Nikki Gil on love life: Definitely much happier now

Former couple Billy Crawford and Nikki Gil in a photo posted by the actress on her Instagram page in June 2013 Caption

Lesson learned, Nikki wants relationship private

MANILA - Half a year since her controversial breakup with TV host Billy Crawford, Nikki Gil said she is "definitely much happier now" when the subject of her love life was brought up Thursday.
During a press conference announcing the production of her forthcoming album, Gil was asked whether she is dating again after her 5-year relationship with Crawford ended.
"I'm happy. That much, I can say," she said. "I'm definitely much happier now. I am at peace. Mapayapa ang life ko ngayon. So parang I don't want to do anything to mess that up."
Asked how she is acquainted with the man she is currently seeing, Gil said, laughing, "Ayaw ko mag-share ng information! Nakaka-stress! Baka ma-jinx pa!"
"I want to... let's try, I want to try as much as I can to keep that part of my life private because we all know what happens if it's not kept private. So parang this time... as much as possible, I will keep it to myself first," she said.
Dating someone who is not from showbiz is also an advantage, Gil said, citing privacy and the opportunity to learn new things as a welcome change.
"I mean, it's hard enough maintaining a relationship, add to it pa klieg lights and so many people involved," she said. Mahirap na nga siya, mas mahirap pa talaga siya in the showbiz setting. So for me, sana malayo ko 'yung panibagong relationship ko perhaps sa spotlight."
She added: "It helps, the non-showbiz part of it. Nakakatulong kasi magkaiba kayo ng mundo, with anyone in general, anyone not in showbiz. Parang magkaiba kayo ng mundo at parang iba 'yung tingin niya sa mundong ginagalawan mo. Nakakakuha ka ng ibang perspective sa ibang bagay, outside of the world that I know. So in that sense, I prefer that he is non-showbiz."

As if she is ready to enter a relationship anew, Gil was quick to answer: "I always said I was always ready. I always said I never went through the 'Pagpapahingahin ko muna puso ko' stage. Wala, hindi ko pinagdaanan 'yon. Kasi for me it's not always like that. Not everyone is like that. Hindi lahat ng relasyon ay uuwi sa iyakan o sa sakit. So hindi ako nagdaan sa, 'Ayoko na!' Walang gano'n."
New chapter
Gil and Crawford's separation in July 2013 was met with surprise by their fans, as the former couple had been open about plans of settling down.
The breakup also drew speculation of a third party being involved, which Crawford denied repeatedly. In January, the "Bright Lights" hitmaker confirmed he has been courting Coleen Garcia, a co-host on "It's Showtime," but emphasized that she had no part in his separation from Gil.
"Well it's definitely easier to work with a happy heart," Gil said on Thursday, when asked how her current status has helped her in coming making a new album. "So in that regard, I think... You know, when you're happy, you're more productive, you're more inspired."
"And if anything naman kasi, parang feeling ko that whole chapter of my life, 'yung recovery no'n was very fast. Because, you know, I had a lot of people see me through it, so I didn't really spend much time wallowing in whatever negative energy that entailed."
Gil added: "Itong panibagong chapter ng buhay ko, matagal naman na siyang nag-umpisa, even before I started dating. I think I have made that decision to close that chapter of my life and start anew."

Meet the Bb. Pilipinas 2014 candidates

MANILA - The 40 candidates in this year's Binibining Pilipinas pageant took turns strutting on stage in bright-colored swimsuits on Wednesday during their official press presentation at Sofitel Hotel in Manila.

According to organizers, the 2014 batch consists of local pageant winners, graduates from top schools, artists, working professionals, and models who underwent training to join the national competition.

The beauty-queen hopefuls, who were trimmed down from over 100 applicants in January, are scheduled to have a fashion show on March 6 and a parade on March 22.

The coronation night will be held on March 30 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. It will be telecast live on ABS-CBN.

Here are photos of each of the 40 candidates of Binibining Pilipinas 2014:

Pacquiao to run for senator, says Binay

Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao.

