The Bagnet Experience

A trip to Ilocos is never complete without trying their famous bagnet—a slab of pork deep-fried to its crispy perfection and cut to bite-size pieces. Crunchy, crunchy, crunchy.

I am a self-confessed meat-lover. I could not survive a week without pork or beef. So you could just imagine my excitement when I heard of Bagnet 8065.

Tucked in a quaint street in Makati, Bagnet 8065 is a not your typical hole-in-the-wall restaurant. I first heard of the place from my officemates, they have been raving about it for quite some time. I have been wanting to go there for so long, and finally had my chance last week.

First, let me tell you a bit about the place. The interior is packed with a mish-mash of furniture and knick-knacks. You can tell by the décor that the owner of the place is a free-spirited artist, a book-lover, a traveler and a bagnet-lover all rolled into one.

I love it how the owners of the restaurant incorporated pieces of artworks and books in the decor of the place. Made the interior looked so homey.

Wall gallery beside the staircase leading to the second floor.

They even set-up some graffiti walls:

This graffiti wall spelled "bagnet" in graffiti writing but I realized it only on our way home.
Will try to take a photo of the whole wall next time. :)

Allow me now to tell you about the FOOD!

Bagnet 8065 has a simple (and very affordable!) menu. It has a selection of bagnet dishes cooked in every Filipino-way possible. They have vegetable and fish dishes as well.

We ordered two dishes--Original Bagnet and Bagnet Curry:

The Original Bagnet was served with pickled green mangoes, bagoong and atchara on the side. Every bite of bagnet was crunchy and absolutely delicious. It was not like your typical lechon kawali. Their bagnet was not oily on the palate.

Original Bagnet

When I first saw the Bagnet Curry in their menu, I was a bit apprehensive in ordering it. I love curry dishes, but I could not imagine how the curry taste would blend with the bagnet. And how the bagnet might not be crunchy anymore because of the sauce... But we ordered it anyway. My apprehensions proved me wrong!

Bagnet Curry

The first bite of Bagnet Curry was yummy! I love how they separately cooked the curry sauce and the bagnet. Then topped the crispy bagnet on the plate of curry sauce. The bagnet pieces remained crunchy till the last piece.

Bagnet 8065 is located at Estrella Street in San Antonio Village, Makati City. Parking may be a bit of a problem, though.

Hope you could try their dishes soon! :)

The Myth of the Human Body Exhibit

It was indeed an educational Sunday afternoon for the family. We went to see the Myth of the Human Body Exhibit in Taguig. It is an exhibit showcasing real human specimens preserved in a process called plastination. It has aroused the interest of people from all over the world. It was showcased in Las Vegas and Korea last year and is now in Manila till April 17 at the Neobabylon Building in Taguig. The exhibit was thought-provoking and eye-opening. Mind-boggling as well. Definitely a unique tool for learning a lot about the human body.

The first time I heard of this exhibit, I thought, it was just another science exhibit. You see, I was not a big biology fan back in high school. I passed my tests, but could have done better had I been more interested or passionate with the subject. So I was not all smiles when I learned we were going to see the exhibit. But when I caught a glimpse of the plastinated human bodies, my thought turned 180 degrees! I was beyond excited! :)

When we first entered the exhibit hall, we were amazed by the Renaissance-inspired decor. The place looked a bit familiar. I will tell you, in a bit, why.

I was expecting a tinge of creepiness or eeriness, because, hey, there are cadavers in the building, but I felt neither. I wish I could share more photos, but we were advised that picture-taking was not allowed inside the exhibit halls. I managed to sneak just a few snapshots:

As I mentioned earlier, the human bodies were preserved in a process called Plastination, a technique developed by Gunther von Hagens, a German anatomist. Plastination is a preservation process which usually takes around 6-12 months to complete. According to Wikipedia, the standard process of plastination involves fixation, dehydration, forced impregnation, and hardening. Once the preserved body has completed the process of plastination, it can now be manipulated and positioned in various poses. The preserved bodies can last up to a million years due to plastination.

