Blogs.

It sometimes frightens me how easy it is for most people to say, “I’m a blogger.” True, anyone can become a blogger. All you have to do is go to any site that offers free blog services such as blogspot and ta-da, you now have your own blog where you can write absolutely ANYTHING.

However, only a few can say “I’m a credible blogger” or “I’m a responsible blogger” without having their noses grow an inch or two. It saddens me whenever I read blogs that have incorrect information, messed up mechanics or stolen content.

Since I try to be sensitive on this matter, I will not disclose any of the blog sites but I would like to share how irresponsible some bloggers could be.

First, there was a site that promoted the Philippines; Manila to be exact. Hey, there’s nothing wrong about promoting the country. In fact, it was pretty noble of the “blogger” to do so. But if the topic PLACES TO GO TO IN MANILA included places such as Taal Volcano and Clark, then there must be something wrong.

This “blogger” failed to realize that his or her site can be accessed by ALL and by ALL I meant everyone with access to the internet… yes including foreigners interested to visit MANILA… and perhaps even Taal and Clark (without knowing that these places are not in Manila).

There were also issues of some bloggers getting content such as write-ups and photos from sites or fellow bloggers. Well, there is nothing wrong with using another person’s photo IF and only if that person allows you to do so (and acknowledging him or her as the owner). Reposting content though seemed to be a different matter as blogging is about sharing your own thoughts. If you use another person’s experiences or thoughts, I am not sure if such act is still considered blogging.

Carelessness. I find it very upsetting that there are some bloggers who would just write about anything to get “hits” to attract more advertisers and get money.

I read another blog that was promoting this bazaar. As a bazaar fanatic, I got interested and read how to win as the heading was screaming PRIZES. Upon clicking… I got a severe headache. I couldn’t understand what the “blogger” was talking about. Every sentence was poorly constructed… truly beyond repair! The mechanics even seemed to be a riddle without an answer. The “blogger” mentioned, “1 online winner + 3 + 1 raffle winners.” Yes, he or she said 1 raffle winners! And 3 what? Three friends of the online winner? I just don’t get it.

I guess some “bloggers” got so excited to sharing the latest news they heard but it doesn’t hurt to read the entry again before clicking the POST button.

Please save us readers from headaches, heartaches, and yes, disappointment.

I am not saying that I am a great blogger. I couldn’t even confidently say that I am a blogger as I am still new to this and my entries were not as much and as exciting as the entries of established bloggers. But I try to be careful and make sure that what I post are true, acknowledged or are 100% mine.

My First Bite: Delicious Kitchen by Eat Well!

Watching a cooking demo on an empty stomach is pure torture.

We had a cooking demo last Saturday which was well attended and the dishes featured were definitely mouthwatering. Thus I wasn’t able to stop myself from buying food from nearby stalls (as we held the cooking demo at Robinsons Supermarket, Galleria). I started my snacking trip with a large order from Chatime (the Pearl Black Tea was yummy!), followed by a hotdog on stick and some candies from Candy Corner.

I was still very much hungry when the event ended thus I couldn’t wait to visit a restaurant I’ve never been to before. The first restaurant that came to mind was DELICIOUS KITCHEN. I’ve been eying that restaurant since I first tried Johnny Rockets. The line “by Eat Well!” sure made me curious.

I was so hungry that I initially ordered a lot. Good thing I was with my mom and she told me that I should stop being a glutton and just order 3 dishes. Fine.

I ordered a combination meal—rice with Lechon Macau and Steamed Chicken (PHP240), Pan-Fried Eggplant Stuffed with Minced Shrimp (PHP275), and Fried Shrimp Puff with Wasabi Dressing (PHP330).

Yes, no appetizer or desserts this time as I was restricted to order so. L

First dish that arrived was the combination meal. It wasn’t very photogenic. The taste was at the same level with how the photo looked like. It was rather bland. The dish was not served with any sauce and we had to ask the server for it. He gave us hoisin sauce… which was sweet (but we were craving for something salty… think Mang Tomas. Okay, we are the typical Filipino eaters when it comes to lechon macau).

