What did you think!? Last year, the general consensus was short, fat and old and maybe jolly. But this year there were too many people for me to ask the same question…and I was probably too embarrassed to hear the answers. You just had to be there. That is the best way to describe the Second Market Manila Eyeball… But I will attempt to give you an overview of the evening and I hope that many of the guests leave their own impressions in comments on this post…that way, readers in the Philippines and around the globe can get a better picture of what really went on…
Pre-party jitters are inevitable for any host. Will there be too many people? Not enough? Will they talk to each other? Is the venue big enough? Will it rain? Will there be enough food? But the stage was set relatively early… Gourdo’s shut down at 3 p.m. and their terrific staff started setting up buffet and cocktail tables soon thereafter. I saw the fresh pasta being rolled out by the chefs late afternoon. The brick oven had a fire going for roast pork and pizzas. I arrived with my own crew at 4pm to set up some floral arrangements. A slight panic there because I had gone to the wholesale flower market late the night before and there were hardly any flowers for sale since it was just a day or two after All Souls Day! I set up a white arrangement outside with azucena, casablancas and hydrangeas and used about 300 red roses for packed arrangements on the registration and buffet tables. All of the flowers had been prepped at home, so it took just 40 minutes to do the arrangements on site…and that’s with my brilliant elves.
We got back to the restaurant at 6:30pm and guests were already starting to arrive! 
A line at the registration table actually formed as 70-71 guests signed in. About 5 people were NO SHOWS, which in my book, is worse than folks who are pathologically illogical or mentally challenged. Not only is it inconsiderate and rude, I hope it dooms your karma forever. Frankly, unless you were hit by a bus on EDSA or other similar catastrophic occurrence, you have NO EXCUSE whatsoever. NONE. In my home, you would simply never be invited back for another meal. 
There were several people on a “waitlist†who wanted to attend the party and NO SHOWS deprived them of that chance. So there. And I am tactful enough to keep your identities to myself! I took the opportunity to greet some of the guests while they were on the registration line and it was nice to see folks who were also at last year’s EB as well as new ones sign in. I noticed several people first checking out the scene from the sidewalk before they made that final decision to sign-in. I know the feeling… “what me, go to a party with a bunch of strangers I have never met, is this mental or what???â€
At any rate, 70 folks is an amazing number of guests, no matter how you look at it. With roughly 6,000-8,000 regular and occasional readers around the world, and roughly 3,000 of them in the Philippines, this number represents 2.5% of the readers locally!! 
And what a terrific group of folks they were… techies, bloggers, ad execs, marketing folks, bankers and finance officers, jewelers, a chef, cruise directors, foodies, businessmen and women, young and old, fit and healthy, plump and proud of it… and all of them interesting, fun, engaging, and adventurous enough to do the bizarre thing of going to a public place to meet people they only know from comments on this and other similar blogs. While it was nice to meet so many readers, it was also less initimate than last year’s eyeball of 30 folks that had to sit at long tables and by force of seat location, had to interact with their neighbors. I knew this would be a bigger group, and I just hope folks didn’t feel lost…though the number of smiles, laughs and increasing din of conversation as the evening wore on was a good sign, I think.
It certainly was harder to really have a lengthy conversation with everyone who showed up. I think I met perhaps 68 of the 70 guests and between me and Mrs. Marketman 
and the The Kid, I hope we were able to have a little bit of time with each and every guest. But let’s talk food… the buffet spread (the only real way to serve 70 folks at a price point that wouldn’t bust the wallet) was incredible. Great value for money. Delicious bruschetta for appetizers. Two kinds of pasta, stuffed squash blossoms and my favorite, dozens of freshly cooked pizzas straight out of the brick oven. I didn’t get to eat much because I was talking all night, but I kept sneaking 
a slice or two of pizza as soon as it got sliced up. And it just kept coming out of the kitchens. Many, many thanks to Chris and the staff of Gourdo’s for really going out of their way to lay out a terrific feast for a demanding crowd of foodies! I will definitely return for a pizza soon…anyone who seeks a real brick oven baked pizza has to order it here.
But the anticipation for the dessert buffet was also building. 
