I will forever be grateful to the California Cheese Board for giving me my first assignment as someone who blogs about eating.

Apparently, they had been following my blog and didn't even know that I write for a food magazine! My guess is that they have a super secret department that sniffs out cheese-lovers and that's how they found me.

This was how I found myself at the wonderful Lolo Dad's Brasserie in 6750 in Makati, sampling the cheese-filled delights conjured from the imagination of Chef Ariel Manuel.

First we were given samples of some cheeses produced in California. Not a proper platter, just enough to discern the different flavors.

The California Pepper Jack tastes like pepper-infused mozzarella and would go great in meat sandwiches.

The Provolone has a mild flavor, as does the Swiss, which was almost bland, but in a good way.

The Sharp Cheddar lived up to its name, being full-flavored and salty, and the Colby Jack was a mix of mild and sharp. I liked the little flags that came with it. I imagined that we were decimating cheese forts.

Then came the food.

The Silver Lake Sharp Cheddar and Romaine Lettuce Soup served with Salmom Bruschetta was creamy, the lettuce tasting more like spinach (yay!), the flavors really coming together when you eat the mild soup with the crisp, salty bruschetta.

The California Select Farms Pepper Jack, Swiss and Provolone Mushrooms and Fresh Spinach Pizza was probably one of the best pizzas I've ever had (right up there with a particularly good batch from Shakey's).

The cheese made the already fresh mushrooms taste fresher. The ingredients were spread thinly on a thin crust, resulting in a light, flavorful pie. It made me too full to eat the next dish.

The Baked Cheswick Colby Jack, Pancetta and Rigatoni Pasta with Vegetable Fritters was basically mac and cheese on steroids.

This is what mac and cheese should taste like, the cheese melty, with a fresh, complex flavor (not just cheese spread) with just the right amount of saltiness and a bit of smokeyness courtesy of the pancetta.

The fritters were an awesome plus, mushroom-flavored mush enclosed in a crunchy crust. The dish made me want to be a kid again.

Of course, a kid wouldn't have been able to enjoy the meal with a glass of Beringer Chardonnay, a nice white wine.

I confess that I know nothing about wines and I'm still learning. All I know is that the Beringer went down smooth, with no harsh aftertaste.

A lovely meal made with lovely cheeses. And I'm not just saying this because they invited me.

To learn more about the best combinations for pairing California Cheese with California Wines, log on to http://www.realcaliforniamilk.com/recipes.

California cheeses are available in SNR and leading supermarkets in Metro Manila.
For more ideas on preparing California Cheese dishes for this Christmas, log on to http://www.realcaliforniamilk.com/category/courseoccasion/christmas.

Sometime this year, I got to meet two thirds of Placebo, one of my favorite bands, when they had a concert in Hong Kong to promote their new album, Battle for the Sun.

Their music, which is heavily influenced by glam rock, has greatly influenced the way I think and write (Their music helped carry me through my undergrad thesis, for one thing) and it was a big thrill to not just see them in concert, but go backstage and interview them as well.

Placebo is composed of Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal, and new member Steve Forrest. I got to chat with Brian and Stefan before the concert. Here's some of the stuff they talked about:

Your music in Battle for the Sun seems lighter than your previous albums.

Brian: Probably in theme and what we're trying to get across, which is hope. I think we felt that the last album (Meds) didn't offer the listener a great deal of hope and we wanted to do something that was less somber and more colorful. The actual process of making the record was the least chaotic, the most disciplined and the most stress-free recording process so far. I think a lot f that had to do with our producer's incredible people skills and his understanding of the psychology of a rock band.

Stefan: Compared to the last one, there's a few major differences. One is the lineup. I think when we made Meds, it was kind of the beginning of the end of that lineup, really. Making this record was kind of purging the past and kind of reaffirming the fact that we really want to be in a band. There's still a lot left to fight for. It's kind of finding some of that renewed energy.

There's also been some change to your general sound in this album as well. For example, you use a marching band in some songs, while before, your music tended towards electronica.

Brian: We wanted to make a big sounding record. We wanted to make and anthemic record and an epic record. We also wanted to use instrumentation which we felt was timeless. The problem with electronic music is that technology moves so quickly that the more electronics you use, the quicker your music becomes dated. You have to wait another 20 years until that sound is fashionable again, to become slightly retro. We chose to use the type of instrumentation like piano, string and horns, brass because we've always been trying to make a timeless record and this time around... you now you're always trying to make a record that transcends the genre as well. And we also try to make records that don't have a type of blanket sound, (it should have) a lot of variation.

How is your working relation with Steve?

Brian: Sometimes it's great. Sometimes it's amazing. And sometimes, you just want to put him in a bag and drown him. You know? (laughs) There's a massive age difference between us.

