Craft Beer Haven: Resorts World Manila's October Fiesta

I usually avoid going out on a Friday given the insane traffic we have in Manila. But I simply couldn't say no to Resorts World Manila's October Fiesta. 

Hello, Resorts World Manila. 

We often see memes saying "wake me up when September ends" because October sure is one of the best months! We are just in the second week and there are already so many festive events to take part of. One of which was when Resorts World Manila started the October Fest celebration with its fun October Fiesta. 

Delicious with a Purpose: L'Shef

In this world of entitlement, we often encounter people who are too focused on what they could get and barely put any thought on what they could give back. This is why businesses that have Corporate Social Responsibility or give back programs stand out so much. And I find it hard not to support these selfless brands. One new discovery is this online shop that offers bottled kimchi and gourmet tuyo which supports our local fishermen. 

Hello, L'Shef. 

L'Shef is a play of words between chef and Shela, the lady behind this socially responsible shop. It currently offers a short list of homemade products, all of which were made or cooked by Shela. 

Supermarket Find: Stip's Chips

The salted egg craze started a few years ago and had most of our favorites covered in its thick flavorful sauce. And with barely any sign of it dying anytime soon, let's just say that this trend is here to stay. So, are you up for some salted egg potato chips?

Hello, Stip's Chips! 

The sudden popularity of anything salted egg flavored opened business opportunities to many. We've seen the boom of brands offering salted egg pizza, bread and what-have-you. But the most common product in the market is salted egg potato chips. 

First Bite: Indulgence by Irene Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love all sorts of cookies--from the commercially produced ones to the gooey batches you get from home bakers. Lately, I've been obsessed with the latter and would often find myself grabbing a few at food fairs. And I was lucky to get my hands on some Indulgence by Irene cookies a few weeks back when I met the foodie couple Richard and Irene. 
 
Hello, Indulgence by Irene.

Indulgence by Irene has been baking and delighting foodies for years now. Known for its delightful cheesecakes, Irene can definitely bake addictive cookies too!

Save the Date: Midsummer Manila Trunk Show on September 21-22, 2018

I have fully embraced the tita (aunt) in me and nothing excites me more than bazaars that let me score some awesome home finds! Lately, I'm addicted to room sprays, bed linens and plates. And when I found out that a trunk show with everything I love is on its way to BGC, I immediately put it in my calendar! 

Hello, Midsummer Manila Trunk Show!

First Sip: Cocoa Boulevard

With Mother Nature in its moodiest state, I prefer to stay in and enjoy watching the rain as I sip a hot cup of coffee or chocolate. And speaking of chocolate, I discovered a new alternative to my instant mix. 

Hello, Cocoa Boulevard.

I got a random message from Cocoa Boulevard a few months back asking if I would be interested to try its hot chocolate stirrers. Intrigued by the concept, I quickly said yes. I was then asked to wait for a few weeks as they make their hot chocolate stirrers from scratch. 

When in Negros Occidental: Punta Bulata

We've seen people crashing weddings and bachelor parties in movies but never in my wildest dreams would I consider doing it myself in real life. But I did. And before you start thinking of The Hangover or anything similar, it's far from that. After all, the dad of the bride was at the pre-wedding bash too. 

Hello, Punta Bulata White Beach & Spa.

Our very spontaneous trip to Punta Bulata all started when we were asked what our plans were the weekend we were in Bacolod. Since we had a loose schedule to follow during our first week in Visayas, we had time to relax and unwind in the City of Smiles. And when we were invited to hang out by some good friends in the city, we quickly said yes. But what was originally planned as a trip to Lakawon turned into us crashing a bachelor's and bachelorette's party at Punta Bulata. 

First Sip: Satinka Naturals

With wide variety of food and cuisine to choose from, it's so hard to stick on a diet or even eat healthy. I salute those who tirelessly eat clean and organic. I tried and failed (miserably) several times. As someone who loves every single sinful dish, I don't know how these organic restaurants charm me. It could be the great reviews I've been reading or its quirky interiors. This time around, I gave Satinka Naturals a try. 

Hello, Satinka Naturals. 

