Pinky Amador performs Piaf classics at Sonya's Garden

Oh la la is all I can say about last Saturday night at Sonya's Garden where everything was transformed into Paris for the dinner concert of  BFF Pinky Amador aptly billed as "La Vie en Rose".

Clang Garcia who organized the event said she got inspired  after watching Pinky play the role of the legendary Edith Piaf onstage. She said that  "It was my first time to see Pinky perform during Piaf and I thought it will be nice to bring the romance of French songs to Sonya's Garden."

It was truly La Vie en Rose that night. The venue was bursting with the scent of flowers. And of course, the star of the evening - Pinky - was in her best form. She belted out all my favorite Piaf classics such as Padam, Padam (The sound of his, her Heartbeats), Mon Dieu (My God) , Mon Manege a Moi, (You're my Carousel), C'est a Hambourg (It's Hamburg), La Belle Histoire d'Amour and dueted  A quoi ca sert l'amour (What is Love) with Sandino Martin.

Pinky and Sandino sing A quoi ca sert l'amour

I must admit that when I met Sandino that morning, I thought he was too young to be the balladeer paired with Pinky for the concert. Well I had to eat crow that day because when I heard him rehearsing Autumn Leaves with a very deep voice, I had to ask who it was. He played the role of Theo Sarapo, the last husband of Piaf and thus, perfect for their duet.

After the concert, I actually encouraged him to do more singing stints. He said that currently [at 23 years old] he would like to focus more on acting and to finish his thesis for his Theater Arts degree in UP.

Kat and Clang in their French attire

Cocktails were served at 6pm and dinner which featured Sonya's signature dishes immediately followed at 7pm.

The first course was salad with freshly picked mixed greens from her greenhouse served with assorted add-ins such as nuts, egg whites, fresh fruits, vegetables and fresh fruits. The second course was pasta with different topping choices of fresh sun-dried tomatoes, ratatouille, mushroom, black olives and capers The third course was salmon belly and rosemary roast chicken. The last course was dessert of chocolate cake, banana and langka (jack fruit) turon and sweet camote.

Sonya supports local organic products 

The wine du jour was Vino de Coco, a coconut nectar wine brewed in Tacloban.  The wine uses the fresh sap from the flower of the coconut tree. According to Clang, "It is very rich in minerals and nutrients; even if you finish a bottle, you will not have a hang over the following day." We didn't finish bottle but we didn't experience any hangover the next day.

It was good that we stayed overnight. The next day I picked some fresh greens from the garden - lettuce, arugula, coriander and basil - and threw everything in the blender together with saba, mango, cucumber and ginger and made a green blend juice for breakfast. Then, we  pampered ourselves in the spa with Sonya's signature massage (a combination of tuina, shiatsu and swedish), facial massage using rice and hair spa using fresh aloe vera from the garden.

If you're free this Saturday, October 12. If you're free, do wear your berets and head out to Tagaytay and catch the final show!  For info, call (0917) 533-5140.

Clang Garcia with Sandino

Sonya's signature salad

spacious rooms at Sonya's Bed and Breakfast

full support from Pinky's classmates

with the mom and sisters of Sandino

The grand dame of  Sonay'a Garden signing her book 

Metro Manila film finally screening in Manila

Metro Manila poster in Paris

Ever since I saw the posters of the film Metro Manila strewn all over Paris last July, I've been badgering Jake Macapagal to let me know when the film will be released in Manila.

After three months,  the film is finally here and I got the chance to watch it at the prescreening last Thursday, October 3 at SM Aura. :-)

The film is not your typical dark indie film depicting vulnerable, impoverished urban poor and leave you depressed after. It's actually a heart-wrenching thriller about a farmer Oscar Ramirez (played by Jake) who moves to Manila with his family and children to try their luck and ends up getting blackmailed into doing a heist.

At the special screening (from left) Jake Macapagal,
Sean Ellis, John Arcilla

British Sean Ellis must be some wunderkind when he was young for he directed, co-wrote (together with Frank Flowers), co-produced (together with Celine Lopez) and was the sole cinematographer of the film. He said that the idea for the story came about in 2007.  He witnessed two armored truck drivers arguing in the streets in Manila with guns wearing kevlar helmet and one of the guys kicking the truck in frustration.

The film's cast include stage veterans John Arcilla as Ong (the senior officer), Ana Abad-Santos as Ong's wife, Ruben Uy  (co-employee) and indie film actress Althea Vega as Mai Ramirez.

proud of Jake with (from left) Bettina, Vanessa and Jason

The film first premiered on January 20, 2013 at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic.  Yesterday, the film won the Critics Award at the Hamburg International Film Festival. The film is also the United Kingdom's official  entry for best foreign language film for the  86th Academy Awards.

