21: An Open Heart

2012 Food Trip # 21

Dulang

Lutong Kapampangan at Pasalubong

March 25, 2012

Please read this link (2012 Food Trips) if you haven’t already.

Project Tenfold conducted an ocular visit to an Aeta community in Zambales.  We prayed for a van and a driver who is willing to drive for us for free. We were blessed. Not all Tenfold officers are available to join the trip so we opened the seats to those who want to go.

On our way to Zambales, we stumbled upon Dulang. We actually had to drive backward because we couldn’t decide right away. It’s an EAT-ALL-YOU-CAN offer at P109. Pretty good, right?!

We enjoyed the food, the laughter and the camaraderie.

There were 10 of us. Some of them I haven’t really had a chance to be with until that day; yet, I had fun. The trip was a little bit tiring, yes. I haven’t slept well two days before the trip but I enjoyed every minute of it. I will talk about the ocular visit and how it touched our hearts on a different entry.

This day, I learned that when you open your heart to new friends, almost always, they will open theirs for you. At the end of the day, everybody wins. 

Grab One Today

About two days ago, my sister-in-law was rushed to the hospital. She had to undergo surgery because of her pregnancy complications. The medical expenses will not be covered by their health cards. This means they will have to shell out their own. This left my brother and his wife to use their savings and asked help from family and friends. 

I don’t have a stable savings myself. A few days before this happened, I bought a new phone. It was my first time to get a new one after four years. I am not really into phones; so long as I can text, call and take photos, am fine. However, I decided to buy a new one that is a little bit expensive only to feel, two days after, that I shouldn’t have bought it now that I need the money.

This pretty much gives you an idea that what’s left of my savings may not be enough to cover what my brother and his wife might need for their hospital bills. In fact, it was not even half.

I prayed to God before I went to the bank. I know I was about to empty my savings account with what am about to do. I was saving it for a travel this year. But I also know that my brother, and his family, is more important; that I can always save up to travel soon; that my Father can provide.

Every now and then we are faced with situations that will put our faith to the test. We wonder from which side of the earth and from which cloud of heaven the provision will come. I worry not because my Father owns both. So in faith, I went to visit my brother in Antipolo right after my night shift. I stayed for a few hours – we ate and chatted a little bit. I checked their new house and handed over my meager share of help and left in the hope that I will still be able to catch some sleep so I can go to work the night of the same day.

On my way home, I felt good and knew that I did the right thing. My faith was strengthened. I know my Father will provide. Then I got this text message from my brother.

Thanks for the assistance...For grabbing an opportunity to bless...that’s how God’s kingdom work. You will be blessed a hundrefold.

He was right. Every day, we are presented with probably a hundred opportunities to bless others. We might have seen some of them and have even grabbed them or we might have overlooked some of them.

We are never forced to help others. We are blessed with everything we need and with it come opportunities to help. We are given free will to choose to help. Helping is a choice we grab because of faith and love.

Let’s make sure to grab one every day.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9

20: The Mash Breakfast

Tsoko Nut Batirol

Mandaluyong City

March 15, 2012

Project: Food & Thoughts No. 20

It was Mash’s birthday and she wanted to spend a breakfast with us to celebrate it. So we did! We went to TsokoNut Batirol and tried the following:

Tsokolate Ah Batirol

Choco Mousse Cupcake

Bibingka with Kesong Puti and Itlog na Pula

Pandesal with Kesong Puti and Itlog na Pula

Ensaymada with Keso de Bola

Fantasia Sandwich

Rootbeer Float

Chocoholic's Champorado

Plain Pandesal with Butter

While eating, we started showering Mash with our birthday wishes.Some are funny wishes and some heartfelt. But whatever the wishes were, we were delighted to see her enjoying her simple breakfast with us.

Happy Birthday Mash! We love you dearly. 

19: Home:

Aling Tonang’s Pancit Palabok

Mandaluyong City

March 14, 2012

Project: Food & Thoughts No. 19

I have been living in Mandaluyong since I was 2. There are a lot of things that I like about this City. To name two, I’d say…

One, its promiximity. It’s just a few minutes away from Makati, Manila, Quezon City, San Juan and other major Cities. Transportation to these places is very easy.

