Sunday, December 28, 2014

A Sweet Escape to Gillian Gail Desserts Buffet #lynnikaeats

9:04 AM
If you feel down and out, tired from the usual post-Christmas feeling - wouldn't the words "buffet" and "desserts" make you feel like the joyous spirit of Christmas magically came back?



A couple of days before Christmas, my best friend Erika invited me to have lunch with her at Katipunan. I'm pretty sure she wanted to try something different and knowing her - Gillian Gail was a perfect contender since it screamed desserts. We were bummed when we found out that it wouldn't be open on the 23rd which was supposedly our lunch date out. But considering that it were the holidays, it was reasonable considering even establishments needed a couple of days off to re-energize and get on with the holiday spirit. We opted for finding somewhere else to eat, but we really wanted to eat at the said desserts buffet so we just waited until the 27th.

Gillian Gail is a quaint, cutesy (but mostly fancy-looking) restaurant nestled in the 3rd floor of the Oracle just along Katipunan. If you come from the North (where I come from), you would want to pass through the farther end of Xavierville so you can just drive by the streets of Katipunan with ease. It's really easy to find, too.




Upon entering, most of the shops in Oracle were closed which made it a really nice quiet. The staff greeted me sincerely, where Erika was already seated down in one of their plush sofa-looking chairs. The first thing that caught my eye in the desserts area were the many colorful candies and pastries. I didn't fancy the candies in this situation (don't get me wrong, I can eat a whole bag of Jellybeans) since it was accessible pretty much anywhere.

First, pastriieessss (insert heart-eyes emojis)



The first thing I tried from the pastries section were these yellow cake bars. What I liked about it was the moistness of the cake. It was also light and it being moist was already good enough for me.


Next were the red velvet cupcakes (which one of their lovely staff offered to us). I was surprised when one of the kuya staff gave it to us - since I read from another blog (I read a couple of blogs which had reviews about Gillian Gail the night before) that the cupcakes costed around 70 pesos each. I was saddened by this and instilled into my mind that the cupcakes weren't part of the buffet. I told this to Erika and she quickly shot an "Pang take out siguro yun kaya may bayad." So I'd like to confirm that THE RED VELVET CUPCAKES ARE FREE!!!! Yay!!! 


(Red velvet cupcake with my unlimited cup of coffee)

The red velvet cupcake was really moist and also had layers of jam (I think) in between.


(A cupcake ferris wheel!)

Next on my to-eat list for pastries was the apple cobbler and bread pudding. Again, one of the kuya staff initiated that he heated the apple cobblers we took (he was really nice that Erika dubbed him as Kuya Rainbow) It had mango ice cream on top when he gave it back for us to devour it. It resembled a hearty apple pie and was also flavorful without sacrificing the amount of juicy apples in it. As for the bread pudding, one of the chef/owners suggested that we try it so like Kuya Rainbow - he had it heated and topped it with also mango ice cream. He insisted that it was supposedly vanilla ice cream, but they were out of stock so the mango had to do.

Next, non-pastries.


(An assortment of gummies, jellybeans and apple cobbler servings at the back)

Panna cotta were one of the items on the table that was foreign to me by taste. Only in Masterchef had I heard it often so it was kind of a coming of age moment for me. Erika described it as "pillows in your mouth" (or something like that! Basta may pillows) and told the tale of how her elder sister considered it as her favorite dessert. It indeed was a nice moment of feeling the sweet cream travel around the insides of your mouth - the sweetness not too much that you couldn't handle, and I hinted a note of vanilla in there too.

Next was the crème brûlée which was also my first time to try. Lo and behold, the nice kuya staff suggested that he torched it first for us. Just like my experience with the panna cotta, it was all the while worth it. The thin layer or caramelized sugar was just ace, more so on the creaminess hiding beneath it.

Both were, as I would say - a gastronomic event for a person who doesn't eat desserts on a daily basis.

Next was the fried palitaw which was served to us by one of the ate staff who was just as nice as the kuya staff. It had peanut butter and sesame seeds and was a good take on a classic Filipino favorite. It kills me that I haven't took pictures of the last 3 desserts. I enjoyed it so much that I had to dig in right away.

Erika had gotten the last mango cheesecake on the display so I didn't bother getting another cheesecake flavor. It wasn't your regular cheesecake since it was neatly cradled in a shot glass and the consistency of the cheesecake itself was above par.


