mexico, here we come!!!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
restaurant review: crustaceans
it was our second year wedding anniversary so paul and i decided to go out to dinner.
he picked crustacean which is an asian seafood restaurant (vietnamese) specializing in crab and garlic noodles. my co-workers and friends were raving about it. since paul and i have never dined there before, we decided to give it a shot.
parking is expensive and difficult to find anywhere in downtown san francisco. we valet parked our car for $9 which is not that expensive. we go up an old, slooooooooow elevator to get to the dining area. and boy! was i disappointed! the place is ancient and in desperate need of an over haul! still, i thought to myself that i should not judge a book by its cover. given i saw a number of people so early in the evening, there must be something about the place that draws the crowd. we were seated at a corner of the restaurant which is what i prefer. paul and i already had an idea what we were going to get. for appetizers, we had the grilled calamari and the mussels. they were both good, garlic-y, buttery and sweet. but i don't think they're worth the price we paid for them. $10.95 for 5 pieces of mussels, $10.95 for 6 pieces of small squid.
for our entree` we had the roast crab and tiger prawns with garlic noodles. now, this is what this restaurant is famous for. paul and i were prepared to be blown away by these dishes. i was told the prawns were as big as the palm of the hand that you'd think they were miniature lobsters on your plate. behold!!! they were just the larger-than-average shrimp we buy at manila oriental in south san francisco! my shrimp stayed in the oven 30 minutes longer than it should. i can't even bring myself to call them prawns anymore since they were tiny! the shrimp was tough and dry.
the crab, well, pretty much all of the dungeness crabs i've met and ate have all been decent sizes and last night's was no exception. we read in one of the reviews that the crab served there are frozen crab. i went to the restaurant not believing what i read. after all, this is san francisco. we would NEVER be served frozen dungeness crab when our bay abounds with these delicious critters. but whoa! the crab is indeed frozen! paul asked me, 'how do you know it was frozen when they serve it to you cooked?' see, my husband has never gone crabbing on the san francisco bay (we'll take him crabbing in november). so he has not tasted the sweetness of ultra fresh crab meat caught fresh from the pacific ocean. we go crabbing almost every season and bring home buckets of dungeness crab. (ooops! bawal nga pala manghuli ng dungeness unless you're a commercial fisherman!) my mom cooks the crab as soon as we get home to maintain its freshness and since i love crab, i could not resist eating one or two before going to bed. I KNOW WHAT FRESH CRAB TASTES LIKE! what we had last night was not fresh crab!
on to the garlic noodles which i expected to be so good because the recipe is kept under lock and key in their famous "secret kitchen". bleh! paul said, and these were his very words, "lasang lucky me pancit canton!" ha! my husband is not difficult to please when it comes to food. he does not cook. for him to say that the noodles taste like something he can buy from a filipino grocery store for a buck means something. the noodles are plain 'pancit canton' noodles soaked in butter, garlic and sugar. that's it. no veggies, no meat, nothing. just the noodles, plain and simple.
see, all the dishes we tried tasted the same. ingredients: butter (lots of butter!), garlic, and sugar. doesn't matter if it's squid, or mussels, or crab, or shrimp, or noodles....the only ingredients are butter, garlic and sugar.
for dessert, we had fried banana with ice cream and mango cheesecake. i was not given enough ice cream for my fried banana and the mango cheesecake tasted like the sara lee cheesecake you can buy at the supermarket. the extra work they did was to top it with diced mangoes and strawberries. nothing fancy.
i guess, after you read all i said above, it will come as no surprise if i say i am not spending my hard earned money in that restaurant again. I AM NOT SPENDING MY HARD EARNED MONEY AT CRUSTACEAN AGAIN.
everything we ate, i could have cooked at home for a fraction of the cost. i guess, non-asians don't really know what good asian food tastes like. i think, it's the prices that drives people there. jack up the price and give these americans a taste of the 'exotic' and they will buzz about it. i told my co-workers the food was good so that we don't burst their bubble. they were RAVING about it! serious raving! they seem to really like the restaurant so i don't want to get on their nerves by saying that i did not like the food. these people have not been to dampa or mandaragat or seaside where they can really appreciate fresh, delicious seafood. makes me proud of the philippines even more!
paul and i left the restaurant feeling robbed but with a full stomach. (yes, it was highway robbery, plain and simple) nabusog kami because we had to eat the food we were paying so much money for. given we were not happy with the food, it was still abeautiful evening for both of us. it was our 2nd anniversary and i could not have asked for a better food critic partner than my husband.
he picked crustacean which is an asian seafood restaurant (vietnamese) specializing in crab and garlic noodles. my co-workers and friends were raving about it. since paul and i have never dined there before, we decided to give it a shot. parking is expensive and difficult to find anywhere in downtown san francisco. we valet parked our car for $9 which is not that expensive. we go up an old, slooooooooow elevator to get to the dining area. and boy! was i disappointed! the place is ancient and in desperate need of an over haul! still, i thought to myself that i should not judge a book by its cover. given i saw a number of people so early in the evening, there must be something about the place that draws the crowd. we were seated at a corner of the restaurant which is what i prefer. paul and i already had an idea what we were going to get. for appetizers, we had the grilled calamari and the mussels. they were both good, garlic-y, buttery and sweet. but i don't think they're worth the price we paid for them. $10.95 for 5 pieces of mussels, $10.95 for 6 pieces of small squid.
for our entree` we had the roast crab and tiger prawns with garlic noodles. now, this is what this restaurant is famous for. paul and i were prepared to be blown away by these dishes. i was told the prawns were as big as the palm of the hand that you'd think they were miniature lobsters on your plate. behold!!! they were just the larger-than-average shrimp we buy at manila oriental in south san francisco! my shrimp stayed in the oven 30 minutes longer than it should. i can't even bring myself to call them prawns anymore since they were tiny! the shrimp was tough and dry.
the crab, well, pretty much all of the dungeness crabs i've met and ate have all been decent sizes and last night's was no exception. we read in one of the reviews that the crab served there are frozen crab. i went to the restaurant not believing what i read. after all, this is san francisco. we would NEVER be served frozen dungeness crab when our bay abounds with these delicious critters. but whoa! the crab is indeed frozen! paul asked me, 'how do you know it was frozen when they serve it to you cooked?' see, my husband has never gone crabbing on the san francisco bay (we'll take him crabbing in november). so he has not tasted the sweetness of ultra fresh crab meat caught fresh from the pacific ocean. we go crabbing almost every season and bring home buckets of dungeness crab. (ooops! bawal nga pala manghuli ng dungeness unless you're a commercial fisherman!) my mom cooks the crab as soon as we get home to maintain its freshness and since i love crab, i could not resist eating one or two before going to bed. I KNOW WHAT FRESH CRAB TASTES LIKE! what we had last night was not fresh crab!
on to the garlic noodles which i expected to be so good because the recipe is kept under lock and key in their famous "secret kitchen". bleh! paul said, and these were his very words, "lasang lucky me pancit canton!" ha! my husband is not difficult to please when it comes to food. he does not cook. for him to say that the noodles taste like something he can buy from a filipino grocery store for a buck means something. the noodles are plain 'pancit canton' noodles soaked in butter, garlic and sugar. that's it. no veggies, no meat, nothing. just the noodles, plain and simple.
see, all the dishes we tried tasted the same. ingredients: butter (lots of butter!), garlic, and sugar. doesn't matter if it's squid, or mussels, or crab, or shrimp, or noodles....the only ingredients are butter, garlic and sugar.
for dessert, we had fried banana with ice cream and mango cheesecake. i was not given enough ice cream for my fried banana and the mango cheesecake tasted like the sara lee cheesecake you can buy at the supermarket. the extra work they did was to top it with diced mangoes and strawberries. nothing fancy.
i guess, after you read all i said above, it will come as no surprise if i say i am not spending my hard earned money in that restaurant again. I AM NOT SPENDING MY HARD EARNED MONEY AT CRUSTACEAN AGAIN.
everything we ate, i could have cooked at home for a fraction of the cost. i guess, non-asians don't really know what good asian food tastes like. i think, it's the prices that drives people there. jack up the price and give these americans a taste of the 'exotic' and they will buzz about it. i told my co-workers the food was good so that we don't burst their bubble. they were RAVING about it! serious raving! they seem to really like the restaurant so i don't want to get on their nerves by saying that i did not like the food. these people have not been to dampa or mandaragat or seaside where they can really appreciate fresh, delicious seafood. makes me proud of the philippines even more!
paul and i left the restaurant feeling robbed but with a full stomach. (yes, it was highway robbery, plain and simple) nabusog kami because we had to eat the food we were paying so much money for. given we were not happy with the food, it was still abeautiful evening for both of us. it was our 2nd anniversary and i could not have asked for a better food critic partner than my husband.
