PICKIEST DADDY THOUGHTS: MY DAUGHTER, DISNEY & DAVID BLAINE

         

         A couple of months ago, Rina and I planned to get front row seats to the show of one of my idols, David Blaine. After giving it much thought, we decided that we would pass on the show, in the name of austerity. Though the ticket prices seemed reasonable enough compared to other concerts that have come and gone to the country, I believe we both felt a little guilty splurging that much while leaving Baby Rain left out. Afterwards, I told Rina to try to look for some activities that he three of us could do together. 

        Last week, we found out about the "Disney Live!" Show, where three fairy tales, namely Snow White, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast are brought to life on stage. Taking a gamble that Rain would be old enough to appreciate the show, we snapped up tickets immediately. We ended up gettting a great deal, because altogether, our three tickets cost just a little over half of what we would have shelled out for one ticket to see David Blaine, and we sat in the fifth row!

SEVEN YEARS OF HAPPINESS..

The date was January 6, 2008. 

The Day I married my soul mate. 

TAAL VISTA HOTEL: OUT OF TOWN, YET CLOSE TO HOME

            Some time in 2011, I went on a road trip to Tagaytay. One of my stops was Taal Vista Hotel, just to check out the view of Taal Volcano. I walked into the hotel, and truth be told, there was nothing that gave me the inkling it was an actual hotel. I've had an extensive experience with hotels in my life, so think I have a basic knowledge of how hotel staff should be in terms of hospitality and demeanor.

       Sadly, my first impression was that I felt Taal Vista Hotel was being run by robots. When I walked in, no one really noticed me, to the point that I didn't even get so much as a "Good Morning" from the front desk or Bell hops. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting them to roll out the red carpet or throw rose petals in front of my every step, but it's pretty customary for a hotel to treat every guest like they were the most important person in the world. Unfortunately for me, I walked into to Taal Vista Hotel and walked out their doors contemplating whether to use my new found powers of invisibility to fight crime or for world domination. 

        I honestly wasn't expecting a whole lot during a trip back to Taal Vista Hotel in 2012, but instead I was dazzled by the hospitality and graciousness that I had been expecting from a hotel. The difference between now and the previous year was night and day. 

        I knew I was in for an amazing weekend with my family.

       

PAMANA: FAMILY TIME AT TAGAYTAY

      I'm sure everyone has heard horror stories about having terrible in laws.. Well, I'm very blessed because mine are awesome. As you may have noticed, my sister in law Chaikka and her boyfriend Don, appear a lot in my blog because we love spending time with them. And ever since she and my dad in law moved into our village, we make it a point that Rain visits him as much as she can. Rina's dad is really cool, and has the most infectious laugh. We get along great because he's really easy to talk to and you feel you can tell him anything. 

     The very second Rina's dad found out the doctor gave Baby Rain the Go Signal to take Rain on out of town trips, he immediately scheduled a day for him to take all of us to Tagaytay. He wasn't going to miss the chance to be the one to take Rain on her first out of town excursion! 

      Basically, "Daddy Cool" as he wants Baby Rain to call him when she grows up (I told you he was pretty awesome), just wanted something simple.. Find a place to hang and enjoy the view of Taal Volcano, and afterwards, have a great meal. Naturally all of them looked at me for the best place to eat, so I had to do a little research, with Tagaytay being an unfamiliar area to me. I asked Rina's dad if he had a certain cuisine in mind, and he said, "Anywhere... just as long as there's Bulalo!".

     Bulalo. Of course. A Tagaytay staple. 

      So I was thinking, when you're in Tagaytay, and you're looking for a unique dining experience with your family, where should you go? 

      "Pamana" became the obvious answer. 

JUST FONDUE IT AT ELEVEN TABLES

         While the entire country was on the Holy Week vacation, Rina's job unfortunately required her to work. Luckily though, her shift doesn't start until 3pm, and she can do her work from home. (I should seriously start looking into that. Imagine how much I could save on my water bill, not needing to shower before going to work!) I told her that I wanted to take her and Baby Rain out for lunch so we could get home before her shift started, so we don't go all "The Shining" staying in the house throughout the break. 

     Chaikka, who was getting bored out of her mind at home, had said that should we have any plans, to let her know right away, and no matter what it was, even if it was a midnight Magnum run to our villages' Mini Stop, she was in. 

        I had done a little research before the break began, so I had an idea of what restaurants would be open during the Lenten season, and one stuck to the back of my mind. After a leisurely driver around The Fort and Ortigas, I decided it was time to give that restaurant a try..

