Plug: Kryolan Store

Manila finally has a Kryolan Professional Makeup store, thanks to my friend Che. She knows that many makeup artists and showbiz personalities have had to source the brand from abroad before, so she brought it here.

If you know girls who are deeply interested in makeup, you might want to mention this to them.

Kryolan
3F Il Terrazo
35 Tomas Morato corner Scout Madrinan
Quezon City

'Round the Shoes

I got this pair of shoes last Sunday. All my outfits this week revolve around it.


*White canvas shoes from Topman

Lolo Dad's Brasserie

Life is always so much brighter after a good meal, which is what I had last Friday at Lolo Dad's with my friend K.



Salad was madness, to be sure. Named wittily as "Only for the Rich," it was mesclun greens in pomegranate and molasses dresing topped with many of my favorite things: scallops, lobster, seared duck liver, jamon serrano and cured salmon.



Then we shared a ribeye. It was a perfectly seasoned and perfectly tender piece of lovely meat. The mashed potato on the side, however, could have been presented in a more appetizing manner. It reminded one of animal turd.



The warm apple tartatin with cappucino ice cream and vanilla sabayon at the end failed to put an exclamation mark to the meal. There are so many better apple pies around.

But the salad, so exquisite and perfect, will stay in the mind for a very long time.

GQ: Best New Menswear Designers in America

I'm cribbing the entire GQ feature, because it's incredibly inspiring. I think all these designers are amazing. And the looks: Wow.


Benjamin Bixby

Founded: 2008, New York and Atlanta

Designer: André Benjamin (a.k.a. André 3000), 33

The philosophy: “During OutKast’s Stankonia period, I looked like I was from Mars. The music was otherworldly, and my character reflected that. I wanted to put that spirit into classic clothes, but ones that people could actually wear.”

The look: “I think the cut of Benjamin Bixby comes from comic-book characters, which I’ve been drawing since I was a kid. In comic books, the waist is always pinched, but the legs are full-cut, kind of like the Cracker Jack man.”

The influence: “In high school, in Atlanta, when Grand Puba told us to wear Girbaud jeans, I wore Girbaud jeans. Then you had this prep movement happening: Ralph Lauren, Eddie Bauer, Bass, Sebago, and Timberland. So imagine me walking through [local housing project] Bowen Homes in the morning to catch the bus, but I’m dressed like a prep. As you get older, you go back to those things.”


Save Khaki

Founded: 2006, New York

Designer: David Mullen, 48

The philosophy: “With the jeans craze, everything was being overdesigned. I thought what was missing in the market was something really comfortable with a modern fit. I think clothes should have utility, and if they happen to be stylish, then that’s great.”

The muse: “Ben Hogan, believe it or not. His khakis and cashmere cardigans made him look better than golfers do today.”

Every man should have… “A great white broadcloth shirt that can be worn pressed or wrinkled.”

Every man should also have… “A khaki trench. You can dress it up or down; it goes with everything.”

One piece of advice: “I think people need to not try so hard. Particularly men. It doesn’t take much to put yourself together.”


Robert Geller

Founded: 2006, New York

Designer: Robert Geller, 32, former partner of Alexandre Plokhov at the now defunct Cloak

The influence: “Last season I researched Prague in the ’20s and ’30s. Even today, the city has a culture where the men are masculine but still sensitive. I really wanted to show that mixture of romance and strength in my first collection.”

The hangouts: “In New York, that whole area in the depths of Chinatown. I really love Bacaro. I love Les Enfants Terribles and Broadway East.”

The soundtrack: “Hands down, the Cure: Boys Don’t Cry, especially the beginning, where you can hear the scratches. I don’t like anything that’s too produced or too polished.”

Every man should have… “A really nice winter boot. I’ve found the nicest one that exists…it’s an Austrian brand called Ludwig Reiter. The inside is lined with shearling so you can wear them through the deepest snow.”

Yigal Azrouël

Founded: 2007, New York

Designer: Yigal Azrouël, 36

The philosophy: “I love old-school American menswear. I like things that are not perfect but distressed and worn—something that has been through an experience.”

The early days: “I used to live in a basement in Queens with, like, five roommates. I would buy vintage pieces and cut a sleeve off, sew a different sleeve on—just experimenting. I started selling things to friends. And then Barneys picked me up.”

