The Stock Market

D: We know that we've been remiss in updating this blog as of late, but there's a very good reason why.

You see, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind of packing and preparations for P because he's currently in the United Kingdom for a month-long banking training. He left last June 4 so this is me trying to hold down the fort while he's away.

 (taken on his last day in town)

 But what's a girl to do when she receives this invite with no date in sight? Well, read more to find out who I took instead.

 My 17-year-old brother, V, makes another guest appearance on the blog! After some threatening and bribing courtesy of my mother, he agreed to accompany me to the event.

 The three lovely ladies that hosted that evening's dinner

 Prior to this, V and I had never eaten in The Stock Market. P had and admittedly, he was a little disappointed with his experience. When we heard that they were doing a major overhaul, we decided that it was worth a visit. Currently, The Stock Market is owned by Del Monte Phils but is managed and operated by The Bistro Group (purveyors of Italiannis, Crazy Garlic. Friday's, etc.)

It's new menu was developed by Chef Boom Jota. Although I'm not claiming to be a gourmand in the least, I can definitely say that it covers all the bases and will meet even the pickiest and most discerning foodie's needs.

 Our lovely company for the evening

It was definitely my kind of dinner! With a wide assortment of food being plunked down in front of us, I enjoyed taking small bites out of everything. I tend to pick at my food and this was the only time I could do it shamelessly.

FOOD (AND LOTS OF IT)

 Pier 21 Clam Chowder

 Your standard bread basket made delicious by the dip!

 Tomato and cheese soup

 Salmon and spinach dip

One of our favorites of the evening! The dip was so good because of the wonderful salmon chunks and rich cheese.

 Cold melon soup

Interesting mix of sweet and salty. I'd order this again!

 Chicken almond tenders

My personal choice! The almonds gave it the best texture!

 Spring rolls

 Seared ahi tuna

V was raving about this! The fish was so fresh, not slimy or itchy on the tongue at all!

 The Stock Market Harvest Salad

This was really sweet in a good way! It could pass for a dessert and the caramelized walnuts were a dream.

 Pacific Cove Salad

My salad pick! The shrimps were so juicy and the crab meat tasted so fresh. Really nice with the mangoes and the house dressing.

 Pork Tenderloin

Tender is right, you could cut it with a butter knife! 

 Texan Barbecue Chicken

This was marinated for 48 hours and was so soft that it was falling of the bone.

 Frutti di Mari

 Spaghetti Vongole Blanco

 Carbonara with prosciutto and organic egg

Hands down, the winner of the pasta wars. At this point, I was already stuffed but I had a few strands because the egg looked so interesting just plopped there. Best carbonara ever.

 Country Style Pork Ribs

The sauce was perfect and they do their meats so well. Everything is cooked perfectly!

 Meet Chef Boom as he brings out yet another plate!

 Trio Gastronomy: Chicken, tuna, and crabstick/celery sandwiches

These would be great to share for merienda with friends!

 Seared salmon on garlic mashed potatoes

 Pineapple banana

Initially, I thought that the base of this dessert was pudding but it's actually a pineapple chunk. V commented that he loved this and he wasn't even a big fan of pineapples.

 The perfect mango crepe

 Creme brulee combo

 Everyone was paparazzi-ing the food! It was hard to keep up with all the plates coming in.

 Chocolate Beehive

This wasn't served but doesn't it look delicious? 

 Red Velvet Cake

 Calamansi Cheesecake - their version of Key Lime Pie

I know I've bombarded you with a ton of food photos but the punchline is The Stock Market is definitely back in the game. Blogger event or otherwise, the food was fantastic! I love their mantra of no microwaves and no can openers. Freshness is definitely the pervasive theme of this establishment.

Please drop by to enjoy what The Stock Market has to offer. You can find them at Bonifacio High Street.

FASHION

 Hannah of flaircandy.com and I won prizes for coming in theme. Thank you to Cristel Gonzales of OMD and Miss Roda of Bistro! I didn't even think I looked so 1930's. Yay, now I have some GCs so I can take P here when he gets back!

Bespoke blue and white shirt and khakis (same tailor as P), Fred Perry shoes

We didn't think this was 1930s but hey, Ryan Gosling was wearing something remotely similar in The Notebook so it had to do.

 Reworked vintage dress, F21 sparkly tights, Juan shoes

 Wore this dress to the first Looking for Lola bazaar a long time ago so I was happy to unearth it from the closet. You can really see the sparkle of my tights but I love how they catch under the light!

I definitely miss P, but this little brother-big sister date didn't turn out so bad after all!