I normally do not eat in a fine dining restaurant but my preference on dining changed a bit when I started earning money out of my own effort. Before I got a job I won’t even dare entering these kind of restaurants. Now, I could occasionally eat good food since I could afford my own expenses. Of course, I do not go to these restaurants too often. Going once or twice a week is enough. Sometimes, I even think that going to expensive restaurant twice a week is a little bit excessive and impractical since a decent meal from a fast food restaurant would suffice. However, it has become part of my routine already. During Fridays, my officemates would eat outside; within the vicinity of Makati CBD. I like their company so I go with them. Our lunch would take longer than usual. It’s a common practice ever since.
Recently, one of our boss from the upper management in Belgium visited Philippines. He’s our direct boss; the counterpart of our department manager in the Philippines to Belgium. To welcome his presence, our team leader and people manager organized a big dinner in Haiku at Greenbelt 3. I didn’t know the menu but it’s very Japanese. I ordered the famous Katsudon (breaded pork). I wanted to try how their Katsudon compares to other Japanese restaurant. Then, I ordered Four Seasons drink. After several minutes, the meals were served. Their Katsudon was okay but I really don’t think it’s better than Tokyo Tokyo. I actually preferred Toyko Tokyo’s Katsudon because it is crispier. Haiku’s Katsudon was more tender and is comparable to authentic Japanese Katsudon. Our Belgian boss enjoyed the food and I think he realized that we were all eating Japanese foods; not Philippine foods. And so, we dared him try some exotic Pinoy food — Balot and Penoy. We couldn’t really persuade him because he insisted that we would only eat Balot, if and only if, all members of our team eat Balot. To me, it’s not a problem at all but to so some people, it’s almost a Fear Factor challenge.
Then, that week, my girlfriend and I went to California Pizza Kitchen to try some pasta. At first, I would like to try their pizzas but due to time constrain, I chose pasta. We have to get into the cinema within 45 minutes to watch John Tucker Must Die. I suspected that pizzas would take some time to prepare so I took Chicken Kung Pao Spaghetti instead. It’s a hot and spicy oriental spaghetti. It was truly one of the best pasta I have tasted recently. I think I have to try more of their pasta to evaluate them. 
My only complain is the slow service of CPK. They took more than 25 minutes to prepare our pasta and it’s not even a “full” dish. I only ordered two (2) “half” dish. I think that the high-grade pasta took the longest time to prepare because it was so firm yet it has the right tenderness. I’m beginning to think that it’s normal to wait if you are going to eat in fine dining restaurant.
Link:
California Pizza Kitchen
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