Disjointed

So I guess I'm back. Again.

I've been looking at what's here, and it's sort of who I am - a series of a lot of things, but none of anything that makes you remember.

There's travel and traveling, and movement, which I enjoy.

There's photography, which I like.

There's music, which soothes my soul.

There's angst and all else, which me being a very wound up individual has a lot of.

Conventional wisdom says that I should hone the message and keep it to a minimum to get engagement.

But I have not come here for engagement, this has been my comfort spot for a very long time now. And I am still very hurt about having to take down writings here when I burned my bridges more than a decade ago.

I write what I like here, and what tickles my fancy. I mostly am talking to myself as I write, and these, as sick as they may sound, aren't really meant for anyone else.

Well if you're here thank you for reading, and if you got to this part gratitude is in order.

But (again but) this wasn't really meant for someone else, the only thing it was really ever was me speaking into the void

Katsu Shokudo

Katsu Shokudo

Visayas Avenue, Quezon City

It’s been cold recently in the Metro, not vortex cold, but cold enough for the common Indio to go looking for warm soup when it’s evening and he’s out and about.

It’s the reason why mami has always been a favorite, and now that we’ve become global as the walls of distances come down with the advent of the Information Age, Japan’s Ramen dish is slowly but surely gaining ground as a staple in Filipino’s gastronomic lists.

Katsu Shokudo is a quaint and unpretentious Ramen shop located at in the stretch of Visayas Ave. It looks and feels like how Ramen shops are in its native land, small. homey, and part of its neighborhood.

The fare is simple and straightforward: Katsu in two famous flavors and Ramen in three (Shoyu, Shio, and lol Spicy). They have Gyoza, and Takoyaki to complement the craving, and that’s it. I found the fare’s exactness to my liking, it doesn’t confuse the customer. 

A bowl of Ramen will cost you PHP 160-ish, and Katsu

will cost the same. The ingredients are true to form, not some Japanese wannabe version of the mami. The flavors are strong and crisp, and I would say better than it’s price range. We’ve done some research on how to prepare the soup bases since we’re foodies, and lemme tell you, significant hours are spent with the broth.

We’ve tried out Ramen Houses that cost more but taste like the soup was from - well let’s not go there. I should learn to say “not very tasty” instead.

The crew was very warm and friendly, and for a set-up this small and intimate, makes the dining experience really great. Like visiting a friend’s restaurant. Head on over to Katsu Shokudo and find out for yourself!

Mad Cafe

Mad Cafe

#19 Congressional Avenue, Quezon City

Fri-yay! 

After a couple of days of most things not going right and some going really well, it’s finally the end of the week. I’ve not written about a place ever while I was there, and well you can chalk this to two things: one, I was feeling so bad about our collective week that it was immensely fun to be here, and two, Mad Cafe is great as itself.

Both are good things taken by themselves and as a whole don’t you think?

Applauding the panache and vision of the owners, the sheer gutsiness of Mad  Cafe in placing their establishment near the beloved Starbucks of the area, near the (now extremely disappointing) Pares Retiro, Kowloon, and a something-something Noodle and Breakfast joint across the street, is enough to warrant a look-see. Or rather a look-taste. One wouldn’t go willingly in the middle of a cross hair unless confident; or Crazy. So yeah, welcome to Mad Cafe!

As their name implies, they have the regular run of the coffee list from Cappuccino at PHP 80 to Espresso at PHP 110, and to their credit, have milk teas too. Since we are in Mad Cafe, why not try their concoction of fruit juices and our much loved Yakult? We tried two orders, one with Kiwi and the other one with Mango, large servings at PHP 110. I’m secretly sipping very slow right now and just taking the flavors in. They’re surprisingly good. They let you borrow their metal straws too, so those for lessening their carbon footprints you’ve found a place in Quezon City to support!

We went our separate ways ordering food, and again commending the zany way the menu is structured, we ordered Pork Binagoongan for PHP 180 and their Beef Cheeseburger with Chips for PHP 190.

The burger was well seasoned and carried a punch of flavor, reminded me of those classic Mom and Pops in Manila’s heyday before all these fast food giants altered the landscape. It was juicy and well done, and the cheese gently reminding you it was there, like a very enjoyable and familiar blanket.

The bagoong wasn’t offensive to the olfactory senses, but to our surprise, wasn’t bland at all. Pork was seasoned and cooked just right too.

The serving sizes are reasonable at it’s price range, and you can stay for hours and keep ordering without necessarily denting you pocket a great deal.

Why stay? Cubbyholes for you and your friends. A ball pool, swing and a small playhouse with a slide for the kids. And, and, and boardgames!

Mad Cafe is located near the intersection of Visayas and Congressional Avenues, and will be on your right if you are headed to Luzon Avenue and on your left if you are headed to Mindanao Avenue.

Go pay them a visit!

Oh, just found out. They're not open until two am on a weekday.

Tim Äwä - EP

Tim Äwä - EP

So it was going to be an exciting evening. Counterflow had a benefit gig and we were invited by a childhood best bud who happens to be the guitarist for Monochrome (more on that later).

We walk into Mow’s as Tim Äwä was starting the set, and boy wasn’t it ear candy love at first sight! Or rather, some post psychedelic, grunge, gothic, soul drawing rock music that was utterly hypnotic kept us in thrall. It was like deliberately stepping on a rake to have its handle whack you in the face intense. But in a good way.

Tim Äwä’s self titled EP has five tracks, each of them a gem in its own right.

The percussion and bass work on the tracks are tight, snug like a blanket. Guitars are dreamy, and quite intelligent. The melodies and harmonies employed make you feel like riding a huge cloud (blanket, walking bed of ants, take your pick) that even though drips of possibly gothic sadness is all Filipino mythology and is surprisingly unobtrusive and unpretentious at the same time. 

The tracks evoke strong personal memories, testament to the artistry of Tim Äwä. It sounds deeply personal, which is why it rings true to the listener I think. I was so caught I actually searched for where to get the album and whee! It was available on iTunes. 

Sample the songs boys and girls. These are who we should support. OPM with stress on all three letters. Original Pinoy Music. We are a little late to the party as this was released last year, but hey better late than never right?