Morrissey is coming to Manila

It may be almost three decades too late but Morrissey, former front man of my favorite band The Smiths, will have a one night concert here in Manila on May 13, 2012.  Since this is a Greatest Hits Tour, he will be doing his songs as well as from his former band.

Venue of the concert is the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Ticket prices are at PhP5,500 (VIP, reserved seats) and PhP3,500 (Titanium, free seating), and are now Ticketworld.

Jollibee's Chicken and Mushroom Pasta

I passed by a Jollibee store this afternoon and I couldn't help but notice something new on the menu: The Chicken and Mushroom Pasta.

It has chicken, mushroom and a spicy sauce topped with cheese in a platter of spaghetti.  Sounds yummy? No.

One spoonful of this new dish and I immediately noticed a peculiar taste.  Maybe it's the herbs and spices in the sauce but it didn't taste natural.  It tasted more like chicken cube or bouillon.  In fact my initial reaction was, "Hello Maggi or is that you Knorr?"  Maybe it would taste better if they put a slice of bread or a bread stick to go with it. Just to neutralize the saltiness and spice of the dish.

What saved the afternoon from becoming a total disaster was the appearance of the Jollibee mascot who greeted the people in the store and even entertained us with a dance number.  

Chowking Chef Bowl Specials

I tried the new Chowking Chef Bowl Special last weekend while on a road trip.  I ordered for the Oriental Beef variant (the other variant is Honey Garlic Chicken) which looked really good on their poster.  It was also reasonably priced at PhP79.

Unfortunately, the actual product was does not only look far from what's on the poster but was also not as tasty as I hoped it would be.

The meal, which is actually a rice topping, consisted of beef in teriyaki sauce, stir fried vegetables and two thin slices of egg in a bowl of rice.

The beef is not so tender. It has those ligaments we call litid in Filipino.  There's also very little sauce and the picture above would show that.  The vegetables were done right though as they were crisp and not over cooked.  The rice was just enough for me though the other guy in our group who ordered the same dish said that it was not enough.

Honestly, I ordered this dish to try it and see if it's going to be a favorite.  Well, it's not going to be one of my favorites.

Nikon Launches the Nikkor AFS 85mm f/1.8 G

Woke up this morning to some great news.  Nikon announced yesterday three new products for 2012 but what I am most excited about is the new Nikkor AFS 85mm f/1.8G.  It is an updated version of its popular moderate telephoto prime lens that also works perfectly for portraiture.  Here's the official press release of the product from Nikon.com.

A fast, medium-telephoto fixed focal length lens with a focal length of 85 mm and a maximum aperture of f/1.8 compatible with the Nikon FX-format

TOKYO - Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the release of the AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G, a fast, medium-telephoto fixed focal length lens with a focal length of 85 mm and a maximum aperture of f/1.8 compatible with the Nikon FX-format.

The AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G is the new addition to the FX-format lens lineup. It utilizes an all new optical design allowing users to enjoy shooting portraits with pleasing blur characteristics only possible through fixed focal length lenses. Even with a fast maximum aperture of f/1.8, the AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G is very lightweight at roughly 350 g, allowing users to easily carry their camera around with this lens mounted. The Silent Wave Motor (SWM) ensures not only quiet autofocus operations, but also makes autofocus shooting possible when the lens is used with entry-level Nikon DX-format digital-SLR cameras such as the D5100 and D3100, which are not equipped with an autofocus drive motor.

Nikon has long had the support of professional, advanced amateur and entry-level photographers for its consistent development of innovative products that respond to the demands of customers and are equipped with the optical technologies Nikon has spent years cultivating as a manufacturer of optical devices. Nikon intends to continue to expand and strengthen the NIKKOR lineup as well as improve customer convenience with the steady release of new, high-performance lenses that offer advanced functions.

AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G Primary Features

• A fast, medium-telephoto fixed focal length lens with a focal length of 85 mm and a maximum aperture of f/1.8 compatible with the Nikon FX-format
• An all new optical design that enables maximum utilization of digital-SLR camera capabilities in shooting high quality images
• Enables shooting of portraits with pleasing background blur characteristics only possible with a fast, medium-telephoto fixed focal length lens
• Very lightweight at approximately 350 g, even with the large aperture
• Equipped with a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for extremely quiet autofocusing. Autofocus shooting is also possible when the lens is used with entry-level Nikon DX-format digital-SLR cameras such as the D5100 and D3100, which are not equipped with an autofocus drive motor.
• Equipped with two focus modes, M/A (autofocus with manual override) and M (manual)

And here are some sample shots from the same website.

from nikon.com

love that bokeh!
from nikon.com

from nikon.com

Evanescence in Manila! Ticket Prices

You may now reserve your tickets online for the Evanescence concert through ticketnet.com.ph.  For those who have been asking for the ticket and sear prices, please refer to the table below:

Seat and Price:

Seat Location Price PATRON(103&101) STANDING (Reserved Seating) 5810 PATRON SEATED (Reserved Seating) 5810 LOWER BOX(200 & 201) (Reserved Seating) 4755 LOWER BOX(202 - 215) (Reserved Seating) 3700 UPPER BOX A (Reserved Seating) 2640 UPPER BOX B 1585 GENERAL ADMISSION from ticketnet.com.ph 530