Martin & Nina's wedding

 

i can't believe i'm writing a post on Martin and Nina's wedding more than half a month after the most grande day of their lives. please pardon the tardiness but my life currently lacks a laptop so that's my excuse. 

Martin ohhh Martin. throughout high school and college years my friends awaited the day that he bring a girl around that we would genuinely like and respect. see, Martin is a sweetheart. that's to say he will do anything (i repeat...ANYTHING)  for the people he cares about. once he decides he likes someone he puts his all into it. whether it's family, friends or potential girlfriends. but the problem with this is that just because he saw the world in someone else doesn't mean that they deserved to be a part of his world. i wanted to see him with someone worthy of his thoughtfulness, kindness and caring ways. true, he says some asshole things sometimes and can be inappropriate at other times but if you know him well you know he's joking and would never hurt a fly (so to speak). ultimately he's a big bundle of jokes and warmth. i just wanted to see him with someone who looked at him with the same admiration as he had for them. enter Nina. one thanksgiving gathering years ago Martin brought Nina over to my house and almost immediately i could tell that they were a kickass pairing. they made each other laugh and seemed so comfortable with each other (something i never felt with any other girls i'd met prior). it didn't hurt that she was also super cute, goofy and easy to talk to. all of our friends instantly liked her and were hoping that one day they'd get married. 

wellllllll it looks like our dreams have come true! on August 2nd they were married at St. Vincent's Boys School in San Rafael among a huge gathering of 350 friends and family. she looked beautiful and he looked stressed. but that's okay because it's in his nature to give a damn about everybody else's experience. while i wish he were able to just take a step back and relax to enjoy himself, he wanted to make sure everybody else was having a good time. this is what i love about Martin. when people stood to give speeches and the audience gave less attention than the speaker deserved, Martin made sure that the audience knew he wanted their undivided attention towards the speaker to give them the respect they deserved for getting up in front of hundreds of people to talk. luckily with a little liquor and a lot of love, he was able to end his night dancing with some of his best friends along with his blushing bride. the wedding as a whole was relaxed and full of heart. people enjoyed themselves as they shared in a moment everybody was genuinely happy to witness.

Nina and Martin, as you already know, i am so so very happy for you guys. i couldn't think of either of your lives without the other. Nina, welcome to our friend-family (even though you were fully welcomed years ago already)!

the quick glimpse i got of Nina at the beginning of her trek down the verrrry long aisle of people waiting to witness their love day.

 

from a far, zoomed in as much as my iphone would allow

my favorite lady friends! 

jenny, trina, kris, kim, jax, steph, bryli and meiche

my awesome date for the night

my date and my Special Friend's date. they have to hang together because Kris and i are like this [crosses fingers over one another].

Brylersons lookin' cool in her shades

hey pretty lady! i see you!

adorable, you two!

this is how i like them the most, always making each other laugh

cute and simple

kris said "she never drinks with us! she drinks with other people but never invites us to drink with her!" so here it is! and for the record that's not true. our early-mid 20's were full of liver destruction.

Martin's mom has always been like our own mother. she looked radiant that day and full of so much happiness. not only did her son get married and she gained a daughter, but she also became a grandmother just two weeks prior. what an awesome year for her!

1) props 2) dinosaur faces (because Bryli was saying something about dino faces) 3) regularis 4) the "EAE" symbol (our high school clique name. i will not break down the acronym due to embarrassment though) which i obviously was not well versed in.

me and mine

the CUTEST vietnamese outfits! you can't really tell but Nina's was made of red lace for a more modern version and it was just perfect!

dancing with mama

what a great grooms cake. it's SO them. actually, it literally is them.

git it!

Eric caught the garter, which is fitting considering we've all been waiting ever so patiently for him to propose to Kim. i'm waiting for that text or call, dude. can you just do it already?

physical therapy school is supposed to make you super knowledgeable about the human body and it's muscular system but judging by this picture it obviously doesn't teach you how to use those muscles for dancing purposes, huh Dr. Toy? also, let it be known that i will NEVER call you Dr. Toy unless it's in mockery. you're still Pattoy to me.

line dances aren't a chinese thing....jenny looks like she's having fun. pattoy looks confused and fearful.

our boys being awesome as always!

jax is not loving this moment.or is she?

open your eyeeeees Tedison!

dancing with the lady of the night!

wisp her away

 all love, smiles and happiness for Martin on his big day! i'm oh so very happy for you, BD!

prubechu

hey All You Guamanians in the Bay Area Hiding Among the Many Filipinos Out There, it's time to rise as food from your culture has made it's way out of the comforts of your homes and into the mouths of anybody willing to give it a try! hooray, right? right! 

walking into the space that is Prubechu, you wouldn't think the quality or creativity in the dishes could be anything more than simple home cooking. the three counter top burners, ice cream freezer and portable deep fryers don't seem like they are capable of putting out five course meals for tables full of people but somehow they do. and it's not just sloppily thrown at you in a rushed fury or hurriedness. the dishes are thoughtfully prepared and executed. the service was relaxed, informative and enthusiastic. whether it was the cook or the host/server/probably part owner, there was a passion when speaking about the next course we were to indulge in. 

the food's base is Chamorro or in recognizable words, Guamanian comfort food. but then they take it to another level by using quality seasonal ingredients chosen on a daily basis at the farmers market and amp it up even more by making it pretty. the five course dinner is accompanied by an amuse (ours was a fancy pants oyster) and a dessert (ours was a coconut with rock salt ice cream with a tapioca/coconut concoction that was incredible) and costs a very reasonable $45. while the rest of the menu sounds great and I'll definitely be back to try it, i recommend the tasting menu upon your first experience. 

oyster with coconut, tobiko, etc. 

slightly sweet but with the familiar brininess of the oyster. I don't even like oysters but this was awesome with the slight crunch/texture from the fruits and fish eggs.

corn soup with crab, coconut and crisped nori 

refreshing and light. creamy and crisp. a delightful start to the meal.

crispy egg with pork belly and tomatoes 

the egg had a good crisp to them while the yolk remained a nice luscious runny when sliced through with your fork. pork belly is never a negative but with the egg it's quite a rich dish. good thing there was the tomato to cut through all of that! 

chicken sausage cooked in banana leaf

this was probably my least favorite dish but not for lack of flavor. i personally am not a fan of mushy textures and it's unavoidable with steamed ground meats so i don't fault them for that. 

rice porridge with smoked meat, brussel sprouts, mushrooms and quail egg

aaaahhh the epitome of comfort food. rice porridge is prominent in asian food cultures so a tasting menu wouldn't be implore without this addition. revamped and more refined than your typical porridge, this was an absolute winner. 

tender short rib over mung bean noodles

as advertised, this was very tender and full of flavor. the mung bean noodles were cooked perfectly and were a nice change from the expected rice accompaniment to the hearty chunk of beef.

coconut ice cream with rock salt, hazelnut and oats, with coconut tapioca 

as much as I loved the rest of the dishes we had this night, my favorite dish was the dessert. the coconut tapioca was perfect in texture and was super coconutty. as a whole it was chewy, crunchy, creamy and utterly satisfying. 

i thoroughly enjoyed my meal at prubechu!

Kusakabe

if you're at all familiar with Sushi Ran in Sausalito then you must know their chef, Mitsunori Kusakabe. Sushi Ran is known to have some of the best sushi in the Bay Area and you are considered quite the lucky duck if you can snag a seat at the sushi bar for an omakase. but things have changed. for better or worse, who knows. maybe unbeknownst to the general population of eaters but definitely noted by the frequenters of the popular sushi restaurant, Kusakabe has left to open a restaurant with his own name. he serves one omakase kaiseki style menu ($95/ 8 courses) each night with the option to add nigiri, sashimi, simple maki and dessert a la carte to follow. the space is sleek and simple yet inviting once greeted by a host or server. while there are some tables near the front of the restaurant, it provides as a sort of waiting area until your seats at the sushi bar are ready. they don't want anybody to miss out on experiencing watching the chefs at work. 

from Sushi Ran Kusakabe brought with him Chef Ken Ngai, who we were happy to be entertained by. he created our simplistic sushi masterpieces for the evening while also making us feel welcome and playfully bantering with us or our neighbor guests. the sushi was incredible! beautifully simple, fresh and colorful. the hot dishes were also very good and adequately gave us breaks between raw fish dishes. if you truly appreciate good sushi, i absolutely recommend this place. it's only been open for about two months now and has not had very much press or advertising yet has received a lot of buzz. get your reservation sooner rather than later or you'll likely begin to see a month long wait list!

Mitsunori Kusakabe

Ken Ngai

chu toro

halibut

smoked bonito

tuna and scallop

truffle miso with eringi and shimeji mushrooms

unagi with rice cracker and avocado rice

crab with crispy agedashi tofu

mackerel

roe

alaskan king salmon

toro

A5 wagyu

tofu ice cream

matcha creme brulee

we were just trying to get a picture with them while they were making sushi but this is even better! Ken juuuust barely snuck on in there.

passion fruit bars

you guys, these bars are killer! they are reminiscent in look, texture and concept to lemon bars so you'd think they are practically the same but passion fruit has a very distinct flavor and it. is. awesome! they are a little less tart than lemon bars but have a lot more character to them. also, i like that these aren't overly sweet. they're super easy to make and a hit at bbqs. unfortunately i think that i slightly undercooked mine, which wasn't so much a problem in mouth feel texture as it was annoyingly unpretty when i cut through them. even so, these are soooo good! make them!!...orrr you can stalk the next bbq i go to and sneak one for yourself.

*i used Goya brand passion fruit puree found in the frozen aisle at Safeway

Passion Fruit Bars  

(i got the recipe here)

ingredients:

for crust: 

- 2 sticks butter, melted and slightly cooled

- 1/2 c granulated sugar

- 2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 c flour

for filling:

- 8 large eggs

- 2 1/3 c granulated sugar

- 1 1/2 c passion fruit puree

- 1/2 c flour

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. line a 9x13 pan with foil so that the foil extends over the sides. spray with cooking spray

3. in a bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt for the crust

4. once mixed add flour and mix until evenly incorporated

5. scrape into the foil lined pan and press into an even layer

6. bake crust for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown

7. while the crust is baking, in a large bowl whisk together eggs, sugar and passion fruit puree until the consistency is even

8. sift the flour over the filling mixture and whisk together until smooth

9. pour filling mixture over the hot crust

10. reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F

11. bake for approx. 25-30 minutes or until the center barely jiggles when you tap the pan

12. remove pan from oven and allow to cool to room temp

13. refrigerate bars until you are ready to serve

14. when ready, pull the sides of the foil up so that all contents in the pan are removed

15. with a large, sharp knife cut into bars

16. sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving