While the 2025 live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon remains faithful to the original 2010 animated film, I think it is best viewed without comparing it with the animated film, or even without knowledge of the latter. Don’t get me wrong; the live-action film is grand in scale and execution, with breathtaking flyingContinue reading “Hiccup and Toothless Soar High”
Author Archives: agahalili
Lechoneria: Lechon Belly and Other Filipino Favorites
Today we feature a Filipino restaurant called Lechoneria at SM North. It offers a feast of Filipino dishes led by the flavorful lechon belly. The food generally satisfies, with some twists on the otherwise traditional food and drinks presentation. Tonight’s dinner is a celebration of challenges and coming out of ’em victorious, of daily grindContinue reading “Lechoneria: Lechon Belly and Other Filipino Favorites”
Gastronomic Indulgences: Let’s Start with Lusso
It has been a family tradition to dine out after mass on Sundays. And every meal is a celebration of something that ought to be celebrated. We usually dine in Greenbelt after the 6pm mass, as my daughters have swimming lessons every Sunday in the area. For this edition, we feature Lusso, an Italian-inspired restaurantContinue reading “Gastronomic Indulgences: Let’s Start with Lusso”
Haunted Mansion Succeeds Despite Its Flaws
Haunted Mansion (a 2015 Filipino horror movie currently streaming on Netflix) successfully delivers the scares as it weaves an old and not so interesting study on teenagers and their hormones with a more interesting back story of the mansion involving two upper class sisters and a commoner. Ella (Janella Salvador) has a third eye andContinue reading “Haunted Mansion Succeeds Despite Its Flaws”
Everything About Her: Wounded Souls Get Second Chances
Everything About Her (a 2016 Filipino film currently streaming on Netflix) is about second chances and forgiveness, with a life-threatening illness triggering the resolve to correct past mistakes, make amends, and forgive. It sounds heavy but thankfully, the movie presents it in a light drama infused with comedy, providing the actors enough space to workContinue reading “Everything About Her: Wounded Souls Get Second Chances”
Laksa Prawn
Nanyang’s Laksa Prawn is deliciously satisfying. It is both rich and packed with flavors. While it is spicy and hot, the coconut cream base feels so clean to the tongue and in the mouth that it actually becomes refreshing in a way… I know… it doesn’t quite make sense. The prawns are chunky and fullContinue reading “Laksa Prawn”
Pasta con Gambas
This Pasta con Gambas from Conti’s is mind-blowing. So full of flavors… Spicy but not overpowering… Succulent shrimps and mushrooms in olive oil… With lots of savory crushed garlic… Leaves a bit of burning, tingling sensation in the mouth… That makes you crave for more.
Pastries Unite in Pastries United
It is heartening and inspiring to see people discovering their talents for cooking, baking, planting, painting, and any skills that they didn’t know they had in them, especially during the pandemic. Some even take the risk of turning their new-found skills into a business. And I fully support and patronize the small local businesses thatContinue reading “Pastries Unite in Pastries United”
Apocalypse Child: The stories we live to tell
Apocalypse Child (a 2015 Filipino film currently streaming on Netflix) takes off with a view of the beaches of Baler, with a voiceover narrating the myths enveloping Baler and its people: a tsunami swept over the municipality of Baler leaving only 7 surviving families; the production crew of the movie Apocalypse Now left a surfboardContinue reading “Apocalypse Child: The stories we live to tell”
BLISS Explores Abuse in Varying Images
In Bliss (a 2017 Filipino film currently streaming in Netflix), Jane Ciego (Iza Calzado) is an actress who has been in the film industry for too long, and though successful, has yet to win an acting award. While on the verge of a burnout, she decides to produce her own film to market to internationalContinue reading “BLISS Explores Abuse in Varying Images”
The Hungry Film Lover 