Grace Park by Margarita Fores

A cousin based in Connecticut, USA came over for a quick visit. Her being such a great lover of things New York prompted me to look out for something new and something nice that she would probably like. Good thing we learned about Grace Park, the newest baby of the indefatigable Margarita Fores with several restaurants already to her name such as Cibo, Cafe Bola and Pepato.

So, off we went on a drizzling night to One Rockwell where Grace Park is. As I entered the glass doors of Fores' latest food haven, I saw her in a good chat with another lady. She saw me come in and she smiled. I thought it was a sign of good things to come.

As I was being led to the table I earlier reserved (call 843 7275 or 0917 513 8945), I saw the Head of our company on a dinner date with his beautiful wife. I walked up to him, said "good evening" and had a brief talk. That must be another sign that my decision to try out this new place is correct, I told myself.

Here is a glimpse of Grace Park. Thanks.

one of the dining areas of Grace Park - there's one on the ground floor

and one more on the loft, at the far end of this photo; notice the ingenious 

use of the dried twigs to accentuate the overhead lights and the herbs on 

the table held together by paper not by a pot or a vase; gave me an idea

enjoying the veggie salad to start with

light dinner by choice, had scallops to go with the salad

pasta in truffle oil - i know that truffle oil is supposed to be

good but i don't know, truffle oil always smells like petrol to me :-)

hands down winner - muscovado beef belly; will have this

again on our repeat visit

in the end, we all loved Grace Park; we will be back soon

Sunday Lunch at Antonio's

Antonio’s is where we take our guest/s out for a great lunch. It’s always a hit. And no, I’m not talking about Breakfast at Antonio’s nor Antonio’s Grill.

Overall ambiance is excellent – an old house nestled in lush greenery and caressed by Tagaytay’s naturally cool air; service, personalized.

this part here seems like a recent addition to the original 

dining area where I first dined in the early 90s

with our special guest from Piedmont, Italy - Sr Chiara

Sr Chiara, taking her time to admire the place

I told Sr Chiara that her provincial home

used to have tiles like these

All these, of course, come with a price. But let’s not talk about it. The assumption is, when one goes to Antonio’s he/she should be ready to spend.

when in Tagaytay, it never fails to have some salad as we

are assured of the freshness of its veggies

an order of an 800-gram steak is perfect for the three of us 

enjoying lunch together

Price notwithstanding, no regrets dining at Antonio’s. It has always been a pleasant experience. It is one restaurant that I can keep coming back to. 

Lucban Look Back

I still remember my first time in Lucban in the early 90s. With good friends from law school, we went there to watch the colorful Pahiyas Festival with the traditional kiping in all shapes, colors and sizes and the bountiful harvests displayed in every home. Vividly etched in my mind are those of the church visit, our lunch at the nearby convent and of course the street march as we joined the parade. There was really not much time then to explore this old historic town in Quezon Province (established in 1578) whose streets would turn into a sea of humanity during the Pahiyas. After the celebration and merrymaking, my friends and I hurriedly left to get to the parking area located just outside the town center to catch our bus that will take us back to Manila.

This time around, after 2 decades, I drove to Lucban on a non-Pahiyas day via Nagcarlan, Liliw and Majayjay (all in Laguna Province). I wonder what Lucban would be like without the Pahiyas.  

Here are the highlights of my second visit:

Lucban Church. Also known as the Church of St. Louis of Toulouse. The marquee says that the first church was built in 1595 but was ruined in 1629; the second one was constructed between 1630-1640 but was seriously damaged in 1733; the present church was erected in 1738.

church facade, showing some intricate details of 4 engaged 

columns and triple balustrade on arched windows juxtaposed with

niche sculptures; 

pocket vegetation growing all over 

the facade adds up to an old natural finish 

church nave leading to the transept

colorful frescoes on the wall and on the narthex or vestibule

La Casa de Dona Ana. This stone house is grand by any standard. The casa's marquee says a lot about its interesting storied past.

Inside is the Dealo Koffee Klatch where one can find assorted

cakes, pastries and biscuits baked the old-fashioned way

I love the yema cake and the local biscuit they call senorita

Ven’s Puto Seko.  The funny thing with shops selling local delicacies is that each one claims to be the best and the original. My friend, who is from Lucban, vouched that Ven's puto seko is the original. And so that's where we went.

when eating puto seko, one needs to have a drink on hand

as it melts in the mouth and triggers some kind of a choking feel

Eker and Ely’s Longganisa. What's Lucban without the longganisa? Several stores sell the town's most famous item but I relied once again on the recommendation of my friend who says that the longganisa from Eker and Ely is the best. This store has become some sort of an institution, selling its delicious longganisa since 1958.

Aside from Lucban's yummy treats, there are interesting finds as one walks along the streets near the church. 

Left: abaca slippers from Albay; Right: pandan bags from Lucban

hats galore for rustic fashionistas

Patio Rizal Hotel. I just had to take a photo of this hotel because every time I try to book for a room during the Pahiyas, the lady on the other line would always say that the hotel has been fully booked since last year.

a couple of heritage houses with verandas and ventanillas

providing old charm

Kamay ni Hesus Church. After Lucban town proper on the way to Tayabas, one can pay a visit to this place where a huge replica of Jesus' image is perched on top of a hill. This is the church where the healing priest, Fr. Faller, does his healing sessions.

