, I ended up on a bus to Banaue to visit Batad, Ifugao along with some ex-officemates of mine. So technically, I could not classify this as an alone date because I was not alone on this trip. And since I do know for a fact that Dodong loves hiking and trekking (I'd personally rather be underwater than climbing mountains), I do think trekking to Banaue and Batad, Ifugao would be a perfect venue for a future date.

What could we possibly do together in Batad Ifugao? Hmmmm…

Hold hands while hiking

Trekking takes a total of 1-hour going to Batad and another 1.5 hours going back up to the Batad Saddle. It takes a little longer uphill. Hehehe. So that's a total of 2.5 hours of holding hands! Sweet!

Holding hands while trekking?

I just didn't count the almost 3-hour roundtrip trek to Tappiya falls since we won't get much chance to hold hands walking through the narrow Batad rice terrace ledges. Hehehe! Baka mahulog pa kami! Hehehehe!

Take a dip in the cool Tappiya Waterfalls

The breathtaking Tappiya Falls

Taking the cool plunge at the Tappiya Waterwalls TOGETHER after a long and tiring trek through the Batad rice terraces would just be heaven. I could imagine the splish splashing movie sequence of playing around in the water. Hehehe. It would be soooo fun! And since it is just so damn cold…

Cold enough to give you ice cold drinks!

Share tight warm hugs through the cold cold weather

We could share body warmth right after the dip at the Tappiya Waterfalls. Hihihi! It would be colder when the cool mountain breeze hits your wet skin. Yikes! Also just hugging each other through the cold Batad night would be super duper perfect.

Cold, cloudy Batad morning!

Sometimes jackets and blankets are not enough, right?

Share stories and jokes over a mug of hot Mountain Coffee

One of the livelihood projects of the people in Batad includes growing coffee in the rice terraces. Oh so they won't be rice terraces but coffee terraces. And they sell their yummy coffee to tourists (like me!) to sip during the cold days and to take home to loved ones. I'd love to share a cup of local Batad brewed coffee with Dodong when we go on our future date here. Wouldn't that moment be so delish?

Watch the Batad Rice terraces sunrise

This I definitely did not get to do last weekend. My body was just so tired that I ended up waking up past sunrise. Gaaaahhhh! But this is enough reason for me and Dodong to pack our bags and head up to Banaue and Batad soon. We do love sunsets but sunrises are also quite romantic too, especially if shared with the love of your love.

SIGH. Aren't you excited to visit Batad soon?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay