...A Hungry Rover's Cucina Andare Experience...

How fun is it that my 300th blog post (including Multiply blogs) is about food. And good food at that.

So in case my social media flooding to my friends hasn't been too obvious, I'm actually a co-owner of a food truck that we call the Hungry Rover. Save for Ate Abby (who's an HRM graduate), none of us owners have a background in culinary arts or the food industry. What we have is a collective love for food, a common dream, and passionate hearts to achieve that dream.

Over the past few months, we've talked about how we're going to do this truck, presented ideas to each other, and agreed on a bunch of stuff. One of the things we agreed on was that we wanted to launch the truck through an event where we could invite other existing food trucks, have some bloggers or media friends drop by to check out the food and the trucks, and start a buzz from there. Then we learned of Cucina Andare, which had pretty much the same idea and more. It was perfect because the organizers were known to showcase innovative food offerings through their other known ventures, such as Mercato Centrale, Manda Centrale, Distrito Makati, Soderno, and Mezza Norte. 

The past couple of weeks have been a fun experience, talking to strangers, making new friends, and meeting other food truck owners as well as food stall owners. Kind words have been humbling, but the joy on their faces as they give out these kind words have been priceless. Those are what keeps us doing what we're doing, and the reason why we started this in the first place.

Some people who stopped by our truck who said they just got there and were simply checking everything out asked me what I was really selling. They got confused because after my whole Hungry Rover spiel, I'd rave about all the other food I've tried, since they just got there. It's probably because I can't stop talking, but really, it's more because I love to eat, and I wanted to share that experience with everyone else. Now, onto those food offerings:

Shawarma Bros

NomNom Club's best food AND best truck winner, these Bros are awesome people with awesome food. They have shawarma rice plates, with beef, chicken, or lamb as your choices of meat. I asked for a free plate from one of the owners, Rammy (who was one of the first food truck owners I met for this event) because I was their 50th Twitter follower, 400th Facebook fan, and his personal account's 100th follower. I guess it doesn't really matter, but because he's awesome like that, he got me a free Beef Shawarma plate. The nice taste of the beef shawarma is complemented well by their biryani rice and their sauce. A whole plate could fill one up nicely.

Beat the Bros, Episode 1

After reading a bunch of reviews, though, I said I needed to try their Lamb Shawarma plate. They had a "Beat the Bros" promo last Friday, which I accepted when everyone wasn't too busy. All I had to do was beat one of them in a beer chugging contest. They chanted Abe's name when they told me about the challenge, so I took him on. That was a big mistake though, as the dude was a beast. It was a great intro to my first lamb plate. Even if I won and got it free, I probably would've come back and paid for it because my friends kept asking more of it. What I like about it is the smoked flavor brought about by the meat being really well done. People might think that lamb is too "exotic" for their liking, but lamb really isn't that bad as long as the person who cooks it knows how to do it properly. These guys know how to do it. You'd probably forget that it was lamb midway through your plate.

Food Truck by Chef Broosy

One of the nice looking trucks around Cucina Andare, they offer a Japanese fusion menu. Next to sushi, ramen is a Jap food I usually look for when in a Japanese restaurant. After watching "Ramen Girl" on Star Movies, I tried to look for the best ramen I could find around the metro. I've seen nicely arranged ones, unaesthetic but fully loaded ones, and overpriced ones. I must say that Chef Broosy's Spicy Ramen is appropriately priced, if not under priced, just because it is packed with a healthy serving of pork and noodles in a spicy broth that wouldn't burn your taste buds. For 180 pesos, that ramen is really good.

My dad ordered Kani Salad from them as well. It is served in an edible bowl, which is a nice touch to go with the flavorful salad in the bowl. The owner, Mrs. Viray, is also a joy to talk to during idle moments, as we share our experiences in Cucina Andare.

Schmidt's Gourmet Hotdogs

One of two gourmet hotdog stalls in Cucina Andare, Schmidt's offers "the best hotdogs in the world" with gourmet hotdogs inspired by countries around the world. I was able to try their Coney Island Chili Dog, and words cannot describe how I enjoyed that hotdog. They do not hold back on those toppings. And they put little flags on your hotdog to show which country inspired it. I was almost disappointed that I had to eat it just because it was too pretty to look at. I was saying "ang sarap nito" at every bite, validating my taste expectations when I first saw it. I didn't take a picture of it because I might just want to eat one every time I look at that picture. I shit you not, it will be worth every cent.

Chicken+Waffle Haus

I envy the stalls in the middle of Cucina Andare because these guys perk them up in the middle of the night. You hear the owners shout "chicken n'waffles!" every time you pass by, and from time to time they just burst into song. Their food is as fun as the owners. Those Kpops chicken pops are tender and complemented well by their hickory barbecue sauce. It's a nice beer match. Their C+W Sandwich is appetizing from cooking to eating. We got hungry from smelling the waffles being cooked, and the smell translates well to the taste, as we enjoyed every bite of that waffle sandwich.

And hey, they're no slouches on beer chugging! They battled for pride as one of the owners, Sean, took on the same challenge against the Shawarma Bros Champion, Abe:

Carlo's Kitchen

Sir Carlo dropped by Hungry Rover on the first day with his wife and their pretty daughter who wanted to experience the truck. I had no idea I was enjoying their food before then. Their Crunchy Belly Chicharon is like eating chicken skin because it is so thinly sliced. It's a great snack to have while roaming around Cucina Andare, and a nice beer match.

B.Wings

Inna, our wing-loving co-owner, tried out the Chicken Wings of B.Wings before closing our first Sunday. She taught me how to "properly" eat a chicken wing. It was a nice beer match to close the night, and it was spiced just right.

Last Sunday, a college classmate, Jason, dropped by to taste our food after his gym session (won't say what he ordered, trainer might be reading) and also picked up an order of the Black Mamba Wings. I think he bought it because of one or both things: it was their best seller, and it was "Black Mamba", Kobe's monicker. He had no idea that it had a chocolate coating, one of the reasons why Inna and I decided to pass on it, as we thought chocolate didn't go that well on wings. Well, the reviews I read were right, it really is something to try!

Manila Q

My friend was raving about Bagwang, being from Ilocos, so we ordered one from Manila Q. I don't know why I even thought it was fish before trying it, but it is actually their version of bagnet. I think it works best with rice, as the saltiness is evident at every bite. It's not a bad thing, really, since I like salty food. I just think the best experience for this is eating it with rice over breakfast with slices of tomato. I met the owners of Manila Q, Sir Dante in particular, because they were sourcing out a flavor for their iced tea. Nice to finally try their food like I promised him when we met.

Mio Gelati

This is probably the cutest food truck in Cucina Andare. It has a pull-out stage for customers to see what's available. My girlfriend, Che, was bent on eating a gelato despite having a hard time talking because of a sore throat. She got a Snickers Gelato which she had me finish because of said sore throat. I wasn't complaining.

Merry Moo

While Che opted for gelato, her friends checked out Merry Moo's Seasalt Caramel. I wasn't able to try, but my sore-throat suffering girlfriend did, and she was whining like a kid because she can't get one for herself.

Union Market Bar

I've always passed by it, but never really bought one, as I'm actually more of a beer drinker than a cocktail one. Che and a visiting friend, Issa, tried their Bacardi Mojito Original. I took a sip of it and thought that it was perfect for her, as it really isn't too minty nor was the alcohol evident. They do have other cocktails, which I think would be just as nice.

Hungry Rover

Grilled Wraps na Masa-wrap :p

Of course I should also promote our food truck. Our awesome Beef Tapa is great when paired with our freshly baked pita bread, but the experience won't be any less if paired with steamed rice or our chili rice. Either way, it could be best paired with our youghurt garlic sauce for those looking for that Mr. Kebab-like taste on the meat, or the creamy pesto sauce for those who want a sweet complement to the saltiness of the tapa. The Beef Kofta sliders are mini burgers of Mediterranean inspiration. It has a unique zing I can't really describe, but I definitely like. It's best with the curry sauce, which usually scares people off, but it's more of mustard than curry. I usually get people to try it first before they do decide to go with the sauce. And we do have honey mustard sauce and cheese sauce for those who aren't too adventurous with the other sauces. The Chicken and Pork bbq options are also nice, with tender and chunky pieces of meat for wraps and rice.

