Sunburnt

I spent the last few days with my wife, daughter, and my parents in a resort located in Panglao Island in Bohol.

I have no problem with this. I enjoy getting darker and I am very proud of my dark brown tan. So proud, in fact, that I usually wear a watch so I have an area around my arm where I can see what my skin color would be without getting sun-kissed.

However there is one big downside to just using SPF 4 as a sun tan lotion — the sunburn. It isn't as bad as previous sunburns, where the slightest contact of the burnt skin produces pain. No, the problem now is the itch. It's not as bad as some sunburn itches I read online, but man is it bad. I keep scratching but the itch won't stop. Thank goodness it's only located in small areas.

So damn annoying, yet the results are so damn worth it.

Out.

On Dream Cars

It's probably because of my current work, but right now the latest dream car that I want is a heavily modified Subaru BRZ. Yes, not the Toyota 86, the BRZ. Not just any BRZ, though, I want it with a Rocket Bunny widebody kit.

There are times when I do realize a couple of things about this new want-car of mine. And these things are:

1. I don't drive fast. I try to follow the speed limit in real life, and I generally try not to drive like your typical Filipino driver. This is a good thing because why would I want to drive like a dick just because I've got a fast looking car? I can always join a car club and join their track days, which leads me to...
2. I have no track experience at all. I've been to BRZ and CIS, but I've never driven around the track. I would love to learn how to drive around a track, but for now I'm a track day virgin.
3. I've always wanted to do a road trip around the Philippines, cruising highways and discovering the beauty of this country. The BRZ doesn't really feel like a car to cruise around in. Plus if the roads outside of Metro Manila are bad, I'm guessing it's going to cause problems with a car that low.

What am I trying to say here? Basically it means I still want a Beetle Baja. No matter how enamored I get of fast cars, stanced cars, drift cars, and rice rockets, I always end up wanting the Baja Bug the most.

And if I had the budget to purchase and maintain a BRZ? Chances are I'd probably just use that budget to get a Beetle and turn it into a very reliable and fun-to-drive Baja Bug.

Out.

Mitsuyado Sei-Men Revisited

We last ate in Mitsuyado Sei-Men barely three weeks ago. Yet here we were again, Maica, Mom, and I, about to eat there again. It was my decision to have dinner there for two specific reasons: 1) It was raining, and some hot ramen would be perfect for this weather. 2) I really was curious to try the other offerings they had there. And no, I would not let the fact that part of the restaurant's name sounds like a male bodily fluid prevent me from eating here again.

We started off with some cold brews. Mom got this Hitachino Nest brew while I went with my old reliable, San Mig Light. I did get to try a swig from Mom's bottle, but I couldn't tell the difference between the two since I already took a gulp from mine. Maybe next time I'll try it before drinking my familiar beer.

Foreign brew for my Mom, old reliable for me

Mom got the chicken karaage (better than the first time) and this Chashu Pao. A take on the Chinese cua pao filled with some slices of chashu. Chashu seems to me like a Japanese version of the Chinese tsar siew, but since I haven't done any research don't take my word for it. She did say it was very good, and she finished the whole bun. The big drawback I saw was that the sauce was too drippy and it soiled the sleeves of my Mom's jacket.

Mitsuyaado Sei-Men's Chashu Pao

I originally wanted to try the Cheese Tsukemen but since Maica decided to get that also, i switched to option number 1b: Curry Tsukemen. Feeling very hungry, I decided to order the large portion.

Right off the bat, the biggest difference between this and my previous order, Jumbo Chashu Tsukemen regular size, is the lack of chashu slices. But that was about the only complaint I had about my dish. The taste was your typical Japanese curry taste. It had a medium kick of heat after every slurp. There were very tender chunks of meat (I couldn't tell if it was beef or pork, but damn were they good) mixed in with the curry sauce, along with some fish cake slices.

The taste was great! I had a great time devouring my meal, partly because I was starving, partly because the hot curry dipping sauce made me feel warm on a cold, rainy night, and mostly because my order was very, very delicious. Plus having ice cold beer to wash the food down was a great bonus, and helped warm my insides a lot more.

My dinner – Large Curry Tsukemen

As with the first time I ate in Mitsuyado Sei-Men, I once again finished even the dipping sauce. And to be honest I also ate about 1/4th of Maica's Double Cheese Tsukemen order. That was also a great tasting dish, but I liked this Curry Tsukemen better.

On a side note, Maica did find her dish delicious, but ever since getting sick she hasn't been able to eat as much food as she used to.

Clean plate! Empty beer bottle! Used moist towelette! One satisfied Gani!

In closing, Mitsuyado Sei-Men is fast becoming a favorite go-to restaurant for myself and my Mom. The food is worth the price, service is relatively fast, and best of all the restaurant wasn't even full on a Friday night after payday!

Oh and if you still have space for dessert, try the Japanese bakery beside the restaurant. In fact I think it's a sister company since there is a door from Mitsuyado Sei-Men to the bakery (whose name I am totally forgetting, sorry). I got the chocolate mousse for take out so I could share it with Martina, and it was very delicious! A bit too sweet, but delicious nonetheless.

Out.