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Sutra: Born out of a passion for food

When I first heard about Sutra Bar and Restaurant in Bonifacio High Street, Indian food was the first thing the sprang into my mind. But expect to be pleasantly surprised when you get served with ‘Pan-Asian’ dishes that seem to mix all your favorite things from Asian cuisine.

When you walk through the doors, you’re greeted by a large bar with an impressive selection of wines and spirits, but since this Open Rice Eat’s A Date was of the non-alcoholic variety, I unfortunately didn’t get to sample any – and Kevin Prasad, who along with his family own Sutra, says that they’re pretty proud of their custom cocktails. Too bad. Lol.

Anyway, it gets a bit homier as you go inward, with brick walls with the murals – probably intentional on their part with the front of the place serving as the “bar” area while the back would be for people who want to sit down and enjoy a good meal in a relatively quieter setting.

Kevin explains that the whole driving force to put up their first restaurant was simply because of his family’s passion for food. His father liked to eat out at good restaurants, and even at home they ate in courses (albeit much simpler, of course). They put up their first establishment, Duo, in Serendra, and its success encouraged them to come with more original restaurant concepts, which eventually included and resulted in, Sutra.

Kevin’s also quick to credit his staff, and of course, the head chef, Chef Ding*, as the major factors that have made an contributed to the success of Sutra and the rest of their restaurants. It’s the harmony and teamwork between everyone that ultimately lies behind every great plate of food that they serve their guests.

And speaking of great plates of food, I was pretty impressed with what Sutra had to offer – we started off with the Firecracker (Php310) – a kind of sushi that had spicy tuna, unagi, scallions and tobiko (flying fish roe). Instant favorite, this one – just the right amount of rice together that didn’t overpower (putting in the right amount of rice is much harder than you think) all the other ingredients.

Next were two kinds of dumplings. First was Water (Php170), which was basically the classic Hakao, filled with bamboo shoots and generous amounts of perfectly-cooked shrimp. The other was Earth (Php185), green-colored dumplings filled with spinach and shiitake. I preferred Water over Earth, as I found the latter to be a bit underwhelming – which was probably because I ate the Water first, and Earth, given its ingredient, was of a milder sort.

We then had the Sutra Salad – which, besides the greens, had prawns, jicama, pomelo, green mango, apple, cilantro-plum sauce. It’s sort of like Asian salad, but something more flavorful and milder at the same time, if that makes any sense at all.

The Seafood Broth (Php695) and the Lamb Shepherd’s Pie (Php795) came next. While the shepherd’s pie wasn’t bad at all, I really wasn’t a fan of the sweet potato – but I do prefer this deconstructed version over the more traditional version of this dish, with the distracting and usually dry and bland pie crust and all. It’s actually a bit ironic that the shepherd’s pie pales in comparison with the Seafood Broth – mixed seafood in a ginger and lemongrass broth – since the latter is so mild. It reminds me of a Tom Yum, but with less of the sourness and the spiciness but the flavor kept intact. It’s very refreshing and hearty – I think it’s one of the best comfort foods I’ve ever had.

Seafood Broth

Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

The Meat Lover’s Platter (Php995) – oven-cooked beef rib fingers, crispy pork belly and marinated chicken – capped off the main course offerings. And what cap-off that was. Tender, tender beef, crisp, juicy pork belly and chicken bursting with flavor, really, words do not do it justice. One of the highlights of that experience, I tell you.

Desserts were pretty funky, especially the Panna Cotta with Balsamic Ice Cream – and yes, I’m talking about sweet ice cream with a kick of balsamic vinegar mixed into it. I really suggest you give this a go at least once when you visit – the best way I can think to describe it would be to say that it’s strangely delicious. The flambeed mango with frozen chocolate cake was pretty good as well and would be something more to your taste if you’re weirded out by the Balsamic Ice Cream.

All in all, Sutra was a wonderful dining experience. And have I mentioned that their service here is impeccable? This is probably the place with the best service I’ve been in so far – and seeing reviews from other food blogs, I think its safe to say that it was an experience that wasn’t just limited to us.

Some might probably take issue with their higher than usual prices, but their servings are bigger than they seem, made with the best local and imported ingredients, plus they’re delicious and unique to boot. Definitely worth visiting, at the very least for special occasions. Cheers to Kevin and OpenRice Philippines – I’m glad I didn’t miss this Eat’s A Date event.

*Rant: I actually have a picture of Chef Ding, but I totally messed it up and took a horrible shot. I absolutely hate myself for it.

