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Pan-Asian Eats

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[17-19 September, 2022]

A weekend that started with the community street food market led to an unintentional foodie tour of Southeast Asia. First, it was a family dinner at Nanbantei, an izakaya-style Japanese restaurant in the Greenbelt shopping, dining, and entertainment area.

The following day, it was lunch with a close childhood friend of mine and his lovely wife at Mango Tree, supposedly the best Thai restaurant in BGC.

Later in the evening, my nieces prepared some of my favorite home cooked Filipino dishes for a wonderful dinner replete with family nostalgia.

And finally, on Monday, it was another family lunch, this time at Tim Ho Wan, Hongkong’s Makati branch of their world-famous 1-Michelin star dim sum restaurant.

All told, a wonderful weekend of Asian-style small plates cuisine, shared and enjoyed with loved ones.

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Weekend Street Food Market

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[17 September, 2022]

Scenes and loot from this weekend’s Salcedo Community Market , a short walk from where I was staying.

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Reunions, COVID-19 Tests, and Christmas in Manila

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[15-16 September, 2022]

Nothing like a superspreader event to spoil reunions with friends of over 35 years so Covid antigen tests were in order prior to these get-togethers, Oh, and it’s already Christmas in Manila!

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Family Dinner at Home

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[13 September, 2022]

I made tiramisu for dessert and others contributed their own to this family dinner on Tuesday night.

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Seafood Dinner by the Bay

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[12 September, 2022]

Buying fresh seafood and having it cooked by one of the local restaurants highlight the unique dining experience in this popular Manila Bay-side destination. And the beautiful, famed Manila Bay sunset was just the perfect ambiance for our family dinner.

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Back in the City

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[11 September, 2022]

Sunsets at the beach, sunsets in the city. Equally spectacular, but worlds apart in heart and mind.

The city skyline bathes in the golden glow of the famed Manila sunset as our weekend at the beach ends and we approach the new week back in the city … a little less relaxation, a bit more excitement.

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Weekend at the Beach, Part 2

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[10 September, 2022]

Second day at the beach starts with a hearty breakfast and later in the morning, more time in the water. Then it’s lunch at Kahel Resort and some time to visit with an old friend whom I haven’t seen for almost 30 years!

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Weekend at the Beach, Part 1

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[9 September, 2022]

Quick descent from the mountains and the city of pines, and it’s off to the beach! After a quick check-in at Aureo Resort in San Fernando, La Union, it’s lunch beach-side at Kabsat and a late frolic at the beach into the golden hour. The day ends with a spectacular sunset, a daily happening around these parts.

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Chinatown Food Crawl

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[6 September, 2022]

A fun afternoon with a couple of my nephews exploring Manila’s Chinatown, the world’s oldest Chinatown, and sampling several of its many culinary delights.

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Nephews and Nieces

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[5 September, 2022]

An evening out at Bonifacio Global City (BGC) with nephews and nieces, and more Filipino food at Romulo Cafe.

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A Family Affair

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[4 September, 2022]

Sunday, family day. A visit to remember and honor departed family members, then a big family lunch for a very rare multi-generational get-together.

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A Little Get-Together

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[3 September, 2022]

Catching up with good friends I go way back with always involves some great food, seasoned with corny jokes and old brags.

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Love Me a Little Pampering

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[2 September, 2022]

It wouldn’t be a proper 1st day in Manila without a luxurious foot spa experience.

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Dining Like A Locavore

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[2 September, 2022]

First proper meal in Manila was lunch with family at Locavore with its modern interpretation of classic Filipino cuisine. In a word … scrumptious!