BJ and MICHELLE’s NIGHT-OUT

Kudos to MICHELLE and BJ, who just had one among the many memorable dates they would have as a couple.

It was BJ’s birthday and with limited budget, he wanted to have a simple but memorable dinner with his wife MICHELLE. More than that, he wanted it unique, or first time if you may call it, and more importantly a surprise. With only P 1,500.00 in his wallet, BJ had already made a computation of the expenses he would incur that night, to wit: 300 pesos back-and-forth taxi fare, and P 1,200.00 for a cruise at the Cultural Center of the Philippines complete with dinner for two.

So off they went. To reiterate, with money lacking, BJ was praying that apart from having a lovely evening , they would not be accidentally breaking any glassware along the way. But the heavens must be smiling on them.

Yes, the two had a cruise coupled with dinner on the side, but the gift from the Lord came unexpectedly. No other customers went on board that night to attend the cruise. The ship was all alone for themselves, that is why the band had to play for the duration of the dinner trip for- of course nobody else but BJ and MICHELLE. All eyes were on them, the band members took their song requests, BJ in fact had to write down their theme song and the singers sang it with gusto, plus the waiters were very attentive. More importantly, MICHELLE had initially thought that her husband had actually chartered the cruise just for the two of them. BJ was not about to spoil the great moment for he thought it was God’s intention to make it that way. When they docked at the pier, the two capped the night off with a passionate kiss. It was indeed fun and damn memorable.

As I said, the two would have many more memorable dates in the future. Couples really have to find time to spend with just among themselves, to bond, chitchat, with or without an occasion. I hope BJ would not run out of fresh ideas in the future.

But if he does, budget notwithstanding, here are some of the best places that they might want to visit in the future.

1. CARLO’s TAPSILOGAN, Ipil St., near corner Batangas St., Tondo, Manila: The place boasts of the best, freshly cooked tapsilog and porksilog in the district of Tondo. The dishes are delicious but with 101 % guarantee that they are not spiced with MSG. The servings of rice are likewise relatively more than an average tapsilogan would offer. More importantly, the prices are probably the cheapest in town that they would be able to treat all beggars that pass by asking for alms. Sharing ones blessings from time to time is after all true happiness. So if you have limited budget, BJ and MICHELLE, this is the place to be.

2. Bamboo Grill Bar and Restaurant, Camsur Watersports Complex, Camarines Sur: If you happen to visit Iriga or Legazpi for a mission, speaking engagement or whatever, and want to take a side trip to the most popular tourist destination cum water recreation venue in the area, CWC has got to be it. Just an hour drive or ride even on a non-airconditioned vehicle, the travel itself to the said destination is like an adventure, coupled with a spectacular view of Mount Mayon. Upon reaching CWC, the in-house restaurant boasts of the best native dishes that you can think of. But just in case you order the house specialty which is Bicol Express, and you want it real hot, make sure that you are reminded that you are already in the Bicol Region. Anything that is averagely hot to them is surely too hot to handle for an average Manileno. But with an ice cold beer on the side, and with the band playing in the background, everything else turns cool. And the living accommodations? The best. Whatever happens next is beyond imagination.

3. OAM THONG THAI, Sukhumvit Soi 33, Wattana, Bangkok, Thailand: One sure guarantee that it is a good restaurant is that it’s name is dubbed in the Tourist Magazine in the airport as among the best dining experience when in Bangkok. Nonetheless, allot sufficient time in looking for the location of the restaurant because you would surely have difficulty in finding it. Three taxi cab transfers might do the trick. But when you reach the area, that is when the fun begins. Anyways, as the saying goes: “Good things are hard to find”. Hehe. The place boasts of the best Thai dishes and delicacies, although pronouncing the names would be strenuous that you would have to rely on the pictures when ordering. Yet when the food is served by the non-English speaking servers, you would realize that the pictures indeed did justice to the taste. You can even take pictures while doing funny faces and management would not mind a bit. If you have the budget to fly to Bangkok, OAM THONG THAI should be on the top of your list.

4. CAFÉ ADRIATICO, Adriatico St., Malate, Manila: Whether it is a first lunch date, or a late night dinner after a hard day’s work, this is a superb place to visit. In existence for decades, the place offers an ambience that old souls would find very interesting. So it is not surprising that an intellectual Gemini ex-presidentiable frequents this place with his dazzling wife to dine, relax and enjoy. This is also the place you go to if you want unexpected drama to unfold before your eyes, such as when a lonesome old Chinese businessman leaves the place after dining already with a young beautiful mestiza. If you are the” too observant” type who fancies differentiating the old rich from the nouveau by the vehicles they use or the jewelry they wear, then grab a cab and off to Café Adriatico you go. And by the way, did I say that the food is great too? Try the suman sa lihia but don’t pour the dipping on it. Or whatever way you want it served.

5. BUONA VITA Ristorante Italiano, Daang Hari, Alabang, Muntinlupa bordering Bacoor, Cavite: This is where you go to relax, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, and the prying eyes of the public yet it is not really far from Metro Manila as it is just a ten minute drive from Alabang. This is the type of place you normally would not think exists unless you pull-over that dark and dimly lit Daang Hari road or if BARACK and MICHELLE would casually invite you to join in. This is fine dining in a place away from the city but not too distant like when you travel to Tagaytay. The place boasts of the finest Italian dishes like steaks and pastas, but you have to try their appetizers of different cheese and cold cuts too. Ordering for extra olives would not cost you that much either. This too is the type of place where tremendous ideas get hatched, especially if you wanna be a billionaire (so freaking bad) or when you simply discuss a house you want to build on top of the hill. Or when a couple would simply while away their time to enjoy the pleasures of being in love. If BJ and MICHELLE would like a repeat of their quiet moment in the cruise ship, this is where they should go to.

6. CAFÉ ANO, Westgate, Alabang, Muntinlupa City: Starbucks is not the only place you go to when you want to have coffee. Unlike SB in Alabang which closes at 1:00 AM, this place offers a different assortment of coffee until when they close store hours at 3:00 AM. The place offers a variety of Filipino and foreign dishes at affordable prices but in case you are one who would take light meals in the evening, try their appetizer, the chipirones, though you are not prevented from ordering plain rice with it. Parking is somehow problematic as plenty of its customers and from other restos parked their cars nearby, but since BJ does not have his car yet, that does not pose a problem I supposed.

So there it goes, BJ and MICHELLE.