Enjoying Weekend Brunch

Brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch. Brunch time is usually from 11:30AM to 3PM.

One of my favourite restaurants for brunch is Breakfast at Antonio's in Tagaytay. It is a casual and relaxing place for a good weekend brunch in the countryside since you get high quality meals and you also get a nice view of Taal volcano. 

Chorizo fritata with mushrooms, bell peppers and cheese
from Breakfast at Antonio's 

Baby back ribs from Breakfast at Antonio's

Brunch originated in England in the late 19th century and became popular in the United States in the 1930s. Later on more countries have followed on having brunch on weekends.

A good brunch meal varies since some people opt for dishes with eggs but some prefer their favourite comfort food. Thus, restaurants offer various western and eastern type dishes for brunch. In Hong Kong, one of the good cafes for brunch is Simply Life cafe.

English big breakfast plate at Simply Life cafe Hong Kong

Fish Fingers and coleslaw at Simply Life cafe Hong Kong

Weekend brunch has become a good option for most people since it is during weekends when most people tend to wake up much later. It is also a good way have a more relaxed meal with family or friends in case one had a late night out activity the night before.

Another good option for brunch is to have dimsum brunch with friends and family at a hotel or at a good Chinese restaurant.

Dimsum brunch choices at Shangri-la hotel

source: Shangri-la Manila website

In the Philippines, brunch has also become popular since friends and families normally meet up for weekend brunch to catch up and have relaxed conversations. It is interesting to see how the brunch buffet spread in hotels have become a bit more localized since it now includes popular Filipino dishes too.

Cochinillo or baby roasted pig is part of the
brunch spread at Makati Diamond hotel.
This is certainly  the best-seller as
 Filipino brunch eaters tend to try this
 version of lechon first.

The choice of carb options include Pinakbet rice(a fried rice
version of the popular mixed vegetables dish cooked
 with shrimp paste)  with crispy bagnet, creamy pasta
 alfredo and mashed potatoes.

Grilled Australian Lamb with zucchini. roasted potatoes,
and French beans

Grilled U.S. Rib eye steak 

Grilled Prawns

Roasted vegetables(cauliflower, shitake mushrooms,
carrots and garlic)

Apart from grilled dishes, a raclette cheese station is such a treat for cheese lovers. It is a must-try from the brunch options at Makati Diamond hotel.

Racelette cheese station

Raclette cheese with marbled potatoes, crispy bread
and cocktail onions and pickles

For dessert, Makati Diamond hotel offers a different type of macaron since a waiter goes to the tables to offer Foie gras flavoured macarons. The taste is quite interesting as it tastes like Foie gras but it is rendered as a sweet macaron.

Foie gras macaron

Brunch may be enjoyed in different ways. You may  opt to have an ala carte type of meal at a cozy restaurant, go to a friend's place and have a nice spread of various dishes at a garden setting or opt to go for a full-on brunch at a hotel where they offer buffet brunch with options to add bubbly drinks to your meals. What makes a good and happy weekend brunch is when one gets to enjoy the meal at a relaxing environment and gets to connect and have lovely face-to-face conversations with people too. Cheers!

Making Healthy Snacks with Microgreens

As a foodie, I like to experiment with different ingredients and make my own recipes at home.

One of the easiest ways to have healthy food at home is to prepare a dish that contains some protein and organic vegetables.

Currently, I must admit that I have been preparing some of my favourite snacks with microgreens which I buy from the Salcedo Saturday market in Makati from a stall called Down to Earth.

Mixed Microgreens


source:  downtoearth.ph

Maybe my exposure from watching chefs plate food beautifully in high end restaurants has inspired me to also prepare food gourmet style at home. I really like dishes that are pretty and healthy at the same time.