Two, accessibility.  Everything I need is available. I have easy access to markets, churches, malls, schools, police stations, spas, salons, and a whole lot of stores and restaurants. So for today’s food trip adventure, I went to this place that has been existing for a long time but I have not been able to visit. I dropped by and ordered the following to take out:

                            Palabok @P50

                      BBQ Stick @P20 each

                     Softdrink in can @P35

I was born in Manila but am glad we moved here. I have spent almost a lifetime here and have gone through a lot of bad and precious memories and whether I stay or move somewhere, this place is HOME.

Jailbreaking Vincent Juanta as the co-owner of Chef Arch’s Lime and Kanto Freestyle Breakfast

Last January 13^th I started a new segment on my blog entitled 2012 Food Trips. I decided to go out of my comfort zone and try restaurants that I haven’t experienced. My adventure brought me to a nearby eating place Kanto Freestyle Breakfast (see this link) whose owners also own another favorite, Chef Arch’s Lime. My friends and I love these places. 

I was, and still am, impressed by the theme, ambiance and affordability of both restaurants. This curiosity, as usual, led me to contacting the owners. Mr. Vinz Juanta, one of the owners, warmly accommodated my nosiness and allowed me to feature him on my Jailbreaking segment.

Q: You co-own Chef Arch’s Lime and Kanto. With whom do you share ownership? How long have these two been open?

 From Left: Vincent Juanta, Archie Juanta, Christian Ian Ocampo and Eugene Claravall

A: Yup. I co-own Chef Arch’s Lime together with DLSU Schoolmates and Domino Lux Frat Buddies, Ian Ocampo and Eugene Claravall. On the other hand, Chef Arch Juanta, my brother, is the Founder, Emeritus and Culinary High Priest. Chef Lime has already been in existence for about 4 years while Kanto was just opened last year.

Q: I noticed that both have this theme of combined street style and gourmet. Where did this idea come from? Any particular reason you came up with this?

A: The Lime concept was the brainchild of Chef Arch. From Hong Kong’s Dai Pai Dongs to Singapore’s Hawker stalls, street food has always been an indelible and inseparable component of one’s culture. It is a source of nourishment for the great hoi polloi and the common working man on whose shoulders societies stand on. Lime considers Philippine street food a source of pride that should be promoted and be made accessible and palatable for all, even those who are well off. It is from this vision that Lime was born.

Q: Did you get formal training on culinary arts? If yes, where at? If not, to whom do you entrust food preparation?

Chef Arch's Lime featured in Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho

A: Although Chef Arch is currently based in New Zealand, he continues to ensure that his culinary standards are strictly followed by remotely but effectively overseeing his trained and dedicated team of cooks and assistants via web and occasional visits. As for Ian, Eugene and I…we still consider ourselves but humble students to the master.

Q: BJ and Kiefer, your Kanto storekeepers, are such sweethearts. My friends and I like them a lot because they are polite and they take their job seriously. More importantly, BJ prepares good food. I assume you train them (and your team) a lot to deliver that Chef Lime image. How do you train them? How do you ensure that your people deliver excellent customer service every day?

A: Given that my partners and I are also fraternity brothers, we grew up together with a deeply engrained sense of brotherhood and family. We believe applying this same set of values in business without sacrificing order and discipline. In Lime and Kanto, we treat our staff as family first before employees. We believe that it is only here in this environment of mutual respect and trust, loyalty and good service could be naturally cultivated and therefore also more naturally radiated back to you, our customers.

Q: One of the attractions of Chef Arch’s Lime and Kanto is the price. You get fine dining at affordable prices. And to keep loyal customers, you gotta keep up with that image and at the same time keep the business. How do you manage pricing to ensure you keep both?

Chef Arch's Lime featured in Go Negosyo.

Chef Arch's Lime featured in TV5's Sapul sa Singko

A: We only get the best ingredients and ensure the Chef Arch standard is followed both in process and presentation. We found out that staying true to one’s quality promise while trying to eke out a modest earning honestly does pose quite a daunting challenge to us sometimes, if not most of the time. We do try to counter balance this with volume deliveries and catering…but hey the smiles you get back and the network you gain is priceless.

Q: I have tried a lot of your dishes and was never ever disappointed. Please tell us more about your bestsellers and their prices.

A: Here they are:

The Quail Egg Tempura (P120) is our version of Kwek-kwek

The Street Style Pizza (P210) it has Kesong Puti 

The Street Style BBQ Platter @P185  

Kanto's Pampanga Tocino @ P90  

Kanto's French Toast with Bacon and Eggs @P90

Kanto's Mixed Berry Pancakes @P90

Q: What dishes take a lot of time in preparation?

