Artista Academy: Third Kickout is Brent Manzano

Hi peeps! Well it looks like a sad week for Brent Manzano. He was the last person to be kicked out of the Artista Academy. He was actually the one his peers wanted to be taken out in the early days of this school but the guy's good looking no doubt about that. His minions might be a little sad this week but honestly I don't think it'll end here. There are a lot of opportunities up for grabs on the network and he'll be one of the artists to look out for in the near future. Aside from that, the first batch is always going to be epic. They've been probably interviewed in other programs now and I'm sure they'll get more exposure once the last scholar comes out of the school.

Here are some of the highlights on last week's exams!

Direk Mac Alejandre, Gelli De Belen, Ms. Lorna Tolentino and Ms. Wilma Galvante were dead serious that evening. They wanted the students to really step up their game so they won't get eliminated.

The scholars less Jon Orlando and Julia Quisumbing. Two of my 3 bets are out. Now my success lies on Mark Neumann. He's doing a great job though. Jon Orlando was in the crowd to support his fellow scholars, quite a good chap!

Then the guys and gals performed their dance numbers.

Marvelous had to also perform 1 dance number and an acting stint for her makeup exams. Yes they do have one too!

Everyone got good reviews except Benjo who got the lowest scores. But he stayed most probably because the scores were not really that low. 

Then the Acting exams commenced.

Malak had a very great performance. I loved what she did here. Plus she really carried the story well even if the sound effects were cheesy, definitely believable.

We had a glimpse of Stephanie Rowe's life in yesterday's episode. It was enlightening. You kinda understood her boyish ways now. Her family loves her dearly. Her performance though was okay. Just okay.

Chanel was very good. She learned quite a few things in the session with Direk Soxy Topacio who took over the workshops. She got good scores for this. I felt she was like Lovi Poe at this time.

Brent Manzano had some slight awkward moments. He needed this obviously to stay afloat. During sessions, he was really given advice about hand gestures. He's been doing that a lot in the past and he tried to do so here. It made him appear a little overacting. So on this one it was minimal but the last part and the conversation with the other stage actor was kinda still awkward. He got low scores and he's got the public to probably ask to vote for him. Unfortunately he was taken out last Monday. Sad but quite optimistic he's still gonna be in TV5 for sure.

Marvelous also performed that evening. I just didn't get any photos of that. But she did quite good. Maybe the slight awkwardness just stems from her looking too cute for the role. Ang cute naman talaga kasi hehe.

Then the singing exam started

First up was Mark Neumann

He admits being a little handicapped in the singing department but since he knows his weaknesses he jazzed it up with beatboxing that made the whole number quite entertaining. The judges really took notice of this smart move by Mark. I say GOOD JOB! :) Even I enjoyed it!

Aki was the apple of the eye of the ladies there. Singing was okay, looks was tops, but the way he did it in this bit was again "awkward". He didn't move around that much or connected with people. He didn't really even look at people or traveled around the stage. The judges made sure he knows about it so he doesn't do it again the next time.

Nicole Estrada did good too. I guess the only thing wrong is the song choice or the outfit. I guess the Madonna inspired outfit didn't match the Alicia Keys song. Overall she did a good job though but she has to stand out next time.

Vin Abrenica sang too but I wasn't able to take photos of it. I was busy listening. Again, this was a case of a bad song choice. Even though that's the case, this boy has stardom imprinted on his genes. He's also obviously good looking and among the scholars I think he's got quite a grasp about the industry. He's going places. Score wise, they all did a good job.

Then the announcement for the bottom 3 happened

Then it was announced; Marvelous, Brent and Benjo were in the bottom three.

Host Mr. Cesar Montano then proceeded to announce the top performers in the Dance, Singing and Acting classes.

Sophie is the top student for Dance, Vin Abrenica got the top rank for both Singing and Acting. Congratulations guys! :)

Now who's going to go next? Make sure you watch the next live exams at 9PM this week plus the daily show Mon-Fri @ 11:45AM & 9:00PM. We need to take this a notch higher guys, you wouldn't want to end up in the bottom 3 again do you?

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Komrad Mao's Hunan & Sichuan Kitchen

When I hear KOMRAD in my time it'll be something that a Russian would probably say but I got schooled a few days ago with a restaurant with the same name nearby my place in Quezon City. This hustling, bustling side of town located at the northern end of Tomas Morato is just promising. Il Terrazzo, aside from being a great party venue has a lot of restaurants on its belt and on the second floor you can find a regional Chinese restaurant that visibly sparks ideology with Mao Tse-tung and the whole cultural revolution. We won't tackle Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang or every region in China but we will probably get to experience Hunan and Sichuan in this spot. This is Komrad Mao's Hunan & Sichuan Kitchen. Are you ready?

The Interior

The interior is quite reminiscent of a revolution memorabilia store since all the picture frames, artworks like this one and the wall treatments depict that particular era where Mao reigned. I saw their branch in Eastwood and this particular one in Il Terrazzo felt a little bigger than the latter. Maybe it's because of some glass panels on the front and the table placements that they had in this store that made the difference. I like the fact that they are keeping within their theme and not making this a hodgepodge of anything Chinese that it becomes plain eclectic. 

If you see on the photos above they also got mirrors lining the back wall which made the view wider. It looks like they painstakingly invested in the interiors so the food goes along with this theme.

