Ramen Keisuke Tori King, BGC

Here is another late post. We ate dinner after watching a musical at BGC last December. The choices for us were basically a Thai restaurant and a ramen restaurant. Since our daughter didn't like spicy food, we opted for ramen. We didn't know about Ramen Keisuke Tori King as the wife and I had not encountered this resto before. So we decided to go for their specialty.

Tori king ramen features chicken-based broth, tamago and fried chicken mixed in.

Menu posted on their window - its an easy reference for those curious about the items they serve.

I would say the ramen was delightful but it felt kind of unusual having chicken there in the bowl. I usually have something on the side whenever I ate ramen but I don't have it dipped in the bowl. I don't prefer soggy karaage or gyoza. I don't like my tempura soggy either (as it is served when you order it with soba). Still, I thought this was a good eat and wouldn't mind eating there or another branch of theirs if the opportunity presented itself.

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Back at Singapore Zoo

The last time we were at the Singapore Zoo was more than 10 years ago when we were residents of the city. There were many attractions being planned at the time but we weren't able to visit again until recently. There are a lot of construction ongoing in the area so I guess its a continuing project for the zoo.

Map of the zoo.

The elephants were among the biggest (literally and figuratively) attractions of the zoo.

Our daughter was most interested in the insects and spiders in the zoo. Here she is with a volunteer 'uncle' talking about the stages in the life of a butterfly.

 

I kind of like going to the zoo. I have nice memories of going to the Manila Zoo during my childhood years. Since then, I've been to the zoos in Nagoya, Ueno and San Diego. I planned to go to other zoos when I was abroad but my itinerary didn't allow me to go.

More photos at the Singapore Zoo in future posts!

ABCT Kaitenzushi

There is now a "conveyor belt" or "roller" sushi restaurant in Antipolo City. ABCT launched its Kaitenzushi a few months ago at their Sakura Circle hub near the Provincial Capitol/ Ynares Center. It is a welcome addition to the growing number of Japanese or Japanese-themed restaurants in the Rizal's capital city, which is also a pilgrimage site (i.e., the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage is visited by many especially during the summer months). I'm sharing a few photos the first time we were there when it was newly opened.

Makimono on the conveyor belt

There are common plates that are prepared and served by the chef. You can talk directly to the chef or staff if you want particular items on their menu.

Condiments like soy sauce, spices and pickles as well as the dishes to use for them are a provided at each table or counter. Chopsticks are also already provided to diners.

Chopsticks dipping dishes and sushi

I forget what this was but it's on the spicy side (dynamite sushi?) and included tuna, mango and fish eggs.

Wrist shot of my Seiko Tubbataha with the shake sashimi

Saba sushi plate. There were three pieces here but I already ate one before I took the photo. Saba is mackerel.

The color coded plates with their corresponding prices.

 

We inquired about the black plate items as we were curious if they had Otoro or Chutoro. Unfortunately, they didn't have the much except some exotic sounding stuff that we don't really like. The chef mentioned that it was difficult for the owner to source otoro. It has to be of really good quality for it to be used for sushi or sashimi. We'll be back for more sushi!

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Breakfast - in-room dining at Fairmont

Instead of going out for breakfast, we decided to order from the hotel. While I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives including fastfood (there's a McDonald's nearby), you can't beat convenience. In the end, it was cheaper considering the amount of food was generous for the price and we usually ate heavier lunches instead. It is not as plentiful as Shangri-la's breakfasts but its sufficient for us.

Continental breakfast at Fairmont

We also usually have some pastries or breads that we bought from shops as we go around the city. One of our favorites is Marche and their pastries are just as good to add to our breakfast meal.

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First flowers and fruits of our Sagada orange tree

We got a Sagada orange sapling from one of the plant shops at the Quezon Memorial Circle back in 2016. This was planted at the back of our home and grew quickly before we had to transfer it to give way to an extension of our house in 2018. We were worried if it would die in the process. Fortunately, our kasambahay knew how to properly transplant the tree to a spot near our lanai where it could get a lot of sun and grow to its potential. We have several citrus varieties in our garden but only the kalamansi have so far gifted us with fruits. The dalandan and lemon trees have grown rapidly and larger than the Sagada orange but have not bore fruit. We also wondered when the orange tree will flower.

A flower hides under the new leaves

Flowers at the top of the tree - the tree is not so tall at maybe 7 or 8 feet from the ground.

Close-up of the fruit growing at the based of a flower

Two young oranges the size of kalamansi are getting lots of sun

This one orange is already the size of a dalandan. This is probably the first of many the tree will yield this season, which is unusually cool.

We are monitoring the fruits and flowers especially during windy days. Hopefully, they all grow and we can pick the oranges as they ripen on the tree.

