Saturday, June 26, 2010

HELLO MAGINHAWA STREET!

I live in a community where streets are named after ideal Pinoy 'traits/characters'. I think it's destiny that I live in 'Malakas street' because perhaps by living in that street I can negate my being a weakling. Though I know, I'll make a good resident of 'Mapang-akit street' (aherm) and 'Mapagbigay street' (I am very charitable, sometimes to a fault). And I'm dying to meet someone from 'Maginoo' street. 

At the back of Claret where we usually hear mass is a street I often go to back in college because most of my friends are from there but I never really took notice of its charm until I read about bloggers and writers raving about it. So one lunch time, when Ate Letty, our cook, left early for a date (see, even our maid goes out on a date!), my cousins, sister and I went to Maginhawa Street for a really uhm, comforting Saturday experience.

We tried Cocina Juan for luch.

The food: A mix of Central American and Mexican food, it was really satisfying!

                                      nachos in white sauce.dynamite chili with melted cheese 
                                                (perfect for pulutan).pita pizza with tuna (my favorite!).burrito.
                                                buffalo wings (very tender!).pork belly in chimichurri sauce. 
                                                no pictures of chicken in melted cheese (saucy and rich!).
                                                tres leches (triple layered cake for dessert).       

Since we are not really big on food and most of the time we're after the experience and the thought of having to check off one item in our long list of must try's excites us so, what we found most joy in (or maybe I am speaking for myself only) is the place's ambiance. Cozy. Very artsy. Romantic even. Sabi ni Lean, may pagdadalhan na siya sa makaka-date niya!            



There were paintings on the wall and we chose one each to have our pictures taken with.

Lean chose a naked beer-bellied man with 2 naked girls licking his face. Maybe my cousin's secret fantasy is a threesome. Oh no!

My sister chose this portrait of a tummy-exposed lady. Isabel thinks standing beside somebody physically ugly will make her prettiness stand out. So vain. haha!

Ate ay chose this lion-like portrait. She secretly wants to be  fierce.



And because I own the camera (*wink*), I get to choose two. One is a painting with so many eyes on it, the other, a breast-exposed lady. I think I'm big on parts when it would have better if they were small (my eyes, super big!) and small on parts when I would have been more attractive if they were big (cup size). haha!!

After Cocina Juan, we thought of trying out Kiss the Cook's desserts. Kiss the Cook is another pang-date place and we would have tried their sandwiches and pasta had we not been extremely full with our Cocina lunch.

                                        fragola (bittersweet). froyo in chocoloate (the yummiest),  
                                                 pistachio and mango.

Before heading home, we stopped by Bookay-Ukay, it's like BookSale which sells second hand books and magazines only that Bookay has more interesting titles (and has an even more interesting Store Name!). It is by far my most favorite Maginhawa Street find! I'm not really into reading and I only know a few titles (I do not know any classics, believe me), but I'm so lucky, the few books that I get to read are super interesting.

                             Heaven! Stacks and piles of good finds from the classics to contemporary!

I think I'll always find myself going back if not for the book, for Mr. tattooed cute librarian. A guy in a bookstore. Hot. A tattooed guy in a bookstore. Sizzling Hot.


They had Sweet Valley High, Nancy Drew (books that cool kids read in grade school) and this soon-to-be-classic:  Alamat ng Panget & Many Others =D


I brought these home with me!! Neil Gaiman's Stardust! It's among my favorite movies but I never really bothered to buy the book until now. I also bought Jughead's Comic book. It has been a long time since I've picked up an Archie Digest. Excited!

God said to love our neighbors as ourselves. Taking inspiration from him, I'll say, love your neighborhood!

Yay!



P.S.

For the Street Names:
Malakas means strong.
Mapang-akit, seductive/attractive.
Mapagbigay, giving/charitable.
Maginoo, gentleman.
Maginhawa, comfortable.
Feeling ko lang may foreigner reader dito , haha!

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