Grissini Ristorante in Marikina City

Marikina has become teeming to be a treasure trove of some of the hidden culinary gems in the metro, and what surpasses me is that most of these restaurants does not compromise commercial value with quality. 

Lately, I was invited by a friend who happens to be a condo-mate for her son's birthday party. I wasn't able to go to her son's last year's birthday celebration so I made it a point that my schedule is cleared for this year's celebration. Thankfully, she sent out the invitation in advance and with so much leeway to adjust my other undertakings. 

Grissini Ristorante is an Italian-themed casual dining that is just a few blocks away from where we(my friend and I) both live. It brims of a homey feel interior with cozy ambiance, vibrant lighting fixtures, and a friendly staff to boot. The couch is an added superb comfort while you wait for your table, or perhaps you can opt to browse around their desserts section to choose which pastries you are going to conclude your regular comfort food with. 

Although, I haven't really dined in as I have to leave early, let me give you a glimpse as to what they served.

Insalata. 

Bread Sticks

Pizza.

Basic staple, one a Filipino and the other perhaps Western. 

Pasta. 

Italian Herbed chicken. 

Epicurean Panna Cotta. 

Baked Confectionery Corner. 

This is probably the best children's party place I have been into, and I have to give kudos to my friend who invited me despite the fact that only intimate kins are the one she folded.

Next time we(my wife and I) will dine in and saunter around here. 

Possibility of Light Saber

Today, the world is inflicted with a Star Wars fever, having the new Star Wars movie "The Force Awakens" already out in the theaters. It has been an iconic movie with lots of futuristic gadgetry and weapons, and one can immediately point out the light saber to be a cutting-edge, laser-based blade. 

In one of my physics lectures, I was once sidelined by a question on the technological feasibility of a light saber. The answer is not even close for the next 50 years. 

First, it's impossible to solidify light that will terminate in midair, just like a wielded light saber. Photon itself is a component of light and must travel at a speed of light at any pointed direction with beams that will stretch all throughout the sky(if pointed upwards). 

Second, the energy requirement(12,000 degrees Fahrenheit) to create such an immense lasing material is tantamount to tapping a powerplant, typically several orders of magnitude to around 10 to the 6th power of megawatt energy. Or to address portability issue, you can also use a miniature hydrogen bomb(packs of lithium deuteride) which isn't really a sound idea. 

The closest to a light saber is a Plasma Torch, made up of superheated ionized inert gas(neon in a magnetic field), and perhaps this might pave way to the advent of this technology. 

So for now, just enjoy a light saber toy because it will remain to be a toy for a long time.

Music Bank Family KTV and Restaurant at HK Sun Plaza

Philippines is undoubtedly the entertainment capital of the world, having been a global producer of world-class musical artistry at every known joints and stages. And borrowing words from singer, songwriter and Grammy award winner, Patti Austin: "...Because you(Filipinos) are so ever loving talented. There's a thing in the entertainment business in general about people who know a thing about artists who come from the Philippines, whether it'd be a band on a cruise ship, or a house band in a club, or a singer in a lounge, you can tell if it's a Filipino artists or musicians because they know how to lay it down. They're very professional, extremely talented. And you know in America there's kind of a story out there that black folks are the best singers and they have the best voices, and among black folks in America, we think that the best singers are from the Philippines. We always talk about it, we tease it all the time, it's like "have you heard that girl from the Philippines?" And we just say "yeah she's from the Philippines, what do you expect, everybody sings their butt off in the Philippines"' is a testament that we are a force to be reckoned with. 

It's true that for every Filipino household, there has to be one or two who can sing and not just a karaoke singing but really sing like a pro. And I don't mean to raise my stature, but back in the days, I have had my fair share of winning streaks in this field(Negros Navigation to Goldstar singing contests to name a few. Yup, back in the days where Goldstar was still Goldstar and not LG). And my musical influences are Jack Jones and Nonoy Zuniga, and you can't like Jack Jones and Nonoy Zuniga without knowing their songs and vocal deliveries very well. 

But I would back in the days because, just like any talent, my voice may have perished from not having to sing frequently the way I used to during middle school and college. I was known to have always brought along with me a Minus One Cassette Tape. I scrimped on a lot of things to buy Minus One and Multiplex Cassette Tapes and some of my steal deals were that of Nonoy Zuniga(that album that contains a medley of Jack Jones and Lou Rawles), Louie Reyes and Eugene Villaluz voice training in Cassette Tape, Jaime Salazar Cebuano classics, etc. 

And my singing style has been left out of style for today's generation. I still stick to a full bass, vibrato-driven, very linear range, while the new styles right now have less vibrato(and faster vibrato at the end of a note) but lots of vocal calisthenics(similar as to how RnB singers deliver up and down, wavy texture). 

So to somehow alleviate the feeling of archaic rustiness, I went to our Christmas party at Music Bank, HK Sun Plaza, to sing my heart out. Still it didn't do any good though. :)

But more than that, it's also the food. I guess, I am more of a food now than a performer. So let's see what they have for us. 

Taco.

Beef Steak(Filipino style).

Shanghai Roll.

Chopped Hotdogs with spicy sauce. 

Spring Roast Chicken. 

Fries. 

Not in the picture are the 50 bottles of beer that comes along without the package(if I am not mistaken). 

Complimentary fruit cocktail form the Music Bank management. 

More than that, everyone was happy and indiscrimately singing. However, it turned out to be a My Way Fest as everyone seemed to render their own versions of the iconic, lethal, Frank Sinatra's classic.