Secret #2 of Secret Recipe

We had a lunch meeting at Secret Recipe last Thursday and I was not very thrilled with the idea of dining there again (check http://gluttonshopper.blogspot.com/2010/10/secret-recipes-secret.html why).

To be honest, I had a hard time picking what to order since I don’t want to make the same mistake. Since my tummy is all better now, definitely NO salad. I chose Grilled Mushroom Chicken and I asked to have the mushroom sauce separated since it was noted there that it was a special sauce. Anything special from that restaurant scares me!

When my order arrived, my boss asked me what drink I ordered since it looked… well… weird. It was iced tea but the brown, uh, I-don’t-know-but-I-assume-it’s-tea-syrup, have settled at the bottom of the glass.

As for my Grilled Mushroom Chicken, THEY DID NOT SEPARATE THE SAUCE! I wanted to taste the sauce first to make sure that if it’s not that good, I could still ask for catsup for the grilled chicken. Oh well.

For some reason, the mushroom sauce was SOUR. Usually this type of sauce is SALTY not SOUR. But since I was too hungry to complain and we were at a meeting, I still ate it… and actually managed to finish it (glutton much?).

Verdict: Please oh please, I do not want to go back for more. I had enough.

SUPERSALE BAZAAR

As a self-proclaimed bazaar stalker, I make sure that I visit all SuperSale bazaars since I’m a bit tired of buying clothes from retail stores. (I have this fear that I might bump into someone wearing the same outfit as mine whenever I wear retail-bought clothes for it happened thrice during my college days. But I still adore F21!)

Anyway, I was super excited when I found out that there will be another SuperSale Bazar this time at The Grove. I hurriedly blocked my last March weekend for it. 

Finally, March 25! Good thing that I was able to offset this date. Nothing beats being among the first ones to check the bazaar. But I was quite disappointed when I didn’t see the stores I fell in love with. Where’s Renegade Folk? Ichigo? All those other stores that sell cute accessories and bags??? T.T

I was disappointed big time yesterday. Aside from the hot weather, I wasn’t able to buy a thing except for a polka dot top that I was quite hesitant to buy but bought it anyway since I wanted to buy something since I paid P100 for entrance.

I hope that SUPERSALE will have more stalls in May. I will be waiting. J

Lunch for little sumo

After my sister’s graduation, we had no fixed plans on where to go to celebrate. I wanted to go to SM because I needed to buy some things for my hermit crabs while my sister wanted to go to Shangri-La. In the end, we ended up at Powerplant, Rockwell. We celebrated my sister’s transition from a kid to a lady at Sumo Sam since the other restaurants were packed that day.

As usual, I ordered Salmon Sashimi and dalandan shake. I think I am starting to look like a salmon. (Remember Loopy of Nickelodeon?) My sister on the other hand ordered her usual Chicken Teriyaki and Japanese fried rice while California Maki and Beef Yakitori for my mom. My dad was missing in action because he was sick. L

My order arrived first (obviously).  The salmon was very fresh and oh-so-soft. It was salmon heaven! If salmon is super cheap, I will order 10 plates of it! As for the dalandan, it was SUPER SWEET. I didn’t like it at all for it didn’t quench my thirst. I had to put 2 glasses of water to dilute the shake but I still failed.

My sister’s chicken teriyaki is okay. It is not something worth raving but it was pretty decent. Quite the ordinary chicken teriyaki you get from good Japanese restaurants. Let me emphasize it again… GOOD Japanese restaurants. This is to avoid getting confused with those restaurants pretending to be Japanese restaurants but serve questionable dishes.

My mom’s beef yakitori was good. It was a cheaper version of beef teppanyaki but the taste is almost the same. I didn’t like the California Maki. It has a weird after taste. I had a hard time eating it. >.<

For dessert, we had dulce de leche. It tasted like Vargas’ Brazo Bomb but its texture was harder and the whip cream was not as good as Vargas’. Nonetheless it was still a good dessert. Just make sure that you have a glass of water with you.

Verdict: Good food, reasonable prices, prompt service + free crepe if it's your birthday! I will definitely go back for more of its sashimi!

An Intercontinental Lunch (Part 2)

I had another great lunch c/o Mansmith and Fielders. Not only did it feed my mind, it sure did the same for my mind.