The influence: “My mom is French, and she always made me look styled, in a way. When I look at pictures of me as a kid, I see my signatures: a cool striped tee or a plaid shirt.”

Every man should have… “A cool leather jacket that you can keep forever. I made mine myself, and I’ve worn it for the past twelve years.”

Shipley & Halmos

Founded: 2007, New York

Designers: Sam Shipley, 29, and Jeff Halmos, 29

The philosophy: “We saw an opening for a fashionable guy who embraces his masculinity. A lot of people who buy our clothes are guy’s guys.” (Shipley)

The early days: Formerly one-half of the SoCal design collective Trovata, and before that, college buddies in Boulder, Shipley and Halmos started their own line in 2007.
Every man should have… “A clean white dress shirt. You can wear it with anything, at any time.” (Shipley)

Every man should also have… “An affordable suit. Ours are slim without being shrunken. And I think people really responded to the price point.” (Halmos)

The retirement plan: “Playing guitar in a metal band called War Bonnet. I’ve always wanted to go on a U.S. tour. Seeing the country from that perspective would be wild.” (Shipley)

Rogues Gallery

Founded: 2003, Portland, Maine

Designer: Alex Carleton, 39

The real-life inspiration: “I used to work at L.L.Bean. Leon Gorman, the grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, is a true modern-day country gentleman. He’d drive a pickup truck and wear perfectly pressed L.L.Bean chinos with a tattersall shirt and tortoiseshell glasses and the Norman Rockwell haircut. He has iconic New England style.”

The on-screen inspiration: “I want to design a tweed blazer and a flannel shirt like Jack Torrance wore in The Shining.”

Every man should have… “A pair of Carhartts.”

Spiral

Do you like eating at buffet places? I don't.

I like food cooked specially for me. I don't like waiting at a queue. And really, has any one dish at a buffet proved to be special? If so, I never had it.

Which is to say, for the price we paid for our buffet dinner last week at Sofitel's Spiral (a place that overwhelms you with a surfeit of mediocre food and good interior design), I'd rather have just a good entree and a good dessert at a fine restaurant, Lolo Dad's Brasserie, for example.

I wish more buffet restaurants were like Market Cafe in Hyatt, which includes drinks in its buffet, including beer and, occasionally, brut. Then, you could just forget about the food and drown yourself in the bubblies.

My Spring/Summer List

1. Calvin Klein fluorescent suit. I'll never have the guts to wear this as a suit, but I can think of so many ways to wear the jacket and pants separately, to introduce a shock of color in a neutral palette.




2. Petar Petrov J-Haje white shirt. Light and airy, and the drawstring hem is a nice touch.


3. David Hart plaid neckties.



4. Louis Vuitton perforated shoes. The perfect shoes to go sockless in.


5. These looks from Opening Ceremony for Uniqlo. I love the pale colored shirts and the cropped pants.

6. Unis Ron shorts.

7. Robinson les Bains swimshorts. It's really time for non-surfers and twentysomethings (or both) to do away with the immature board shorts.




8. APC sneakers. Clean and uncomplicated.


9. Tote and flap wallet from Makr. Makr is my newfound love in leather goods. Its products are simple, functional, well-designed and most of all, thoughtful.




10. Crane & Co. personalized note cards and ACME pen, with which to write short summer dispatches to friends abroad.

25 Random Things

My friend sent me this 25 Random Things game in Facebook, and I just saw Chuvaness posting hers. Here's mine, just for kicks.

1. I still don't really know how to use most of Facebook's features up to now.

2. More and more, I want to simplify my life, pare it down to essentials.

3. I thank God for Moleskine journals.

4. I have finished an entire Mamou steak (800g) plus some side dishes, by myself. (I even found space for beer afterwards.)

5. I haven't dated in years; now I completely dread it.

6. I wish I were less emotional about or less affected by tennis in general, and Roger Federer's matches in particular. It might lead to heart attack. (Nearly died during last night's Australian Open.)

7. Sleepwalking one night when I was 7 or 8, I peed into my school shoes.

8. I used to eat Jolly Hotdog and hot fudge sundae every day after school in high school.

9. My idea of a perfect bar is still Shiraz and I still miss it to this day. I also still miss Orange.

10. My favorite beverages are regular Coke (all day), coffee (during the day) San Mig Light (at night). Oh and I drink lots of water every day.