Next dish served was the Fried Shrimp Puff with Wasabi Dressing. I thought that the wasabi dressing was nothing; but I was wrong. One bite made me remember the sensation of inhaling Vicks Inhaler. The wasabi sure made me breathe better. I find it quite spicy so I scraped off most of the dressing. The shrimp puff was good but it was not far from the ones from Paotsin. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed given that this was the most expensive dish we ordered.

Finally, the Pan-Fried Eggplant Stuffed with Minced Shrimp…

It was… quite oily. It was definitely different though. There was the chewiness of the minced shrimps and a bit of crunch. I find the dish a bit too salty though since it was sprinkled with salt and pepper so I made sure to put a lot of vinegar to kill the saltiness. Nonetheless, it was a very interesting dish.

Overall, I was disappointed with the restaurant. The name didn’t seem to have matched the dishes we ordered. Perhaps we should have asked which ones were their best sellers and our dining experience could have been different.

I might visit this place again, but most likely not in the near future.

Delicious Kitchen is located at Robinsons Galleria Veranda, Quezon City.

Celebrating weekend freedom with Fredom Fries

To celebrate Candy bagging the Golden Rocket Awards, the publishers behind the great teen magazine organized a Publishers’ Lunch at Army Navy.

It was my first time in Army Navy and the first thing I noticed there was the interior. It was pretty cute. It has the camp feel—stylized camp feel.

The name of the restaurant was painted on the cemented walls. There was also the cute Oscar-the-Grouch trash bin. The counter was also like the ones you’ll see in some camps serving potatoes and everything else mashed.

When we reached our tables, there were already several orders of Freedom Fries (PHP60) waiting to be eaten. My boss told me that Army Navy’s burritos and Fearless Fried Chicken (FFC?) are good but I got curious with the soft tacos and my boss never tried it before (I thought that at least I could tell her what it tasted like). I then ordered Soft Taco with Chicken filling (PHP125) and a regular Libertea, Army Navy’s brewed iced tea (PHP45).



The Freedom Fries was one addicting snack. The flavorful, thinly sliced long fries were not very oily and it was not salty at all. Zesty as the menu described it, it was something I will definitely order when I visit again.

 After finishing all our Freedom Fries, our orders arrived. My order has a very strong smell. Very oniony—a scent I do not like at all. I had to remove most of the onions to get a taste of the other ingredients such as—chicken.

The lime and the salsa didn’t play much of a role. It was like onion soft taco. K

At least the popular Libertea was good. It was definitely LEMON ICED TEA.

Next time, I'll stick to burrito.

Army Navy Burger + Burrito is located at the GF Strata 2000 Bldg., F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

Goodie Goodles!

For some reason, I always remember Oodles whenever I hear Goodles. It was only last month when I realized that the two food establishments are not the same. 

Cute wall!

Anyway, the first thing I noticed in Goodles was their cute way of packaging their food. Unlike other stores that put its pasta on a plate, Goodles serves its pasta on a bowl container. Also, just like coffee shops, they write your name on the bowl. 

As a newbie, I asked the server what the bestsellers were and she recommended Creamy Sausage and Mushroom (PHP145). Creamy Sausage and Mushroom it is.

While waiting, the server gave us some garlic bread to munch on. It was super good… or maybe we were just so hungry that everything will taste good.

When the pasta arrived, we were not very hungry thus we had the will power to take pictures first before digging in.

My pasta was indeed creamy but it was a bit bland for me. I guess I was too used to the 1:1 pasta and parmesan cheese ratio. I looooove parmesan cheese. 

There was just minor booboos in their service. First was that they failed to give me my drink. I ordered for regular cola and they told me that I didn’t order any thus I had to present my receipt to them. It was weird though because it was already jotted down in my bowl (is cup a more appropriate term?).

I also noticed that they spelled my name wrong. Since people hardly get my name right, I just mention my first (of three) name. The server was very passionate to write (I guess) that she added an extra R creating a new meaning to my name. (This was not the first time though. I experienced the same thing in a tea shop. Is this a sign? Nah!) The more I look at it, I think they spelled it NARRY. At least it was not LARRY.

I can’t wait to try the other dishes. I really wanted to try the pesto but I had another event to attend to that day that I had to avoid dishes that can potentially get stuck between my teeth.

