Filed under: family & superfriends, glorious food | Tags: chef robby goco, cyma, pastisado, roka solata, skolatina
At Cyma, it’s about bringing people together for a flourishing experience that starts with great food. It is in this spirit and reason, that my dear friend Tinsky and i chose this restaurant to have dinner and celebrate my post natal day.
top (left): joy and tinsky; bottom (right): roka solata
Cyma is my favorite restaurant because it’s a place where you can enjoy one of the world’s healthiest cuisines. Cyma equals simplicity and satisfaction. The thing i love about Cyma is they know how to preserve each ingredient’s distinct and nutritional flavor. Take Roka Salata (Tinsky’s and my favorite) for instance, the raw ingredients are of flawless quality and they don’t cover it with forceful flavors, sauces, or dressings. This is how salad should be done.
top and bottom (left): skolatina
Another favorite of mine is Cyma’s Molten Chocolate Cake called “Skolatina.” If there’s one word to describe it, it’ll have to be “divine.” Yes, it’s that good! The chocolate cake is served with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. It’s a hot and cold combo dessert. The molten chocolate cake is usually served straight from the oven and if you scoop it up with the ice cream, you’ll get that pleasurable melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Cyma’s Executive Chef, Robby Goco, set out to create a truly great Greek restaurant in the Philippines. He traveled throughout Greece and the Mediterranean to search the old country for food and wine. And he definitely found plenty! I’m glad he brought all those wonderful recipes and ingredients to our own country. Kudos to you, Chef Robby!
right: cyma's executive chef robby goco
Fast Facts:
Did you know that Greece, like the Philippines, is an archipelago?
Did you know that Pastisado (in Greece) is Bulalo here in the Philippines?
Filed under: family & superfriends, musings & meanderings | Tags: superfriends
Tinsky and i may have hectic schedules to keep but we always find time to see each other. That’s what real friends do! So it doesn’t matter if we had to celebrate my birthday a few days after the actual date. What matters is we got to spend time together and share good memories over food. We went to my favorite restaurant, Cyma, and the branch at Edsa Shang was packed. Am so glad my dear friend made reservations.
Even with her busy schedule, Tinsky still managed to get me a wonderful surprise gift and birthday card. Awwww, touch naman ako! Here, have a look at what she wrote inside the card:
My Dear Aj,
Belated Happy Birthday! For our love of food and sweets, please keep the chocolate candles. It also symbolizes our friendship. Light it when you feel sad, tired and hungry. Hehe! Love you friendship! May the good Lord continue to bless & guide you.
Love,
Tinsky
To my superfriend:
God is so wonderful and kind for giving me the opportunity to meet you and be able to share a strong bond of friendship with you. You are the perfect example of a person who is beautiful inside and out. Am not saying this because you’re my superfriend, i can attest to this because i’ve personally witnessed your caring, loving, and nurturing attitude. The moment i met you at work, i knew there’s more to you than meets the eye. When all people could see is a beautiful face, i can perceive a strong, loving, beautiful woman developed by great adversities and refined by time.
It takes one to know one. We’ve both gone through a lot at a very early age, and i could sense your maturity. Your outlook on life definitely speaks volumes. Yeah, i could tell back then, no words necessary dear. 
When people would call me friend, i am honored and privileged to call you mine. Ayan, naiiyak na naman ako! Maraming salamat, girl, hindi ko man masabi dito lahat pero hindi ko sasayangin ang mga panahon na ipakita at sabihin sa iyo in person.
It is my prayer and wish that our good Lord will grant you more success and blessings, guide you and light your every step, long life and good health to your entire family, and that Kyle and JP will shower you with more love and continue to take good care of you.
Love you friendship,
Joy
Filed under: blogger events, events & gatherings, musings & meanderings | Tags: coffee bean & tea leaf, dean alfar, jay tablante, photography workshop
Everyone has a story to tell but not everyone can share it in a creative manner. With the advent of technology such as the Internet, digital cameras, camera phones and laptops, it has made it easier for people to capture stories and share it with others. Social networking sites, blogs, and microblogging sites are taking the world wide web by storm. And these are some of the ways people share their stories in the form of essays, digital images, and videos.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s Flash Creativity Workshop held at Bonifacio High Street under the tutelage of experts like Dean Alfar (creative writing guru), Mike Cabardo (short film guru), and Jay Tablante (photography guru) aimed to teach the proper techniques in utilizing these technologies in order to effectively share a story.