We had another three-course meal for lunch. For starters, we had carrot soup (with shavings of crispy bacon).

The soup was creamy and the crispy bacon bits added texture. It does not taste like carrot though. Perhaps pumpkin?

Next served was Fillet of Parrot Fish with Parsley Potatoes , Baguio Beans and Ginger sauce. The whole dish is a bit bland for me thus I added pepper and salt to give it more taste… and it worked. With a bit of those two, the whole dish turned to be a lot tastier for me.

For dessert, we had Mango Mousse Cake with Pandan Caramel sauce. I find the sauce a bit too sweet but the cake needs it because the mousse cake lacked taste. I also noticed that the cake was a bit watery. I think it’s because of the jelly on top of the cake. My favorite part though was the chocolate garnish. It is just like the one they used for the cheesecake. It was really good. J

A Happy Ending for Valerie a.k.a. Red Riding Hood

Picture from http://showbizrenegade.com



I was so excited to watch Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Seyfried. I love fairy tales with a twist (and this explains why I adore Shrek, Tangled, Robin Hood Men in Tights, Ever After, and much more). This one seems to be quite gory just like Snow White: A Tale of Terror. After much begging, my mom and sister finally decided to tag me along.

Popcorn? Check! Fries? Check! Cola? Check! Tickets? Check! MOVIE TIME!!!

The first scene gave me an impression that it was going to be a gory movie since Valerie and Peter (Red Riding Hood and her love interest) were about to kill a poor fluffy bunny just for fun.

I started to get irritated with the movie though as the story gets weirder and weirder. I started to think that this was another lousy movie when a werewolf killed Lucy (Valerie’s apparently half sister). This already crossed Peter out as the werewolf since Valerie and Peter were busy snuggling when it happened. But the worst scene was when they used the lines from the fairy tale. It was a bit too cliché. Moreover, I find the storyline to be a bit predictable. I already knew who the “werewolf” was after the death of Adrian (Henry’s father).

It seemed to me that they tried to bank on the popularity of Twilight. I’m not so sure if they were successful there. If we base success on “sale”, then it definitely created a buzz and a lot were interested to watch it. But if success is based on satisfied customers, then I think they failed.

*Praying that Gnomeo and Juliet will be a nice movie*

Expired Products for Sale?!?

We love Japanese food and we looooove Japanese products thus when I saw Choco Crisps in a Japanese restaurant/store, I was thrilled. Well, to make the story short, I didn’t buy it because I find it overpriced at P245. Is it because it is in Powerplant? (Clue!!!)

Anyway, I decided to check the other products hoping for it to be “reasonably” priced. I was about to jump for joy when I saw Nissin Cup Noodles (the original one in Styrofoam containers) priced at P66. It is P95 in supermarkets and P92 in S&R so I thought that it was a pretty good deal.

But before buying food products, I often check the expiry date just to be sure and to my surprise, the cup noodles were already expired. Below was the flow of my conversation with the sales person in charge:

Me: Hey, the cup noodles are already expired!

Sales lady: That’s why it’s on sale.

Me: Don’t you think this is actually dangerous??? (Not to mention illegal?)

Sales lady: We checked with the manufacturer and they said that it’s still okay for consumption.

My question now is, what is the purpose of “BEST BEFORE DATE” then if it is actually flexible? I know that there is a rule that stores need to pull out near expiry products days before it actually expire because some consumers still do not have the habit of reading the expiry date. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL RISK OF FOOD POISONING. I do not find this okay at all. To my disappointment, I wasn’t even able to take a picture as “evidence”. I really loved the restaurant and now, I am not so sure if I want to go back. Since they openly sell EXPIRED products, there is a possibility that they use expired ingredients in the kitchen since “it’s okay”.   

Friends, please make sure that you read the expiry date before purchasing. Yes, there are some very enticing deals here and there but also remember that there could be a “catch” on why it is being offered as such.

A Four-Course Meal Made For Four

I got an invite to attend the launch of Samsung’s latest line of air conditioners (let’s welcome Boracay and Maldives in our own homes) which was held at the posh Marriott Hotel. I was surprised that for a 5PM event, the waiting area in front of the ballroom was already filled with people. Some of them were from the provinces… all eager to know more about the latest innovations of the popular Korean electronics brand. Who says that one cannot have health, comfort, and savings at the same time? Clue? Virus Doctor.