      "Eleven Tables" at Kapitolyo. 

MY DAD, A KITE, AND THE ISLANDS BANCA CRUISE

      One of the perks of living in Cebu when I was a kid was the beach. Because of my family's business, we were fortunate enough to be able to go to the beach as easily as people in Manila decide to go to Mega Mall.. almost to the point of me getting sick of it when I was a kid. Sure it was fun at first, but like everything in life, (and especially when you're a kid) when something becomes a weekly routine, it gets tiresome.


      One morning, I had just gotten out of bed, my dad told me to get ready because we were going to the beach. I rolled my eyes and said I didn't want to go. My dad, you see, is a lover of anything to do with the seas, so he was a little bit shocked. He said, "Come on, we're going to go island hopping on a pump boat." Being the brat that I was, I found it funny he thought that would entice me, considering that's exactly what we would always do when we go to the beach. I said I wasn't feeling well. Then he said, "Do you know how to fly a kite? The wind looks nice out. I could teach you." Being a punk 13 year that was trying to reach the highest level of Castlevania on my Nintendo Family computer, I found his offer to fly a kite laughable. I said a simple, "No Thanks". He then looked at me and said, "Richie, believe me, one day you're going to miss the beach and going island hopping." Finally I just annoyingly said, "I have a lot of homework to do, Dad." 


     He didn't look to happy, but he obviously got the message. I know he told my mom what I said because before they left, my mom said, "I'm going to check your homework when I get back so it better be done". 


     So I got out of having to go to the beach that weekend, which for some reason I took as a form of punishment, and instead spent the day on a whole lot of video games and a little homework. 
    
     Cut to: Twenty years later. 
     


    When Rina told me that her sister, Chaikka, and her Boyfriend Don wanted to the beach for Holy Week, there was only one place I could suggest.. Cebu. I needed to get out of the concrete jungle that is Makati so we booked the flights without hesitation, and luckily enough, my friends Ted and Karen were able to join us as well! 


   Given all my years living in Cebu, my group looked at me as "The Host", so naturally I was in charge of fixing the itinerary. I could easily book a pump boat for island hopping, but I wanted to give my friends an experience that they couldn't get just anywhere.. something that would be distinctly "Cebu". 


   That's when my brother told me about Islands Banca Cruises, which he had experienced with his friends a couple of months before. So I booked the cruise, and we headed off to Cebu.  

     My dad was already there, attending to the business, but welcomed us all when we arrived. He asked me if we had a set itinerary yet, and I said we had booked a few plans.


    And as proof that God has a sense of humor, I said to my dad for the first time in my entire life.. "Dad, we're going Island Hopping tomorrow. Would you like to join us?"

     My dad smiled and said, "Sure".     

YOU JIE XIAO CHAO: A CHINESE HIDDEN TREASURE NEAR ROCKWELL

             If you ever find yourselves in the outskirts of the Rockwell area in Makati, and you pass this gate on Camia Street, do yourself a favor.. 

            Stop, go down, knock on the door and walk in.

          Because inside, you'll find some of the most amazing Chinese food you'll ever try in Metro Manila.  

                     Friends, let me tell you all about You Jie Xiao Chao...

          

BABY RAIN'S FIRST DAY OUT! MAKANMAKAN: ASIAN FOOD VILLAGE

In case you're new to my Blog, I just wanted to let you know that as of today (January 30, 2012), The first ever Pickiest Eater In The World Contest Giveaway is underway, and you can find out the details on how to join by clicking out the post HERE. Get a chance to win Gift Certificates for P5,000.00 worth of services from CATHY VALENCIA SKIN AND BODY CENTER! Guys, if you need pogi points with your girls, this could be your chance! (Unless you wanna use it yourself of course.. Umm.. We're not here to judge)

        So it was Chaikka's (Rina's sister) birthday last Saturday, so she and Rina had planned a family outing at Manila Ocean park, mainly because my Father In Law has a fascination for Marine life. Apart from it being Chaikka's birthday celebration, this day also marked the first time Baby Rain would be going on a Baby's day out, so Rina and I were doubly excited.

      Rina and I have agreed that we wouldn't be taking Rain out to public so much while she's an infant, however this was a special case because it was her Ninang's birthday, and since we would ALL be out, Rina wasn't too comfortable with the thought of leaving Rain at home knowing Chaikka wouldn't be nearby in case of any (god forbid) emergencies (Chaikka and my dad in law lives in the same village we do).