Hmm… maybe I should try it this Saturday. :)

Rolling over Royce

I can’t believe it that I never bought Royce before. (Cheap-o me, I blame you!) I used to accompany some friends when they buy chocolates at Royce but I never bother even trying their samples. 

Since I felt so rich last Saturday (it wasn’t payday but I found a thousand bill hidden in my wallet so the thrill was almost the same), we decided to pass by Royce on our way to the cinema to watch Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (a must-watch movie!). 

Clueless curious Georges, we sampled almost everything. It was a bit embarrassing but hey, that’s where you get customers. 

The chocolate that caught my attention was the Nama Chocolates (PHP580 per box). I was torn between Champagne and Au Lait. My sister said that Au Lait was better thus I chose Champagne over Au Lait. (It’s all mine!!!) 

 My sister bought Milk Coffee Marshmallow Chocolate (PHP420) and until now she has no plans of opening it and I’m still waiting to try it.

Going back to Champagne Nama Chocolates, these are the things I love about it:

The subtle liquor taste

-You won’t get intoxicated… well, okay, you will… with its oh-so-yummy taste that is.

The soft texture of the chocolates

How the chocolate melts in your mouth

-The chocolate is covered in cocoa powder and upon biting it, the velvety  chocolate explodes (in a very nice way) in your mouth. As one of my colleagues would describe it, a party in your mouth.

I can’t wait to buy more!

Steak Heaven: Myron's Steaks Ribs & Seafood

I’ve been targeting to dine at Myron’s Steaks Ribs & Seafood for weeks now and I finally got the chance to have lunch there last weekend.

I thoroughly read the menu to check which ones to order. I wasn’t very hungry that time since I had a late breakfast thanks to morning traffic and that crazy food service (which I’m still thinking if I should post or not). However, my gluttonous tummy promised me that it can take in some more thus I happily ordered some dishes. 

Since I am a sucker for pumpkin (hey, it’s yummy and good for the eyes), I ordered pumpkin soup along with Myron’s best seller… The President (tagged as the REAL. GREAT. STEAK.). Since the restaurant was pretty confident about it, we made sure to order it. We were told that the steak was good for 2-3 so my dad didn’t order anything and shared the steak with me. 

My sister, the birthday girl, ordered Fried Hainanese Chicken as for the past few months, her name and Hainanese Chicken were synonymous.

First served was my Cream of Pumpkin (PHP125). It was… very flavorful… in fact, it was way too much. The soup was very creamy and thick that it does not serve its purpose… to boost one’s appetite. There was this (as we Filipinos call it) suya factor—will make you not want to eat it anymore after a few bites (or in this case, slurps/sips). I found it a bit too sweet and that made me miss the bacon sprinkled on top most restaurants do.

 

Next served was the President Steak (PHP2,010) which was described as “crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, swimming in its juices, sprinkled with Himalayan Pink Salt.” It was served with the plate tilted as to put the juice on one side of the plate. We had it cooked medium well thus the meat was still a bit reddish.

Oh my steak goodness! It was really good. The meat was very tender and it was seasoned just right. Be careful though of getting a mouthful of the Himalayan Salt as it could make that part super salty. 

 

How I wish I could have that as my lunch every day. It will surely put a hole in my wallet though.

Next served was the Fried Hainanese Chicken (PHP295). It was pretty dry thus making it hard to swallow. I guess that’s why it was served with soup. 

My sister didn’t like it because she was expecting that it would be similar to the one from Hainanese Delights which was swimming in sauce.

My dad being a coffee addict ordered coffee and I asked for one too since I noticed that they serve Illy. My sister fondly calls it “I Love Love You”. Well, there’s nothing to hate about Illy coffee. 

As an added bonus, Myron’s gave us a free dessert… Old Fashioned Bread Pudding with Dark Caramel Ice Cream and Rhum Sauce (PHP180). Yes, it was screaming CALORIES. But it was a great dessert to cap off the meal. The Bread Pudding added texture to the Dark Caramel Ice Cream and the warm pudding and cold ice cream was simply delectable.

I look forward to trying the other dishes soon. 

