khobar's restos - 2nd edition

over the last few weeks i was able to visit more restos in khobar that's why i decided to do a second edition of my wanna-be-critic's guide to khobar's dining.  still using the same rating (5 max, 1 min), see if any of these 5 new places i've visited toppled the top spots i rated in my first edition.

La Caravella. Right in front of Giant Store (near Extra). I appreciate the open-kitchen design so you can actually watch the chefs and make sure they’re not doing anything funny with your food. However, the heat generated by the stoves (not to mention the smell of the food preparation) crosses to the dining area making it less cooler and comfortable. Kasagsagan pa naman ng humidity noong pumunta kami kaya instead na ma-enjoy namin ang food, we’re wiping off our sweat every now and then. Maliit din yong place with only 4 or 5 tables for singles and I think the same area for family, hindi ito pwedeng maging venue ng birthday celebration ng mga adik. Kabayan ang manager at maayos naman syang mag-istima ng clients. Food is average (read: nothing exceptional), just right for the price na hindi naman kamahalan.

Food: 3.5

Place: 3

Price: 3

Service: 3.5

Total: 13

Bona Banana. Khobar Corniche. I chose to gather my old friends for my birthday dinner in this resto mainly because I like the place. It sits alone on a huge lot compared to other restos in that area like Chilis, Fridays, etc na halos magsiksikan sa isang area. Bona Banana is big compared to them kaya pati dining area nila ay spacious. Though I was disappointed with their steak na hindi agad sinerve kaya dumating sa amin eh malamig na. Nasermunan tuloy ng isang friend ko yong waiter na mabait pa naman. I like their barbeque salmon though. And my friend said their lamb ribs was also delicious. Price is also reasonable. And their manager who’s also a Kabayan is very warm and accommodating.  They earned extra point because of their effort to sing Happy Birthday to me kahit walang choreography.  May complementary slice of cheesecake din naman na nilagyan ng isang candle!  Good enough!

Food: 3

Place: 4.5

Price: 3.5

Service: 4

Total: 15

Amici. Prince Turky St, Khobar Corniche. This is one cozy resto suited for executives/businessmen who wants to have a quiet, luxurious Italian dinner. With leather chairs and subdued lighting, its one place to unwind and cool your senses down. Hindi pwede dito ang mga adiks dahil sa liit ng place, dapat low key ang usapan or else dinig hanggang sa kitchen ang ingay. Pinoy din ang maitre d at very attentive ang Kabayan na nag-serve sa amin. Masarap din ang food lalo yong Calamari Fritter nila. And their seafood platter was a feast not only for the palate but for the eyes as well. Though nagulat ako sa presyo coz the 8 pcs of shrimps na kasama doon sa platter was charged at SR98. Kaya tiningnan ko maige yong bill and found out that the platter itself, which is actually one huge piece of fish cooked in 4 different ways, costs more than 200SR. More than SR300 just for that platter alone! Hmmm… don’t know if I was ripped off. Wala kasi sa menu nila yon, suggested by lang ni Kabayang waiter.

Food: 3.5

Place: 4

Price: 2.5

Service: 4.5

Total: 14.5

Chinese Grill. Khobar, along 28th st. Madalas namin syang madaanan when we’re going to or leaving Soul Kitchen. At natatandaan ko, we already dined here once noong nandito pa rin ang isang friend ko (Hermie). As far as I can remember, nagustuhan ko yong place kaya sabi ko i-try ko ulit. Ganon pa rin yong lugar, problema ang parking coz it was right along a busy road. And the interiors was exactly the way I remembered it (samantalang 4 or 5 years ago na yong unang kain ko dito). At siguro unfair na i-rate ko sila coz their name is Chinese Grill but I ordered steak na syempre disappointed na naman ako. Ang kaso lang, supposedly Chinese resto nga sila but the menu contains moslty Western, Italian and Arabic/Indian food. Wala yata akong nakitang chinese food. That’s why I opted for the steak na mura naman at SR45. Kaya lang, yon nga, it was a disappointment. They’ve got the best tasting Saudi Champagne in town though! And oh before I forget, it’s just one of the very few restos in Khobar na walang Filipino staff!

