Friday, November 29, 2013

El Sur Mercato in the South


Finally, the long wait is over. El Sur is back in the South and with a much better location since its right beside Fully Booked in Alabang Town Center.

El Sur opened last Saturday, November 23 and it has 15 kiosks as of the moment. Some of the booths are old time Mercato favorites but there were about 3 new ones worth a try. I personally loved Juana Bowl's Pork Tenderloin which sells at Php100 only. The meat was soft and definitely delicious.



El Sur is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 5pm onwards. Be sure to visit and get a taste of what Mercato is all about.



Burgis Junction

I've passed by this place a lot of times when FM and I were still dating. I have wanted to try it but never found the time. Finally, I was able to go visit the place.




I loved the vibe of the place. It was very kitchy and I loved the small details. FM knew I was going to like the place coz I was into this kind of thing but we were both in for a surprise when we saw what they had to offer.




Yep. It was a very fancy version of a turo turo or karinderya. Haha. I loved it! I really, really liked it. It was so nice hahaha.


I had liver, kangkong, and fried rice. It was okay. I'd say go to Burgis Junction for the chill, relax vibe and the decor but not really the food. :)


The food may have been so so but definitely, I enjoyed my stay there. It was most likely the company plus the ambiance. I'm a sucker for these kind of kitchy places after all.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

TJG: Ramen Burger

If you are a fan of ramen but also a fan of burger, Ramen Burger would most likely be your idea of heaven.



It looks small but its actually pretty big. I tried finishing it but was left with 2 bites because I couldn't fit it in my tummy. Note that I didn't even have breakfast that day but this ramen burger was so heavy and definitely worth the price.



The ramen was a good combination to the burger. It didn't feel icky. It wasn't oily. It was right. It felt and tasted right. I actually wanted to haul over my brothers so that they can give this a try. It was really very good.

Go ahead and give the ramen burger of Tempura Japanese Grill a try. I say you won't regret it.

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* I was invited to review the food. I did not pay for my meal. However, the free meal did not in any way sway my opinion and everything you read here is MY PERSONAL OPINION. 

Tempura Japanese Grill

Tempura Japanese Grill is one of my family's go to places whenever we want Japanese food that is affordable yet delicious.


The good news about Tempura Japanese Grill is that they now accept functions in their Alabang branch. For birthdays, baptisms, parties, and even weddings, Tempura Japanese Grill can accomodate up to 50pax in their spacious function rooms. Best part is that they can cater to whatever your budget is. If you have money to spare, they also have party packages for those with  more refined taste.







Next time you have a function, do consider doing it at Tempura Japanese Grill at Alabang Town Center. Not only do you get really good Japanese food, you can also be sure that your guests will have fun and enjoy your feast.

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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Solaire and Lani Misalucha gives back to Typhoon Yolanda victims

Last week, we were invited to cover the concert of Miss Lani Misalucha at Solaire. It was a benefit concert where proceeds were given to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. I brought my Mom and my little brother with me to watch since I knew that they were going to enjoy.

We had dinner at Finestra before the concert and that would be another blog post. For now, here are some photos from the concert. I'm just happy that we were able to help in our own little way and support the artists who are also helping out in their own way.

Thank you Solaire for this initiative.




Sunday, November 24, 2013

Press Preview: The Producers


I was invited to attend the press preview of The Producers and boy I can say that this is definitely one of the funniest musicals I have ever watched, second to Boeing Boeing. It was hilarious and anyone can easily understand the humor because it was very basic and simple. However, even if it was basic comedy, it was still a play that would lead you to question and think about your morals and what you believe in as well as what you are willing to sacrifice for the sake of money.




Catch The Producers at Onstage Greenbelt 1. It will be running every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday till December 15.

Tipsy Pig Gastropub


I've passed by this place a couple of times and it caught my attention mostly because of the name. Luckily, I was able to give it a try when FM and I met up.

The place looked cozy inside eventhough it was obviously a gimmick spot at night. We got there pretty late and it was a full house. Thankfully, a table was vacated after 15 minutes and we got the corner spot.


He ordered the ribs which were very soft but lacking in taste and I had French Onion soup which I surprisingly liked. I also tried their mushroom and tipsy wings. I liked both but there wasn't really anything outstanding about the food. It was good but not great in my opinion.

However, I did like the place and the ambience. It was very laidback and the music blasting was very 90's which brought me back to my college days. I also liked the crowd who were mostly A and B class. I felt at home with the people, not out of place though I was quite conservative in what I was wearing compared to them.

RIBS

French Onion Soup

Mushroom

Tipsy Wings
with my salted caramel beer

I also tried the Salted Caramel Beer which was really, really good. It was salty yet not overly salty. The liquor was also just right. I loved it. I'd definitely have it again the next time I can.

Overall, it was a good night and I truly enjoyed the company of the person I was with.

PF Chang with Milette

We were at the Blogapalooza 2013 but decided to leave after lunch. I felt that my friend needed someone at this time and I'm the type of person who'd always choose a friend over an event. We initially went to Starbucks then attended an event at Alabang Town Center until we finally ended up at PF Chang.

I was craving for ground chicken wrapped in lettuce so it was the first thing I ordered. One bite and I was in heaven.


Milette also enjoyed this viand and I believe it was her first time to try it.


We also tried the Dimsum Platter and 2 other viands. It was a night of talking and friendship. It was a night of giving back for me. She was there when I was going cuckoo over my break up with FM and I was happy that in a small way, I was able to give back to her that night.

It was a reminder that truly, what goes around comes around.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

PR: VIBER SPEARHEADS #VIBERHELPS CAMPAIGN FOR TYPHOON VICTIMS


Viber Out free local and international temporary call service, upcoming on-ground Sagip Tawag relief communication centers and Viber partnership with Globe Telecom, Philippine Red Cross and Ayala Malls; (2) Viber fund raising events – ViberHelps Electronic Music Assembly with Axwell and Nicky Romero (Nov.21 MOA Concert grounds) ViberHelps Soul Brothers Concert (Nov 22 Music Museum)

In line with its efforts to reach out to the typhoon victims in the hardest-hit provinces in the Visayas, popular messaging and calling application Viber initiated its #VIBERHELPS campaign to aid affected Filipino families by offering free communication locally and internationally.

Topping this campaign is its Viber Out, a temporary call service allowing Filipino users to make free calls to regular (non-Viber) numbers outside the Philippines. The expanded service was launched last Monday, November 11.

Viber CEO Talmon Marco said, “We are releasing this in an urgent manner due to the local crisis in the Philippines. Viber is the largest messaging provider in the Philippines, and as such we have a duty to our users to help with relief.”

Elated with the good news, Viber users all over the world instantly posted their enthusiastic response in social media. But after some time, they realized that aside from the free international calls, there was an even more pressing need for Filipinos to make free local calls to their loved ones at this time of distress.

Heeding the clamor of its users, Viber initiated a collaborative effort and reached out to all local telecoms. Globe Telecom willingly offered its support. Viber and Globe worked 48 hours straight to enable free calls to Globe mobile numbers. Viber Out is further strengthened by Globe, and the participation of other foreign telco companies (Israel, China, Japan, Austria to name a few) who have also willingly volunteered their free local termination services as part of their mounting support for the typhoon victims.

On-ground, Viber partnered with Ayala Malls, the Philippine Red Cross and the AFP Public Affairs Office (PAO) to create Relief Communication Centers in key cities and the various priority typhoon-stricken areas to provide free mobile use and laptops for typhoon affected families unable to find and communicate with each other. Viber Country Manager Crystal Lee in partnership with Philippine Red Cross Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon and Ayala Malls launched “Sagip Tawag Centers” to bridge communication and help over 60,000 families who are unable to contact and communicate with their loved ones locally and abroad.

Within the next few days, relief communication centers (“Sagip Tawag Centers”) will be set-up in (14) Ayala Malls where mobile phones and laptops will be made available to the public to make free international and local Globe mobile calls.  Viber volunteers will also assist affected families and accept donations. Through the AFP-PAO, Viber will also setup in high priority affected areas and provide  100 Viber-ready Mobile phones and online tablets and laptops.

Viber also initiated its own fund-raising concerts, namely: the United Republiq: An Electronic Music Assembly for a Cause dance concert party featuring renowned Swedish DJ Axwell and Nicky Romero on November 21 at the MOA Concert Grounds, and the Soul Brothers concert featuring RnB singers Jay-R and Kris Lawrence on November 22 at the Music Museum.

Free General Admission tickets to the Viber United Republic: Electronic Music Assembly for a Cause dance concert will be given to Viber users who donate in cash and in kind worth over P500 at Ayala Mall Sagip Tawag centers.

About Viber:

Viber is developed by Viber Media, a pioneering mobile messaging and VoIP company. Viber lets everyone in the world connect. Freely. Viber users can send free text messages, photo messages, voice messages, share locations anywhere in the world, and make free, HD-quality calls on iPhone®, Android phones and tablets,™ Windows Phone, Blackberry®, Windows®, Mac, Linux, Symbian, Nokia S40 and Bada devices over 3G/4G or WiFi connections. With more than 200 million users in 193 countries, Viber is constantly innovating by introducing new platforms and adding fun new features including stickers and emoticons.

*Visit viber.com/typhoon for complete list of countries and SAGIP TAWAG CENTERS
*Message +63 – VIBERHELPS (8423743577) for volunteers and inquiries
*Viberhotline +63-911-VIBERPH (8423774) for Viber-related concerns
*Facebook.com/OfficialViberPhilippines
*Twitter.com/viber_ph

Monday, November 18, 2013

sudden birthday dinner

It was my sister's 35th birthday last November 16 but since she was in Palawan, I figured that we were not celebrating it with her. Imagine my surprise when I found out at 830pm that she was here in Manila and we were going to have dinner with her at Max.

I just got home from Blogapalooza at that time and some counseling with a friend but I mustered what was remaining of my energy and trooped to the Max branch near our home.

It was a quiet dinner since they were tired from all the travel but it was still fun especially when the staff sang Happy Birthday to her in the craziest way. We were laughing out loud the whole time and I saw that my sister truly enjoyed it. 





After more than 10 years, we finally celebrated my sisters birthday again. Truly, this was a blessing.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Blogapalooza: Gavino's Japanese Donuts

I was actually able to try Gavino's Japanese donuts late last year with FM's family and earlier this year when I was still working at Banawe. My best friend and I had dinner and she took me to this small kiosk called Gavino's. I remember that I liked the texture of their donuts because it wasn't all air. You actually can chew right into it.


It's also not too expensive unlike some brands who are overpriced but doesn't even taste like donuts anymore. Definitely, Gavino's would be a must recommend for this foodie blogger. I just wish that they have a branch here in the South.

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Blogapalooza: Grab Taxi


Before, when I would go home late at night or really early in the morning, I'd just take a cab and I know that I would get home safe. Nowadays, people just don't have that same kind of luxury. When you ride a cab now, you need to get the plate number and let someone know or worse, just pretend to let someone know so that the driver won't try to mess with you.

With many different antics and modus operandi ranging from sleeping gas to the whole holdaper sandwich style, a girl just can't feel safe riding a cab anymore. Thankfully, GrabTaxi came into existence and now, we can feel peace of mind riding a cab once again. It's also more convenient.

If you have a smartphone or an iPhone, you can actually download the GrabTaxi App via Google PlayStore, AppStore, and Windows Store. Once you are done downloading, just follow the steps given, wait for your activation code, and voila, you are good to go.


Convenience: One reminder though: Your GPS has to be turned on. This is the only way that the app can detect your location and see the number of GrabTaxis that are nearby where you are. One of the coolest thing about it is also that you can add a note for the driver to say that you are near so and so location, this is your house number, or you are standing beside so and so landmark.

Safety: You can also SMS, email, or share a link to family and friends so they can track real time your ride and won't have to worry about where you are real time.

Efficiency: You get assigned a driver after a minute of your request to be picked up. You will know the nme of the driver, a picture of the plate number, as well as an ETA to your location. Isn't that just cool?

I'm defiitely going to use GrabTaxi from now on when I have to go home late. This way, I won't need to compromise my safety whenever I ride a cab. Thanks GrabTaxi for this innovation.

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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

celebrate by giving ...

Christmas is just around the corner. It's a time to celebrate and a time to give thanks. It's a time to share joy and be with family. However, what happens when you don't have anything to celebrate because you just lost everything? What happens when you can't give thanks because you keep asking why this tragedy fell on your and your family? What happens when there is no joy but only sorrow and misery? What happens ... when there is no family to celebrate with because they all perished with the most recent storm to hit our country?

What does Christmas mean now?

A lot of the people I know are not directly affected by the recent typhoon to hit our country. For this I am thankful. I'd like to think we were spared for a reason. We were spared because we can give so much to help the ones who were hit and affected. We were spared because we are the ones chosen to give what they can no longer to feel on their own ... HOPE.

At a recent meeting I was in, there were talks about Christmas parties and whether or not we should push through with exchange gifts. Personally, I think the best thing that we can do right now is to help our fellow countrymen. Php500 goes a long way in buying medicines and canned goods. I can't fathom how we can come up with parties and festivities when we have fellow countrymen who have no food, no shelter, no change of clothing, or even a decent grave to bury their dead in.

We just seem shallow, superficial, and frivolous. No. We are shallow, superficial, and frivolous.

I wanted to speak out and say, we need to do more than just cancel the exchange gift. If you really want to help, turn that Christmas Party into a party for a cause. Turn something shallow into something worthy of time and money being spent. However, I didn't speak out at that time because I was the new person in the group and I wasn't sure how it would be accepted.

Mulling it over now, I realized that I should speak out ... I need to. If not me, then who? I may be just one person but if I can convince someone to help instead of just doing nothing, then my voice would be worth something.

We are so blessed compared to these people. We are so fortunate that we do not have to wake up wondering where our next food will be coming from, whether the fever our child has will kill him because there's no paracetamol available, and whether or not we need to drink that dirty puddle simply because there is no clean water available.

We are so lucky compared to these people. We don't need to wonder where we will sleep, whether our children will still go to school, where we can take our next bath, or what the future holds. These people are not as lucky.

Please ... let us do more and BE MORE ... let us share what we have and do what we can. Sitting in our office chairs, enjoying the cold air from the aircon and worrying about stats ... we are more than that. Other people have cancelled their parties. Other people have cancelled their travel and donated the funds meant for it to help others.

What can we do? What else can we do? What more can we give? Let us not stop at giving something that is convenient to us. Let us not stop at giving something that is simply spare for us. Let us do more. Let us be more.

Let us celebrate by giving. Let us remember that Christmas is not about parties or gifts ... its not about the decor or festivities. It's about giving ... so let us give ... and let us give not just what we can spare from our pockets but let us give time ... effort ... ourselves .

Let us do more. Our countrymen needs us. Our country needs us.


Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Kyo Hachi


This little restaurant can be found along the Cavite Highway. If you actually don't know it existed, you would easily miss it for it was a little obscure. Thankfully, the person I was with knew of it and so we ended up trying this place for lunch.

Upon entering, there was nothing really impressive about the place but I did like how it was set up since it reminded me of the Japanese and Chinese shows I used to watch when I was a kid and the restaurant looked exactly like it.



I ordered Chahan and Chicken Teriyaki ala carte and was delighted that it was so big but also crushed coz I knew I wouldn't be able to finish it all.



The Chahan was really good and the Chicken Teriyaki very sweet which was to my liking. I actually really wanted to finish it all but I couldn't so there were 2 slices of the chicken left.

Overall, I really loved Kyo Hachi and feel a bit sad that I most likely won't be able to go here again since its out of the way. However, for those who are passing by the Cavite Highway near Cavite EPZA, please do drop by. It's authentic Japanese food being served and its pretty surreal because your fellow diners are 70% Japanese people.



PS. You can also read these Japanese Comics while waiting for your food. Kudos to the owners for his vast collection. I counted 5 shelves filled with these comics.