Microgreens is the term used for green vegetables and herbs that has edible leaves and is harvested at the coteleydon growth stage or the stage when  the first set of true leaves sprout. Microgreens are about 1 to 2 inches in length and are good for the body since it is a good source of vitamins and minerals. Plus it enhances taste when it is mixed with dishes since it has a strong and concentrated taste of the original vegetable.

Based on recent studies in the US, microgreens were 4 to 40 times more concentrated with nutrients compared to their matured conterparts. Thus, it gives us health benefits and also helps promote good eyesight, healthy skin and helps fight cancer too. It is fascinating to know that such small versions of greens can provide such great health benefits.

There are various types of microgreens that are available and selling price is around PHP75 to PHP100 (around USD2.00) per pack. Below are some of the microgreens from Down to Earth:

Arugula Microgreens

source: downtoearth.ph

Red Amaranth Microgreens

source: downtoearth.ph

Micro onion

source:  downtoearth.ph

Micro Sweet  Basil

source: downtoearth.ph

My favourite microgreens are arugula microgreens since it certainly makes freshly made tuna or egg mayo salad taste better.

Tuna with organic mayonnaise and
micro arugula on rye crisp cracker

Eggs with organic mayonnaise and micro arugula
on rye crisp cracker

Microgreens can also be mixed with regular mesclun greens and can be added to top dishes like grilled fish and grilled chicken. With the nutritional benefit of using microgreens, more foodies and chefs are now getting more creative in using these mini vegetable ingredients that add a lot of flavour and nutrition.

J’aime Paris by Alain Ducasse: A Curated Culinary Tour of Paris

I have read the book entitled J’aime Paris by Alain Ducasse, an internationally renowned chef, restaurateur, book author and mentor. He is famous in the culinary world and in 1998 he was the first chef to run two 3 Michelin starred restaurants.

J'aime Paris book cover

source: amazon.com

Ducasse is a curious chef who loves to travel and he runs restaurants located in France, United Kingdom, United States, Monaco, Japan, China and the Middle East. He also runs inns and a culinary school in Paris.

In his book, J’aime Paris, Ducasse takes the readers on a curated culinary tour of Paris. One gets to take a peek at the places that he loves. The book is certainly a good guide for travelers and foodies since it features nice cafes, restaurants, wine bars, cheese and chocolate shops and artisanal culinary shops in Paris.

As a traveler and foodie, it was cool to discover that some of my favourite eating places in Paris are featured in the book and are recommended by Ducasse as must-try places for excellent French gourmet finds.

Below are some of the cool places that I like in Paris that Ducasse featured in the book:

Café De Flore

Café De Flore is the one of the oldest and the most prestigious coffeehouses in Paris. It is located at Boulevard Saint-Germain in the 6^th arrondisement. The café became a popular hub of famous writers and philosophers. Regular café customers included Pablo Picasso, Robert Desnos, Léon-Paul Fargue, Raymond Queneau.  The place remains to have the same look for several years since its classic Art Deco interiors with red seating, mahogany and mirrors have been kept since World War II.

Café de Flore is a good place to go to for breakfast. The place serves good croissants, omelet and hot chocolate. It is my one of my favourite cafes in Paris.

Les Deux Magots

Les Deux Magots means “two stocky figurines from the far East” in English. The café interiors include two statues of Chinese magicians. It is a café known to be frequented by the literary and intellectual elite in Paris. Some of their well-known customers are Jean-Paul Sartre and Ernest Hemingway. It is also located at Saint Germain in the 6^th arrondisement and is just a few steps away from Café De Flore.

Les Deux Magots restaurant facade

source: Les Deux Magots website(lesdeuxmagots.fr)

The two stocky figurines are prominently seen mounted on
 a pillar at Les Deux Magots

source: Les Deux Magots website(ledeuxmagots.fr)

Fouquet’s

This restaurant is a traditional French cuisine restaurant and has an ambience of a luxe brasserie. Fouquet is located on Champs Elysee at the 8^th arrondisement and is just a few steps away from the Louis Vuitton flagship store in Paris. It is a known meeting place of people from cinema, arts and culture.

