Sunday, September 16, 2007 Comes another convert By Stella Estremera Goin' Places
THE place has been there for so long... years, in fact, and I've featured its rooftop resto before, a long time ago where there was still our trio doing the rounds of places -- Mylene, Jojie and I. But never again have I ventured in except to fetch a visitor or attend a meeting.
Several weeks back, however, Jojie was telling me about the really good food they are serving there. Like, drooling good, she even offered to accompany me when the eating urge hits because she needs every reason to go there and eat, she said.
But my eating urge slugged me unexpectedly and there was just Carlos to drag along.
The night's target: Avenida at Lispher Inn.
We were handed a thick leather-bound menu...
"Ang dami naman," I said, "ang hirap mamili!"
I was furiously texting Jojie, bugging her what was that food she was drooling over. She wasn't replying. I called her, her telephone was out of coverage area. And so I called Rhonson. (You have to see their menu to know what I mean...)
"Ano nga ba yung ino-order niyo dito parati?" I asked.
"Misono beef at bangus belly," Rhonson replied, his voice like a kid reciting in class (I could almost imagine him beaming, seemingly so proud of his knowledge). Hmmm...
I browsed through the menu once more and saw Misono Beef under the toppings category. I couldn't find the bangus belly though.
"Saan dito yung bangus belly?" I asked the waiter.
"Wala po sa menu, ma'am, pero pwede yung ma-order," he said.
I ordered Misono Beef, the bangus belly, and battered chicken since there was this craving for fried chicken that I can't seem to get rid of the past days. Carlos got the sweet and sour pork toppings.
The Misono Beef arrived first. It looked like just cubed beef on rice. But wait till you taste it... it goes with a sauce that you pour over liberally on your rice (Bye, bye diet!).
The sweet and sour pork looks like sweet and sour pork, which Carlos said was good.
And then the alien...
The waiter placed a plate of what looked like adobong kangkong on top of something. We didn't order kangkong...
"Ano ito?" I asked, looking with suspicion at the queer-looking stuff with slices of cucumber in a half-circle.
"Yan po yung bangus belly," the waiter said. True enough, there was what appeared to be fried fish beneath the kangkong. I still eyed it suspiciously, then took a bite... and...
No wonder Rhonson sounded like he was reciting in kindergarten class. These stuffs are those little things you'd be proud to know about and announce to the world.
Trying to taste all those in one night, however, can be taxing and so we decided to call it a night as the tummies said they just wanted to make hilata in front of the television and make kamot the tiyan, maybe... and I'm wondering why I'm gaining those pounds? Ugh!
Finally, Jojie replied as I was staring with glazed eyes at the television at home at just 8 p.m. I said I've had the Misono Beef and bangus belly already.
To which she replied, "Rhonson forgot to tell you our other favorite -- sizzling squid."
The following day, my long-time college buddy James texted. He's arriving the following day from Cebu and we agreed to see each other (that's our panata sa buhay, meet up whenever we can... after all he lives in Bacolod and Makati and I live in Davao and underwater and we've been buddies since 1981).
At around 11 a.m. Thursday, he texted, he has just landed and will just be checking in his things.
Where?
Lispher Inn.
Whoooaaaa!
While I was still making hilata in bed at 11 a.m. Thursday when James texted because it was my day off, the mere mention of Lispher Inn made me dash for the bathroom. In a few minutes, I was all set to join James for lunch (our original plan was to meet up later that night, but I invited myself and told him he's got to try the food at Lispher. Hey, I have a very good excuse to eat again and I don't intend to let that chance just pass me by!).
This time, we ordered Misono beef, bangus belly AND... sizzling squid.
While waiting for our food, Paul, Lispher Inn's SOO (son of owner) passed by, exchanged a few chitchat (James is as Ilonggo as Paul, hehehe!) and ordered asparagus wrapped in bacon for us.
"Tikman niyo, masarap talaga..."
Misono beef, bangus belly, sizzling squid, asparagus wrapped in bacon... the list seems to be growing and it has just been two days since I finally decided to try Avenida.
Friday morning I got a text from James again.
"Masarap rin ang adobo with rice that I'm having for breakfast," he said.