There were around 300 preserved bodies in the exhibit, some positioned as sports players. As I remember, there was an archer, a runner, a soccer or football player, and a basketball player. These bodies, we later on learned, were that of ex-cons (whom had no known immediate family to claim the body at the time of death) donated for research by the Chinese government.
 

The exhibit was divided in six different halls, in which Greek gods represented the different systems of our body:

• Poseidon - Respiratory system
• Hercules - Muscular and Skeletal system
• Hades - Circulatory system
• Dionysos - Digestive system
• Eros - Reproductive system
• Zeus - Brain/nervous system
• Artemis - Fetal system

Through this, people would easily understand each of our bodily systems, the process of birth, mysteries of life, stages of sickness, etc.

One of the exhibit's highlights was the Red Man -- a plastinated body made entirely of blood vessels encased in a glass box.

Some of the pieces were a bit disturbing, though. Especially the number of plastinated fetus found in the Artemis Hall...

Here are some of the trivial things we have learned in this exhibit (or maybe I've learned these in school but must have forgotten about them somehow...)

• Babies have more bones than adults. The bones combine as they grow old.
• Our bones are stronger than concrete!
• Our lower digestive system is protected by epiploon (or bilbil)
• Testicles are assymmetrical. One is 3 grams heavier than the other. Otherwise, they will cause friction; friction will cause heat; thus killing the sperm.
• The eyes are 90% water. They're the first organ to decay when a person dies.
• The size of the brain is almost equivalent to the size of 2 fists combined.
• Intelligence cannot be measured by the size of the brain. The folds and convolusions of the brain can tell how smart or intelligent a person is. The more folds and convolusions, the smarter you are.
• How can you tell if your heart is healthy? Join the knuckles and tips of your thumbs. Check what shape was formed in the space between. If it's diamond-shaped, then your heart is healthy.
• You can tell if a person is right-handed or left-handed by where the bigger clavicle is. If a person has a bigger left clavicle, then he is left-handed.
• You can also tell if a woman is left-handed or right-handed by the size of her breasts. If her right breast is smaller than her left, then she is right-handed.
• Hair do not deteriorate.

The Myth of the Human Body exhibit is highly-recommended not just for students, but for everyone. It is a one-of-a-kind educational tool. Trust me, you will never see your body the same way after you've seen this exhibit.

The tickets are at Php 350 each. You may opt to have the guided tour without additional cost. The exhibit runs till April 17, 2011, and is located at Neobabylon building, 9 Bayani Road, AFPOVAI, Taguig City.

Post Script:
Once you step inside the halls of the Neobabylon building, the place might look familiar to you. It's because it has been used in several Pinoy telenovelas such as Lobo and Imortal. :)

Twisted (Cheesy) Adobo

Have you ever tried adobo with cheese? When I first heard of this, I cringed, thinking it might be too rich for my palate.

But trying it for the first time proved me otherwise.

It was delicious!

Adobo has been one of the well-loved dishes in the Philippines. I've grown up cooking and trying out different types of adobo. With such simple, ready-to-grab-from-the-cupboard ingredients such as soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, lots of garlic and laurel leaves, and your choice of meat (pork or chicken), one's hunger can be easily satisfied with this gastronomic delight.

One of my all-time favorite adobo recipe consists of adding brown sugar to the basic adobo recipe, and cooking it till the juices evaporate and meat is cooked in its own oil.

As of today, I will add one more to my all-time favorite adobo list: Adobo To's Cheesy Adobo!

Yup, you got that right. Adobo with cheese!

It was a spur of the moment thing to try something new. Myzyl, Emmy and I tried out the Cheesy Adobo for lunch today, and boy, was it really yummy. The pork adobo is cooked with butter and topped with grated cheese and cheese sauce. It spelled d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!

