Monday, July 21, 2014

Beef Sizzlesss.

Back here at Smokin' Toppings at the SM Consolacion Foodcourt. 

I did tell you that their food here was absolutely delish and at the right price, right? Well if I didn't, then I'm telling you now. HAHA. 

For lunch today, I decided to get their Sizzling Beef with Mushroom meal. At only 75php, you get really tender beef in a mushroom sauce, a healthy serving of white rice, and a side of pancit. And since it's sizzling, it made the entire meal "hotter" - if you know what I mean. HAHAHA. 

Anyway, go to the nearest Smokin' Toppings and experience their sizzling meals!


Really Chili, REALLY.

Another new resto tried with M this afternoon. 

On the left wing of JCentre Mall, a new Korean-themed food kiosk called Masitta, The Delicious Fooshoppe was ready for service. And by the looks of it, quite a lot of people were enjoying their food. 

Masitta, as it is now commonly called, serves a variety of Korean instant noodles. There was definitely a lot of flavors to try here. But for my maiden order, I got their Chili Noodles. 

And yes it was chili noodles alright. Real chili noodles. The best thing about Masitta is that every serving of noodles comes with a side of kimchi and rice. And may I say that their kimchi is by far the best kimchi I have ever tasted. M even got an extra plate of kimchi. Lol. 

Go ahead guys, and try out their noodles! Affordable and delish. ;)


Saturday, July 19, 2014

Mango Floating You to Foodgasm.

One word to describe this block of heavenly mango float : FOODGASM. 

Sundate with the fam and Mama ordered us dessert from King Wah at the foodcourt at SM Consolacion. King Wah is a Chinese-themed restaurant partly owned by Mama's boss. That day, she chose to order us each a slice of their Mango Float. 

I cannot even begin to describe how delicious this was. Just the right balance of texture and taste between ripe mangoes, cream, and graham crackers. Each bite was too good to handle. Haha. 

And when I posted this on my Instagram account, it earned 42 likes overnight. The taste must have transcended in its photo and convinced those who saw the photo that this was one hell of a mango float. 

Good news is Mama has decided to order one big tray of King Wah Mango Float for December. Yeeey. 

YEMAst Be The One For Me.

Again, pure genius on my title right there. Lol. 

Tonight Mama brought home a box of yummy Tower Yemas from Manila. Out of all the yemas I have tasted, and even cooked when I was in elementary, these yemas were the best. 

In case you were wondering, yema is a local Filipino custard candy made primarily from egg yolk, condensed milk, and sometimes even peanuts. 

Some yemas that I've tried were too sweet that I always ended up having sore throat or some sort of throat irritation after a few hours. But this Tower Yema was an exception. 

It's really rich and creamy and not overly sweet. 


Friday, July 18, 2014

Baby, It's Dark in Here.

Dark chocolate. 

They say that this variety is the healthiest kind. When most people prefer the classic milk chocolate, I sometimes step out of my milk chocolate comfort zone, and grab myself a dark chocolate bar. And what better brand than Hershey's? Right? 

Well, in this case, I didn't grab this bar, it was handed to me by M. Now, M here is a dark chocolate-eater and he has influenced me piece by piece. 

I admit that this is really good. And that I will voluntarily get myself a dark chocolate bar the next time I'm in a grocery store. 

Try it to believe it. ;)


I Hopia Love Me the Way I Love You!

Admit it. My title is genius. Pure genius. HAHAHA. 

Another delicacy fresh and only found in Manila is the infamous Eng Bee Tin hopia. I once saw a documentary on Rated K - a local TV show - on the inspiring story of how one hopia recipe changed the lives of a normal Chinese family. And sure enough, their hopia did not disappoint. 

Now, ube is my favorite favorite favorite hopia flavior. And Eng Bee Tin just takes it to another level. Super moist crust with rich ube filling. 

If you guys haven't tried this yet, you definitely should. I think this might even revolutionize the hopia market. Lol.

