Gary's Birthday Bash at Il Moro

When my brother Gary informed me he was having his birthday celebration at Il Moro, a restaurant I haven't been to, I was a bit leery especially when he said he hasn't tried it in a long time. He just remembered that it was good. I thought that was bold of him. What impressed him the most was the efficiency and no-nonsense meeting he had with Lucy, the manager. He liked the ambiance of the restaurant and it just seemed the perfect venue for 60 people.

Cindy, Sandi and I got there first followed by Ramon. We are always the early birds. We were immediately impressed with the setting. Tables with centerpieces, an open bar and for entertainment, he had Joyce Partise, a jazz & bosa nova artist and her band.

Hors d' oeuvres started promptly at 6:30 p.m.  Belgian Endive filled with goat cheese,  topped with caramelized walnut, mini Beef Wellington, mini Pizza Margarita, and my favorite, Tuna Tartar with avocado on wonton crisp. They all went well with the champagne. The sounds of Joyce Marie and her band made people want to dance but most were still too shy, except for Ramon and me.

The 4 course menu looked very good. We had to pick an appetizer, a first course, an entree and dessert which excluded the birthday cake. Since I fell in love with the tuna tartar, I decided to stick to the Tuna Tartar with diced tomato, avocado, champignon mushrooms, olive oil sea salt with chive dressing and lemon jelly. Cindy, who sat next to me chose the Parmigiana di Melanzane, layers of baked eggplants, mozzarella cheese, basil in tomato sauce. Several people in our table chose the Fettuccine alla Bolognese, we could really tell the fettuccine was homemade and sauteed in a Bolognese sauce. I had a bite of the Cappellacci di Ricotta e Spinaci; spinach pasta filled with ricotta cheese and spinach sauteed in butter and sage....yummy.

I wanted to be healthy and order the Filetto di Sogliola; sole filet in a lemon white wine sauce but since I just had that a few days ago, I decided on the Tagliata di Manzo; prime beef short loin steak sliced and grilled in rosemary served over a salad of arugula, cherry tomato and shaved parmesan. I made the perfect choice as I really enjoyed it. I tried the Sole and unfortunately I thought it was too salty. I never complained about "salty" in the past since I do like a lot of salt. This was just too much. Everyone in the table that ordered the sole shared my findings. Jackie, seated next to me could not eat hers so I suggested she ask for something else. The server immediately and happily got her the Costolette di Agnello; grilled lamb chops which was absolutely delicious. I told Sandi and Cindy to ask for something else but they didn't want to make a big deal.

Dessert had to be Tenerina Cake which was a dark moist chocolate cake with a crispy crust. Though it was good, I tried not to eat the whole thing since I knew there was more cake to come. As the night progressed and more alcohol was consumed, inhibitions diminished and soon most guests took to the dance floor to show their moves.

Soon after dessert was served, Joyce Marie invited everyone to sing Happy Birthday to Gary. The berry chocolate mousse cake was ordered from Vienna Pastry. It was as delicious as it looked; not too sweet. I almost didn't want to have any as I was too full but I thought it to be bad luck not to eat a birthday cake. I think I made that up.

I have to mention that the service could not have been better. They were all so very friendly  and professional. This is truly a great venue for a private party. Everyone enjoyed themselves; it was a nice size crowd yet very intimate. Happy Birthday to my "younger" (un po) brother Gary.

Il Moro is at 11400 W. Olympic Blvd. in Los Angeles.

A Very Happy Hour at Cafe Pacific

I took my dear friend Gigi who was here from the Philippines for a drink at Cafe Pacific at Trump National Golf Club. The weather was beautiful and the setting against the Pacific Ocean was breathtaking.

We sat at the bar and we both ordered the Lemon Martini. One sip and we knew we would not be having more than one as it was strong and delicious. We had to order something to go with our strong drink and what better appetizer to order than their famous Fried Calamari with spicy aioli sauce.

I love their Fresh Oysters so I ordered half a dozen. I had to make Gigi promise to try at least one as she never liked oysters. I was hopeful that this would be life changing for her. After I squeezed all the juice out of the lemons, I proceeded in putting a dab of hot sauce on them. I wanted to try it first to make sure it was fresh and delectable. It passed the test. It was Gigi's turn. She looked at me with the hopeful expression that I would understand her dilemma and that I would just tell her to forget it if she really didn't want to. I gave her "the look" Mother Superior would have given her student and just told her to slurp and swallow. She did and to her surprise, she agreed it was not bad. It was the consistency that bothered her the most.

We had such a wonderful time reminiscing as we don't get to talk as often as we would like. When we do get together, it's like we were never apart and that's the beauty of real friendship.

By the time we left, the sun was about to set which made for a nice background photo.

Trump National Golf Club is located in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

Tim Ho Wan

Tim Ho Wan, known as a Dim-Sum specialist which originated in Hong Kong is the only Chinese restaurant of it's kind to earn one Michelin star. I was fortunate enough to try their famous Baked Buns when Chef Mak was in Los Angeles three years ago for s special event. See previous blog:
http://solittlethyme.blogspot.com/2013/06/vip-tasting-event-at-grove.html

On my last trip to the Philippines, it was brought to my attention that a Tim Ho Wan opened at the SM Mega Mall in Mandaluyong City and another at the Glorietta 3 Mall in Makati. Since we were close to the Mega Mall, my mother, Sandi and I went early to avoid the long lines. It was located right next to Din Tai Fung, another favorite of mine.

