The Milky Way Building Special

There are four restaurants in the Milky Way Building along Arnaiz Avenue (better known as Pasay Road). Everything you can find there is yummy.

A well-loved restaurant perfect for special occasions and ordinary ones is Cirkulo. It features Spanish cuisine as well as other international specialties.

Troupe Provence, fellow friends who were with me in France for Leica and Martin's wedding, had a reunion of sorts at Cirkulo, organized by the hostess with the mostess, Malu Gamboa, whose family owns the several restaurants in the building as well as the building itself. I wrote a story a few years ago on how her mother started Milky Way and how the reins have now passed to Malu and her chef brother, J.

Luckily, a box of goodies from France arrived, and Chef J cooked it up for us and arranged it beautifully for us to enjoy- heaven! Here were the apps:

 the tasty terrine (from Maru)

 the fabulous foie gras (also from Maru)

Spinach salad with chicaron 

Then came the mains that makes Cirkulo patrons keep on coming back for more. It's like they put magic dust in it so you think about your meal long after its over.

 steak frites

 crispy milk-fed pata

vegetarian portobello mushroom paella. All time fave!

Then the piece de resistance arrived. You thought you were stuffed? Think again. Here's the duck confit generously provided by Maru and lovingly cooked by J:

my portion- just a smidge. I've had it up here, I tell you....

Just when you though you were out, they pull you back in. For dessert, that is.

 meet deadly: flourless chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream

and his cousin, deadlier: bread pudding with vanilla ice cream

And these were the players. Reminiscing over good times and planning new times to come ahead!

Dynasty pose

That was a little before the New Year. Not everyone could attend, so Malusky made another date for 2011: January 10, at Azuthai (which we call Azuzu) to try the new menu. Game on! I never tire of Thai food.

When we arrived that evening, we ordered away. Isn't ordering so much fun when you are in a big group and someone will surely share with you?

We trickled in, but the first batch ordered this at random:

 catfish salad

 assorted appetizers. a good idea for first timers

 pad Thai, my favorite!

 pomelo salad

 shrimp cakes

green chicken curry

I love how each dish is presented and how it can be both exotic and comfort food at the same time. You can never say Thai food is bland!

This time, those who didn't make it to the Cirkulo dinner showed up. Always a blast! Tessa came bearing gifts from Korea, including a dolphin caller, perfect for Jon-jon.

 Cashmere Craver and Soul Train as one

 Kat, Jon-jon and Dustin

Malu, Patrick, Chesca

Nix and Rajo

Dennis, Tessa and Teenee

Manda and Nix

Teenee and Bea

The finally, yesterday, for a final farewell to my dear friend Lia (who I could say can very well make her own blog of what she eats when she comes home to Manila), we trooped back to the Milky Way Building to eat at Tsukiji.

Yesterday, Lia had planned to eat Japanese for lunch, a choriburger for snack and Korean for dinner. By the way, she absolutely adores Jolly hotdog! Talk about homesickness!!

Tsukiji has fabulous and very affordable set menus for lunch (Php495+), very surprising as Tsukiji is very famous for its utmost quality. I had the pork tonkatsu set.

feels like you're in Japan!

 appetizer starter of tuna sashimi

 miso soup

 this is for one person? Crazy!

 Very tasty edamame

 Lia's favorite: agedashi tofu

Chesca's set: grilled mackerel

 Sayonara Lia! See you on the other side!

So all that is missing is the Milky Way Cafe. Wish I had room for a halo-halo....

Cirkulo: Ground floor, Milky Way Building 900 Arnaiz Avenu; tel +632.810.2763
Azuthaii: Same address +632.813.0671