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VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012
EDGEDAVAO
TRAVEL
Hong Kong underground WHENEVER I travel, I make it a point to do what the locals do. To experience eating the food the locals love, going to the places the locals love to hang out in, and commuting the way the residents do. Be it biking in Cambodia, taking a tuktuk on a romp across Bangkok, it is more fun for a traveller to immerse oneself in the locality, taxis are a no-no for me. My favorite form of
transport though would be the Mass Transit Railway or MTR. And the best MTR system I have experienced so far is that of Hong Kong. Operational since 1979, the Hong
Kong’s MTR services about 2.3 million passengers a day. Given that the population of the City stands at 6.8 million, that is a feat in itself. The MTR has around 85 stations located at all major entertainment, shopping, eating, commercial and residential areas of Hong Kong and is the most popular public transport in Hong Kong. Which means shopping areas and places of interest are just a short walk away from any MTR station in the territory. One thing that I also love is
the British efficiency of the system, the trains of the MTR run around 2-3 minutes and on the whole the system is prompt up to 99.9% of the time. And don’t get me started on the fares. Where taxis can set you back an arm and a leg, the MTR charges are a mere fraction of the cost for a taxi ride. If you plan to go about using the MTR system a lot, I suggest travelers purchase an Octopus card. The re-loadable card allows you to just tap and use the system saying goodbye to the hassles of lining up and buying a single travel card, the card can also be used for small purchases at the convenience store and the bus. The Hong Kong MTR operates from 6am to 1am daily so it might be difficult if you plan night outs, unless you plan to crawl back home at 6 in the morning, but on the whole, the MTR is the fastest and most efficient way to explore Hong Kong. So the next time you visit Hong Kong, you might want to give the MTR a try. Follow me on twitter @ kennethkingong for travel finds, foodie picks, and random ramblings in and around Durianburg and beyond.
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A2 INdulge!
VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012
TRAVEL ENTERTAINMENT
My current love affair with Amici By Ariel Bolofinos
PRESUMING that we all believe in reincarnation, then I might as well be Italian in one of my past lives given my insatiable love (or lust?) for pizza and pasta. My earliest memory of the spaghetti dish during my younger years would be the “Filipinized” version of the Bolognese (which, in Italian, is pronounced as bo-lon-ye-se) with ground meat, grated cheese, hotdog slices, and sweet sour tomato sauce. On the other hand, my taste for pizza began much later, with the very humble yet appetizing Mommy’s Pizza that dominated the school canteen scene back in the 1990s. I remember that it was just small stall (this was way before the word ‘food cart’ became a part of our vocabulary), which had a small green stovetop oven that served a12inch flat bread with a thin layer of sauce, grated cheese, pieces of ham, and pineapple tidbits. The taste surely appealed to many because of its sweet-sour blend. From then on, I have ordered pasta dishes in restaurants and even small eateries, (yes, including those with banana ketchup as the ‘star ‘ingredient! Ha ha ha) as well as pizzas in fast food and restaurant chains. Work-related meetings and conferences held at different hotels in the country also allowed me to sample pasta and pizza dishes that they themselves prepare. So, needless to say, my palate expanded, that is, from the very sweet to the very sour blend. When I had the great opportunity to go to Rome, Italy in 2007, I really made sure that I try a truly Italian pizza, which, at that time, cost Eu 1.90 for a hefty slice. And yes, dear friends, it was really sour because it was purely tomato-based with herbs and spices and nothing else. Just last year, my peers from our office in Makati encouraged me to try Amici. You see, I have passed by this restaurant many
times (the one located at the corner of Pasay Road and Pasong Tamo) but I have not bothered to try it until I heard them raving about it. So, one day, I decided to give it a try and let me just say this, I had an orgasmic experience, to say the least! (my apologies to the young readers but I can’t think of any other way of characterize how I felt! Ha ha ha). And there, my friends, was the beginning of what I think will be a long and passionate love affair with Amici. Amici’s menu contains a brief history and I think this is a must-read in order to appreciate the restaurant more. It tells us that Amici actually had humble beginnings as a ‘canteen’ that was set up in 1994 by “Fr. Guianluigi Colombo, a Salesian Italian priest who was overseeing the operations of the Don Bosco Printing Press, to address concerns of its employees about not having access to good food during lunch and break hours.” The canteen featured “authentic freshly made Italian dishes in a ‘turo-turo’ setting.” The canteen started out with Italian coffee and gelato and eventually introduced wood-fire oven baked pizza and homemade pastas. It was in June 2007 that it was finally established as a business entity to serve Don Bosco students and later on, a broader market. News of the Italian cuisine spread and attracted people from all over Metro Manila making this “printing press café” known for its “authentic pizza, pasta, and gelato”. Fast forward to 2012: Amici now has five branches, which serve an amazingly-composed menu that consists of Insalata (salads), Zuppa (soups), Antipasti, Pizza, Pasta, and Favorita della Casa. From my side, I make it a point to visit the restaurant each time I go to Manila and this is what I