Fouquet restaurant

source: Fouquet website

I remember that it is where I ate a delicious French cuisine that was nicely plated for lunch after shopping with my brother at the nearby stores on Champs Elysee.

Laduree

Laduree is a reflection of great French patisserie tradition. It was founded in 1862 and has been known by Parisians and travelers for its wide selection of teas and macaroons.

Laduree on Champs Elysee

Laduree made the pastries featured in the film Marie Antoinette that was directed by Sofia Coppola. If you watched the TV series called Gossip Girl from the United States, Laduree macarons is one of Blair Waldorf’s favourite patisseries in Paris.

My favourite lemon and chocolate flavoured macarons
from Laduree paired with tea

My first experience of dining at Laduree in Paris was truly memorable. The interiors of the place is just so French.

I remember  having colourful and delicious macarons and champagne from their shop on Champs Elysee. It was certainly a wonderful experience.

Whenever I am in Paris, I also drop by the Laduree shop that is walking distance from Café de Flore  on the 6^th arrondissement since their window display is always so pretty.

Colourful and creatively executed window display at
Laduree in Paris

Jean Paul Hevin Chocolatier

Jean Paul Hevin is a must-try for chocolate lovers. Hevin’s passion for making high quality chocolates is reflected in their shops. Their chocolates and macarons are very good.

Jean Paul Hevin chocolate gift box

source: Jean Paul Hevin website(jeanpaulhevin.com)

Mariage Freres

This tea company was established since 1854 and is known for high quality tea products.

Mariage Freres shop in Paris

source :Mariage Freres website(mariagefreres.com)

It is one of my favorite tea brands and one of the best teas that I have tried. The company makes use of nicely designed packaging that some tea shops today try to imitate.

At home, I keep different flavours of Mariage Freres teas since it is a high quality tea that makes afternoon tea time more delightful.

Mariage Freres Tea in can

source: mariage freres website(mariagefreres.com)

Mama Shelter

Mama Shelter is a boutique hotel in Paris that is both hip and modern. It is designed by well- known designer Philippe Starck.

Philippe Starck

source: interiordesign-tips.org

The hotel is located at the 20^th arrondissement but even if the hotel is not in the city center it is a nice place to stay at and the price of the rooms are quite affordable.

I stayed at this hotel during a trip with my brother years ago. We like hotels that are well-designed so this Starck designed boutique hotel was quite a good choice for us since we wanted to experience staying at a hotel that inspires us since it is designed by one of the best designers in the world.

Reception area at Mama Shelter Paris

source: Mama Shelter website(mamashelter.com)

Mama Shelter Paris restaurant

source: Mama Shelter website(mamashelter.com)

The rooms at Mama Shelter are not big but their rooms are nice and comfy. It also good that they have Apple screens in each room that provide visual entertainment for guests. Plus, the hotel is environment friendly too since their hallways are lighted up using a sensor so they also save a lot of energy. Apart from this, they also have a hip restaurant that serves guests and visitors.

Room at Mama Shelter Paris


source:: Mama Shelter website(mamashelter.com)

After reading the book by Ducasse, I realized that there are so many cool culinary places that I have yet to visit in Paris.

I will definitely take note of all the interesting cafes and restaurants that I have yet to try from Ducasse’s list of highly recommended places in Paris so that next time I go to there I will be able to have new culinary experiences. Cheers!

Ignacio de Loyola: An Inspiring Film on Transformation

I was able to watch the film “Ignacio de Loyola” the other day.  It was filmed in Spain and it depicted the life of how a soldier and captain named Inigo had found his true calling after he was injured in the Battle of Pamplona. It was during his tragic experience on becoming crippled after the battle that he went through the difficulties of battling depression, guilt and dealing with his ego but since he was bed-ridden that time he ended up finding himself reading books about the Lives of the Saints and a book about Jesus that had made him change. It is a film about how a man went through transformation  from a soldier and a sinner to a saint whom we know today as Saint Ignatius.

