Rainy  days and Saturdays

I love the rain, it leaves you feeling vulnerable . . . exposed. So why allow rainy days and Saturdays to get you down? Rainy days and Saturdays, let your hair down! There are actually many rainy-day introspective activities. Why do you think we want to warm up and cuddle with a loved one, stay in bed all day under the sheets, take long midday naps, watch a movie, listen to emo songs, read a book, drink something warm, slip into something more comfortable, eat something really rich and  fattening to make you feel content? The rain releases your anxieties and gives you a sense of freedom. It puts you in the mood and sets the tone.

Too hang or not to hang

It’s too easy to go to the mall and walk around looking for a convenient restaurant to hang out in. I don’t know about you but I don’t “hang.” I am not a hanger.  No offense to the hangers. But my time is valuable to me and so are the people I choose to spend my time with. If I’m going to do something, there is always a purpose to it. I am there because I want to, not because I just happened to be there. I want to live my life on purpose. As a foodie, I find that there are way too many restaurants out there that just cater to people who can’t decide what they want. If you can’t decide what you want to eat,  If you don’t even know what you want to eat … how are you going to decide what you’re going to do with your life. Know what you want and don’t want. Figure it out.  Don’t be afraid to get wet. You don’t have to  dance in the rain like Fred Astaire, but you can try to enjoy the feeling of walking in the rain. Don’t just live a little, live a lot. Go to a place and enjoy the food that you would go the distance for, even when it’s raining.

1. Xocolat in Serendra. Sugar-free chocolate shakes and quite-close-to healthy food (mental note: the higher the cocoa content,   the less in fat) P200.

2. The best traditional cup of chilli ever!!!  Soup Kitchen in Glorietta, P100. Unless someone can challenge a better one. Santi’s has a great chili con carne style without the soup, just chilli steak pieces in classic sauce. Santi’s, more popularly known as a deli, has quite great food. I go to the one in Rockwell, P350.

3. Churros con chocolate in Dulcinea and baked spaghetti alasagne,  a classic that transcends time. Fifteen years ago in my Assumption High School uniform at San Lorenzo Village, I was already enjoying this in the old Greenbelt. It’s still the same, just as good now as it was then, P200.

4. Sango burger in Milelong, Japanese sloppy burger with the works. Order the Monster Burger. The bright flouresecnt lights may be too hurtful for the eyes. It’s not a warm and cozy place. But the burger and price will leave you  feeling cozy and content, P100.

5. Hearty stews and soups at Terry’s Selection Pasong Tamo and Podium. Have the most tender strips of callos that melt in your mouth.  I hate this overused term but it seriously slides down your throat. Creamy tomato sauce and soft meat pieces that still feel warm when they get in your stomach. Try also the Lentejas to fabada to French onion soup…there’s so much to choose from, P500.

6. The best coffee by far, our very own local coffee  shop, Figaro. A Chai Latte or Green Tea Latte, which is just a kind of herbal tea with warm milk, makes you want to say “mommy…” even if you don’t like your mommy that much!

These you can find in any corner Coffee Bean, Starbucks or Seattle’s Best. You may forget your name but you’ll always find a Starbucks. P100

7. Hawaiian barbecue which was popularized in Boracay and now in Tagaytay and branches all over. I’d fly to Bora just to have these  in pineapple, lychee, mango marinade or just hickory smoked and garlic pepper sauce. MMMMMMMMmmmmmm! Their pork ribs literally slide and fall off the bone so graciously. It’s P350 for two.

8. Café Via Mare,  arroz caldo with everything on it, P200.

9.  Cheese fondue at Old Swiss Inn, P500 (feeds one hungry person to four people on a diet).

10.  Milkshakes at Filling Station if you can brave the Burgos area. Jesus ate with the taxpayers and prostitutes, so don’t condemn.

Or you can always go to Pancake House, extra thick please, P150.

11. Shinjuku Ramen. Any bowl of soup with  soba noodles or ramen is “the bomb!” as my roommate loves to say. You will find so much flavor in just one bite.  They have over 10 kinds to choose from, P150.

12.  La Nuova San Antonio, Forbes Park.  Just the sheer ambience of this quaint tiny pasteleria is worth taking the time to sit back and relax. Sit alone and watch the rain from the window or have a long conversation with a close friend. All their pastas are good, no exception. And they will keep you feeling full for a long time, P300.

13.  Rich French food: La Cuisine in Salcedo Market on Saturdays, French stand. Rain or shine, homecooked by a hearty couple who makes food with so much love you can taste the affection. This time, the food tastes better with someone else,  P350.

For the same Provencale experience, if you want to eat inside an actual restaurant, head over to the Fort and dine at Je suis de Gourmand. This is another place where everything on the menu is good, P500.

14.  Beckys Kitchen , near the Vito Cruz area. This romantic little bakeshop creates moist chocolate, lightly powdered crinkles like little elves were producing them at the back, P50.

15.  Any bulalo place in Tagaytay,  P200.

16.  Elbert’s Philly cheese steak, P300.Goto www.elbertssteakhouse.com

17.  Homecooked food ……. By your parents, grandparents, an old cook or a neighbor who likes to bake and send you food. For me, I raid my mom’s fridge, microwave leftovers and she thinks I do the grocery in her kitchen. Although my roommate does that in her mom’s house.   I’m also blessed frequently by my sweet neighbor Daisy who keeps sending me freshly cooked meals and feeds me well because I live on my own.

18.  Chicken soup or chicken noodle soup (when you’re sick).

19 Nothing beats breakfast all day. There is nothing more comforting than having a long breakfast if you have the time to lounge and sit in your sleeping clothes. But even breakfast at night makes my heart smile.

I like breakfast sausages, eggs and beans with grilled tomatoes. I also like congee with lots of toppings and Chinese delicacies. I can be happy with a whole wheat croissant, too, and a really good strong coffee. I can go on with breakfast but let’s save that for another article. For now, rainy days and Saturdays always get me — up!