Up now on the wedding blog:

Check out the complete instruction on how to do this DIY hair vine.

I wanted to save my feedback on Passion Cooks (our chosen caterer) for Supplier’s Rating after the wedding. But after the food tasting, I knew I had to tell the world about them.

As some of you know, we’re working on a budget. But I don’t want this to deter me from finding golden straws among the haystack. Finding a caterer proved to be the most challenging of all because I stuck to find the one who satisfies my 3 conditions: great food, gorgeous setup and friendly on the pocket.

I had my eye on Passion Cooks since we started on the wedding preps late April of this year and despite attempts to look around at some cheaper options, my instinct told me that Passion Cooks is one shinning straw of gold. Ms. Maja Martinez, the manager and contact person, has been consistently warm and accommodating from the first email to the food tasting that we had at their place last Saturday. She has shown a sincere willingness to help even when I had numerous menu revision requests, trying to find a combination that will fit the budget and still give me my dessert buffet. And I just realized, a few days before the food tasting, that she had our wedding date blocked off since April but  not once did she ask or hint that we pay the reservation fee, a sign that gaining profit from their business only comes second to providing great customer satisfaction. Actually, I have a chock-full of other good things to tell about her, but let’s save that up for another post and move on to the food tasting.

Unlike the first food tasting that we went to, our experience with Passion Cooks is more personalized and truly more enjoyable. They literally treated us like “king and queen” from the moment they picked us up in Alabang Town Center, to the Russian-style serving of their head waiter, Mel (who will also be the head waiter on our wedding day), to meeting the very humble Chef (sorry po Mrs. Martinez, I forgot to ask for your name) and up to the time Maja’s brother (forgot his name also) dropped us in Alabang Town Center again after the food tasting.

But the real highlight of the night was the food. These are what we had:

Oriental Salad with Crispy Catfish and Mango-Tomato Salsa.

Bacon and Mushroom Quiche

Three Mushrooms Pasta

Baked Penne Pasta

On-the-spot Grilled Dory in Mango-Tomato Sauce

On-the-spot Grilled Dory in Teriyaki-Sesame Sauce

Hungarian Paprika Chicken

Roast Beef in Mushroom Sauce

Chocolate Lazy Cake

Gelatin Topped with Fresh Fruits

Panna Cotta Topped with Caramel Sauce and Choco Sprinkles

Creamy Leche Flan

Fresh Fruit Tartlets

Note: I know my camera-phone photos cannot illustrate their taste, and sometimes, do not give justice to how they actually looked like (the Hungarian Paprika Chicken was red-orange), so I’ll let my words do the talking.

It was truly a night for the palates! Our menu has a very interesting mix of sweet, sour, meaty and spicy flavors and each dish is as delectable as I hope they would be.

Appetizers:

The Oriental Salad is a non-traditional salad. The salsa looked like your ordinary Ensaldang Hilaw na Mangga, Kamatis at Sibuyas (Mango, Tomato and Onion Salsa), but the taste was refreshingly different. And the Crispy Catfish was something else. It  balanced the sweet tangy flavor of the salsa with it’s crispy and salty taste. You have to taste it to enjoy it’s unique texture and flavors. And it was served cold, which was intentional according to Maja, to retain the freshness.

The Bacon and Mushroom Quiche. I love quiche and I was glad when I found out that Passion Cooks offers this as part of the menu selection. The best I’ve tasted was in Makati Shang-rila Hotel (during the Suns Microsystems Convention last year). But their quiche was, again, quite different as it is eggless (for the health-conscious, Maja explained). But it was very tasty. D loved the pie crust, it was not toasted but not soft either. It was baked just right and perfectly complements the hearty bacon and mushroom filling.

Pasta:

The Three Mushrooms Pasta has a very intriguing name and according to their site, it’s one of their bestsellers. First off, a very savory smell wafted through my nose as Head Waiter Mel served me a spoonful. And you know what they say, if it smells good then it must tastes good too. And it did! The three mushrooms -button, shitake and black fungus- and the Bechamel sauce gave it a rich and meaty flavor, minus the meat of course.

Maja suggested the Baked Penne Pasta, in place of the Spaghetti Bolognese that we’re supposed to have originally. And I was glad she did. The blend of tomato sauce, herbs and cheese counteracted the meaty taste of the Three Mushrooms Pasta. It’s not too “Italian sour” which D liked, and not “Filipino sweet” which I liked. And yes, D and I agreed that the herb made it taste a lot better than your regular tomato-based pasta.