11. I sincerely think that Aegis, the local band that gave us "Halik," "Basang Basa Sa Ulan" etc., is genius, and should be inducted to something like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

12. I begrudge my mother for buying designer bags only for herself. (She doesn't know this, of course.)

13. This quote from Isabel Gillies sort of sums up what I also believe: "I believe in love. I believe in hard times and love winning. I believe marriage is hard. I believe people make mistakes. I believe people can want two things at once. I believe people are selfish and generous at the same time. I believe very few people want to hurt others. I believe that life can surprise you. I believe in happy endings."

14. I can be isnabero at times, but I'm more shy than isnabero.

15. I'm bad with people's names. I hide from acquaintances when there's a danger of bumping into them, because I find small talk excruciating.

16. I really want to take up pattern-making this year.

17. The four people I'd like to have an autograph of are Roger Federer, Sharon Cuneta, Nora Aunor and Dolphy.

18. For me, the perfect city to live in is somewhere where (nearly) everyone is stylish, loves eating well, and reads a lot.

19. I wish people would wear flipflops only at home, and at the beach. I wish people didn't wear Crocs, ever.

20. Another quote that speaks to me is spoken by a character in Murakami's "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle": "I do not like it when people wear the wrong thing. That is all. It is something I simply cannot--cannot--abide. I at least want the people around me to dress as well as possible.... I feel a personal, almost physical, revulsion for messy clothing."

21. I wish everyone, including myself, would be more nuanced when opinionating. Saying I love/I hate this/that is too easy.

22. I don't like travelling, as in packing, taking a plane, etc., a whole lot. I wish teleportation were a real travelling option.

23. I used to buy several magazines every month. Now I just get US Vogue, because I have an affinity with its point of view.

24. When I grow up, I want to be Oscar de la Renta.

25. Or Renee Salud. Just kidding!

"I Believe...."

I have a habit of taking a contrarian point of view when there are discussions with friends about human nature. There are so many truths other than our own, even if they're hard for us to accept. It requires deepy understanding to achieve empathy towards other people.

In her essay about her failed marriage, and consequently her second marriage and her surprisingly amiable relationship with her ex-husband ("An Affair to Rememer," Vogue, February 2009), Isabel Gillies writes:

I believe in love. I believe in hard times and love winning. I believe marriage is hard. I believe people make mistakes. I believe people can want two things at once. I believe people are selfish and generous at the same time (emphasis mine). I believe very few people want to hurt others. I believe that life can surprise you. I believe in happy endings.

Ms. Gillies succintly expresses my own sentiments. If more people were as forgiving and optimistic as Ms. Gillies, I wouldn't have to argue so much about human nature.

Some Feast at Summer Palace

In my family, occasions are marked with either a Chinese lauriat or a hotel buffet lunch/dinner (There's always a favored hotel at any given time, but what's annoying is it's about someone's privilege card in said hotel, rather than the food.) So it wasn't a suprprise that for our New Year's dinner last night, the family decided on a lauriat at Summer Palace in EDSA Shangri-La. (I love Summer Palace; every meal I've had there had been a real pleasure. But as yet, no lauriat except in wedding receptions.) The advance notice, though, was that this one would be different, largely because of the price tag.



Given said build up, I was quite underwhelmed when I read the menu. There wasn't an item there that was new to me. And many of the courses I've come to expect were missing: fried pigeon, crabs and the perennial starter, the cold cuts.

But then came the food.


Baked Lobster with ginger and spring onion

When my aunt saw that we were each being served individual baby lobsters, she started grumbling. The Chinese, or at least those in my family, have a tendency to be impressed with quantity, so she really wanted to be impressed with a huge single lobster than what was being served. But she was soon appeased by the maitre d', who brought the big lobster she tested during the day. It was tough, dry and not very tasty. My own little lobster was wonderful. It was cooked by the chef with an obvious love for the sea creature, letting the meat shine with just the right amount of help from the ginger, spring onions and light sauce. And the doneness was exactly right, so the meat could be pried out with very little effort.