MANILA -- Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday revealed that boxing champion and Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao has agreed to join his senatorial slate in 2016.
Binay, who has declared his intention to run for president in the May 2016 elections, also confirmed that Batangas Governor Vilma Santos and Senator Jinggoy Estrada are among his potential vice presidential candidates.
Binay has cut ties with the Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas (PDP)-Laban to launch a new political party that will carry him as its presidential standard-bearer.
He said he will announce the name of his new political party on June 12, Independence Day.
Binay said his new political party will still coalesce with the United National Alliance (UNA), where he ran and won as vice president in the 2010 elections. 

Sexy Yumi offers affordable sushi, Japanese food

The intriguing modern interiors of Yumi. Photo by Vladimir Bunoan for ABS-CBNnews.com

MANILA -- The owners of the new Japanese restaurant Yumi couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate name. In Japanese, “yumi” suggests “beauty,” although the word’s urban meaning hits the nail on the head – “yumi” is slang for “an amazingly cool Asian girl.”
This restaurant, located at the mezzanine of the New Promenade in Greenhills, is a head-turner indeed, its sexy, modern interiors highlighted by blown-up, extreme close-up images of mysterious Japanese women. And the allure doesn’t stop there -- from the dark earthenware to the pretty plating, Yumi offers plenty to feast your eyes on.
Take the Yumi Symphony appetizer, for instance. This is a bright red ball of spicy tuna sashimi, shredded kani, fish roe and fried sushi rice served on a large black patterned plate. But the dish isn’t just tantalizing to look at as it certainly prepares the palate for what’s to come.

Yumi Symphony. Photo by Vladimir Bunoan for ABS-CBNnews.com. 

And if you find this too large for a starter (the Yumi Symphony is definitely for sharing), there’s the less elaborate spicy tuna sashimi (although I found the spicy salmon version more to my liking).
While most of the new Japanese restaurants in town specialize in a certain dish – usually ramen or katsu – Yumi has a more varied menu, although one can notice a strong focus on sushi and sashimi as the chefs certainly showed their creative side to prep up these raw delicacies.
The chefs’ eye for presentation was again showcased in the Yumi Sake Sushi Balls, a tweak on the usual salmon sushi and shaped like lollipops,while the platters – the Club Sashimi seafood set and the Seven Sea Moriwase sushi set -- were artfully arranged, bursting with various shapes and colors.

Yumi Sake Sushi Balls. Photo by Vladimir Bunoan for ABS-CBNnews.com

Apart from toying around with the plating, the chefs also experimented with mixing ingredients not traditionally found in Japanese cuisine. For instance, they paired the unagi (eel) with foie gras as a premium sushi topping. But while that combination was just sublime, the pairing of fresh oysters with smoked salmon sushi was utterly sensuous.

Smoked Salmon and Oysters. Photo by Vladimir Bunoan for ABS-CBNnews.com

But it’s not just about gimmicks: One of the best dishes served during a recent dinner for food bloggers was the very simple hamachi carpaccio, which are thinly sliced high-grade yellowtail tuna doused with olive oil and lemon zest. When you have ingredients that are that good, it is best to just highlight that – which is what the chefs accomplished with this dish.
Apart from these raw treats, Yumi also makes special mention of teppanyaki in its tagline – and with good reason. I too will boast of a dish such as the teppan-grilled US tenderloin with foie gras.

US Tenderloin with Foie Gras. Photo by Vladimir Bunoan for ABS-CBNnews.com

The beef chunks were flavorful on their own even without the added foie gras. Pair this with Yumi’s Japanese fried rice – order the Angus Prime chahan for even more beef goodness – and you’ve got an extraordinary meal.
The third part of Yumi’s tagline is, not surprisingly, ramen. Although Yumi serves a fairly decent bowl of ramen, just enough to quell strong cravings for this popular dish, a better noodle alternative, at least for me, would be the Hiyashi Chuka Salad, a refreshing cold dish with kani, cucumber and sesame dressing.

Hiyashi Chuka Salad. Photo by Vladimir Bunoan for ABS-CBNnews.com

Yumi, it seems, is intent on pleasing guests such that practically all the traditional Japanese favorites are on the menu while maintaining a fairly high and consistent quality.
The shrimp tempura, for instance, used large prawns with just the right amount of batter (there’s also soft-shell crab tempura, if you want a change from the usual), while the chicken teriyaki was juicy.

