Ippudo Launches Zero Ramen

Ippudo has been one of my favorite ramen joints in town. It has the right balance of flavors--umami yet not overwhelming. And to celebrate Ippudo's 33rd year anniversary and 4th year in the Philippines, it goes back to its roots and features its base ramen--Zero. 

Hello, Ippudo.

I was invited to Ippudo's anniversary celebration not knowing what to expect. So it was a big treat to be able to sample the ramen that started it all. 

When in Bohol: Isola di Francesco

One of the perks of having a local contact in Bohol is that they'd know the best places to visit in the area. And if they have their own boat, you don't even have to worry about transportation. And that was pretty much what happened when R and I visited Panglao. It is still one of my favorite vacations to date as everything was well prepared by R's dealer, I. And for our second and last stop for island hopping, we went to Isola di Francesco. 

Hello, Isola di Francesco. 

Isola di Francesco is located at Pontod Island and owned by St. Pio devotee, Mr. Ramon Rodriguez. Designed to be a place suitable for retreat and reflection, the place is adorned with several religious sculptures. It also holds regular mass in the island's chapel. 

First Bite: Frank & Dean Café x Kitchen

After a heavy brunch from Locavore, my favorite foodies and I craved for some sweets to cap the meal. We read mixed reviews about Frank & Dean so we were a bit hesitant to head there. But the bright sun made the decision easier for us. Since Locavore and Frank & Dean are within the same area, we opted to just give it a try and see if it is really a waste of tummy space as others say. 

Hello, Frank & Dean. 

The place was rather empty when we got there around 1 pm. Only two or three tables were occupied and they didn’t even seem like customers. Apparently, we were right. They were scheduled to showcase their talents during Frank & Dean’s Common Ground (which serves as a venue for local artists to be heard and discovered). We decided to stay for a while since we heard that they will be serving free coffee and pastries for the ones who will watch the show. (Hey, don’t judge. It was a tempting offer.)

As much as we like free treats, we also try our best to be loveable customers so we ordered Paprika Fries (PHP190) and Beignets (PHP60). 

These two dishes were served in less than 10 minutes and we ate it as slow as possible to give us a reason to stay a bit longer. 

The beignets are like bavarian munchkins without the filling and left inside the fridge to be forgotten for weeks. The doughnuts were quite hard and not worth its price. It says a lot when you only had to pay PHP60 yet feel that your order was still a rip off. It was a really sad dish. 

At least the paprika fries did not disappoint. It was just like the ones I get from Pablo’s Pub. (Trivia: Frank & Dean and Pablo’s Pub in Forum are under the same owner.)

PROMO ALERT: McDonald's is giving away FREE CHEESEBURGERS

I go crazy whenever I see promos. I recently downloaded SM Supermalls, Krispy Kreme and Yellow Cab for awesome freebies. And last night, I spotted another cool reason to download another app. 

After the fun McChicken promo, McDonald’s once again making noise in social media.

I present… FREE CHEESEBURGERS!

Yes, McDonald’s is giving away free cheeseburgers and you do not need to be named after a burger or have your name sound like one. You also do not have to sing a cheesy song just to get your free cheesy treat. 

All you have to do is download the McDonald’s app on iTunes or Google Play. Once downloaded, set your profile and log in. 

Click the Refer a Friend tab to get your promo code and share it to all your friends (or contacts if you really want a lot of cheeseburgers). Note though that even your gazzilion friends put in your promo code, you are only entitled to a maximum of 30 cheeseburger coupons. Also, you could only claim one cheeseburger per transaction. 

Lazy to visit the nearest McDonald’s? You can have your free cheeseburger delivered! You just have to pay for the delivery fee. (Yes, there is no required purchase for you to claim your free cheeseburger! How awesome is that?!) 

This promo is valid until June 20, 2016 and redemption is valid until August 20, 2016. Redemption is not available during breakfast hours (4 am to 10:30 am).

Use my promo code for instant free cheeseburger!

Hooray for promos!   

For more details, visit McDonald’s PH website.

Lucky Day: Free Ride c/o GrabTaxi

Going to places in Manila can be tough. Having a car helps but traffic will always be another issue. If you commute, it’s even harder. And since I’m a little paranoid, especially at night, safety has always been a concern of mine hence I do not mind paying a bit more as long as I’m sure that I’ll get home safe. This is why I am so in love with the apps GrabTaxi and Uber.

Okay, I have to admit; I used to hate GrabTaxi.  There were instances when I finally got a cab and then the driver does not show up. And when I try to get in touch with the driver, he would reason out that he got another passenger or what-have-you. WHAT THE?!

This is the reason why I started using Uber and I was pretty happy with it. The surcharge though was a turnoff. I once paid around PHP400 for a usual PHP120 ride. Anyway, I’m still happy with Uber.

But today, GrabTaxi made me really happy. I got to ride its Sexy Fox cab.

The best part was it was a FREE RIDE!

There’s a big food fest coming this September 2011!

Food has always been something that makes me happy. But combine it with a parade, marching bands, eating contests, Traditional Filipino games, food bazaar, cooking demos and more?!?

The song “Wake me up when September ends” is not applicable for this event. I am so excited to attend the Food Trip! Manila Ocean Park’s Biggest Food Fest and watch the Higantes Parade, join the contests (Food Warrior Eating Challenge, anyone?) and discover new food finds. 

Entrance fee is PHP200 inclusive of one meal, drink (beer or soft drink), FUNCHUM, 20% discount to all attractions, access to the mini concert, and of course, freebies from sponsors.

I was also informed by Sue of Manila Ocean Park that they offer discount to groups of 10. For every 10 tickets, you get one more for FREE. But the sweetest information she gave me was that the Food Warrior Eating Challenge has no registration fee. I am definitely joining!

See you all there! :)

Visit http://www.manilaoceanpark.com/news.php?id=145&l=indexnews for more details.