Beef Tapa on Classic Rice

While people are enjoying our food, we want to constantly innovate, which is why I prefer to stay by the truck to know what people like, and what people think we can do to innovate or improve our truck and food. Sanya Smith dropped by on our first Sunday and suggested we do karaoke with our on board TV, and we're thinking of working on that next. For the food, a customer ordered Kofta on rice, which is not on the menu, but we served to her anyway. She said that the creamy pesto on rice didn't work for her because it was sweet, but there were customers who liked the sweetness of the creamy pesto sauce. Kids loved the Kofta sliders, because it fits their hand like a regular burger on an adult hand.

Sanya Smith aproves!

With all these in mind,we're looking forward to bigger things for Hungry Rover next year! We're optimistic about some people we've talked to and we're setting up meetings with people who can help Rover be in places where there are hungry people looking for an alternative meal option.


=======================================================================

On a side note, I still do want to try other food offerings at Andare. I haven't seen QKebab or Mexicombi after the first night, but they do have food I want to try. Other food I do want to try in Cucina Andare:

Macheesmo's Burger - if I understand it right, there's cheese inside the patties.

Ylaya Food Truck - Xidee's food truck is the only vegetarian food truck in Cucina Andare. Veggies fresh from Batangas!

Top Dog - Apparently, this is comprised of an enterprising group of kids doing this venture as a school project or thesis, not really sure, I was just informed.





Guac Truck - my brother actually tried their nachos, but since I haven't tried it, I might drop by one of these days. It's one of the first food trucks we came to know about in the Philippines.

**Save for the Guac Truck, Mio Gelato, Chef Broosy's, and Shawarma Bros pictures, all pictures are from Cucina Andare Facebook page, ourawesomeplanet.com, their respective fan pages, and foodnotebook.blogspot.com for the Bagwang.

...A Not So Expensive Wishlist...

I'm easy. I get wowed by the simplest things, and I get speechless over really expensive or really thought out gifts. And just like everyone else, I do have a list of stuff I'd really want for Christmas. I'd tick them off myself, but I do want to share it so that those who'd be thoughtful enough to buy me a gift wouldn't think so hard =)

1. An Audio CD/Mixtape

I have a CD player on my car. I can't use it as much because I don't have CD's. While I do have a bunch of MP3 players, I haven't really updated my playlist in a long while. I don't like to consider myself as liking a particular genre, as I enjoy music as long as it sounds pleasing. Right now, I got this mix on my mind, and am hoping Che would make it for me:

Overjoyed - Matchbox 20
Angels - The XX
Here I Am - Yellowcard
Turn It Well - Up Dharma Down
Skeletons - This Century
Between the Raindrops- Lifehouse feat. Natasha Bedingfield
The Runaways - The Killers
Let Me Love You - Ne-Yo
Hurts Like Heaven - Coldplay

It's pretty much a collection of songs that are in no way associated with the other. I just like hearing them. And singing to them at the top of my lungs like an idiot when I'm driving around. If someone else could give me a CD of songs they enjoy, I'd gladly listen to them, just for variety :)

2. An Aux Slot for Bruno

 This one I'm probably getting myself. When traffic is really bad, I play some of my series on my tab. I am getting sick of buying FM Transmitters from CD-R King again and again. I need to stop. And the best way to do that is to find a place where I can install an Aux slot so that I can use that "AUX" button on Bruno's in-dash radio. If someone can just help me find a place where I can get this installed, that'd be really great. 

3. A Drinking Session with Kuya Ags



Yep. That is a particular one. Dad's been busy since the influx of government work came. No longer just the poster boy for smoke-free offices, he's been all around but no longer around me =P We've been to a couple of events, but weren't really able to talk much. Hopefully, that changes soon.

4. Witty Books of No Particular Topics

I've been hearing about these, but never really picked up any of them. I really want one. Or all.

5. More Hungry People...

...that we can feed on the Hungry Rover! The first week was pretty awesome, meeting new people, talking to friends, and seeing all of them genuinely enjoy the whole bus and food experience. I'm wishing for more friends and strangers to drop by our truck, and hopefully, we can really get the truck going places by next year to do what it's supposed to do; feed the people by roving around the metro :)

6. A Basketball Game. Or Two.

It has been a while since I last played. I need to enjoy an actual game, and not just enjoy watching or playing it via PS3. I want to play. I am almost willing to play pick up basketball with strangers, as long as I know one person there. But basketball will be a lot more fun with friends. I just can't reserve a place, and I can't get 9 other people on board.

========================================================================

I think I had more in mind, but I'm sticking to this list. I'll probably update it later if I suddenly remember stuff.

...A Perspective on Relationships...

I love hearing about people's problems. On one side, it makes me thankful that I don't have such a shitty life. On another, by actually making others feel good, I get a feeling of being wanted, of being appreciated. Over the years I have learned why women loathe men, but do understand and accept some of our behaviors. I'm not a matchmaker for my friends; I rarely have a friend meet another friend so they can hook up precisely because I don't want to be the cause of each other's anguish.

In this light, let me offer a perspective on men, from a man's standpoint, but with sympathy to women, and on the flipside, offer some insights on men that women may not realize.

1. The Concept of Ligaw
The "Best Foot Forward"

It may be an old school tradition, and some may say they don't believe in it, but trust me, this shit happens. Men are always concerned of leaving a first impression for the women to keep wanting more. It may not always be the roses-and-chocolates type of approach, it may just be the unusual attention to details, the unwavering eye contact, and the gentleman approach in every possible opportunity. Don't get me wrong, the dude may really be interested in the girl, and this may actually be his norm, but most of the time, it's not.

What Women Need to Know: Consciously or not, men do put their best foot forward until you are really impressed. You will not know for sure based on time; the faster you say "yes" to a guy would probably mean  a shorter time of enjoying what you enjoyed, while the longer you make him wait, the more that he'd expect more from you as soon as you say "yes". My advise is to play it cool. Don't jump the gun too fast, because you're not giving him enough time to prove himself. Don't make him wait for too long if you think you really like him, because by that time you're chasing him, and he'll enjoy the fact that you're on his leash. If you really like someone, just freakin say it. Don't be too impressed, because he may stop trying if he's wowed you enough, but do learn to show genuine appreciation, because if not, he may think his efforts are futile. If after you get together, he stops doing the things he usually does back then, don't try chasing him for it. You didn't ask for that Teddy Bear or that long walk home, why ask for it now? Let him want to do it again by not letting him feel you're ok with everything. When you're together, as long as you say you're ok, he'll think that you are because he thinks there's an honesty between you two already. If he doesn't make an effort despite you dropping hints or saying what you feel outright, then you may have just fallen for the guy who loves the chase, not the girl.

What Men Need to Know: Don't set a bar too high for yourself if you can't keep it up. You give a huge Teddy Bear and a bouquet of roses on your first date, what if you didn't have the cash for the same things for your next date? Set a girl's expectations on levels that you can manage. If you can't, then don't give her reason to think that you're always like this. Usually, when you get the security that you want (i.e. girl becomes your girlfriend), girls look for the "you" before you got together because you lose the effort trying to impress her. Understand that they liked you for a reason. If you don't want those reasons to be material, don't give constant gifts. If you don't want to spend your time window shopping, politely say you won't do it, because when you do get together, she'll expect that you'd come with her constantly. If you do join her for window shopping just because you want to be with her, then that want of being with her shouldn't die down when you do get together eventually. If you can't suck it up, then you don't want her bad enough.

2. The Concept of Security
"Let's not lose the friendship"

Most of us hate being alone. It's almost natural to think that we're meant to be with another person, as husband and wife are called each other's half. That said, we often look for close friends to be around with, but we feel most secure when we establish a romantic relationship with another person. Things become complicated when friendship turns to romance.

What Women Need to Know: As mentioned earlier, after you've given that much coveted "yes" to a guy, they have a certain kind of security that you'll always be there. And if you break up in good terms, the guy will always think that you'll be there waiting for him, even if you say you're not. Chances are, by breaking up in good terms, you probably still are wishing he'd realize he needs you in his life. What follows is a series of "why the hell did I do that" moments for you, as the guy will milk whatever leverage he might have on you. Without the commitment, he's free to try his luck with any other girl, of course, while keeping you on the side as his "friend". Learn to love yourself more, rather than thinking you love someone so much that you'd do anything to keep him. On the flipside, if it was the girl who likes to keep the guy as a "friend" right after the break up, know that though we may not show weakness, we do will get hurt if done the same thing.

What Men Need to Know: You need to stop being fuckin pricks. You broke up, stop flirting with her. You give men the bad rep we have to live with. It doesn't matter how good you were as friends. You can't say you "don't want to lose the friendship" because you risked losing it when you decided to become a romantic couple. If you're not sure, put an effort to make it work. If you're certain that you want to break up, do it and don't look back. Sure, it's always nice to have the perfect arrangement of having a pseudo-girlfriend with the mutual understanding of what it is you're doing, but don't tell me you won't punch the dude who becomes her boyfriend while you're in that floating stage of your relationship.

3. The Concept of Habits
"We've always been like this"

Over time, you will build habits with your partner. Be it the period before you get together, or during the time that you are together. You will become comfortable with these habits, and usually would want to hang on to the relationship just because of these habits.

What Women Need to Know: To keep the relationship healthy, you need to move away from these habits. Everything is always exciting over the first three months of the relationship; you don't know each other well enough to know what to expect from your partner. There's a good chance that your partner can still "wow" you with some stuff, and vice versa. But like everything, it may become routine, and one may lose interest in the relationship if those surprises don't happen. On one side, by getting too used to routines, you might look for it when you break up. The long talks, the constant movie date, and the shoulder to lean on among other things are those that you'd long for after the break up, and you tend to gravitate towards your now former partner despite supposedly needing space from each other. Sure it's always sweet to say that he's the only guy you'd want to be with, but really, you can't let your world revolve around just one person. If all your habits are tied to one person, what happens when you lose that person? Make your own habits.

What Men Need to Know: Usually, we put it upon ourselves to make an effort for the relationship. What we do eventually become those habits. Understand that after breaking up, the girl you have formed habits with will most likely look for it at times. Of course, you may want that as well. But again, you decided to break up. Work things out if you want to stay together, but when you decide to break up, let it be over. No revisiting habits. It will only hurt you both if you later don't get back together, because one of you might move on a little faster.

4. Knowing When to Let Go

With an illusion formed during the courting stage, the security felt upon confirmation of mutual feelings, and the habits formed over the course of the relationship, one may mistake "love" for one of these things. Girls may have fallen for the illusion that the guy is full of surprises and will always make time for her; guys for the illusion that this is a great girl worth doing stuff for. Then you get to know each other a little better and you suddenly don't like them as much. Couples may be happy with the security they have with each other that they wouldn't want to let go of this certainty despite the fact that they are not as happy as they would want. Sometimes, couples mistake love with a person to love of the habits formed.

How can you say you love a person? It varies from person to person, I guess. In my opinion, it is when unconsciously, you think of them all day. You'd know because when you buy groceries, you'd remember to look for something for him or her. Or while talking to other people and a topic suddenly shifts to something of interest to him or her, you manage to talk about your partner. He or she is the first person you'd want to tell great news to. Despite a long and tiring day, you don't feel as bad when you get to be with him or her. At the worst times in your life, only that person will make you feel somewhat better because of their mere presence. You want to make a change in yourself because it would make him or her happy. Heck, you do or learn things to make him or her happy. It doesn't matter how tired or busy you are, you always manage to find time for them. You push yourself to make an effort to see them if they can't make time for you, because chances are, if he or she feels the same, they'd really appreciate you being there. These are, I think, some things a person does for love.

If things aren't as great as they were during the first few times you were together, determine and accept if you have fallen for mere illusion. Don't try to stand by your decision to be with him or her if only to tell yourself that you made the right choice of choosing them because that will only make you miserable. If you have feelings for another or feel happiness in the presence of others more than your partner, then maybe you're keeping him or her for your own security. Be fair and let him or her go. If you can't deal with the fact that you don't have anything to do if you lose him or her, then you probably are just hanging on for the habit, and not for the person. Let the person go if habits become more important than him or her. If the person ultimately decides to be "just friends" after things "didn't work out", it means they don't want to fight for you as much as you would. You will be their security. You will make yourself miserable by waiting and wishing they'd come back. Let go. Cliche as it may sound, but if you're really meant for each other, they will come back. Let them make that effort to win you back. Don't wait for the time that they'd just come flying back to you, because who knows, maybe things just "didn't work out" with another person, and you're the only sure thing in his/her life.

Learn when to let go by learning to love yourself above all else. When you appreciate yourself, you will loathe anyone who hurts you, and you will understand why people are saying that he or she is not right for you. You need to draw your own lines because nobody can tell you what you should feel about someone. You may not know what you want or what you need, but you definitely will make the best decisions for yourself when you learn to love "you" more.