We had to order Chef Mak's famous Baked Buns with bbq pork inside. I suddenly remembered why I loved them so. The bun is reminiscent of the Philippine pan de sal (soft rolls with salt yet sweet). It was mouth-watering. I salivate every time I think of these buns! We also ordered the Chow Mein Stir Fried Noodles and the Pork Dumplings with Shrimp. The Vermicelli Roll with Shrimps were flavorsome. We did order a special which I did not see on the menu; It was a spicy dumpling which my mom could not eat so Sandi and I had to finish it. Everything was heavenly.

Unlike Din Tai Fung, Tim Ho Wan does not have an extensive menu. What Chef Mak has, has been perfected. There's a rumor that there is a plan to open up a branch in Los Angeles. I can only hope and pray.

MasterCard Priceless Table/ Chef Michael Voltaggio

When I asked my brother Gary if he would be free for a special dinner event at ink restaurant for his birthday, he immediately said: "Yes". Within minutes, he called back and asked if I could get another pair of tickets for Ramon and Milena. I later found out that these tickets sold out within 15 minutes. The lyrics to a song from the Sound of Music came to mind; ....something in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.

The event started on time at 6:30 p.m. As we walked in, there were trays of champagne, a refreshing cucumber drink and something that looked like a healthy drink which I stayed away from. I was happy with champagne. Hors d'oeuvres came at a steady pace. Foie gras-strawberry yuzu pops looked so appetizing. I only eat foie gras terrine. I was not sure if I would like it so I had Milena try it first. I immediately got her seal of approval. I tried it and was so happy I did. It tasted like whipped butter with sweet strawberry. Then came the Caviar Cannoli with sour cream and chives. OMG, I could not believe how truly wonderful they were; I could have eaten 6 easily and I think I did for every time it came by me, I had to get one. The Egg Yolk Gnocchi were also delicious. I have had those before and have always loved them. When you bite into these tender gnocchi, the egg yolk burst in your mouth like fireworks bursting in air.

As soon as we were all seated, Chef Voltaggio welcomed everyone and explained the 4 course dinner with wine pairings. The four of us were seated with 2 gentlemen whom we got to know in the course of the evening. They were both foodies so we all had a lot in common.

We were all given a menu on a piece of wood with Chef Voltaggio's signature on the back. It was an incredible 4 course dinner with the perfect wine pairing. Aside from the dishes on the menu, we were also served one of my favorite dishes; Corn with housemade ranch foritos.

At the end of the evening, each guest was handed a bag with Chef Voltaggio's book signed by him. In addition to that, he graciously personalized the dedication. As an extra treat, he posed for pictures with his guests.

To sum up our experience on the outstanding food, service and the event, the only word that comes to mind is one I have previously used to describe ink: SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS.

This MasterCard Priceless event was truly PRICELESS.

Lagen Island at El Nido Resorts

One word that describes Lagen island, a resort in El Nido in Palawan in the Philippines is: Paradise. It's white sand, coral and dramatic limestone cliffs are truly a sight to see.

The nice thing about staying in this resort is the abundance of food. Breakfast, lunch and dinner can be included in your stay. It's buffet style and it has something for everyone including Philippine delicacies. We had the typical Filipino breakfast which is Longaniza (Filipino pork sausage), which is very good especially dipped in vinegar, Tocino (sweet cured pork), Fried Eggs and Garlic Fried Rice.

Lunch and Dinner were an array of entrees. There were chili crab and lots of shrimp dishes which I barely ate because of the work involved in eating them. Cracking crab or peeling shrimps does take away from my eating pleasure and since Sandi did not volunteer to peel shrimps or crack the crab claws for me, I declined. There were lots of other things that kept my palate excited. I have to mention that I never ate so much fresh fish in my life. The Lapu-Lapu cooked in a coconut cream sauce was superb. There was also one that was cooked in black bean sauce which was equally delicious.

One thing I never saw or had was Capiz which they cooked on the grill. Capiz is known for their shells and pearls but apparently is also edible. It was delicious with a bit of calamansi (Philippine lime) squeezed on it.

There were always an abundance of fruits and desserts. One dessert really stood out. That was the Mango Madness. The Truffle Torte was good but when eaten together with mango, it was insane! The following day we looked for the same desserts but they were nowhere in sight. I asked Rey, our designated server and he talked to the chef and later informed us that they would have it again the following day. Sandi and I were excited. On our last supper, we did not see the mango but Rey informed us that the chef made it especially for just the 2 of us. We were truly impressed. While enjoying our desserts, Jennifer Zafra, the resort manager came by to say hello and asked if we were enjoying our stay. We promptly told her we had no complaints and everything was great. I asked Rey if we could meet the Chef and shortly after our request, Chef Elias came to say hello. We couldn't contain our excitement with his creation of mango madness. I commented that a layer of chocolate truffle torte would be excellent on the mango madness. The flavor of dark chocolate and mango would be heaven. He probably thought I was insane....to each his own.

Lagen Island serves as a sanctuary for a diverse variety of birds and mammals. You constantly hear sounds of exotic birds, monkeys and other animals. While there, a monitor lizard crossed our path and we even saw monkeys up on the trees one early morning.

Where else can you be in forest, a beach, and a beautiful resort all at the same time....just being there seeing and experiencing everything makes me wonder how some people cannot believe in God!