Last on my list were the brazo de mercedes cutlets. Light and sweet - it's your typical brazo de mercedes.


We all know that too much of anything is well... too much. In this case, you wouldn't want yourself to get into a dessert comma where you haven't tried what's left to be eaten. A nacho station, siomai station and "kwek-kwek-nalang-street food-na-talaga-to" section" are also provided to aid you in your quest for a happy tummy.

Nachos were great. Cheese wasn't clumpy. Sad that I didn't try the jalapenos though.


I give Gillian Gail's siomai an A+. Siomai in general - A+. My best friend even joked, "Siomai lang talaga ang pinunta dito e." I think I was able to down at least 8 pieces.


Last review are the marshmallows which were injected with jelly. I heard their coffee was the best flavor they had but they were all out. Although the rest of the flavors were still good.


(An assortment of truffles, mallows and cookies)

Writing this review made me realize that I wasn't able to try their blueberry crepe which was made to order and their ice cream selections as well. I was so caught up with our kwentuhan sesh which made me forget about trying everything else - which goes to show that this is a very fitting place for catching up with a friend, family or even a special someone if you have. Quick segue, the price ranges are from 299 - 499 pesos. If you'd like to have rice meals, I suggest you go for the 399 and 499 meals. We just wanted the desserts so ours only costed for 299 per head.


(View of the busy Katipunan streets from Gillian Gail)



(The interiors were really nice so we had to take a picture or so)

Overall, I consider Gillian Gail Desserts Buffet as to that of a unicorn minus the "it doesn't exist" factor. Because in this case, nice things do exist. Good place, great food, an even better staff, and a humble chef/owner as well. 


(With one of the chef-owners - Dennis Choi)

Rooting to come back soon for more sweet and savory treats.
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Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Why Cheating Will Never Be a Trend xx

7:53 AM
Cheating has been around for ages and will still linger if people won't stop knowing that sharing isn't always the better option. 

From a girl who has experienced what it's like to be cheated on - somehow indirectly- there isn't any other worse feeling than being replaced. Thus, making you feel like you weren't good enough, self-esteem turned into dust and not to mention the fear of trusting again. 

There are basically many types of cheating but still unforgivable from any angle you look at it, namely:
1. Those who cheat because they feel lonely, lost the "spark" or basically just fell out of love with their partner.
2. Those who cheat but only did it for the hormones. 
3. Those who cheat because they had this certain "understanding" with another person- making them fall in love with them.
4. Those who cheat but the second partner doesn't know that the person he/she's dating is already taken.
5. Those who cheat and the second partner already knows that the person he/she's now dating is already taken but decided to push through with it anyway.

And many more. Every cheater has his/her own reason so feel free to add your mental list of reasons.

Aside from personal experiences- I've heard stories from people I know and even people I care about- to tv shows, Beyoncé, and the like.

Since I've already mentioned Beyoncé, rumors have circulated for the past months that Jay-Z cheated on her with another woman.... while they were on tour together. I'm not a big Beyoncé fan but I do admit that I've been smitten with her song, "XO" for the past weeks and its Beyoncé- the Queen B getting cheated on? I can't even fathom the thought of Jay-Z finding another woman since he's already with a beautiful and powerful woman in the music industry. Putting those rumors aside, it was evident during the 2014 VMAs that the two have reconciled with a genuine gesture by Jay-Z bringing their daughter, Blue, to the stage with him while he congratulated Beyonée for a star-studded, successful career over the past years.


(Photo from Tumblr)

And now I'm down to my 2 last examples - the Cinemalaya 2014 entry under the New Breed Category: Mariquina, and Kasal for the Director's Showcase category - both films having an intense screenplay regarding cheating.

Throughout watching Mariquina, I felt wavering emotions towards Imelda (played by actress Mylene Dizon and young Imelda by Barbie Forteza). I somehow related to the characters since, well- you probably might get it if you've watched the film. Heavy doses of trust issues, being lost and forgiving was executed in each scene. Long story short, Imelda's father who cheated on his wife eventually committed suicide due to his regrets in life.