Myron’s Steaks Ribs & Seafood is located at Level P1, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Drive, Makati City.

Restaurant Discovery: Nav Modern Thai Cuisine

I used to dislike Thai food since I find it too spicy. But for some reason, for the past few months, I’ve been hooked to Thai dishes. It all started last June. I went to Silk (Eastwood), Siam (Ayala Cebu), Simply Thai (Greenbelt), and now Nav (the nearest of them all… Brgy. Kapitolyo).

Our fascination with NAV started when one of my colleagues suddenly gave us fliers of this new Thai restaurant called NAV Modern Thai Cuisine and she suggested that we dine there to hold my dear boss’ despedida. :(

The place was pretty small and parking is very limited. Perhaps only 2 to 3 cars can park (unless Uncle Moe’s and Slice n’ Dice are not stingy with their parking lots). The place can accommodate perhaps around 30 people the most. 

What I noticed was the rather cute interior. It was able to maximize the limited space by hanging some of its decorations and using some of the shelves to serve as the place to store the glasses and pitchers of water. 

We ordered a lot since we were 10 hungry publishers craving for a good lunch. Our mistake, though, was that we ordered a tad too much.

We started our meal off with the Crab Cake with sweet chili sauce (PHP230). To be honest, it was pretty ordinary deep-fried patties. I also found it a bit bland and the sauce was nothing to rave about since it tasted exactly like the bottled sweet chili sauce available in supermarkets.

The Shrimp Rolls (PHP250) was different though. It was tasty! The rolls have vermicelli noodles inside and it was a rather filling appetizer. 

Next served were Nav’s Pomelo Salad (PHP300) and Crisped Catfish Salad (PHP245). The pomelo added was fresh and the bits of chicken and nuts truly complemented the fruit. The Crisped Catfish Salad (with green mangoes) was pretty good too. It was not fishy like the other catfish salad served by other restaurants. The spice and sweetness of the salad made it one great dish.

After the two appetizers and two salads, we were starting to feel full since most dishes were good for 4-5 people (but the servers said that it was good for 2-3 only). But since we ordered it already, let the chewing continue.

The next dishes served were the Pad Thai (PHP280), Nav’s Bagoong Rice (PHP225), Crispy Tilapia (seasonal price), Green Curry (PHP240) and Penang Curry (PHP420).

The Pad Thai sure was a heavy dish to consume since it was a dish full of carbs. The noodles were well cooked and it was flavorful. The glutton in me could not stop get two servings of it. 

 The bagoong rice was your typical bagoong rice. Redundant but true. 

 The Green Curry with chicken bits and bamboo shoots was pretty good. I am not a curry person but this curry was quite good. It was a bit spicy though for me (but my colleagues did not find it spicy at all).

I didn’t bother trying the Penang Curry with beef brisket since all those who tried it said that it was so spicy. If they find the Green Curry mild and the Penang Curry spicy, then it must be really spicy.

Last dish served was the Wok Fry Tender Pork (PHP250). I wasn’t able to really taste this one as I was trying to save space for ChaTime. 

We didn’t order dessert but Nav treated us with two servings of their Pandan Crème (PHP140). It was a delightful dessert. The texture reminded me of egg pie. Actually, it tasted like egg pie only it was green.  Nonetheless, I loved it.

Nav is located at United St. Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City (Across Pioneer Center and Ace Water Spa).

Drink discovery: Dark Belgian Chocolate

As part of our not-yet-payday-lunch out, we went to Blenz as some of us were craving for the store’s drinks and pastries. 

Two of them suggested that we try the Iced Belgian Chocolate. The name itself was very convincing. (How I regretted drinking that syrup drink from the restaurant across the café.)

I ordered regular sized Iced Dark Belgian Chocolate with whipped cream (PHP145). I got so excited when the barista handed the drink to me. I don’t know how I calmly took pictures of it without tasting it first. 

Dark... Belgian... Chocolate... LOVE.

Finally, after taking a few snapshots of the drink, I took a sip… chocolate heaven. It was dark (yahoo!) unlike the drinks from other cafés also called dark chocolate but were EXTREMELY sweet. The whipped cream though made me return to Earth as it doesn’t taste that good. Just like how my colleague described it, “It tasted like marshmallows!”

