Lunch at Breakfast at Antonio's, Opus Mall

We finally ate at the Breakfast at Antonio's at Opus Mall along C5, which incidentally is still part of Quezon City but near the border with Pasig City. Its quite popular is an understatement as we always find it full. We were somewhat lucky one Saturday and had a really good late lunch there.

Smoked pork baby back ribs

Portobello truffle tagliatelle

We also got a couple of packs of freshly made piaya aside from ice cream for dessert. We are already looking forward to the next meal there. It's addressed our cravings for their food that we only enjoyed if we go to Tagaytay, which is not that often.

- 

Another mentor passing away - Dr. Romeo Manlapaz

Another mentor passed away recently. Dr. Romeo Manlapaz was my teacher in Math 54. While he was supposed to be a terror teacher, I remember him more to be amusing. His terror reputation was somewhat tempered by his conversations with some of us students while we waited for our room to be vacated at the 4th floor of Palma Hall. Even as we were his students, we were surprised that he engaged us and shared with us many stories. I guess the other students were not as lucky and maintained a distance that they were not able to understand or appreciate the man. While he appeared to have been fond of a few of us engineering students, he trained his strict and firm manner towards others he seem to see differently. 

https://math.upd.edu.ph/2026/04/in-memoriam-dr-romeo-l-manlapaz-1939-2026 

It was later when I joined the College of Engineering as a faculty member that I came to discover his other contributions to the university. My senior colleagues like Dr Leony Liongson and Dr Evangel Quiwa shared their stories about Dr. Manlapaz, being his colleagues at the Engineering Science and Computer Science Departments.

While many of my blockmates probably don't have fond memories of him, I have many including some amusing ones in class. Those include the time he was gulping some cough syrup straight from the bottle as he claimed he had a bad case of coughs. He even teased some of the female students who were from Math and Chemistry. One of these of course was probably a crush in college or at least what we thought was his crush. 

I don't think he remembered me the last time I encountered him in the mid 1990s. I just joined UP at the time and was shy to introduce myself as a former student. Rest is peace, Dr. Manlapaz. You will be remembered by at least one of your former student who is thankful for the learning experience.

- 

More sanggumay in full bloom

I took these photos of the sanggumay on our Narra and Mango trees. They flowers last only a couple of days after the full blooming. The other sanggumay we got last year are still too young. Some actually perished already but I hope most would survive to eventually bear flowers.

The orchids on our Narra tree are wildly growing.

Close-up of the orchids on the Narra Tree at the front corner of our house.

Sanggumay strands on our mango tree

Close-up of the flowers

The sanggumay on our mango tree is quite prolific 

It's the time of year when most of our flowering plants are blooming. It is actually spring in temperate countries. And so we have lots of birds and insects benefiting from the flowers and fruits. I will post soon about our mangoes!

- 

Roberto's siopao, Iloilo City

The wife had a quick trip to Iloilo before the Holy Week. I suggested that if they had free time she should ask about siopao from Roberto's. Roberto's is probably the most popular place for siopao in Iloilo City. The pleasant surprise was we got a couple as pasalubong that we enjoyed the following day for breakfast.

Roberto's King Siopao has ham, chinese sausage, chicken-pork adobo and egg

Here's a close-up of the fillings for the King Siopao

Another close-up that captured the steam coming off the siopao after we heated it.

You can see the ham, sausage, adobo and egg in this photo.

I missed buying some the last time I was in Iloilo. Hopefully, there's another opportunity to travel there in the near future. Maybe then I can also get some to take home and enjoy eating with family. 

- 

Some thoughts on a Good Friday - memories of Holy Weeks past, the crisis in Iran and Alay Lakad

Good Fridays in the past have had me in my father's hometown in Cabatuan, Iloilo. We usually flew in on a Wednesday to get settled in and do the routine visits to nearby relatives before the Holy Week activities start on Maundy Thursday. Thursday late afternoon to evening would be for the Mass commemorating the washing of the feet. This was always a long celebration with the parish priest washing the feet of apostles usually played by town elders (during election years, these would be candidates for the local positions). Tatay and his friends jokingly refer to the Mass as "misang Batman," referring to the priest vestments that they compare with the superhero's cape/costume.  The Last Supper commemoration is separate and held after this Mass. Good Fridays usually involved the Stations of the Cross in the morning to a hill in town that symbolizes Calvary. This was at Balic, which was at those times a rural part of the town past the Cabatuan National Comprehensive High School. In the afternoon, there is the procession featuring carrozas depicting the passion of Christ and the characters involved. Most prominent for me here were the antique images of the Santo Entiero and the Mater Dolorosa. During and after the procession, we usually went around to check out the temporary chapels set-up for the stations of the cross around town. There was usually a competition and winners were announced on Easter Sunday Mass.

