Why I love Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso concluded its three season run last year. I thought it was one of the best series I've watched. It made a lot of sense considering the situations the characters found themselves in and the humor was realistic rather than slapstick. Never mind that in reality an (American) football coach would never be considered to coach or manage an English football team.

I liked it when Ted wrote on the cover of Trent's draft that the latter only needed to change the title. Instead of "The Ted Lasso Way," the book's title became "The Richmond Way." It wasn't really about the football but life (in its many variations and situations) that was the topic of the series. Of course, it helped that there were many notable guests on the series including football legends like Pep Guardiola and Thierry Henry.

I think the top reason why I really love Ted Lasso is that the series helped me through a battle with COVID-19. One or two episodes a night for several nights including the most difficult ones while I had the virus and was in isolation helped me keep my spirits up and made my condition a bit more bearable while I struggled to recover.

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Old fashioned Shakey's?

Last Saturday, we attended a party celebrating the birthday of one of our daughter's friends at school. Lunch was at Shakey's so I was reminded of an unfinished article on the popular pizza parlor. I first ate at Shakey's in the 1970s. They had this branch in Ali Mall in Cubao where they had bands playing even during lunch time. You'd have difficulty making conversation in that atmosphere but the food was good and it was usually a family lunch out. That was the first time for me to eat pizza and spaghetti. The spaghetti was originally served on a skillet or metal pan. Later they did away with the skillet but have returned to serving single order spaghetti on a pan instead of a plate in some branches. But we really went there for the pizza - the thin crust kind and not the pan pizza that later became the craze as promoted by a rival company.

Spaghetti served on a skillet or pan

The Greek salad is a more recent addition to their menu. I think they have at least 3 salad variants to choose from now.

Mojos are still a favorite and somewhat a guilty pleasure.

Still my favorite is their basic (and classic) mozarella cheese thin crust pizza

Close-up of the pizza

There's a somewhat amusing poster at the restaurant. Shakey's was established in the US (in California) serving Italan food (pizza) and German beer in a English pub environment. That's the Shakey's Pizza Parlor I remember going to as a child.

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Comfort food on a hot day (saved by heavy rains in the evening)

It rained last Friday. It was strong and long enough to cool our area after another sizzling day. The rains are welcome as the past weeks saw the mercury rise to heat wave levels. I would normally go for some comfort food to conclude the work week. It just so happened that it rained while we were picking up our daughter from Kumon so we decided to just eat out for dinner at one of our favorite places.

Our go to place in Antipolo for Japanese food are not the branches of chain restos found in the nearby mall but this restaurant/izakaya near the provincial capitol - ABCT.

Zaru soba is probably my all-time favorite. I actually like it slightly more than ramen. But that's just me.

Cold soba is definitely a treat for me on a hot day. I also like the cold somen but somehow I could not find this in the menus of most Japanese restaurants here. It's only in Japan that I have enjoyed somen as it is supposed to be prepared and eaten. Another food I like and first enjoyed in Japan during the summer is unagi (eel) usually as unadon. They have this at ABCT and I order it sometimes (sometimes only because it is expensive) and they always get it right. Their chefs were trained in Japan and they are very particular about their dishes being authentic. I already look forward to the next visit to ABCT.

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