A: Chicken breast stuffed with Kangkong and Kesong Puti, it's half pan grilled and half oven baked. We don’t do pre-cooking, every dish is freshly cooked that’s why some dish take a while to prepare.

Q:   I know that you recently had a fundraising project for the typhoon victims of Iligan. It is good to know that you also make it a point to give back. What made you do this? Do you do this often?

A: We have been blessed by God with great business and a strategic venue where we can gather people to help those in need. We felt that it is both natural and a responsibility to use these strengths to give back.

Q: Do you host events like birthdays, parties and group dinners? What’s the price range?

A: Yes, we have party packages at P250, P300 and P450 per head.

UST College of Tourism Event 2010

Vinz Juanta and Eugene Claravall as Guest Speakers

Q:  I noticed that you don’t just stick to your old menu for long. Instead you come up with new dishes to share and reinvent your list constantly. What else can we expect from Chef Arch’s Lime and Kanto?

A: More great food from Lime and more deliveries from Kanto.

Q: I bet you have customers who come back all the time. More than the affordable price and good food, it was the whole experience that makes us come back. What do you want to tell all these loyal patrons (myself included)?

A: Customers can’t get enough of my good looks. Hahahahaha! Kidding aside, I think it’s the chill out ambience of Lime that works as a plus for us. I think that people naturally gravitate more to a house compared to a commercial establishment. I guess at the end of a day’s hard work, a lot of people consider Lime as their second home.

_ End of the interview_

My 2012 Food Trips entry clearly states that I am not a good cook and a food critic. This means that featuring restaurants on my blog doesn’t really mean am recommending them. This is an exception. My dining experiences with Kanto and Chef Arch’s Lime were awesome. The food is great. The accommodation is so Pinoy and warm.

Project Tenfold Circle's 6th Planning Session @ Kanto

Photo from Dhenize Averilla.

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Chef Arch's Lime and Kanto are definitely going at the top of my list of favorite eating places. I may not be a good cook and a food critic but I am a customer. We all are consumers who constantly look for products and services that will give us our hard-earned money's worth. I found it in these two places. Thumbs up!

Like them on Facebook.

Check their website here.

Photos were taken by Nelwin Uy, Ms. Charming Baldemor and Vincent Juanta.

18: A Glimpse of Hope from Naya

Bean Perk

Mandaluyong City

March 13, 2012

Project: Food & Thoughts No. 18

Finally there’s time to meet Haydee – the Head of the Water Patrol Unit of Greenpeace Philippines. Project Tenfold Circle is working on a joint project with Greenpeace Philippines and other organizations geared towards taking care of the environment. We have been planning on meeting for a long time and have not been able to due to the very busy schedules of everyone involved.

Today, we decided to meet over coffee before my shift and sort of stole two hours of our sleep time. We went to Bean Perk and ordered the following:

White Mocha Frapp @P120

Fettuccini Carbonara @P75

Sorry forgot to take a photo before eating it :) 

Chewy Fudge @P60

White Choco @P85

The meeting went well. It was a bit quick but with a lot of good things and hopes.

Encouraging people to get involved in environmental projects is one of the most difficult things to do for any organizations such as Greenpeace. I think it’s even more difficult than getting people involved in animal welfare. I don’t lose hope. Filipinos aren't really as involved as we are now in animal welfare as before. This gives me the same hope for our environmental causes.

We can play dumb and not care to know any of these things that affect our environment but I believe we can shift our gears and choose to get involved. Unless we, or a family member, become a victim of water toxin, I don't think we will care enough. Sure, the return of our investment doesn’t show as fast as we want it to be, but it does. Some people think these kind of causes (environment, animals, people) are only for those with money and time. I find that hard to believe. We can make money and time if we want to. It isn't about how much money we spend or how long we should work on it, it’s just a matter of CHOICE – something that we do every single second of our lives anyway.

Jem, Haydee and Naya.

With Haydee and Naya.

Our project with Greenpeace requires time and a lot of planning. While Haydee was explaining how the project is going to be, my mind was already counting the obstacles my group has to go through to make it real. However, every time I look at Naya (Haydee’s 3-year old daughter who was with us sharing her own stories in between our project talk) my hope becomes brighter than the obstacles. When she gets older, I hope she remembers this moment when her Mom and I cared to talk about what most people would just ignore. Mind you, we didn’t have to preach; we just had to show her. 