Steamed fresh scallop stuffed in winter melon in garlic sauce

This dish is a staple in lauriats, but in the cheaper type, the scallop used is the dried variety, which hardly tastes like real scallops in its saltiness and, if undercooked, can be tough to chew. The present scallop wass fresh and ample-sized so that served by itself on the dish, didn't look diminished, but took on the beauty of a well-plated simple French dish. The flavors were familiar and yet so heightened, it felt like eating a new dish altogether.


Braised superior shark's fin

If you're a member of PETA, please don't despise me; I was brought up in a shark's fin-loving culture. In my family, it is prized above almost everything else, but I'd be the first to admit that until now, I'm still not sure if it actually prized for its taste or its perceived value. (I think the same way about caviar, which just tastes salty to me, really. Or truffles, which when comes as a supposed hint in oil, well, I don't know what it does to a dish.)

I've tried many a supposedly superior shark's fin soup, but this was the only one that deserved the superlative. When I saw the morsels in the soup, I was shocked by the sheer size of them. I'm really more used to sporadic strands of fin that you have to look hard to find among the other ingredients. In this soup, there was nothing but fin. All the other ingredients in this soup were so well incorporated into the broth that was so incredibly thick, incredibly deep and rich.


Pan-fried codfish in light soy sauce

I thought this was a really artistic dish. When the meat is good and fresh, there's hardly much one has to do with it, and this codfish commands that respect with its fatty flavors. Just a light batter whose crunchiness contrasted with the flaky tenderness of the fish. Oh and the parsley here could have been decorative but eaten with each bite of fish, gave a real bite.


Braised abalone with sea cucumber and seasonal vegetables

Veterans of lauriats would tell you that abalone is rarely served this way. They are more commonly served sliced thinly and interpersed among mushrooms and sea cucumber. Which is why when the waiter brought in this course in a huge platter, where the abalone and sea cucumber looked like rocks served on a bed of greens--I was entirely shocked. They were huge!

This one tasted more or less like the ones served elsewhere, but the sheer amount of it made it feel worth all the fuss.


Sauteed Beef with walnuts in taro basket

The superlatives end here. I really would rather have had pigeon at this point, even if I was already quite stuffed. Taro or gabi--along with kamote--is something I don't eat, I really don't know why.

Fried bihon, "Singapore style" and seafood fried rice wrapped in lotus leaves

There's some good sense in serving two carb dishes in a row just when you're about full. You get to savor all the preceding courses leisurely, and if you're still hungry, these will certainly make you feel bloated. But however good they are, you kind of do not care anymore. For me, at least the noodles were not the usual birthday noodles, and I liked the smoky curry flavor; as for the rice wrapped nicely in lotus leaves, I still think Yangzhou fried rice is better.



Steamed egg custard bun and Fried water chestnut pastry


I think Chinese dessert is a bit of an oxymoron. The simplicity of Chinese cooking methods carried over to their dessert preparation makes for uninteresting outcome. The "steamed egg custard bun" is chocolate-swirled siopao bun whose filling is a runny yellow substance that barely tastes like egg custard, and while I'm not sure what a water chestnut is and couldn't taste its essential flavor, at least the fried wrapper had a satisfying crunch.

So was the meal worth the money? You bet.

You can eat simply-cooked live seafood in the ubiquitous dampas or every other Chinese restaurant around. You can still eat the so-called prized items above in moderate portions in the same Chinese places, but they will invariably be cooked and served without care.

Of course there are still things that could've been better in this meal, especially the desserts, but it has reminded me that for all the good things to come together, you have to pay the price.

A Bit of Ruin, Lots of Cheer

One of the pitfalls of having too much fun at your friends' wedding is that you forget you're wearing an off-white jacket, on which you'll discover in the morning stains of wine and others of uncertain provenance. And all you can do is hope that the drycleaners at Manila Pen, still known as the best in the business, would be able to rectify the mistake.

Meanwhile, I'd like to send my congratulations to Erwin and Angie on their very elegant and incredibly heartwarming wedding.

(Jacket by Joey Samson, from a peg by Band of Outsiders; shirt from Tyler; and bowtie from TieLine)

On Enduring Love

A poem I wrote three years ago came to mind while reading Nothing But You. The title is borrowed from the Ian McEwan novel, but the poem is not inspired by the story.

