Rustic and Neo Spanish Feasts at ALQUERIA Tapas, Paellas y Bistecas

I had lunch with a few friends from the blogging industry a week ago. This place is called "ALQUERIA Tapas, Paellas y Bistecas". It's a mouthful for a restaurant's name but what ALQUERIA means is a small rural community. People from the city find refuge in places like these places to unwind, have tapas (appetizers or snacks in Spain), paellas (a popular rice dish), and bistekas (salted or peppered sirloin). No wonder they named it like that! Anyway, I so love Spanish cuisine because of my lineage, and this was all but a welcome sight!

The Interiors

The placed is tiled from the ground up. The patterns would make you think you're in a pub in Madrid or places for tapas in the city. They've also got an open kitchen with several chorizos hanging to dry, plus bread, blocks of chocolate, cases upon cases of produce much like an open pantry. The shelving also contains cutlery, wine glasses, beer and wine. They cook when you order so don't hesitate to watch them prepare your meal while you walk around. I highly suggest you do that, else, just sit and watch.

It also reminds me of a Spanish Chalet, well no, like a room in one of those chalets. The place can sit around 50-60 people, good sized with available seating outside (mall lobby area). The food is simple, rustic, non complicated. You'll see this next!

The Food

Let's start from my favorite on their menu, this is their Chorizo Frito with Manchego Cheese on top. The paprika filled meat was fried crisp on the outside then topped with real good Manchego cheese, then served with the side of Garlic Aioli (I think) and a few crusty toasted baguette on the side. I like the intense smoky and peppery flavor that permeates all throughout the meat and the slightly melted cheese on top. Did I say I loved this?

This is their Champignon al Ajillo, as with the terms used, these are champignon mushrooms with garlic, paprika in olive oil, then finished with white wine. It was good and light as an appetizer but I was really hungry for the next one.

This is called Coca, a Spanish pizza. It's got caramelized onions, green and black olives, tomato confit and slivers of salty anchovies. It's not overpoweringly salty, so it was something I could take. You must however, eat this while it gets served on the table. You can't wait for the crust to get soft, it must be crispy otherwise, it won't be as good. The slight hint of saltiness is good because of the anchovies, it's a good addition to just the usual pizza you get in other places.

This is their Huevos en Marinera. It's like salsa with runny egg and a side serving of spiced paprika chips that tastes like fried filo dough. It's good and perfect for those who love something egg based.

I've always loved Paella, this is their version of the Paella Negra a la Alqueria. There's no other way to showcase hearty fresh seafood but in a platter like this. Squeeze a bit of lemon on top and you'll enjoy the sea, the rice (which I recommend you overcook a bit so you can get stuff stick on the bottom) and everything else on it. It's going to be your Mom's favorite so make sure you order one for her when she's around. If you're on a date, you should get this other one.

For those who love something fresh and hearty, this is their Fisherman's Paella. Aside from the gorgeous seafood on top, the rice has been infused with saffron so you get that earthy, fragrant flavor in the whole pan. My favorite part is the rice that sticks to the bottom so I let everybody dig on the plate then scrape it off, this one is my favorite among the paellas served that afternoon.

For meat lovers like me, this is like a breath of fresh air. This is their Rib Eye, a 300 gram Black Angus Prime USDA Grade Steak. They have it portioned like this just like in Spain, though I do really prefer it not sliced, it's convenient. You may ask them if you prefer, and yes, it was good. If you're here to order one, make sure you eat it while it's hot, no time for Instagram posts as you can't really re-heat meat.

I love the actual Cochinillo served in Spanish dinners but this ones like a twist to the ordinary Crispy Pata that we're used to. This is the Pata Cochinillo. You get a piece of heavenly, crunchy pork leg, with the right amount of fat and meat inside. They serve this with a side of mashed potatoes and a spiced vinegar sauce. It was lovely, we could live here.

Last but not the least, it's desserts! The first one on top is called Canonigo. It's like a hybrid Brazo de Mercedes without the lemon curd filling. It's put on top of caramelized bananas and more caramel syrup plus cherry on top. It's light and airy but is pretty good to share. The other one is called Pudin. It's like brownie ala mode but the chocolate is more intense and probably dark. The consistency is also a bit on the soft side and the vanilla ice cream presents a contrast between hot and cold. It's good and a little fluffy, so if you're on a date, this would be perfect for your chocolate lovin lady!

If you plan to order this, make sure it's hot. This is their legendary Classic Churros. The good part of this is of course, the Chocolate syrup. Alqueria also packaged this very well so you can go out and carry it around conveniently, quite ingenious. The churros are also dusted with granulated sugar, and cinnamon, all available in 3, 5 or 10 pieces. If you're just up for a snack, stop by the 3rd floor of SM Megamall's Fashion Hall and get it. You'll get addicted in no time!

ALQUERIA Tapas, Paellas y Bistecas presents a very good choice for diners in the SM Megamall, Ortigas and Shaw area. If you're up for some good Spanish food, please don't hesitate to visit them at the SM Mega Fashion Hall and try these dishes I recommended. Remember to order the Chorizo for starters, the Fisherman's Paella and Cochinillo Pata for main course, then have the Pudin and tons of Churros for dessert. Remember to make room for that!

For more information about their restaurant:

ALQUERIA Tapas, Paellas y Bistecas

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AstraZeneca and Recent Developments on Diabetes Treatments

We're at the AstraZeneca event today to know a little more about diabetes treatments and how you can save your future. Living with a family where it's loke a normal thing to have diabetes, I am absolutely scared about it but since bith my Mom and Dad has them I figured I probably don't have a choice but to live with it. Dr. Bobby Mirasol the former president of Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism (PSEDM) says "It's not an easy disease and you need early intervention, plus a deeper understanding of the need for lifestyle adjustments and pharma treatment". That means you need to have treatments and factors that should help in diabetes treatment so you can lower blood sugar levels, blood pressure and weight loss. It's not easy because you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and people would always have issues sticking to a plan. There are revolutionary drugs that you can take in order to make the goal easy to achieve.

AstraZeneca has introduced diabetes medicine and new drug entities to battle the disease. Their company is science driven and they've been trying to address how to manage weight issues, fatty liver disease, and other matters so they can bring potential medicines to the forefront and deliver life changing medicine for patients. They also want to push the boundaries of this science and pursue experimental treatment too. Dapagliflozin for example, it treats type 2 diabetes by preventing the kidneys to absorb sugar and release the glucose through the urine instead. It complements what you can say the normal prescription together with insulin therapy (if you are taking it). It did good in clinical trials and even beat leading diabetes medications too. 

In the Philippines, Dapagliflozin has been used to treat 20,000 Filipinos with Type 2 diabetes. It has been lauded for reducing blood levels and additional health benefits. It helps in making the patient gradually go to a good lifestyle change. They call it Diabesity, as these two things are intertwined and more overweight people develop type 2 diabetes and they hopefully want to address that. I am cringing right now because I feel they are talking about me LOL!

AstraZeneca is helping bigtime to fight type 2 diabetes. They want to use holistic diabetes care solutions together with Doctors, Nutritionists and Fitness Experts to do dapagliflozin treatments. If you need information about managing diabetes, please check out their website www.astrazeneca.com especially if you're looking for a second line of treatment. You have to ask your doctor of course and have a healthy lifestyle together with it.

Ciao!

KUMAGCOW

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Funny, Independent, Powerful Women in Misterless Misis TV5

This series looked impossible to do right from the start. From the stellar cast, the multitude of characters they have to portray, the big stars, all must have been a headache to achieve since it's planning. They called it Misterless Misis, as this happens at an era when women want to see how real life independent women would handle their not so ordinary lives. The cast includes prime TV5 actress Ritz Azul, legendary actress comedienne Mitch Valdez, host and Jerry Springer's female version Gelli De Belen, multi awarded actress Ms. Lorna Tolentino, beauty queen, model and international star Ruffa Gutierrez and new full figured bombshell Andie Gomez (first ever contestant of FHHM Eat Bulaga fame).

 This isn't actually going to be serious as they're mostly going to be in a situational comedy scenes. Although the issues are, you can tell, pressing matters, they're going to concentrate way more on friendships, relationships and how it feels to heed the help of your friends. It reminded me much of Mysteria Lane or Desperate Housewives, but the director said if it might have some similarities, it's not intentional and the only common thing is just standard issues that women of their age go through. 

She was laughing profusely and was a bit put off by the mere fact that we were interviewing her. She's a communications student and she didn't think she was going to be on the other side of the fence during the press conference. She plays a very outspoken and ultra confident woman in the show. It's a far cry from what she is in real life but she laments "Actually, until today, I can't really believe what's happening. I only watch my co-stars on TV and now there's a chance for me, when they were looking for a fresh face we all know how small the population is for plus sized women in the industry. They wanted it, that's me but of course I auditioned for this, I was just chosen for this part. I don't have a manager but I think I need it. I was a grand finalist in FHHM but didn't get that far, so this was an unexpected blessing in disguise. 

My experience was more into news production, I was always the host in college and it was just role playing in college, but this is the first time. Tiny is more of Andie so this was no pressure, what made me realize this was different is because I'm in front of Ruffa and I had to be super confident with these beautiful people. We've taped already 3 episodes and it's going to be all about the characters, like backgrounders. Tiny is a big girl, happily married, has kids, but the confidence is over the roof, over the galaxy. I am the only one who always had a say about diets, but I'm not the streotype, I wear what I want even with this shape. This is so good for big girls, I hope that inspires people in the same state. 