Stefan: There's a massive cultural difference. He's American. Born and bred.

Brian: From California. You know, he's 22. We're in our mid-30s and you know we're from Northern Europe. We're more contemplative and quiet. Steve can be very excited about being in the band as well. But he is an extremely talented musician. And there's a real synergy between us when we play as Placebo. When we play onstage. It kind of feels like being in a band with your little brother and (laughs) little brothers can drive you crazy.

Stefan: If you talk to him for two minutes, then you're his best mate. He's very friendly. He's a good kid.

You call him kid to his face?

Brian: Oh yeah.

Stefan: We call him many things.

Brian: One of his nicknames is the baby. We call him that to his face so he knows.

Stefan: Blondie.

What's it like collaborating with David Bowie?

Brian: It's a lot of fun. He's a legend. Being in the same room with him... you pick up his...

Stefan: His bacteria.

Brian: You learn just by being around him. The good thing about David is that he's a raconteur. It's a lot of fun. He knows everybody. He knew everybody. You get to hear a lot of funny and sad stories about people who are no longer with us and are still with.

What can fans expect from Placebo in the near future?

Brian: We're just touring and touring and touring. We don't plan to stop.

Any plans of coming to Manila, maybe next year?

Brian: Hopefully.

Walk into the Greenbelt branch of Myron's place and you are transported into an era that resembles the 70s. The mod decor is a lovely contrast to the elegant comfort food that the restaurant serves.

The Stockbroker's Salad (P1200) with its roasted French duck breast, grilled tiger prawn, seared US sea scallops and pan-seared foie gras served on a bed of greens makes for a mouth-watering starter (allow 15 minutes for this one).

The vegetables are crisp, flavored with a light vinaigrette. The dish is actually four salads in one, the duck served with hoisin sauce and apricots, the foie gras an interesting combination of cold and creamy, without any annoying nodules that remind you that you're eating liver.

The scallops, served with pesto, are big, as are the prawns, which straddle the right side of the soft/burnt dichotomy.

There are many cuts of steak to choose from, the most expensive going as high as P4,300, but we went with Bianca's Cut (P980 for 240g, P1,330 if topped with pan-seared foie gras), the smallest cut.

The steak is US Premium Black Angus; very soft and juicy, something that will warm any beef-lover's heart. Just some fresh ground pepper and Himalayan pink sea salt is enough to bring out its flavor.

The sauces it comes with also add their own dimension to the steak. The mushroom, sauce gives it a classic steak taste, going well with the decor as the one with the most 70s vibe.

The black pepper sauce is the most playful of the sauces, possessing a distinct wine flavor that masks that of the beef.

The Chiraz sauce is rich, deep, and sophisticated adding dimension to the beef, while the Cabernet-shallot sauce makes the steak taste like roast beef.

The steak is served with vegetables: haricot verte, carrot, tomato and garlic - crisp and sweet and a great palate contrast to the beef. I always appreciate a restaurant that takes its side dishes seriously. This is one of them.

One dish that I hope has made it to the menu by now is the Steak Hash.

Basically steak cooked sisig style, the dish is composed of steak cubes, some of them chunks of delicious fat, cooked with cubed roasted potatoes in a secret dressing.

The dish is heart-stoppingly rich, with an undertone of sweetness that's found in really good meat.

Bits of spring onion and fried garlic round out the flavor, helping the beef flavor rise through the dressing. The dish would go well with wine, and perhaps a plate of steaming hot garlic fried rice.

At last, we come to dessert.

Myron's Old Fashioned Bread Pudding (P180) is the best in Manila. This, coming from someone who doesn't care much for bread pudding, old fashioned or otherwise.

The dessert is more like a dense cake than bread pudding, with a creamy texture and a condensed milk taste.

It is served with dark caramel ice cream and rum sauce, the syrup containing a lovely burnt caramel flavor, like well done flan sauce. The ice cream has a slight coffee taste and provides a refreshing caffeine jolt. It's a dessert you can seek out on its own, with a cup of coffee, on a quiet afternoon.

Great steak, great dessert. How can you lose? Just be sure to wear expandable pants beforehand.

G/F Greenbelt 5
11am-11pm M-Sun

I've been watching a lot of Pucca on the Disney Channel lately. The cartoon about the ten year-old girl with super powers and a big crush on the local ninja is quite charming, and also quite appetizing, since Pucca works in a noodle restaurant.

Hearing about my Pucca fascination, Anson Yu, who conducts Binondo walking tours with Ivan Man Dy, took me to Myung Sung, a tiny Chinese Korean restaurant across the Diamond Hotel in Malate to try what he says, according to his research, are the noodles served in the cartoon.