Main Entrees:

First, let me just mention that they grilled the Dory on the spot for us. “That way,” Maja explained, “you’ll be able to taste it hot, fresh and right-off the grill, as it should be.” (Wow! I’m impressed. I wonder how many caterers will cook on the spot for two people during a food tasting).  Now, I have two not so great experiences with grilled Dory. One of these factors – it was served cold, it was overcooked or the fish was no longer fresh before it was grilled – could be the culprit. But Maja assured me that their Dory is not like that at all and she was right. It was soft and cooked just right, and the two sauces, Mango-Tomato and Teriyaki-Sesame, gave it two very distinct sweet flavors. D loved it with the Mango-Tomato Puree while I liked it best with the Teriyaki-Sesame sauce.

The Hungarian Paprika Chicken was literally the “spice” of the menu. It’s spiciness was mild and biting but without the burning-your-tongue sensation. In fact, it dissolved gradually after a few minutes. It was an interesting experience for my taste buds as I always favor foods that do not leave aftertaste in the mouth. I call it the “Gone Too Soon” taste: here one minute – bursting with flavors in your mouth; gone the next – which leaves you craving for more.

The Roast Beef with Mushrooms: really tender beef slices in a flavorful mushroom sauce. And that’s exactly how it was. I’ve tasted a lot of roast beefs before, where the sauce “flavors” the beef. But Passion Cooks’ beef slices have flavors of their own, you can even eat them without the sauce. I just find the sauce a little saltier for my taste, which Maja noted. (We tasted it for the second time and found out that it wasn’t the sauce that’s salty, it was the mushrooms.)

Desserts:

Do you want me to start talking about desserts? Now, be prepared because this was the part I enjoyed the most (taking photos and taking bites of).

Maja served us with five desserts. We were supposed to have only four, but she added one, the Choco Lazy Cake, because she said, we don’t have a chocolate on our dessert spread. Did I tell you she’s the best?

Choco Lazy Cake. I don’t have a love affair with chocolates. That’s why when she gave me a go signal for the dessert buffet, I picked the ones that don’t have chocolates in them. But this Choco Lazy Cake, which she said is actually soft biscuits rolled in chocolate syrup, has won me over. It’s not “dark chocolate bittersweet” and not “sickeningly too sweet chocolate” either but just the right milk chocolate. And with the soft biscuit, it’s the perfect pair.

Gelatin Topped with Fresh Fruits. The colorful gelatins (they served us four different colors) were flavored but the flavors did not overpower the natural sweetness of the fruits. By the way, it shouldn’t be Gelatin Topped with Fresh Fruits but Gelatin FILLED with Fresh Fruits (because it wasn’t just TOPPED, it was FILLED). It was a very refreshing treat. I wanted another shot glass, but my stomach had put up the “No Vacancy” sign already.

Because of this: The Panna Cotta with Caramel Sauce and Choco Sprinkles. I had two shot glasses of this. That’s how good it was. Two shot glasses. Exactly how I want my Panna Cotta: cold, milky, creamy, melts-in-your-mouth goodness with rich caramel sauce. I’ll have two or more of these, ANYTIME!

I wasn’t able to eat the Leche Flan. Blame it on the Panna Cotta! But D, who finished off one cup, said it was very good. Just the right sweetness, the right creaminess and the right consistency. I guess, I’ll just have to wait until the wedding to have a taste of it.

And last but definitely not the least, the queen of them all. And Passion Cooks calls it Fresh Fruit Tartlet. When I saw this on their website, I told myself that it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t taste good, as long as it looks THAT good. This is actually what I was looking forward to. To prove to myself that there are things in life that can be TOO GOOD and TRUE. Hahaha. But seriously, it tastes as good as it looks. The baked-just-right pastry crust, the sweet creamy filling (which D even asked Chef what’s it made up of), and the festive fresh fruits. It cuteness and yumminess combined. I even told Maja that we can actually put it in a clear plastic box and put a tag on it and it’ll be a perfect wedding favor.