Thanks to Samsung, we now have more options to choose from. But the cherry on top of the night was the great dinner they served. Let me enumerate what we ate and had difficulty burning throughout the night.

For appetizer, we had Seared Yellow Fin Tuna Nicoise with capers, red onion, black olives, and saffron aioli. Yes, I am a bit clueless to what the last one was. But it was good. I loved the tangy taste of the dressing. The tuna is also soft and fresh. I just find it to have too much pepper. But aside from that, I would have asked for another plate given the chance.

Next served was Lobster Bisque. This soup is drool worthy (okay, it might have been the least appetizing description). The soup was creamy. I find it a bit thick though and it made my throat itch. *Water Alert!* I think that this dish is best served with bread since the soup was a bit salty.

On to the main course, *tada!* Grilled Australian Ribeye with grilled tiger prawns, asparagus, potato dauphinoise and truffle sauce. The meat was tender and the potato dauphinoise was a good alternative to the typical mashed potato. Unfortunately, I finished the first two dishes and I was a bit too full when this was served. I managed to take a bite of everything though. The asparagus was steamed and it made the taste of the meat stand out. Same goes for the grilled tiger prawns. It was a bit bland and I think they did this to highlight the ribeye’s flavor.

Finally, dessert… Cappuccino Caramel Cheesecake with Mulberry Compote. I find the small chocolate chip a short trip to chocolate heaven. That thin sheet of dark chocolate was dessert nirvana.  I am so in love with dark chocolate. *Ahem* Moving on. The sour taste of the strawberry complemented the sweet taste of the caramel. How I wish I saved more space for this delectable dessert.

Verdict: I will go back for more salad and desserts. Probably steak as well but I have to bring someone with me.

Market! Market! = Fun! Fun!

I hardly visit Market! Market! because it is a bit far from my place and I find the mall to be crowded all the time. But my visit today made me realize that this mall in Taguig isn’t that bad after all.

It all started when I was trying to organize a laser tag event. I know that there is a laser tag arena in Market! Market thus when we were thinking of a place to play this really cool game (sorry, hooked to playing laser tag), I immediately thought of Market! Market! (especially since the other options are a bit too far—i.e. Ayala Town Center).

Since I wanted to make sure that the laser tag place where I played before is still there, I checked several sites (even to the point of texting the manager of the arena) and to my relief, LazerXtreme, Market! Market! is still very much alive. I found out other interesting things too. There are other activities to do in Market! Market! such as Camp Sandugo’s wall climbing, vertical bungee jumping (where you have to ring the bell), and food shopping.

Laser tag is so addicting. One game is not enough. At P190 per game, it may sound pricey but it is worth it. It is 20 minutes of sweaty fun! Okay, maybe it does not sound very attractive especially to girls but with a mere P190, you gain a unique experience + lesser calories and fats + new friends (or enemies). You also get a P20 discount if you play another game plus a glass of iced tea if you are the top player of the game. J

The inspiration... free iced tea

The gear

Camp Sandugo wall climbing is also a cheap way to kill time. At P50 for a single climb, you already get a belayer’s assistance. I think that this is a better deal compared to the unlimited climb at P140 without a belayer. You need to add P200 for belayer’s assistance. If you are the type who wants to make sure that everything will be fine, you could also rent climbing shoes at P50. Not sure how many times one can climb to make P340 worthwhile. Anyway, I opted to avail the single climb. I was super scared though because the last time I tried wall climbing was when I was still in high school (and please do not do the math) and the wall was way lower than Camp Sandugo’s. Nonetheless, reaching the top is one great accomplishment. J



The WALL



I am not very keen though with the food shopping part. True, I find the area well-organized with the delicacies of different regions on separate kiosks. But for some reason, this also seems like a tourist trap. The delicacies were OVERPRICED. My grandmother was craving for Mountain Maid (Good Shepherd’s) Ube Jam and since I love her oh so much and just can’t resist spoiling her that I bought a jar for P480. I know that it is around P200 at Baguio. True, there’s logistics and stuff but their markup is just too much.

Verdict: Market! Market!, a place to visit when bored. J

An Intercontinental lunch

I was lucky enough to go to Josiah Go’s Entrepreneurship Strategy and Innovation Bootcamp which was held at the Hotel Intercontinental. I was super excited to attend since this was an opportunity for me to learn more about entrepreneurship. The program was done in a very interactive way. Totally not boring yet packed with so much learning. I felt like I was in MarkProf bootcamp again. Anyway, I promised Joe that I will not write anything about the seminar (though I can’t help promote it) so I will write about our lunch.

