Let's Say Thank You! Let's Be Grateful!

I was reading some magazines and saw one interior design article that featured furnitures from a well-known Filipino furniture design artist, and paintings from Ivan Acuna.  Hey, wait!  I have one authentic Ivan Acuna painting...

ALPHA METALSCAPE SERIES by IVAN ACUNA
(Limited Edition, 157/300, 2011)

My sister won the grand prize in their Christmas party raffle, roughly 3 months ago.  Because she works for a big multinational company, the prize isn’t your ordinary grand prize item.  It is a unique and limited edition of a painting from the renowned and acclaimed Filipino abstract expressionist, Ivan Acuna, complete with a certificate of authenticity.  Wow!  At first, she didn’t exactly know what to do with it.  So, I asked her to give it to me for free.  LOL.  She said, “I don’t think so. I’d like to hold on to it.  I might jinx my luck this coming year.”.  I said, “nonsense”!


Another friend of mine had the same fate.  I learned from her wall posts in Facebook that she won 2 grand prizes (i.e., laptop and digital SLR camera) from raffles in two separate Christmas parties and some minor prizes from other parties.  She had the best luck!  I was saddened however, that she was questioning these gifts.  She thought that she should brace herself for the bad things to come that would even out these blessings.  I thought to myself, “nonsense”.


Why do we do these to ourselves?  How come we are not comfortable with wealth and successes?  Blessings come our way because “we deserve them”!  The only proper thing to do is to be grateful.  Say, “thank you”.  That’s it!  No apocalyptic event shall come your way just because you were blessed with so much.  Didn’t it cross your mind that these gifts could be “rewards” for the good things you’ve done?  Also, what you do with your blessings (like giving away that gorgeous and valuable painting to me… ha-ha-ha) would not mar your future successes.  I believe that in order for us to receive wealth and success, we should be comfortable with them.  Remember, we deserve wealth and success!…


(I got the painting! I traded it with some stuff she can’t refuse.  LOL.)

Filipino Food Perfection. C2 Classic Cuisine

Aside from adobo, the SINIGANG is the quintessential Filipino food.  At C2 Classic Cuisine, perfection is redefined to a higher level of gastronomic delight.  C2 Classic Cuisine dishes are what I consider Filipino Food Perfection.  They have savory food and an award-winning dessert to boot.  I recently celebrated my birthday at this resto and there's no other option in meeting my "balik-bayan" friend but here in C2.

crispy ribs sinigang

My best friend from high school recently visited Manila from Seoul.  We had so much fun especially because we both enjoyed the food in our rendezvous.  She was dying to eat her favorite Filipino food, the sinigang.  Now, at C2 Classic Cuisine, the sinigang had a marvelous twist.

Two of my favorite dishes here are the CRISPY RIIBS SINIGANG and LUMPIANG LUCENA.

What makes the sinigang here different from the regular sinigang is that the meat is crispy beef ribs.  You usually cook sinigang with pork, fish, or shrimps.  The crispy beef ribs are served with tangy tamarind broth and native vegetables (i.e., kangkong, sitaw, long green pepper, and labanos).  The dish is excellent.  The beef ribs are indeed crispy.  The broth is indeed tangy.  The vegetables are fresh.  It is up to you if you want to mix the broth and the crispy beef or eat them separately.  Because the broth is sooooo good, I always tell the waiter to bring me additional bowl of broth.  He-he-he...

lumpiang lucena

The LUMPIANG LUCENA is to die for.  Those deep-fried spring rolls have crumbled longganiza, vegetables, and shredded coconut meat.  Once you dip those spring rolls in garlic-vinegar, Oh!, it's Oh! My God!

I recommend you to try this resto.  The prices are a bit steep but you get excellent food.  They have branches in Shangri-la Mall, Megmall, and Robinson's Place in Ermita.  They recently closed their Power Plant Mall Rockwell branch but opened a new one in Greenhills.  My fave is in Shang and in Rockwell.  You get to bump elbows with "artistas" (local stars).  LOL.

My other fave dishes from C2 are Binagoong Lechon Kawali, Tinolang Binakol, Pinakbet at Bagnet, Seared Tilapia in Coconut Emulsion, and of course their award-winning dessert - the Bibingka Souffle. Try them all!