Mirsbin’s Kitchen

Visit the Lifestyle Network Channel’s Holiday Treasure Bazaar on Nov15-16, at the A.Venue Events Hall, Makati Avenue, Makati City.

My dips will be available at the Lifestyle Booth!

Whenever I have the chance to treat my niece and nephews they would always choose to dine in any of the fastfood chains – McDo, Jollibee or Pizza Hut. Today it’s a growing list for pizza, they also like Shakey’s, Greenwich and somehow their tastebuds are slowly getting a little sophisticated they now like the Amici and Yellow Cab Pizza.

Last Monday, Andrea (my 9 year old niece) wanted to have a McChicken Sandwich. This is how they would ask – “Iya may money ka? gusto ko Mcdo eh.” Then a nice smile. So how can you say no to these kids? Off we went to the branch near St Luke’s. Since I wasn’t in the mood to dine inside, we ate in the car. She ordered McChicken and I had the Crispy fillet sandwich.

While eating, she started asking questions about life. Well not the serious ones but things like.

“Iya sino crush mo sa Hollywood?” and I answered Matt Damon
“Eh sa showbiz?” – long answer since I didn’t like anybody — Sam Milby?
“Sa real life sino crush mo?” – took me a longer time to answer ****

After that we were just quiet munching on our sandwiches. This is the moment that I will always cherish forever. These are our sacred bonding moments (naks parang Mcdo commercial) that I always look forward to everytime we’re together. Our dates started when she was 4 years old, I would always bring her to Jollibee or McDo. In 3 years she’ll be twelve, will she still enjoy going to Mcdo with me?

I knew I was about to get sick, but I didn’t want to stop since there were a lot of deadlines for clients that week. It was already a Friday but I wanted to go to the office to check my mail. Until I decided to just go to the parlor and have a haircut. Hoping that I would feel better after my haircut. With a slight temperature, I told Clorets that I wasn’t coming in to work but instead will have a haircut and head home afterwards.

I went to Tony and Jakey. I loved my hair but I was truly feeling miserably sick. As I went out, my mind was thinking of comforting, soothing food to eat.

I didn’t want a heavy meal, there were three choices in that building – either I go to Rai Rai Ken to eat Ramen, or eat at Pizza Hut or sing my lungs out in Centerstage while eating buffalo wings (which by the way is really good). I opted for Rai Rai Ken.

I was in Banana Yoshimoto mode. I remember in one of her books – Kitchen, she was describing how good the Ramen was. So here I am wanting really to be comforted. So I ordered Gomoku Ramen – it’s was my first ramen bowl and I wasn’t disappointed. The pork, seafood and noodles were cooked just right. The soup was comforting as I imagined. It was a big bowl but I managed to finish it all.

As I left the restaurant I still had fever but I the craving was satisfied. The next time I had ramen was during my friend’s birthday at Ramen Tei. I was a bit disappointed with the noodles and the soup was really tasteless.

With Clorets being my only officemate, I started getting used to eating alone. Sometimes I would bring “baon” to the office or just have Mcdo or Jollibee deliver food. One time I ate in this burger joint named JBJ’s in Tomas Morato. I had onion rings, strawberry milkshake and a really juicy burger. Sad to say I found out the other day that it just closed already.

Eating alone is not as pathetic as it may seem now that you’re not in school. I’m actually enjoying it. So with this initial blog, I’m starting my adventures of eating alone.

For this first entry, I ate “fishballs” in UP — alone. I had errands for my client last Saturday and I couldn’t resist not eating “fishballs” at the UP Shopping Center. It was really good! I had two sets of fishballs worth P10 plus an Apple C2. I had fun conversing with the manang while she was cooking. I asked how many packs of “fishballs” can be consumed on a daily basis, then some discussions on the price of oil and other ingredients. I told her about my now defunct Egay stall in St. Luke’s. I’ll probably do this again, next stop is the BBQ / Isaw stand nearby.

I haven’t been cooking lately, I’ve been watching what I eat for the past 3 weeks and it I don’t find any urge to cook. A friend recently asked me if I was trying out new dishes, and sad to say I haven’t really thought of whipping up new ones in the kitchen.

I’ve been eating out a lot though, but just the same I would just order salad or a sandwich. Nothing really specatacular.

Here are food updates around Metro Manila

- Amici resto is now open in Tomas Morato. It’s right beside Uno Resto and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
- Check out Guia’s blog on Mommy Thai, her canteen used to be in the Asian Studies in UP then she transferred somewhere along Katipunan. She’s back but this time in Ortigas Home Depot. Hot not hot?
- Cow King recently updated it’s interiors. We’re currently planning the new menu.

Hopefully I get my cooking groove back in the coming weeks.