Published:
May 20, 2013 – 9:59 PM
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By Tim
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“Iket-Iket” in Nasugbu, Batangas

Let me first start by saying that in taking landscapes, seascapes in particular, it is an inescapable reality that you will have to transact business with boatmen. Some will be nice, amiable, and honest fellows that you might want to give an extra tip to, or they can be denser than osmium (which is the densest naturally occurring element), which can (well, WILL, actually) make things much more complicated, stressful and frustrating.

Unfortunately for the boys (and girls) of Digital Light that paid familiar Payong Point in Nasugbu, Batangas a visit recently, the boatman they had the misfortune of hiring was of the latter sort.

Ang akala ni mamang bangkero, iiket (iikot) lang kami. (He thought we were just going to circle the place in the boat and take photos from there.) Go figure.

While the experience did generate more than a few laughs afterward when we were all back in the van on the way home, it proved to be quite annoying when the boatman misinterprets and misunderstands absolutely everything you ask him to do. And all the while the sun is beginning to set and you’re all still stuck in the boat with a clueless ‘captain’ of the ship and an equally confused crew.

Here’s a tip: EXPLAIN EVERYTHING. As clear as possible. Tell whoever local boatman you talk to or ask to negotiate a boat for you that you will go down from the boat, that you need to step on solid ground, set up your tripods and face the sunset (or sunrise). Elucidate that you absolutely NEED to be where you want to be significantly before that sunrise or sunset, and that you are not going to stare wide-mouthed at the rising or setting sun like a clueless, drooling dolt.

Angst aside, we were on the other hand, blessed with spectacular light and a very low tide when we finally got to shoot – in the nick of time, I might add.

This is where experience comes in – you cannot waste the precious little time you have fiddling with your settings and puzzling over ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and the filters you need. The sun will set or rise and the colors of the sky will change abruptly regardless of how much a geek you are about landscape theory or how expensive your gear is. This is where actually shooting comes in – nothing can replace the learning you get from being in the field, understanding the light.

Another thing, secure your gear. When shooting near or in the sea, it’s better if you have a dry bag with you where you can put your stuff in – phones, wallets, and other stuff you don’t want to get wet. Most of your gear also goes in there, obviously.

Once out, make sure you camera is properly attached to a stable tripod that can take the weight of whatever your set up is. Most of us that night were on our trusty Benro tripods. The kind of tripod you have might seem trivial, but where your camera is attached to spells all the difference of whether you go home with your precious gear dry and safe.

All in all, it just boiled down to making the most out of what we had. The light, the time, our equipment and gear. ‘Till the next photo safari.

(originally written  for Digital Light and Benro Philippines)

Published:
April 21, 2013 – 8:07 AM
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By Tim
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2013 Tri-United 1 Highlights

Kapamilya actor Mateo Guidicelli, a racer that day, leads a short prayer with his teammates before the race starts.

Triathlons are always inspiring to watch. Its a mix of seeing all the cool gear and the determination and stamina the participants put into the whole race – something I haven’t seen anywhere else. It’s not to say that other athletes in other sports aren’t determined or don’t have cool gear – it’s just that there are very few sports that are as grueling as triathlons, so just being able to finish is a challenge, and to win is to be on another level of physical prowess altogether.

The tension is highest – for me at least – just before the start of the race, where all the participants gather en masse, eager and coiled like springs. Then the horn sounds and off they go, launching themselves into the cold waters of Subic Bay, in the South China Sea.

Then they swim for two laps – for a total of about a kilometer and a half – which is a REALLY long distance, so there’s always a danger of getting cramps.

The bike section comes next, which is where their gear primarily comes in (I love their bikes!). While I feel that this is the least exhaustive of the three events – biking through a several kilometer course is not joke, especially when you’ve just swam 1.5km. Plus, the heat was starting to get pretty intense, so that was a challenge the bikers had to contend with as well.

The heat was most prominent though, during the last leg of the race, the run.

I never get tired of shooting triathlons – hopefully and God-willing, I’ll get to be at all the Tri-United events this year.

Published:
April 16, 2013 – 7:10 AM
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By Tim
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Night time cityscapes

Wow. You take a bit of break and its March 2013 already. In my defense though, I haven’t been shooting as much as I want to these past few months, with the new job and all, thus the delayed post. There are though, a number of new photography-related developments I’m waiting for to come to fruition in the coming weeks, which hopefully I’ll be able to share with everyone soon.

Anyway, nightscapes. These are from a shoot a number of months back, with fellow landscape enthusiasts. Nightscapes are a good alternative shooting experience for the landscape-inclined – they’re simple (in a way) to do and much easier to accomplish (at least for city-dwellers such as myself).

