This is becoming an annual celebration - all the birthday celebrants of September - Dad Monching (Sept. 4 ) , Gerry ( Sept. 5 ), Margs ( Sept. 1) and Jaime ( Sept. 2 ).  Too bad we missed Gerry who could not make it this time due to a patient call.  

Thanks to Dad and Mom for preparing and hosting  

It’s always nice to celebrate with a mass and of course by our good friends, Fr. Manolo and Fr. Julian who are always part of the family 

Catered by Gaita Fores which is always something to look forward to…

Coffee from Starbucks prepared by no other than the First Lady of Starbucks, Krie!  :-)  She is the expert in using the French Press and showing us how to do it the right way 

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We wanted to take out our friend, Pam, who is here on vacation and we were so happy to discover this new restaurant at Bonifacio High Street.  I heard about it from my sister Krie so i recommended it… It was a good choice.  We liked the ambience, the food and most of all the company

They just opened and are still partially finished.  The private room, the deli, pastry counter, wines, breads, etc are still not yet available.  They will also be selling the meats that come from the Del Monte Farms.

It is owned by Del Monte ( which explains all the pineapples and the plantation interiors ) in partnership with Center for Culinary Arts (CCA) 

Pam lives in the States so we see hardly see her.  

We are happy whenever she comes because it is the only time we have a reunion of our Spain group… Ana, Babylyn, Maricar, Pam and I 

Babylyn, Maricar, Pam and I lived and studied together in Madrid for one year while Ana was in Barcelona.  Ana visited us, so we adopted her as part of our Spain group. Hopefully our next reunion will be in Spain!

Since they are on dry run, they are giving a 20% discount!  :-) So hurry and try it!!! 

We met one of the chefs, Carina Guevara.  She conceptualized the menu for the restaurant.   

Tomato Fondue with Mozzarella and Parmesan Croutons - of course this is my order and loved it!   The tomato fondue is good also to add to any dish as a sauce so we asked for a teaspoon to scoop it out and put it on our plates  

Pan-fried Angel Food Cod Cakes with Corn Chowder Sauce  

Flatbread with Arugula - Goat Cheese, Roasted Garlic, Walnuts, Olives and Olive Oil 

Prime Burger with Grilled Pineapple, Bacon and Caramelized Onions 

Pan Seared Roast Beef with Gratinated Potatoes with Bernaise Sauce - This dish was ordered by Ana and we all liked it.  It is made form their locally grown meat from the Del Monte farms.  The beef was tender and tasty.  It was very good and was more than enough for the 5 of us.  We had two more other main dishes.  It was a good share for only P 995.00.  WORTH IT!

Ravioli of Cream Cheese, Parmesan and Pine Nuts

Creamy Banana Trifle with Billowy Meringue and Hot Fudge Sauce 

Key Lime Pie with Whipped cream 

Telephone #:  856-6301

Ground Floor, Building 3, Fort Bonifacio High Street ( near Starbucks )

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What a great idea M. Donnie!  Heart2Heart will give you the credit for the idea and credit goes to Crix for implementing it!  You guys really make a great team!  :-) What a cool party!

And to the lovely and beautiful twins, Nicole and Camille,  HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY!!  

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Thanks so much to my friend, Shellane, for sending this to me.   She saw my feature on “Serious Dining at Heart2Heart”  and felt that it was fitting .  I will write it here again as not everyone saw it as it came out only in the email updates and not in the website:

Heart2Heart really takes dining and meals seriously.  Whether it be with family or friends, each meal is a dining experience. You must have noticed this with all the Foodie entries.   I remember when we were kids, my parents made sure that everyday we had to have dinner together because it is the only time of the day we are complete as a family.  Up to this day, I follow that rule with my own family as it is the only time we get to talk and share the events of the day.  Every special occassion  is celebrated with a meal - whether it be in the house or in a restaurant.    

Even with friends, eating together is a serious occassion…. even if it means setting up a dining table in the bedroom.  It is a time to share good food, good conversation and just enjoying each other’s company.   

Heart2Heart encourages FAMEALY Day to be everyday, not only on September 22 but as often as you can.  Thank you to Monde Nissin for supporting children and families.  Heart2Heart supports companies that promote good things.  Take time out to watch the short commercials in between. I love it!  Great marketing campaign but more important is the message!

 On September 22, 2008 (Monday), celebrate Famealy Day and join hundreds of parents who will come home to have dinner with their children.  Famealy Day, a nationwide call to celebrate family dining every 4th  Monday of September, serves as a reminder that eating together is a simple but effective means for parents to raise happy, healthy and successful children.   This event also coincides with the first day of DSWD’s National Family Week which runs every fourth week of September.

Pagiging Makadiyos ( FOR GOD )

Pagiging  Mapagbigay ( GIVING and GENEROSITY )

Pagiging Mapagkumbaba ( HUMILITY )

Ang Kainang Pamilya ay Mahalaga!This nationwide initiative which promotes the importance of family togetherness during dinner was certified in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the National Committee on the Filipino Family (NCFF), and Monde Nissin Corporation.  

http://www.kainangpamilyamahalaga.com 

This is becoming an annual thing… I hope so!   Happy Birthday Margs!!!

Catering by Sousaku  

previous Entries:  Margs’ Special Day September 1, 2007 

Girls of Summer May 31, 2008 

Sousaku July 1, 2007 

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Happy Birthday Lucas!!  What a cutie!!!! 

I told Kai to have more babies and make more good looking kids!! She and Harco, who is Dutch, seem to make a great combination.  Hope to see you guys again soon! 

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For the past 3 years, we have been invited to the birthday of Tito Totoy.   This year was his 75th birthday!  

His children plan an evening to celebrate his special day with his family and close friends. We are deeply honored to always be part of their family gatherings.  

Happy 75th Birthday Tito Totoy! 

The celebration started with the Holy Mass…. 

And right after, Tito Totoy said he wanted to eat since he was hungry already The dinner was really good!

And every year, I look forward to seeing the cake that Soraya makes for her dad.  It is a labor of love as she bakes it herself.  We made sure we got a piece of the cake and it was really YUMMY!  The whole cake was real cake!  We even took home some  Soraya studied in Switzerland and she makes many delicious pastries and cakes.   

 And of course, the grandkids are always present…. 

 That is Soraya’s son, Junior, eating his Mom’s cake!

The night ended with a surprise program by comedian Mitch Valdes.   We all had a good laugh! 

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Wow Linds and Steve, you guys never fail to amaze us!  What a party!! When we received the invitation, we already knew that this was going to be a grand celebration.  Javier did not want to leave anymore the party! 

Every single detail was well thought of. Lindy told me that she designed and put a lot of effort into coming up with the Monopoly game which was the giveaway for the party.  She made that herself!! And the cake! It was a rotating cake with many mini cakes all around!

It was also nice to see all the kids who came dressed up for the occassion.  

Till the next party! We can’t wait!

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Thank you so much Peter and Elena for making us part of your daughter’s debut.  What a grand celebration! The night was full of entertainment and surprises for Sofia!

This is the first non-Wharton/Penn Club or Rotary event that we have attended with Peter, so it was a nice change to see the other side of Peter.  It was nice to meet your children who take very much after the two of you.  We are so happy to share this evening with you and for bringing us closer to you through this very important event in your life.  

And to the very lucky debutant, Sofia, Happy 18th Birthday! 

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