17: Age Doesn't Matter

Churros City

Market Market Mall, PH 

March 11, 2012

Project: Food & Thoughts No. 17

Today is the start of my volunteer work for our church. I arrived 30 minutes early, as instructed. Surprisingly, I got a little bit tired after although I didn’t really do anything but observe. Looks like my body is adjusting to the schedule. I'm usually still asleep on a 2PM Sunday because Church is at 6PM. Ha! 

Despite the tired body, my heart was fulfilled and happy that (finally!) I was able to start my volunteer work. I, also, met new friends.

I was so hungry after the service but was also in a hurry to go home so I just decided to pass by a food stall and buy something to bring home. My eyes looked for something I haven’t tried. I landed on CHURROS CITY and bought the following for only P45.

 Churros con Choco.

           Micafe Hot Choco.

Among the volunteers, who are mostly college students, is a boy who is probably the youngest of them all. I forget his name. He’s probably in pre-teen himself (10-12) or in high school. He was tasked to do the transition – from worship to the tithing and message.

He talked about an experience he had from school. A classmate of him was insisting that God didn’t create man and that we all came from apes. I can see how hurt he was by what he heard because he almost couldn’t control his emotions. He said, “Nasaktan ako kasi si God ko ‘yun eh! The creator of Heavens and the earth na sinabihan niya ng ganun” (I was hurt because he said something like that about my God, the creator of the Heavens and earth.)

I was blessed by how personal his relationship with God is. To an adult mind, this could be nothing but a simple rant from a teenager. We may think it isn’t a big deal. It is. It is a big deal because in our relationship with God, age doesn’t matter. In fact, Jesus said,

“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Mark 10:14-16)

The big question, Will I go back on Sunday?

Answer: I can’t wait.

My Grease-stained Shoe

My Grease-stained Shoe

Two weeks ago, I bought a new pair of wedge shoes for myself. I wore it the next day to work. During lunch, we got on a tricycle to Edsa Central to grab a bite. I got on the driver’s backseat with another friend, I always do this because I find the experience fun. When we got back to the office, I found the dirty grease stain on my new shoe. Imagine my sadness.  Girls, I bet you understand the feeling. 

I decided not to worry about it the whole day I was in the office. There was too much on my work plate at that moment.

  

When I got home, I tried to remember what my grade school teacher told us about removing grease stain and guess what?... I can’t remember any. Ha! I searched the net and tried a few. The stained surface isn't cloth so it was difficult to deal with. I got tired after a few minutes and decided to lie on my bed and left the shoe (with the stubborn stain) on my computer table.

I had a pretty good view of the shoe from where I was, so I stared at it, initially out of frustration, I guess; then it led to something else. I stared at it for a few minutes more got up to get a closer look. It was beautiful. I realized how I was seeing it exactly the first time I saw and bought it. I didn’t mind what’s left of the grease stain. To my eyes, it was, and still is, a beautiful shoe.

Aren't we all faced with the same challenge in real life sometimes? Not with our shoes but with the people in our lives. We meet people and we get along really well. A mere acquaintance turns into a friendship and/or a relationship. This sweet beginning can sometimes sadly turn into a bitter and painful memory because of the mistakes that the other person commits. 

Mistakes happen; the consequences of which can last for a day, or a week, or a month or maybe a lifetime. It could ruin relationships and bruise trust. It could change the way we used to look at the other person. We know that some things cannot be undone. Trust can be very difficult to regain. 

What I learned today from my grease-stained shoe may not be easily applied to the real life situation I explained above. Let me explain further. 

I guess, what I am trying to say is…maybe, it will work this way. Maybe, just maybe, it will be easier to forgive and accept if we change our perspective and look at the person the way we have the first time we accepted them in our lives. This doesn’t mean we tolerate the mistake or just let it pass without repair. This means that after the struggle, the exchange of arguments and the reconciliation, the first step is to start again. What did I see in you that led me to this friendship? Or relationship? Then, maybe (just maybe), we can all learn to go back to the way it used to be.

I’m still trying to remove the grease from my shoe and I guess I am making progress. But this time, I no longer do it in frustration. And yeah, I still love to wear ‘em even with the grease stain.