Food: 3

Place: 3

Price: 3.5

Service: 3

Total: 12.5

Orient. Prince Turky St, Khobar Corniche. It sits two floors above Amici. Pero kung nagustuhan ko ang ambience ng Amici, I didn’t like this one. It’s like stepping into an old bohemian pad na parang tambayan ng mga mahilig mag-trip. The colors, the décor and the smell (specially) gives you an impression of a testosterone-filled room of smokers and drinkers. Gusto ko nang mag-walk out pero nahiya naman ako sa mga Kabayan nating staff na super welcome naman sa amin. Kaya nag-order na lang ako ng Maki just to gauge if we’ll go on to a full dinner or not. While waiting for the Maki, nag-scan na rin ako ng menu nila. And just like any other fusion resto, mas marami ang western dishes nila kesa Oriental which, again, is ironic because of their name. And the Maki? It’s way below Soul Kitchen’s sabi ng mga friend ko (hindi ko na pinag-aksayahan ng panahon na tikman!)

Food: 2.5

Place: 2

Price: 3

Service: 3

Total: 11

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Hothot: The miracle of the miners. Staying alive 700 meters below ground surface is nothing short of a miracle. The Chilean miners were shown to be in high spirits as they spoke and sang their national anthem watched by loved ones using a camera inserted through a 15-cm opening. Authorities are already preparing to dig a passage that could fit one man at a time and bring all 32 into the surface. Though they say it will take probably up to 4 months to complete that digging. I hope nothing happens between now until that time such as earthquake, torrential rain that can flood the tunnel or even an outbreak of disease among them. I sympathize with these guys as well as their family. It must be nerve-wracking to wait for them being hauled up to safety.

Hotnot: The Pakistan flood. For more than two weeks now, Pakistan is being ravaged by floods that have left more than 20 million homeless. Displaced families are already suffering from diseases not to mention the severe food crisis that is already causing riots whenever there is food distribution. What touches me most are the children. It breaks my heart to see them, all innocent and helpless, suffer from something so devastating like this. International aid agencies said they already raised billions of donations. The thing is, these donations are mostly pledges and don’t convert to hard cash, food or medicine as quickly as the situation requires. It’s something that Haiti knows so well.

Hotnot: The blame game. Nag-umpisa nang magturuan ang mga iniimbestigahan sa nangyaring hostage taking nong Lunes. Ang sinisisi ngayon ay si Mayor Lim na sya raw nagbigay ng utos na arestuhin ang kapatid ng hostage taker at yon ang nag-trigger kaya nagwala na si Rolando Mendoza. But beyond that, may mas malaking tanong na dapat sagutin ang gobyerno ni PNoy. Bakit noong tumagal na ng tumagal ang hostage crisis, parang walang nag-decide na itaas ang command responsibility at hindi pinabayaan sa kung sinong low or mid ranking officer? Kung may isang mataas na opisyal na humawak nyan, somebody who knows that to do, most likely naiba ang resulta. Hindi yang ganyan na umaani tayo ng ngitngit ng mga intsek.

Hothot: Major, major. Ayan na may bago na namang uso. Thanks to Venus Raj who was touted to be Philippine’s best bet for the Miss Universe title but stumbled on the last hurdle. Umani din ng sandamakmak na panlalait dahil sa medyo walang kwentang sagot niya sa Q&A portion na sabi ng magagaling, kung nasagot daw nya ng mabuti ay sure nang win sya. As if they actually know what would happen. What I don’t understand is that why blame Venus alone? Di ba may malaking role ang Binibining Pilipinas organization dahil sila ang nagti-train sa mga kandidata bago pakawalan sa laban? What do they train these girls for for months? Puro pagpapaganda? They should probably put more focus on the Q&A kasi dyan lagi tayo sumasabit. Miriam Quiambao had the real shot on the crown, more than Venus had. But she also gave a senseless answer kaya talo sya. Kung sa tanungan tayo lumalagpak, bakit hindi doon i-train ang mga candidate natin. They could probably review all questions used during the past pageants and discuss it with the girls. Kung wala man ng exactly the same question, at least meron sigurong malapit-lapit don na nakapag-bigay ng idea sa kandidata natin kung paano sasagutin. Matalino naman si Venus (graduated with honors daw) so she could have absorbed things like that during her months of training.

a sympathy... an appeal

After the tragic hostage-taking in Manila yesterday, all fingers are now pointing towards the uniformed men of the Philippine police that handled the botched operation. PNP themselves admitted having committed a few mistakes during the 12-hour drama. Mistakes that resulted to the death of 8 innocent Hongkong tourists.