- 

Iran has been in our minds lately, and mainly because of the attacks by the US and Israel that have led to a crisis now experienced by most of the world. Personally I have friends in Iran and I can't help but wonder how they are doing now. One of my closest friends at university in Japan was from Iran. We shared many experiences as foreign students in Japan and he was always kind, gracious and respectful. They (ordinary people) don't have means to communicate to the outside world. Internet is down and with the crisis still unresolved, I can only pray that he and his family are okay.

- 

Estimates stated that there were more than 6 million people (6.66M according to one estimate) who participated in the Alay Lakad to Antipolo yesterday, Maundy Thursday, until the early morning of today, Good Friday. Most of these people are of voting age, which I assume based on the physical capability needed to do the Alay Lakad. I wonder who among these voted wisely in the past 2 elections and who they will be voting for in 2028. These thoughts came to my mind as Alay Lakad is supposed to be a panata and for 'good'. Whose good exactly? Is it the selfish kind or the good of many (and by many I am not referring to just relatives and friends of those who did the Alay Lakad)? Were they really pilgrims or devotees or just there for the thrill of the experience or adventure?

- 

Classic Filipino breakfast during the Holy Week break

The Holy Week break allowed for some good breakfasts. On regular days, our breakfasts were quick, short meals. We had to leave early for school (to drop off our daughter) and then to our office afterwards. So we had to have something we could eat or drink in a short period of time. For me, that would be some cereal drink. And I frequently just get some rice and viand in a food container to have my full breakfast at the office. And so this break has provided a welcome change in pace and an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. Filipino breakfasts have some variety across regions but the more common ones involve local sausages, dried fish, eggs and, of course, rice.

Ingredients for a silog breakfast - longganisa, dried fish and eggs. Plus some sinamak for dip. 

The longganisa (local sausage) from Tuguegarao, Cagayan was a pasalubong

Dried fish (tuyo and espada) and squid

 

Breaks like this are always welcome. These are re-energizing and allows for activities other than office or school related ones. Still, there is the specter of the resumption of the same come Monday after Easter so we have to make the most of the break including these breakfasts.

The sinamak in the photo is made by our driver and his wife:

Suka ni Pang by our driver Lary and his wife Elma. You can contact them thru the number on the bottle - 09975130044.

 

- 

A sad end to March 2026 - the passing of two great men

Last week, two great men passed away. Their accomplishments speak for themselves and they left their legacies for people to use and learn from even after they have passed. I just wanted to mark their passing as an important note here on my blog. 

Paalam Dr. Cornie Banaag, the Father of Child Psychiatry in the Philippines. I got to know of Doc Cornie as a neighbor whom I enjoyed a few walks with around our village. He loved to talk about life and shared his thoughts about the state of mental health especially among children or youth in general. We occasionally met in other cities where he happened to be a resource person in seminars and I happened to be working on projects.

Paalam Mr. Roger Murga, accomplished engineer whose accomplishments in the construction industry led to the realization of major infrastructure projects including the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX). I came to know him as he was a childhood friend of my father. They grew up in Cabatuan, Iloilo and went to the same High School.

Our deepest sympathies go with their families.

- 

Sanggumay blooming at our home

I got a few sanggumay a couple of years ago and these were planted on several trees around our home. The ones easily visible and checked are the sanggumay growing around our mango tree, the central and perhaps focal tree at our home. There are also sanggumay on our narra, guyabano and palm trees.

The flower buds along one of the strands indicate blooms soon. Other strands have buds already growing out. These are from the same plant on our mango tree. 

Close-up of one of the strands and the buds

I will share some photos here again when the sanggumay are in full bloom.  

