The SISIG of Intramuros, Manila

Manila, I miss the city during this Christmas vacation so I was bored inside my house. I needed to see the city because I miss the fast Jeepneys, the different and lively sounds of their horns! A kind of symphony no other city can imitate! I live an hour and thirty minutes away from Manila so while I travel, I observe a lot things. I like "People Watching" as to what celebrity Bianca Gonzales would call it, watching other souls without disturbing them.

Last December 28, I found out that a couple of my Advertising major friends (I am a Journalism major) were re-shooting a commercial for their upcoming annual event for Advertising enthusiasts called the "AdSpeak". I contacted them and said that I will go whether they like it or not because I miss Manila and I want to bug their trip. So they had no choice but to accommodate me! The meeting was 1PM and yes I was the first one to arrive at 12:50PM.

Then poof! everyone was there and so they quickly set up and started to shoot the scenes while I go around bug them, piss them off or something to delay things.

Here's the group inside Letran College on a Christmas vacation. So quiet and spooky.

Here's a Talent being video shot by a Nikon D90 DSLR, the first DSLR to have HD video.

They only shot 2 scenes but because of their passion to make the best out of those scenes, the shoot took 2 hours. After that everybody was hungry! Even me! I almost lost my appetite because it was already 3PM! What else was on our mind? To eat the best Sisig the walls of Intramuros has to offer!

Introducing "Alyssa's Sisig" (Clap!Clap!Clap!)

SISIG:
Origin of name: Pampanga
Description from Wikipedia: a Filipino dish made from parts of pig’s head and liver, usually seasoned with kalamansi and chili peppers.


Alyssa's Sizzling Sisig has been a favorite to the residents of Intramuros, college students flock to this small place which can handle up to 30 persons at a time. A lot, let me repeat that, a lot of customers would wait for their turns to eat because they would want to eat the best in town!


I discovered this place back in 2008, I was and still am studying inside the fortified city when a classmate of mine brought us here and said freshmen were talking about this place, so we went there and ate and from that day on; Whew! I listed Alyssa's Sisig as the number one sisig I've tasted.

Here are my friends waiting for our Sisig.

Going back to December 28, 2010 - We were there and luckily! There were a lot of seats to accommodate all 15 hungry students! 13 of which ordered the Sizzling Sisig! It's also advisable to eat here with your friends! Because waiting for your order could bore you, it takes quite a while to prepare the food because they make your Sisig at its best quality.

Sizzling Pork Sisig with Egg

What puts Alyssa's Sisig on top among others is that the meat is crispy, I know the pork is fresh (I have this weird ability to taste and know if a Pork and Chicken meat is too old to be cooked) and affordable. So the next time you get hungry around Intramuros, just ask where the Wallem building is and from there ask where Alyssa's Sisig is located. 


Oh and one more thing, I'll make you a bet, go here when you're really hungry and order this one. I bet you $5 you'll get at least 2 cups of rice and there's still Sisig left on the plate. Cheers!

Italian holy dish for hungry Filipinos - Amici Di Don Bosco

From a small space and humble beginnings inside a canteen to support themselves, an Italian Salesian missionary; Fr. Gianluigi Colombo established in 2001 what would be known as "AMICI DI DON BOSCO" or in english translation "FRIENDS OF DON BOSCO". Amici's first wave of success was their home-made Italian gelato which became popular around town. In 2003, pastas and wood fire oven-cooked pizzas were added to the line-up of their menu. Soon enough it became a popular choice of the general public around the Makati area.

Realizing that "Amici di Don Bosco" was not in its full competitive level, the salesians agreed to sell the franchise to Mr. Danny Moran and Mr. Iboy Pinga. In 2007, the entity was relaunched as simply "Amici".

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The dancing lights in Ayala

I was in Makati for a Christmas night out, with my family we watched the "Dancing Lights" in a garden in Ayala. After watching lights go on and off they decided to eat dinner there. My brother suggested "Amici" and quickly in my mind popped something and I said to myself "oh, this was the place someone told me about". We went inside and the place was full! We were 7 and a table of 5 was the only one available but that didn't stop us, Dad told us to get a table for 2 so that me and my brother can eat in a separate table.

We found one at last, awkward as it looks like to the other people, a table for two in a Christmas night in Makati. Since my brother ate in the establishment before, I let him decide which to order.

As an appetizer, he ordered Mozarella Fritto. Golden fried sticks served with tangy pomorodo sauce.

Mozarella Fritto

The Fritto was crispy outside and soft inside because of the Mozarella inside it. If you have eaten the "Cheesy Crust" of Pizza Hut, this is comparable to that one except that this one was fully dedicated to be a cheese stick.