Ordering was an interesting experience, as the proprietor only speaks Korean. The Filipino staff is helpful though, so telling them what we wanted was no problem.

The noodles turn out to be Jajang Myun (P250) ramen noodles with vegetables in soybean sauce. This is not a broth-based dish. I guess you could say it's like Korean pasta. The noodles were long, the dark, sticky-sweet sauce making them clump together.

Instead of a knife, I was given a pair of kitchen scissors to cut them with. The noodles were more than coated with sauce, which was sweet and salty, reminiscent of hoisin sauce.

The serving was big, good enough for two. I loved it!

The scissors were a bit surreal, but they added to the dish's charm. I don't know if they give scissors to all the patrons who order the dish or if I was just lucky but I will say that there's an element of home-cookedness to the experience.

Anson had the Jjam Pong (P300), a soup-based noodle dish with seafood and vegetables and tastes like Japanese ramen.

Nothing special in terms of taste but is a good dish to be eating on a rainy evening. There's a lot of similarities between the two cultures, and nowhere is this more prominent than in their cuisine.

Another dish to look out for is Gun Man Du (P200), sautéed meat in dumplings. You can choose between steamed or fried. We, of course, picked fried.

These are some of the best dumplings in the city, the meat's juices sealed in its soft skin and crisp brown base. Dip them still warm into the salty sauce provided and you are in heaven.

I suggest you stick to the house tea, as the softdrinks, at 50 pesos, are quite pricey.

My Myung Sung experience was an interesting field trip.

I don't know if tasting the kind of noodles that Pucca serves enhances my viewing experience, but now I understand why the restaurant she works in is so popular, and why people keep coming back. I know I want to.

Standing along Roxas Boulevard near Manila Bay is the Heritage Hotel, which houses the often overlooked Latitude, the hotel's restaurant.

Latitude's menu may be filled with restaurant staples, but they are well-made, and in the case of its steak and a certain soup, quite exceptional.

The Asian Smoked Salmon (P480) is served with horseradish cream and mango salsa. The cream is more mayonnaise than horseradish and the salsa is overpowered by sweetness, the fish nondescript.

A much better way to start the meal is with Pia's Green Salad (P220), a mesclun bouquet with blackened chicken breast fillet served with raspberry dressing served on the side.

The vegetables are crisp, the dressing light, a subtle mix of sweet and tangy.

A pleasant surprise and a must try is the Carrot Ginger with Cilantro soup (P150), a puree of carrot and ginger with a hint of cilantro.

The soup is thick and creamy, its smooth carrot taste enhanced by the heat of the ginger, ending with a kick of cilantro.

The soup is made without milk, but you wouldn't know it, given how creamy it is. Bang for your buck at a hundred and fifty pesos.

We tried two kinds of steaks, the US Ribeye Steak (P1,100 for 250g and P1,400 for 350g) and the US Sirloin Steak (P980 for 250g and P1300 for 350g).

The former is beautifully marbled, while the latter is beefy and juicy, even when cooked well done.

It's important to tell the staff how you want your steak when they take your order, because if you don't, they're automatically going to make it well done.

It comes with your choice of starch, and grilled vegetables. The mashed potato is smooth and spicy, the grilled vegetables firm and sweet. I was almost tempted to order the vegetables on their own.

The steak comes with your choice of sauce: peppercorn, mushroom, pan gravy, or red wine, but it still tastes best on its own.

The cakes (mostly P140) are mediocre, the cheesecake nice and dense, but lacking tanginess, the tiramisu lacking coffee and tasting a tad too much of cream.

Latitude is a nice place to have a casual lunch in. Stick to the soup and the steak, then take a walk by the bay. It'll make your day.

Located in the Hyatt Hotel in Malate, the Fireplace Grill is probably one of the most elegant, secluded places in Metro Manila.

With its quiet surroundings and dim lighting reminiscent of intimate fireplace light (and yes, it does sport an actual fireplace as well, located behind the counter burning local wood like Ipil Ipil and Madre de Cacao that helps flavor the steaks), the restaurant is a perfect place for clandestine meetings or marriage proposals.

Oh yeah, the food is good, too.

Let's start with the bread. Don't even think about passing up the bread.

Get there early enough and it will still be warm, the crusty buns just a few minutes out of the oven, to be broken apart with your fingers, soft insides eaten with butter or used to mop up extra virgin olive oil with fragrant balsalmic vinegar.

Start off with the Oyster Tempura (P577.09++), oysters enveloped by pastry topped with nori strips, fish roe, and cucumber bits to round off the flavor.

The first thing that hits you is the sweetness of wasabe, followed by the realization that it doesn't contain any of its heat.