Other good things about the food tasting:

I already mentioned that they chauffeured us from our meeting place to their home office and back. That we met the Chef who cooked all these great dishes. That we met the Head Waiter who will serve us on our wedding. That we were served Russian-style (one dish after the other) and Maja was there the whole time, telling us what each dish was. And because of this, we were able to savor each dish and actually remember how they tasted (which is why I am able to give you a detailed description of each). That Maja was also there to take down notes of the things we don’t like about the food and how we want it otherwise (aside from the salty mushrooms, there wasn’t really anything that we didn’t like).

But I haven’t told you yet that for the food tasting, they cooked for about 6-8 persons and there was only Darrel and I. (We had a merienda prior to the food tasting at 4:30 pm. Food tasting started at around 7:00 pm. We only had small portions of each dish but we were so full by the time we finished eating).  Maja and Chef insisted that we bring home some of the leftovers “because we cooked them for you”. They packed them in clean microwaveable plastic containers, and Chef even looked for a decent paper bag to place them in. Who are we to refuse such great-tasting food and a very nice gesture?

I also thought it was a good idea because we’ll be able to know how they will taste like after hours on the fridge and reheating.

We reheated the two pasta for breakfast the following day. And had roast beef and Hungarian chicken during lunch. I wasn’t surprise. They tasted just as good.

***

This is just my feedback on our  food tasting with Passion Cooks. But you know what they say, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.” The actual wedding reception is the real deal. Although as early as now, my instincts are again telling me: Passion Cooks is one very bright and shinning golden straw among the haystack. And that they will deliver, if not exceed our expectations.

Mock table setup is next in line. I’ll be sure to bring my DLSR for better pictures this time and give you another very detailed update after.

I was scurrying yesterday to find a suitable phrase for my post at the wedding blog. And you know where the search led me?

Pablo Neruda.

The memory of you emerges from the night around me.
The river mingles its stubborn lament with the sea.

Deserted like the dwarves at dawn.
It is the hour of departure, oh deserted one!

Cold flower heads are raining over my heart.
Oh pit of debris, fierce cave of the shipwrecked.

In you the wars and the flights accumulated.
From you the wings of the song birds rose.

You swallowed everything, like distance.
Like the sea, like time. In you everything sank!

I was lingering over the others, E.E. Cummings or Emily Dickinson. But, “Nah! They’ll have their turn. It’s Pablo’s today.”

That was yesterday. And today, I’m yearning to read a book. I mean really read. Curled up in bed. A book in my hand. Breathing its pages. The smell of paper.

This was my destiny and in it was my voyage of my longing,
and in it my longing fell, in you everything sank!

Oh,  I remember those days. And I miss them. It’s been a while since I updated my collection. And now bookstore trips have been mostly about books on DIY crafts, weddings, photography. I wish I can read a book the way I used to read a book. Just like before.

Up now on the wedding blog:

[Credit: Paul Vincent Photography]

Do you remember how your groom reacted while you were walking down the aisle? Check some of the most heartfelt groom’s moments here.

Early this year, one of our hard drives died on us . Yes, it literally just crapped out. My dad said that some drives do expire after certain number of years. It happened on some of his computers as well and the only thing that we can do is contact the manufacturer and ask for support. As if that’s easy.

I was really upset because most of our files were housed there. Our photos, our movies, our MP3s, our softwares. The demised hard drive was our storage disk.

But months later, we forgot about the lost files and seamlessly moved on without them.

So while I was going through my files and folders, imagine my delight when I found some photos that I thought were lost forever. (I also found scanned images of D’s drawings which I posted here.)

Among the photos were those of our first trip to White Beach, Puerto Galera together. These are not the original pictures, but smaller and edited copies of the hi-reso images. I was probably going to use these somewhere that’s why they were re-sized and tweaked and stashed away in some forgotten folders. But I am glad that I still have these photos saved. A reminder of how beautiful the place was. Especially because D was there with me.

Trivia: D claimed that he would have proposed to me in Puerto Galera had I not “ruined” his plan. (Huh? It wasn’t my fault. Hahaha.) But we had the lying-on-the-sand-under-the-moonlight moment and I can only imagine now how it would’ve been utterly romantic if he proposed right then and there. But whichever way he proposed, it doesn’t matter. I love him just the same. Even more now.

