It’s a Monday night… my mind is wandering… down a dimly lit alley where a stretch of restaurants abound…
Oftentimes, I find myself contemplating. With the many restaurants in Makati, heavens, where should I go??? Oh what a tedious task it is to make a decision such as this. As I walk, my jean button, which is desperately clinging on, starts to make me feel uncomfortable. Vanity seeps through my veins once again… Without enough thought, I give in to the woeful pleas of my suffocating lower body. In moments like these, my only consolation is to drown my sorrows in a hearty salad at Uva.
Here I am again, at a crossroad. I lament quietly as I ignore the reminder of Robert Frost’s words (The Road Not Taken) playing in my head. Lumpia This or Lumpia That… Foie Gras… Spanas… Duck Triangles… For a split-second, I (deliberately) forget my purpose for being here. Without further ado, I browse swiftly through the list of Salads… Ensalata Uva… Chop Chop… Keso’t Mangga… Again, the splat in me is trying to wrestle with my brain, which is desperately trying to behave like a square. With much difficulty, I settle for a Chop Chop.
At that very instance, four “ladies-who-lunch” arrived. Without much discreetness, they run through the menu like a roaring engine on a quiet street. I quietly listen as I tried with much effort to mentally block the words that were calling out to me like a Tony Benet serenade. I silently cursed the Splats in the next table.
Guilty of being the Splat that I am, I chose to take the Road Not Taken (by many) and decided to order two salads instead of one… a Chop Chop and a Keso’t Mangga with extra cheese…
Oh heavens! What a BIG salad it is! Chop Chop surely sounded like a minute serving! Why I ordered two is beyond me. My goal at hand was to finish my hefty salad without any complaints (unfortunate for my Seven’s that were insanely mocking me with contempt if it could only speak).
I slip the first forkful of Chop Chop in my mouth… For a split second, I imagine myself basking under the sun in Phuket wearing nothing but a bikini enjoying the rich Asian flavors… the mild spice of the sweet-sour dressing complimented the ingredients in such a way it tickled my senses… forkful after forkful, I couldn’t bring myself to stop. Even my pants weren’t resisting anymore.
When my second salad arrived, I was relieved to find that it wasn’t as huge as the first one. Just as I was beginning to doubt my appetite, an insurmountable amount of greed washed over me as I laid my eyes on the block of Laguna cheese. The female splat in the next table eyed my salad with much curiosity. I relished each and every bite of Laguna cheese (much to her dismay)… the crisp and fresh green leaves came alive with the sweet and sour flavors of the thick and smooth mango dressing which was as sexy as a Carlos Santana ballad… I wanted more…
With that, I officially christened Uva my new best friend.
POST SCRIPT
My first encounter with Uva was over two years ago. Up to this day, it never fails to amaze my senses. I have yet to taste a dish that I do not like. The dishes I have mentioned are my favorites so far. Thus, I recommend you try them. Many have made desperate attempts at fusion cooking… some with a lot of pretense… Though there have been a few noble attempts, nobody does it as effortlessly as Chef Aracama. His food speaks with a lot of passion… for that, I lift my hat to him. Cheers!
Oftentimes, I find myself contemplating. With the many restaurants in Makati, heavens, where should I go??? Oh what a tedious task it is to make a decision such as this. As I walk, my jean button, which is desperately clinging on, starts to make me feel uncomfortable. Vanity seeps through my veins once again… Without enough thought, I give in to the woeful pleas of my suffocating lower body. In moments like these, my only consolation is to drown my sorrows in a hearty salad at Uva.
Here I am again, at a crossroad. I lament quietly as I ignore the reminder of Robert Frost’s words (The Road Not Taken) playing in my head. Lumpia This or Lumpia That… Foie Gras… Spanas… Duck Triangles… For a split-second, I (deliberately) forget my purpose for being here. Without further ado, I browse swiftly through the list of Salads… Ensalata Uva… Chop Chop… Keso’t Mangga… Again, the splat in me is trying to wrestle with my brain, which is desperately trying to behave like a square. With much difficulty, I settle for a Chop Chop.
At that very instance, four “ladies-who-lunch” arrived. Without much discreetness, they run through the menu like a roaring engine on a quiet street. I quietly listen as I tried with much effort to mentally block the words that were calling out to me like a Tony Benet serenade. I silently cursed the Splats in the next table.
Guilty of being the Splat that I am, I chose to take the Road Not Taken (by many) and decided to order two salads instead of one… a Chop Chop and a Keso’t Mangga with extra cheese…
Oh heavens! What a BIG salad it is! Chop Chop surely sounded like a minute serving! Why I ordered two is beyond me. My goal at hand was to finish my hefty salad without any complaints (unfortunate for my Seven’s that were insanely mocking me with contempt if it could only speak).
I slip the first forkful of Chop Chop in my mouth… For a split second, I imagine myself basking under the sun in Phuket wearing nothing but a bikini enjoying the rich Asian flavors… the mild spice of the sweet-sour dressing complimented the ingredients in such a way it tickled my senses… forkful after forkful, I couldn’t bring myself to stop. Even my pants weren’t resisting anymore.
When my second salad arrived, I was relieved to find that it wasn’t as huge as the first one. Just as I was beginning to doubt my appetite, an insurmountable amount of greed washed over me as I laid my eyes on the block of Laguna cheese. The female splat in the next table eyed my salad with much curiosity. I relished each and every bite of Laguna cheese (much to her dismay)… the crisp and fresh green leaves came alive with the sweet and sour flavors of the thick and smooth mango dressing which was as sexy as a Carlos Santana ballad… I wanted more…
With that, I officially christened Uva my new best friend.
POST SCRIPT
My first encounter with Uva was over two years ago. Up to this day, it never fails to amaze my senses. I have yet to taste a dish that I do not like. The dishes I have mentioned are my favorites so far. Thus, I recommend you try them. Many have made desperate attempts at fusion cooking… some with a lot of pretense… Though there have been a few noble attempts, nobody does it as effortlessly as Chef Aracama. His food speaks with a lot of passion… for that, I lift my hat to him. Cheers!