As a brother or a son, I apologize to the families of the victims and offer my deepest condolences. I can’t imagine how painful it is to lose a family member in such a senseless fashion. I share the grief and even the anger that comes with it. And I know that no amount of consolation can take away the pain these families feel right now.

But with this offering of sympathy comes an appeal.

An appeal to the Hongkong people to understand that I, like many other Filipinos, was also ashamed of the way the situation was handled by a few incompetent policemen whose actions projected a shattered image of the entire Filipino police force for the whole world to see. Though I can assure you that these men are but a few inept officers out of a generally competent law enforcement agency. And that there were other better, more qualified men in uniform who should have handled the situation and could have made a difference in the outcome. But bad luck had it that those officers were given the role that they are so ill-fitted to tackle.

I also felt the frustration you and your Chief Executive felt when it looked like nobody was taking charge of the situation. Most probably, I was also asking the same questions you were asking.  I was also feeling the dismay you must have felt as we watched the situation dragged on for hours.

I hope you’ll understand that just like you, I also feel enraged. Though for different reasons. Yours is out of the senseless killing. Mine is from the fact that a lone hostage taker can potentially bring down the good relation between our countries. With Hongkong black listing the Philippines and branding it as a place none of your citizen should step into. It’s nothing short of telling the whole world that whenever foreigners go to Manila, they will also be held hostage. But I’m sure you all know that that is not the case. And that it's an unfair retribution for one man's crime.

Manila, just like Hongkong or any other place in the world, is a modern civilization playing host not only to normal and decent citizens but to some bad seeds as well. And Mendoza’s madness is an isolated case that should not be used to generalize a population that is known not only in Asia but the whole world as warm people with wide, warmer smiles. After all the sensational headlines about Mendoza are gone, I want you and the whole world to remember that we are still the same caring and God-fearing souls you knew. And that's the way we'll always be. 

love thy parents - a repost

i'm reposting this as part of PEBA's requirement for DS to be recognized officially as a nominee to this year's Pinoy Expats Blog Awards. 

since the theme is Strengthening OFW Families, I went back to all my postings under label me and my family.  and i must admit i went trhough an almost major decision coz i found 4 or 5 articles that i thought were strong enough to be my feature entry. in the end, i chose this one - the article i wrote a month before my mother died.  it talks about treasuring our old and frail parents - something that most of us were putting on the sidelines because of so many other priorities.  hope this touches everyone's hearts as it did mine when i was writing it.

pls vote for this blog by clicking here: http://www.pinoyblogawards.com/p/vote-here.html

love thy parents

Some people who work abroad have the luxury of spending their vacation in PI through partying and just having a good time. Unfortunately, hindi ako kasama sa category na yon coz I have other priorities. Vacation for me means something else. It’s caring for my 82-year old mom who is now suffering from one sickness after the other. That, on top of the fact that her broken hip joint had her confined to a wheelchair for the longest time now.

.Kaya ang bakasyon ko is mostly spent on giving her all the attention I can give. When she was still staying in Sta Rosa, I make sure that she gets to see the doctor for some check-up na hinding-hindi nya gagawin kung ang mga kasama lang nya sa bahay ang magyayaya sa kanya. I also make sure that she visits places na hindi rin nya gagawin kung sila-sila lang. Like going to the malls or eat out in a restaurant. At syempre, pag sya ang kasama ko, sa mga medyo pricey resto ang punta namin at hindi sa Chow King.

