binge, bikini

 So everyone's on a diet (including us) what with bikini season and all. Honestly, I've been hungry for a while now. Ysa's been hungry longer. I think I started cutting back on rice too late though. Because I'm just cranky and hungry but I didn't really lose any weight. So days before our Caramoan trip --- and because life is too short to not eat good food --- Ysa and I broke our fast like whoa! :)

How I missed you!

My wonderful Toni got back last Saturday after being away for one whole week. It was agonizing. I hate it when he has to go away for work. Like a cloying Dusty Springfield song, when he’s not around I just don’t know what to do with myself, being so used to doing everything with you, planning everything for two and all.

       

But yay, wonderful Toni is back and so we elected to celebrate his safe return at Crystal Jade. It was packed! I tried to reserve us a table earlier that day but they don’t accept reservations for a party of two.

Drunken Chicken Marinated with Chinese Wine & Wolfberry

Noodles in Peanut Sauce

Xiao Long Bao 

Yang Chow

Excuse the poor food shots. The 50mm lens doesn’t really give you much versatility, and this isn’t really a food/photography blog.

I got lucky. He has this melancholic and brooding face and he can look like he was born sad and that he has never known happiness. Oh, but when he smiles he’s the very picture of boyish mischief.

He’s one of the good ones, really, and the best I’ve ever met.  We celebrated our 3^rd anniversary last month, which explains why I haven’t been blogging all that much. Feb is a very, very busy month, what with our anniv and Valentine’s. Yep, we go all out on our special days, as well days made special by our capitalist, consumer culture. Love it!

Seriously, if you’re boyfriend doesn’t make a big deal of Valentine’s, or your anniversary, or the anniversary of the day you first met or of your first date, first kiss, etc…I’d be worried.

I’m not a complete sucker, though. I don’t require flowers and chocolates on V-day. I don’t even like flowers or chocolates. But I got them anyway… Sigh    

Hakao

Food obsessions change over time. Mine tend to veer on the intense side: I indulge on whatever food obsession I happen to have as much as I can, as often as I can – until I get too sick of it, I don’t crave it for another year or so.

This time last year I was eating dulong with everything, in every meal, everyday. Melba toast, rice, bread, crackers, on its own… My supply ran out and I haven’t had, or craved for it since. It’s due for a comeback pretty soon.

Food obsession du jour: hakao and taro puffs. Now I‘ve always loved hakao and taro puffs but lately I’ve been going to chinese restaurants way more usual.

During one such visit I was told they’ve ran out of taro puffs. I was devastated. Nothing upsets me more than food deprivation, especially when I set my heart on something I’m suddenly told I can’t have. Toni, God bless him, sensing my distress, offered to go to the restaurant next door to order taro puffs. I told him it was unnecessary, if only because the restaurant next door was not Chinese, but Japanese! Close enough, he said and tried anyway. I didn’t get my taro puffs that night,  but he’s sweet, isn’t he?

The photos are NOT from the aforementioned Chinese restaurant, but from Tin Hau (Mandarin Oriental). Do check out their weekend Yum Cha Menu, it’s to die for. Yum, yum, yum. Toni and I had our third date (Chinese New Year three years ago!) in Mandarin, so it’s really a special place for us. <3