Back to Korea: Hoolala Chicken House

Sunday night's dinner was courtesy of Deal Grocer. The name of the restaurant caught my eye so I decided to buy a coupon and try it out – Hoolala Korean Chicken House. 

I don't know why the term "Chicken House" caught my attention. I guess at that time, I found it amusing that someone would name their restaurant that serves chicken as "chicken house." The interior was unique and common at the same time. Unique because of the colorful and huge chicken drawings on the wall and common because the set-up was typical of your usual Korean eatery.

They also had flat screen TVs that showed Korean dramas.

BULLCHEF: Bulalohan in Pasig

I received a Twitter notification yesterday saying that "bullchef" was following me. I don't usually get surprised whenever someone unknown follows me on Twitter since my profile's public. What made me wonder this time was the information under @weareBULLCHEF. It had a local address near my office. Out of curiosity, I googled the name and found out that Bullchef is a bulalo house in Kapitolyo, Pasig. Since I've been on a recent bulalo hunt/craving, I decided to check out Bullchef.

According to the online information I read, BULLCHEF is open until 12 MN everyday. We arrived there a little past 11, and looked around first before deciding whether or not we would try it for the night. I think they were about to close when we got to the store front but they suddenly opened up the place when they saw us. We actually felt surprised and shy when we saw the staff prepare the inside of the little hole-in-the-whole bulalo house. Since they already made us feel welcome, Gus and I decided to try it out. We were, already there, after all.

BULLCHEF is located at #4 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City. Yup, another hidden treasure in the heart of Pasig. It's a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant that opened a year and a half ago. Don't worry, you can easily spot it because it is in between what looks like a residential apartment stretch turned business establishments section.

The interiors of the restaurant were very simple. Nothing too fancy. Just big square tables and chairs that could accommodate 2 or 4 people per table. Oh, and there's a big graffiti of a cute bull on the whole left wall, and photos of celebrities who have visited BULLCHEF on the right. I guess this wasn't so hidden in the celebrity world.

Food Find: Uncle Moe's

Last night, Gus and I decided to eat out after work. I saw this post on Yahoo about the many hidden gems of Pasig City, and it piqued my curiosity. I told him about the different places that were featured on the article, and we decided to try out one of these places. At 11 at night, it was the only place from the article that was open so we really had no choice.

Uncle Moe's is (apparently) a famous kebab house in Pasig City. For those of you who have been to Mister Kebab (usually after a night of booze and dates with the bathroom sink), you'd find Uncle Moe's menu quite similar, but simpler (no yogurt shakes, but they did offer ice cream in cups) than Kebab's. We didn't have a hard time choosing since we wanted to compare the two kebab houses.

We got Uncle Moe's Beef and Chicken Kebab combo. This platter comes with two sticks of chicken kebab and two sticks of beef kebab with the usual butter-on-top-of-steaming-white-rice, and.. Salsa. Yes, salsa. Unlike Mister Kebab's, Uncle Moe's plates come with fresh tomato salsa instead of grilled tomatoes and onions.

So, what did we think of Uncle Moe's kebabs? We're definitely coming back for it! The chicken kebab was very tender and flavorful, not the rubbery kind some restaurants serve. Gus loved it! Since I'm more of a beef person, I liked the beef kebab more. This was perfect since we both got what we really liked after the first try. The beef was not hard and chewy, it was grilled just right. The beefy flavor was preserved so all I could taste was pure beefy goodness. 

Ye Dang Korean BBQ Restaurant

After trying and discovering several authentic Korean restaurants in Manila, the boyfriend and I finally decided to try one of the most talked about Korean restaurants in Manila -- Ye Dang. But we just couldn't find the right time to do so. It was always closed whenever we'd get there since it closes earlier than the restaurants around it. After trying to reach the restaurant before closing time several times, I was finally able to try Ye Dang. Sadly, Gus wasn't available because of work so it was just the family and I.

안녕, Jang Ga Nae

For our monthly date, Gus and I decided to go Korean. We were supposed to try Ye Dang, but we decided to check the Korean carinderia I was telling him about. We didn't end up eating there because he wanted a Korean place where he could grill the samgyeupsal himself. We eventually found ourselves in one of the more formal restaurants along Escriva Drive, which had table grills -- Jang Ga Nae.

Since we were both very hungry, we immediately ordered what we were craving for: bibimbap, and samgyeupsal. While waiting for our meals to arrive, the server brought us a pitcher of cold tea (yes, cold tea!) We were actually surprised, but very pleased, with the cold tea. It was the first Korean restaurant we've been to, which served cold tea instead of just plain water.

Cold Tea

Eat My English

At first glance, one would think that this little hole-in-the-whole restobar is of Korean origin. With Korean restaurants and karaoke centers surrounding it, one would be quick to assume that this too, is a Korean establishment. It is not. Eat My English is a restaurant/bar that serves affordable Filipino, and American dishes, alcoholic beverages, and your usual pulutan (snacks to go with your beer/shots).