(Mariquina Full Trailer)

As for Kasal- which won Best Film in the Director's Showcase category by the way, also dealt with heavy issues regarding cheating. Arnold Reyes who portrayed Sherwin was the man who was cheated on by his long time gay lover- Paolo who was played by Oliver Aquino. It was evident in the film on how Paolo's act of cheating played a huge role in their succeeding relationship as a couple. Sherwin became secretive of his actions, lost a big part of his trust for Paolo making their relationship suffer greatly, to the time even passing a masters grant in a university at Amsterdam was kept from Paolo- who was about to propose to Sherwin. The story ended in an open ending manner, leaving the viewers hanging and making them give their own spin on how the movie should end for them.


(Kasal Full Trailer)

People often make mistakes and it's really just human nature. But sometimes these mistakes are thought of before done- making cheating a very hard pill to swallow. If you aren't happy with your partner anymore, it's better to call it quits than fooling them into a faithful relationship.  


I may not be a big Beyoncé fan but listen to her song XO! Its lyrics' definition of love is pretty much spot on if you ask me. I find this song suited for this blog post since we're talking about love anyway.


I also love John Mayer's take on this song. I don't know why some people are hating on it though. I think his cover is gold.
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Friday, July 11, 2014

What Love Is Not

8:16 AM
Since this year’s Live Pure Conference is just a few days before us, I've decided to write something about the main thing concerning the event – love.

Love is… what is love again? Or rather, what is not love about?

Speaking from a Filipino's perspective, remember those - “What is love?” questions scribbled down on your autograph book which was a big hit during your elementary days? As cliché as it may sound, the usual answer I can recall to that tale-old question is, “Love is like a rosary that is full of mysteries,” Feel free to roll your eyes and laugh at the latter statement because yes – these were 10 to 12-year-olds defining that love is a mystery.

Although as I grew older, I came to realize that love isn't a mystery. Neither is it blind nor is in the air – because honestly, 10-year-old me found those 2 statements hilarious but accepted its definition anyway. Falling in and out of love fast and the inevitable getting your heart broken was a practice I started quite young but until now haven’t even mastered yet. Sure it was all fun and games back then, but between those careless and petty almost-relationships I felt happiness and pain. And it was somehow too much for a then 14-year-old to handle.

Over the course of years, I've met people who know a thing or two about what love really is. And of course, you have to have a first-hand experience on the actual shindig.

One thing I've learned is that love is not only based on feelings but rather is mostly up to our decisions. Sure, you can like someone just for a very short period of time just because of the attraction you feel towards that person, but eventually those butterflies will die down and the urge to make an effort will fade. This is where the decision-making comes in – will you still love that person despite the lack of attraction and spark you feel? If yes, then I commend you for owning up to that person. If not, then pack your bags and start reflecting.

Another thing about love that I've learned is that there is no such thing as indispensable love. Love is not an easy thing to get rid of. If it does fade, it wasn't love to start with. But of course it still depends on a case to case basis depending on what kind of love you’re leaning on. Not only am I talking about the romantic side of it, but take a look at your family and friends – is your love towards them in any kind disposable?

The last thing I've learned about love, and I found it in a really unexpected place to begin with – is that attachment is a common misconception for love. If you've watched that episode on How I Met Your Mother when Robin told Ted that, “… the future is scary. But you just can’t run back to the past because it’s familiar.” And reading that line over and over again does make a lot of sense if you think about it.

My best friend told me the other day that familiarity is one of the better comforts known to human. And who can blame us for being ideologically dense for believing that love is the same thing as to attachment but in fact we're just used to having that person around? This, in all honesty - I'm still experiencing.


(Taken at Noriter Café -  Taft, Manila. Written by: a stranger)

I've had my fair share of taking and giving away (quite a lot) of love, feeling attraction towards other people and the like - but one thing's for sure, love should never be in a mediocre extent.


God Himself loved and is still loving us, and we are here to believe that He is the Almighty one - so who are we to treat love as an instant, spur-of-the-moment feeling? More so on the people we try to show our love to. If you want the right kind of love, give out the right kind of love. 

I have still so much to learn about love and these are only some of the few things I've learned and experienced. I also feel blessed that I'll be attending an event solely with the purpose of letting people know what love truly is.

If you're in Metro Manila and is more than interested to know what love is, head on over to the SMX Convention Center on July 13. Bring your family and friends and share the right kind of love!