As guests arrived, boxes and trays of goodies were being piled high on the dessert buffet table. There must have been 30+ desserts to choose from and frankly, while I had planned to taste all of them, I think I only managed to get to 12-15 desserts. A great big thank you to those who brought the desserts…not only were they delicious, but the volume was simply enough to give us all a joint sugar shock. There were buko pies from Los Banos, tibok-tibok from pampanga, sapin-sapin from Dolor’s (and three boxes at that!), 
bibingka from Cainta, several chocolate desserts including brownies and cakes, macadamia caramel and other cakes, beautiful and delicious cupcakes, tira misu, frozen brazo de Mercedes, mango puddings, etc. It was the most incredible dessert spread I have seen, ever. And I noticed that everyone tried to taste at least 6-8 different servings and many went back for more! I have to admit I brought a box of sapin-sapin and buko pie home and they were both excellent.
I felt that the room really started to buzz around 8pm and folks were really starting to move around or had found 3-4 new acquaintances with whom they were striking up 
conversations. Of course there were folks that came as ready made groups, like those celebrating birthdays or those who came as couples, but generally speaking, there was at least that underlying interest in food and there seemed to be a lot to talk about. There were just too many people for me to spend enough time talking to everyone but I do hape they had a good time nonetheless. It was nice to see so many of the people behind the comments that are left on Marketmanila.com!
Speeches are definitely not my thing, so I definitely had not planned on one for the gathering. But as with the first EB, I got nailed by Xilca who started agitating for a speech and she started clinking a water glass…talk about being put on the spot! 
But she meant well…and as my petty revenge, that is her rear end in one of the photos of the registration desk up top…for embarrassing me into a speech, I have recorded for the entire internet audience, your backside Xilca…heehee. All I really wanted to say was that it was great to see so many readers in one place, enjoying the food, the company and the conversation. This website is a hobby, a reflection of my passion for food and produce. I am truly grateful that so many of you continue to visit and read and enjoy the posts. 
There is really only one thing that I ask of all you in return for the daily or twice daily posts… leave me a comment or reaction every so often. Add to the knowledge base that is being built up about our food, produce, sources, etc. Be a part of the community of readers that has grown in leaps and bounds in the two years since I first wrote an entry. Since that first post, I have written over 800 different posts as of yesterday and have logged over 12,500 reader comments. And still, about 96% of all of Marketmanila’s readers remain lurkers!
Many many thanks to all of the readers who came to the EB, brought their spectacular desserts and participated in the evening… Many thanks to Gourdo’s, 
Chef Chris and his staff for making the evening a flawless one and the food was terrific! Many thanks to readers around the world who add so much to this little website…your visits spur me on to write more, and I wish some of you could have joined us last Saturday! Many thanks to my brilliant crew of elves who have been with me and the family for many years, put up with my bizarre market schedules, deal with unknown fruit and vegetables, chop and prep hundreds of meals and dishes, de-thorn thousands of roses and prep other flowers, accompany me to markets, ask about the weirdest seafood, teach me about animal entrails, etc. If not for my crew, I would never be able to post so many items on this website. Many thanks to RM and the Kid, for taking these photos, I never took a single shot… Finally, many thanks to Mrs. MM and The Kid, for putting up with all the foolishness that enables this site to continue…
If you were present at the Eyeball the other night, please leave a comment with your impressions, experiences etc. so that readers around the world get a better feel for the evening… Maraming maraming salamat!!!
63 Responses
That spread looks delectable! Kahit pizza margherita lang, masaya na sana ako :) Now I can finally put faces to the names! Hope we’ll be in the Philippines when the next EB rolls around!
P.S. And no, I didn’t think you would look quite like that…hahaha ..like the first pic I mean :) Gave me a post-Halloween fright, that.
Ha,ha,ha..the gorilla mask is way better than the boquet in the shadows,Marketman! Great write-up and pics, congratulations to you all! Nice vicarious feel to the event. The stats are amazing, 8,000 readers! 30+ desserts! Thank you,too, for the nice family shot. I’m sure this gesture would bring everybody out of the shadows.
Congratulations,MM! You’ve done it again! Another very successful EB in which I couldn’t attend due to being Downunder.My thoughts were with you all and I am so green with envy for the great time,scrumptious food,and oh-so-yummy desserts,good company,beautiful people,beautiful flower arrangements and drumroll…………..meeting the gorgeous MM and family!!!
