Supermarket Find: Nestlé Yogurt Top Ups

I’m craving for something… I don’t know… sweet, I guess. This is what you call I-must-crave-something-so-that-I-still-get-to-eat-more-as-I-eat-super-fast.

 

It’s interesting that despite eating lunch, my colleagues and I talk about what to eat next. It wasn’t much of a problem today though as while heating our food in the pantry, we saw an office mate with a few cups of yogurt with something on top of it. She seemed very giddy about it so we assumed that whatever it is, it’s bound to be good. Apparently, Nestlé added another twist to its well-loved yogurt. This time, they provide toppings in the form of KitKat and marshmallows. And since we were curious with how it tastes like, we braved the hot weather and marched our way to the supermarket nearby.

My First Bite: Lord Stow's Bakery

I think I have already shared several times how much I love Binondo. No, it’s not because I’m Chinese (as I “was” a frustrated Japanese wannabe loving everything Japanese!). It was because I get to discover and experience a lot of things here that I normally wouldn’t if I roam around my “territory” (as some of my friends call it). Kalesa rides, haggling for fruit prices, seeing chicken feet and head vacuum sealed, and more—I don’t think I’ll ever experience that in my territory.

During my fourth trip to Binondo last year, a CS friend of mine got so excited to see a bakeshop. I was… confused. Apparently, it is known for its egg tarts and it is actually an international bakeshop. *Ooh*

Hello, Lord Stow’s Bakery!

It was rather odd though that her excitement never pushed me to buy a box of my own. I guess I was too lazy to carry a box knowing that we were going to Intramuros (my favorite place ever… here in Manila).

Friday Love: T.G.I. Friday's

It has been almost two years in the making but finally—I’m getting married! Not. My friends and I have been planning to have an overnight get together for years now as the last time we did that was when we graduated a few years back. We decided to stay at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel but had no plans to dine there for dinner as we were still on a non-executive salary. *gloom*

It was almost 9 p.m. and most of us came from work or elsewhere without food in our tummies except for K. Just like a group of tweens, we waited for everyone before deciding where to have dinner.

After putting our bags inside our “unlocked” room (scary!), we decided to have dinner at T.G.I. Friday’s. The place was quite packed so the server who served us suggested that we go al fresco dining but we hesitated as 1) none of my friends smoke; 2) it was hot that day. We then requested for the corner table available at the second floor.

Starved, we quickly ordered something. I ordered the Cajun Shrimp and Chicken Pasta (PHP415 regular; PHP625 for sharing) and Strawberry Lemonade Slush (PHP165). B ordered Chicken Club Sandwich (PHP395), while N settled for Jack Daniel’s Burger (PHP465). K, M, and L were still full so they just ordered Oreo Madness (PHP205 for one piece and PHP345 for two pieces). I still remember how hyper our server, Rentin, was. It was his second day if I remember it correctly and he even apologized about sweating too much as he was just eager to serve us. (Funny fellow.)

They quickly served my drink and it was delightful! Sweet yet still refreshing!

Cheap Thrill: Mini Stop Choco Strawberry Ice Cream

Remember the creamy and oh-so yummy Hershey’s Dark Chocolate of Mini Stop? Well, I do and I can still recall how my small eyes widen every time I get to have it for dessert. I could say that I’m lucky that my place is very near a Mini Stop branch and that I could buy it while wearing my pajamas.

After work, I passed by Mini Stop to buy some snacks when I noticed something new. NEW ICE CREAM! Choco Strawberry… hmm… sounds yummy. 

 FAIL.

No, it was not the ice cream that failed me. When I went to Mini Stop to buy one, it was out of stock. :( I guess that proves that the ice cream was indeed good. 

 

My second attempt to buy was a success. I still remember that it was right after my dental appointment. (Way to go, right?)

An Early Christmas Shopping

...will only mean one thing... my wallet will be empty earlier than expected. Nonetheless, I am still thrilled to say that my favorite bazaar is scheduled to be back… and bigger… this November 4-6, 2011!!!

I’m sure that all bazaar lovers and fashionistas are familiar with the SuperSale Bazaar. This time though, instead of the Rockwell Tent or Rockwell, The Grove, they will hold it at the World Trade Center and it is bound to be a big event piggy banks will need to prepare for.

So, should I be grumpy everyday to save up?

This time though, the organizers made it more interesting for concessionaires by coming up with a Facebook contest where the online flier (posted by the concessionaire) with the most likes (from their fans or customers) gets a free booth. Yes, a free booth plus a PHP5000 worth of gift certificate from its partners (the second and third highest also get discounts and freebies from the organizers). The concept is quite similar to Rockwell Bazaar’s previous event called In Search for The Next Big Thing where concessionaires competed to get the votes of the shoppers. These contests of Rockwell Bazaar and SuperSale are brilliant as not only do these attract concessionaires, it encourages the sellers to really promote the events to win. Anyway, enough of this SuperSale contest I can’t even join. 

