Dinner at Centris Walk

My honey and I were in Manila for a few days. We arrived just before a good friend of mine left again for the place she now calls home. It's been quite a while since we last saw each other (has it really been SEVEN years??). Therefore a meet-up was in order. Decided to have dinner that Friday at Centris Walk. I've never been there but my curiosity has been piqued by its towering mushroom like structures.

The place reminds me of Serendra a bit, with coffee shops and restaurants along a trailing walk. There is a playground off center with a kiddy train going round. There is a pretty carousel too but I'll save that for next time. Some areas are still under construction though. Then again, with its strategic location at the junction of EDSA and Quezon Avenue, the place holds much potential.

We arrived a little early so we stopped by a yogurt shop called Tutti Frutti. They sell yogurt by the ounce and you can pick your own flavors and toppings. We tried raspberry, chocolate and lychee and topped them off with marshmallows, coco strips and wafer rolls. They were not bad though they seemed more like ice cream than the frozen yogurt I got used to. Probably a little too sweet for yogurt fans. Not something I'd be craving at three in the morning.

We met up with the rest of the gang at Asya, one of the few establishments already open.

There we ordered spring rolls, barbecued ribs, pork belly, salmon belly, chicken pandan, fish fillet and some other dishes one after another. They all tasted good. I'll take their word for the kare-kare since I've never been fond of the dish. Some of the dishes such as the ribs and pork belly are on the sweet side though. Then again, don't most Filipinos like their food either sweet or salty?

 

The following photos are those of food I placed on my plate. Yes, I know it's bad to play with my food. Well, I'm not actually playing with them. Just setting them up a little nicely before I devour them. =D

The restaurant was cozy and not too crowded. We were startled every so often by bugs setting off the electric insect catcher but none bothered us while we dined. I liked how the staff were very attentive. Their rates are reasonable too.  

I enjoyed reminiscing and catching up with good friends but we still had appointments early the next day. Yes, on a Saturday. So though the night was still young, it was time to go.

The towering structures outside were all ablaze. I read they were supposed to serve as giant umbrellas and catch rainwater for the greenery. I love how they change color. You can find more information about Centris Walk here.

Our friend left Manila the next day while we stayed a few more. It was a whirlwind of activity but that will be another story.

Mid-Autumn Festival 2010 | At the Riverside

For the third part of our Saturday adventure my honey and I went to Clarke Quay Riverside for the rest of the Mid-Autumn festivities.

We got off Clarke Quay station about five minutes after we got on the train at Chinatown. Quite a number of lantern toting youngsters took the same route with their teachers. A very rowdy bunch.

A goggle-eyed rooster greeted us when we got out of the mall. The lanterns were so big!

Other animals of the Chinese zodiac lined Riverwalk like this mischievous looking monkey. Is that a whip?

Lantern floats also decorated the left side of the river where we were on. The detail and intricacy of the designs denote much effort and preparation. Just love the lights and the ambiance!

Further upriver, the bridge that leads to Read St. was decorated with bright lanterns depicting a scene from the sea.  It has also been taken over by merchants selling festive wares and bazaar items.

 

Before we got there, a few more giant lanterns marked the way. 

I was tickled to see the pig zodiac playfully depicted (yes, I was born on the year of the boar =P ).

And we got a closer look at lantern mural on the bridge.

Soon we got to the Taiwan exhibits and food stalls. The stalls' placement and the people buying from them created a bottleneck before the bridge so it took us a while to get through. It didn't help that the bitterly pungent smell of the aged tofu they were selling permeated the air in the immediate area. Quite a few hands flew to cover mouths and nostrils as senses were assailed.

Thank goodness we finally got through to fresher surroundings on the other side of the river.

The lanterns made the waters upriver so colorful that night. I just love the glow of lights at night! Especially on water.

Down river, the Eu Tong Sen St. Bridge bathed the waters in electric blue while the ever familiar silhouette of the Sands Hotel loomed farther off. 

Only one giant lantern stood on this side of the river: a hulking dragon.