                 
       Naturally, they asked me where we could eat around that area, and I immediately suggested "Makanmakan: Asian Food Village", which I had been hearing some very good things about. Lucky for me, my in laws were up for it.

     In fact, this lunch was extra memorable for me, because It reaffirmed that choosing Rina as my wife, was the best decision I had ever made. Not just just because she's so amazing.. but because her family and I get along so well.. 

   How well? Well let's just put it this way.. I find it hard to believe that I would find another family that would order three types of Pork Spareribs for lunch. 

    See what I mean? Destiny. 

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR AT P.F. CHANG'S PHILIPPINES!

In case you're new to my Blog, I just wanted to let you know that as of today (January 19, 2012), The first ever Pickiest Eater In The World Contest Giveaway is underway, and you can find out the details on how to join by clicking out the post HERE. Get a chance to win Gift Certificates for P5,000.00 worth of services from CATHY VALENCIA SKIN AND BODY CENTER! Guys, if you need pogi points with your girls, this could be your chance! (Unless you wanna use it yourself of course.. Umm.. We're not here to judge)

The only reason why she looks so tall is cuz she's wearing heels. 

And umm.. I'm wearing "flats". 

              My sister Raquel and I made plans during the Christmas break for me to visit her over at the South. I hadn't been to Alabang since my trip to The Wooden Horse Steak House so I thought it would be fun to find a place to eat over at the other side of the metro. At first I was targeting one of those hole in the wall restaurants around BF, but I found out through Rina's friend that there was a restaurant that was opening in Alabang Town Center (Not at The Fort, as I originally heard through the grapevine) - one that I had seen and heard about quite often, but never got to try. Wouldn't it be a cool way to celebrate the Chinese New Year weekend at the newly opened P.F. Chang's? 

       And as a lover of the Chinese Cuisine, I swore to myself that as soon as P.F. Chang's opens its doors in the Philippines, I owed it to myself to finally get a taste of what the fuss is all about. So on January 19th, 2012, P.F. Chang's finally opened for business at Alabang Town Center. 

       Two days later, I found myself speeding down South Super Highway on my way to Alabang. 

AN ODE TO MY YAYA

Parts lifted from an old facebook album

This is me and my Yaya Kit when I was four years old. 

        I wanted to take a moment to pay tribute to someone who has a very special place in my heart. This is the woman that changed my diaper when I was a baby. She took me to school when I was a child and waited for me until the bell rang. She would cook me my favorite meal upon request. Plain and simply, she took care of me. I wouldn't be the man I am today without her unconditional love and selfless nurturing. Who is she, you ask?

          She's my Yaya.

THE ART OF KANZHU HAND PULLED NOODLES

        It was a rainy Saturday morning when Rina and I drove to Quezon City for her doctor's appointment. I don't go to QC very much anymore.. which is sad because I spent four years living in my grandfather's house before moving to our place in Antipolo. We lived near the Timog-Tomas Morato area, and even back then, it was lined with a number of restaurants, with the more popular ones being Mario's, Dulcinea, and Anabel's. 

     Nowadays, the area is loaded with an eclectic selection of restaurants to choose from. It's a little bit annoying knowing that there are hundreds of these wonderful restaurants for me to try, but most of them weren't there when I was living just a few blocks away from them. 

      One such restaurant, is Kanzhu Hand Pulled Noodles. I hadn't been to that area since my visit to Penpen, so I was fortunate to find out about this restaurant from the Group Buying site, CashCashPinoy. 

    Forgive me for sharing yet another adventure from a Chinese restaurant, but I wanted to use my voucher before it expired.

 Besides, I couldn't resist the allure of authentic "Hand pulled noodles".

THE PICKIEST EATER ANNOUNCEMENT

No offense to all the other babies in the world, 

but this is the most beautiful one I've ever seen in my entire life.

Meet Renee' Amelie Zamora. My Baby, "Rain". 

Good Day Picky (and not so) Picky Eaters!

   Rina is on her 39th week of pregnancy, so we're expecting the Pickiest Little Eater any day soon. The birth of my daughter Rain will undoubtedly open a brand new chapter in my life that my wife and I are looking forward to. This is more exciting than the first time I went to Spiral Buffet, or when I returned to Harbor City in Cebu. This level of excitement is in a league of its own.


   With that being said, Please do not be surprised if I would abruptly need to go on hiatus for an undetermined amount of time. I will still most probably be posting on The Pickiest Eater In The World Facebook Page from time to time, so please "Like" that page or Follow me on Twitter for Updates. 

