Monday, October 30, 2017

First Bite: Finnians Irish Pub

St. Patrick's Day is a worldwide celebration of the Irish culture. It is also the day synonymous to October Fest. Known to be the day everyone dons a green garment, the night ends till  your face turns green as well with alcohol. It just comes once a year so it's fine. But what if I tell you that there's a place that makes one feel like you're in Ireland and gives the St. Patrick's Day vibe year round?

Hello, Finnians Irish Pub.

Tucked inside the foodie jungle San Juan, this quaint restaurant and bar is right beside the classic Calderon. 
Dark fixtures are the first thing you'll notice when you enter Finnians. Right beside the staircase is its bar filled with liquor, Irish beers and whiskeys that will make anyone fond of drinking giddy with joy. 

Friday, October 27, 2017

Foodie Alert: The Shrimp Fever is on at Blue Post Boiling Crabs

Love shrimps and don't care to have your hands messy for the sake of good food? Then you'd definitely like what I have to share with you. Blue Post Boiling Crabs & Shrimps has something up its sleeves to make Halloween and your November yummier.

Hello, Blue Post Boiling Crabs & Shrimps.
Just when I thought I'd be living an anti-social life and not go out given the unpredictable weather and horrendous traffic, I went out. There's only two words that made me brave Greenhills traffic and that's "unlimited shrimps". Yes! You read that right! Unlimited fresh and delectable crustaceans. How can you resist that?

Thursday, October 26, 2017

First Sip: Common Folk

I'm usually a morning person. But I turn into a grumpy old lady whenever I lack sleep for days. Thankfully, cafes are popping here and there for that needed source of energy. And one of the coffee shops I've been targeting for months is located just a few steps away from my latest shoot location. 
Hello, Common Folk

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Southern Chronicles: B Hotel Alabang's Prime Cafe Launches New Dishes

A menu reveal never fails to excite me. Aside from being one of the first to sample new dishes, I get to spend time with my favorite foodies. This time, it was the launch of B Hotel Alabang's new dishes. 

Hello, B Hotel Alabang.

Fondly called B Culinary Soiree, it was indeed a meet up of several food enthusiasts and media. 

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Southern Chronicles: B Hotel Alabang

I've been curious about B Hotel ever since I've dined in its Quezon City branch a few months ago. The quite under the radar hotel chain by Bellevue delighted me with its delectable dishes and I got excited when I got an invitation to attend the menu reveal of its Alabang counterpart (which I will blog separately). It may have been a crazy long travel given the Manila traffic, but I decided that it must be worth the trip.

Hello, B Hotel Alabang.
I got to the hotel a bit past 5, quite late from my target of 4 p.m., an hour past check in time.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Second Bite: Cocina Peruvia

Cocina Peruvia is no stranger to me. I've tried it last year in its BGC branch and it was not technically love at first bite. However, I loved its Galera de Chocolate and that was good enough reason for me to go back for more.
Hello, Cucina Peruvia.

Friday, October 20, 2017

First Bite: Banh Mi Kitchen

The Vietnamese sandwich banh mi has been around for years. However, it was just recent when foodies took notice of this. We have the likes of Bon Banhmi, Banh Nam and a few others but none created more buzz than what was known as #CrunchTest. And it continues to be talked about by foodies with its innovative take on the classic Asian sandwich. 

Hello, Banh Mi Kitchen.
Now with seven branches under its belt, there's no stopping Banh Mi Kitchen from turning Manila food enthusiasts into banh mi lovers. It has established itself as a go to place for crunchy and filling sandwiches. And last week, it released a new mouthwatering variant. 

Thursday, October 19, 2017

First Bite: Runner's Kitchen

I've been hearing a lot about this restaurant offering organic dishes for more than a year now. Though it has been getting mixed reviews, I can't help myself from wanting to visit the place that makes healthy eating look so photogenic. And two weeks ago, I finally got to drop by with R and his vegetarian supplier S. 

Hello, Runner's Kitchen.
Located along the busy foodie stretch of Tomas Morato, you have to keep your eyes open as its facade is not easy to find. But thanks to Waze, we found it. 

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

My Healthy Fix: llaollao

We live in a world where eating healthy could be challenging. With so many tempting and sinful products in the market, most of us fall in the trap of unhealthy diets. Thankfully, more and more brands are finding ways to help us stay on track by offering healthy dishes and snacks are not only delectable but also pocket friendly. 

Hello, llaollao!
It's amazing how fast this well-loved brand from Spain has grown. Now with 5 branches, it now caters to foodies from the North down to South. 

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Second Bite: Elait!

This is probably the hottest year to date, literally. Even though Jose Mari Chan's Christmas songs are already all over the city (and internet), the intense summer heat still lingers. Thank goodness though for ice cream

Hello, Elait!
I've shared before how much I love this brand. Though still small compared to other establishments, this is one of the brands that has the biggest heart. It proved that you don't have to be big to have CSR. All you need is to have the passion for it. 

Monday, October 16, 2017

First Bite: Overdoughs

What's your staple cinema snack? Mine's always popcorn, hot dog on bun, soda and some sour tapes. And those last me till the end of the...trailers. I'm not kidding! But I might change my movie munchies to something more interesting and hopefully it lasts me till the first 10 minutes of the movie. 

Hello, Overdoughs!
After the successful launch of Overdoughs at Century City Mall, it opened its second store at Ayala Malls the 30th. And I was lucky to be invited to its grand opening last October 7. 

Friday, October 13, 2017

First Bite: Sweet Inspirations

Sweet Inspirations has been around for a long time. I remember always seeing it along Katipunan when I have errands to do within the area. However, I never got the time to drop by. I figured that I could get my slice of cake elsewhere. But I had no idea that this place offers more than sweets. 