Kamayan sa Palaisdaan. This is where I had lunch, as recommended by my friend. This restaurant is located in Tayabas town, a short 10-minute drive from Lucban.

an ideal place for dining in this area; be careful when walking on 

the uneven bamboo poles; obviously stilettos are a no-no

     

ensaladang paco with sardines 

the paco or ferns are picked fresh from the river banks

sinugnug, a Tayabas delicacy

grilled tilapia simmered in coconut milk

spareribs barbecue

no need to worry about hands getting dirty,

one can wash hands at this banga (clay jar) 

with free-flowing water from a mountain spring

Even without the Pahiyas, Lucban is still worth a visit. With the mystic Mt. Banahaw as backdrop, over the years, it has retained its old charm and beauty. I simply enjoyed the leisurely walk along the streets near the church with plenty of delightful surprises along the way.

Writer's Bar Afternoon Tea (Raffles Hotel, Makati City)

All online tea literatures are one in saying that afternoon tea is an English tradition. Lindsey Goodwin of about.com has this to say on afternoon tea:

It was started in the mid-1800s by the Duchess of Bedford. At the time, kerosene lamps were introduced in wealthier homes, and eating a late dinner (around 8 or 9 PM) became fashionable. There were only 2 meals then each day: a mid-morning, breakfast-like meal and an increasingly late dinner-like meal.

The story goes that the Duchess found herself with a "sinking feeling" (likely fatigue from hunger during the long wait between meals) and decided to have some friends over for assorted snacks and tea (a very fashionable drink at the time). The idea of an afternoon tea gathering spread across high society and became a favorite past time of ladies of leisure. Later, it spread beyond the highest echelons of society and became more accessible for some other socio-economic groups.

It looks like we defied the English tradition of having an afternoon tea as a stopgap between lunch and dinner. One order of Writer’s Bar afternoon tea for a little over PHP1000, is already good for 2, yet, given its wide array of choices, it can very well be one's dinner. I never thought that it can be so filling.

started with a basic spread of different kinds of sandwiches

I am partial to smoked salmon

smoked ham and cucumber sandwich (for added crunch)

beef tenderloin buns

The sandwiches stuffed us up but it's not over yet. We still had scones - one pair is of the plain kind while the other pair has dried currant. The scones came with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

After the scones, here's the coup de grace for our sweet fix:

the killer three-tiered dessert tray

lemon tartlets and those topped with fresh berries are to die for

eclair for some more sweets

Writer's Bar makes its own macarons infused with tea 

(it does not get its macarons from Fairmont's Cafe Macaron)

bite-size chocolate cakes are also mouth-watering

It was a nice afternoon for all of us - plainly light and easy. We had fun.

A pianist was even on hand to play live music for us while relaxing.

 
By the way, I found these tea basics quite interesting:

Steeping tea. This is an aha moment for me. Steeping tea is basically soaking tea in liquid. And it has rules – steeping time, steeping temperature, etc. - which can depend on whether one has teabags or loose-leaf tea and whether it is black tea, white tea, green tea, etc. Over-steeping can make the tea bitter-tasting. But I'd rather leave the details to the experts.

Loose-leaf tea vs. teabags. Elisa Pupco of about.com has this to say:

Loose-leaf tea is tea that is not brewed in a teabag. When one steeps loose-leaf tea, it has room for the tea leaves to absorb water and expand as they infuse. This allows the water to flow through the leaves and extract a wide range of vitamins, minerals, flavors and aromas for the leaves.  Loose-leaf tea is great because it gives a stronger flavor and one has more control over the amount of tea he or she is using. However, more equipment is required, making it more labor intensive. 

Teabags are great because they’re convenient and easy to use, however they will cause the tea to lack its full flavor.  When one steeps tea in a teabag, its infusion is limited by the size of the teabag.  Because the leaves are not free to move around, the full flavor of the tea is limited. 

Hmn, sounds logical. Surely, these snippets of information affirm what works best for me – loose-leaf tea. I feel that teabags are so cafeteria and might not have a good place in an afternoon tea. But ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference.

Lastly, what is a black, white or green tea? The Writer’s Bar a la carte describes it briefly:

Black tea. Undergoes a full fermentation process and has more anti-oxidant power than a serving of broccoli.

White tea. The least processed form of tea made of buds and select leaves which have been dried.

Green tea. Unfermented. The freshly picked leaves are allowed to dry. Contains 1/3 of the caffeine of the black tea and is high in anti-oxidants.

Afternoon tea at the Writer’s Bar is obviously a worthwhile experience – elegant ambiance, select Harney & Sons tea from Australia, wide array of choices of sandwiches, scones to tartlets topped with fresh berries, macarons, eclair and bite-size chocolate cakes, plus a pianist for live music, all contribute to an overall feel-good mantra. We will go back there to chill some more.