Spaghetti ala Carbonara

For my main dish, "Spaghetti ala Carbonara"! It's my favorite pasta, so it has become my tradition that whenever I'm in a restaurant that fronts its pastas in the menu, I order Carbonara. When it arrived, I was like "woah" because the serving was good enough for two. The bread wasn't toasted nicely and the sauce wasn't really tasty so I still rate the best Carbonara to "The Hobbit House" in Boracay. Then again, this is only my perception.

Me with the "Al Quattro Formaggi"

At last! Time for the pizza, to finally seal the deal and for me to find out if the rumors are true. Brother ordered the "Al Quattro Formaggi" which is a mix of 4 kinds of cheese. The first bite I took I said to myself "hmmmm...the rumors are true", Amici pizzas have made their mark on the pizza industry in the country.

Mozarella Frito - P170 ($4)
Spaghetti ala Carbonara - P198 ($4)
Al Quattro Formaggi - P400 ($8)
Bottomless Mug Rootbeer - P80 ($2)
+ 12 VAT(Value Added Tax)

=PHP949.76 ($20)

All in all if I was to rate Amici according to categories:

Ambiance: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Budget Value: 10/10
Food: 8/10

So if you're looking for authentic Italian food that looks fancy but on the budget and would really satisfy your hunger and value the money you spend, go out and eat at "Amici's". Till next time! Now I'll try to finish the pasta we took out because we were so full!

Sanctuary in the heart of a city.

Today, in this fast paced World where time is ultimately precious and being late in a meeting could cost you a fortune, people are forgetting the simplest ways to relax. They either go out eat in fancy restaurants, go shopping or just watch with their wide screen LCD TVs. Yes I do agree material things do make you happy, but once your gadget's outdated; You're not contented and satisfied once again! Agree? I know you do.

Stressed out, too many school works and a ton of personal issues can really drag yourself to the ground. Working all day and it's just not worth it? Yes I do feel the same way too sometimes but hey, I know what makes me happy. I know how to rejuvenated my body and unwind myself by only spending a few hours in a sanctuary without even going away from the city, because the sanctuary is in the heart of the city!

Last December 11, I was in a middle of two travel choices. One was Tagaytay which was a 2-3 hour drive from Manila and the other one was the Parks and Wildlife center in Quezon City which was like 30 minutes away if I ride the train. Tagaytay would be an awesome trip but I was lacking budget for the expenses going there and I also went there a couple of times when I was younger so I wasn't really considering it, so I said yes to the center in Quezon City.

In the morning of the 11th of December, there I was, inside a Taxi with 3 others going to the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife center. I kept on saying "this better be good" because I don't really like waking up early in the morning to see crap. We got in and since it was a Government owned park, payment was less than $1 (PHP8.00) . 

Once you entered the gates, it takes you to a different world which I called that time as a "Shire" referring to the village of the Hobbits. A sea of greenery swallows you and gives a feeling of being in a concrete forest. Balete trees welcome you, it's a bunch of creepy trees but what gives beauty to it are the rays of the sun that hits the holes of the tree.

A pen for a kind of Deer.

Around the park are pens of some animals that they are taking care of. Based on my research prior to going here, I thought that the place was a rescue center and so I thought why would they keep animals captive? When the animal heals they should return it to the wildlife but I was wrong, the place was a park.

What was abundant were the species of birds and I guess this is the main attraction aside from the exotic and weird looking species of fishes they had. I wasn't able to take photos of the Birds because first of all, the cage was huge and all of them were so high the lens of my camera just couldn't reach them.

Happy family taking a walk around the park, follow the leader!

I love nature, what more can I say? I love how trees grow, how flowers bloom, how animals live in abundance with Earth's resources. It takes away the stress when I see nature at its best, when it thrives and nourishes others depending on it.

My friend Joshua, taking a picture of the "Lagoon" which I prefer calling as a "Swamp"

In the Heart of the park lies a swamp called as a "Lagoon". There was also a sign of "No Fishing" which I really didn't think of going Fishing on a body of water that doesn't move. The place is really quiet and you wouldn't notice that you were still in a city.

This is my favorite spot, I call it "Kanlungan"

I like this place where a big tree is beside the lagoon and there's a small lover's table where one couple can really have a private spot for talking or just admiring each other. Reminds me of the song "Kanlungan" by Noel Cabangon.

Shhh. Be Quiet, they're in the middle of a love discussion

Many couples really flock this place, that really amazed me because I didn't know that the park could be a romantic venue for some.

Overall, I find the park really relaxing except for the itching I suffered but it was a cool place. If you plan a safe urban picnic or a photo walk or a photo-shoot, it's one of the best places to set up and practice shots.