Hello, Sweet Inspirations
I dropped by its Hemady Square branch one Saturday afternoon and I was surprised to see a Mongolian station. 

Thursday, October 12, 2017

City Life: H Hotels

One of the perks of being a freelancer is that you can be very mobile and dodge traffic from time to time. But when you live in a city that has insane traffic, you cannot avoid being stuck on the road. So R and I thought of something... why not stay where we have to go to the following day? And with that idea in mind, we spontaneously booked a room at one of the numerous hotels in Quezon City. 

Hello, H Hotels.
H Hotels is one of the small hotels in the busy Quezon City. I was attracted to book this hotel when I found out that it is situated just behind SM North. I figured that I could walk to the mall after checking in to grab dinner. However, the road you have to take to get to the mall is too dark and scary. I ended up buying a meal near R's office instead. 

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

When in Davao: Sea Green Café + Boutique Rooms

I rely on two things when looking for a restaurant while traveling... TripAdvisor and Instagram. I check TripAdvisor for the ratings and the latter to find out how Instagram worthy the restaurants are. And more often than not, I rely more on TripAdvisor's rating more than how appealing a dish would look on my feed. After all, wasting hard earned money on pretty but terrible food is never a good idea. There might be fashion over comfort but I don't agree with Instagram over taste. It's a jackpot though when I discover a place that offers good and pretty dishes. And that's what I thought when I saw Sea Green Café + Boutique Rooms. 

Hello, Sea Green Café + Boutique Rooms
This bed and breakfast joint is one of the popular foodie destinations in Davao. Known for its healthy dishes and Instagram worthy place, I figured that we could have an early lunch here one Saturday morning. 

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Davao's First: Apo View Hotel

Just when I thought August was crazy, I was greeted by an even crazier September. With three trips lined up, two for Davao and one for Shanghai, I could count with one hand how many days I stayed at home. I'm not complaining though as it's also nice to have a change of scenery from time to time. And speaking of change, R and I decided to try out another accommodation during our third visit in Davao

Hello, Apo View Hotel.

Apo View Hotel is one of the most popular hotels in the city of durian. It opened its doors to the public in 1948 with only fifteen rooms and one restaurant, making it the very first hotel in Davao
Throughout the years, Apo View Hotel expanded to 100 guest rooms and is now recognized as one of Davao City's landmarks. It has also won several prestigious awards and recognition such as the Datu Bago Award (highest award given by the City of Davao to its outstanding constituents) and being recognized as a Pioneer Hotel by the Department of Tourism. Just reading those made me feel so excited towards my three nights stay in Apo View Hotel.

Monday, October 9, 2017

First Sip: Mozafrió

It may be a couple of months to go before Christmas but the intense summer heat is here to stay. I always find myself wanting and craving for cold treats like ice cream and milkshakes. And last week, I discovered Mozafrió.

Hello, Mozafrió
This milkshake store is located on the second floor of the hip and very millennial The Food Hive in Quezon City. 

Friday, October 6, 2017

First Bite: Hapag Heritage Cuisine

There's nothing more comforting than Filipino food. Always rich in flavor, each bite never fails to make me feel like at home. And at Hapag Heritage Cuisine, I didn't feel just at home, I felt like I had a gastronomical trip around the Philippines. 

Hello, Hapag Heritage Cuisine
This Filipino restaurant tucked inside the foodie haven Teachers Village was one of the stops of Zomato x Nestle Food Crawl. 

Thursday, October 5, 2017

McSpicy is Back and Now Available in Garlic Parmesan!

McSpicy is back! This is not a drill. I repeat, McSpicy is back! And it now comes in two flavors. 

Hello, McDonald's
I got a sweet message from M last week mentioning that they will be launching something spicy last Friday and they'd like to send some over for me to be one of the first foodies to taste it. And of course I said yes. But there was one problem... I was out of town last Thursday to Monday. Thankfully, McDonald's was very accommodating and without any hesitation, asked me where they could deliver it instead. Sweet! It was my first time to have something delivered to me while on a vacation (sort of). 

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

When in Bohol: Tarsier Conservation Center

Tarsiers are closely associated to Bohol so it would be lame to not visit the Tarsier Conservation Center when in Loboc. And I was so glad when R's dealer drove us to the place right after visiting Chocolate Hills

Hello, Tarsier Conservation Center
The Tarsier Conservation Center is just a few minutes away from the famous Chocolate Hills so you could definitely visit these two tourist spots in half a day or even in two hours. 

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

When in Bohol: Alona Beach

One of the things I love about Visayas is that it is filled with so many beautiful islands and beaches. And Panglao's Alona Beach does not disappoint with its white sand and clear water. 

Hello, Alona Beach
Alona Beach is one of the busiest areas in Panglao. The long strip is filled with resorts, restaurants and tourist, predominantly Koreans and Chinese. On our last day in Bohol, we decided to spend the morning in Alona Beach since we spent the first two days touring the city and the island hopping. 

Monday, October 2, 2017

Second Bite: Coconut House

It has been a while since I last visited Quezon Memorial Circle. But I still remember the two times I dropped by this place known to be a date spot by some locals. The park was crowded with Pokemon Go players running around trying to catch Charizard, Squirtle, Pikachu and pretty much every single one spawning here and there. And one of the hottest spots to get the rare Pokemons was Coconut House. The place was like a gold mine. Since it was really humid during my last visit, I decided to buy one ice drop to cool me down. And it was refreshing! I then promised myself that I'll swing by again to try its food.

Hello, Coconut House!

It was one rainy Monday when I visited but the servers bright smiles sure changed my gloomy mood.
The place was simple and very straightforward. There's a counter in front with a menu board on top, a few shelves with coconut-based products, and several tables and chairs.