A ‘quickie’ reunion with friends in L.A.

Things are more meaningful when unplanned, more memorable when fleeting because they make you crave for more time for longer how-are-yous and how-have-you-beens.

That’s what happened on the last of our recent five-day working trip to L.A. purposely to interview the stars of The Last Summer (now streaming on Netflix), marked by “quickie” meetings with friends at spare hours.

My nephew Raymond de Asis Lo (The STAR’s L.A. correspondent) wanted to host an impromptu double post-birthday brunch, so between Viceroy (L’Ermitage in Beverly Hills where the Netflix junket was held) and Holiday Inn (near LAX where we were booked for a mid-morning PAL flight back to Manila), he directed Jemela Nettles (the immigration lawyer who kindly drives us around when we are in L.A.) to proceed to the Ma’am Sir restaurant on Sunset Boulevard.

And there they were at a long table, ready to “attack” an array of tummy-fillers (Crispy Adobo Flakes, Mushroom ala Pobre Garlic Crab Spaghetti, Fried Sweet-Sour Bangus, Sizzling Sisig, etc.).

On hand to entertain us was Charles Olalia, the artistahin-looking owner-manager of the barely two-year-old restaurant which attracts not only Filipinos but also foreigners (that day many of them occupying the tables around ours). Over spoonfuls, we learned that Charles is a UST pre-med undergraduate who comes from a family of doctors. He migrated to the US when he was just out of his teens.

We were told that Ma’am Sir was cited as L.A.’s 10 Best New Restaurants in 2018 and as GQ’s Best New Restaurants in America in 2019. Charles’ engaging ways (forever smiling) certainly enhance the restaurant’s appeal.

No need to introduce Oliver Carnay who is popular in the L.A. circuit. He’s a showbiz journalist up-to-date with Hollywood goings-on, a talent discoverer-builder in his own right.

Here are thumbnail introductions to the others in our group for the benefit of friends back home who must have been missing or wondering whatever happened to them:

• Regina de Vera

Regina was a member of the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company, the resident theater company of The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). She won Best Actress in the 2013 Gawad Buhay PHILSTAGE Awards for her work as Portia in Der Kaufmann (Ang Negosyante ng Venesya) directed by Rody Vera. She is about to complete her MFA at The Juilliard School in New York this May, the same school where the likes of Cocoy Laurel also studied.

• Anky Frilles

Anky was affiliated with Teatro Kabataan, Tanghalang 81, Teatro Pilipino and Bulwagang Gantimpala (both at the CCP and MET) when he was still based in the Philippines. He is based in New York City and travels to L.A. for projects and to New Mexico to see his parents.

• Grace Amilbangsa

Grace was a theater and film actress who was introduced in the landmark Marilou Diaz-Abaya film Karnal. She is the daughter of Ramon Magsaysay awardee Ligaya Amilbangsa who is lauded for championing the indigenous Filipino dance Pangalay. She is based in San Diego, California, and has declined offers to work in movies for now.

• Jo Atienza

Jo was among the founders of SOFIA (Society of Filipino Archivists) in the Philippines and has worked with various production companies in the Philippines including Regal Films and Star Cinema. She is currently an online producer at Disney.

• Gigette Reyes

Gigette is a veteran theater and film actress who has successfully transitioned to Hollywood. Her last movie Unlovable, produced by the Duplass brothers and featured Oscar-nominated actor John Hawkes, premiered at the prestigious South by Southwest Film Festival. She is currently based in Los Angeles.

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