Enduring Love

Things everywhere

not anymore remarkable

but for being

there—

simply,

not still. They meant

splendor,

once—

good but finally

only human

hearts, the intentions

they can have, then

not keep—

was it failure,

after? Mistake?

No.

It was, as when hold’s

no longer mistaken for

keep, less giving up

than in:

Let pass what must.

Or

Let us note this landscape and still love each other.

Not winter, not come.

Fall.

Go.

You, me,

we both.

We do not lose what we can not lose

and lose again.

Pre-Valentine Reading 2009

Nothing But You: Love Stories from The New Yorker
Edited by Roger Angell

I have so far read fifteen of the 30-odd stories in this collection, and each story has been a marvel. Not every tale here is about romantic love, which makes it even better. Some great modern and contemporary masters, such as Cheever, O'Hara, Munro, Updike, Marquez, and Nabokov are here. And so are lesser-known writers.

Even just halfway through the book, I can already say I highly recommend it.

Afternoon Snack: Crab Cakes at Apartment 1B

I forgot to take a photo of this delcious dish, which can be described thus: two hefty and moist crab cakes encrusted with crispy potato strips, and served on a bed of salad greens with raspberry vinaigrette.

What a great way to spend a solitary afternoon. Apartment 1B describes its offering as "gourmet comfort food." So comforting, you want to give the chef a hug of gratitude after.

Tigerlily

I love the Tigerlily brand in Debenhams. It has some of the most adorable stuff for toddlers and kids. For Christmas, I got my goddaughter Julianna this faux fur-trimmed shrug/cardigan. Some day in the future, I hope, she will be delighted to see a photo of herself wearing this.

For warmer days, her mom can remove the fur collar and Julianna will still look chic. When it comes to style, it's good to start 'em young.

From Kyowa to... KingCom?!?

Last April, a few months before the company I work for was acquired by a huge conglomerate, I waxed rhapsodic about Mister Donut Coffee in this entry, and at the same time bemoaned the condition of our coffeemaker.

Today, I am a loyal customer at Cafe Enzo and of their Lavazza Coffee. But shelling out at least P85 for a cup of coffee daily can tax the wallet in the long run. (The world being in recession mode, I want to be more prudent as well.) So I've been thinking of just buying the beans (or grounds) and brewing it myself.

Which brings me to the coffee maker pictured above. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the puny--and Kingcom? Really?--coffee maker that replaced the dilapidated Kyowa unit which I donated years ago.

Did I mention we're now a subsidiary of a huge conglomerate? Believe me, I'm in tears just typing this.

To Give and To Receive

To give...

I loved shopping for presents for my goddaughters at David & Goliath, which is filled with shirts and stuff that feature irreverent and witty one-liners. For Sharlene, who's 14, I got this backpack.



It didn't occur to me that, at 14, she might no longer think that boys are "smelly" or "stupid" or "gross," the adjectives that are interchangeable according to her mood. So I was relieved to know she used the bag immediately for a Tagaytay trip after Christmas.

For six-month old Julianna, I got this shirt that says "Not Listening." I think it's just perfect for infants who are impervious to their parents' scolding.



To receive...

I'm not sure how I got the reputation for being a difficult person to find gifts for, but these two friends below gave me useful things which I love.

From Marilen, a "devil cup cap" that adds a little whimsy to the otherwise plain duo of jug and glass in my room.



And from Mona, something to keep me from littering the streets with cigarette butts.



And from myself, a pair of white shoes from Pedro. Actually an impulse buy, but Christmas is the best excuse to give yourself something, anything.

My 2008 in Receipts

I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year, first of all. I hope that 2009 will be all about good things for all you.

Meanwhile, after a year's worth of receipts, invitations and mementos had been tacked onto its pages, this is how my 2008 Moleskine planner looks like. I'd like to think that I'd go back to it some day and remember my purchases and activities with perfect fondness.



And it feels nicely circular that the last receipt in my '08 planner is for my new Moleskine notebook, which I hope will be filled with good memories and new knowledge and, hopefully, some wisdom.



Again, my best new year's wishes to all!

It's Christmas!

Haven't been in front of the computer much since I got back from Boracay, but I didn't want to miss sending out my holiday greetings. My Christmas wish for all of you: good health, prosperity, peace, and of course, great style.

Have a beautiful Christmas, everyone!