Thanks MM,for sharing this successful event!
MM, my dh and i were talking about the spread that chris set up. the pizza was divine. the antipasti was heavenly.
maybe the next eb we can have the amazing resto race that we were talking about.
Though I was unable to sample a single dessert, I had a lot of fun! I know I had volunteered to bring fruit, but I recall that the first entry of yours I happened upon was one on ensaymada. So, when I found a sugar-free version of it available at the Saturday market, I decided to try it out. (Unfortunately, it just does not do ensaymada justice.)
It was a great party, hopefully I’ll be allowed to eat more next year!
PS. You know what I enjoyed the most? It was awesome having hosts that remembered who you were and checked on you. You and your family are so easy to talk to. Thank you for the lovely evening.
MM, how could you be anything but the most gracious host? Even on your blog, you take the time to address each and every comment, making each of us feel that our comment actually counts.
I must admit that judging from the headless shots of you in your previous posts, I was imagining you to be a little nerdy looking, short with glasses and maybe on the plump side (because of your posts on losing weight. Well, I was wrong. Judging from your posts and now with your photo, you probably are what is called a “metrosexual”.
I wish I had been there.
How I wish I could’ve attended MM. It’s the second EB I’ve missed out on. I love ur site! Can u give us atleast 1 month’s notice for the next EB so I can ask for leave?? hehe I have to fly from Melbourne afterall. Nice to finally see what u look like!
For the NO Shows!! How could you!! Grrr
The eyeball turned out fantastic, wonderful night indeed! I met a lot of friendly foodies and MM and family are definitely great hosts! I have to admit that I was quite edgy before I came that night though I came early at 6pm went for a walk to a nearby bazaar and went back. As soon as I entered, beautiful smiling faces greeted us, enough to vanish that jittery feeling. I found some familiar faces but I didn’t have a chance to mingle with everybody. The food and the spread of desserts were outstanding. I loved the pizzas!
I just thought of maybe Marketman should try to hold 2 eyeballs per year-an intimate one with new faces and a big one to accommodate everybody. I even wish my 3 favorite bloggers: Marketman, Lori and Anton should have a joint eyeball. I would love to help out if ever they would consider that!
It was nice this year to see people I met last year, some of whom I’ve since seen in other places – MM, Mrs MM, Filet Minion, Bogchief, Mila, Joey, Katrina, Felipe, Ivan. And it was also nice to meet other folks like Anton, Chef Chris, Anonymous Paul, Anson and The Kid.
The cocktail table set-up at Gourdo’s did allow for more mingling, but like you MM said it ended up being a little bit “less intimate.” So people only mingled as much as they allowed themselves to. In the end there were a lot of good laughs and interesting stories shared, food-related and not.
Thanks for being a great host MM! =)
it was a great spread MM! i wasn’t sure how 70 people would fit in gourdo’s but the layout worked. couldn’t picture the dessert table either (with dessert from 70 people)– wish i were still 10 years old so that i could’ve tried all of them without any repercussions… that said, everything i tried was great! i think there was the collective pressure to bring something great lest it be torn apart by 70 foodies ;)
ps. the budbog kabog was great! smelled fantastic too…
I wish I could have been there! I would have brought desserts from Cakes in Season, my Tita Lia’s bakeshop specializing in using fruits in season for her sweet offerings. I’ll have to satisfy myself by reading all the comments. Looks like it was a blast! Congratulations to you and your family and maybe you can plan more than one EB in a year? :)
ooops, somewhat guilty on being one of the “lurkers”. anyway, love the pics, hope you could post some more….more….. more…. like what tulip said in her comment, it would be a dream to have a joint EB by our three favorite bloggers which are you, Lori and Anton. Keep on blogging MM, we just LOVE you! Mwah!
Never expected the Marketman to be so well built. I dont think you deserve to go on dieting…Great pics…I see some familar faces from Lori cooking class and all of them have a great time. Thank you for sharing with us.
