G/F Greenbelt 1, Legaspi St. cor Greenbelt Drive
Ayala Center, Makati City
07 February 2012
I remember, the very first time I attended an event by Max's Restaurant, it was also for Valentine's Day. In the span of one year, I have developed good friendships with people behind the events - bloggers included.
A while back, I received another invitation from them, and because it's been quite a while since I last saw them (I sadly wasn't able to attend their Videoke Night), I surely didn't miss this one. Thankful, too, that my sister also received an invitation, so this was actually a two-in-one celebration as my sister and I were together during that event last year.
Jonel (NomNomClub) | Marjorie (Living Marjorney) |
Jessa and Allen (Stop! Look! and Capture!) | *me* | my sister
Photo Credit: Azrael Coladilla
Sister and I arrived early and Az was already there. Even before the bloggers started coming, we already had a great conversation with the PR / Marketing team of Max's Restaurant. Our topic? The newest loveteam of the Pinoy Blogosphere: Jon and Marge, which we call Marjonel. :) Well, Marjorie is actually our second cousin (her mom and my dad are cousins), and I am truly happy that they found each other.
Before the actual event, dinner was served, and for this event we had:
Sinigang na Hipon. A wee bit sour for my taste, but comforting enough to warm the tummy. Veggies were cooked good, too.
Beef Kare Kare. I love Kare Kare as it is - without the bagoong - and I just loved how the sauce tasted like. Not only that, the beef was really tender and the veggies were cooked just right.
Daing na Bangus. Even without the vinegar dip, the fish was already tasty as is. I also appreciated the right amount of breading... it made the fish look clean without having to really compromise the taste of the whole dish. (This is also my late entry for ABC Wednesday and Food Quote)
Lechon Kawali. It looked dry, but my sister told me it was tender and easy to chew. She compared it to the bagnet.
Max's Fried Chicken. A food trip to Max's Restaurant will never be complete without the fried chicken. No need to comment about this - nothing has changed; it still is as delicious as any of the Max's Fried Chicken I tasted.
Iced Tea. Attendees got to choose what they wanted to drink - soda or iced tea. I went for water, but sister went for the Iced Tea.
Buco Pandan. They let us taste the Cupcakes, Chocolate Moist Cake, and Assorted Pastry Bites (see previous post), but they still served this. Well, this Buco Pandan wasn't so sweet, too bad I already had my sugar fix, so I only had a teaspoon of this.
After eating dinner came the actual program. It centered on their Sweet Valentine's Treat, but since Max's Restaurant is all about celebrating "close ties," they also prepared games for us who attended the event.
Searchee-Searcher's Game. They called in three single men - Ryan, Don, and Dencio - and at the back of the tarp was one of the "Bakery Belles" of Max's Corner Bakery asking the questions. It was a dating game that was full of laughs because these three men just knew how to answer the questions with wit. Well, Don's the clear winner for this game - his answers were just so witty!
Share a Pick-Up Line > "Taken ka na ba? Kasi gusto kong alisin yung 'T' para 'AKEN' ka na lang."
If you're a vehicle, what will you be? > "Jeepney. May sasakyan na, may pang-kabuhayan pa."
If you're going to take me in a Philippine Destination, where will it be? > "Hundred Islands - and while we hop on different islands, I'd tell you how much I like you."
Well, Ryan and Dencio did have witty, funny answers, but Don's answers were really the best.
Compatibility Game. This game is for the couples - contestants were: Niko & Yobib (married 6 years), Allen & Jessa (in a relationship for 10 months), and Jonel & Marjorie (in a relationship for 1 month). It was another funny game - especially when the couples gave different answers, but it was such an interesting game because it came to a point when they had a three way tie...but in the end, it was Allen & Jessa who won.
Before the night ended, there was another quick game - where we had to get a half part of a heart stuck under our seats, and the one that found their match won. I forgot the name of the other winner, but Jonel had the other winning heart piece.
A fun night filled with good food, good camaraderie and love. Thanks for the invitation, Max's Restaurant! Happy Valentine's Day!
I come from a family who loves cooking and eating. I never had any formal training in cooking and that I taught myself how to cook based on the handed down recipes, but I could say that I can cook good food. In 2008, I started documenting my food trips for my