***
i just have to say this: don't eat at crustacean! you pay me, i'll cook it for you! =)
Friday, September 21, 2007
2 years ago...
we tied the knot at san francisco city hall exactly two years ago...
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BEB!!!!!
i love you!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
around town
pinasyal namin ang pinsan kong si rodney and his friend christian around town and it was a chance to take our new camera for a 'test drive'. ganda photos namin ni michelle, look!
ganda namin no? =D
more photos at http://ynif209.multiply.com
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
ngarag!
madaming beses na akong nakaramdam ng nangangarag ako...pero this morning, tumawag si husband dearie...
paul: beb, uwi ka na. dalin natin sa doctor si michelle. dumugo ang ilong.
mimie: ok sige uwi na ako. (hung up the phone)
i raced home to get to her as soon as i could. as i was driving, lumilipad ang utak ko. anong sakit ng anak ko? is it life threatening? will she be ok? and then i found myself saying to the Lord, 'heal her. i don't want anything to happen to her.'
my worst fears where put to rest immediately. as soon as i reached the top of the stairs, i could already hear michelle's voice in her usual 'kutata'. and as soon as she saw me, she smiled and said, 'hi!'. (aaaaaaw!) i called the hospital to check if we need to bring her in. i was told it wasn't neccessary unless she breaks out into a rash and her nose starts bleeding again. normal daw sa edad ni michelle ang lagnatin kahit di sinisipon or inuubo because they are succeptible to viruses and the nose bleed was due to the weather changing and the lack of humidity. common DAW to kids her age during this time of the year. continue lang daw to give her infant tylenol to make her feel better and saline spray sa ilong nya twice a day for 2 to 3 days. we have a pre-scheduled appointment to see her pediatrician tomorrow so we'll talk to her then. dapat sana babakunahan sya bukas, but since ilang araw na syang nilalagnat, i don't think they'll vaccinate her.
nakaka-kaba kapag may sakit ang anak. super taas ng lagnat nya last night, umabot ng 41C or around 103F. lahat kami kulang sa tulog dahil hindi sya makatulog ng maayos. pero i know that the Lord has already healed her. malikot na nga ulit e. =) iba talaga ang pagmamahal ng magulang, para sa anak.
paul: beb, uwi ka na. dalin natin sa doctor si michelle. dumugo ang ilong.
mimie: ok sige uwi na ako. (hung up the phone)
i raced home to get to her as soon as i could. as i was driving, lumilipad ang utak ko. anong sakit ng anak ko? is it life threatening? will she be ok? and then i found myself saying to the Lord, 'heal her. i don't want anything to happen to her.'
my worst fears where put to rest immediately. as soon as i reached the top of the stairs, i could already hear michelle's voice in her usual 'kutata'. and as soon as she saw me, she smiled and said, 'hi!'. (aaaaaaw!) i called the hospital to check if we need to bring her in. i was told it wasn't neccessary unless she breaks out into a rash and her nose starts bleeding again. normal daw sa edad ni michelle ang lagnatin kahit di sinisipon or inuubo because they are succeptible to viruses and the nose bleed was due to the weather changing and the lack of humidity. common DAW to kids her age during this time of the year. continue lang daw to give her infant tylenol to make her feel better and saline spray sa ilong nya twice a day for 2 to 3 days. we have a pre-scheduled appointment to see her pediatrician tomorrow so we'll talk to her then. dapat sana babakunahan sya bukas, but since ilang araw na syang nilalagnat, i don't think they'll vaccinate her.
nakaka-kaba kapag may sakit ang anak. super taas ng lagnat nya last night, umabot ng 41C or around 103F. lahat kami kulang sa tulog dahil hindi sya makatulog ng maayos. pero i know that the Lord has already healed her. malikot na nga ulit e. =) iba talaga ang pagmamahal ng magulang, para sa anak.
Monday, September 10, 2007
my health and michelle's
So wala na nanaman akong ginawa kundi kumain over the weekend!
But I countered that by running 30 mins on the treadmill 3 times the last week with matching weight training. Resulta tuloy, ayun nga…para akong gutom na gutom! Haaaaay!
Gracious who is my partner in this crime is sticking to her diet and work out. I wont be surprised if she reaches her goal waaaaay before I do.