Drizzling fresh lemon on the tempura gives another dimension to its already complex flavor, taking it from a yummy tiny slighty salty fried thing into a really yummy tiny salty fried thing with zing. Trust me. I know whereof I speak.

What I really love about the Fireplace Grill are its side dishes. This, my friends, is a restaurant that gives food sidekicks equal billing, so much so that you're tempted to forget the main course altogether.

Take for example the complimentary Potato Gratin that comes with the steak.

A huge serving of scalloped potatoes baked with milk and Parmigiano Regiano, soft and creamy and just makes you feel good, like the world is a nice place where bunnies cavort with unicorns. It's that much of a comfort food.

Likewise, the Creamed Spinach (P225), which is creamy, containing the spinach's lovely flavor without the bittet aftertaste.

Vegetarians (heck, even meat eaters) will like the Grilled Portobello Mushrooms (P520), with its big serving (two giant mushrooms), meaty texture, and a taste that hints of seafood: oysters and crab.

The Risotto of Wild Forest Mushrooms (P750), with its bouquet of button, shiitake, abalone, and portobello mushrooms is simply divine.

The rice is firm, yielding to soft creaminess, with the mushrooms taking on a smoky flavor.

The dish may be a biy salty for some, but that's probably because of the parmesan cheese shaved over it. It also comes in a big serving, and is best shared.

The Porterhouse Steak (P3450 for 25 oz) is tender and beefy, with a hint of smokiness that tells of salt, pepper and the grill.

It comes with mushroom, Bernaise and green peppercorn sauce, the latter being the best tasting but as with good beef, is best done without.

The steak is, simply, the bomb.

But don't stuff yourself yet, there's still dessert to look forward to.

The Chocolate Soup with Vanilla Pepper (P350) looks like a flattened souffle and tastes like a melted chocolate cake.

The river of gooey chocolatey goodness is balanced by a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

It's one of those desserts that could probably kill you, but one whose taste would be worth the instant cavities you are bound to get after eating it.

If that's too much chocolate for you, balance it off with the Fruit Salad with Lemon Sorbet (P350). This is not your usual fruit salad, containing blueberries, dragonfruit, red currant, cantalope and kiwi, aside from apples and pineapples in a light syrup made with Grand Marnier, orange juice and honey.

It's got a medicinal quality to it that disappears when mixed with the sorbet, which is sweet, tangy and refreshing. A light dessert that's a great way to end a heavy meal.

Unobtrusive and out of the way, it's easy to forget that the Fireplace Grill exists. Its cuisine, however, must not be overlooked.

Fireplace Grill
6pm - 11pm

If there are cuisines that Manila needs more of, it's Vietnamese and Thai.

Thankfully, Chef J Gamboa has added to the Thai roster with Azuthai, an authentic Thai restaurant located beside his and his family's immensely popular El Cirkulo, Tsukiji, and Milky Way.

The interiors may look contemporary, but the cuisine comes straight from the motherland.

When we tried Azuthai, my companion and I made it a point to stay away from the regular things people order like Pad Thai (I could do with some right now, actually) and Pandan Chicken, opting instead for traditional Thai dishes yet to be discovered.

The Azuthai Appetizer Sampler (P375) contains two pieces each of Prawn Spring Rolls, Fish Cake and Fried Spring Rolls.

Nothing like a nice selection of fried food to whet the appetite. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I know I should be describing the tastes one by one but truth be told, I ate my share before I remembered to record individual impressions. My bad.

The Crispy Duck Salad (P325), or Yam Ped Grob is crispy duck jerky served with spring onions, tomatoes, and chili, flavored with tamarind dressing.

The dish is a mix of flavors and textures — sweet and sour and crunchy and chewy and fresh.

I liked the veggies more than the duck but that's a personal preference.

After 10 years of not eating meat, I'm still trying to get used to meat that isn't steak.

Instead of the usual Tom Yum Goong, we ordered Tom Ka Gai (P345), chicken soup with galanggal, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk.

It's hot and milky and packs a punch, going straight down your throat and up your sinuses.

The mushrooms and tomatoes provide texture while the coconut milk tempers the soup's spiciness.

The soup is great accompaniment to Massaman Gaeh (P395), Massaman Lamb Curry with shallots, potatoes, and peanuts. The lamb is tender, easily pulled apart by fork and spoon.

It has a slight gamey flavor that compliments the curry, which is thick and without much spiciness.

I would have preferred the dish without peanuts, as I feel they get in they way of enjoying the lamb. The curry goes well with Thai sticky rice, which isn't on the menu but can be requested.

Our only concession to "the usual" was when it came to dessert, when we ordered one of my favorite after-meal treats, Tub Tim Krob (P125), sweetened water chestnuts with coconut milk.

