Azzuro

Tucked away in a side street in Makati, is a restaurant made popular by its incredibly reasonable lunch buffet. For only P195, one gets soup, salad, two main dishes, a vegetable, and a dessert. Have been there twice and food is generally good. I only wish there were more dessert choices, maybe some fresh fruits?

It was on my second visit that I had another episode of lactose intolerance (although I didn't know it was lactose intolerance at the time). I felt really bad about an hour or two after that particular meal; at first, I thought I was poisoned (had nausea, stomach ache, bloat, gas and diarrhea). Then I realized that what I was going through was exactly what I had experienced a few weeks back. At that time, it was an over-indulgence of cheesecake (Hyatt, very good baked cheesecake); at Azzuro, it was the seafood shepherd's pie (very good, not withstanding its ill effects on my digestive system) and the creme brulee (small, but packed with all the good bad stuff).

It seems that most Asians are lactose intolerant (which is an inability to fully digest lactose, the sugar in milk). Lactose intolerance also increases in severity as one ages. So overindulgence plus old age, spells pain and discomfort. There is no cure, except for abstinence, moderation or those enzyme drops. However, all is not lost to the lactose intolerant; most afflicted can tolerate a glass of milk a day. Cheeses, yogurt and ice cream remain within the digestive reach.