Skyway, Nichols Interchange, Pasay

Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

One thing to remember in nightscapes though, is that you will get vastly different exposures in a single frame. You remedy this by using dodge and burn tools or masking multiple exposures in Photoshop to get a better histogram for a single image. You can also go the HDR route, but I’m really not a big fan of those.

Star Cruises Center, Resorts World, Pasay

Buendia Ave, Makati City

While the light nature gives us – especially during sunrise and sunset – cannot be matched, there is a unique appeal to the vista of a brightly-lit city at night. Hopefully I can give nightscapes a go again soon.

 

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Published:
March 19, 2013 – 12:42 AM
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By Tim
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Yearender: Baguio City in snapshots

I like Baguio. It may be congested, crowded and commercialized – in so many ways it’s like Metro Manila – but for one thing, it’s cold up there. Especially in the months of December to maybe early to mid-February, Baguio is a very good place to go if you want to escape the hot, humid and sticky temperature of the lowlands.

Harrison – Magsaysay Crossing, Baguio City

This year’s trip up to the famed City of Pines was more or less unplanned – me and the wife decided to go only days before the relatively short Christmas break. Plus, we had to do the whole obligatory (but fun and food-filled) dalaw to her relatives based there, so we weren’t able to go around very much.

Still, we managed to visit places like Café By the Ruins, which while a bit more expensive than other food places, is a restaurant you should visit at least once while you’re there. Too bad we never got to go when there were still actual ruins near the place, instead of the Eurotel they built a couple of years ago.

Moroccan Mint Tea at Cafe by the Ruins

I daresay a trip to Baguio isn’t really complete if you don’t pass the public market for some goods. This is probably the best place to buy your pasalubongs as the wares here are cheaper as compared to places like Mines View.

Fresh flowers and vegetables are in abundance here, and who can forget Kape Umali, our go-to place to for coffee – which we mostly buy for other people. It’s a unique gift that most people appreciate, and judging from the steady stream of customers buying one sort of coffee or another (one of these days I WILL try that crazy expensive civet cat coffee), a lot of other people appreciate their products as well.

Kape Umali

Flowers at the market

Anyway, without further ado, here are more snapshots of Baguio City:

Texting, waiting.
Victory Liner Terminal

Stalled. Burnham Park

 

Foot traffic.
Harrison – Magsaysay Overpass, Baguio City

 

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Published:
December 31, 2012 – 3:42 AM
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By Tim
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Tri-United 3 (2012)

I think there’s no other word than ‘blessed’ to describe being able to cover, for the third time, one of the biggest and most intense sports events of the year – the third installment of Tri-United 3. Regular readers (if there are indeed any of you out there) might be familiar with the event as being one the the premier triathlon races in the country. Spearheaded by pharma giant Unilab, Bike King Philippines, PLDT, and a host of other sponsors, Tri-United is held in threes every year in various locations near or in Metro Manila.

While the first two were held in Playa Laiya in faraway Batangas, this third and last in the TU series was held closer to home, in the prestigious and sprawling Ayala Alabang subdivision. where close to 500 people participated. A new addition this time around was the mini-sprint category, comprised of a 300m swim, 7.6km bike, and a 1.7km run.

I wasn’t able to get much (or any, actually) shots of the bike and run legs, as I was assigned to the finish line, which was quite a ways from the bike and run areas. I did get to do some swim shots at the beginning, and quickly rushed to the finish lest I miss the mini-sprint winner. Good thing I did too, as the kid who won the mini-sprint clocked in at a blazing 26mins and 30secs (for your reference, that’s even less than the time sorry old me takes to finish a 3km run).

The good thing about the finish line though, is that you get to see and capture moments you’ll not see anywhere else in the entire race. For many of the triathletes, getting to the finish gives them a feeling of accomplishment, relief, triumph and happiness all rolled into one – I know because they wear it on their faces. After a grueling swim, bike and run, the last thing they’re thinking about is putting on a show – making everything you see at the finish as genuine as it gets. Priceless stuff.

Yes, this guy is absolutely awesome. The ‘R’ on his bib means “relay”.

It’s truly a privilege to be asked to cover this event the third time around, and I hope I’ll still be on the photographer’s list next year for the next Tri-United trilogy. Many thanks to Bike King Philippines for the opportunity to shoot!

