Where Good Friends Dine

Hey! Hey ! Hey!  It's a happy Sunday once again!  With my regular Sunday  buddies,  Papa, Eunice and Angeli, we  went to TRINOMA and had our lunch where good friends dine!  Oh by the way, meron palang nakipagkita sa amin . . .  It's Banjie Baladjay, a.k. a. Banzai .  We've been missing her in the church for quite sometime.  Bakit kaya?  Hmmmm.... balik na!

The main entrance

menu cover

Why Abe?

 

Have you tried  Abe's sister companies?

 

Yes, you're right.  We visited  Abe Trinoma Branch  and feasted on some of their best sellers.



This is the Crispy Pork Adobo ni Lola Ising.  These are choice pork belly slices stewed and then dried in garlic and special sauce, served with achara.  It's perfectly crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. 



Sinigang na Boneless Bangus Fillet crushed with Ripe Guava.  This is another style of the famous Filipino sinigang dish with crushed fruit of ripe guavas , sour broth slightly thickened by "miso".  This is my father's favorite one-dish meal.



Crispy Shrimp Binondo~ These are finger picking little salted shrimps fried to a crisp in their shell dipped in vinegar with chili and red onions.

This is the Sikreto ni Maria.  You should try this for yourself to know the real secret.  I tell you . . . it's super yummy!

Fresh fruit platter. 

 

It's was almost forty-five minutes past the hour of twelve and we could no longer battle against the long queue for a table set-up inside the air-conditioned room.  So here we are . . .

 

 

Ayun oh , si Banzai!  Mahaba na ang kanyang buhok at dahil sa mainit,ang panahon,  kailangan na niyang itali ito!

 

We had a big industrial cooler on  our side kaya ok na rin kahit walang air-con.
 



 

 

 Oh, I almost forgot.  Abe serves  UNLIMITED RICE because one order will not be enough for the rice fanatics!  Am I right, Angeli?  hahaha

 

After lunch and now on our way back to the parking area  . . .

 

Papa and Eunice in a  STOP OVER!  Papa can no longer walk continuously for  two minutes.  He has to rest in between.



These simple fountains in Trinoma balance the hustle and bustle of city life by creating  a very relaxing mood



and so with this mini  man-made waterfall . . .

 

Thank you, Princess Fish!  God bless you more!

 

So that's it, pancit!  Thank you for visiting my site and see you again in A Bit of Artz!

 

 













Mom and Tina's . . .

One of the activities that I look forward to every Sunday after church is the lunch date with my father and Eunice, my youngest sister.   It need not be expensive to make it special.  What matters most is our chance to share each other's experiences during the entire week.  In other words,  it's our chikahan and bonding moment.

Last Sunday, June 29,  we visited  Mom and Tina's Bakery Café situated along Sgt. Esguerra St. in Quezon City.  It is  strategically located right  in front of  one of the country's giant networks, ABS-CBN.  It looks like a two-story,  white residential house turned restaurant with a parking lot.  Eunice described it as " a little house on the prairie. "  haha . . .  But in fairness, the place is very clean and bright.   I love its ambiance, too!




The signage



Papa and Angeli at the parking area



The frontage.  Across Mom and Tina's is the ABS-CBN Building.

the table placemat

Smile Angeli!  By the way, she is  my youngest niece.

Papa and Angeli

My sister Eunice and me

 

my constant lunch dates recently

 

my favorite spot at Mom and Tina's

 

I was a bit excited to try their food because this café was once featured in Kris Aquino's everyday morning show KRIS TV and as she tasted all the food served to her,  she said  nothing but "Sarap!"

We're a bit hungry and as we looked at their menu, I immediately ordered mushroom soup,  chicken relleno, beef stew and US beef tapa served with eggs and pickled green papaya.



Chicken Relleno ~ a baked stuffed chicken slices served with tasty sauce, coleslaw and  a choice of plain or java rice.



Beef Stew with potatoes and carrots.  It is served with rice

The mushroom soup

These raisin rolls were served together with the mushroom soup

Crispy strips of marinated beef served with rice, eggs and achara ( pickled green papaya).  It's really an all-new-way to enjoy beef tapa.

A yummy dessert ~ Mango Cream Pie
 

The soup was immediately served.  After 15 minutes,  all our orders were ready. 

Next time I will visit Mom and Tina's, I'll never order again the chicken relleno .  I was expecting a chicky-meaty-veggie taste chicken relleno but I was very disappointed.  It tasted very fishy and a bit salty.

  If you love curried food,  maybe you will appreciate their beef stew.  Unfortunately, HINDI AKO MAHILIG SA CURRY so I'll never order their beef stew again.  Papa also loves beef stew but this time, he said NO.

Maybe next time, we'll try their steaks and other pies.  These were their best sellers according to their friendly waiters.

 I simply enjoyed their US beef tapa and in fairness, I loved their pickled green papaya, too!

Our meal was capped with a  yummy , sugar-free dessert, Mango Cream Pie!  At least, our dessert made us full!

Before we left the place, we had some photo shoots in front of the café for posterity.



My outfit for the day:  plain yellow sleeveless but collared blouse and chocolate brown pants from a THRIFT STORE; brooch from BIHIRA FASHION;  brown  peep-in toe wedged sandals by VIA VENETTO;  and handbag by LONGCHAMP

(L-R)  Papa, Eunice, Ne and Angeli

 

Happy Sunday everyone!  See you again, next week!

Baby Laica... Our Joy Toy!

I am now a certified MAMITA to  Baby Laica, my very first grandniece.

For almost an hour of playing with her, we did nothing but laugh.  For every move she made, it brought  joy into our hearts! 

Thank you, Lord, for our JOY TOY!  Thank you for Baby Laica !

  

What a sweet smile, Baby Laica!  Tanggal lahat ang pagod ni MAMITA!

Aba, gusto nang bumangon!  Ola . . . mukhang kayang-kaya na!

In between her pretty little feet, you can see the innocence of a child that can melt  one's heart...

And she enjoys the play . . .  Eat, bulaga!

Hey,  she's  excited  'coz  she's  got a friend...

and she wants her friend beside her



Look at her sweet smile!  Isn't she lovely?

She doesn't seem to approve what Mamita Bengga is saying.  " Sama ka Baby Laica?"

Hahahaha . . . BELAT!

We enjoyed it . . . kaya paulit-ulit  di ba Baby?
 

Aba . . . nakasapatos na kahit maluwag pa!

What are those, Baby Laica?  Hindi mo na kami pinansin... haha

She's so calm with her toys .  . .

Bye, Baby Laica!  See you again ! I'll never forget that look in your eyes!

She turned 5 months yesterday and she  turned BIG as well. 

GOD BLESS YOU, BABY LAICA!  GOD BLESS OUR JOY TOY!

Headbands, scarves and bonnets

It was so cold in Tagaytay!  Thank God for our bonnets...



It seldom happens that we are complete.  My sisters (L-R)  Elaine, Citas, Me, Bhet, Banjie, Eunice and Evelyn

It was steaming hot, made even hotter by these scarves... 

It took me almost sixty years to wear a headband like this.  It's my first time... and it's all because of you, Elaine!

Thank you for our bonnets, our scarves and our headbands.  And oh by the way, thank you so much for my birthday video.  I hope I can upload it here. I would appreciate if you could help... hehe

Thank you for all the help, for all the motivation, for all the encouragements, for all the words of wisdom.  Most of all, thank you for the love that only a sister like you could ever give.

On your birthday,  I wish you all the best.  May the good Lord bless you with good health, happy heart, peaceful mind, and a bountiful life in the coming years. 

Till we meet again my dear sister ELAINE FLOR BALADJAY~KAPLAN!   I LOVE YOU!