Sige, back to good behavior ulit ako. I’m kinda, sorta, enjoying my 30 mins sa treadmill naman e. nakakapagod nga lang! i ran again today for 30 mins straight. bukas gigising ako ng maaga and i'm going to lift weights, cook breakfast and prepare my lunch. i should be prepared to sacrifice a little bit of sleep if i really want to see results in 3 weeks.
But I countered that by running 30 mins on the treadmill 3 times the last week with matching weight training. Resulta tuloy, ayun nga…para akong gutom na gutom! Haaaaay!
Gracious who is my partner in this crime is sticking to her diet and work out. I wont be surprised if she reaches her goal waaaaay before I do.
Sige, back to good behavior ulit ako. I’m kinda, sorta, enjoying my 30 mins sa treadmill naman e. nakakapagod nga lang! i ran again today for 30 mins straight. bukas gigising ako ng maaga and i'm going to lift weights, cook breakfast and prepare my lunch. i should be prepared to sacrifice a little bit of sleep if i really want to see results in 3 weeks.
michelle doesn't seem to be feeling well after paul and i ran our errands today. pag dating namin, naka higa lang sya sa kama namin with my mom. she didn't smile tapos hindi bumangon. she has a bit of a temperature and ang aga nakatulog. =( pina inom namin ng konting gamot. she's lying next to me dito sa kama right now and parang ang lalim nya huminga. i wonder why she's not feeling good all of a sudden.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
sniffles
For the past two days, masama ang pakiramdam ko. I went home on Tuesday sneezing and reaching for the Kleenex countless times. When I woke up yesterday morning, my throat was all dry and it was hard for me to talk.
But since wala ang bossing ko sa work ngayon hanggang next week, I can not call in sick. Went to work and was ‘off’ the entire day. Today is only a little better. Pupunta akong walgreens later to get some cold medicine and some cough drops. My throat is scratchy and there’s a hint of an ‘inday garutay’ sounding voice.
Hindi ko tuloy mahalikan ng mahalikan si michelle dahil baka mahawa sya. She kept us up again last night, waking up at least 3 times…the third time, paul put her to bed with us, and then she was looking at me and she started to sing! Hehe singer talaga yung bata na yun! And then she fell back to sleep. Ipinag hehele lang pala ang sarili nya. She’s getting more and more adorable everyday. Gosh, I’m so in love with my daughter. This is how my parents must feel about me. It’s unbelievable!
But since wala ang bossing ko sa work ngayon hanggang next week, I can not call in sick. Went to work and was ‘off’ the entire day. Today is only a little better. Pupunta akong walgreens later to get some cold medicine and some cough drops. My throat is scratchy and there’s a hint of an ‘inday garutay’ sounding voice.
Hindi ko tuloy mahalikan ng mahalikan si michelle dahil baka mahawa sya. She kept us up again last night, waking up at least 3 times…the third time, paul put her to bed with us, and then she was looking at me and she started to sing! Hehe singer talaga yung bata na yun! And then she fell back to sleep. Ipinag hehele lang pala ang sarili nya. She’s getting more and more adorable everyday. Gosh, I’m so in love with my daughter. This is how my parents must feel about me. It’s unbelievable!
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
michelle's first birthday
the day has finally arrived!
my daughter turned 1 year old yesterday. we celebrated on saturday by throwing her a swimming-mickey mouse themed party. she was fond of the water just last july but as of saturday, this is how she felt about it...
daddy!!!
daddy sabing ayaw ko sa pool!!!
mommy, get me out of here please!!!
at dahil ganito ang reaction nya, hindi namin alam ni paul how she's going to react when we go on the cruise at the end of the month where she will see nothing but water!
but she still had fun at her party (of course!). take a look!
hehe, i tricked them into getting me out of the pool!
ang wais ko no?
hmmm, this is yummy! what is this stuff?
aaaah! i remember the taste! ito lang kinakain ni mommy nung nasa tiyan nya pa ako!
ubos na yung ice cream? talaga???
fine! i'll just like my fingers! it still tastes like ice cream!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRINCESS MICHELLE!!!
more photos at http://ynif209.multiply.com
jevon's wedding
jevon got married on august 25 and i haven't blogged about it yet. =) the ceremony was short and sweet. the reception was superb! very elegant...sa four season's ba naman! all of us enjoyed the meal, the wine/alcohol, the music. hindi namin makalimutan yung ravioli which was the first course. kulang nalang, i-lick namin yung plate sa sobrang sarap!
here are some photos from the wedding...
more photos at http://ynif209.multiply.com
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