- 

Crazy about baklava

I first tasted baklava when I was student in Japan in the 1990s. I recall one or two occasions when students from the Arab countries or Turkey would have brought these as their contribution to pot luck events. Later, we enjoyed baklava from a Greek neighbor in a village we resided at for almost a decade. And so we were delighted to have been gifted with a box of baklava from the Ambassador of the State of Palestine! The ambassador visited UP and distributed these to his hosts. We opened the box on the eve of Eid L Fitre (end of Ramadan) and enjoyed it as dessert after meals.

The packaging gave a preview of what's to be expected inside the box.

Details on the baklava at the back of the package.

Ingredients include only two nuts - pistachios and cashews.

Nutrition facts

We were very pleasantly surprised by the variety of baklava upon opening the box. It certainly did not disappoint as the contents are consistent with the images on the box.

These were a delightful dessert but I wouldn't be surprised if people instead snacked on these. One can easily indulge or over-indulge over these baklava.

I kept the box as a souvenir and will use it for other keepsakes. It can also be a reference if we happen to see this or something similar during our travels. I assume you can get these are duty free shops in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha or Istanbul - some of the usual airport stops en route to Europe, for example.

- 

Cravings for Mango and Sticky Rice

Last week, as we purchased some Cha Yen or Thai Milk Tea at our favorite stall at a nearby mall, I saw their sign stating they had mango and sticky rice for sale. I didn't hesitate to confirm if this was available and ended up ordering one to take home.

The set included sticky rice (malagkit), slices mangoes and a pack of reduced coconut milk (latik).

Mango and sticky rice ready for eating! 

Mango and sticky rice actually directly translates to suman at mangga in Filipino. This is a common food across Southeast Asia. I have enjoyed this while residing in Singapore, and while traveling in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. I assume there's a version in Vietnam, too. I just have yet to try it. I crave for this from time to time and usually get some from Thai restaurants.

- 

Turkish delights

The wife was doing some cleaning last weekend and found some items still in her luggage from last year's travel to Europe. She had a stopover at Istanbul and got these two boxes as pasalubong.

Two boxes of Turkish Delight - one with pistachio & pomegrenate, and another just pistachio

Here's a close-up of one of the boxes.

I don't recall I've had some of these but maybe I have tasted it one time at least. One of the foreign students at Yokohama when I was studying was from Turkey so I probably tasted some during one of our social events among foreign students.

- 

Vegan cookies from Iloilo - Bread Basket

I bought these cookies at Bread Basket in Iloilo. We discovered Bread Basket last year when we got some reall good muffins from their branch across from Seda Hotel where we stayed.

A pack of assorted vegan cookies - 100% plant-based.

A peek inside the pack

The mango-infused cookie is really good. 

I got this pack and a box of pastries from their branch at SM City Iloilo. It's good for pasalubong and our daughter loves their muffins. So I got her some muffins that she got to enjoy for merienda.

 

- 

Sunset before the lunar eclipse

Last week, I was having an evening class lecture while the lunar eclipse was unfolding. I could only have a glimpse of the eclipse from my office window when we took a short break in the middle of the lecture. Prior to the event though, I was able to take a photo of the sunset before the eclipse. Here are a couple of photos of the sunset as seen from the 4th floor of our office.

You can see the outline of a mountain in Bataan province behind the tall buildings in the photo. We used to have a clear view of Mt. Mariveles and Mt. Natib when there were few buildings in the horizon.

The sun descended quickly after this photo. It is always a sight to behold.

 

- 

A dose of tuna melt for Friday lunch

Last Friday, I decided to treat myself with a tuna melt sandwich. It was a slow Friday to cap a very busy week. I was also sort of celebrating the accomplishments of our daughter as she concluded their 3rd Quarter exams.

My favorite tuna melt with green salad on the side from Wildflour

 

Wildflour's tuna melt is so far the best sandwich to me. The poached tuna and cheese they used were the perfect fusion. It helped that the multigrain bread was fresh and crunchy. The salad is always good though the dressing is not usually the one I like. Regardless, I prefer my salads without dressing if its this fresh.

- 

Jericho's, Tanay - Pililla Boundary

It's nice to "get lost" from time to time. A relatively long drive during a holiday took us to some towns in Rizal where we happened upon a dairy farm and drove to a restaurant in Tanay that we wanted to try out for the food and the view. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we found it too crowded and didn't want to wait among the crowd who probably drove there for the same reasons we had. And so we decided to go back the way we went there and try to find a place to have late lunch.