Dean Alfar, with nine Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature under his belt, can undoubtedly inspire and teach anyone to write. Yes, he even managed to convert my high school chum, who hates writing by the way, to start blogging. If anyone can do it, it’s Dean Alfar!
bottom (left): tintin, my high school chum; (right): dean alfar and joy
Jay Tablante’s passion for photography will inspire you. To be honest, i wanted to attend Dean Alfar’s workshop but the call to learn how to do justice to snapshots was stronger. Hence, i found myself in the midst of other bloggers learning photography under Jay Tablante.
Of Men and Photography
DSLR does not make you a photographer! Below is a summary of the lessons from the Photography Workshop.
Lesson 1:
A photographer’s work is only as good as the team he works with.
Lesson 2:
Requirement + equipment + knowledge = photography.
Lesson 3:
Your camera is nothing but a recorder. Record how light bounces back in an object.
Lesson 4:
Old school is the best school; never take your LCD nor your histogram for granted.
Lesson 5:
The moment you say you’re good, is the death to your so-called career. You wouldn’t just be a has-been, you’d be a never-was.
Lesson 6:
You’re just as good as your imagination takes you. Learn to do creative exercises (ie. thought balloons, word play, thematics).
Lesson 7:
Photography should be the last thing you’re studying. The ‘what’ dictates the ‘how’. Technique for the sake of technique is useless without concept or substance.
Lesson 8:
Fundamentals >> Technicals >> Concept >> Vision
Lesson 9:
Thou shall not steal somebody else’s light. Photography is about recording light.
Lesson 10:
Don’t take pictures. Make images.
Filed under: glorious food, musings & meanderings | Tags: portico serendra, typhoon frank
Amidst the plight of my fellow countrymen, my high school chum and i proceeded to have dinner at Portico. It was a promise made, and true to my word (come rain or shine) i treated her to a post birthday dinner at Portico, Serendra.
dinner with tintin at portico, serendra
We both love pasta, so we ordered the Garlic Shrimps Linguine (P450). Linguine tossed with shrimps, garlic lemon, parsley, and lots of parmesan. Mmmmm! We were both surprised and delighted with the serving. The garlic shrimps linguine is actually good for sharing! We asked the waiter if they could divide the portion and take out the shrimps from my pasta. (Yes, allergies again. Tsk, tsk.) Anyway, i would like to thank the Portico Chef and staff for graciously accommodating our request. Thank you guys!
portico's garlic shrimps linguine and mixed grill
Portico’s Mixed Grill (P430) looked good so we ordered that, too. It’s grilled beef tenderloin, macau chorizo, and pork tenderloin in skewers; served with vegetable fried rice. Rice and pasta, not bad for the bulging waistline! Haha.
Portico is located at Serendra, Bonifacio Global City Taguig. For reservations, please call 8560581.
Filed under: daily discoveries, glorious food | Tags: belgian chocolate creations, belgian pralines, theobroma chocolate factory
Giving the perfect gift is sharing the very best of your life.
Theobroma provides a wide range of Belgian Chocolate Cakes, Belgian Pralines, and luscious Ice Cream to mark each occasion. Fine Belgian chocolate known for its distinctive flavor and smoothness, made to the highest standards of quality.
Theobroma - Main Bldg., SM City North Edsa
Theobroma offers three delightful selections of Belgian Chocolate Cakes: Perfection, Midnight, and Hazelnut Praline. Each Belgian Chocolate Cake comes in a free exquisite designer gift box, patiently crafted by hand to express taste, style, and mood.
top (left): belgian pralines; (right): free designer box; (bottom): theobroma ice cream
Chocolate cake made to perfection plus a free gift box. Now that’s what i call a perfect gift!
Theobroma Chocolate Factory
17 Aguirre Ave., BF Homes, Parañaque
FS2A Treasure Trove, Festival Supermall
Filinvest, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
SM City North Edsa
Ground Floor, Main Building
North Avenue corner EDSA, Quezon City
[logo credit: theobroma]
