Friday hit 'n miss

HIT

Mom and Tina's Cafe

for lunch, my officemates and i decided to try the biggest buzz in Makati dining these days : Mom and Tina's Cafe. located along dela Rosa Street, the cafe is ideal for the working class at it is just a few minutes away from Ayala Ave.

we got there around 11:30 and there was already a queue of people waiting for their turn. i got excited. long line means really really good food. promising but not good for those who are famished as waiting time could last as long as 30-45 minutes.

the good thing about waiting however, is seeing food come out of the kitchen, giving us an idea on what to order. everything smelled and looked good. the wide array of baked items on display added to that i-feel-like-i'm-in-my-mom's-kitchen feel of the room.

after a good 30 minutes or so, we finally got seated outside. i ordered their Chicken Alexander - bits of chicken and mushroom in a creamy sauce layered with mashed potatos and corn served with 2 garlic cheese rolls. it. was. good. the potatos were cooked perfectly and the cream sauce gave the dish it's hearty fill.

the rest ordered the famous Shepherd's Pie (ground beef and mushroom in tomato sauce layered with mashed potatos), Fetuccine with Basil Pesto Sauce (squid and shrimp on pesto sauce and freshly made fetuccine noodles) and Paella Valenciana (a mix of chicken, chorizo and seafood on top of rice in tomato and olive oil). of course i poked my fork on everything and they all tasted sooo good.

my only complain is that there isn't enough ventilation outside which made dining a bit uncomfortable. a wall fan or two could make a huge difference.

all in all, my first Mom and Tina's experience was great. the long wait was worth it and the price is ridiculously cheap. we'll definitely go back. earlier next time.

MISS

Wensha Spa

i've been meaning to have a massage since i got back and what better place to go than Wensha Spa. i've been there several times before and i've never had reason to complain. a good massage with a complimentary buffet is a bargain after all.

last night, however, i wasn't happy. while i understand that Friday night is usually a busy night, i still expect the staff to be at their best and treat all clients in the same manner they would on a slow day. but no, at least not last night.

the massage reception area sounded like a marketplace with therapists arguing with the the receptionists on which one to go next blah blah. it was like listening to vendors offering their goods. really.

when we finally got our turn, we were escorted upstairs. what i saw as i entered the room wasn't anything i expected. there they were, 8 other girls having their massages. side by side. like a buffet of butt cheeks. not a pretty sight. so i asked the girl downstairs if it's ok to just wait til a private room is available as i wasn't comfortable sharing a room and getting naked in a roomful of naked girls.

her response :"babae naman yang mga yan eh. saka may rotation ang mga therapist. ready na yung therapist nyo so hindi na pwede palitan". another girl continued to say that it's really not possible. what the fuck??? how can it be impossible to wait??? they didn't even have the courtesy to tell us that we were going to use the common room. unacceptable!

in utter frustration, i agreed. i stripped naked in a roomful of other naked girls and had my massage. a few minutes later, another set of girls came in. TALKING REALLY LOUD while stripping. right beside my bed.

argh! so much for relaxation.