   I honestly have no clue when or how long I'll be gone, but I wouldn't be surprised if I find ways to keep posting reviews even from the hospital (I heard there are some great restaurants within the vicinity of Medical City hehe) or something. 


   After doing this for more than a year, I can't imagine NOT blogging about food. True there are times that I get lazy to write, but the moment I get going, and when I get comments on a post or in my Facebook fan page, it just really reaffirms my love for food blogging.  


      I have great plans for this blog, which are slowly being set into motion to make it even bigger and better, with the capabilities to reach an even wider audience. I can't really divulge anything because nothing is final yet, but I honestly do hope everything me and my friends are working on pushes through. Hopefully by early next year, my little "project" shall be revealed. Please stay tuned for that :)


      Please don't get this post wrong. I know it may sound like it, but I'm not saying goodbye. In fact, I'm going to be posting a new restaurant adventure with in the next couple of days. I'm just saying that Rina is giving birth soon, and I'll be gone for awhile.. Try not to miss me so much hehe.. 


    Thanks for everything guys! Please do pray for the safe delivery of our Baby Rain, as well as the health of Rina.. and as for being first time parents.. Wish us both luck! 


    I've got a lot of eating left to do, so ya'll can't get rid of me just yet!

See ya soon! 

      

SO-SO O'SONHO

Game on

         After getting the gender results from our trip to the doctor, Rina and I were so happy about hearing that our baby was healthy that we decided to treat our companions, Chaikka, Don, and my sister Raquel (Same people from our Yellow Cab breakfast) to lunch out at Eastwood. Since I had my trusty Voucher from Groupon Philippines for O'Sonho (I only paid P200 bucks for P400 worth of food!), that was pretty much the default choice (Hey we were paying so no complaining). A work friend of mine, Osh, had also mentioned this place to me in the past, as a suggestion for my next destination. Since she is also a notoriously Picky Eater herself, I instantly knew that there weren't going to be any vegetables involved in this food trip (which was totally fine by me).  

         I still remember the first time I noticed O'Sonho. Its right beside Cookbook Kitchen, and I didn't think twice when I passed by it at first, because I thought, for some reason, it was a Japanese Restaurant (I could imagine a Japanese man shouting out, "OSONHO!", like it meant "Delicious!" or something). A closer look revealed that it was actually a Portugese Fusion restaurant. 

        Since Spanish food is a family tradition, I have a high standard for it, and I imagined that Portuguese food wouldn't be very different, so I didn't feel any urgency to try O'Sonho out.

       Then on my way back, I passed by the place once again, and I saw their huge menu outside. There was one dish that totally caught my attention: Coffee Marinated Roast Pork. 

BOY OR GIRL? THE BIG REVEAL!

        


         It seems like it was just yesterday that I was announcing to the world that after three years of trying, Rina was finally pregnant, (and driving my mom into hysterics in the process). I know that it sounds like a lot of fun, and though I really shouldn't be complaining, the fact of the matter is, it wasn't exactly easy. There were some medical issues involved, and some tests and treatments to undergo (some that weren't exactly "pleasant") to help get me and Rina in optimum shape for pregnancy. Thankfully, My brother in Law Julio has an uncle that specializes that sort of thing. When my sister mentioned to Tito Manny that Rina and I were having trouble conceiving, he confidently told her, "They want to have a baby? Tell them to see me." 

CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF AN ANGEL

Light of the love that I found

            I have said in the past, that the secret to a long, happy life is a simple two-step process:

            1) Find the most wonderful woman in the world.

2) Never let her go.

SUMMER TIME ON THE SLIP N' SLIDE!!

Summer Time On The Slip N' Slide! from richiez168 on Vimeo.

           Due to the hectic schedule of my past few weeks, I haven't had the time to write a new post.. So I decided to instead show you all a video of me on my nephew Gael's Slip N' Slide! For those who are curious, Yes, it did kind of hurt the jewels a little bit, but surprisingly, not as much as you would think (It's a good thing I got Rina pregnant already), and Yes, I eventually did tear a hole in my shorts.

      It was really fun!!

SINGAPORE DAY 3: ON TOP OF THE WORLD, IN THE SINGAPORE FLYER!

THE PICKIEST EATER GOES TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD! 

from richiez168 on Vimeo.

          I'm afraid of heights. I think that's why God didn't make me tall. Wait, I take that back. I'm not afraid of heights, per se. I'm afraid of Ferris Wheels. Strange, no? So what exactly would possess me to take a ride on The Singapore Flyer, the tallest Ferris Wheel in the entire world? Well, the girls said they wanted to do it, so I had to man up or be left behind. Besides, the ticket was a package deal with our Duck Tour, so I'd be wasting money if I skipped it.

