Gourmet Food Trucks at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market

A flea market and casual gourmet food--all in one place. It may be called Hell's Kitchen, but it sounded like heaven to me.

I dragged my sister to the flea market--my sister who doesn't like antiques because she's scared of ghosts. Not that she's has a sixth sense or anything like that, but she just doesn't like old things unless they are heirlooms of our family ("at least we know the ghosts...")

It's hard to go around a flea market with non-flea market people. It's a good thing the food trucks were there. We headed to straight to the Red Hook lobster truck.

We ordered three kinds of  rolls from the lobster truck: Lobster with lemon butter, Lobster and bacon (this sounds soo unhealthy), and a shrimp sandwich.

G would've loved this lobster roll, and C would've loved the dill pickle

 

I got suckered into buy a mandarin orange soda for $3.50 because of the hip artisan label. Tasted exactly like Royal Tru Orange.

Sam went to get a slice of pizza from the Valducci truck. It had a fresh tomato flavor and was perfectly crisp.

Our rolls were good. The best one was still the lobster with lemon butter. There was no place to sit though and we had to eat standing up. It didn't help that it was a very hot and sunny day with no shade anywhere except for a small shaded area right by the food truck.

We would have had a better experience if there were a few tables and chairs. We might have even tried more things.

This truck below only sells ice cream sandwiches. You choose your cookie, then your flavor. It even comes with an edible wrapper if you like.

 

It looked too deadly to order--like a million calories--so it was a good thing Sam got one. I had a bite. This was really good!

It was just too hot for them to explore the flea market further. I stole a few moments to look at some interesting booths. But it a really hot day--we opened our umbrellas to shield us from the heat.

We called it a day at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market. Then I dragged them over to the Antique Garage at Chelsea where I thought it would be cooler for all of us.


Hell's Kitchen Flea Market

W. 39th St. , New York, NY 10011  nr. Ninth Ave.  See Map | Subway Directions  

212-243-5343 Send to Phone

Tawid Silver, Baguio

The showroom of Tawid Silver can be seen from the front door of my friend's house, making it look like it's a stone's throw away. Marissa's gate to Tawid's gate is the same distance as a par-4, but after Tawid's main gate, it's an uphill climb and a few meandering steps up, up and up. I'm so unfit, I was panting at the top.

But what treasures awaited. I'm hardly a jewelry person, but I like to see what things are available in the places I visit. Baguio has always been known for sterling silver jewelry. I don't know exactly why, but  I read somewhere that the Cordilleras has abundant mineral reserves--silver, gold, copper. I would have to ask my more knowledgeable mining friend.

There are many popular silver shops in Baguio but Marissa likes Tawid because of their designs and high quality.

My sister Lita in Sydney would love these--they are expensive there.  I got her something. I also owe another friend a  birthday gift, so I got her a pair of dangling squares. And then I saw basic silver loops, and I'm a plain-jewelry sort of person, so I bought myself the loops. If they get lost on one of my trips, I don't feel so bad.

What I was actually looking for are flat oval silver lockets for the girls. They want to put in pictures of Angelica and Mataji, their best friends who just went home to the States. I've seen those lockets before, but I just can't remember who makes them.

I also got myself a long chain for my costume jewelry pendants because I'm allergic to non-precious metal (I get a stinging sensation when I wear those costume jewelry chains).

Marissa got into the act and tried on a few things too, but since she lives right beside the showroom, she never has to rush a decision. Actually if I were the Tawid people, for all the business Marissa brings over from her Manila friends, I would give her what she touches.

 My friend Sandy has this necklace on the left and made me wear it one time for a pictorial because "your black dress it too plain!"

Yvonne and I circled the cases while Marissa decided to sit it out instead. Yvonne finally got herself her own mother's day gift. It was two inches too short when she first tried it on but they lengthened it right there, in the workshop a floor below the showroom.

Tawid has been around for about 20 years, making silver jewelry under another brand. They're just not aggressive marketers, that's why they sound like a new brand to us lowlanders.

 

Tawid is also sold at the Baguio Country Club, at the PNKY store under the club's gift shop. They have a nice selection too, and it's the same price as in the showroom. The showroom just has more inventory, we can bargain a bit there, and they can adjust the jewelery instantly.

TAWID SILVER
27 St. Theresa Mirador
Baguio City Philippines 2600
email: tawidsilver@gmail.com

Getting Crafty at the Incheon Airport

 Miniature shelves: a sample on the left, and a finished product on the right

At the Incheon airport in Korea, a stop-over for many flights of Korean Airlines out of Manila, I came across this gift shop. There was unusual activity going on inside. 

I looked in and saw ladies hunched over little pieces of wood. I went closer and saw that they were painting what looked like dollhouse furniture. Hey, I want to do that too!

Tourists are allowed to do a craft here for free (they check your boarding pass). I looked at my watch--forty minutes to boarding time--just enough to make one of these precious little things.

G would love this for her dollhouse.

This is what we were making-- a t'akcha

It took me about 25 minutes. What a unique idea for an airport. The kids would love a stop over like this. Here is my finished shelf, back in its original box, and ready for me to take home---for free!