Cute! :)

The others ordered milk chocolate. Maybe I should try that next time but I will most likely ask them to hold the whipped cream.

Blenz is located at the Level 2, Mega Atrium, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.

A Singaporean Lunch for 0.5

My colleagues and I decided to go out for lunch and meet up with a fellow publisher we miss dearly.

Since we only have a few hours to spare, we went to SM Megamall for lunch which (luckily) is about 10 minutes away from our workplace. 

We went straight to Orchard Road since we targeted to have desserts at Blenz. Always the curious George, I ordered something I haven’t tried yet. Soon, I uttered “Black Pepper Chicken, and one Chin Chow.” Well, it looked appetizing.

  

The service was fast. I got my order in less than 10 minutes (it somehow reminded me of how much I wanted Pizza Hut to fail their 10 minute challenge so that I could get my meal for free).

Now to describe my meal…

Chin Chow

My drink, Chin Chow (PHP65), was served right after paying for my meal (it was pay as you order type of restaurant) so I took a sip while waiting for my lunch. Well… it was just like the typical black gulaman only the gelatin/jelly was shredded thus the slim straw. It was also extremely sweet. I thought that the ratio of the syrup and water was 2:1. It was served lukewarm as well which I did not like… at all.

Black Pepper Chicken

Now for the main dish—Black Pepper Chicken (PHP175). It was… okay. I find it overpriced since the serving was too small, even for a toddler (well, a toddler with a healthy appetite). There were too much pepper (doi! It was a given but it was way too much) and the chicken cuts were more of nibble size than bite size. There were about the same number of green pepper slices and chicken cuts wherein I believe that the green pepper should have been a garnish. Oh well.

I was a bit envious of my colleagues’ orders since two of them ordered Hainanese Chicken and the cut was quite big. I didn’t order that since I just had Hainanese Chicken two days ago. 

The tapioca dessert seems promising though. Perhaps on my next visit, I will stick to dumplings and dessert. But I’ll probably skip Chin Chow and stick to water. 

Orchard Road is located at 2nd Level, Bridgeway, SM Megamall, EDSA corner Julia Vargas Ave. Mandaluyong City.

Aloha from Technohub???

It was one rainy day when we decided to have a picnic. No, we did not plan the picnic because it was raining. The image we had in mind was one sunny or at least cloudy day where we get to share homemade meals (okay, my share was not exactly homemade—JUNK FOOD). Anyway, to cut things short, we got stuck in a quaint café instead until lunch time. 

Since our brains were telling us to have lunch even when we were not really in the mood for a heavy lunch because we had cake and munched on the packed meals our friends prepared, we still went out and explored Technohub and there we saw this new-looking store named Hawaii’s North Shore.

The restaurant offered burgers, fries, and other comfort food such as fish and chips and chicken wings.

Since I was full, I ordered Spam Musubi (PHP60) that looked like Spam sushi, Phat Fries (PHP60), and large Pineapple Iced Tea (PHP70) for that Hawaiian feel. Yes, I was not hungry... really.

When my order arrived, I was surprised that the Spam Musubi was just… one. I saw a display of it with two Spam Musubis so I assumed that I will be getting two. Oh well. 

It was caramelized Spam on sticky rice. (I think I do not need to share more details about this since it was just sweet Spam.) A bit hard to eat though since it was rather big for one big bite but too messy if you cut it into pieces. 

The Phat Fries was your typical greasy yet oh-so-good fries. It was served hot though wasn’t very crispy.

As for the Pineapple Iced Tea… well, I think I will eventually get used to it. I didn’t really like it since my mind was telling me that something was wrong. (Brain: Hey, this does not taste like lemon! Where’s the lemony taste?!? I want the lemony taste!!!)

What I loved about the restaurant was that it was full of surprises... sweet and just plain surprising...

Get a FREE ice cream every time you spend PHP180. I got one since I spent PHP190.

Photo Op with the crew... we felt like celebrities.

Hawaii’s North Shore is located at UP Ayala Land TechnoHub, Commonwealth Ave. Brgy. UP Campus Diliman Quezon City