Or check http://www.facebook.com/supersalebazaar for details.

Time, please move faster! I’m itching to see my favorite concessionaires. I hope Miss Veronica will join again. I miss that store. 

I'm also looking forward to see Sunday's Best and Posh Pocket Shoes. 

I don’t recall the names of the other stores I loved (I just remember what they sell. There’s this one store with cute vintage eye glasses, a Korean dress shop, a store that sells cheap sheer tops and loose tops--good for food trips, and the stall that sells cute accessories). I just have one wish… I hope that the aisles will be wider and each booth will be bigger so that it could accommodate more customers.


To all bazaar stalkers like me, see you on November 5! (I hope I’m no longer sleeping during the day this time and that I have money left from my dessert funds for The Cheesecake Factory.)


All images (except for the coin bank) used are from the Facebook pages of SuperSale, Miss Veronica, Sunday's Best, and Posh Pocket Shoes.

Gone to the dark side of… chocolates.

I just love dark chocolates for it made me feel less guilty of finishing a box of it in one go.

I often do the grocery shopping whenever I’m not very busy. I’m proud to say that I could shop a month’s worth of supplies in less than 30 minutes. Yes, I have mastered the grocery near our place. However, there are also times when I just look around hoping to see something new or interesting (as long as it is reasonably priced, I will buy it). Thus I was so happy when I saw my favorite chocolates KitKat and Macadamia... DARK and BITTER.

I'm in love!

And I love you too! (Great! I'm a two-timer!)

At first I was afraid that these might just be like the failed attempts of chocolate brands claiming that the chocolate beneath the wrapper with screaming DARK/BITTER/PURE COCOA is indeed dark; but in reality, it was still milk chocolate… only with its sweetness level toned down one tiny bit.

I.was.wrong.

Looks dusty but who knows, that might be the "secret ingredient" :)

Meiji’s Macadamia Bitter truly used dark chocolate. The word bitter was a bit too strong though. The chocolate’s taste was similar to Meiji’s Dark Chocolate bars… one of my cheap thrills. It was dark but not extremely dark to the point that it is no longer enjoyable. (Note: This one though is a bit pricier compared to the chocolate bars because of the macadamia).

Let's play a game! Which one is dark?

As for Nestle’s Dark KitKat… I was impressed. It is longer compared to the normal milk chocolate KitKat and (biased) it is definitely better. I love dark chocolate and Nestle managed to come up with an affordable chocolate that is quite dark (but not too much that will make you go blaaaah!) yet something the little tykes could enjoy.

Both chocolates has something to munch on (macadamia for Meiji and waffle for KitKat) making it delicious snacks that will make you eat it for… hours (well, with some chips, water, and soda—well, that’s what I call the I-will-just-relax-and-watch-a-movie snack).

Then again, the unforgettable truffles of Risa Chocolates and the delectable chocolate goodness of Royce are still my favorites.

Backtrack: Racks

This has been buried in my laptop for quite a while now but I had to share this because I still remember how much I loved my hot meal and lovely dessert. 

Tired from another Rizal Rediscovery Tour (which turned out to be more like of a Binondo Food Trip), I headed to SM Megamall for dinner.

I do not want to walk far (since I walked the whole day… well, while chewing something at some point) so we (my mom and I) sought sanctuary at Racks. We thought that it was a good idea since it has been years since we last visited it. 

We normally start our meal with soup so we ordered Clam Chowder and Minestrone (PHP85/cup). Since we were not super hungry, we decided to just order one main dish to share—Pork Ribs (PHP275). For dessert we ordered Mississippi Mud Pie (PHP130).

When the soup arrived, both orders were not warm at all. My mom had to ask the server to warm it up. We had to wait for an additional 5 minutes for it.

Finally, warm soup!

The clam chowder was a bit bland and there was not much going on. True, the soup was thick and creamy but there was not much clams inside. In fact, the soup was pretty much forgettable.

The Minestrone on the other hand has a lot of vegetables, bacon, beans and ham. It was a bit salty and oily for me. I guess I am just not fond of soup with just too much stuff in it.

For the main meal, the Pork Ribs were (or should it be just "was" since there was only one big chunk of pork?) tender and seasoned well. It was also well-cooked (not burnt). It was a bit sweet and salty. However, the fat was a bit scary. We only took a bit of it and enjoyed the less scary meat instead.

The meal was pretty heavy because it was served with rice and potato salad. I had to skip the potato salad to make space for dessert.

Oh my chocolate galore! I was so surprised that the serving was quite big. For PHP130, it was a steal. It was definitely good for sharing.

The chocolate fudge brownie was soft and chewy and it was stuffed with melted chocolate inside while covered in chocolate syrup and topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

It was quite good. I managed to finish half of the mud pie. My mom though was not in the mood for sweets so I ate a few more and I got… sore throat.

Yes, the mud pie was good; but do eat it with caution. Make sure that you drink lots of water.

Racks is located at the 3rd Floor, Building A, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City