Ignacio de Loyola movie poster

Source: Ignacio de Loyola movie facebook page

Watching the film, there are several scenes that were truly touching. The scenes where Inigo was inspired by St. Francis when he was reading the book on the Lives of the Saints, the one  when he was talking to a prostitute and asked her to imagine Jesus seating on a chair in the room, the scene when he was sharing the bread he got from begging  to others and the scene when he was reading a letter from Lady Catalina when he was in prison.

The film also showed how Inigo lived a life of selflessness and gave up a privileged life to embark on a journey where he did meditation and spiritual exercises, became a beggar, shared to others God’s unconditional love through informal conversations, showed true love for his neighbors by helping them amidst his dire circumstances. He also underwent imprisonment and trial since he was questioned for preaching without authority by the tribunal of the Spanish Inquisition.

Ignacio de Loyola gave up all his possessions and
became a pilgrim and beggar but continued to help
others

Source: Ignacio de Loyola movie facebook page

The film was truly a beautiful rendition and revelation about St. Ignatius’ transformation, resilience, hope and faith. It also showed how he was able to get vindication during the difficult trial he faced and the unwavering faith he possessed during  the Spanish Inquisition.

Below is the link to the film’s trailer from youtube:

Since I heard that the film was directed by Paolo Dy, a Filipino director, and was produced by JesCom in the Philippines, I had to learn more about the backstory on how they made the film.

I found out based on my research that the film was made with a limited budget of PHP50Million and that the team of Filipinos behind it also had to be truly creative and resourceful when they were filming the movie in Spain.

It was fascinating to find out that the team also had experienced instances during filming when they really felt and saw Divine Providence. One such incidence is when the film’s production designer was looking for sheep and the designer was able to spot a shepherd tending to his flock. When the designer approached and asked if the shepherd was available on a certain shooting day, the shepherd nodded and agreed to bring his flock of sheep on the said date.  Apart from this, the shepherd also happened to own a bakery that makes artisanal bread, which was used for an important scene in the film and was given for free.

The production team also had the experience of finding themselves with a warehouse full of props right across the place where they stayed because the people in the town gave the items to help make the story about St. Ignatius as real as it can be.

Ignacio de Loyola is a film that is truly inspiring and one can appreciate it in so many levels. The wonderful scenes shot in Spain, fine costumes, production design and cinematography, and talented cast made the film more visually engaging. It is also a film that we can be truly proud of since it was produced and made by a Filipino team and includes beautiful music composed by Ryan Cayabyab.

Andreas Munoz portrayed the role of St. Ignatius
of Loyola


source: Ignacio de Loyola facebook page

More importantly, the film also imparts a lesson about history as it showed how Ignacio de Loyola’s sacrifices, selfless acts, faith and perseverance paved the way for positive changes that is seen until today through the works and presence of the Jesuit order. It reminds viewers that some of the challenges we face today and during the 1520s, during the time of St. Ignatius, are still the same and it is up to us on how we choose to stay in faith and take the high road no matter what challenges we face and push ourselves to make a change for the better.

source : Ignacio de Loyola movie facebook page

Creativity Is Key to Changing the World

I recently read a book written by Merlee Cruz-Jayme entitled “Everyone Can Be Creative”. In the book, she shares the valuable lessons she learned from being an ex-nun and how it prepared her for her career in advertising. She is currently  the Chairmom and Chief Creative-Officer of a well-known advertising agency.

I had the opportunity to work with the author before since she developed some of the campaigns for the brand that I was managing for a telecommunications company before. I was always impressed with her creativity and her work but I never knew that she was an ex-nun. It was quite interesting to learn more about creativity from her.