Water chestnuts covered in colored, coagulated potato flour (tastes waaay better than it sounds, believe me) swimming in chilled sweetened coconut milk.

I recently learmed how to make this recipe and have to restrain myself from eating it forever.

Azuthai serves authentic Thai food in the middle of contemporary Makati.

The restaurant may be serene and calming, but that's only to enhance the fireworks that go on inside your mouth.

Azuthai is located at 900 A. Arnaiz Ave. (Pasay Road) cor Paseo de Roxas, Makati with phone numbers +632 817 6252 and +632 813 0671.

Antonio's in Tagaytay is one of the country's most popular restaurants. It is certainly the most prominent having been the only one from the Philippines to get into the top 10 of the newly-launched Miele Guide last year.

Chef Tony Boy Escalante is a jolly fellow who loves nothing more than giving a good party, and this can be felt in every aspect of the restaurant, from the staff's crisp uniforms, the restaurant's festive old house feel, and of course, the food itself.

The Scallop Tasting (P250), giant scallops sealed in puff pastry are soft and fresh, pliable with a fork, like a seafood marshmallow, a savory contrast to the salad that comes with it – fresh Tagaytay greens like lettuce, radish, and arugula, probably picked earlier that day.

Another savory starter is the Baked Brie & Cranberry in a Puff Pastry (P300) with Pan Seared Foie Gras (P550), melt-in-your-mouth brie enveloped in soft puff pastry served with foie gras, the liver light, evenly textured, its caramel-like flavor sliding beautifully of the tongue.

It comes with greens drizzled with a raspberry vinaigrette, some sweetness to cut through the subtle yet intense flavors.

I particularly liked the Steak Taretare (P700).

Served chilled, it was quite a refreshing dish, the grated radish cutting down the beef's saltiness while onions gave the dish crunch and zing.

Despite the vegetables, the dish was still too salty for my taste, so I recommend pairing it with bread.

The Tomato Broth with Coriander Dumpling is served hot.

The broth is light and slightly tart, the dumpling akin to ones found in chicken dumpling noodle soups.

The effect is stomach-warming and palate cleansing. Scooping up the melted cheese at the bottom of the bowl is a treat.

The Grilled Pink Peppered Chilean Sea Bass on Tomato Risotto, Saffron-Kaffir Sauce (P1,600) is lovely, the fish soft, grilled just right on the outside so that it has a crisp exterior while its inside stays moist.

Paired with the tomato risotto, it is a dish you will not want to share with anyone else.

The Beef Fillet on Plancha with Black Pepper Sauce, Pappardelle, Tossed Baby Arugula with Honey and Lemon Truffle Vinaigrette (P1750) was also good, the beef tender, and tendon-free.

If you want to try the sea bass and the beef, plus Honey Glazed Lambloin with Goat Cheese, you should get Antonio's Trio (P1,900).

Even people not fond of lamb will take to the latter, as it doesn't have a gamey flavor.

Eating at Antonio's may not be cheap, but each bite is worth every penny spent.

And if you like food as much as I suspect you do, you know that there is no price too high for good quality and great cooking.

Hidden behind the building fronting V Mall in the Greenhills shopping center is Southern Deli, a modest cafeteria frequented by the area's Muslim community.

Small and clean, the restaurant specializes in Maranao cuisine.

The restaurant may look humble, but the dishes – all Maranao home cooking – are anything but.

Diners get a free bowl of soup.

Made from carabao (water buffalo) ribs, this translucent broth is warm, its beefy base enhanced by a coconutty taste. It warms the stomach and prepares it for the dishes yet to come.

Dining is no-frills, no-nonsense.

You pick your dishes from a cafeteria lineup, sit at one of the plastic tables and eat. All the dishes, served on a small saucer, cost P50 while rice is P15 per bowl.

The Rendang Beef tastes like a cross between adobo and beef stew. It's pretty tasty, but has a slightly overpowering saltiness that is masked once it is paired with rice.

This saltiness occurs in a lot of the canteen's dishes, and when asked about it, the owners explained that it is actually a hallmark of good Maranao cooking.

My favorite dish was the Fresh Tuna Kinilaw (what they call kilawin in the South), which was very, very spicy.

Since my companion and I had gotten there early, the tuna had not yet “cooked” in its vinegar marinade. What makes this cerviche-like dish stand out is the addition of coconut milk, which lends the dish a sweet edge.

The kinilaw also contains chopped cucumber, onion, chili and ginger. This, I have to say, is one of the best I've had in the city.

We also had Bakas, which, unlike its name implies, is not a beef dish but is actually tuna grilled with tumeric and grated coconut. It was dry and a bit tough but with a mild taste, quite the opposite of the Beef Rendang!

