Been digging up old files and was happy to find out that I've accumulated a lot of pictures from my wonderful dinner dates with J, my family and friends. As it turns out, I have already been taking pictures of the food that we've been stuffing ourselves with over the past 8 years... ohh...life is wonderful!
Lately, I've been running around in circles, feeling a little bit lost, undecided and lacking inspiration.. I remember seeing this video in yahoo's homepage a month ago while I was checking my email and saw it a few more times posted by people on facebook...It's Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Speech. Going back to it now and taking its meaning to heart, I can't help but share it here because it's just awesome how inspiring his words are.
“Almost everything–all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure–these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
***
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”
***
“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
I've been curious and wanting to eat at this restaurant that serves creative comfort food. So when the opportunity came, I asked my old time friend and college dorm mate to try it out with me ...
My good friend, Arnil from OLD school was in town for a 2week break from doctorate school in London. Naturally, I was in charge of choosing the restaurant. So i picked Terry's Selection, thinking that he must be tired of eating fish and chips! (Ofcourse, I didn't choose a filipino resto because it would only be proper to eat filipino food at home, so I was saving that for that) Anyway, when he asked me what to order, I said "CHORIZO ON PIGGY BACK!", to his horror, he exclaimed "CHORIZO, NANAMAN?!" If only I'd known that back in his place, his spanish neighbors would eat chorizo for breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner too, I would have chosen a different place!
terry's podium
the open air kitchen
My oldschool friends: Atty. Gabriel and soon to be Dr. Arnil (that smart lad studying at the London School of Economics)
Caezar's Salad
Chorizo Omelette
fluffy and nice
soft shell crab with cheese risotto
photo taken by arnil
grilled sea bass with roasted aioli potatoes
Chorizo on piggy back (image from the web)
This is flambeed with Sherry Brandy. (My friend Haidee's comment: Barcino's chistorra is better! )
*Have to go back and try the paella and jamon serrano.
I must have passed this restaurant a bajillion times and have always wondered if it was any good... until one day J and I decided to come in (out of sheer exhaustion) and give it a try...
Laksa
hainanese chicken and rice
roti with curry
Kaya Toast
Okay so... I don't quite know how to put it, the taste was there but it was lacking in something... nothing deliciously authentic. Perhaps because it was fast food, it was only meant to stir your cravings but not exactly satiate it. I'm glad we tried it out though...
MAMOU, named after the owner, Mamou Fores, (also the brainchild behind Blue Kitchen) advertises home-cooking at its best. I can’t really discern the cuisine. It’s a mixture of many different dishes, a sort of mish-mash of influences where I guess Mamou takes comfort in cooking. Perhaps these are her favorite dishes that she prepares in her home gatherings...
I hear they have two seatings for dinner, meaning if you come in at 6:30, you should be out by 8:20, to make way for the second seating/ incoming guests. I've been here 3 times and have never booked a reservation, always lucky enough to snag seats and was never told to leave for the next dinner schedule.
(image from the web)
I always enjoy deliciously fresh and warm complimentary bread baskets. J and I finished all of the brown ones because they're so good, our server gladly offered to replenish the basket with just the brown bread.
duck adobo rice
squid ink pasta
This was really flavorful and rich, although I wish they added a bit more of the teeny weeny squid pieces that's in the pasta ... Definitely NOT recommended if you're on a date, as this is too challengingly messy to eat. Your lips and teeth will get ink stains. QUE HORROR!
lamb curry
kurobota pork sinigang
This dish won my heart... It is probably one of the top dishes I would recommend to friends and family or just about anyone who asks and wants to have a satisfyingly good meal. It is actually addicting. I have friends who keep coming back to Mamou just for this!
The Kurobota pork (KUROBOTA PORK - Black pig, Japanese pork that's raised in America, prized for its juicyness, tenderness and flavor, it is pink hued and heavily marbled) is simmered in a tamarind broth and ripe tomatoes and then thickened with gabi (taro root). It has ample amounts of veggies and pre-fried pork. Served with your choice of red or white rice and shrimp paste.
Charbroiled Salmon with couscous, wild rice, dried fruits & nuts
Dry-aged USDA Angus Ribeye Steak
Ohh I was giddy. Who wouldn't be? When you can smell that something good is about to come your way. The rich aroma wafting through the restaurant coming from the open kitchen was enough to keep me excited. The steak came last. It was served cut into pieces, looking delightfully rich as it was swimming in it's own oil. The meat was charred on some parts but it was tender and perfectly cooked to our liking. They don't serve any sauce to go with it, but I'm fine with that because I'm one of those people who eat their steak with salt & pepper only. We did ask for sauce thought and all they gave us was worcestershire sauce. With or without the sauce, it was still good!
We were on our way to the movies and was killing some time and what better way to do so by eating right? We tried chicken bonchon and still felt hungry and unsatisfied so my husband decided to give Arya a try. We've been wanting to try this out for years but never really got around to it. And now, I'm glad we did.
Usually, we just go to Mr. Kabab or Behrouz to get our kebab fix. But this restaurant is not your usual Middle Eastern joint where you get your usual seasoned meat and long grain rice, they have an extensive menu with authentic dish names that have informative descriptions for those less-familiar with Persian cuisine.
Garlic and Chili Sauce
Their garlic sauce is the best one I've tried.
Skewer Platter (beef, chicken & lamb)
My husband is not a fan of lamb but he enjoyed their lamb kebab so much that he ate all of it!
Persian bread
I was expecting something like a Nan but they just serve your normal pita bread...
Arya's signature sauce
Arya's signature sauce is composed of grilled tomatoes that is skinned and then smashed to bits by the server and seasoned with S&P and garlic sauce/hot sauce. Just say YES when the server asks you If you would like them to prepare your tomatoes. It's good!
Arya is not exactly cheap eats, but its quality and authenticity make it well worth the cost.
ARYA PERSIAN RESTAURANT
Promenade Mall, Greenhills