Merlee Cruz-Jayme

In the book, Jayme mentioned that there are two types of creative people: (1) the naturally creative and (2) the learning creative. Those who are naturally creative is one who has inherited his/her parents’ creative skills like drawing or storytelling. On the other hand, the learning creative people are those who try to enhance their creativity by taking up classes or lessons. An example is when one is very good in Math but he/she is also interested in painting so he/she takes up a painting class to learn and maybe even copy a famous artist’s work.

The book is an easy read and what is interesting is that the author gives “Creatips” to readers on how they can enhance their creativity and the illustrations in the book are also made by the author. Below are the Creatips shared by the author:

·         Discipline is important

As an ex-nun, she values her experience in the convent where she learned mental and physical discipline. Discipline is about working smart according to the author as she shared that even if she is a busy Advertising executive she still finds time for her family and balances work and family life. She also mentioned that her four daughters are also creative like her.

·         Learn to silence the mind

It is necessary to unplug in order to have clarity of thought.  This means one has to veer away from digital gadgets, laptops and mobile phones and take time to have some personal quiet time to cleanse one’s mind. One can silence his or her mind by spending some quiet time while running, walking in the park, meditating in a quiet place or praying. By silencing our mind, we are able to focus better and we are able to develop a core idea that can be transformed into a great story.

·         Be an obsessive observer

The author also encourages readers to be an obsessive observer. This means that one has to be able to read people by observing people well. One may have a small notebook and take notes of important observations or a writing pad where one can take notes and doodle some ideas. This enables one to understand their market on a whole new level and discover inspiration, ideas and human truths that can move people.

It is cool to know that I myself can relate to the author’s tip on being an obsessive observer. Yes I do like to observe people when I am in a café, restaurant or at an event. I also like doing this when I travel. I remember people watching at Café de Flore in Paris where I enjoyed observing fashionable French people and from simple observation I am able to distinguish the tourists from the locals. I also take note of important observations and learn more about how certain people from a certain generation think and act. In fact, my curiosity even includes observing the type of food that people order in restaurants…ha ha ha. This simply shows my curiosity as a foodie.

·         Never think that limited resources limit your creativity

Jayme mentioned that one has to be resourceful and to continue to strive to survive and make yourself happy. Remember that sometimes our limited resources makes us more creative too since we end up looking for other alternatives to do things.

·         The best stress-buster is Positivity

It is important to have a positive attitude and spend time with positive people so that you can have a feeling of hope, happiness and stay calm when you face challenges or unfavorable circumstances.

source: pinterest website 

·         Be simple and be happy

Another creatip is the importance of being simple and being happy. The author mentioned how successful people tend to dress in uniforms. Mark Zuckerberg always wears gray round neck shirts and Steve Jobs always wears black longsleeve turtleneck shirts in his meetings and presentations.  As she mentioned, simplicity is the gift of an uncluttered mind and it edits out the useless and cares about the useful. This is certainly true. The more simple a message is, the more it is remembered.

Jayme herself admits her usual outfit for work is a combination of Emmanuelle Alt(Vogue Paris' Editor-in -Chief) and Ellen Degeneres' style.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, always wears
gray round neck shirts

source: forbes.com

·         Have an outlet and do something other than work

Jayme mentioned that it is important to have patience and resilience. Her other creatip is to have an outlet and do something other than work. She mentioned that one must be able to deal with failures, mistakes and rejections. By having an outlet like walking, running, watching movies or playing games, one is able to stay sane, deal with disappointments and continue to improve.

·         Make your creative life difficult to perfect your craft

It is important to remember to not do things that are mediocre and to fight for what is difficult. It takes a lot of practice and hours of practice to hone one’s craft and it is important also to be open to learning from others with great minds.

·         Be relentless, strive for greatness and think with your heart

Jayme shared that by sharing our time, talent, and energy selflessly to others, it naturally softens our hearts. She also emphasized that we also need to help make a difference in this world.  I would say that this advice really resonated with me.