Now that she’s back in Mindoro, nawala naman ang pagiging sickly nya. In fact she gained some weight dahil sa magandang appetite. Maya-maya kain. Sleeps well too. Di tulad ng dati na kailangan ko pa syang ibili ng vitamins para lang kumain at makatulog ng maayos.

.But something happened that tested how far I can go when it comes to caring for her. Nagkaron sya ng skin infection na hindi ko alam kung saan nanggaling. The infection was so awful it covered most part of her body. At kung hindi ko sya mahal na Nanay, hinding-hindi ako lalapit sa kanya. Mahina ang sikmura ko sa ganon. Kaya nga hindi ako nag-doctor or nursing man lang. Madaling bumaliktad ang sikmura ko sa mga sugat, dugo at kung ano-ano pa.

But when I saw her suffer from severe discomfort, scratching herself to sleep, I felt so bad for her. Sabi ko google lang ang katapat nyan. I turned to herbal medicine dahil nasa probinsya naman at maraming dahon sa paligid.

I found Acapulco, a green leaf na parang larger version ng malunggay at namumulaklak ng kulay dilaw. Based on what I found, ito raw ang pinaka-magaling when it comes to skin diseases. It has to be pounded para kumatas at yong katas ang ipapahid sa infected areas.

I was even surprised with myself na ako mismo ang nagpapahid sa kanya ng gamot. At hindi ako naduwal o nadiri kahit kaunti. Ang naisip ko lang, I’ll do whatever it takes para gumaling ang nanay ko. And that’s when I realized na pag mahal mo pala talaga ang isang tao, you can do anything. Mawawala ang lahat ng kaartehan mo sa katawan.

The herbal treatment showed immediate effect. After one application, gumanda agad ang balat nya at medyo nabawasan ang pangangati. But I still looked for dermatologist the following day. Gusto ko pa rin syang ma-treat dahil baka internal ang source nong infection.

But then again, nasa Mindoro nga pala kami. In a place na inaabot naman ng Coke at dyaryo pero ang dermatologist ay available lang kung Sunday dahil nagki-clinic sa provincial capitol during weekdays. Hindi ko naman pwedeng ibyahe ang pasyente sa bako-bakong 100km ng kalsada na hindi naman naipagawa ng VP na taga-Mindoro pa naman. Otherwise sasakit na naman ng husto ang hip joint nyang na-dislocate.

So I had to continue the herbal medication. Sinamahan ko pa ng paligo ng sulfur soap at suporta ng Lamistin (the best anti-fungal cream sabi nong taga-Mercury Drug) na isang tube worth 300 pesos good for one day lang. But who cares. Her well-being is priceless.

After 5 days, okey na sya. Pwede na nga raw akong mag-albularyo sabi ng mga tao dito sa amin. Talk about finding a fallback huh! Pero sa tingin ko beyond the things na pinapahid, it’s the touch of care na nagpagaling sa kanya. Pag talagang inalagaan, gagaling. Aside from the fact na hindi sya maka-suway kapag ako ang gumagamot sa kanya. Eh numero uno pa namang pasaway. Doktor nga hindi umubra. Di lalo ang Ate ko at kahit sinong kasama sa bahay. Walang bawal-bawal sa kanya pag gusto nya. Mana yata sa akin sa katigasan ng ulo. Kaya sa akin din lang talaga sumusunod at naniniwala.

Did I feel shortchanged for having spent my vacation this way? Not at all. Kahit buong bakasyon ko pa ang magamit ko sa pag-aalaga sa kanya, it’s what I want. No doubt about it. Happiness for me is being behind her wheelchair every afternoon, walking her through the neighborhood. Masaya na akong nasa bahay at nakikita syang masarap kumain, mahimbing ang tulog at nakangiti sa pag-gising sa umaga.

Like most of my friends, I believe that one of the greatest love we can give in our lifetime is to love and care for our parents, specially the elderly. It's not just following one of God's Ten Commandments. It's not only because we owe them our lives. It's because we simply love them. Unconditionally. Anybody who’d disagree will have to do some serious thinking.

a dinner with good 'old' friends

i have to put old in quotes coz i didn't mean old in age (jeez, puro bagets pa kami huh... hehehe) but rather people whom i have known for years now.  friends who, no matter how near or far, are still in the same frequency when it comes to jokes, endless chat and plenty of laughter. 

so i just used my birthday as an excuse to gather them together for a reunion of sorts.  catching up with what's happening with them, umaatikabong kwentuhan over dinner in one of the dining places in khobar corniche area na hindi ko pa na-try.  

i've been in bona banana's coffe shop a couple of times but not their resto that's why i decided to hold the reunion there.  i'll tell you about the dining experience at a later posting but for now, let me share pix from that lovely dinner.  

the cast:  (clockwise from left) jonas, nel, cesar, tatz, me, caloi, patrick and jun

cesar clowning around...  intsek daw sya! hahaha

we had starters na nakalimutan kong kunan ng pic but here's the mushroom rib-eye steak which most of us ordered... 

just about to start the main course

i liked their bbq salmon

view from the other end of the table

cesar's plate of lamb ribs which he said was delicious

i was surprised when the light suddenly went off then came the staff singing happy birthday with a complementary slice of cheese cake and a candle!

touching!

after dinner we headed upstairs for coffee, tea and a lot more of kwentuhan/chikahan

pat, jun and nel waiting for the coffee

while jonas, cesar and caloi is about to give tatz a breath of second hand marlboro smoke!

of all the 4 types of cake that went with the coffee, this carrot cake is the one i liked most

thanks to you my dear 'old' friends for a birthday dinner i really enjoyed!
till next year!

thanks

Woke up today to several missed calls on my jawal phone and a whole lot more text messages in my smart roaming. Friends and family who never forget Aug 19 as the day that brought one more crazy soul like me into this world.

My Tiaong family was the very first to have officially greeted me dahil pumasok ang text message nila at around 9pm last night sent from Pinas 2am which is Aug 19 na. Kaya tumawag ako sa kanila and talked to everyone until my jawal credit ran out.

Mario from Libya e-mailed me and Raoul, as he did last year, has been sending cute bday cards since yesterday. Dear Mauie texted me pati ang mga pamangkin kong si Myles, Bong and Tong (cute ng rhyme hehehe!) My sisters, brothers, friends at work and old friends like Jonas, Tatz and Cesar (na ka-dinner ko mamaya) sent text messages/emails. Syempre it makes me happy knowing that there still are hearts and minds out there na hindi naman ako nakakalimutan.

Pero pag meron palang someone dear to your heart tapos hindi nakapag-greet, talaga nga palang you’ll feel one tiny bit of emptiness. This is the first birthday kasi I had na wala na akong Nanay na tatawag to greet me in her frail sweet voice. In fact, this is my first birthday that I’d celebrate as an ‘orphan’. Di ba, walang tatay, walang nanay, ulila!

But worry not my dear friends. I’m far from being dramatic nor depressed. Nasabi ko lang. Kilala nyo naman ako. I look at things with the most pragmatic pair of eyes you’d ever seen. And right now, ganon lang ang tingin ko sa sarili ko. Ulila. But definitely not in the beaten up definition of the word huh.

Syempre nakaka-miss sila. After 15 years I still haven’t forgotten how my father’s voice sound like when he greets me a happy birthday over the phone. Yong phone nong 90’s dito sa kingdom na pipilahan mo ng sangkatutak na coins or else mapuputol ang usapan nyo.

But as I said, hindi ako nagda-drama. I just want to share with you this feeling that I’m reaching another emotional milestone in my life. Na ganito pala mag-celebrate ng birthday pag wala nang magulang. Buti na lang I’m old enough to be strong and sensible about the whole thing. Aba, pag naman nag-emote ka pa sa ganong bagay at the age of 46, hindi na maganda. Oppsss… nadulas ba ako? Hahaha!

Salamat po sa lahat ng nag-greet! How I wish kasing-yaman ako ni Willie Revillame para mai-treat ko rin kayo to a yacht ride or whisk you off my private jet and bring you all to Barbados. For now, pagtiyagaan nyo muna ang pa-dinner sa tabi-tabi.