I haven't really seen any episodes, waaa! I don't know how I'll look like on camera! I was so nervous with Ruffa because I had to say a line like I had to say I'm more beautiful than her. I had to also tell her that women this beautiful are snobs, and she had to be friendly since she's not LOL! I haven't worked that much with Ms. Lorna yet but we did have a conversation with other artists, I don't know yet what will happen because Ms. Lorna is so big, but she's very humble, very human without any star complex. I'm married here with Fabio Ide, so I don't know if I can do that... I haven't had a scene yet, but I'm hoping tomorrow will be good since we're doing it. In the multitude of personalities, Ms. Mitch and I will be very comedic because she plays my Mom in the show. Ms. Gelli also is a pro in pulling off lines. Ms. Mitch is always going to be my antagonist, we're always clashing and I can't wait for people to see my clothes in the show. I woke up like this! Complete with contours, heavy make up, a combination of funny and the not so normal big girls in the society and she doesn't care if there are problems. That part is nice she's funny and gives advice while biting on a doughnut. It's like modern to old school, you can tell we're telling people about themselves in the show. I hope people would be able to watch us on August 9, 2015 at 9PM." 

Ritz Azul sat with us to tell more about her character, she plays a Physical Therapist and handles old people regularly because it comes with the job. Her neighbors on the other hand judged her repeatedly saying these old geezers were her men! Crazy right? Well, she's still optimistic and hope this character makes notice of those chismosas in your neighborhood and how people would judge others in this situation. She says "I just came from school and got made up in my uniform, but my character is Mia, a PT and health buff, and vegetarian, and BOHO chic. They're going to talk about me in the show because they thing I have different DOM's but I just take care of them. We already taped with everyone and I feel there's no off and on cam thing in the set. Director Mark Meily made this a very happy set. I've worked with them all except Andie. They're all great people, they don't make you feel intimidated, and we always help out each other. I am a bit separate but I always have an epilogue in the last bit so we can sum up how to resolve problems every episode. 

It's an hour long and talks about Misis that are Misterless, from having breakups, death, and I'm the only one who is single in this show. That part is funny because they'll see me with different old people. It's been a long time since I heard that we were going to do this, but when it happened, it was really a dream just hearing the names of the cast members. I learned a lot from them especially Gelli who's really crazy on set. You can adlib but we do this like a commercial because this is Unitel. It's a shot per person, it's live audio so you have to remember everything. Ms. Mitch always sings on set, Gelli dances KPOP, Andie is a little nervous but we're always together on tent. For a new artist, she's working hard and she comes prepared because she reviews everything at home and throw lines with her PA. People can learn a lot from my character, not to judge people, and I think people should start living healthy. For the whole show, you'll learn something from us individually, you find love, you'll learn the value of friendships and how we all connect in the neighborhood. This is like Sex in the City, Friends and Desperate Housewives in one show. It's going to be a big surprise each time, I hope people would get to see it when we start on the 9th of August! It's going to be fun!"

The cast, and everyone else in the production would like you to watch this show made by Unitel and TV5. It's going to start on August 9, 2015 next week! Make sure you never miss a day so you can know more about their characters. It shows 9PM on the happiest network in the country, TV5!

For more information about their network:

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KPOP Group FameUs and Asha Set to Perform in Manila

It looks like the KPOP fever is taking Manila by storm as the newest KPOP sensations from Korea FameUs and Asha are set to perform on September 18, 2015 at the Ynares Sports Complex at Shaw Boulevard in Pasig City. They will also be doing a second show on October 2, 2015 at SMX in Davao City. Their concerts are organized by the Zoomanity Group from the Yupangco Group of Companies, Yupangco Exhibits and Shows aka Y.E.S. and Redstone Media Productions.

 For those who don't know, FameUs is a six piece boy group that's got good looks, and great singing voices. Their members are Han Saem (Seo Han Saem), Jung Hoon (Choi Jung Hoon), Do A/Doah, Kudo, Daeyoung and Hanyoung. They've been here in the country a couple of times not just to perform, but to do charity work indigenous aeta tribes, children with cancer and others. Through their visits last February and April, they went to different communities to share their blessings and provide inspiration to countless Filipino youth. Mind you, they were just formed late last year and feel that it should be a part of their mission not just to provide entertainment, but also help communities, kids, with special needs. They've already gotten a big following in the past few months and this concert is just the opportune time to get to know them while they're here in Manila.

ASHA on the other hand released a few months ago their newest music video "Mr. Liar". They've gotten really good reviews with their very inventive approach to music as their production has given them the lee way to do so. Da-ae, Yoha, Nara and Hyun A promise to give you a good show on the dates mentioned above and even will perform in Davao in October, something that KPOP fans in that city shouldn't miss!

They are still calling sponsors for the shows, if you wish to become one and take part in this great opportunity please call TAG Media and Public Relations at 09166299381 or email them at gracenicolas@yahoo.com for more information, also on where to get tickets to the show.

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TAG Media and Public Relations

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