now refer to as my “Amici fix”. My favorite antipasti would have to be the Mozzarella Fritto (golden fried mozzarella sticks served with tangy pomodoro sauce) for antipasti. It has the right crispiness outside and but once you take a bite, your mouth will be greeted by the soft mozzarella cheese that oozes out of the golden brown strips. I have tried a number of their amazing pizzas- Salsiccia e Formaggio Blu (Italian sausage, blue cheese and mozzarella topped with freshly sliced white onions), La Vegetariana (tomato sauce with 3 cheeses, roasted veggies, and tomato slices), Arrabbiatta Magnifica (sautéed garlic, tomatoes, and spices topped with provolone, pepperoni, and onions, and olives) as well as their Al Quattro Formaggi (a cheeselover’s delight. A flavorful combination of Mozzarella, cream, parmesan, and blue cheese). But no matter what I do, I would always find myself being cradled by the wonderful taste of their Chorizo e Spinaci (gourmet Spanish Chorizo and Spinach in White Sauce. I just can’t get over the lovely harmony between the salty chorizo and somewhat sweet spinach. For pasta, Linguine Fantastico has been a regular order although I have tried Ragu alla Bolognese (creamy meat ragu sauce on spaghetti), Spaghetti al Pomodoro (pasta tossed in a flavorful blend of classic tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil), and Lasagne al Ragu (hearty meat ragu sauce in layers of cheese and baked pasta sheets). I have yet to try their Spaghetti ai Tesori del Mare (mildly spiced feast of spaghetti tossed in fresh tomatoes, scallops, clams, mussels, and chili oil), which, I have been told is a favorite among customers. And so we move on to
their desserts, which are all heavenly! They have a good set of gelatos to choose from and they all taste great! But my salivary glands go on hyper mode when I see their gelato cakes (cakes with ice cream!) and they have a lot to choose from. The top 3 on my list, so far, would be their Rouge (a refreshingly fuity-bursting treat of delightful blueberry, strawberry, and vanilla gelato on a crust of crushed graham), Choco Tartufo (chocolate and vanilla gelato mixed with bits of nuts and cherries in a shell of rich, moist chocolate cake topped with ganache), and the Banana Blast (banana, strawberry, and chocolate gelato) I know some of you might already be drooling by now and trust me, I completely understand that. But more than the food that is being served, I think that what makes Amici stick out in my favorites list is the feeling that it evokes every time I am seated at the table. Many of the pizza and pasta shops may approach it via the extraordinary size, the layer of toppings, and frills along the edges, the variation in the ingredients, etc. However, with Amici, there may be some sense of simplicity and humility in the approach; but once you take a bite, then you’d finally understand that the food’s special ingredients, the harmonious mix of flavors, and the presentation, are not carelessly concocted but are all prepared with care, passion, and perhaps love. Substance over form, as they say… The allusion to Amici’s humble beginnings is really noteworthy. There are historical accounts that point out that pizza was actually considered as a dish of the poor people back when it was actually ‘invented’. It is said that it was sold in the street and was not considered as a kitchen, and much more, as a restaurant recipe.
VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012
EDGEDAVAO
INdulge! A3
ENTERTAINMENT
Lindsay jokes about unconscious Twilight situation will make tears flow Well, at least she’s finding some humor in the situation.
Just hours after her “nap” turned into an overblown “unconscious” situation, Lindsay Lohan hit Twitter early Saturday morning to address the situation… with a joke. “Note to self.. After working 85hours in 4days, and being up all night shooting, be very aware that you might pass out from exhaustion & 7 paramedics MIGHT show up @ your door.... Hopefully theyre cute. Otherwise it would be a real let down. XL @mrsalperez -back on set,” Lohan wrote. Reports flew Friday that the Liz & Dick star had been found unconscious in her Ritz-Carlton room after emergency services were called to the hotel in Marina Del Rey that morning. However, while it looked like things had taken a turn for the dramatic, it appeared Lohan had just fallen asleep a little too hard while on a break from shooting the production. “Lindsay has been working a grueling schedule for the last couple of days,”
EXPECT to see lots of tears when the second Breaking Dawn movie premieres later this year.