I've heard of this place a few years back when a former colleague of mine couldn't stop raving about it. She wasn't exactly a healthy eater so her raving about this place intrigued me. 

The Search is on for the Happiest Pinoy

Resilient is one of the words that best describe Filipinos. Such trait was seen several times when we got hit by super typhoons and other sorts of calamities and tragedies. Despite losing homes and at the brink of losing hope, Filipinos stand on their feet and face the day with bright smiles and strong determination to recover. And this is what inspired the country's largest microfinancal service company Cebuana Lhuillier to come up with a Search for the Happiest Pinoy.

Street food makes me crazy happy!

Where to find 'Legit' Taho in BGC

I have one insatiable craving... taho. It might have gotten worse when I realized that hot or warm taho is actually rarer than I thought. I used to grab a tub or two at Soy Yummy but the one near my office closed down a few years back making Rockwell the next nearest place to get my cup of happiness. Thankfully, I discovered this legit taho vendor during the recent McCormick Mother's Day event and found out that it is actually one of the regular vendors of Mercato Centrale BGC. 

I present... Sorbelato. 

Okay, the name of the stall might confuse you. This stall offers two of Pinoy classic favorites, sorbetes (tweaked and improved to have the texture of gelato hence the name) and taho. 

Love at First Bite: Blissful Sweets by Eu

I simply cannot resist sweets! It’s the part of the meal that I look forward to the most. Though I love munching on the tried and tested desserts, I find so much joy too whenever I come across awesome home bakers who can whip up amazing products. And last month, I discovered Blissful Sweets by Eu. 

Hello, Blissful Sweets by Eu. 

I got an unexpected email from Eu a couple weeks back asking if I’m open to try her baked treats. And as a sucker for sweets, I said yes without even knowing what she’ll give me. 

Eu personally delivered the goodies to my apartment but I was too busy packing for my trip the next day and doing last minute errands that I was not able to meet her. 

Dumaguete’s famous Sans Rival is now in Manila!

Dumaguete’s famous silvanas is now in Manila and it is expanding at blazing speed! 

Hello, Sans Rival. 

I was mindlessly browsing my feed one night when I suddenly saw a photo of a familiar facade. It was a photo of Sans Rival in Glorietta. I had to read the captions a few times to make sure I was not mistaken. Sans Rival is finally in Manila!

Curious Foodie: Angel's Burger

Who hasn't seen Angel's Burger must be living in a cave. This burger joint is one of the most successful local food brands in the country today with multiple branches nationwide. Though curious, I never really thought of trying it as I always have something else in mind. That was until we found ourselves starving during a road trip with no other restaurant in sight. So... what the heck? It can't be successful if it serves bad stuff, right?

Hello, Angel's Burger. 

Famous for its Buy One, Get One burgers, we availed of its Cheeseburger Sandwich (PHP38 or PHP19 per burger) while I upgraded mine to a Bacon Cheeseburger Sandwich by adding PHP16 for a slab of bacon. 

When in Cebu: Sans Rival

I am a sucker for local sweet stuff. I always find myself hoarding various delicacies from my trips down to Visayas,  especially Bacolod. One of the first things R and I buy is silvanas from Sans Rival, not the one from Dumagete but from a local mart that resells it. I even fell for its charm when I was in Mactan airport only to find out that it is being sold more than twice expensive. But I didn't care and grabbed a box in an instant. But I discovered a new place to stock up on my favorite at a more reasonable price... at Sans Rival full service restaurant in Robinsons Galleria Cebu!  

Hello, Sans Rival!

I literally jumped and twirled like a little girl who saw her crush when I read an article mentioning that Sans Rival opened a branch in Robinsons Galleria. But my heart sank when I read the next word... Cebu. 

First Bite: LAVA Cheese Tart's Lava Eruptions Premium Cheese Ice Cream

I've been a big fan of LAVA since it opened in SM Aura. Its delectable cheese tarts are amazing. And I feel great supporting a local brand using local products. I've heard news though that Lava launched a new line and I just have to try it myself!

Hello again, LAVA Cheese Tarts.