Ebi Tempura. Photo by Vladimir Bunoan for ABS-CBNnews.com

Donny Elvina, who is one of the owners of Yumi, is proud of the fact that the restaurant can offer food of this quality at such an affordable price. One can enjoy sushi for as low as P125 (for the yellow fin tuna), while the order of smoked salmon and oysters was priced at just P265. The Yumi moriawase set goes for P275, while chicken teriyaki is priced at P235.

Green Tea Tempura Ice Cream. Photo by Vladimir Bunoan for ABS-CBNnews.com

The dessert, for only P165, is the green tea tempura ice cream, a creative way of presenting this traditional Japanese treat.
Yumi also carries a wide array of alcoholic beverages from beer to sake, as well as wines and specialty cocktails, which actually fits the restaurant’s sexy ambience.
This restaurant certainly provides a strong argument to visit the usually crowded Greenhills shopping center.

Review: Eva Green saves '300: Rise of an Empire'

The film "300" was a big hit when it hit the screens back in 2006. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while writer Frank Miller served as executive producer and consultant. In order to approximate the artwork of the graphic novel, the film used a special super-imposition chroma key technique.

This anticipated sequel makes use of the same things that made the first film a hit to try to make this second film as big a success.

Athenian general Themistocles shot an arrow in the battle of Marathon that angered the people of Persia. The Persian navy was led by a Greek woman named Artemisia, under the name of their man-god Emperor Xerxes. The two and their armadas clash in the Aegean Sea in multiple bloody and explosive battles for supremacy. One fights for pure love of country, while the other fights for sheer vengeance.

Instead of the imposing Gerald Butler, we get a lesser actor, Sullivan Stapleton, as the central character Themistocles in this sequel. I thought he lacked charisma and conviction in his acting as the protagonist. There is that something lost or weak in his face that makes him less believable as the big hero. His lackluster screen presence and tentative performance almost ruined the film for me.

Fortunately, I was very much impressed with the performance of the antagonist. Thanks to Eva Green, who delivers a sexy and bad-ass turn as Artemisia, I was not totally disappointed with the film. At first I thought it was only a big gimmick to have a female as the naval commander of Persia. However, as it turns out, Ms. Green would completely own this film. If not for her, I believe this film would tank big time.

Rodrigo Santoro was again impressive as Persian King Xerxes, reprising his role from the first film. We see him evolve from a mere man to a man-god in an elaborate sequence of CG glory.

Lena Headey also reprises her role as Queen Gorgo of Sparta. She was the one who tells this story, but will also get in on the military action later. David Wenham was the survivor Delios who narrated the first film, but in this sequel, his appearance was merely a cameo at best.

The movie builds up on the first "300" film with a lot more Greeks (and their fabled abs) versus a lot more Persians. The first "300" was about the Battle of Thermopylae. This sequel is about the big naval Battle of Artemisia which happens at about the same time as the first battle, that is why there we can see this story weave in some events from the first film as well. The action here is a lot more cartoonishly gory, with blood splattering in all directions in generous amounts.

This is like "300" all over again, but without the benefit of novelty, without the powerful presence of Gerald Butler, and without the directorial skills of Zack Snyder. This sequel by new director Noam Murro is certainly not better than the first film. So if you liked "300" as I did, you may still like this as well. If you didn't, then this film won't convert you. 7/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

Lip-smacking Vietnamese cuisine at La Petite Camille

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Tags: restaurantreview

La Petite Camille's simple yet elegant interior.

My knowledge of Vietnamese cuisine wasn’t that impressive until I traveled to Ho Chi Minh City and was exposed to the real thing. Though I have tasted pho before, I didn’t really know much about this particular cuisine until I went food tripping in Vietnam. When I got back home, I was still on a Vietnamese food high and found myself craving for it, but there are only a handful of Vietnamese restaurants in Manila.

La Petite Camille in Greenbelt 5, Makati states that it serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine. That was enough reason for my family and I to dine there and see if the claims were true indeed.

From the clear glass windows, we could see the nice interiors, which I thought had more colonial style than Asian. The furniture was mismatched, the lighting fixtures were not uniform, and there were decals and knick-knacks on the walls. I found the design very interesting and actually elegant—far from the roadside restaurants I tried in Vietnam.

Through research, I found out that La Petite Camille was actually founded in San Francisco, California in 1993 and has been a bay area favorite ever since. It only opened in the Philippines last December 2012.

A mixture of Asian and French flavors

The restaurant menu is pretty extensive—from pho (noodle soup) to banh mi (sandwich made with French baguette) and everything in between; it has dishes for the discerning diner.

The Combination Appetizer - Banh Hoi Thap Cam

What I appreciated though was the disclaimer in the menu: “Our food contains ingredients such as MSG, nuts and other herbs and vegetables that may cause allergic reactions on certain individuals. Please ask the manager for more information and special requests.” At least they are upfront about the use of that controversial kitchen ingredient, monosodium glutamate.

To whet our appetite, we started with the Pomelo Salad, a healthy combination of fresh pomelo chunks, shredded cabbage, caramelized onions, pickled carrots and radish, and topped with crushed peanuts. It was served on a bed of lettuce leaves. I liked the light dressing that was a bit on the tangy side.

We continued our healthy eating and ordered some Fresh Vegetarian Rolls where vermicelli noodles and raw vegetables like cabbage, carrot, celery, turnip, basil and lettuce are wrapped in rice paper and served with sauce. Fans of cilantro would like this since the herb’s flavor is very apparent here.

What I enjoyed eating was the Combination Appetizer (banh hoi thap cam) that came with barbecued pork, imperial rolls, and minced prawns on a sugarcane skewer. It also had a side of lettuce, rice vermicelli, picked veggies, and fish sauce for dipping. I had fun eating it because this appetizer was very interactive. I wrapped my choice of meat inside the lettuce, added some noodles veggies, and drizzled some sauce. It was a delight to eat with my hands!

Pan-fried rice noodles with prawns

Since we felt like we were eating healthy, we ordered a couple of main courses, one of which was the Pan-fried Rice Noodles with Prawns, which was one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. When it arrived on our table, I thought that the picture on the menu looked better than the actual dish. The taste though made up for the lack of presentation. It was a good fried noodle dish but the serving seemed small—probably just good for two.

Another dish we sampled was the Black Pepper Chicken, a lightly breaded fillet seasoned with garlic and black pepper, and served with a black pepper and oyster sauce blend. The chicken was tender and easy to eat, and it went well with the peppery and salty dipping sauce. However, it’s not the type of dish that could stand alone, as it can get a bit cloying because of its oiliness. I discovered that it’s better to alternate bites of it with other vegetable-based dishes to avoid the feeling of fried-food overload.

I wanted to end my meal with some Vietnamese coffee, which, for me, is one of the best in the world. I fell in love with their coffee during my trip there and I still fantasize about it until now. Unfortunately, I didn’t have room for dessert or coffee after my satisfying meal. I would definitely go back next time and order some coffee and banh mi, then reminisce about Vietnam. — BM, GMA News

Art review: Micropop blooms in Japanese traveling exhibit Winter Garden

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Fiction House (Detail) by Ryoko Aoki (2009). Pen, watercolor on paper. 42 x 94 cm. All photos courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila

For those of us who live in the tropics, winter will always be a touch beyond our comprehension. Even, or perhaps more so, if the said winter is a metaphorical environment, such as the one presented in the Japan Foundation’s traveling exhibit on contemporary Japanese art Winter Garden, currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

Curated by Midori Matsui, the exhibit features 35 works by 14 young Japanese artists, all of them active from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Varied in make, what binds these artworks together is the presence of what Matsui terms the “micropop imagination,” a form of expression observed in the younger postwar generation. This is a generation of Japanese artists whose collective memories of divine rule and racial superiority has slowly eroded, whose faith in society was shaken by the natural and manmade catastrophes of the late 20th century: economic recession, the homogenization of lifestyles, and the disappearance of community cultures.

Now is the winter of their discontent, and micropop is their coping mechanism of choice.

Without going into Matsui’s eloquent articulation of postmodern theory, micropop is the artistic practice of generating new meanings through the playful appropriation of everyday objects; the adolescent exploration of mind and body; and the representation of order as an organic process of sedimentation and fragmentation.

Untitled by Keisuke Yamamoto (2006). Oil and Color Pencil on Paper. 50x65 cm. Courtesy of Tomio Koyama Gallery

The physical arrangement of Winter Garden recommends a way of exploring the micropop sensibility, but on my first pass I made a beeline for the one artist in the exhibit whose work I have a passing familiarity with: Aya Takano and the alien androgyny of adolescent girls. With a style reminiscent of shoujo manga and bearing the protofeminist leanings that mark the best examples of this genre, Takano is also identified with superflat, the art movement championed by Takashi Murakami; she, along with another Winter Garden artist Mahomi Kunikata, is represented by Murakami's firm Kaikai Kiki Co. (Takano's delicate line drawings starkly contrast with the brash colors of Kunikata's manga panel-esque paintings, which depict the chaotic interior workings of a teenage mind.)

And here one senses the hand of curatorial authority in ascribing almost opposing interpretations of artistic intent. The superflat movement views aesthetic technique as a critical response to the vapidity of consumer culture; it flattens objects to the point of voiding meaning beyond the superficial. Micropop's purpose is proactive, it sets out to find new meaningful ways of communication.

Instead of flatness, there is tactility and depth. Masaya Chiba employs wooden props to elevate his thickly textured paintings, giving them a materiality almost akin to sculpture, forcing viewers to engage in the transitional ruins he depicts. Hiroe Saeki prefers pencil work, but the intricacy of the drawings encourages viewers to eschew the bigger picture in favor of a microscopic examination of detail.

Starry Night by Hiroshi Sugito (1992) Acrylic, Pigment, Paper of Panel. 182x240 cm. Courtesy of Tomio Koyama Gallery

Sometimes meaning is created by breaking from formal technique, resulting in a spirited freestyle form that organically emanates from the body (Tam Ochiai's "drawing for cat slide"), or in re-purposing utilitarian materials for fine art (Masanori Handa's felt tip pen-on-tile landscapes).

But this informality does not descend into anarchy; nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, micropop views disintegration (and its corollary, reconstitution) as a natural process of ordering the world.

Ryoko Aoki's "The Sun" best illustrates this principle. Comprised of disparate elements—line drawings, patterns, origami foldouts, and cloth hangings, among others—the installation asks viewers to consider piecing together meaning from these seemingly unrelated objects.

There is perhaps no correct way to go about this process, but there is no wrong way either. Meaning is not a concrete concept—it is an ongoing interrogation shaped by external forces, of one's own doing or otherwise. Taro Izumi's videos "Curos Cave" and "White Wolf" visualizes this idea, showing artworks being transformed by deliberate erasures and accidental splashes.

The exhibit title itself is open to multiple interpretations. Winter Garden, as noted in the curatorial statement, could be taken to mean a "desolate garden in winter time"; bearing in mind Japan's demographic winter, with older generations far outnumbering the youth. But Winter Garden also brings to mind the artificial environment of a hothouse, which houses a profusion of growth in a small enclosure; a microcosm of new life thriving in an unkind world.

Drawing for Cat Slide by Tam Ochiai (2007). Color Pencil, Pencil on Paper. 152 x 223.7 cm. Courtesy of Tomio Koyama Gallery

To this interpretation, I add the idea of interiority and how these micropop artists are more intent on fashioning their own meanings and shaping their identity instead of taming the harsh exterior environment. Regardless of the definition one ascribes to, what is constant is Winter Garden's grounding in a very specific time and place, and cannot be fully replicated in any other space.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Lyota Yagi's "Vinyl," a piece performed at the exhibit launch. It consists of a record, made entirely of ice, and a vinyl player on which the record is supposed to be played. In theory, the specially crafted record is meant to play a melody as the grooves melt.

One can appreciate the care and thought that went into conceptualizing the project. But alas, we live on a tropical country, and the grooves melted before it could be played properly. The Japanese audience heard DeBussey; here in the Philippines, we heard only static. — VC, GMA News