Murals of the last emperor, some random old man eating a bow of rice, some revolutionary soldiers and an old couple had their photos setup on a large wall without them putting too much on it because they hold back and it won't look cluttered. Minimum effort but quite a grand look right?

The ceiling had it's own share of Mao memorabilia too. This happened all throughout the store and it looked like popart. The lights also added that old Chinese restaurant vibe. Although some of the walls looked bare (not painted) the overall feel was presented well. It wouldn't be a place you'd be ashamed to take your family to on Sundays and everyday lunch/dinner. This isn't fine dining but the place sticked to its theme and worked it!

The Food

Hunan Steamed Fish Head (P 455.00) - It was a light and not that spicy even if there's actually chili on the ingredients. I guess they had the bell pepper kind but this was something good to share.

Stir Fried Fookien Noodles (P 255.00) - Savory noodles loaded with a variety of seafood hand tossed in a wok cooked "stir fry" style. It was something I'd like to have with the other fried items in the menu. I couldn't help eat this even if I was allergic to seafood. The noodles still had some bite to it and a little chewy which I absolutely adore!

Sichuan Pata Tim (P 225.00) - Totally different from what we have in the Philippines, their version of Pata Tim is more close to braised pork and is actually not sweet/tangy. This one had that soft pork falling off the bone and is almost like they meant to have it with just plain bell pepper to flavor the small amount of broth on the bottom. If you are the adventurous type then this is perfect for you!

Sauteed Kenya Beans with Minced Pork and Tofu (P 198.00) - Now I don't know why this particular country came into the mix but this dish was quite a stunner if taken as an appetizer. The spicy kick and crunchy string beans just made me happy to have it with steaming white rice. The minced pork and tofu added volume and made this an even better pair for beer and everything else in between!

Sichuan Mixed Seafood with Pig's Blood (P 385.00) - Glistening in red shiny oil is this mixed seafood dish that's got small pigs blood blocks hand tossed over a wok in high heat. I thought it was going to be super spicy since there were a lot of seeds seen on top but it wasn't that spicy for me. There's a slight kick that you can only feel later on but it wasn't that overwhelming enough to judge this as too spicy, it was just right! :)

Birthday Noodles (P 225.00) - Well as you can see they were not able to hold back on tasting this one even before we took a photo of it. I love my birthday noodles, it symbolizes long life. Their version though didn't have quail eggs on it but it was good nonetheless.

Sichuan Fried Eggplant with Pork Strips (P 198.00) - if you love something crunchy and have more texture in your meal this is definitely a must buy. I think I loved this even more than the mains. This is one of my favorites on the menu because its tasty, not too salty and very crunchy. Don't order this for takeout though because you might lose the crunch.

Xiao Long Bao (P 164.00) - They've got one of the best dimsum on their menu and if you say Xiao Long Bao, I'm there. That hot broth oozing out of the soft dimsum covering must have been meticulously hand made and the taste is just absolutely yummy, its got that tangy oriental bite from the black vinegar and shards of ginger. I'll definitely come back for more of that!

Mango Sago - I didn't get to see the price of this on the menu and they probably have this just on recommendations but this thick, creamy concoction of the fruit, sago and whole cream just made it the perfect dessert to end the meal. This is a must try item so make sure you ask for it!

Buchi - Served fresh and hot off the oil is this sesame seed laden balls of crunchy, chewy flour and sweet mung bean dessert item that is a staple in almost every Chinese restaurant. It's so different when you get it hot like this so try it on if you still have space left in your stomach after all that yummy food!

KOMRAD's Signature Red Iced Tea -  It's a little sour from that hint of lime that came with this iced tea. You'll probably see people order this with their meals quite often because its served cold and fresh plus its perfect for the hot items on the menu.

There's more to Chinese food that we'll ever know. KOMRAD is the best authentic regional Chinese food you'll ever have in the Philippines so if you're up to it, check out their branches at the Eastwood Mall and I'll Terrazzo. Food is well researched and prepared, surely it's something you'd wanna have other than plain chop suey. :)

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Komrad Mao's Hunan and Sichuan Kitchen

Bea Binene: Launches Her New Album "Hey, it's me!"

I've seen Bea Binene a couple of times since I cover fashion events for BUM Equipment and in these instances I always see that she's got a huge following. Although we don't see her anymore in her flicks such as Alice Bungisngis and other programs in GMA she's still visible in other ones that makes her a very bankable star and mind you, a self made entrepreneur via Bea Carletzon Fashion Collection which her family owns.

True enough they have gone leaps and bounds in her career and she continues to grow. On September 9 she'll be having a Fan Meet/Album Launch on SM Skydome for her "Hey, it's me! Bea" album under Galaxy Records and will be distributed nationwide by PolyEast Records. She's been giving this some thought and been wishing for one for the longest time. She's dedicating this album to her throng of fans who have been steadily supporting her from the very beginning. Aside from the obvious inclusion of 80's hits like "Hey, it's me!", the album has other songs like “Urong-Sulong Ka”, “Sayang Na Sayang Lang” and “Mahal Kita, Walang Iba”. She will also have a spine tingling duet with Jake Vargas because she's sure her fans would love this!

So make sure you drop by the SM SKYDOME this September 9, 2012 to get a glimpse of Bea and see her perform some the songs from her album. The album only costs P199.00 so I don't really have to tell you to get it right? =)

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