Aside from the famous Cheesy Adobo, Adobo To offers other various adobo dishes such as Spicy Pork/Chicken Adobo and Adobo with Coconut Cream. They also have non-adobo dishes like Binagoongan Pork and Sisig.

All their dishes are very reasonable. For only Php 85.00, you will get a boxed meal of adobo (of your choice), hefty serving of steamed rice, hard-boiled egg, tomato salsa, and a glass of orange juice. :)

Kopi in the Afternoon

Kopi tiams - traditional coffee shops found in Southeast Asia.

Are you coffee or tea lover, who wants to try something different for a change?

If the answer is yes, then take a rest from your caramel macchiato and cafe americano Starbucks order and try Toast Box, a Singaporean-style coffee shop located at Greenbelt 5.

Toast Box's newly-opened branch in Greenbelt 5 is the second of the Singapore-franchised kopitiam. The first branch is located at the Trinoma Mall. I heard that a branch in Ayala Triangle Gardens is also on the works.

First off, I'm not an expert on Singaporean breakfast, so please don't expect me to compare or throw in a lot of kopi tiam terms. But who doesn't love toast and eggs and a hot drink once in a while?

Toast Box has a simple menu. They have toast sets for very reasonable prices. We ordered three from the list: Kaya Toast Set (at Php 120), Peanut Thick Toast Set (at Php 135) and French Thick Toast with Chocolate (at Php 140). Each toast set comes with 2 soft-boiled eggs and a choice of hot drinks. I'm not a big fan of coffee, so I ordered milk tea with my set.

French thick toast with chocolate, soft-boiled eggs, and hot milk tea

I ordered the French thick toast set. The french toast topped with a hefty share of butter and drizzled with chocolate is absolutely mucho delicioso!

The soft-boiled eggs with a little soy sauce would have been a perfect match to my french toast, but the eggs were just too raw for my palate. And just to avoid getting another allergic breakout, I just opted to stay away from it. Boo.

Peanut Thick Toast

Ordering the Peanut thick toast was also a right choice. They generously smothered peanut spread on the thick toast. The snack was equally divine!

The hot milk tea (teh oh) is just perfect. The sweetness is just right. I actually witnessed the "pulling" of tea while we were in line.


"Pulling" of tea apparently makes the drink extra smooth, flavorful and aromatic. I've seen this technique in several Discovery Travel and Living shows growing up, and have been fascinated with it ever since. When curiosity gets the best of me, you wouldn't believe I actually tried to pull tea in our kitchen a few years ago. It was a messy scene. :-)

Being a designer and someone with a keen eye for details, the space also caught my attention. It was quaint and simple --- I immediately fell in love with it. The design and ambience is just like sitting in your very own breakfast nook on a very sunshiny day.

I will definitely come back to try their other dishes. I heard their Horlicks Dinosaur drink is also a must-try! :)

Post Script:
Did you know that Toast Box was from the very same people who brought us Bread Talk? No wonder their bread is soft and creamy, just like Bread Talk's! :)

Aloha Hawaii: Of Sightseeing, Foodtripping, and Swimming

Aloha!

A vacation well-spent would not be complete without touring the whole island, foodtripping and checking out Hawaii's famous beaches. So that's what we did for the next couple of days:

First stop: Diamond Head Crater. Given the chance, I would love to go on hiking at the Diamond Head crater on my next visit to Hawaii. Well, that would be in a couple of years again.

This has been extinct for more than 150,000 years.

A trip to Hawaii would not be complete without taking a swim in one of their famous beaches. We head on to Hanauma Bay for a few hours of swimming under the morning sun, till my skin turn tan, which I personally describe as "my Hawaiian tropical sun-kissed skin."


