Making Paseo numero uno
My youngest son, Luca, had just returned from his month-long CISV (Children’s International Summer Village) stint in Finland, and so when our Sunday lunch loomed, we left it to him to decide where we would eat. Without batting an eyelash, the immediate call was to return to Paseo Uno at the Mandarin for its sumptuous buffet lunch. It had been an old favorite of ours, but as I constantly push to try new places and be adventurous gastronomically, it had been some months since we had last been there. The maguro sashimi, the shrimp tempura, then the slices of rib-eye or lamb, and a follow-up serving of maguro for “dessert” make up the by-now templated courses Luca would indulge in, and last Sunday was no exception. It was as if this was his dressed-up version of comfort food, of “home” cooking with a marked difference!
Through the years, Paseo Uno has really been a culinary “home away from home” for my three sons. And it seems that via its current promotional activity, Industry Nights, the hotel aims to also be the favorite dining option for diverse groups of individuals. The aim is true and simple, in order to reward the hotel’s corporate clientele, Industry Nights was created to have individuals from chosen industries enjoy exclusive and substantial discounts — up to 30 percent off your food bill, when you’re a group of three or more. Beginning today until Aug. 28, it’s the real estate and finance sector being feted; from Aug. 29 to Sept. 11, it’s IT, telecommunications and business process outsourcing firms. From Sept. 12 to 25, it’s pharmaceuticals and manufacturing, and from Sept. 26 to Oct. 9, natural resources, mining, travel and the airline industry. All an individual in the group has to do is show his company ID, and the table is considered part of the Industry Nights promo!
Given the high standards of the food establishment’s buffet, one can only imagine how enjoyable the a la carte menu would be. Luckily for me, none of my three sons are big on desserts and sweets. They’ll enjoy the occasional bite of chocolate this or that, but they don’t gorge on ice cream or pastries. Luca’s one weakness in this department would be mango sorbet. For my two older boys, Quintin and Matteo, last Sunday lunch was all about catching up with the youngest... so he no longer has the excuse that he needs to make them “kwento,” and they can subsequently reinstate the proverbial 10-foot pole — respect doesn’t come easy when you’re the youngest of three boys.
Troubled times
Treating different aspects of contemporary life, these three novels hone in on troubled times, points of conflict and controversy; and how life does go on, with people reacting in different ways. A news daily in trouble, a domestic incident that may end up in court, and a recluse in the American Desert who has connections to the US military-industrial complex: they’re all starting points for stories that echo in our minds.
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman (purchased in the USA): This eminently readable book will hopefully be carried in our local bookstores. We’re in today’s Rome, at the office of an English language newspaper (think Herald Tribune in Paris), and this novel works on various levels. It’s an elegy for the printed medium as we see the paper in its death throes, and it’s an exhilarating study of people and their stories as they live abroad under stress and pressure, and it’s a collection of short stories as the various people involved in the newspaper all get their turn in the spotlight. And while each vignette centers itself on one person — from the publisher down to the aspiring Cairo stringer, it’s amazing to see the stories mesh together as a coherent whole. Highly recommended.
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas (available at National Bookstore): Winner of the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize, The Slap by Australian writer Tsiolkas is a searing study of the Australian immigrant experience (first generation and the next), of family, friendship and codes of conduct. It all kicks off at a suburban family BBQ, when one exceptionally unruly child is slapped by one of the adults. Of course, the parents of the child are outraged that anyone other than themselves have the right to lay a hand on their child, regardless of the child’s behavior. What sets this novel apart is its structure, chapters are “owned” by the different characters who were there that day, and so we understand the subtexts and sidebars of the lives of these people — and it fascinates us readers!
Point Omega by Don deLillo (available at National Bookstore): Very much an acquired taste, this is practically a novella coming from one of the established masters of modern fiction: DeLillo. An exercise in writing, with prose that shimmers off the pages like poetry or tones, there is an ostensible plot about a defense consultant/scholar who has holed himself in the desert after having worked for Uncle Sam. A would-be documentary film-maker, Finley enters the scene, to convince Elster to talk about his days at the Pentagon, and reveal what the war machinery is all about. Things get complicated when Jessica, Elster’s daughter from a failed (and doomed) marriage arrives, and then subsequently, disappears. Not the easiest of reads, as there always something of the unconventional.