Incidentally, there are two other Filipino-themed films nominated in the Oscars - Transit  (Philippines) and Ilo Ilo (Singapore).  There are 80 nominees which will then be shortlisted to nine and then the final five will be announced on January 16, 2014. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this film (and of course Transit) makes it to the final five. The Oscars is set on March 2, 2014.

Hayop na Degustation at Pepita's

Alain in the foreground in blue with a bunch of happy gourmands

Since Alain was in town, Gai herded the troop to indulged in a lechon degustation at Pepetia's Kitchen.

Note that this is my second lechon degustation in a week's time. The first was last Saturday at Aleth's with Greek Chef Anthony (with Kat and Jemgie). Yes, I know gluttony is a sin but it's hard to resist an invite to a lechon degustation.

Anyway, Hayop na Degustation is Dedet's new 12-course -  10 new dishes and two lechon de leches. We were the second batch to try her creative and yummy concoctions.

The meal started with a welcome drink called Pepita's Magic Potion which is cotton candy served in a cocktail glass with a shot of lambanog infused with dayop juice.

Bettina enjoying her Magic Potion

The second dish was pork rind tendon chips with her special sinigang na gabi dip.

Tendon chips with dip

The third was my favorite which Dedet dubbed as  "hiplog," short for hipon (shrimp) and itlog (egg). The egg is actually salted red egg sauce.

Hiplog

The fourth was another favorite, a bone marrow with oxtail marmalade and a special salt which is mixed with chicharon.

Bone marrow 

The fifth course was called salad surprise. She served micro greens with flowers and on the side, homemade cashew butter, yogurt cheese and a watermelon salt. The salt was the surprise because it pops in your mouth. She used pop rock candy which  I used to love when I was a kid.

Salad Surprise

The sixth was called Sipit sarap  a crab's claw cooked in deadly taba ng talanga, the orange-colored crab roe.

Sipit sarap

The seventh she called Lucky You, the noodles with garlic and basil oil. (No photo taken). Dedet said that this dish has no 'Hu Wow'  moment but it will prepare the guests to the next dish which is another favorite. The eight dish was called Lambada, spicy lamb  cooked in tomato sauce.

Lambada

The night was her Cheers Palate cleanser tamarind sorbet.

cheers palate cleanser

And finally, what I was waiting for - her Lechon de leches! She has several stuffings to choose from - the Pinoy has four stuffing choics - sisig rice, salted red eggs with garlic and anchovy, binagoongan rice, laing rice and bicol express rice   For the french, it's stuffed with truffle rice.  We chose the Lechon na Maalat (salty Lechon) which is stuffed with rice, salted egg, garlic and anchovies.

Lechon na Maalat

And for the second lechon, we ordered the Mailena de Leche, stuffed with spanish chorizo and taba ng talangka rice.

Mailena de Leche

Her cholesterol sweeper is oatmeal in white chocolate.

cholesterol sweeper

And the last item was the pinoy dessert, cassava brulee.

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  Pinoy dessert

  
  

Chato finally got hitched!

the bride and groom

Have you every seen a "Keep Calm and Carry On" poser? Well, that's my sister in action.

Last Monday, I got a text message from her asking if I was free for lunch on Wednesday. Of course I can't say 'no' to lunch. However, when I found it out it was all the way in Palms Country Club in Alabang, I had to ask what the compelling reason was. To get there from work, I have to travel about 20-km from Pasig and brave the Wednesday Baclaran traffic.

Note that in Manila, Wednesday is usually referred to as 'Baclaran day' where devotees [like me] pay homage to the National Shrine of the Mother of Perpetual Help in Pasay and thus, cause traffic along EDSA, the major thoroughfare.

There was a long pause before she replied and finally answered "I'm getting married."

her rose covered wedding case

I couldn't dare miss her wedding so I made it on that special day braving the Baclaran traffic and all.

It was a small gathering of immediate family and close friends. We were in full force and my sister's 'chestnut' riding friends were all there. Jon, the groom, who belongs to a large family was not complete. I asked his sister why they were only a handful and she said that it was such a short notice that they couldn't rearrange their schedule.

Oh well, at least my sister looked happy! Cool as she is, she managed to bake her own wedding cake for the occasion. Congrats sis and may the two of you be blessed with another 17 years of togetherness.