Mom's 50th Birthday

We held a surprise party for my Mom which we initially thought has been ruined because she found out that there was a dinner for her. Apparently, she only knew that there was a dinner but she didn't know that we invited her friends to come and so the surprise still happened.

It was a night filled with happiness for her. We got her gifts she has wanted since childhood an ensured that she will have a night to remember. It was a party made to make up for the 49 other years that she never had a party held for her.

Here is a photo story of a night to remember. 

To the best Mom in my world ... I hope we made it a great one for you. We love you.

The Breakfast Table

I saw this little corner restaurant along Maginhawa corner Makadios a few weeks ago and I fell in love with the place. Blue and white and rustic beauty is something that I appreciate.

Once I stepped inside, I was instantly transported to what my dream house would be like. This is exactly how I want my kitchen, dining room, and living room to look like.

Once I sat down, the menu was given to me but it was only half of the menu for the other half was actually also the place mat.

I ordered just one plate and it was the tapang kalabaw, coffee rice, and sunny side up. It was heaven on a plate and it was very filling.

I really liked the coffee rice since this was something that I used to have when I was young. It was something that my grandfather would make for me whenever I go visit the province. It reminded me so much of my childhood spent there.

I also liked their tsokolate which was pretty good. It was pure and it was worth the cost which was around Php90 if I remember it correctly.

Overall, I'm really glad that I tried The Breakfast Table when I went to visit Maginhawa a few weeks back. :)

the SPA at ViewPark Hotel

One of the things I looked forward to in my stay at ViewPark Hotel was the signature massage that they were offering. From all the work stress, life stress, lovelife stress, and what have you that I was experiencing, I knew that a massage was something that I truly needed and so this was on my to do list.

Soon as I checked in on the room, it was the first thing I had booked for the night. Since I had no sleep though, I fell asleep shortly after I got in the room. Luckily, I woke up with a few minutes to spare for the massage.

This is where the spa is located. Isn't it such a beautiful sight? I love the location and the architecture of the place. I know for others it isn't much but I really appreciated it.

This is by far the best massage I have ever had. When they say it was a signature massage, they really meant it. My masseuse, Miss Arlene, was just so good. She is an angel with her hands. I felt totally relaxed and like a marshmallow under soft fire after the massage. It was simply heaven.

It was so good that I actually booked another massage the next night and if I could, I'd book one again today. I can actually blame View Park Hotel for my newfound obsession with massages.

When you book a stay at ViewPark Hotel, you gotta get their signature massage. Seriously. You won't regret it.

Making memories at ViewPark Hotel

I was finally able to try out ViewPark Hotel last weekend. I've chanced upon them at the Blogapalooza event but it was my brother who stayed there a couple of weeks ago who really cinched the deal for me. He had nice words to say about the place and so I decided that I'll give it a try as well.

It wasn't hard looking for the spot. There's a big sign right in front of the place and the fact that it was right across Picnic Grove made it hard to miss.

First thing I noticed about the hotel was that it was very cozy. It felt like a small inn and not some intimidating hotel which I really liked. Second were the staff who were attentively looking out for the guests and ensuring everyone was being taken cared of. We even received welcome drinks which I really liked.

The Premier Room was not as big as I thought it would be but it was still pretty spacious. It was also clean and truly cold.

ViewPark Hotel lived up to its name because when I looked out my window, this was my view.

I stayed here for 2 nights and 2 days and save for one mishap where there was a confusion on room checking at 630am, everything was actually really great. The staff were quite attentive and they cater to your whims as best as they can without making you feel like you're crazy for the requests that you make.

I also love that they make reservations for you and inquiries all over Tagaytay when you want to visit a certain place. They checked on Ilog Maria for me as to when its open or not, they checked on Antonio's as well and I never had to call attention to anything more than 3x.

Cozy hotel, cool weather, great view, attentive and courteous staff equals a great weekend well spent in Tagaytay. They made me feel like I was at home but with much better service. Truly, you can make great memories at ViewPark Hotel.

For those who have stayed over, you know what I mean. For those who haven't, give it a try. It's worth your money. For more info ... here are their links and information.

View Park Hotel

3500 Calamba Road, Sungay East
Tagaytay City
(046) 860 2826(046) 860 2826

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CinemaJam 2013

It was a wonderful afternoon filled with clear skies, kites flying, people running around playing frisbee, bean bags scattered all over near a stage where Moonstar88 was playing my favorite song "Torete," ... it was a perfect afternoon spent with family and friends, photos capturing the moment .... it was an afternoon of a life well lit.

Crizal Transitions lived up to its hashtag #LifeWellLit last Saturday afternoon when we attended CinemaJam. Circuit Makati was the perfect venue for this event and the company I was with was the perfect group as well.

We roamed around and had our share of gelato and great music. I took photos and I believe that these photos will tell the story that no words could.

See you for next years Cinema Jam. :)

Via Antonella ..

From SaveMore in Maginhawa, go straight and then turn left at the first corner after Gayuma ni Maria ... not more than 50 steps you will immediately see Via Antonella and from that point on, you can completely forget any thoughts you may have about dieting and just let go and enjoy a wonderful delight of yummy and delicious food. This is not a joke.

I loved the interior of the place. It was cozy and classy. I loved the lights they used. It looked like little stars hanging from the sky. It felt like you were dining under the heavens.

My brother ordered the Rootbeer Espresson. First time I heard it I thought to myself what the heck? Rootbeer and espresso? One sip though and I agreed with my brother that it was a perfect combination. The rootbeer complimented the espresso and the overall taste was just perfection.

I had the cream of shiitake and leeks. Initially, all I tasted was leeks but after getting quite a few spoonfuls, the shiitake starts to rise and you can feel it swirling all over your mouth.

The cheesy sisig lumpia was delightful. It was made of sisig and cheese wrapped in lumpia wrap and it wasn't oily at all. It was like the sisig was cooked in oil but the moment it was placed in the lumpia wrap, all the excess oil was taken off and all that was left was the goodness of sisig and cheese. Yes, I know its not healthy but damn, it was really really tasty.

The next thing on the menu that we tried was the Hanger Steak. I'm not a fan of steak but this one was pretty impressive. It was soft and tasty and it wasn't overbearing in taste. It was just really good meat cooked to perfection.

Best part is that they don't use potatoes. They actually use mashed sweet potatoes, thus, supporting our local market and local producers.

The next thing on the list to try was a signature dish and so my expectations were set very high. After all, when a restaurant says something is a signature dish, it means that it must be really good and unique to their place.

The Pininyahang Roasted Chicken was DIVINE. Seriously. The pineapple taste seeped right through the bone and into the meat. Typically, it will only be the skin that will taste good but for this viand, it was the bone, the meat, and the skin. I actually finished the whole thing almost all by myself.

The Hole in the Bone aka Osso Bucco was also another treat. Seriously. While I was chewing the tender meat of the Osso Bucco, I kept saying to myself, "how come everything tastes so good?" It really was good and you know that I don't do BS on my food blog posts.

The Lamb Kaldereta was another soft and chewy treat. This one made me want to order extra 4 cups of rice to go with it. It was just the kind of food that goes so well with rice and because it was cooked perfectly, you just wanna have one bite after another.

Last that I can recommend on the menu from Via Antonella is the Chili Tuyo Spaghetti. Its not that spicy and the tuyo and spaghetti actually go together quite well. It was an experience to eat.

Overall, I would say that Via Antonella made it to the Top 5 restaurants on my list and I have reviewed over 250+ restaurants. The ambiance, the service, and the food were all great. I'm glad that I made time to visit Via Antonella. It was truly a gastronomic delight.

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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. 

Blogapalooza: BrownBag Coffee Solutions

I was given a small bag by Brown Bag Coffee Solutions last Blogapalooza and finally, I was able to give it a try. My brother brewed the coffee and the first thing I noticed was the aroma. It was subtle and not overbearing. It hinted of coffee that wasn't too strong which I actually liked.

Here's a cup of the brewed coffee. My brother added skim milk and a bit of sugar and it was perfect. I loved the taste, the smell, and the overall experience. I felt like I was actually sitting in a coffee shop enjoying an expensive cup of coffee when I was drinking this at home.

The only sad thing was that I only had a small bag and it was consumed with 2 full brewings.

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