Food

Mikey’s Eats (February 7, 2012 – A.K.A. Accidental Indulgence Day)

There are some days that I would call “quiet” days–when nothing too noteworthy happens, just a simple, pleasant day that goes by with barely a hitch.

There are other days that I call “big” days–usually planned in advance, “big” days are those I in which there are events that I look forward to, like my impending Singapore trip, or last week’s WWFX event.

And then there are those days which sneak up on you, like rain on a hot day. When you expected a quiet day, or even, sometimes, a “big” day, but you end up experiencing gifts and pleasures and joys beyond what you initially imagined on that first bathroom trip after waking up.

February 7th was one such day.

I had to deliver something to my mom at Sofitel Manila (she was there for a conference), and when I arrived, she said I can go have lunch at the famed hotel restaurant Spiral.

I was expecting a Starbucks sandwich for lunch, so imagine my excitement upon finding out where I was going to eat. Go ahead. Imagine.

Also imagine how good this was:

Continue reading →

Geekery

I was brutally murdered at a parking lot! (Hurry up the Cakes App of the Moment)

The Hurry up the Cakes App of the Moment is a feature on a particular iOS app that Mikey (or anyone in Team Hurry up the Cakes) happens to like, be fond of, or amused with, at the moment.

The past few weeks, my brothers and I have been running around looking like idiots in public places. We have been filming each other, all making short action scenes in which we get shot at, squashed by a giant wrecking ball, or we blow up to little pieces because of a missile attack.

It’s safe to say that our fraternal bonds are stronger than ever. And it’s all thanks to a little iPhone app called Action Movie FX (iTunes link)–a video camera app that integrates a lightweight editing suite to include such classic action movie staple effects as a bomb detonation, air strike, cars and helicopters dropping, and, my current favorite, a first-person perspective of a series of gunshots.

Speaking of which, here I am being brutally murdered in the parking lot of Palms Country Club:

Continue reading →

Food

The Mercato Report – Friday, February 3, 2012

Every so often, Team Hurry up the Cakes ventures off to the mostly-first-class land of Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, to partake in the weekly celebration of gluttony, revelry, and sheer hedonism that is the Midnight Mercato food fair.

A few hours after Char and I had dinner the other night, we decided to go to Serendra/Bonifacio High Street at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, to have dessert at our new favorite gelato place, Gelatissimo.

Typically, though, we decided to walk to Mercato Centrale instead for their Midnight Market and grab a post-dinner bite. Well, I had dinner. Char just watched me eat.

Right next to Mercato is a new pro-turf Soccer field which, I must admit, gave a nice, warm, “community” vibe to the al fresco smokey-barbecue atmosphere of the Midnight Market. Brilliant real estate move by Bonifacio Global City, as it certainly adds value to an already-popular location.

Soccer! The new (old) hipster sport!

Instead of doing a Mercato Classic Tour (one person finds a table and waits, while the others go and buy food), we decided to take Mercato Express, which meant that we just keep walking around and eating, without a table.

First nibble of the evening was Bale Dutung‘s sublime Lechon Wrap. It’s crispy lechon flakes, with onions, cilantro, tomatoes, and a salty/sweet sauce, wrapped in tortilla. The cilantro colored a beautiful contrast to the crispy, heavy, tasty, flavors of the wrap filling. It’s my new Mercato favorite.

Lechon wrap.

Crunch.

Next up, we had Chinque‘s Inasal Chicken butts, with SEVEN butts on a stick. You usually can’t go wrong with this, but after a heavy, greasy, crispy lechon wrap, somehow pure chicken fat and skin on a stick would only be a good idea if served with a substantial amount of starchy staple.

Chicken fat on a stick. Lovely.

Unfortunately, I decided to order Cuisiniers‘s Roast Beef, which was delicious and tender during the taste test, but was overwhelming when served. Still, the sheer volume of roast beef is good deal at Php130.

Looked good, tasted good

Looked okay, tasted the same, but that's a packed box of beef.

We ended our Mercato Express tour with our favorites at Merry Moo Ice Cream/Gelato: scoops of Strawberry Basil and Milo flavored ice cream, best consumed while walking in cozy weather.

Both flavors looked the same in this light. But isn't it pretty?

Overall, a good food evening.

Wrestling

Hurry up the Cakes Recap: WWFX Champions Showcase 2012

WWFX was LIVE in Manila last night, featuring all your favorite Future Endeavored former WWE Superstars, some of whom are still legit stars in their own right.

Benjamin: "Easy paycheck for us tonight! Shall we work or should we just mess with them?" / Morrison: "Work? What's that?"

MVP, before a failed attempt at the "Ballin!" elbow drop on Chris Masters

The card was built around the main event of John Morrison (Hennigan) vs. Shelton Benjamin, while MVP and Chris Masters took on co-main event duties. These were also the true wrestling matches of the evening. MVP and Masters, in particular, both looked much better in the ring than the last time they were on WWE TV. Lots of ring psychology with Masters working on MVP’s leg, and a nice, smooth, momentum build-up to the red hot finish.

I must say, though, that Masters looked as bulked up and ripped as he did in his pre-suspension days. I hope he isn’t back to his old performance enhancement ways.

This was Carlito's finisher, the dreaded Apple spit. Yes.

Carlito vs. Snitsky was the “hardcore” match of the night, in which they brawled all over the 3000-strong, half-full Araneta Coliseum. It was ridiculous. They were punching and kicking and WALKING all over the different sections of the arena floor, with an axe handle thrown here and there. Parts of the crowd would chant “OVER HERE!”, inviting the brawlers to fight in their particular area, and they would oblige, with more punching, kicking, walking. The live-wrestling-starved Filipino crowd, of course, went nuts.

Hurricane Chokeslam, except seriously.

Hurricane Helms returned to the ring for the first time since his motorcycle accident, against Shiek Daivari. He was in pain and out of shape, and he barely took a bump, but he looked happy out there. He won the match with a chokeslam.

Other notes:

Colt Cabana was the official WWFX Ring Announcer (he introduced himself as “Mister Colt”) and he was hilarious in his announcement of the WWFX Championship Match. The Title, apparently, was made of 24-karat solid gold, and cost over $250,000 to produce.
Melina and Jillian Hall delivered more in-ring action than the two matches combined that preceded theirs–Billy Gunn vs. Jimmy Yang, and Hurricane vs. Daivari.
In the most-contrived plot device of the evening, Melina celebrated her win with a winner of fan contest by sharing a beer in the ring. This prompted Luke Gallows to come out and proclaim that he was STRAIGHT EDGE and he proceeded to condemn Melina, which was Rhino‘s cue to come out and save her.
There were “CM Punk” chants during the Gallows/Rhino match. They were fun, but I wonder how the wrestlers felt when the fans were chanting for someone who wasn’t even in the country.
Speaking of which, there were some “Cena sucks” chants too.
There were a bunch of kids sitting in front of us that were yelling the funniest, most ridiculous things. HE’S INVITING YOU TO HIS BED! (JoMo was goading Shelton back to the ring), WE DON’T WANT PUSSIES! (when Shelton kept feigning cowardice), AC-RO-BA-TICS! (clap, clap, clap clap clap!) at the beginning of the main event, WORST IN THE WORLD! (to Gallows, referring to his former “leader” CM Punk), and YOU SUCK! (to nobody in particular during the women’s match, which someone responded to by saying “They might indeed,” and “They actually have!” Horrible, and hilarious.)
Because they feared infringing on WWE’s trademarks, the WWFX slightly altered the wrestlers’ former WWE names by adding an “S” or removing a letter from their monikers–Billy “Gun”, Luke “Gallow”, Chris “Master”, “Snisky”, and, most comically, “Carlitos”. Colt only very slightly pronounced the S in the end, which caused a bunch of laughs around the arena: “CARLIIIITOOOOOOOOOOOOOOsssssss”
Everyone ignored John Morrison’s new (real name), John Hennigan. There were “Morrison” chants during the main event, everyone kept calling him “JoMo”. Shouldn’t he be JoHe now?

"Mister Colt" and the winners (all babyfaces) pose in the end to celebrate Morrison's WWFX Title win

All in all, a good card, with a hot crowd, capped off with a photo-op/autograph signing after the show, to cement the show as a true Fan Experience. Kudos to Dayly productions and Midas Entertainment for grabbing the opportunity to bring these wrestlers here, and props to the performers who bothered to give Manila a good show.

Full results:

John Hennigan def. Shelton Benjamin to win the WWFX Title
MVP def. Chris Master
Carlitos def. Snisky
Rhino def. Luke Gallow
Melina def. Jillian Hall
Hurricane Helms def. Shiek Daivari
Jimmy Yang def. Billy Gun

Thanks to the Araneta Center Facebook page for the photos.

Wrestling

My name is Mikey Llorin and I am a wrestling fan

I watched the WWFX Champions Showcase 2012 last night, and it was fantastic. I came away from it in sheer joy, for a myriad of reasons–some of which are worth entries of their own over here in Hurry up the Cakes.

But alas, it has been a long day. Fatigue will get in the way of a good WWFX report and several insights I had today which I deep important. I will say, though, that I have the utmost respect for professional wrestlers, more so now than ever before.

In the meantime, here are several pictures from my Instagram feed.

I have a girlfriend and a championship belt. #wrestlingfanheaven

My nephew, my best friend's nephew, and the lovely Melina.

MVP - From Miami to Tokyo to Manila, with me and my loved ones.