Seriously good tho. 



Thursday, July 17, 2014

Eat Like A Dino, Eat Like A T-Rex.

A new resto has opened just a few meters from the office - Tex Rex Texas Style Barbeque. 

As usual, I was curious on how their barbeque differed so I decided to bring along M for lunch to try out their food. When I got there, there was a faint smell of grilled meat, and that was enough to make my stomach grumble. 

I admit that the food was a teeny bit pricey, but I still got myself the Ranch Style Grilled Chicken Leg. Although it looked like just a normal grilled chicken leg, but what made this different was that the meat was really tender and juicy. Also, the marinade used in the chicken was really good. 

Will try more of their menu when I can! 


JCo(ming) Home To Me.

Lately, there's been a lot of talk about a certain doughnut shop, JCo. And you know me, I can never resist trying out a good food fad. Haha. Only problem is, they haven't opened a franchise here in Cebu yet. 

Sooo, when M went to Manila for that week-long seminar, I insisted that he bring home a box or at least a piece of the infamous JCo doughnuts. And that he did. 

To my surprise, it wasn't just a piece, but a whole box of 12 gloriously delicious JCo doughnuts. Each doughnut had a unique flavor and the best part is most of them have a rich filling. Not to mention that the dough itself was moist and fresh. 

I love all the flavors and I love that M made the extra effort of lining up a JCo branch, and bringing them hand-carry style from Manila to Cebu. ;)




Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Bo and Caramel : The Cafe Coffee Chronicles Part 11

After a week in Manila, M was finally back. 

That day, his flight arrived around late afternoon, so we decided to meet up at a nearby Bo's Coffee shop for a little reunion. Haha. 

As I sat and waited at the far end of the cafe, I got myself this Caramel Latte to keep me warm. Honestly, I wad feeling a little bit under the weather - both physically and emotionally - and the only thing that got me through was this steaming mug of delightful caramel. Your usual creamy latte mixture but made especially delish and unique with the sweetness of caramel will melt your exhaustion away. 

It's been a rough week, and I've had a lot of thinking done about me and M, and I was starting to feel quite unsure. I really don't want to publicly bore you with my personal problems, so I end my post here. 

This is meant to be a happy and encouraging blog to those out there to open up their taste buds to the amazing variety of food. ;)

PS. I loved every warm drop of the Bo's Coffee Caramel Latte. 


Monday, July 14, 2014

Flanning To Tell You Something.

As you may know, I have an attachment to leche flans. 

And as usual, when I saw that Smokin' Toppings had a leche flan in their menu, I knew I had to try one. So, I ordered one serving of their leche flan and let my taste buds be the judge. 

The sweet syrup of the flan was good, but the actual flan itself was not as creamy as I expected it to be. Honestly, it could have been better if there was more eggs into the flan. 

But overall, it was still a good flan. More eggs tho! HAHA. 


Mallow and We!

What's soft, sweet, and comes in different colors? Marshmallows!

This universally-loved kiddie treat was here at the office. And it came in varying sizes and colors too! HAHA. As a kid, I've always enjoyed snacking on marshmallows, may it be the cylindrical types or the twisted types. The sweet and fluffy goodness was enough to make me sit still and keep my kiddie mouth shut. Lol. 

Today, Maam Darlyn brought a plateful of these marshmallows and shared the entire plate with us. With the way it looked, I couldn't resist to take a sneaky photo. HAHA. 

This literally is "so fluffy, I'm gonna die"! ;)

Champorado Stories Part 1

One of the coziest and most homey filipino recipes. 

It's a cold day at the office, what with the gloomy skies outside and the 23-degree celcius airconditioner blasting directly on my face. Lol. 

Good thing the office canteen has chosen the ultimate rainy weather snack, Champorado. 

Made with glutinous rice and rich cocoa or tablea rolls for that authentic Filipino chocolate taste, and topped with creamy evaporated milk. 

Warm stomach on a cold day. :)



Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Gravocado - Wait, What?

Unconventional. 

That is what best describes the fruit shake I came home to tonight. I got home from the office a little later  than usual and this is what I found sitting in our blender. 

A fruit shake made from avocado and grapes. Weird huh?

Most people - or maybe even everyone - don't really use these fruits for a shake. But I guess my family's not most people. Lol. 

Anyway, they handed me a scotch glass (again with the weirdness), filled to the brim with the Gravocado Shake they made. And yes, I'm calling it Gravocado. Sue me. 

Unexpectedly, it was really really good. Creamy avocado with the crunchiness of grape bits. 

Sooo, there is love on opposite polars. HAHA. 





Sunday, February 16, 2014

Go Vendo Chronicles Part 2 : More Coffee?

Another office day. Another cup of coffee. 

Before I started my overtime workload tonight, I went down to the cafe to have some coffee from the Nescafe vending machine. 

I wanted a stronger coffee taste than my Cafe Mocha, so I chose to try their Cappuccino flavor. And I must say that its really good. Gives you a balanced coffee and milk, just enough to wake me up for more work to do. *sigh

Well, its a really good cup of vendo coffee. ;)


Are You A CreamOholic?

Cream-O's famous tag line. 

I remember the good ol' days when I used to hear this in our old telly during commercial breaks. And back then, they had a different packaging and had this cute box with a really cool design on top for packs of Cream-O. 

Oh how the days have gone. 

Now, I was surprised that Cream-O has released a new packaging. They even changed their font style! HAHAHA. But the yummy Chocolate Cream-O cookies were definitely still deliciously the same. 

Great memories with great cookies. :)


Go Vendo Chronicles Part 1 : Coffee + Chocolate

This week, there's extra stress in the office. 

And since I kept forgetting to buy instant coffee, and after weeks and weeks, I still do not know how to mix my own coffee from scratch, I had opted to buy myself the 15peso coffee from the office cafe just downstairs. 

Overtime night with Nescafe's vendo coffee, Cafe Mocha. A mixture of coffee and chocolate, with extra emphasis on the chocolate here. HAHA. 

Prolly one of the best vendo coffee everrr. 


Thursday, January 30, 2014

Da Vinci Wishes You a Happy Trip!

Saturdate with M. 

Only this time, this was a date before he left for his 1-week training in Manila. This was our first time not being physically together for a whole week. So, to serve as our 'goodbye' date, we went to Da Vinci's Pizza even through the pouring rain. I also had to come late for a family dinner so M and I could at least spend some quality time. 

Tonight, we decided on a 9" Meat Lover's Pizza : full of mozzarella cheese, ham, bacon, and beef, in a crispy crust. And for our drinks, we each had a can of Four Season's juice. 

Da Vinci's was a perf place for our little date, because it was cozy, warm, and they have really good pizza at an affordable price. 

I'm gonna miss you for one whole week, M! ;)


Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Na Na Na . . . TUNA!

A new craze is in town.

The combination of corned beef and tuna in a can : Corned Tuna!

And one of the first brands that has a yummy Corned Tuna is San Marino. The timing was perfect today. I was swamped with work, too lazy to go down for dinner, and M had cans of corned tuna kept in his drawer. HAHA. 

I picked out the Chili Corned Tuna and ate it by itself for dinner. It's good, healthy, and spicy! ;)




Sunday, January 26, 2014

Smokin' and Sizzlin' Sisig!

Sunday lunch, and the fam discovered this amazing food stall at the Food Court. 

Among the food stalls at the SM Consolacion Food Court, the longest line of people were in Smokin' Toppings. So, we followed the 'trend' and saw why it had the longest line. 

There was a variety of incredibly delish, sizzling hot, and very affordable meals in there. 

As my first meal here, I chose their Sizzling Sisig. It was a hefty serving of original Filipino sisig, a cup of yummy white rice, and a side of pancit, all in a sizzling plate - and all for just 79php. 

Really goooood. 


Cheesy Moments.

We're as cheesy as this bucket of Jumbo Fries. ;)

Today, M was out of the office for some field work at our other branch. He was to come back around 2pm to continue regular work here. And, it so happened that M was at a nearby mall, and that mall also happened to have a Potato Corner store. 

As a kid, I used to pass by and sniff the yummy smell of freshly cooked french fries at a small Potato Corner stall at the old SM Cebu. That time, Potato Corner was a bit too pricey for me. I mean, being a kid also meant having a smaller amount of money to spare. And I was too shy to ask my mother to buy me a pack, since it was too expensive. HAHA. 

I haven't had this for a long time, and I was jokingly telling M that he had to buy me some Potato Corner fries when he got back from the office. 

And when I got his "I'm here. Come meet me at the old conference room.", I was curious. But, lo and behold, he was standing there with a sealed plastic. Since we were at office premises, we were only allowed minimal interaction, so, he held out the bag and went his way to the office. I had to wait a few minutes to walk in next. When I opened the plastic bag, there it was. 

My favorite cheese-flavored Potato Corner french fries in a jumbo bucket. 

Thanks M. Made my day. :)


Friday, January 24, 2014

ChocNut For Me!

The second time for my ChocNut adventures. 

Although in another differently-designed package, the new ChocNut is still bigger, sweeter, and better. 

This time, this was a 24-piece pack of ChocNut plastic bag, brought home by my mother for all the kids at heart at home. And that means all four of us at home. HAHA

The love for ChocNut runs in the blood and in our sugar levels. ;)


Another Bo Froccino : The Cafe Coffee Chronicles Part 10

The cold evening air did not stop us. 

M and I were seated at a corner table at Insular Square's Bo's Coffee. We were having their infamous froccinos while chillaxing from the office. 

Tonight, I ordered their Chocolate Chip Froccino. It was a blend of coffee, little bits of chocolate chips, and their yummy whipped cream. 

I have to admit though, that Bo's whipped cream is not as spectacular as Starbuck's whipped cream, but it definitely comes close! HAHA. 

It was a good and relaxing night, indeed. :)


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Steaks are High Tonight!

Sundate with M. 

After a nice afternoon together, we got hungry and stopped by Insular Square mall for some dinner. And a steak dish was the best ending for the day. 

Jonie's House Steak : tender grilled beef, with yummy gravy, rice, and a side of steamed vegetables in a sizzling plate. The beef was seasoned well, and grilled just right. 

It's a classic. It's affordable. It's delicious. 


A Cookie and A Cream.

Cookies and cream. One of the awesomest flavors ever invented by mankind.

So, one Sunday, I was at SM Cebu for my monthly waxing. I arrived a bit too early for my appointment so I sneaked out of the salon for a while to grab a quick lunch. 

I spotted that little milkshake stall at the middle of the entire second floor that I had been just dying to try - Koldkiss Milkshake. I hurried over and scanned their menu. 

Tada! On their bestseller list was their Cookies and Cream Milkshake.

And here's why : Two huge scoops of pure, unadultered Cookies and Cream ice cream was blended, topped with a dollop of whipped cream, and crushed Oreos. 

The pure goodness of Cookies and Cream. @_@


Healthy Simplicity.

Eating healthy doesn't always mean going the extra length of some diet meal program, and buying expensive and organic ingredients. 

Sometimes, the simplest of ingredients are also the healthiest. 

Take my pre-dinner healthy snack. Earlier today, M had brought a ripe avocado for me. He knew I was extending work hours tonight and he told me to eat the avocado so I wouldn't go brain-dead from hunger. Lol. 

Since M wasn't there to cut up and prepare the avocado (like he always does) tonight, he instead left me with his swiss knife, mug, and hybrid spoon-fork thingy. HAHA. 

And I must say that I am super proud of being able to make this from scratch! Cut up the avocado, mixed it with plain white sugar, and mashed it. 

Perf healthy snack. :)


Oh Boy, Batchoy!

Cold July nights.

After office, M and I were hungry and cold, so we decided to drop by a Carlo's Batchoy branch at Consolacion. 

Carlo's Batchoy has been known city-wide for their quaint and cozy shops, affordable meals, and especially their delish batchoy. 

Batchoy is a local Filipino dish, where the soup is made from beef stock and toasted garlic. When the soup is steaming hot, fresh noodles are then added, and finally topped with chicharon (pork rinds), pork liver, cabbage strips, and sometimes chicken bits. 

And it's even better when an egg is cracked into the hot hot soup, and there you allow the egg to cook. That's what I did with my Batchoy with egg.

Warm tummy. Warm moments. :)


Vanilla + Chocolate : My Milk Tea Chronicles Part 1

Lately, I've been hearing such good reviews for milk teas. 

One after the other, milk tea cafes and milk tea shops have opened in literally every place where there are people. HAHA. 

And with all the craze, I just had to at least try one milk tea to see what it was all about. And here begins my milk tea chronicles!

Here at Cobo, although they offer finger foods, value meals, and fraps, they specialize on milk teas. And if you know me by heart, you would have already guessed the firstest milk tea I bought. HAHA. 

If you said chocolate, then you got that right! Well, in this case, I got Cobo's Choco Vanilla Milk Tea. And it certainly did not disappoint! :)

The blend of chocolate, vanilla, and tea was awesome. 


Breakfast & Fluff!

What's fluffy, sweet, and a good breakfast pastry?

Mamon! 

Mamon is a fluffy and light bread, with caramelized or melted sugar and sometimes cheese on top. And one of the best mamon's I have tasted is Red Ribbon's Mamon. 

Very good, very light and fluffy, and very affordable, for only 25php a piece. 

I was tempted to have breakfast when I saw that we have a pack of these yummy mamon at home. HAHA. 

Triple Treat!

Some say its a triple threat, but I say that is is a triple TREAT. 

Selecta's new 3 in 1 flavors in Super Thick is the best ice cream tub for a banana split. Creamy and thick (yes, it's true) Strawberry, Chocolate, and Vanilla ice cream all in one tub. 

What I do is get a scoop for each flavor and mix it until all the flavors are blended together. HAHA. Some people may think that's gross or weird, but that's how I want it. Lol. 

Aaaand its even better when you put ripe bananas or ripe mangoes!

I seriously am gonna get fatter with this. HAHA. 


Jappy Veggies!

Veggie time!

Here we are once more at Rai Rai Ken. We wanted to take a break from eating red meat, so the fam ordered a plate of Yasai Itame. 

Yasai Itame is a mix of sauteed alfalfa sprouts, cabbage, carrots, and sweet pork. What I love about this is that even after the saute, the veggies still remained crispy and fresh. Nothing is worse than having soggy and/or dry vegetables for dinner. 

So, if you're looking for a good veggie plate, (which you can also trick your kids into eating HAHA), come grab a plate of Yasai Itame at Rai Rai Ken. 


Everyday, Okay!

"Yakult Everyday, Everyday Okay!"

I can't help but remember this tag line whenever I see or drink Yakult. 

Lemme tell you a secret, I'm lactose intolerant. Meaning, too much milk or dairy products will get my stomach really really upset. To the point where I would just curl up in a ball and later on, be rushed into the hospital. 

The only milk I drink these days has been Yakult. Rich in live lacto basilus to help with digestion. And today is no different. M had brought me one cold bottle of Yakult and I drank before attacking the Overtime Report at the office. 

Good drink. ;)


Time for Breakfast at Night!

"It feels like the perfect night, for breakfast at midnight."

This line on TSwift's new single, 22, has been playing over and over again in my playlist and in my mind for the last week. Lol. 

Tonight, M and I had a short date night over at Pancake House. While he chose to have the pancakes, I wanted to go more Western with a classic French Toast. Two slices of fluffy and sweet French toast garnished with confectioner's sugar with a side of whipped cream and maple syrup. 