I feel bad I missed this! But that just makes me look forward to the next one even more. I see many familiar faces in the pictures, even a family friend! Wish I could have tasted your budbud kabog too. Congrats on a successful EB, MM!
you’re an events organizer extraordinaire, MM! am so happy for everyone who went. as for me, i think i’ll be green (with envy) till the end of the year…
grabe! marketman! i just discovered your site a few days ago and i can’t stop reading all your “stories”. i’ve read about 80% already…sayang, I wasn’t able to join the EB…would really love to. I’ll try not to be a “lurker” and will share my thoughts and post some comments…
that cake with colourful flowers is pretty ah…would you know where i can get one?
Your family picture at the end is so nice! Mrs MM and The Kid looks absolutely pretty, I particularly like The Kid’s white skirt. And MM, you look good in that shirt, you can give those models a run for their money. =)
Hopefully I can join this EB next time. =)
That idea of the three bloggers EB would be a blast. Each one could “manage” a specific area so that it would look like a hotel buffet. And the earlier idea of an amazing race food race sounds fun, a whole day of getting together in a team, a scavenger race but food related!
Thank you, Marketman!
The food was great (I loved the squash blossoms and mushroom bruschetta), desserts fab, and the crowd had a good dynamic…all in all a lot of fun! Like Tina, I enjoyed chatting with everyone I met in the previous EB as well as meeting new faces…some of the guys were former schoolmates of my husband…total coincidence!
And, of course, kudos to the great host/s! MM, Mrs. MM, and the Kid…the charm runs in the family!
congratulations for pulling off a great EB2! I guess I really have to schedule my visit in time for EB3. For now, I enjoyed it from the sidelines (sigh!). you make me feel guilty about being part of the 96%, so here i am again… the dessert spread was wonderful. great host, great food, wonderful guests = memorable party!!
sam, I just put up a poll on where the next theoretical EB should be…you may want to vote on that poll…joey and C, thanks for coming, and the chocolate cake was superb…Mila, yikes, the events are growing as I type…Lei, you made my day, flattery gets all readers extra points…ken, I think that cake was ordered from Marta Matute, check a previous post on Sonja’s cupcakes and in the comments section someone left her contact details. Millet, the readers missed your presence, at least two thought a durian cheesecake or other dessert would be in the line-up! Christine, maybe next time! Malou See, you are SO kind…heehee… elit, hmmm, I wonder how many folks would shor up for that! ragamuffin girl, the EB was such a huge effort this year, I may limit it to 25 folks next time around… mojito drinker, good to meet me you finally… Wysgal, many folks had NO IDEA you were in the room, sneaky you, not using your web name…haha! Tulip, too much work! Ellen, glad you caught my irritation re: no shows. cwid, I had to look up the definition of the term… I like the cultured, stylish, art and food aspects but oddly, I never bother with hair care products, never dyed my hair in my life and only at this EB have I reduced so much airspace between my clothing and body surfaces!!! Heehee. The ploy has obviously resulted in the desired optical illusion… Nikka, so good to finally meet you and good luck with the baby… asunta, the EB options are broadening by the minute… talk about organization challenges! linda, you should have come! Mon C, I thought the gorilla picture was better too…for those who are wondering, my first photo was of a dark floral arrangement from outdoors at the EB…ykmd it was really a fun EB! Thanks everyone for those comments…
Superb food. Interesting people. Gracious hosts.
Yes, we were all treated to superbly delicious foods; met beautiful and interesting people and welcomed warmly by the gracious Mr. and Mrs. Marketman and the Kid.
What more can we ask for? A 3rd EB!
Thank you, thank you, Mr. MarketMan for doing that event. It is definitely a labor of love on your part to email people who wanted to attend, do all those preparations and flower arrangements and wrap in banana leaves over 400 [nga ba?] budbod kabog and tie ’em in threes (which meant “i love you”?!).
For the next EB, how about we go out-of-town? Say … to a vacation house in Batangas near the beach?
Congratulations MM, Mrs. MM, the kid and to all the crew who patiently assisted in everything. Thank you for that wonderful happy family picture.
Btw, this is off topic but just to inform you in case you haven’t read…
DTI now totally bans credit card surcharges. Link of the article
I hope your intention to push through with your case as mentioned in Anton’s blog during the EB will see the light of day.