Over at the other table, they were making stamping designs with a stencil on wet paper. I didn't have enough time to do this though.  The art assistants told me that they change crafts every quarter.

This fan which we used to dry our newly-painted little shelves was a previous project. They also had a shelf of other things they did before. I was just lucky that they were doing little furniture this time--perfect for G's collection of miniature furniture. I would've also been interested to paint a fan, or knot some rings, but creating this little Korean miniature "antique" was exciting for me.

I think G and C would love to do this. Then G's dollhouse will have three of them--and then we can have a dollhouse yard sale!

Baguio Trinkets

We were again in Baguio last weekend and had to bring the kids to the market to buy some trinkets for trading at camp. This was a quick stop before heading back to Baguio Country Club. There is so much traffic (vehicle and pedestrian) around the market, it's chaos.

We targeted a small souvenir shop near a side entrance. Look at all these trinkets! Each of the necklaces cost P25 (50 cents). The kids loved the birthstone pendants. The boys liked the tooth pendant (what kind of tooth, I'm not sure). There were tons of colorful friendship bracelets that were selling for P5 each.

I liked the beaded pen holder which was P100 ($2.50), and G loved it too so we bought ourselves one each. I've been down from Baguio a few days and still have it around my neck--it keeps my iPhone stylus handy for when I play Draw Something in the car. My opponents don't know what hit them--I'm drawing with enthusiastic precision now.

 Beaded pen holder necklaces

I was so tempted to choose the trading trinkets for the kids but realize that I have to let G choose what she's attracted to, and not what I'm attracted to. Otherwise 11-year-olds at camp might not trade with her. I liked the beaded earrings and these slippers lined in woven fabric (3 for P100!). They are so comfortable as bedroom slippers, I bought for everyone in the house.

But the Baguio product of all time is the walis tambo, or a broom made of dried reeds. Even when we lived in the States, our home was never without this broom. Nothing sweeps up the floor better than a walis tambo. I didn't have time to go inside the market and look for the brooms this time since this was a ten-minute side trip.

 The best broom in the world comes from Baguio

B had been waiting the whole afternoon while Marissa, Yvonne and I went silver shopping, I didn't want to subject him to more of the same waiting while we shopped for brooms, blankets and slippers.

 The CISV Baguio delegation (with adult leader, Ada) to the Bacolod Village 2012. 

One other delegate not in picture.

Can't wait to go back to Baguio again. The weather there is 10 degrees cooler than in Manila. Maybe one more time before July? Otherwise, Marissa, I'll send you a list for the market (including the P10 bags of baby potatoes!). And you can send it down on the midnight bus to Manila.

The Interiors of Romulo Cafe, Makati

Once in a while a restaurant with incredible interiors pops up in Manila. Romulo Cafe is one of them.

Romulo Cafe opened a couple of years ago in Quezon City.  I've read all about the concept and the interiors in newspapers and numerous blogs. I've been wanting to visit but just never got around to it.

 

Then a few months ago, my friend Sandy invited me and her cousin to lunch at Romulo Cafe in Makati.  There's a Romulo Cafe now in Makati? Yes, sometimes I'm clueless about my surroundings. I even pass this way every week on the way to Sunday Lunch.

I was very excited because Sandy and I always have so much to say to each other, and I hadn't also seen Leica in ten thousand years. There was so much catching up to do.

I'd just be repeating all the other blogs if I started to explain the concept of the restaurant, and the food they serve--so I won't. 

 We ate upstairs

I loved the ambience of the restaurant. I think they got the right combination of solids and pattern for this branch, compared to the first Romulo Cafe in Quezon City. I've never been to the QC branch, but I feel overwhelmed just looking at the photos.  The Makati branch doesn't overwhelm. It's stimulating, but calming at the same time. 

This hallway leads to a separate dining room below, which looks like it's available for private functions. The white wall is textured like brick, giving it a vintage look.

I love this patterned floor

The restaurant in well illuminated with natural light. This dining room  (there are three main rooms) overlooks a small garden. That wall in the garden seems 3-D but is actually just painted in shades of grey to look three dimensional.

This below is the main dining room on the ground floor.

This could be the cover of a design magazine, don't you think? 

 (and maybe I can be a paid photographer? lol)

Unfortunately we were too engrossed catching up that I completely forgot to take photos of what we ate. It's hard enough to concentrate on the conversation when I have to keep my eyes from wandering and checking out the details of the interiors.

Suman sa latik cleverly "plated"

If you are sensitive to design, this restaurant will delight you from all angles. If you're interested in history, lots of it is hanging on the walls. Even the menu is a very interesting read. This restaurant needs a couple of visits just for the interiors. And then of course there's the food.

Romulo Cafe

148 Jupiter Street

Bel Air, Makati City

478-6404 and 822-0286

Testing...

I wonder if I'm high tech enough to create a post through my iPhone.

Ps. Voila! I posted this picture through my phone. I guess it's good for recording things on the fly. I wonder if I'll end up using this feature a lot.