We were headed for the mall to have a late dinner when we were surprised by fireworks. I just can't get enough of fireworks displays! Good thing I hadn't stowed away my camera yet. ^^

Had to drastically reduce the video quality so I can upload it though.

After all that excitement and walking, it's on to a big dinner!

Mid-Autumn Festival 2010 | Mass Lantern Procession

My honey and I went through the overpass to the other side of Eu Tong Sen St. to await the parade. Bright arches decorated with lanterns lit up the street.

He sat on a hydrant to rest his feet while I took more pictures. There were a lot of people milling about as that side of the street was closed to traffic for the parade. Some waited on the overpass itself. I was kinda expecting more people. Then again, it isn't really a populous city.

Then the procession arrived. In trickles and in droves. Among the revelers were families, school children with their teachers and other groups.

There were even some who danced their way through the streets and drew smiles all round.

People joined the procession as it passed. They should end up at the river banks in Clarke Quay where the giant lanterns are. It was still a little far and someone didn't want to walk so we hopped on the train instead, teehee!

Before that we lingered a little longer to savor the atmosphere in Chinatown.

Mid-Autumn Festival 2010 | Chinatown Bazaar

I've wanted to attend the local Lantern Parade ever since I got here so I got really excited when I learned that the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival was around the corner. It's also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival. A very popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese communities. The highlight of course is the Lantern Procession held last Saturday, the 18th of September. And my honey took me there. ^^

 The procession wasn't starting till about seven in the evening so we hopped on the trains and went to Chinatown to check out the Street Light-up and the bazaar first. Emerging from the MRT, you'd immediately see dozens of paper lanterns forming a canopy over the exit. They came in different shades, shapes and sizes. So pretty!

Once we got our fill of this sight and snapped quite a few photos, we browsed through the wares displayed in the shops and the streets. We found more lanterns some of them for sale, shawls of different sizes and make, Chinese fans and parasols, personalized chopsticks, fruits, jewelry, clothes, toys, trinkets and more.  Many things colorful and many things round. There were artists as well. Some will draw a colorful Chinese painting for you on the spot or play lilting tunes. All promised a good discount. Who could resist snagging a few?

  

They say pomelos are very lucky since the Chinese word for pomelo sounds like the word for "to have."

 

 

There were a lot of people but still enough elbow room. Many were flashing away with their cameras or unfolding and lighting lanterns for their children. Some we're even doing both.

 

Pretty soon it was dark. Time to head out to Eu Tong Sen Street to wait for the Mass Lantern Procession. =D

Dinner at Ambush and My Cute new Toy

It's a long weekend! It's rare for my honey to be home for three days in a row so we spent Friday out. As if we don't go out anyway, LOL!

We had plenty of time waiting for the movie to start so after getting some stuff we need and lots of window shopping (which ended in some purchases) we went to our new favorite restaurant at Jurong Point for dinner. The name is Ambush. The restaurant serves European fare. Yes, it did sound weird to me too when I first heard it.

I had time to check out my new toy as we waited for the food to be served. Meet my little piglet:

We picked her up at one of the novelty stores at the basement, the name of which just won't come to mind. I'm not really a big fan of plush toys or pigs for that matter (except those roasted crisp on an open fire, yummy!). I've seen other nice plush toys before but none that made as good an impression as she did. She's just so cute, soft and round, I can't help but giggle and be cheerful looking at her. So she became one of the unplanned =D. Isn't she just wonderful?

Soon our drinks came. I got a blueberry flavored Italian soda with ice cream this time. It had a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream that stayed solid for ever so long. I enjoyed eating it in between sips. I daresay it's one of the best soda floats I've had.

He got peach iced tea which came with plenty of sweet peach slices. Here's my honey with the smile I fell in love with. ^^

Then came the seafood platter with baby squid, crab cakes and battered shrimp with tartar sauce and salsa.

We also had a sausage platter but we got so busy digging in I forgot to take any more pictures. Anyway, here are pictures I took last time we were there:

The franks are so juicy and the paella isn't what we're used to but it's delightful in its own right. All so delicious!