I quote ” He clarified the controversy and finally got the recipe for the budbud. Also, he is pushing through with the shittybank case.”
What did i think of the EB? Gee, i don’t have the words to describe how great it was! I would fully support the idea of having at least 2 of these events a year – one is just not enough!
Unfortunately I was in a rush…I left as surreptitiously as I can because there was an emergency to attend to.
I would attend again.
i agree with having 2 EBs in a year ü and definitely with the idea of a Lori, Anton and Marketman EB. The Kid is absolutely charming by the way. ü Oh yeah, and i loved the flower arrangements.
touche marketman!!!
the hint of buttcrack exposed is well-worth it since
your coerced speech “where you absolutely had nothing to say” clinched the “less intimate but still spectacular” night. it’s your readers i worry about, the ones who’d have to view such a nuisance! oh and beware, your 8,000++ visitors to your blog might just quadruple, thinking this is a pornsite!
and if you think that photo is embarassing, wait til you hear the inside story prior to the speech delivery: bogchief and wysgal were bragging that they have your cellphone number/ have spoken or exchanged texts with you! talk about groupies/stalkers even!!! and since i couldn’t trump that, i betted that i can have you deliver a speech instead, to emerge as the more privileged one. bwahahahaha
ps
meeting kid in person confirmed all the blog accounts how cool she is.
pss
sorry bogchief and wysgal dinamay ko pa kayo. hindi pwedeng ako lang ang mapahiya eh
filet minion, I am glad you are taking this well… :) I can take the picture down if it really offends you…but I thought it was fitting punishment for the clinking of glasses that led to the speech. As for the cellphone number, the latest one was acquired just for the Eyeball…and I had to contact bogchief since I only saw your last minute email hours before the eyeball… At any rate, I love the guests who have a sense of humour the most…thanks for making it to the eyeball!
Congratulations on your EB. My brother attended gatherings both this year and last year and he said both were awesome. I was showing my husband your website (himself a serious foodie) and we’ve printed out a couple of recipes that he wants to try out. Of course there is no way we can find duhat balsamic vinegar on this side of our world, but then again, Oriental supermarkets are becoming more sophisticated so who knows? Btw, have you tried the Romy Dorotan’s Pinoy food interpretation at Cendrillon at Soho?
I just casted my vote, I voted for…still the Philippines (excluding Metro Manila) but it seems that your readers from North America really want you to go visit them there he he he that could be FUN too! Good luck in the polls :)
I left my impressions of the EB in the previous post, as this one was not yet up and I was already excited to comment!
After reading others’ comments, I want to add that I, too, was surprised at how slim you are, MM! I think you look fitter now than last year, and Felipe (a gym buff) said you “obviously work out.” So your South Forbes Diet works, which is more than I can say for South Beach… ;-)
I LOVE the idea of you, Lori and Anton having a joint EB! That would have to be a much bigger venue, but then you could split the organization stress three ways. I hope that if it happens, it’ll still be in Manila. But if not, of course I’d still go. I now know that a 1 & 1/2 hour drive is nothing compared to the fun I had, so I’d definitely do it again.
Chinachix, I did a post on Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan’s new book a couple of weeks ago…it’s in my archives. Yes, I ate Cendrillon many years ago…elit, when the Americas wake up in a few hours, I suspect the votes will change… Katrina, I dislike public gyms so I don’t go to a “gym” in the regular sense of the word…but I do exercise…
When I went in, I scouted the crowd and the moment I saw you, I knew you were the famous MM. But then, I was still apprehensive because in my head, I was expecting to meet an older, bald, shorter and plump man and I was glad that you were better looking than what I had in mind! It was glad to have met you, Mrs MM and the kid!
I loved your budbod kabog!!!
Looking forward to another succesful EB next year!
reading all these comments and from the previous post, i’m super INGGIT!!! …….mm, now that i know what you look like, i’ll keep an eye on you when i go visiting Salcedo Market this dec-jan :)
Congratulations on yet another successful EB !
39 comments and counting. ang galing!
Congrats again and nice to have met you. We are one of the lurkers generally… Thanks for being such a good host!
anton, rache and aidan.
MM you are such an enterpreneur…organized and disciplined.
Bravo…you bringing people together. By looking at the visiteurs photo…how much they enjoyed the night!