I've been busy with work lately that I hardly get to visit malls. But an opportunity to drop by Uptown Mall came one day and I decided to swing by LAVA before attending an event. Luckily, this LAVA branch offers its newest product, Lava Eruptions Premium Cheese Ice Cream (PHP85, cone | PHP135, cup with three toppings of your choice). 

Love at First Bite: Sharyn's Cansi House

One of the dishes I was excited to try in Bacolod is cansi (or kansi). I've tried it before here in Manila but I was not impressed with its extremely salty taste. Apparently, the taste of real cansi is quite far from the one I had. Hearing that it's supposed to be tangy (thanks to this local produce called batwan) made me excited to give it a second chance. And to avoid disappointment, I went to the best cansi place in town, Sharyn's Cansi House.

Hello, Sharyn's Cansi House. 

This no-frills cansi restaurant is located in what the locals call Shopping Center of Bacolod. 

First Bite: Blue Post Boiling Crabs & Shrimps

I have a love-hate relationship with crabs and shrimps. Though I love eating these delectable sea creatures, I dislike peeling or cracking off the shells. But I simply could not say no to the grand opening of a new seafood joint in Greenhills. 

Hello, Blue Posts Boiling Crabs & Shrimps.

This well-loved seafood restaurant started in 2013 and was established in Davao city by a group of friends who were looking for a place where they could hang out, relax and have a few drinks. They decided to call the unwinding spot Blue Post. Fast forward to 2017, Blue Post Boiling Crabs & Shrimps have grown and expanded to Manila. 

With a whopping 2,000 kilos of crabs sold per week just in its three branches in Davao, it would be hard to deny Blue Post's success. And this is why Blue Post finally gave in to its distant patrons requests and opened its first company owned and stand alone branch in Manila (with SM North Edsa and Mall of Asia as franchises).

When In Hong Kong: Go Jelly Crazy!

I love jello, jelly, gelatin… whatever you call it. It used to be my staple afternoon snack and I remember that I used to get all the grape flavored ones to eat and the red ones to use as my pretend lipstick. I still get to have my jello fix from time to time these days but in the form of coffee jelly, grass jelly or sago’t gulaman. But when we discovered a jello place in Hong Kong, R and I dropped by the place as frequent as we could.

Hello… uhm… sorry, I can’t read Chinese. But this is the place near Canal Road, Causeway Bay. 

R and I headed to the small restaurant one time after dinner. We got curious with why a lot of locals frequent the place and we were greeted by a friendly elder who I assume is the owner of the restaurant.  We told him our order—one bowl of black jello (HK$7). 

Service was quick and we got our bowl in less than 5 minutes.

It was pretty bland as is so R added this orange powder we saw on the edge of the table. 

We sparingly sprinkled some of the said powder and it turned the jello sweet. We then figured that it was sugar. And that was when we went crazy with it. 

It was just your usual bland jello but it being served chilled and topped with sugar made it a refreshing dessert, perfect to cap any meal.

I'm in Lava again with Lava Cheese Tarts

It has been a while since I last dropped by Lava for my cheese tart fix. I try to avoid it as I’ve had a lot during Christmas break. But when my tummy craves, my whole body follows.  And so, I found myself in front of Lava one early afternoon.

Hello again, Lava Cheese Tarts!

First Bite: Lava Cheese Tarts

The cheese tart craze has finally hit Manila with a bunch of bakeshops and new brands offering these delightful treats to the local market. Though most of the prominent players are international brands, we have a handful of home bakers who offer such at a more pocket friendly price. But for foodies who are impatient and want their goodies ASAP, pre-ordering and waiting for days before those cheese tarts arrive are just too much. For months, most of us were stuck with these international brands until a local player decided to join the craze.

Hello, Lava Cheese Tarts. 

I was so excited to try Lava’s version of cheese tarts especially after finding out that they use local cheeses for its tarts. I even went to Fork Spoon Manila’s Eatscape to Aura event after finding out that they were part of the food crawl. (And it happens to be on the day of my flight to the land of kimchi and free facial masks!) Unfortunately, they experienced some delays and had to move their opening date the week after but invited those who participated during the food crawl to attend its media launch on the 3rd of November at 1 p.m.. And I was still not around that time. *cries* But with yearning tummy comes intense desire and dedication.