Beach Dreaming: Smoke Boracay D'mall

It has been almost a month since I've felt sand ooze through the in-betweens of my toes and on this Sunday afternoon, I cannot help but miss it. I am in my usual short skirt and slippers and I feel that I am more suited sitting on a damp sarong than on this dry coffee house couch.

But since I do not have the luxury to hop on the next ro-ro or plane out of the city, I will instead post a long overdue review of Smoke, a restaurant in Boracay known for serving affordable and delicious home-cooked meals.

It was my second night in Bora with the best friend and we were meeting up with my Bora-living friend, N, (don't you just envy her?) for dinner and some drinks. She suggested we meet up at Smoke.




We arrived earlier than N did and because I have no patience whatsoever, I started ordering up a storm.

First up, was a Beef with Ampalaya (bitter gourd) rice bowl. Now, before those noses start curling, I implore you to give this veggie a chance. Ampalaya cooked well is actually quite divine and is not as bitter as you imagine at all.


And this, was well-cooked ampalaya. It melded well with the oyster sauce and balanced the saltiness of the beef. It was my favorite dish that night.



I also ordered a serving of the Lechon Kawali. It was served with rice and a bowlful of lechon sauce. It was served hot off the stove, almost burning off my greedy tongue. It was crispy and it took me forever to convince myself not to eat the fat.



Lastly, I ordered the Beef Salpicao Rice Bowl. Described as spicy, it was not as hot as I expected it to be. If you like your salpicao with a strong olive oil and soy sauce taste, then this isn't really the salpicao for you. Smoke's version is garlicky and has a thicker sauce than usual. It works well as a rice topping.




When N and her boyfriend saw what I had ordered I think they thought I was slightly insane. I'm pretty sure my best friend did (as she was vocal about her concerns for my mental health). But it's hard not to get carried away with meals that only cost around 120 each. Besides, it's Boracay and a vacation. It called for a bit of excess.


I miss the beach.

Birthday Dinner! : Lorenzo's Way Greenbelt 5

Birthdays are the perfect excuse to be overfed. And on this, my 26th, everyone I knew seemed to have the single minded goal of of making me gain 24 pounds in 24 hours.

I had my fill of La Grotta (I forgot to take pics :P), Amber's birthday spaghetti, Greenwich Overloaded pizzas and ,of course, Goldilock's mocha cake.




The boyfriend capped my day full of eating with a night filled with eating still.
He whisked me off to Lorenzo's Way.



The birthday feast started with an order of Paneer Makhani. Listed under the Vegetables section and touted as the restaurant's Vegetarian's Choice, you would think that this dish would be the bastion of healthy. Not so. Made with fried cheese blocks in tomato curry sauce and served with rotti, Paneer Makhani is definitely a lip-smacking good dish but it will do nothing for bikini body aspirations. Thank God I have none. (Well, not at this moment. :P)




Up next was the unapologetically sinful Knock Out Knuckles. It's your favorite crispy pata (deep-fried pork leg) amped up with garlic and chili oil. Each bite was a medley of crunch, tenderness and water-grabbing spice. We ordered garlic rice to go with it. And although, I commend the flavors of the restaurant's garlic rice, it was a bit too much to be paired with something deep fried. We should have stuck with plain.



This heady heart-racing meal was capped off with a glass each of wine. The boyfriend says it's Chilean. I couldn't really tell the difference or discuss its notes and tannins and whatnot but I did know it was the perfect end to a very perfect, very filling meal. Yey! I love birthdays!

I deserve a spanking

I am aware that it has been almost a month since I have updated my blog.

And it is not as if I've stopped stuffing my face or camwhoring...my face. I have just been to busy (naks!) to type up a decent entry.

I have made it my mission though to use my weekend to finally bring this blog up to speed. Especially since I need to clear up my digicam's memory to snap up new food pics.

So excuse me while I do that, and let me leave you with these parting words:


TWISTER FRIES ARE BAAAAAAAACK!!!!!





*image from sixthseal.com