Published:
November 22, 2012 – 10:43 PM
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By Tim
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Delectable Delights at Café 1771

There’s always a certain charm when you try something out for the first time. You feel invigorated and your brain goes like, “Ay, ganun pala yun?”. And whether or not your experience was good or bad, that first time will always be memorable.

For most things, it simply follows that the second time, third time, fourth time, and so on isn’t going to be as much of a blast as the first. However, that’s not really the case when it comes to Café 1771.

I first became familiar with the Chateau 1771 group of restaurants during the Eat’s a Date event by OpenRice at Wine Bar 1771 last December (read the full review and concept for Café 1771, Wine Bar 1771 and Sidebar here). Suffice to say, it was wonderful. Wonderful enough, in fact, for me to take my wife back to the place for our first wedding anniversary. That time though, we decided to eat at Café 1771 instead, and despite the hefty bill at the end, I (we) have no regrets.

Naturally, when I found out that OpenRice was doing an Eat’s a Date at Café 1771, I practically jumped at the opportunity to join, deadlines and officework be damned.

First off, the ambiance. As opposed to Wine Bar and its very ‘male’ feel, Café 1771 sports a much brighter interior, making it more neutral. While the library-ish theme is also used here, the lighting and the design as a whole make a lot of difference in terms of how the space is perceived. Most of tables are small and round, most of them with matching lounge chairs, giving it a much more relaxed and laid back atmosphere. The table sizes also make it apparent that it’s meant for couples and much smaller groups. Small details here and there (which were lovely to photograph) – like the teas – as well as the pastry display, complete the café feel.

The Grand Marnier Coffee – as the name suggests, it’s coffee prepared before you in a grand fashion, complete with fire and everything. Also contains a splash of liquor.

With regard to the food, I’ve no complaints at all. That I thoroughly enjoyed their Fried Squash Flowers (Php280) despite having an intense dislike of vegetables in general – squash included – already speaks volumes. Another favorite was the Wine Bar Burger, which while heftily priced at Php410, was also hefty on taste and serving size. You might remember the WB Burger from the Wine Bar review the last time as the stack of heart-attack-waiting-to-happen and cholesterol goodness, mostly owing to the prime beef they use for the patty and the bulalo (beef bone marrow) you get to spread on it.

I didn’t get to taste the Spaghetti with Fried Sardines and Capers (Php290) this time around, but was able to during the Wine Bar event – so, while tasty enough, if they haven’t changed the recipe in a significant way, my impression of their pasta dishes as not really worth the price still stand. Their Orange Pork Spareribs (Php450) was a bit meh for me as well, but that might just be because I’m not a big fan of stews or pork in general. To be fair though, that the pork was very soft and flavorful, so I’m probably part of a minority.

How tasty is slow-baked, juicy chicken covered with cracked potato chips? VERY TASTY. A dish that’s delectable and crunchy outside and moist and full of flavor inside, it’s the kind of stuff that made Café 1771’s Organic Chicken in Potato Crust (Php550) another highlight of the night.

And of course, a Café 1771 experience would hardly be complete without a sampling of their cakes, pastries and other saccharine goodies. They have a pastry chef specifically for their sweet offerings, and it shows, not only in the presentation but in the taste as well. I got to try the Amandelle (Php300), and the Gianduja Truffle Mousse Cake (Php250). Both were sublime. It was a shame we had to break the things down so we could eat them.

Amandelle

Gianduja Truffle Mousse Cake

All in all, Café 1771 proved to be an enjoyable and memorable experience once again, and if budget permits, I might be paying the place another visit one of these days, with the wife in tow. Like I said, there are places you can only bear to go to once, but Café 1771 is definitely one of those places you want to keep going back to.

Published:
October 30, 2012 – 2:27 AM
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By Tim
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Aki and Kuniko: A Fine Fusion of Eastern and Western Music

Things from the East and West don’t usually go together. That does not mean though, that it cannot be done. One good example is the duo of Aki and Kuniko – two musical artists who’ve married two very distinct kinds of music. Aki plays the classic guitar, which we all know and love, while Kuniko plays the koto, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument.

The resulting harmony is one of a kind. Aki and Kuniko’s music has sort of an eclectic pop-slash-classical-slash-exotic tune that is quite jarring and oddly comforting at the same time. In the same way that there are things that you need to see or taste or read yourself so you can truly experience them, it’s really one of those things that transcend words.

I am grateful to the Japan Foundation for letting me shoot this one of a kind event, and I hope they’ll bring more artists like these to the Philippines so that we may see the richness of the culture of other countries, which will hopefully fuel the fire of our collective efforts to keep our own native and diverse culture alive as well.