When I started searching for our wedding caterer, the names Josiah’s, Hizon’s, K by Cunanan, Juan Carlo, Center Table and Eloquente were the frontrunners. But because we’re on a tight budget, I’d normally pass up their invitation for food tasting. We won’t be getting them anyway, so why waste both our time (mine and the caterer’s)? But I’d often wondered if their food is as good as what their past clients are professing. Is it really worth the price tag?

So imagine my delight when after I registered for the Wedding Expo (help last weekend at the PICC), I received a newsletter stating that I can also register for Josiah’s grand food tasting to be held during the event. Josiah’s catering is reputed for good food and elegant setup. Hence, a good feedback. I guess no time will be wasted since we’ll be at the Wedding Expo anyway. So I registered.

Fast-forward to the food tasting. Here are the photos of dishes that we sampled:

And the verdict? Well… Generally, in our fast-food soaked palates, the main dishes taste OK, though a little on the bland side. But I’m more disappointed with the desserts. I’m sure I’ve tasted better ones. A lot of times. (Do I hear gasps? Do I see raised eyebrows?) I know. Even I can’t believe it. I mean it’s Josiah’s. Whatever happened to rave reviews?

I kept asking what D thinks of the food (because I was thinking that maybe it’s just me). I had Jollibee’s Regular Yum, by the way, on our way to the fair. Could that affect the way my taste buds perceive flavors? But D agrees with me on this. “Taste like home-cooked meals“, he said. And we don’t usually pay a premium for meals like that. So. . .

As for the service, the staff  (food servers and waiters) were friendly. However! I did not receive a text message confirmation (I didn’t know it was a requirement) because I wasn’t able to reply to the confirmation email that they sent me. So I looked for the person who sent me the email instead. I introduced myself and told her I registered for the food tasting and that she sent me an email blah, blah blah. (Did I see a smirk? I thought I saw a smirk). She gave us a meal stub for two and said she’ll come over at our table to discuss the package to us. But nobody came. It’s alright, maybe she sensed that we’re not potential customers so she didn’t bother.

But what if we were?

[Disclaimer: This is just my opinion and experience on the food tasting conducted by Josiah's at the recently concluded Wedding Expo and does not, in any way, claim that the same thing or the same quality of food will be served should you decide to book them for your event (or if you've booked them already). Our taste preferences are unique, as our finger prints are.]

[Credit: Resonance Photography by Kix Tavora]

I will be featuring a series of wedding shoes posts on the wedding blog. For the first installment, up now is an entry on the classic wedding shoes. Check it out at the wedding blog.

This was D’s offer to appease me after we got into a little “misunderstanding” two days ago.

Pasteleria Ilustrado’s Sans Rival. I ate this together with 2 orders of  Siomai House’s siomai (what else!). Yum yum!

I think I’m having a sweets-craving phase. Two weeks ago, we trooped to Festival Mall in Alabang to buy Pasteleria Ilustrado’s Baked Cheesecake, another favorite. Sadly, they ran out of it. But instead of settling for the sans rival, I decided to sample one from Cravings’ dessert spread. I haven’t tasted any of their cakes so I asked for the bestseller. Hence, the Choco Caramel Cake.

The first bite was both heavenly and sinful. After that, it was just flat out sickening. It’s too sweet for me. And D bailed out early so I had no choice but to finish off the whole mini cake myself, while being regretfully reminded of the delicate and balanced taste of Ilustrado’s desserts. For someone who has no sweet tooth (craving for sweets occurs rarely for me), it was torture. And it didn’t end with the last bite. I woke up the next day sick in my throat, perhaps because too much sugar has coated it.

I might still try their Devil’s Food Cake though. The marshmallow icing looks promising. But yeah, Pasteleria Ilustrado’s Sans Rival is definitely a treat!

I love you D!

While I was rummaging through my file folders looking for some photos, I found these:

These are D’s early inked drawings of the comics character, Spawn. Spectacular, isn’t it?

Now the next one is more like a destiny:

I love Kenshin and Kauro! And Samurai X (Rurouni Kenshin) is my all-time favorite Anime series. In fact, my usual nick is Shinta, Kenshin’s original name in the series. And I had this on my desktop as a wallpaper when I first met him online:

It’s written in the stars!

If you don’t know it yet, the SweetSimpleJoys Wedding Blog was started (again) last Tuesday. And for the first post after the re-launch. . .

[Credit: Paul Vincent Photography]

Hint: It involves stairs. Check it out at the wedding blog.