The Chicken Curry was more salty than curry-shy, but also very very spicy. Another dish that has to be eaten with rice.

Another favorite of mine was the Badak, a vegetable dish made from leaves not found in Manila.

The dish also contains langka (Jackfruit) and daing (smoked fish) and tasted like laing with the texture of labong. Could a dish be even more perfect?

I wouldn't mind going back there again, especially if I'm in the mood for kinilaw.

I have to wonder about what the mainly Muslim clientele will think of a non-believer being there though, as we got a few strange looks during out trip there. Still, I'm glad we got to try it.

Southern Deli
Greenhills Shopping Center
Carpark Mosque
San Juan
+63902-5755559
10.30am – 9pm daily except holidays

It's great to know that our film industry is not only alive and kicking, but getting attention from all over the world also.

I hope you guys take time out to catch some of the festival's offerings. It'll be good for the industry and for our personal growth as well.

The 11th Cinemanila International Film Festival will be held from October 15 to 25, 2009 in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Around 100 international and local films will be screened in a span of 10 days – from the current toasts of the local indie scene to the award-winners and favorites at prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Rotterdam, Sundance, and Pusan. The festival will also feature workshops, seminars and master classes. For more info, contact cinemanila.entries@gmail.com and cinemanila@gmail.com or go to www.cinemanila.org.ph.

Starting things off with a bang, the 11th Cinemanila International Film Festival showcases Brillante Mendoza’s latest work, Lola, as its opening film.

Director Mendoza’s latest work, Lola was preceded by his film Kinatay (The Execution of P), which earned him the prestigious Best Director Award at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival last May 2009.

Lola is slated as the Philippine surprise entry in the 66th Venice Film Festival, (Main Competition) which counts acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee as Chairman of this year's jury.

Starring Philippine cinema icon Anita Linda in the leading role, Lola is about two elderly women who try to cope and survive life’s harsher realities for the elderly.

Both bear the consequences of a crime involving their respective grandsons — one is the victim, the other is the suspect. Both weak and poor, they laboriously solicit money in the midst of a storm — one for the victim’s burial, the other for the suspect’s bail bond.

Closing the festival is the much-anticipated Himpapawid (Manila Skies) from award-winning independent filmmaker Raymond Red.

Himpapawid, Red’s most recent film, is the closing film of the 2009 edition of the festival, which will run from October 15-25, 2009 at the Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

An official entry in the Main Competition of the 2009 Tokyo International Film Festival, Himpapawid tells “the astounding story of a lone deranged hijacker pushed to the edge of insanity as he struggles with the oppression of surviving in modern Philippine society.”

Inspired by the true story of the May 2000 PAL Flight 812 hijacking en route from Davao to Manila, the film follows the tale of a desperate man from the countryside on a wretched path to destruction that ultimately leads him to the insane hijacking of a plane.

The film showcases Raul Arellano in his first lead role together with veteran actors John Arcilla and Ronnie Lazaro.

Red, who secured the 2000 Cannes Palme d’Or for his short film Anino (Shadows), is one of the pioneers of the modern Filipino independent cinema movement.

As the source of inspiration for a new generation of independent filmmakers, he has been honing his craft at the outskirts of Philippine cinema while being a regular lecturer to numerous film workshops and mentor to a number of well-known indie filmmakers, doing his utmost to promote the independent scene movement.

The Mandarin Oriental is known for its wonderful accommodations and even more wonderful cuisine.

A couple of months ago, I got to witness the creation of this cuisine firsthand when I attended the hotel's Thai Kitchen 2009, an interactive cooking class with Chef Anchalee Luadkham of the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

We were a class of about fifteen people, all huddled around the makeshift kitchen set up in the middle of the Tivoli Grill.

Chef Anchalee taught us three Thai dishes.

An appetizer – Yam Nue Yang A-Ngun, spicy beef salad with grapes and mint dressing; a main course – Panang Goong, red prawn curry; and a dessert – Tub Tim Krob, chilled water chestnut rubies in sweet coconut milk.

It was fun watching Chef Anchalee, who, at 26, is also a faculty member at the Mandarin culinary school (as well as being a sous chef in the hotel's Thai restaurant) in Chiang Mai, demonstrate her skill.

She worked fast and with a smile, her Thai staff skillfully assisting her, without her having to tell them to do so.

What was more fun was learning some secrets of Thai cooking.

“You have to get all ingredients ready before cook,” Chef Anchalee suggests.

One secret I learned was how to get really good curry.

What Chef Anchalee did was heat (stirring constantly) a ladle-ful of coconut milk (gata) in a wok until it reduced and was mostly oil.

