Birthday at Silog Restaurant

It was a perfect venue for 21 people to celebrate my birthday. Silog is a Filipino restaurant. I have had several meals there and it has always been very good. I must warn you though that if you dislike the smell of garlic, you will not like it. I love the smell of it cooking, just not on me. I knew what I wanted so I had ordered Shanghai Lumpia which is always a hit and the Spicy Chicken Wings for hors d' oeuvres. For our entrée, I ordered the Sisig with Garlic Fried Rice for everyone except for 2 people. Sujata had the Shrimp and Joyce had the Tapa (Filipino Rib Eye). A nice salad with a Mango dressing was served to make the dinner a bit healthy.

All the entées came with a soft boiled egg. There were 3 people that don't eat soft boiled eggs so Piero ended up with 4 eggs! Everything was delicious as ever. There were no complaints and believe me, if something was not good, I would have heard about it. I always thought the only alcohol that goes with Filipino food is champagne. Everyone was treated to the very nice sparkling La Montina Rose wine from Franciacorta. My friend Amy was the only one who prefers red wine so she had her very own bottle.

We had a nice treat during the evening. Joyce Partise's CD "My Brazilian Heart" was on Spotify so we were able to listen and dance to her music. When Piero and Gary danced with her, I told Joyce she had to sing while she danced the night away. Konnee, a great dancer showed off her moves with Piero, our dance instructor. I even tried to rumba and cha-cha with a medical walking boot for my sprained ankle. I felt like Mrs. Robocop.

Dessert was Turon (fried banana) with Langka (jackfruit) ice cream. Everyone loves turon so we managed to eat a bit more. I did not plan on any birthday cake so my brother Gary bought a Salted Caramel cake and some beautiful mini cakes; mango, tiramisu, chocolate, to name a few. Though they were all good the Salted Caramel was the winner. A bit messy to cut but who cares as long as it pleases the palate.

When we could eat or drink no more, we started with the Karaoke, something I've never done. It was nice because we had several microphones so a few people that were not shy in singing, John and Joyce led everyone else. Towards the end of the evening, we finally achieved a high score in the Karaoke.

I thank my friends for making the evening special and unforgettable. Lemuel did a great job with the food. Here's to another year!

Canlis

This was our only dinner from our overnight foodie trip to Seattle. Canlis was highly recommended so we thought it would be "the one" for the three of us.

A nice inviting fireplace was just across the reception podium. As we were led to our table, we walked by large glass windows that overlooked Lake Union. The sun had not set yet so we were treated to a beautiful view which later graduated to a gorgeous evening view with the night lights. All I could think of was that the food should at least match the ambiance.

We all decided to have the 4-course tasting menu. The amuse-bouche consisted of Buckwheat crisp with orca bean paste, crème fraîche, matcha powder and a Savory Aebleskiver (Danish pancake puffs) stuffed with burrata cheese and finished with dill powder and uni tongue. The crisp was very light and had a nice flavor. The pancake puff was outstanding with the burrata cheese oozing out and the buttery uni was the icing on the cake or should I say, pancake. The Rolls were served on top of what looked like big bird seeds to me but was later informed they were heated wheat berries to keep the rolls warm.

For our first course, Mertz had the Carrots with celery root, horseradish, and black lime. Sandi and I opted for the Peter Canlis Prawns: Alaskan spot prawns with vermouth, butter, and lime. The prawns melted in our mouths, so juicy and tender. The flavor of butter, vermouth, and lime could not have been better.

For our second course, Sandi had the Cabbage "Pierre" Fermented and grilled over coals. I almost turned vegetarian after I had a bite of the cabbage with its sauce.  Mertz and I had the Steak Tartare.That was very good though I was sorry I didn' t order the Grilled Oyster since one of us was ordering the Tartare, I could easily have had a bite or two from Mertz's order. Well, there's always the next time.

I almost made a mistake of ordering the Beet Wellington for my entrée. Not that it wouldn't be good, I read it as Beef Wellington. Mertz saved the evening when she brought it to my attention. But I do love beets so we made a deal. She would order the Beet and I ordered the Scallops which were barely seared with Brussels sprouts, chestnut, and grapefruit. We shared them both and we were happy campers. Sandi had to have her favorite fish: Halibut with morels, peas and pickled plums with foie gras. She was in 7th heaven.

Dessert had five selections. Sandi had the Souffle; Orange Curacao, crème anglaise, and warm madeleines. That was yummy. Mertz and I decided on the Cheese; a selection of artisan cheeses which we all enjoyed with a little bit of our wine left.

After dessert, they offered us a selection of strawberry or chocolate Macarons. We couldn't eat anymore so we took those in a little baggie.

If you want great food and service along with super ambiance, you have to make a reservation at Canlis at 2576 Aurora Ave. N in Seattle, the next time you are in the state of Washington.

Chihuly Glass and Garden Exhibit

This blog has nothing to do with food but just goes to show you that sometimes there's more to life than food.On our overnight food trip to Seattle, we managed to make a reservation to see the Chihuly Glass and Garden Exhibit.

If you are not familiar with this artist, I'm sure you've at least seen his marvelous hand glass blown work on the ceiling of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.  I've included a short biography at the bottom.  There is only one word to describe his work: MAGNIFICENT. The pictures speak for themselves.

Here is a short biography on Dale Chihuly. Dale Chihuly Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was introduced to glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. After graduating in 1965, Chihuly enrolled in the first glass program in the country, at the University of Wisconsin. He continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later established the glass program and taught for more than a decade. In 1968, after receiving a Fulbright Fellowship, he went to work at the Venini glass factory in Venice. There he observed the team approach to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971, Chihuly cofounded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. With this international glass center, Chihuly has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art. His work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide. He has been the recipient of many awards, including twelve honorary doctorates and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. Chihuly has created more than a dozen well-known series of works, among them, Cylinders and Baskets in the 1970s; Seaforms, Macchia, Venetians, and Persians in the 1980s; Niijima Floats and Chandeliers in the 1990s; and Fiori in the 2000s. He is also celebrated for large architectural installations. In 1986, he was honored with a solo exhibition, Dale Chihuly objets de verre, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Palais du Louvre, in Paris. In 1995, he began Chihuly Over Venice, for which he created sculptures at glass factories in Finland, Ireland, and Mexico, then installed them over the canals and piazzas of Venice. In 1999, Chihuly started an ambitious exhibition, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem; more than 1 million visitors attended the Tower of David Museum to view his installations. In 2001, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London curated the exhibition Chihuly at the V&A. Chihuly’s lifelong fascination for glasshouses has grown into a series of exhibitions within botanical settings. His Garden Cycle began in 2001 at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago. Chihuly exhibited at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, near London, in 2005. Other major exhibition venues include the de Young Museum in San Francisco, in 2008; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 2011; and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 2013. Chihuly Garden and Glass, a long-term exhibition, opened at Seattle Center in 2012.

If you are ever in Seattle, do not miss this spectacular exhibit.