We had a three-course meal for lunch (cream asparagus soup, lemon chicken, and mango cheesecake). I wasn’t able to take a picture of the soup since I was too hungry; and when they served it, my first instinct was to slurp every drop of it. >.< I do remember though that the soup was creamy but it did not taste like asparagus. It was a cream soup. But it was still good and it would have been better if they served it warmer.

My angry tummy calmed down after the soup so I managed to take a picture (sorry if I already took a bite) of the lemon chicken. I find it weird though why they called it as such since it didn’t have the tangy taste of lemon at all. It would pass as a chicken teriyaki… a big fat chicken teriyaki. The chicken was well cooked and very soft. It also has a bit of sweet taste (just like chicken teriyaki). Sorry, I was just not convinced.



Lemon Chicken?



The mango cheesecake on the other hand is a great way to please the tummy. The texture of the cheesecake was quite creamy and the crust was not thick and too sweet to overpower the actual cheesecake. (Am I making sense?) I find the mangoes too few though. I understand that the mango bits were intended to be garnish but the cheesecake tastes a lot better with the mango bits. Now I’m craving for Mango Bravo. (Connection?!)

Mango Cheesecake

Verdict: I will go back for more desserts. :) Even the thin strip of chocolate was good.

Vending Machine on sale?

I decided to buy MILO instead of my favorite #5 (Sweet N’ Creamy + extra sugar=Super Sweet N’ Creamy) a last night to get appease my angry tummy. Milo costs more than #5 (P12 versus P10) but since I am acidic (curse my “I want to be stick thin” days), I wanted to be on the safe side.

Our trusty vending machine

I jammed my crumply P20 bill and was expecting P8. But I was surprised when I got P11 change. WOW! Is our vending machine on sale? P9 Milo! Woohoo! I was tempted to buy another one to check if it was just an error but I was too thirsty to get another cup of Milo.

My change

Share love, give love, spread love

It has been a while since I last watched a play. Thus when my friend invited me to watch RENT, I immediately said yes. What made it even more attractive was that tickets were on 50% discount. J

The venue (Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza) of the play was a bit small and I like it that way since it made it more intimate to some extent. Getting good seats (row C) also helped.

At first I was clueless to what the play was about since I did not bother checking the synopsis or whatnot. All I know was that Rent is a well-loved play and that I have no plans of missing it. AND I WAS SO SURPRISED. I would have never thought that the play is not suitable for children. I guess I was so used to watching fairy tale themed plays. 

The first thing I noticed on stage was the POLE. I was wondering if it was part of the structure or if it was meant to be a dance pole. It was the latter. There were amazing performances from the Job Bautista who performed as Angel and Ciara Sotto as Mimi Marquez. It was also their performances (You Okay Honey? and Light my candle) that made me realize that this play is not child appropriate.

There were some scenes that I find hard to watch everyone since there were so many things happening. But I guess that makes it even more interesting and dynamic. I love the busy before Christmas market scene. For some reason, it convinced me that it was really snowing.

The performance of Carla Guevara-Laforteza (who played as Maureen) was really good and entertaining especially when she did Over the Moon and asked everyone to say moo~ with her “Moooooo. Moon. Get it?” It was really hilarious.

But the best part for me was when Angel died. As he was climbing the stairs following the light while his friends Mark, Roger, Mimi, and most especially Tom Collins were saying their last words for their dear friend, I had goosebumps. It was a very touching scene and I felt the sadness of the characters. It would have been nice though if they managed to make sure that the upper stage do not creak since Angel was supposed to be a soul seeking for the light.

Overall, the cast was really good. I overheard that some were theater newbies but I did not notice that at all. Good job the cast, Robbie Guevarra (stage director), Jojo Malferrari (musical director for band), Only Torres (musical director for vocals), Charles Stephen Thompson, Francis Matheu and Mara Andres (choreographers), Martin Esteva (lighting designer), Chuck Ledesma (sound designer), and Bek Soriano (costume stylist) for staging this great performance.

I will definitely look forward for the next play of 9 Works Theatrical. J