It was this oil she used to fry the curry paste. The technique may be slow and time-consuming, but it made a big difference. The resulting curry was more flavorful and had more depth to it. It was also somehow more filling.

Another secret that I discovered (one that I had been wondering about ever since I was a child) was what the glutinous exterior of the Tub Tim Krob was prepared.

I have always been fond of dessert, and it was wonderful to finally find out how to make it (I'm too lazy to surf for it – besides, having a Thai Chef prepare it in front of me is proof that the recipe is authentic).

“I think that Filipino and Thai cooking are similar, in that they can have a lot of ingredients, but take a short time to cook, like curry,” Chef Anchalee says.

When asked what her tip for cooking Thai well was, she answered, “My tip is smiling. Good mood is good taste.”

TUB TIM KROB
chilled water chestnut rubies in sweet coconut milk
(serves one)

TAPIOCA WATER CHESTNUT
7 – 10 pcs water chestnut (fresh or canned)
2 tbsp red food color
3 tbsp tapoica flour (magic powder)

COCONUT SAUCE
½ cup coconut milk
3 tbsp sugar
1 pc pandan leaf
1 pinch salt

GARNISH
½ cup crushed ice

Heat coconut milk in a saucepan. Add sugar, salt and pandan leaves. Mix well and set aside.

Dice water chestnuts. Place in a bowl, add red food color and leave for 1-2 minutes. Drain excess food color.

Mix chestnuts with the tapioca flour. Make sure that chestnuts are evenly coated.

Shake off excess flour and drop water chestnuts in hot water until the flour coating solidifies into a red gel covering, then place in cold water.

Place water chestnuts in a serving bowl. Top with crushed ice and milk. Garnish with jackfruit and coconut meat if desired.

If I'm going to a gig, more often than not, it will be in Route 196. Aside from great production nights, this bar and restaurant has great food as well. And cheap beer! Did I mention the cheap beer?

Their Fish and Chips (P165) is served hot. The sutchi fish is soft, the batter enclosing it light and crispy. It goes well with the lemon mayo it is served with, though I would have preferred asabe mayo.

But that's just me, because to me, wasabe is its own food group. The fact that it is served with potato chips instead of french fries makes it more Pinoy, and more 'bar' than 'restaurant.'

The Deviled Chicken (P165) is Route's version of buffalo wings. The boneless chicken pieces are coated in a dark, spicy-sweet glaze whose heat can easily be tempered by the accompanying dip.

A personal favorite is the Pepper-Seared Tuna (P145).

Served with wasabe mayo (yay, wasabe!), the tuna has a black pepper crust and is seared so that it is cooked on the outside and pink and raw on the inside.

My two complaints about this dish is that the serving isn't big enough and that the mayo isn't spicy enough. But this is still the dish I always order.

Route 196 is also known for their pizzas, perhaps the most famous of which is their Noypi (P195).

Topped with tinapa and kesong puti, this salty pie is almost like eating unsweetened bibinka, but with smoked fish instead of salted egg. The crust is thin and uneven, giving the pizza a rustic feel.

They have a happy hour from 6-9pm, where the beer is even cheaper than its usual P40. Band usually start playing at 10pm.

Route 196 is located at 196-A Katipunan Ave., Blue Ridge A, Quezon City. You can call them up at +632 4391972 or visit them online at http://coolestbar.multiply.com

If you tuned in to Ang Pinaka last Sunday evening, you'll notice that I was one of the three panelists, along with food critics Ige Ramos and Ivan Henares, in their feature on street food. We were all asked to rank our top 10 street food (we were given a long list to choose from). The results, along with some from surveys and the staff, were collated and the results were the ones featured on the show.

Here's my Top 10, based on availability (by me, at least), what I actually eat and what most of the folks I know eat. Like Ige, I also factored in nutrition and value for money.

1. Taho
My favorite street food. Warm, nutritious and cheap. Good for breakfast when you're on the run.

2. Balut/ meats on a stick
I don't like balut or innards on a stick but everyone else does! They're the poster child for Filipino street food.

3. Fishballs
Cheap, easy to find and yummy. The dubious sanitation of the vendors just adds to the taste.

4. Dirty Ice cream
Nothing evokes summer more than a cone of dirty ice cream. They have flavors that are simple, yet cannot be copied by commercial ice cream companies.