I am able to relate to it since I find that by mentoring underprivileged kids every weekend through a foundation, I am able to use the talent and skills that God has blessed me with and I am able to help them by inspiring them to learn about the importance of entrepreneurship and instill good values that will help them become successful future entrepreneurs and responsible citizens, which is what the world needs today.

Using creativity for a greater cause, spreading kindness and helping others are key to making this world a better place . Cheers!

source: gde-fon site 

Ma’ Rosa Depicts Social Realities and Imparts A Valuable Life Lesson

Brillante Mendoza’s latest film, “Ma’ Rosa”, has garnered a best actress award for Jaclyn Jose in this year’s Cannes Film Festival. 

Ma' Rosa  movie poster

source: imdb.com

The film also has brought a great achievement for the Philippines since Cannes Film Festival is one of the most prestigious film events in  the world and for a Philippine film to be included in the Cannes it is indeed something to celebrate and be proud of.

Ma' Rosa film cast at the Cannes film festival  with
Director Brillante Mendoza (fourth from the left)

source: imdb.com

The movie revolves around the life of Rosa Reyes, a mother trying to make ends meet to provide for her family. She runs a sari-sari store(a term used for a small neighborhood store in the Philippines) in their home located at a shanty town in Metro Manila. To earn more money, she sells “ice” (a type of crystal meth drug) using their sari-sari store as a front for her illegal sideline business.

Jaclyn Jose played the lead role in Ma' Rosa

source: imdb.com

The film depicts the harsh reality of how poverty pushes some people to get into doing illegal business in order to survive. Below is the official movie trailer sourced from youtube.com:

The movie reveals how drugs and corruption affects the lives of families. In Rosa’s case, when she and her husband were held in the custody of the police after a raid on the eve of her husband’s birthday at their home, her children ended up getting the tough task of raising funds needed to pay off the cops in order for their parents to be set free. The film also shows that during troubled and desperate times, family members sacrifice and become resourceful in order to find ways to help out their parents.

The story shows real scenes that show the unfortunate circumstances that families living in poverty are exposed to. The scenes showing haggling of several characters in the story shows that it is a common thing done for survival and the corruption of the cops that subjects the characters into a state of pressure and desparation shows that there is a deeper issue that needs to resolved by the government to stop the drug issue in our country.

It was revealed in one of the media interviews with Director Brillante Mendoza that the inspiration for the film was based on a true to life story of an individual that he met before who shared her story on how she peddled drugs in order to provide for her family. Thus, the scenes and characters in the film were based on the sad realities experienced by typical families struggling due to poverty.

Jaclyn Jose’s portrayal of Rosa shows her impressive ability as an actress to truly be in character all throughout the film. Her facial expressions and her lines in the movie communicated to the viewers that she is not the type of mother who gives up when faced with unfavorable circumstances in life. She is determined to stay strong and find ways to help her family.

In the final scene, Ma’ Rosa, shows that sometimes sad realizations come after going through a major family crisis. To some film viewers it may seem that the ending scene was left hanging.  I actually heard some people reacting that it seems it was not a proper ending when I watched it at the cinema.

For me, the final scene in Ma’ Rosa is a scene that gives viewers a time to see and think about what are in Rosa’s thoughts as tears flow on her face as she eats a street food snack and sees a simple family who amidst poverty have chosen to make an honest living and support each other through their pedicab style mobile  store.

The film also certainly shows the humanity and imperfection of the main character since even if Ma’ Rosa is into an illegal drug business she still is a mother who merely wants to provide for and help her family.

After viewing Ma’ Rosa, one will be able to see the evident problems on corruption and drugs, which are also key issues that are relevant today in the Philippines’ current political situation. Furthermore, it also imparts a valuable life lesson that at the end of the day it is important to choose to do good and have the right values and integrity no matter what social economic class one belongs to since choosing to do evil leads to unfortunate events that can affect our loved ones.