            And I'm glad I did, because the view of the city was absolutely breathtaking, that every tourist should not miss!        

SINGAPORE DAY 1: BY LAND AND SEA ON THE DUCK TOUR!

THE PICKIEST EATER GOES ON THE DUCK TOUR IN SINGAPORE! from richiez168 on Vimeo.

 

      As soon as we arrived in our "hotel" in Singapore (I use quotation marks because.. well.. if you saw our room, you'll know what I mean) I spoke to the resident "Tour Specialist" for suggestions on how to go around the city. (We didn't really have any plans on how to go around, so we thought we'd just wing it, since everyone was saying that Singapore is so small, its easy to get to where you need to go) If I wanted a quick tour of the city to give me an idea of the places I could go to in the next few days, he strongly suggested I go on a "Duck Tour". 

    Our starting point was the Singapore Flyer arcade and we would end in Suntec City Mall. 

MY MOM'S BIG BIRTHDAY FREAKOUT!!

OUR BIRTHDAY GIFT TO MY MOM from richiez168 on Vimeo.

The (Full) Back Story:
My mom has been bugging Rina and I for the past few months to have a baby already.. It's not like we don't want to have one, 

but apparently its not exactly that easy. 

After going to the doctor more than three times a week for over a month just to make sure everything is "In order", Rina is now pregnant.

This was first confirmed with three home pregnancy kits in two days.

Then finally by a doctor through Ultra Sound.

It was her birthday last Saturday, and with the exception of Cara who is studying in the States, it was the first time in a long time that we would be complete as a family.
In other words: The perfect time for the big announcement. 

This video shows my mom's reaction to the good news. 

My mom loves getting picture frames with her grandchildren in it. 

Little did she know, she'd be getting the first ever picture, of her newest one.

Now we're getting ready for the arrival of our own little picky eater!

7 1/2 months to go!

Wish us luck, and please pray for a safe pregnancy for Rina, 

and the delivery of a healthy baby!

I have never been more excited in my entire life! 

(Not even compared to the first time I went to Spiral, or the time I found the Altar of Bacon!)

Our Facebook announcement Picture!

(Photo by Carlo Hernandez & design by Mark Mijares)

THE SUN WAH EXPEDITION

No idea where I am, and honestly, a little bit scared.

       I've always wanted to go on those Popular Binondo "Food Walks", but I really hate walking. Maybe if it was a "Food Ride", I might have gone on it a long time ago. Chinese is among my favorite cuisines, so the thought of hopping from restaurant to restaurant trying out new dimsum and other oriental dishes would be close to the equivalent of taking a child to Toy's R Us. My boss would take clients to a famous restaurant in Binondo and, it was pretty terrific. He would order weird stuff, like turtle soup, or frog legs, but as long as I had sweet and sour pork, I was good to go.

     Love Birds Chaikka and Don decided to treat us to a family dinner at one of their favorite Authentic Chinese hole-in-the-wall spots, "Sun Wah". I had never heard of this place, but again, once you put the words "free" and "food" into one sentence, it's quite likely I'm there (umm.. unless of course, it's free courtesy of the establishment looking for a good review.. hehe.. defensive, much?). 

     I'm lucky to have a wife who knows me so well, knew that I would have one concern about going to Binondo. You see, I don't go to that part of town very often, but every time I do, I always seem to encounter one of my biggest fears - rats. 

    Yes, I am deathly afraid of rats. I would easily go up against any other creature you put against me - Snakes, Spiders.. maybe even a Basilisk or a  Hungarian Horntail. Just do NOT show me anything related to rats. I haven't even watched Stuart Little, or Ratatouille. You can imagine my scream of fright inside the cinema when that big ugly rodent in "Prince Caspian" jumped out. It's safe to say that I missed half the movie. Oh, and the last scene of the movie "Wanted"? The rats with the bombs? I stayed in the restroom until Rina texted me that the scene was over. You get the picture.

     So she brought it up to Don. Don replied, "Ok lang, walang daga. Pero may dalawang baboy lang sa baba." (It's ok, there are no rats. But there are two pigs downstairs.") We're kinda used to Don saying crazy things like this, so he doesn't surprise us anymore. You can only imagine our surprise to find out that he was telling the truth.

        There were two pigs sleeping in front of the entrance of the restaurant. I don't think Chinese Restaurants gets any more authentic than this.