How about a filipiniana Eye Ball for the next one…
Thanks for sharing us here…
Congratulations on a successfull 2nd EB! I am really impressed! Though i wasn’t there, the comments and praises say it all. Hopefully next year i can join and bring something to share.
One of these days I am going to write you a longer and more interesting e-mail. For now, I want to thank you for being there, for sharing and for giving very enjoyable and wonderful observations, it’s just like I am actually there experiencing everything firsthand. Thank you and may you not tire of writing.
Congratulations on your successful EB….I feel so jealous and how i wish i was there…well there will always be a next time i hope…Keep it up Mr.MM..God Bless your family…
What I meant was I will be talking about food and other food related things. I love to try out new recipes and new restaurants esp. when I hear that it is good.
Good Food, Great Company, Admirable Hosts… who would want to miss out on such a great bash!
And yes I agree, having met lori on the first eb and anton this last one, It would be nice to have another eb with all you three combined!
Green, green, green with envy, envy, envy!!!! I HAVE to make it to the next EB!!!! MM, Mrs. MM. Kid and all of you who were there…GLAD you all had a wonderful time connecting!
Hi MM,
The EB was great me and my husband had a lot of fun… The food were all good and the people were all nice… I never thought you look that young, before going to the dinner I even told my husband that maybe he is a bit older, my apologies… and the diet seem to be working… you look nice…
MM, thanks for the detailed account of the festivities! Aside from my growling stomach, it’s as if I were there. Maybe I should start planning my trips to Manila for November rather than December, ha ha.
MM,
Is that you and the family sa last pic on the blog? =)
I am so glad to finally see your picture and your family too. Y’all look wonderful. I would like to add that you are doing a great thing to all food lovers out there. Thank you and more power to you.
“…the next theoretical EB should be…”
In Cebu! Please, please MM!
Gee! i wish I was there. someday i’d like to meet you. You’ve inspire me greatly. I finally know what you look like. Next eye ball should be Sydney,Australia!
Sir Marketman,
Seems like the EB was a great success. I recognize a few faces in the pictures. More power to you and your blog!
good to finally “meet” you and your family, MM. and the next EB should be….in Davao, siempre! asa pa man diay? ;->
congratulations! it looked like a great party. :)
newbie posting here… was invited to EB2 by jiggy and was very impressed with the turnout and organization, not to mention the delicious buffet served up by chef chris (especially the stuffed squash blossoms and the bruschetti) and the plethora of wonderful desserts!!! looking forward to reading more stuff here, and possibly contributing to this site in the future. kudos MM/Ms.MM… kelan EB3? :-)
Congrats MM, you’re a very generous person talaga. Hindi lang sa pagse-share ng knowledge mo but also sa pagbibigay mo ng importansiya sa mga blog reader ng MarketManila.
Thanks MM for link! I’ve read several reviews of the book (inq7.net, etc) but found your review most constructive. I have had the opportunity to dine at Cendrillon many years ago; food quality was good but I remember wishing for more creativity when it came to fusion-izing the food. Nevertheless, the book seems to be a great Christmas present and will definitely order copies for the hubby and friends!
thank you for celebrating my birthday in style. hahaha. if cebu is the next venue, i’ll swim from bacolod.
kudos to MM and chef chris for a well-organized and highly successful EB. wish i was there to sample all the mouth-watering food. i could have stayed by the dessert table all night! and i agree with everyone else, you have a good-looking family and based on the previous posts, i also missed out on your gracious company and the fun that everyone had! congratulations!
marketman for president! philippines will surely have a better future in the hands of people like mm. i’m sure everybody who attended the eb, specially the first timers, felt your very strong yet positive personality. The closeness in your family is admirable. Bihira n ang ganyan familyman nowadays n everybody is busy doing their own thing. I feel very fortunate to finally meet you in person.
Thank goodness for not promising to attend. I had two events to go to. One of which was my youngest brother’s baptism. I hope to be able to attend next year’s EB….NBC tent maybe?
Congratulations on such a successful EB MarketMan! Sad that I couldn’t make it but really happy you all enjoyed. Hats off to you once again MM. :-)
Btw, I like what Kit said, marketman for president! You definitely have my vote.