Not only will diehard Twilight fans be crying, but… The stars of the vampire franchise will also need plenty of tissues. “I think we’re all going to have wear waterproof mascara,” Ashley Greene, 25, told us at last night’s Young Hollywood Awards. “It’s been such an exciting thing and I think none of us are quite dwelling on the end yet because we still have the press tours and all that stuff. So it’s still kind of exciting.” But when that final fanpacked premiere comes around, Greene predicted,
Lohan’s rep Steve Honig told E! News at the time. “Last night she worked from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. She was exhausted and went back to her room to sleep. Producers were apparently concerned and called the fire department and para-
medics found her sleeping but determined that she was fine, just extremely exhausted and slightly dehydrated.” Lohan headed home after the incident and was set to return to the production later that day.
Kate treats kids to theatre WHILE Kate Middleton continues to stay mum on baby bump rumors (not even this could make those go away), one thing’s for sure: the Duchess of Cambridge loves the kiddies. The fashionable royal met up with 150 children Friday for a charitable production of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Threesixty Entertainment on the grounds of Kensington Gardens in London Friday, according to People. And in true royal fashion, Middleton looked fantastic doing so. Donning a teal dress from Zara, a Whistles black jacket and an Anya Hindmarch clutch, Prince William’s wife reportedly asked the kids, “Did you see all the animals on stilts? Wasn’t it amazing? “I just loved the way it is held in a tent,” she added. “Really clever.” The young people in at-
tendance were from her charity the Art Room, which offers art therapy to children who suffer from emo-
tional and behavioral difficulties (Middleton became Royal Patron of the charity in January).
“It’s probably going to be a tearjerker when we all realize that it’s over.” How about that last party? Jackson Rathbone recently told us, “It’s going to be a wild and wacky time.” We can only imagine. The Twilight Saga: Break-
ing Dawn Part 2 is set to hit theaters Nov. 16. Now we want to hear from you. Just how sad are you that the Twilight franchise is coming to an end? Or have you had enough and think it’s time to move on? Sound off below.
A4 INdulge! UP AND ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT
EDGEDAVAO
VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012
Cebu Pacific now flies from Davao to Palawan and Kalibo THE Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE:CEB) strengthens Philippine tourism with its new direct flights from Davao to Puerto Princesa in Palawan, and Kalibo, gateway to Boracay starting August 1, 2012. Both Davao-Kalibo and Davao-Puerto Princesa routes will be on a four times weekly schedule, operating every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. “We are proud to offer even more connectivity to and from Davao, a region with a lot of potential for tourism. Now, tourists can proceed to Davao from Palawan or Boracay. More residents from Davao and neighboring areas can take direct flights to two of the Philippines’ most popular beach and diving destinations,” said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog. Passengers may book the lowest year-round all-in fares of P1,964 from Davao to Kalibo, and
P2,244 from Davao to Puerto Princesa. All-in domestic fares are inclusive of fuel surcharge, administration fee, aviation security fee, 12% VAT and 7 kilos hand carry baggage allowance, but exclusive of check-in baggage. “CEB remains committed in providing the most extensive route network in the Philippines, so more passengers can book CEB’s trademark low fares on direct flights. This will translate to savings as much as 55% as compared to booking connecting flights,” Iyog added. The largest airline operating in Davao, CEB posted 47% market share in Davao in 2011, where it operates more than 200 weekly flights. With these new destinations, CEB continues to offer the most number of flights to and from Davao. It also operates up to 8 daily flights to Manila, 4 daily flights to Cebu, daily flights to both Zamboanga and Davao, and 4 weekly flights to Cagayan de Oro.
For bookings and inquiries, guests can go to www. cebupacificair.com, or call the reservation hotlines (02) 7020-888 or (032) 230-8888. The latest seat sales can also be found on CEB’s official Twitter and Facebook pages. CEB currently operates 10 Airbus A319, 20 Airbus A320 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft. Its fleet of 38 aircraft – with an average age of 3.6 years – is the largest aircraft fleet in the Philippines. Between 2012 and 2021, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 22 more Airbus A320 and 30 Airbus A321neo aircraft orders. It is slated to begin longhaul services in the 3rd quarter of 2013. In its 16th year of operations, CEB had flown over 60 million passengers. It provides access to the most extensive network in the Philppines, with 32 domestic and 19 international destinations. The airline also remains a pioneer in the Philippine aviation industry by being the first to offer web check-in, self check-in, e-ticketing, and Lite Fares.