5. Quek-quek
Cholesterol in a bucket, yes, but also a good source of protein. Plus, it's really tasty.

6. Mais
Cheap, flavorful and nutritious.

7. Mani
Nothing like some peanuts to fortify you during a long bus ride.

8. Banana Cue/ Camote cue
Cheap, sweet and filling - everything a good Pinoy snack should be

9. Puto/ Kutsinta/ Biko
My three favorite kakanins. I couldn't choose!

10. Scrambol
Nothing but syrup and ice but a good way to keep cool on a hot day in the province.

Another restaurant within my immediate vicinity is Angel's Kitchen, which serves the kind of home cooking you wished happened in real life. All the dishes served here are from the owners' family recipes, which only serve to make people jealous and strive to be adopted by said families from which such savory recipes originate.

Angel's Kitchen is run by five mothers who decided to get together and give others the chance to sample their family heirloom recipes. My Angel's Kitchen is crisp and clean, a place where you feel you have to keep your elbows off the table and be on your best behavior. The restaurant is quiet, a big change from establishments whose loud music is masked by its even louder clientèle.

I have to confess that I wasn't always so keen to come here, as I always thought that the prices were a bit too high for the kind of food they served. But all it takes is just one excellent thing to change a mind, and in my case, it was the soup.

The Gambas with Chorizo Bits (P298) is composed of fresh-tasting shrimp cooked in olive oil with bits of chorizo and big cloves of garlic. The spicy Spanish sausage adds a sweet-savory edge to the spicy dish.

Perhaps my favorite soup in the city is the Seafood Chowder (P198). It is thick, chunky and creamy, each spoonful yielding a treasure trove of seafood and vegetable bits. A great soup to warm you on a rainy afternoon.

The Tuyo Puttanesca (P288) is surprisingly sweet instead of salty. Sweet in a savory way, not in a dessert way. It's a light pasta dish that goes down just right, leaving just enough room for dessert, which I suggest should be the Strawberry Trifle (P158) – layers of cream, sponge cake, berries and (just when you think you might go into a sugar coma from all the sweetness) what I think is lemon curd that combine like a giant robot to make one supremely awesome dessert. Its go a soft texture and a taste that melds the sweet with the tart. It's quite addictive, and because it's not heavy, this only means that you'll have room to order another one...

I still think that some of its dishes are a bit expensive for what they are, but the soup, I shall return for. And maybe a Trifle or two as well.

Angel's Kitchen
# 57 Connecticut Street,
Northeast Greenhills, San Juan
7441018

Evoking a college tambayan (hang out) but with a really god sound system is Taumbayan, whose name is a play on both tambayan and taong bayan (citizen). The restaurant was put up by a group of theater majors who wanted a place to hang out in.

The inside is sparse and white, with pictures of the proprietors and friends on one wall, a couple of corkboards filled with community announcements, and whatever exhibit is going on at the moment. The restaurant is a couple of class announcements away from being an actual college tambayan, though sometimes, it is exactly that too, as the upper floor can be rented out for seminars, classes and exhibits.

But I digress. The reason we are here is the food, and the food does not disappoint. It's all Filipino comfort food, stuff that you can find at home but better, and with more flair.

The Inihaw na Adobo (grilled adobo – P160) is liempo that's been stewed adobo style before being grilled. The result is soft, fatty barbecued pork infused with sweet adobo goodness. It needs nothing except simple salt and pepper to bring out its flavor.

My favorite dish is the Pssst (P160). Described as “pusit na may dahong sumisilip” (squid with leaves peeking out of it), the dish is basically a whole cephalopod stuffed with aromatic leaves. Admittedly, part of the reason I like this dish so much is because it looks like a cousin of Cuthulhu. You get one whole big*** squid that's juicy, but in a savory way, and so soft you can cut it apart with a spoon. Now, I am very skeptical when it comes to grilled squid, as its texture makes me feel like I'm eating part of an old tire and I usually have o hide the seafood taste under copious amount of rice, then again in sauce. But this squid I can eat by itself, and without sauce. It's soft and easy to chew, and doesn’t taste like its related to Cuthulhu, not that I would know what the relative of an ancient sea god would taste like mind you.

Another favorite of mine is the ridiculously simple Ensalada Platter (120). Steamed string beans, okra and eggplant served with bagoong balayan. I eat this at home and can't get enough of it. Stands to reason that I'd enjoy it outside as well, especially since the vegetables aren't soggy from overboiling.

If you're in the mood for soup, I suggest you try Monggo in D Chiti (P120) – mung bean soup loaded with pork, flavored with smokey tinapa and topped with whole chicharon. The monggo has a distinctly meaty flavor and is slightly spicy. The tinapa takes the soup from special to extra special. The chicharon tends to get soggy fast so I suggest you eat that first.

If you're going to eat here, it would be best to arrive early, as the place tends to fill up fast. Oh, the restaurant has free WiFi, so you can play Farm Town on Facebook and eat your vegetables too.

Bad metaphor, I know, but I couldn't help it.