Ang masasabi ko lang, thank God for giving me the chance to experience another bday. Kasama na yong wish na sana marami pang bday ang ibigay nya sa akin so I can still be around to receive the love friends and family so generously shower me with especially during these days.

hotnothot 35

Hotnot: Blind-folded faces in Facebook. An Israeli soldier was sacked from service and faces a possible court marshall according to news reports today. Her mistake? Taking pictures of the detainees she is guarding in a military camp and posting them in Facebook. I myself was disgusted when I saw the pictures in the Al-Jazeera report. Aside from the fact that it was an obvious violation of her work procedures, I cringed from the idea that this girl found it cool to flash a cutie smile using blind-folded prisoners as a backdrop. Facebook, just like any other communication tools we have today, is only as good as the user. If it’s as stupid as this girl, then it’s gonna bring you more haters than followers. Not to mention the fact that it can cost you your job.

Hothot: No more ‘epal’ advertisements by government officials. According to a recent directive by Malacanang, government officials should stop putting their pictures and names on billboards for government-sponsored projects like highways, public schools, and others. Di ba nakaka-irita na bawat kalsadang gagawin may billboard na nagbibidang porke project ito ni Governor o ni Mayor o ni Congressman. Tama naman ang Malacanang eh. Hindi ninyo pera ang ginagastos sa mga project na yan. Pera ng taong-bayan. Ng mga tax-payer. Ng mga tulad kong OFW na nagbubuhos ng bilyon-bilyong dolyar sa economy ng Pinas para magkaron ng mga ganyang development projects. Kaya sana sumunod kayo sa sinasabi ng Malacanang. You should realize that there are people like me who looks at those billboards and simply curse under our breath with matching ‘kapal’ flashing in our minds.

Hotnot: Miss Undress Contest. After Miss USA did a negligee photoshoot of their contestants earlier this year, Miss Univerese followed suit. Only theirs was more controversial when they had some candidates go topless for body painting. Some say it’s exploiting women. I’d say it’s one desperate move by the contest organizers to drumbeat their upcoming aug 23rd event. With it’s fledgling reputation and spiraling followers based on continually dwindling tv viewers every year, can’t blame them for resorting to cheap gimmickry like this one. They (the organizers) say that the ladies who did it (led by the American contestant and a few more others) did it on their own will. Yeah, right. Coz these women will do anything, even snatch the crown from the clutches of the devil, just to win the competition. I salute our representative Venus Raj who didn’t bow down to that cheap stunt. It only proves what the anti-Miss U activists have been chanting along for the longest time. It’s an outright exploitation of women. So what’s it gonna be next year? Pole dancing? I pray not!

Hotnot: Wowowalang katapusang press releases. Nakakasuya, nakakasawa, nakakasuka. Walang tigil sa kakadakdak itong si Revillame na porke kinukuha sya ng ganito-ganyang network. At ang latest, nag-resign daw ang mga tauhan nya sa ABS and willing to wait for him until magkaron ulit sya ng show. Susuwelduhan naman daw nya, mas mataas pa sa pinapasuweldo ng ABS-CBN ang mga taong yon kahit walang trabaho! Eh ganon ka pala kayaman bakit hindi mo na lang bilhin ang ABS-CBN? Bakit nagpupumilit ka pang ‘mag-trabaho’? Kung ako ang ganyan kayaman aba hihiga na lang ako sa pera, literally! I’m not a kapamilya (certified Kapuso po ako) but in this legal battle, I hope ABS will finally show this guy what genuine humility is. At ito namang GMA-7 sana tigilan na ang kakapatol sa taong ito. Why give him airtime? Do you really want to lose faithful followers of your network? Aba eh di sumige kayo!

more triple-bday dinner pics

there's nothing more enjoyable than having dinner with close friends in a nice dining place topped by an array of delicious food.  and last night's dinner in soul kitchen is definitely one of the more memorable gimiks our group had as of late.  i'm sure maccoy and tito bong would agree that it's gonna be one of the happier bdays we'd ever have here in the kingdom.

let me share with you some more pics. this time from matt's high-tech camera flavored with his raw talent in capturing precious joyful moments.