Hanauma Bay

Just a side story: That morning, I was excited to go swimming, packed my swimwear among other things. When we got to Hanauma Bay and went to change, it was only then I realized I forgot to bring the other half of my swimwear! And there wasn't a swimwear shop anywhere in sight! Not passing up the chance to go swimming, I opted to just use my boardshorts with my bikini top. Good thing I packed enough underwear. :)

After a few hours of swimming, we resumed our long trip around the island. We passed by Koko Head and headed to Sandy Beach Park--this is famous for their waves, and I heard Pres. Obama frequented this place when he was growing up in Hawaii. 

Sandy Beach Park
(Talk about coincidence, I've made a watercolor painting a few years ago similar to this scene.
I'll have a separate post on that.)



Look! There's a blowhole!

We then went to Veterans Memorial and got a nice full view of Kualoa Ranch. If you think this place looks familiar, it's because Kualoa Ranch has been a site of several Hollywood films like Jurassic Park.


Kualoa Ranch

All those sightseeing and long driving made us hungry... When driving around the island, you shouldn't miss the chance to have lunch at one of the many shrimp trucks parked along Kahuku. We stopped at Romy's Shrimps and Prawns Place in Kahuku for their famous (and super yummy!) sauteed butter and garlic platter.

Romy's Shrimp and Prawns Place

Romy is from the Philippines, and their family cooks the best sauteed butter and garlic shrimps (I think this is their specialty since most of the people in line ordered for them). They actually have their own aquaculture farm beside this red hut, when they grow their shrimps and prawns.


My lunch spelled y-u-m-m-y!

I wasn't kidding when I said they have the best and yummy shrimps in town. I finished everything on my plate!


No leftovers...sorry :)

After our super late lunch, we got back on the road. Next stop: Dole Plantation. Unfortunately, we arrived a few minutes late. They closed at 5:00pm. We didn't get the chance to see the pineapple plantation or even have some of their delicious pineapple ice cream.


Outside the Dole Plantation

We stayed at Wyndham Hotel with our relatives for most of our trip, just a few blocks from the famous Waikiki Beach.

Next day (our last day in Hawaii, sadly), we took an early stroll at Waikiki Beach. Man, the place was already jam-packed! Good thing, we opted not to go swimming that day.



Surfing lessons, anyone?

Just a few hours more and it was time to leave paradise. Four days in Hawaii is never enough, we should have stayed longer. We had so much fun in Hawaii, we will definitely visit again soon.

Aloha and mahalo cousins! Till we meet again! :)

Remembering Pearl Harbor

On our second day in Hawaii, we went to Pearl Harbor--the place where the US Pacific fleet was attacked by Japanese warplanes in 1941--the event that dragged the US into World War II.

Entrance to the Pearl Harbor

This is the ride that will take us to USS Arizona Memorial



It was an unusually quiet 5-minute ferry ride to the memorial place.



USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor





Base of Gun Turret No. 3 --
One of the remains of the ship today.



Base of Gun Turret No. 2 (I think)

It was an emotional and haunting experience being there--seeing the remnants of the battleship and all the names of the gallant men who risked their lives on that horrid day. They will always be remembered...

Luau at the Paradise Cove

They say, a Hawaiian vacation won’t be complete without a luau. Later in the afternoon, we were treated to a wonderful luau experience at Paradise Cove – known to be Hawaii’s best luau.

Here’s sharing with you snippets of our luau experience:

We were greeted with Mai Tai drinks and live music to set the festive

mood of the party.



Hawaiians say, a flower placed behind your left ear means you're taken/married,
while a flower placed behind your right ear means you're single.



There were Hawaiian games we played and various native products for purchase.





Hukilau on the beach

 -- where they showed us the old-fashioned net fishing technique



Imu Ceremony
--where they showed us how their roasted pig was cooked underground.



Of course, a luau (or any party) would not be complete without FOOD!
Here's a shot of one of 4 long buffet tables.

The performers entertained us with Hawaiian and Polynesian
songs and dances throughout the rest of the night.

This was indeed a spectacular experience I will never forget. The Paradise Cove luau is really a must-try, especially for first time tourists visiting Hawaii. :)