Ma - Ling Nam - Nam

Things usually happen for a reason, but sometimes they just happen. Even well thought of plans can go down the drain because of a couple of unforeseen circumstances. Yesterday, for instance, I was supposed to meet a friend for dinner at UP Town Center. I was excited not only for the company and the food, but also for the Pokemon that I planned on catching.

Fast forward to about 5PM in Tandang Sora. I was about to turn right to Balara when I noticed the long line of vehicles on the bridge above us. If traffic was that bad there, I can imagine how it must be in Katipunan. Waze confirmed it - it would have taken me an hour from Balara to UP Town Center, and probably about 30 minutes or so just to find parking. Not gonna happen. I had to turn back.

I ended up in Shopwise Commonwealth. I planned to stay in Starbucks, but there were no seats available. I ended up in Ling Nam, a Chinese restaurant. I didn't realize I was starving, then remembered that I had an early lunch that day. So I ended up ordering a few things.

For my "appetizer," I got the ever reliable Chicken Feet (P125). Not sure how I grew fond of this dish (I hate drumstick and chicken legs, btw), but there I was, eating it to the bones. Loved the sauce, and it was perfect with the Bottomless Iced Tea (calamansi flavor, P70).

For the main dish, I got the Beef Stew in Hotpot (P260). It wasn't super special on its own, but a good dose of chili garlic in some soy sauce made it super yummy. I don't know why, but I kept thinking about Pares the whole time I was eating it. Pares with water chestnuts. Chinese Pares. Pares in Hotpot. Just some of the name variations that were playing in my head. The beef was really tender, and the litid was particularly tasty. I actually got surprised when I ended up eating only one cup of rice.

The free soup lacked flavor, and I wish they just did away with giving it out. I'm sure some other customer would have appreciated it more (with the rain and all), but I was the wrong target. I just took one sip and totally forgot about it. The chili sauce though - it can make any dish taste better. Perhaps I should have thought about adding some chili sauce to that soup and see if it will make any difference.

After all that food, I still found some space for dessert. There should always be space left for dessert - one of the best parts of a full meal. I got the Almond with Mixed Fruit (P80), a classic. It was difficult trying to eat it at first - the fruits were ready to fall off the bowl. But once I got to the jelly and the ice, I was all good.

I totally forgot about the traffic and the Pokemon and my friend.