A tad bit too sweet for me, but still a good breakfast at night dish. 


Tuesday, January 21, 2014

It's that Pink Drink.

Pink drinks are usually associated with alcoholic drinks. 

Buuuut, this here is an exemption. Sun Tropics' Guava juice may be one of the few pink drinks that is healthy and good for the body. With my new anti-softdrinks revolution, I love how the fam is utilizing fruit and natural drinks instead. 

Who cares if its pink right? As long as it's good and keeps the body fit. :)


So, What's the Flan?

Another childhood favorite. 

I grew up eating and loving Leche Flan as a dessert, snack, and even sometimes a meal. HAHA. A good leche flan would always make me feel better. 

And tonight, I thank my mother for bringing home a box of Goldilocks' infamous Leche Flan. Out of all the flans that I have tasted in my entire 20 years (yes, I am only 20 years old lol), Goldilocks definitely makes one of the best flans. Ever. 

Super creamy, not overwhelmingly sweet, and perfectly melts in your mouth. 

Love. :)

PS: What remains of the said flan in less than an hour. Lol.


Rise for Rice!

As a true and natural-born Filipino, the love for rice runs in the blood. 

And I must say, one of the best rice dishes I've had is this one right here. Rai Rai Ken's Yakimeshi. Sticky japanese rice, mixed with sauteed sweet pork, egg, and crispy veggies. 

The reason for my love of Japanese rice comes from the fact that their rice is stickier than Filipino rice, and gives you a fuller stomach even with just less than a cup of rice. 

I love the texture that the rice, pork, and veggies when eaten together. Aaaand, it gives you just the right amount of flavor - sweet, tasty, salty. 

One plate of Yakimeshi is enough for your tummy. ;)


Ohayo Sizzling Plate!

My love for beef does not stop with grilling 'em. 

This is my first time trying out beef yakiniku in a sizzling plate at Rai Rai Ken. I used to always have their sauteed version. But today, the fam decided to try out the Sizzling Beef Yakiniku. 

Tender strips of beef, with tasty tasty Japanese-style sauce, with a side of crispy sauteed alfalfa sprouts, and finally finished in a sizzling hot plate. 

Have I told you that everything on a sizzling plate looks more exciting? HAHA. 

Japanese food all the way!


Mini Cake, Mini Happiness!

Who says you need a plate and a fancy design on a pastry to have a 'cake'?

Well, I say that Red Ribbon's Mini Moist Chocolate Cake is the antithesis for that. Wrapped in their signature Red Ribbon snack plastic, it's a mini version of their chocolate cake. Though it's mini and small, the taste is definitely up to par. 

It's moist, and not overly sweet. Seriously can't get enough of this!

The good news is, you can actually buy a 10-pack bag for a cheaper price! 

Grab 'em now! :)


Sunday, January 19, 2014

Avocado & Cream at Home!

The fam's newest addiction, Avocados. 

It's avocado season, I am thankful for that. HAHA. We've been having this yummy dessert almost every week now, and I sure am not tired of it yet. Lol. 

With about 7-8 pieces of ripe avocados, mother and I would peel them, mash them, and put them in a big bowl. We then mix in condensed milk and all-purpose cream. A good way to sweeten the avocados and make them extra creamy. Best served when chilled. 

Very healthy, rich in fiber, and a great dessert. 

One of the fam's secret house recipes! 


When All Else Fails, Go INSTANT!

More than 2 months had gone by in the office. 

And you know what? I still haven't got the slightest idea on how to make myself good coffee with the in-house coffee, creamer, and sugar. It either turned out too bitter, too sweet, or too bland from all the hot water. 

I gave up, and here I am with my styro cup and instant coffee sachet. HAHA. Nescafe's Sugar Free 3in1 coffee just saved my day. 

At long last, a balanced coffee. HAHAHA.