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Thursday, May 22, 2014

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost: A Look Through a First Time Wanderer's Experience

8:34 AM
Last Saturday - May 17, 2014 - was the second installment of the annual Wanderland Music and Arts Festival in the Philippines. With both local and international bands like Chocolate Grass, Brisom, Techy Romantics, the Wanderband 2014 winner The Ransom Collective and even Franco capped off the local lineup - as for the international set of bands, Woody Pitney, Lucy Rose, The Paper Kites, Last Dinosaurs, Architecture in Helsinki, Royal Concept and Coachella pioneer, The Drums.

A couple of months before Wanderland 2013 has been announced, I chatted up with a friend from a well-known music production - opening the topic that I wish they could somehow bring St. Jerome's Festival to Manila. It was to my surprise that a week after that conversation, Wanderland was announced.

I arrived in Circuit Makati at around 1pm, considering that I came from Quezon City which was a bit far from the venue. As I quickly met up with a friend and his girlfriend, it dawned to us on how hot it was then. Even as we entered to the grounds itself, we were welcomed with an array of umbrellas and even a couple of people who were apparently selling umbrellas. The heat didn't bother us as much though, since it was also windy back then. We roamed around for a little bit and checked out what else the Circuit grounds had in store for us "Wanderers". There were various food stalls, game booths and other artsy fartsy stuff which really fitted the event.

Even if it was already 1pm, Chocolate Grass was still on stage. I remember my friend saying that the band was pretty good. The vocalist was giving off a sort of blues feel with her vocals and it was really visible with the way she sang on how good of a performer she is.

After half an hour, two of my high school friends met up with me and I had to part ways with my other friend and his girlfriend. I haven't seen Erika (but I call her Barts because of her surname, Barretto) since our high school graduation ball which was 3 years ago and the last time I saw Patricia (but I call her Herbie since her surname is Herbolario) was during my friend's debut, which was around last February 2013. You can call this a mini reunion for the three of us.



We laid our mat during Brisom's set and by this time the heat was close to unbearable. Everyone brought out their mats, umbrellas and sun block for protection from the piercing heat. Brisom's vocalist even said, "Ang gaganda ng mga payong niyo." which of course, he joked. By the time Techy Romantics' set started, the crowd evidently started to file in. More umbrellas and people under mats were more evident now.


After Woody Pitney's set, we decided to roam around the Circuit grounds once again. It was then The Ransom Collective's set, but we really felt bad on how long it took them to set their equipment up. There were even tech people who took over the mic, and started relaying numbers to their fellow tech crew to maybe let them know that such equipment isn't in good shape. I'm no expert with tech stuff in this kind of field, but that's what I understood during that time.

Upon roaming around the grounds, there was this section where there were huge masterpieces of various artworks. We immediately took pictures of each one posing with these pieces, since it was really creative.... and huge.





The crowd really started singing when Franco hit the stage, and who could blame them. This guy is a legend in the OPM scene, remarking that he's sure most of us use "herbal medicine" as an intro to his first song. I'm not a fan of his band, but the reggae tunes they produced were pretty smooth and not that hard to like.

When Lucy Rose took over, the sun was now replaced with more clouds and a darker sky. Everyone started hoping that it wouldn't rain, but it did anyway - on a lighter note, it didn't rain that hard and it only lasted for a couple of minutes. Herbie was able to get a chance to meet The Royal Concept, while Barts was able to chat with Dan Koyama of Last Dinosaurs. I was glad that they were able to meet them, even though it started pouring during this time. But even though it rained, it didn't stop us from fully enjoying the festival.




(From left to right: Herbie and Barts)

After Lucy Rose, it was The Paper Kites' turn and by this time Herbie ushered us to go near the stage since the rest of the bands after The Paper Kites will be the headliners. The crowd near the stage was still thin so it was a good opportunity for us to get a good spot. It was funny because our friend Barts was telling us how crazy it was during last year's Wanderland was especially during Up Dharma Down's set, saying that there were a bunch of couple making MOMOL publicly. We also did a bit of strategizing if ever the band members of Last Dinosaurs would roam around the grounds after their set, saying that we'd run to a certain direction so we could meet them. I considered it as a good past time while waiting for The Paper Kites to start their set. 

It was during The Paper Kites' set when it was already night time. People started taking off their flower crowns and started prepping for some real concert fun. It was also during this time when our former high school teacher arrived, finally completing our little Wanderland group.

