SUNDAY IS OUR DATE DAY

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Sunday is our date day.

Usually, my wife and I leave the house around 3 p.m. without much of a plan. We simply decide on a direction—sometimes Molito, sometimes Alabang Town Center, or another spot south of Manila we haven’t explored yet.

We walk around, check out the shops, and do a bit of shopping—or, more often than not, just window shopping. By 5 p.m., the main event arrives as we ask the essential question: Where are we going to eat?

Today, we found ourselves at Molito, where a large poster of laksa on the glass window of Thomson Bistro caught my eye. I thought, why not? I’ve eaten laksa during past trips to Singapore and Malaysia, but I honestly couldn't recall the exact taste.

So, in we went.

Jack, our waiter, welcomed us and handed over the menus. We decided on the laksa and siomai. The restaurant presents itself as Singaporean, though I couldn't help noticing the A5 Wagyu prominently displayed in a glass case. Whenever I see A5 Wagyu, my immediate thought is: this is definitely not going to be cheap. But we were already settled in.

The laksa turned out to be exactly what I was craving—a rich curry broth with just the right touch of spice, filled with shrimp, noodles, and tofu. Next time I have laksa elsewhere, I’ll finally have a benchmark to compare against those original meals in Singapore and Malaysia.

Then came the siomai, which was far from the usual commercial variety. A plump shrimp sat on top, and the pork was coarsely hand-chopped rather than finely ground, giving each bite a satisfying texture and crunch.

                            

 We hoped to round off the meal with their organic ice cream, but their signature dark chocolate—and our second-choice flavor—were both sold out. Well, you can't have everything. Still, Thomson Bistro was a delight and another great little discovery.

Our Sunday adventure the week before brought us to Mamacita, a Mexican restaurant occupying the space where the old BMW showroom used to be. It’s a spacious spot with an extensive menu, but we kept our focus entirely on tacos: Baja fish, camarones, chicken barbacoa, and gobernador. Served on warm soft tortillas, all four were flavor-packed and satisfying. Since it was happy hour, I paired mine with two cold Coronas while my wife opted for a non-alcoholic drink—a perfect match for a late Sunday afternoon.

At this stage of our lives, we try to make the most of our weekends. We don't need to travel far; the South offers an abundance of great places to eat and explore. While mall-going has become the quintessential weekend ritual for many Filipinos—often complete with the struggle for parking—we prefer taking things slow.

For us, it’s simply about walking around together, discovering new dishes, looking at things we don't really need, and enjoying each other’s company before heading home.

And before the new week even gets underway, we’re already looking forward to the next Sunday.

Where shall we go next?

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