We chanced upon this restobar while looking for a 24/7 restaurant that serves Beef Steak or Beef Tapa. The name of the place caught our attention so we decided to have a look-see. To our surprise, they offered both at very reasonable prices so we decided to stay and check the rest of the menu. 

I decided to get my Beef Tapa, as originally planned. For only P98, I got crispy beef tapa, egg, and garlic rice. The tapa was really good, a mix between salty and sour, not the typical sweet tapa other restaurants would offer. Their vinegar mixture complimented the salty/sour flavor of the tapa. The garlic rice was real, garlic rice. Not just a cup of rice topped with garlic flakes. However, the serving was not enough for one meal. I had to roder an extra cup of rice to finish my food.

Tapsilog

(P98)

cheers for really cold beers: Wing Hub

One thing I really appreciate is a bottle of cold beer and inexpensive (not overpriced) pulutan, or drinking food, to go along with it. I'm one of those people who just has the need to drink randomly to relieve stress. A bottle will do. But it has to go with something I can munch on.

craving for some Korean: Sarangbang Cafe

***Sarangbang Cafe is no longer operational. Another Korean restaurant is in its place, but I'm not sure if it's a different restaurant or if they just changed the name of the restaurant.***

Last Sunday was the worst day of my week. A lot of issues started coming out that I didn't want to stay home the whole day. I didn't even feel like eating there so I decided to ask Gus if he was free after our milk tea session with Mr. Neighbor (Gus's neighbor/friend) that night.

The original plan was to go out and have milk tea with Mr. Neighbor (Bruce), and head home so I can treat(?)/eat out with my family. But just before heading out for milk tea, grr happened. Bottomline is, Gus said yes, and took me out that night.

I wanted some Korean food that night, not just because of the kimchi, but because I had a sudden craving for grilled meat. I decided to eat at Ye Dang but when we got there, it was already closed. Gus was very sweet and understanding. He drove us around Ortigas Complex, checking to see if the other Korean restaurants we know, were still open. We saw two, which were still open but Gus knew I wanted to try the grilled meat so he said we should and will check out the other Korean restaurant I knew, which had grills for the meat. After scouring the area, ending up in closed restaurants, we decided to give one of the open Korean restaurants across Ye Dang, a try. The second one served mainly modern, Filipino/Western cuisine with a hint of Korean cuisine, so it was a no-no for us. We ended up in the other Korean restaurant that served ONLY Korean food. Sarangbang Cafe.

Since I already knew what I wanted to try, ordering was fast for us. Apart from the grilled meat, which thankfully, they had, I also wanted to try this soup with rice dish that I kept on seeing on the dramas I watch. We also got one serving of bibimbap to share.

As with all Korean restaurants, they served us these great tasting appetizers while we waited. It wasn't as many as the previous restaurants we've been to that served around eight appetizers, but it was still delicious. We had five appetizers to taste while waiting for the main course: kimchi, radish kimchi, pickled garlic, regular salad with thousand island dressing, and spinach salad. The salad stood out since it wasn't a common side dish I'd see in other Korean restaurants I've been to, but, it was still good. It helped neutralize all the spiciness in the other dishes we ordered.

Appetizers (L-R: spinach salad, radish kimchi, 

pickled garlic, garden salad, cabbage kimchi)

[five years, 10 months, on to forever!] 10th at Zoricho

Last Saturday, 27 August 2011, Gus and I decided to celebrate our 10th month of being officially together by crossing out a restaurant name from our "list". He was deciding between Lugang Cafe in Greenhills, and Zoricho in Silver City. After minutes of discussing and choosing, we decided to give Zoricho a try.

Zoricho is a small, cozy restaurant located beside Starbucks in Silver City. They mostly offer Filipino food with a twist, while their specialty is sausage, or in Filipino, longganiza.

We had a difficult time finding a parking slot in the covered parking area. We didn't want to park in any of the open lots because it was raining really hard that night. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, we finally found a spot and parked. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we noticed how cozy the look and feel of it was. It seemed like the perfect Sunday brunch place for families.

nearly three years behind

I should've written this a long time ago.

Back in 2008, December 30 to be exact, I almost died. It was a time when I wasn't living at home. I was staying over a friend's house and I guess, their carpet fibers triggered my dormant asthma. Their family was busy making preparations for New Year's Eve that I felt uncomfortable bothering them with the attack. I got into my car and decided to head to the hospital.

While I was driving though, I felt something different. Whenever I had asthma attacks before, it never came to the point wherein I felt my air passage literally being blocked. I got scared because I've never felt that way before with any of my asthma attacks. I usually just had difficulty in breathing, and wheezing but not to the point that I felt something blocking my throat/esophagus/tunnel where-air-comes-from. I was breathing through my nose but I still had difficulty breathing. I called my good friend Isa, who lived near where I was. I asked her if she could meet me and accompany me to the hospital, just in case I couldn't drive anymore. Yes, that was how scared I felt. We rushed into the ER of a hospital in Ortigas, and asked the security if I could just park in front of the ER because of my condition. Thank God for his kindness, he just asked me not to block the ER's entrance.