Doing a quick search of places to eat at along the way back to Antipolo, we found Jericho's and its high ratings. The place was at the border of Tanay and Pililla (just beside the arch actually).

A pitcher of their refreshing lemongrass and orange juice

We ordered chicken quesadillas for starters

We ordered their boneless fried chicken and chose the parmesan variant

Their take on the roast beef was really good and is a must try for diners. The beef is so tender and the sauce actually has a hint of bulalo.

Their version of carbonara is also very good.

We had a very good meal at Jericho's. The service was also very good. Their staff was very attentive and also helpful with the menu. Jericho's is a very good restaurant with a very good selection in their menu. I think this is a restaurant that you can put in the map and also consider eating at whether you drive or take public transport to get there. It's definitely a good stopover for those driving to the farther towns of Rizal or perhaps on the was south to Laguna, Quezon or even Bicol. 

- 

Buc-ee's Pecan Log

This is another late post of a snack we enjoyed last year. The wife took home a lot of pasalubong from our friends in the US the last time she was there (in Texas to be exact). Buc-ee's Pecan Log is one of the new items we tasted and enjoyed eating last year.

The packaging for this bar is quite simple and you can see what's inside - a bar loaded with pecans.

We thought this was a satisfying snack. Perhaps it is most suitable as a power bar. I thought that you can have one on hiking or walking trips. When you feel tired or need a time out, you can take a bite or two to energize yourself.

- 

Puto manapla from Iloilo

I arrived at the office one morning to find our staff excited by the rice cakes given to them by one of our faculty members. One of our lecturers regularly commute between Iloilo and Quezon City and brought with him puto as pasalubong to the staff. These were not the regular puto manapla that you can now also buy at markets here but flavored variants - cheese and ube.

Ube and cheese flavored puto manapla

I was fortunate to have a share of the puto as the staff offered some to me. I consider this as comfort food among the many that bring back happy memories.  

- 

Bren Raphael's Ube halaya from Antipolo

Last week, we had dinner at the nearby mall and went around a bazaar selling local products. This was a regular thing at the mall where Antipolo and Rizal made products were sold. Most were food products and handicrafts but there were also clothing and cosmetic products. Among the new products we saw there was ube halaya made by a company in Antipolo City.

Ube halaya translates to Purple Yam Pudding. They have two variants - the smooth variant and this one with tidbits.

The ingredients and other details on the product are at the back of the package. They also make ube jam but we didn't purchase some to try.

The ube halaya comes out from the package sealed in a vacuum pack. It is on a plastic container with a lid. We thought this was really good packaging that would preserve the product especially for those wanting to buy these as pasalubong from Antipolo.

 

Price list for their ube halaya and ube jam

Their ube halaya is really good. It is better than many of the ube halaya we've bought before. It is on the pricier side of these products though. A tub of typical ube halaya costs a third of this. And we used to buy high quality ube halaya in the church bazaar at the Taktak church where we used to hear Mass on Sundays (we now hear Mass at our village chapel).

- 

Chocolate review: La Belgique Gourmande Noir 85% Cacao

We conclude the short month of February with a chocolate review. A colleague gave this to chocolate bar as a pasalubong from a trip to Europe earlier this year.

This chocolate was a 'pasalubong' from one of our faculty who traveled to Europe last year to participate in an academic conference.

Details about the chocolate at the back of the pack. You can see that this is local and artisanal.

The ingredients indicate the cacao content (pure chocolate) to be at 85%.

This is a Fair trade chocolate. The best before date is also indicated. This is something that many now interpret as contrary to the expiration date. That means the chocolate is still good to eat after the BB date but is not as good as before the date. Expiration dates suggest that the chocolate (or any other product) can no longer be eaten after the date, often resulting in unnecessary waste.

The chocolate is wrapped and sealed in foil. This helps preserve the chocolate.

I thought this was one of the better chocolates we've enjoyed eating. It was smooth for an 85% chocolate.  I was expecting this to be on the bitter side as far as dark chocolates are concerned but the bitterness is lighter and perhaps more like 60% chocolates. I'm not sure this is available here but I definitely will purchase a bar or two if I see this in a shop.

-