I love everything about Zamboanga City. I love the mix culture in the city, the different dialects from Chavacano, to Bisaya to Tausug. And I absolutely love the different local cuisine that you can find in Zamboanga.

What I don’t like is the rotating brownout schedules. Pft! I mean, really, c’mon! Three times a day? Seven days a week? Are they freaking kidding me? So not cool!

Inhale-Exhale. I’m okay now.

I heard our good mayor already found a solution to our power-shortage problem in the city. Good job Mayor Beng! I will sure write a blog about it one of these days.

So anyway, I was so not in the mood one night because of, yet again, that cursed brownout. I was counting the hours until I would finally once again reunite with my one true love, Obi-Wan Kenobe, in Star Wars Episode I on TV when all of a sudden, everything turned pitch-black! And wails from our neighbors could be heard, their cries of anguish filled the night,  echoing with a mixture of intense rage.

Okay, I am exaggerating. But I did hear one (or two) neighbors shouted an eloquent curse in chavacano. Me? I could only groan my frustration. Goodbye Obe-Wan! Till we meet again…

And you know that feeling? When you’re disappointed because circumstances had again separated you with your true love–even though he was just really a fictional character, but still!–and you let emotions run over you? Yep, that was what had happened to me that fateful night: I ate my feelings. I am an emotional eater, of that, yes I am.

So I knocked on my sister’s door and told her: “You wanna go out and do something fun?”

“And by fun, you mean…?” she asked.

“Let’s go eat something yummy. Let’s try that new place, Ole Ole.”

She did that eye-rolling thing again, but still agreed to my idea. We were also thinking that maybe our neighboring barangay Baliwasan, where Ole Ole could be found, was not affected by brownout.

We were so wrong. Imagine my sister’s reaction when she threw daggers at me with her eyes. As if it was my fault why the city suffers power shortage!

So anyway, I was up for something spicy so we ordered this:

Mee Goreng is a spicy fried noodles very popular in Malaysia. It can also be found in countries like Indonesia as well as Singapore. Since Zamboanga is so close to Malaysia, we have have adapted some of their cuisines like the Malaysian Satay (called Satti for our local version) and this awesome dish, too!

We also had a plate of egg wrap.

And when you slice the egg, boy you are in for a surprise.

Tada!

Best fried rice evah! I can taste a hint of curry and turmeric powder mixed on the rice. I know someone who would definitely like this flavored rice. I’m kinda thinking about him while I write this blog… Anyway,  this spicy rice tasted so good, I just couldn’t help myself but to momentarily forget I was on a diet!

But really now, don’t just take my word on it. Do visit Ole! Ole! Malaysian Resto, relocated near Western Mindanao State University, along San Jose Rd.