the star of the show - tenderest, juiciest, yummiest t-bone steak in town!  even the very discerning tserman agrees

maccoy flashing a wide smile for matt while i'm posing for ega and wing's cameras...dami paparazzi!

creamy pollo involtini

ricky boy at ang 'tito' ng grupo na si bongskie

ricky again with wifey weng with soul kitchen's neon sign partly captured

me and chuck taking a break from the heavy chewing activities goin on

the very tempting paella valenciana

it really is a looong table (para daw presscon sabi ni junc!)

dunhill time with matt

the very tasty cannelloni di mare

me and sushi chef jonathan - a masterful aerial shot only matt can do!

ega and yeng with vince still shying from the camera

maccoy and pops' alec leading the group down the stairs

prime grade prime rib

well, the koi fish pic at the back is beautiful but the seafood bar doesn't suit the tserman

pops and maccoy enjoying the photo ops

shiela and ren had the chance to pose like bf/gf sans the kids!

wide smiles from contented and satiated adiks - another great shot of the whole group by matt

ano nga ba'ng sinisilip nila don ha kumare....

maybe looking for more chicken parmigiano?

more celebrations

the usually cozy ambience of soul kitchen suddenly turned homey and casual tonight.  sugurin ba naman ng buong grupo ng mga adik na maiingay at masaya kahit saan yatang tahimik na sulok ng mundo mapunta!

the dinner is to celebrate three birthdays.  mccoy should have celebrated his bday last friday, aug 13th but opted to postpone it a bit para makasabay na namin ni tito bong (aug 31) at syempre ako on the 19th.  repeat ito nong last year na triple bday celeb din naming tatlo.

aside from the birhtdays, may masaya ding news sa grupo from ricky and weng who, immediately after her bday, ay na-grant agad ang wish na magkaroon na ng kapatid si sofie.  congrats ricky and weng.  happy ang mga adik dahil madadagdagan na naman ng cute factor ang grupo.

kasama na rin syempre ang pagsi-celebrate for matt who will leave on wednesday for his eagerly anticipated vacation!  eagerly anticipated not only because of the break from work but also for the chance to meet his dear wife mona na mauuna lang ng one day from the US.  wish namin na mag-enjoy kayo ng buong family lalo na ang mga bata who will surely be excited and happy to have both mom and dad around.

a whole lot of good reasons to celebrate.  kasama na rin yong wish namin ni maccoy na ma-enjoy ng buong grupo ang dining place na pareho naming favorite. 

sa dami ng camerang naglabasan kanina, pagtyagaan nyo muna itong kuha ko sa aking digicam.  i'll post better pics pag binigyan na ako ng copy galing sa mga high-tech and expensive cameras nila ega, raoul, irwin and matt!

bday boy maccoy and lovey-dovey pops

daddy ricky and sofie who'll soon be a big sis

pops na nagwi-wish na rin na masundan ang panganay nila ni maccoy and weng who's already blessed with her birthday wish

raoul aka 'dunkin' ni sofie

romy on the foreground habang posing pogi si chuck sa background

daddy ren, mommy shiela with baby valerie and kuya vince na ayaw tumingin sa cam

junc na sumeryoso...  dahil kaya sa soup? hehehe

ay kasama pala sa dinner si vince vaughn??!!! hehehe

raoul and ega...  exchange gift agad di pa pasko?

chuck busy with his steak while junc is still serious while yeng enjoys his view of the whole stretch of the long table

si wing.. kagat-labi?  hahahaaa

our nice kabayan waiters

salamat sa mga nag-effort na bumiyahe ng khobar para lang maka-attend sa dinner na to.  specially to tserman raoul who is still suffering flashbacks of a vicious tummy disorder, yeng na tinanggal ang self-imposed 20-km travel restriction, and junc/wing and romy who didn't mind na mapuyat on a workday like this. 

thanks too to ega, chuck, ren and family at syempre the co-sponsor maccoy and family. special thanks to matt - lam na! hahaha! 

the august trio

happy bday ulit maccoy, tito b and to meeee! (batiin ba ang sarili! hehehe)