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Back in Singapore after more than 3 years

Our last overseas trip prior to the lockdown due to COVID-19 was to Singapore in late November to early December in 2019. We went to Singapore to watch the U2 concert there. We had plans to travel abroad in 2020 particularly to Japan (it was supposed to be an Olympic year but we would have gone sometime in the Autumn) but those plans were derailed by the pandemic. We were supposed to travel to Singapore during the Undas holidays last year but unfortunately, a typhoon got in the way. We could not just change our schedule mainly due to travel restrictions on my part (I need to have authority to travel as I work in government.). The wife was the first to travel abroad again as she traveled to the US for business meetings earlier this year. We finally got to travel as a family last week and were fortunate for the nice weather in the city-state during our entire stay. We were informed by friends there that it was raining heavily the past days before we arrived.

The view from our hotel room was spectacular. In one photo, you can see the Marina Bay Sands, the Art Science Museum, the Esplanade Theaters, the Merlion, the Fullerton and the new buildings of the business district. The Singapore Flyer and the War Memorial could have been in the photo but I have them in others that I will share later.

It was the first overseas trip for our daughter so we made sure that we got to stay at a good hotel. We stayed at the Fairmont, which was very near the SMRT City Hall Station. You can easily walk to the nearby Esplanade and Promenade areas as well as take the train to other destinations. Part of the experience for our daughter, which I will write about in another post, is to learn how to use the train including purchasing a card and topping up to make sure the card is loaded for trips.

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Back to badminton?

The wife and I have been reminiscing about the times we played badminton with friends and officemates (hers and mine on separate venues). There used to be a badminton boom and many courts sprouted around Metro Manila in particular. I recall we played regularly at three venues in Quezon City (Yellow Feather, Kalayaan and another court along C5 in what is now the Nuvoland condo beside All Day (which used to be a Shopwise). We also played sometime in Makati and on another court along EDSA near Polymedic Hospital. Fast forward to the present and there are fewer courts nowadays. Near our place, there are even fewer good courts. By good I mean well-ventilated and easily accessible. Of course, it would be good to have adequate parking space, too.

So crawling along Felix Avenue in Cainta, near my parents' home, I was surprised to see this sign of  Cainta Badminton Court. This is located at the Bazaar City, which is a complex of warehouses that has been converted into a bazaar, food park and an Land Transportation Office (LTO) branch (where you can renew your license or register your vehicle). While it is kilometers from home, it is along my usual commute and many of my childhood friends whom I know play badminton (I played with them during the boom.) reside nearby. From the photos in their Facebook page, the courts seem spacious. I will likely check the place out one time to see for myself and the check their rates.

Sign just outside Bazaar City along Felix Avenue and just across from the SM Hypermarket

 

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Ramen on a Sunday

The title of this post is actually an allusion to the "Ramen Sunday" I usually had over the course of 3 years in Yokohama. Once a month, really good ramen is served at the basement of Yamate Church for people to enjoy after the Sunday morning Mass. Last Sunday, we decided to have dinner out for a change and ended up at Ramen Nagi for our meals.

Special ramen for the wife

Butao for me and our daughter

Red king with spice level 8 for a niece

The Red King with Chashu on the side

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A 1960s Rodania with caliber AS 1702-03 movement

My vintage watch collection includes three Rodania watches. Perhaps the oldest is this piece from the 1960s. The design alone screams vintage and is similar to many Swiss and Japanese watch models from that period.

The watch features a sunburst dial with baton hands. There are no day or date complications.

Side view showing the crown

The other side view showing the case to be in overall good condition.

The case back showing what appears to be a serial number.

Close-up of the watch

The obligatory wrist shot  - this is a nice dress watch measuring 34mm wide.

 

Inside the watch is a Cal. AS 1702/03 movement. The caliber was produced in the 1960s and as such allows one to date the watch to that period.

The movement runs at 18,000 A/h with a potential power reserve of 50h.

Another look a the movement of this watch - the caliber gives you a hint at the period or years when this watch was made.

A close up of the movement - you can see the caliber model at the bottom part of the photo.

The couple or so times that I observed the watch after its fully wound, I recorded it to run an average of 48 hours. That's pretty good for an old watch like this.

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Early morning beverage and snack

We start the month of March with an early morning beverage and snack. I already had breakfast before I went to an official function last December.  We arrived early in the vicinity of the venue so instead of proceeding to the venue, we decided to have some coffee at a nearby enclave. The Starbucks and Jollibee branches were full of people. Fortunately, there was also a Krispy Kreme there and it seemed we were the only customers at the time. Many people probably think they only serve donuts but they also have good coffee at their shops.

One donut each to go with our coffee

A wide selection of donuts to choose from

 

The shop eventually filled with people but at least we got to enjoy our coffee and donuts before it became crowded.

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