I brought out my health card (since it was the only thing I had, no cash then) and asked the nurse if they accepted health cards (I just assumed they did since it was a private hospital.) The nurse asked me to fill up a form and wait. After submitting my form, another nurse transferred me into a wheelchair and brought me in the ER proper.

That's where I almost died. 

A doctor interviewed me and asked what medicine I usually use for my attacks. I told her I had always used Ventolin. She asked if it was okay if they used a different Salbutamol solution. I said it was okay. As long as it was for asthma attacks, the brand didn't matter. After the interview, I waited for the nebulizer. I felt my air passage being blocked more and more. The block was rising every couple of minutes or so. An hour had passed, still no nebulizer. *For those of you who don't know, a nebulizer is like a little machine that releases oxygen. Only, it releases evaporated medicine, not oxygen. This smoke is then inhaled by the patient to relieve him or her of difficulty in breathing.

Isa was holding my hand, checking up on me every so often, asking if I could still handle it. With every question, I answered with okay. I could still manage to breathe somehow, it was my worry that when my air passage completely closes, I wouldn't know what to do, where to breathe. Time passed by again and I could feel my air passage completely closing. I was just praying then and hoping for a nurse, a doctor, to bring the nebulizer. Isa had already asked a nurse again, followed up on my nebulizer, to which the nurse told her to wait for a moment. Two hours had passed and I couldn't control myself any longer. Isa saw how pale I looked already and I pinched her, telling her I couldn't handle it any longer. Yes, the nebulizer still wasn't with us. Sas had followed up with nurses, doctors, anyone who passed by us, and the machine still wasn't there. After telling her how I couldn't feel any air coming from my throat anymore, she stood up and blocked a doctor who was walking our way and demanded that she bring the nebulizer right now. She "scolded" the doctor, telling her about my condition, and how she had asked different nurses and doctors already for the nebulizer in the last two hours, and that no one has bothered to bring it and check up on me. I've never seen Isa explode that way before but I was thankful. I couldn't get any air out of my mouth anymore and I was feeling weak. Just minutes after, a male nurse brought a nebulizer and attended to me. I WAS SO THANKFUL. I thought I was going to die that day, in that sad situation. 

After the treatment, I was so thankful that I could breathe again. That I could inhale and exhale freely again. But at the same time, I felt like a bomb ready to explode. What the hell were the nurses and doctors thinking? Attending to? The ER was quiet that night, no major emergency whatsoever and it took them TWO freaking hours to get me a nebulizer! What were they waiting for? For me to collapse from lack of oxygen?! I am thankful for their nebulizer but I am in no way, trusting them again with my life. Before I do again, they better review their ER SOPs. I am not putting my life on their hands again with that kind of service.

Fast forward to three years from then, why am I writing about this just now? I had already expressed my deep regret in choosing that hospital that fateful night to my closest friends after the Christmas break of 2008. But a recent event involving that same hospital, which cost the life of one of my dearest friends beloved, urged me to share my own experience. Three years may have passed but hearing about their lapse in judgement, their failure to adhere to SOPs (or maybe lack thereof) AGAIN, leading to the demise of someone I know, just bugged me into writing and sharing with everyone what happened to me because of the same thing. This is meant to inform people of how their service is, to hopefully reach their administrator so he/she can make changes about the way the hospital is run.

My friend's boyfriend died because the so-called doctors of The Medical City failed to give him the proper treatment. What was supposed to be a simple muscle tear turned into a tragic death because they did not know what they were doing. They misdiagnosed, giving different diagnoses, different treatments, until it was too late. One wrong medication, and his organs began to fail. From muscle tear to sepsis. Can you believe how a muscle tear cost someone their life? How one wrong prescription ended everything not just for him, but for his family, and my friend? And there were FIVE doctors, no, SPECIALISTS, SUPPOSEDLY diagnosing and treating my friend's boyfriend. Now, they are hiding everything behind paperwork. Words they told my friend and her boyfriend's family are suddenly hearsay. The paperwork says other things, things they did NOT say at all. OWN UP TO YOUR MISTAKES. A hospital is not a playing field. You can't just go out there and experiment with people's lives.

I am no doctor but I do know that doctors are trained for years to make sure they do the right thing, leading to the right decision, hopefully, saving a life. Just like an architect, an engineer, a lawyer, there are basic routines, check lists, TTDs that are taught to them. The basics of any job. They study about it so they know what they must do when they are faced with the same or similar situation. There is no room for carelessness because they are dealing with lives. Next time, I hope they don't forget to go back to the basics.