And without further ado, here are more photos from Aki and Kuniko’s performance, held at the Abelardo Hall of the UP College Of Music.

Published:
October 9, 2012 – 1:59 PM
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By Tim
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One FC: Pride of a Nation – FIGHT NIGHT

While I am presently embroiled in another production deadline, I will take the time to put this up because one, I did say that I’d post fight night pictures soon, and secondly, of all the shoots I’ve been to, this is one I am really proud to have been in.

Bibiano Fernandes vs. Gustavo Falciroli

Touted as one of the biggest fight nights to be held in Asia, especially in the Philippines, ‘Pride of a Nation’ featured matches from several of the best MMA fighters in the world, with several Filipinos among them. Behind the whole thing was One FC, a Singapore-based MMA promoter and one of the biggest MMA promoters in Asia. I had to pull all the possible stops I could in order to get in, which I did – although I was relegated to the media area, basically forcing me to shoot from just one spot.

Igor Gracie vs. Jung Hwan Cha

Of course I had to make to with what I was given – good thing I was at the Araneta earlier than many other photographers, so I got to pick a fairly good spot where I could “camp”. One thing you learn when you shoot events with other members of the media there is that you try to get there as reasonably early as possible, bring stuff to help pass the time (games on your mobile phone, books, metal puzzles, etc.), pick a good spot and never leave (took me ages before I could ask someone to keep my place so I could go to the loo) and make do with that.

Baroni vs. Ribeiro

All things considered, it was a great opportunity and privilege to be there – not everyone got access like I did – and I’m pretty happy with my output. There is much more for me to learn though, and I am hopeful that I’ll be given more chances to shoot events like these in the future. Contact / combat sports like MMA and boxing really have a different kind of life to them, and the dynamism and unpredictability you’ll find in each match isn’t something you’ll easily see in other kinds of sports.

Anyway, here are a few more images from One FC’s ‘Pride of a Nation’:

Benibe vs. Banario

Gregor Gracie of the famous Gracie Family of Brazilian Jujitsu (BJJ)

Eduard Folayang vs. Felipe Enomoto – one of the most exciting matches of the night, with the Pinoy fighter taking home the win.

I have to give special mention to this next image – my favorite shot of the night – where Rolles Gracie chokes (with a rear-naked choke to be exact) opponent Tony Bonello, forcing the latter to surrender, giving the win to Gracie. The Gracies (three fought that night, with two of them victorious) were really interesting to watch, because they were consistent in sticking to BJJ as a means to win. This meant seeing them always look for takedowns and almost shun striking completely, while constantly looking for holds and grips to force an opponent to submission. And it’s not easy, mind you – but Rolles pulled it off beautifully here, leaving his opponent no choice but to tap out.

Rolles Gracie vs. Tony Bonello

Published:
September 18, 2012 – 1:51 PM
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By Tim
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One FC ‘Pride of a Nation’: Live Workouts

Former UFC champion Jens Pulver

While landscape and concerts / events still remain to be my favorite things when it comes to photography, I’ve discovered a growing enthusiasm for shooting sports events. There’s really something different to be seen – and captured in images – in every sport.

Which is why dim light aside, I was especially hyped to shoot the live workouts of several of the fighters for One FC’s ‘Pride of a Nation’ MMA event, held last August 29. One FC touts itself as the biggest MMA promoter in Asia, and with their line-up for fight night (which I will discuss in a separate blog post soon), it does seem that they do walk their talk.

Anyway, here are a few images from the live workouts:

Former UFC heavyweight champion Andre Arlovski

Undefeated Pinoy fighter Eric Kelly

Up and coming Brazilian Jujitsu sensation Bibiano Fernandes

It was truly a challenge to get the shots I wanted, considering that the light inside the Balance Gym in Discovery Suites was sorely lacking, and so many other photographers showed up and I had to pick the right spot and prevent anyone from blocking me.

——————-

I’ve noticed though, that the rudest and most insensitive of the lot aren’t usually fellow lensmen (although there are several out there), but rather cameramen from TV stations – who’ll shove you aside without a second glace if you’re in their way, never mind if you were there first, or if they can’t shove, they’ll shout and cuss at you to get out of their frame like they owned every bit of space they can see through their cameras.

It’s a bit saddening, disappointing, and infuriating at the same time that there are members of the “media” who have a lot of misplaced sense of entitlement, just because they’re from some TV network. It seems that right now, it is too much to expect professionalism from members of the ‘fourth estate’. Sigh.

Published:
September 10, 2012 – 2:17 PM
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By Tim
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