After The Paper Kites was my most awaited band of the lineup - Last Dinosaurs. I could go on on how much I love this Aussie band. I've seen them play when they came here last November, and to be honest I still felt the excitement seeing them for the second time around. I've discovered their music around January 2013, and told myself that when they come here I'll do whatever it takes to see them live. I'm so blessed that that wish was granted, and here I was - seeing them for the second time.




The Last Dinosaurs' set would've been spot on if the sound system was perfect. During their first two songs, the sound quality didn't really meet with the festival's standards and they were all pretty much annoyed with it. Sean Caskey (vocalist), most especially. He was so pissed at the tech crew that he even muttered "Fuck," beneath his breath. It was pretty painful to watch, but we couldn't do anything as fans. Although mid-performance, things started to look up because they weren't as pissed anymore. I think that what kept them going was the lively crowd and being the nice lads they are, that's already enough for them to put on an almost great show. Even after performing, they came down the stage and gave everyone in front a hand - showing their appreciation. Me and my friends even got to hold Sean and Dan's hand! Dan went to the further left side of the stage, leaving him with only a few fans to shake his hand so I took the opportunity to tell him how much of a good show they put on. Barts even fangirled a little bit after holding Dan's hand after. Hihi.

After their set me and Barts decided to buy water since we were getting dehydrated from all the jumping and screaming. Water costed around 30php but it was well-accepted considering that we were at a venue with really known sponsors and such. Barts wasn't feeling well during this time so we went to the medic's tent for her to rest. The staff were very accommodating, giving full attention to those who needed them. There was even a K-9 dog there, so we played with it while Barts was taking her much needed rest. After this, Globe's Wonderful All Stars was done with their set and people started filing in like crazy since it was The Royal Concept's turn next.

Just like what happened to The Ransom Collective earlier, it took The Royal Concept a longer time to have everything set up and in good shape. The vocalist, David Larson, even apologized to the crowd for taking too long before they could perform. But guess what? The wait was all worth it. 



I admit that I wasn't a huge fan of The Royal Concept - knowing only 2 songs from them. But after their performance, I could say that theirs was the best set of the evening - even after witnessing The Drums' performance.

It was then Architecture In Helsinki's turn to take over the stage, but me and my former high school teacher, Miss Kristine decided to eat first. We had a pretty long day, especially since I was literally only feeding on liquids ever since the festival started. We were able to spot a couple of celebrities during the event too, like Jake Cuenca, Richard Gutierrez, (I think, or it could be his twin, Raymond. I couldn't tell really.) Georgina Wilson and Pia Magalona. I've heard that even Allison Harvard attended, but we weren't able to see her when we were there.

It was already 1am and we were still in Circuit Makati. We were very much tired then, but we wanted to finish the festival despite our dying feet. And besides, it was The Drums' turn now - the main act of the festival. I listened to The Drums even back in my high school years but slowly started to drift from them when I started college. My friend, Sab, wasn't able to attend Wanderland since she isn't much to the indie scene but really like The Drums nevertheless. So when it was their turn to play, I set my phone to unlimited calls and called her up, live streaming their performance so she could hear them live - even if it's only through the phone.


Although I only memorize 2 songs from them, it was still a joy to watch them play especially with Jonny singing around playing with the mic, and Tom Haslow being a complete behaved boy on stage. Me and my friends kept on muttering on how cute he looked on stage though. 

The festival ended at around past 2am. They even did an encore of two songs but we were really tired so we just went home mid-"Down By The Water".

Bottomline is, Wanderland was such a unique and different music experience compared to the previous concerts I've been to. You get home tired but the body pain was all worth it because of the music, people, and activities you got to enjoy to and with. It was my first time and I'm surely coming back to next year's Wanderland.



What an experience this has been. It's been only 5 days since, but it's like I want to rent a time machine so I could go back to May 17. Music will always be a good medium to bring people together, and will always be there even after a million years. Oh, that's me partially quoting a Last Dinosaur's song. Til then, music junkies and hipsters alike! See you all again in Wanderland Music and Arts Festival 2015.

Credits to my friends Barts, Herbie and Miss Kristine for letting me borrow some of their photos! Love all of your shots.
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Posted by at 8:34 AM 5 comments: