FiRST AQUA-THEMED HOTEL : HOTEL H2O

The chic, four-star Hotel H20 Manila opened its doors in 2009 and boasts a distinctive, fresh style and outstanding service. -World Hotels

I must say, our stay at Hotel H2O proved to be one of the loveliest hotel stays we had to date.  If only we don’t have jobs to get back into, I would’ve pampered myself a little bit more and stayed longer.

When we contacted Hotel H2O, there were no rooms left for the date we originally wanted to stay. I was really intrigued and figured they must have awfully nice rooms to have been fully booked that fast.  My Rowan reasoned out it’s okay we celebrated the Eve of our 3rd Anniversary instead of the day itself and luckily, there are 4 more rooms left for that date, all of which are the Park View Room. On the website, it says it has the view of the Rizal Park. Quite frankly, I was not as excited as I was when I thought we’ll be staying at the Aquarium Room, but heck we still booked for a night.

When we got to the hotel lobby, located on the third floor of the building (within the vicinity of Manila Ocean Park itself,) the hotel receptionist greeted us with a smile.  My partner handled the forms needed to be signed as I strolled around.  Within 5 minutes, we were secured with a key card.

When we got into our room, we had one word in mind: AMAZING. I might as well just hate myself for almost not wanting to go at this hotel!

I love the entire interior of our room! Embellished with everything that reminds you of water; from curtains to mattresses down to remote controls. Yes, remote controls. Everything is Hotel-H2O-personalized.  And what the website deems as the view of the Rizal Park is NOT JUST the view of Rizal Park; we also got the view of the lap pool and Aquatica from our huge bedroom window! Talk about free marine shows.

Once we got all our things settled, we took a nice stroll at the park.  This isn’t our first time so we were not as thrilled as before but I must say they did a good maintenance of the park; additional shows were even added such as the Encounter With The Penguins.  Albeit all the eye-candy, what I most look forward to is another relaxing experience with The Doctor Fishes, a foot spa like no other.  Weirdly, the fish nibbles relaxes and tickles as it “eat” dead skin cells off of your feet; and since your feet is soaked in water, it adds to the soothing feeling of being indulged. This spa service also available as a package at a very reasonable price if you visit Zenyu Eco Spa (Hotel H2O’s in-house spa salon) but as it was a package, it was tied with another type of pampering, a healing component through the negative ion hot bed treatment.

With all the restaurants just within the vicinity of the park, you’ll never get hungry. We bought pizza and burger for dinner that night. We munched happily while watching an hour of Musical Fountain show from our bedroom window.

In the event you’d rather eat somewhere fancy, the Hotel H2O has the Makan-Makan restaurant. It is an Asian food village with an inviting ambiance overlooking White Moon Bar and the Manila Bay.

The following day, we enjoyed dipping in their huge Jacuzzi just beside the Liquid Pool and Bar and swimming in their lap pool.

The rest of our stay was spent cuddling, exchanging stories and reminiscing all the mushy things in between.

In conclusion, I enjoyed our Anniversary, thanks to Hotel H2O! Prolly in the future, we’ll try the Aquarium Room just for experience

Getting There:

Source: http://www.ph-commute.com/2008/02/how-to-commute-to-manila-ocean-park_20.html

Nearest Train Station: LRT1-United Nations (UN)
Bus Routes: Any that passes through Taft Avenue/Mabini/M.H. del Pilar/Luneta

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Commuting Routes:

From Caloocan:

1. Take the LRT1 to United Nations (UN) station.
2. Cross Taft Avenue, towards Times Plaza.
3. Turn right, and continue walking about 1 block along Taft Avenue (following the LRT1 track) until you get to Teodoro M. Kalaw.
4. Turn left at Kalaw, and continue walking about 2-3 blocks until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You will pass by the Department of Tourism, the National Library, Old Luneta, Rizal Park, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.
5. Turn right after Rizal Park/Museo ng Maynila. You will see Manila Ocean Park on your left behind the Quirino Grandstand.

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From Makati:

Route 1: MRT-LRT

1. Take the MRT to Taft terminal station.
2. Walk through the connecting foot bridge towards LRT1-EDSA station.
3. Take the LRT1 to United Nations (UN) station.
4. Cross Taft Avenue, towards Times Plaza.
5. Turn right, and continue walking about 1 block along Taft Avenue (following the LRT1 track) until you get to Teodoro M. Kalaw.
6. Turn left at Kalaw, and continue walking about 2-3 blocks until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You will pass by the Department of Tourism, the National Library, Old Luneta, Rizal Park, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.
7. Turn right after Rizal Park/Museo ng Maynila. You will see Manila Ocean Park on your left behind the Quirino Grandstand.

Route 2: Bus

1. From Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia), Makati Avenue, or Ayala Avenue, take the PVP Liner bus to Taft Avenue/Lawton, and get off at Luneta/Rizal Park.
2. Cross Taft Avenue, towards the side of Luneta/Rizal Park.
3. Walk through Luneta/Rizal Park until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You can either:

• You can choose to go in Rizal Park and walk straight along past the Department of Finance, the Department of Tourism, Planetarium, the National Library, and Roxas Boulevard.
• You can choose to turn at Finance/Padre Burgos (on the right side of Rizal Park) and walk straight along past the National Museum, the Department of Finance, Planetarium, Intramuros Golf Course, Old Luneta, Roxas Boulevard, and Manila Hotel.
• You can choose to turn at Teodoro M. Kalaw (on the left side of Rizal Park) and walk straight along past Gen. Luna, Dept. of Tourism, Maria Y. Orosa, Churucca, San Carlos, National Library, A. Mabini, M. H. del Pilar, Roxas Boulevard, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.

1. When you get past Rizal Park, you will see the Quirino Grandstand. Right behind it is the Manila Ocean Park.

Route 3: Jeep

1. From Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia), ride a jeep to LRT/Taft, and get off at Taft Avenue.
2. Along Taft, ride a jeep to Divisoria/Blumentritt/Dapitan UST/Taft/Mabini/M. H. del Pilar, and get off at Luneta/Rizal Park.
3. Cross Taft Avenue, towards the side of Luneta/Rizal Park.
4. Walk through Luneta/Rizal Park until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You can either:

• You can choose to go in Rizal Park and walk straight along past the Department of Finance, the Department of Tourism, Planetarium, the National Library, and Roxas Boulevard.
• You can choose to turn at Finance/Padre Burgos (on the right side of Rizal Park) and walk straight along past the National Museum, the Department of Finance, Planetarium, Intramuros Golf Course, Old Luneta, Roxas Boulevard, and Manila Hotel.
• You can choose to turn at Teodoro M. Kalaw (on the left side of Rizal Park) and walk straight along past Gen. Luna, Dept. of Tourism, Maria Y. Orosa, Churucca, San Carlos, National Library, A. Mabini, M. H. del Pilar, Roxas Boulevard, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.

1. When you get past Rizal Park, you will see the Quirino Grandstand. Right behind it is the Manila Ocean Park.

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From Mandaluyong/Pasig:

1. Take the MRT to Taft terminal station.
2. Walk through the connecting foot bridge towards LRT1-EDSA station.
3. Take the LRT1 to United Nations (UN) station.
4. Cross Taft Avenue, towards Times Plaza.
5. Turn right, and continue walking about 1 block along Taft Avenue (following the LRT1 track) until you get to Teodoro M. Kalaw.
6. Turn left at Kalaw, and continue walking about 2-3 blocks until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You will pass by the Department of Tourism, the National Library, Old Luneta, Rizal Park, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.
7. Turn right after Rizal Park/Museo ng Maynila. You will see Manila Ocean Park on your left behind the Quirino Grandstand.

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From Manila:

Route 1: LRT1

1. Take the LRT1 to United Nations (UN) station.
2. Turn left, and continue walking about 1 block along Taft Avenue (following the LRT1 track) until you get to Teodoro M. Kalaw.
3. Turn left at Kalaw, and continue walking about 2-3 blocks until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You will pass by the Department of Tourism, the National Library, Old Luneta, Rizal Park, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.
4. Turn right after Rizal Park/Museo ng Maynila. You will see Manila Ocean Park on your left behind the Quirino Grandstand.

Route 2: LRT2-LRT1

1. Take the LRT2 to Recto terminal station.
2. Walk through the connecting foot bridge towards LRT1-Doroteo Jose station.
3. Take the LRT1 to United Nations (UN) station.
4. Turn left, and continue walking about 1 block along Taft Avenue (following the LRT1 track) until you get to Teodoro M. Kalaw.
5. Turn left at Kalaw, and continue walking about 2-3 blocks until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You will pass by the Department of Tourism, the National Library, Old Luneta, Rizal Park, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.
6. Turn right after Rizal Park/Museo ng Maynila. You will see Manila Ocean Park on your left behind the Quirino Grandstand.

Route 3: Jeep

1. From Divisoria/Taft/UST, ride a jeep to Taft Avenue/Mabini/M. H. del Pilar/Luneta/Baclaran, and get off at Luneta.
2. Walk through Luneta/Rizal Park until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You can either:

• You can choose to go in Rizal Park and walk straight along past the Department of Finance, the Department of Tourism, Planetarium, the National Library, and Roxas Boulevard.
• You can choose to turn at Finance/Padre Burgos (on the right side of Rizal Park) and walk straight along past the National Museum, the Department of Finance, Planetarium, Intramuros Golf Course, Old Luneta, Roxas Boulevard, and Manila Hotel.
• You can choose to turn at Teodoro M. Kalaw (on the left side of Rizal Park) and walk straight along past Gen. Luna, Dept. of Tourism, Maria Y. Orosa, Churucca, San Carlos, National Library, A. Mabini, M. H. del Pilar, Roxas Boulevard, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.

1. When you get past Rizal Park, you will see the Quirino Grandstand. Right behind it is the Manila Ocean Park.

Route 4: Jeep

1. From Taft, ride a jeep to Divisoria/Blumentritt/Dapitan UST/Taft/Mabini/M. H. del Pilar, and get off at Luneta/Rizal Park.
2. Cross Taft Avenue, towards the side of Luneta/Rizal Park.
3. Walk through Luneta/Rizal Park until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You can either:

• You can choose to go in Rizal Park and walk straight along past the Department of Finance, the Department of Tourism, Planetarium, the National Library, and Roxas Boulevard.
• You can choose to turn at Finance/Padre Burgos (on the right side of Rizal Park) and walk straight along past the National Museum, the Department of Finance, Planetarium, Intramuros Golf Course, Old Luneta, Roxas Boulevard, and Manila Hotel.
• You can choose to turn at Teodoro M. Kalaw (on the left side of Rizal Park) and walk straight along past Gen. Luna, Dept. of Tourism, Maria Y. Orosa, Churucca, San Carlos, National Library, A. Mabini, M. H. del Pilar, Roxas Boulevard, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.

1. When you get past Rizal Park, you will see the Quirino Grandstand. Right behind it is the Manila Ocean Park.

Route 4: Jeep

1. From Divisoria / Manila City Hall, ride a jeep to A. Mabini and get off M. H. Del Pilar corner T.M. Kalaw.
2. Walk towards Roxas Boulevard.
3. Cross Roxas Boulevard and keep walking until you see the Quirino Grandstand. The Manila Ocean Park is right beside Quirino Grandstand.

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From Pateros

1. Ride a jeep to Ayala and get off at Pasay Road (Antonio S. Arnaiz Avenue).
2. Ride a jeep to Libertad.
3. Walk around three blocks along Libertad to Taft Avenue.
4. Ride a jeep to Blumentritt, Quiapo, Cubao, or Malanday via Mabini, and ask the driver to drop you off at Mabini cor. Kalaw. Landmark is Rizal Park.
5. Make a left and walk around 7 blocks until you get to Parade Avenue.
6. Make a right at Parade Avenue, the Manila Ocean Park is right beside Quirino Grandstand.

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From Paranaque:

Route 1: LRT1

1. Take the LRT1 to United Nations (UN) station.
2. Cross Taft Avenue, towards Times Plaza.
3. Turn right, and continue walking about 1 block along Taft Avenue (following the LRT1 track) until you get to Teodoro M. Kalaw.
4. Turn left at Kalaw, and continue walking about 2-3 blocks until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You will pass by the Department of Tourism, the National Library, Old Luneta, Rizal Park, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.
5. Turn right after Rizal Park/Museo ng Maynila. You will see Manila Ocean Park on your left behind the Quirino Grandstand.

Route 2: Jeep

1. From Taft, ride a jeep to Divisoria/Blumentritt/Dapitan UST/Taft/Mabini/M. H. del Pilar, and get off at Luneta/Rizal Park.
2. Cross Taft Avenue, towards the side of Luneta/Rizal Park.
3. Walk through Luneta/Rizal Park until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You can either:

• You can choose to go in Rizal Park and walk straight along past the Department of Finance, the Department of Tourism, Planetarium, the National Library, and Roxas Boulevard.
• You can choose to turn at Finance/Padre Burgos (on the right side of Rizal Park) and walk straight along past the National Museum, the Department of Finance, Planetarium, Intramuros Golf Course, Old Luneta, Roxas Boulevard, and Manila Hotel.
• You can choose to turn at Teodoro M. Kalaw (on the left side of Rizal Park) and walk straight along past Gen. Luna, Dept. of Tourism, Maria Y. Orosa, Churucca, San Carlos, National Library, A. Mabini, M. H. del Pilar, Roxas Boulevard, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.

1. When you get past Rizal Park, you will see the Quirino Grandstand. Right behind it is the Manila Ocean Park.

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From Pasay:

Route 1: LRT1

1. Take the LRT1 to United Nations (UN) station.
2. Cross Taft Avenue, towards Times Plaza.
3. Turn right, and continue walking about 1 block along Taft Avenue (following the LRT1 track) until you get to Teodoro M. Kalaw.
4. Turn left at Kalaw, and continue walking about 2-3 blocks until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You will pass by the Department of Tourism, the National Library, Old Luneta, Rizal Park, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.
5. Turn right after Rizal Park/Museo ng Maynila. You will see Manila Ocean Park on your left behind the Quirino Grandstand.

Route 2: Jeep

1. From Taft, ride a jeep to Divisoria/Blumentritt/Dapitan UST/Taft/Mabini/M. H. del Pilar, and get off at Luneta/Rizal Park.
2. Cross Taft Avenue, towards the side of Luneta/Rizal Park.
3. Walk through Luneta/Rizal Park until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You can either:

• You can choose to go in Rizal Park and walk straight along past the Department of Finance, the Department of Tourism, Planetarium, the National Library, and Roxas Boulevard.
• You can choose to turn at Finance/Padre Burgos (on the right side of Rizal Park) and walk straight along past the National Museum, the Department of Finance, Planetarium, Intramuros Golf Course, Old Luneta, Roxas Boulevard, and Manila Hotel.
• You can choose to turn at Teodoro M. Kalaw (on the left side of Rizal Park) and walk straight along past Gen. Luna, Dept. of Tourism, Maria Y. Orosa, Churucca, San Carlos, National Library, A. Mabini, M. H. del Pilar, Roxas Boulevard, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.

1. When you get past Rizal Park, you will see the Quirino Grandstand. Right behind it is the Manila Ocean Park.

Route 3: Jeep

1. From Baclaran, ride a jeep to Mabini and get off at A. Mabini corner Kalaw. You will see Rizal Park to the left of Kalaw.
2. Cross T.M. Kalaw and walk 4 blocks towards Roxas Bolevard.
3. Cross Roxas Boulevard and keep walking until you see the Quirino Grandstand. The Manila Ocean Park is right beside Quirino Grandstand.

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From Quezon City:

Route 1: LRT2-LRT1

1. Take the LRT2 to Recto terminal station.
2. Walk through the connecting foot bridge towards LRT1-Doroteo Jose station.
3. Take the LRT1 to United Nations (UN) station.
4. Turn left, and continue walking about 1 block along Taft Avenue (following the LRT1 track) until you get to Teodoro M. Kalaw.
5. Turn left at Kalaw, and continue walking about 2-3 blocks until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You will pass by the Department of Tourism, the National Library, Old Luneta, Rizal Park, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.
6. Turn right after Rizal Park/Museo ng Maynila. You will see Manila Ocean Park on your left behind the Quirino Grandstand.

Route 2: MRT-LRT1

1. Take the MRT to Taft terminal station.
2. Walk through the connecting foot bridge towards LRT1-EDSA station.
3. Take the LRT1 to United Nations (UN) station.
4. Cross Taft Avenue, towards Times Plaza.
5. Turn right, and continue walking about 1 block along Taft Avenue (following the LRT1 track) until you get to Teodoro M. Kalaw.
6. Turn left at Kalaw, and continue walking about 2-3 blocks until you get to Parade Avenue/Quirino St. You will pass by the Department of Tourism, the National Library, Old Luneta, Rizal Park, Museo Pambata, and Museo ng Maynila.
7. Turn right after Rizal Park/Museo ng Maynila. You will see Manila Ocean Park on your left behind the Quirino Grandstand.

SARANG HAE, TOUS LES JOURS!

I welcome you, with wide open, watering mouth, Tous Les Jours!

Just a couple of months ago, Tous Les Jours has opened their first branch in the Philippines at The Block in QC. I couldn’t have been more thrilled to find out that their second franchise has been opened in SM Southmall just a few weeks back, too!

There was never a time I didn’t look twice on a Tour Les Jours cake. Believe me, like a guy ogling on a sexy lady, I am drooling on these sweets whenever we pass by their store!

Albeit the little information I have with this international bakeshop, I know for a fact this is another franchise from Korea.  Their very accommodating staff has been a great help in providing useful information (which is really cool!) I might ask on our next visit why they coined a French title.

For me and my partner’s 3rd Anniversary, we didn’t buy Mango Bravo from Conti’s but decided to try Tous Les Jours Chocolate Heart Cake instead. I’m pretty excited about this as I would like to prove myself this pastry shop isn’t just about presentation.  Obviously, I’d give a 10 for presentation, that really is the clincher. What would my score be for taste?

We were advised that fresh stocks of these gorgeous cakes are being delivered every Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mind you, reservations are okay on this bakeshop so we too advantage of that perk.

There was a huge selection of cakes and we are kind of torn which to choose.  Their bestsellers are these yogurt cakes at 598php and although I am close to choosing this strawberry-shaped yogurt cake, I know my partner is not a fan and I took that into consideration.  Cakes here range from 398php-1,100php.

Truthfully, it took me two days before I finally got the “courage” to devour our perfectly gorgeous cake and I was not disappointed, it was indeed worth the wait.  The Belgian chocolate was just of right sweetness and the fudge is soft and moist. The heart design are cookies, by the way. Overall, I enjoyed that for a change, we ordered at Tous Les Jours rather than Conti’s.

I am pretty sure there’ll be more of this pastry shop soon to open. I hope ATC and Trinoma’s next! More of TU-LE-JU, please!

 

Contact Tous Les Jours at these numbers:

The Block:  921-8972

SM Southmall:  621-0637

CHINESE NON-CLICHE, MANN HANN.

There’s never a lousy day if capped with a sumptuous dine at a good restaurant!

Just recently, our hungry mouths and impulsive feet brought us to Mann Hann, SM North Edsa branch.  My friend, being half-Chinese, guaranteed this resto is indeed one of their family’s favorite dine-outs.  I could tell this is no lie because he knew exactly what he would order even  before we were even ushered to our cozy yet elegant seats. The place is accented with black and white with a shimmer of yellow lights.  The long kitchen table can be overlooked upon entrance but they had it set-it up the non-eye sore way, I just got to give that a plus.

The waiters are very prompt and has immediately poured us with ginger tea. It wasn’t the best ginger tea I had tasted so far (I like the one in The Spa better) but it’s not bad either.

With her last experience on wanton noodles way back our travel in Hong Kong last 2010, my partner, with a sophisticated tongue on Chinese cuisine, meticulously browsed the menu in search for a crafty noodle soup. She ordered Beef Brisket Wanton Noodles, 205php.

Our good friend recommended rice toppings. So the two of us got Lechon Macau and Sweet & Sour Spareribs Rice, 220php each bowl.

Lechon Macau was superb, I must say. Really crispy and crackly.  The ample sauce combined was a fine touch.

Sweet&Sour Spareribs Rice was good food and the sauce was rich and flavorful.  I kind of just dislike the presentation, it rather looked not so inviting compared to Lechon Macau.

I especially love the Beef Brisket Wanton Noodles.   Noodles are firm and the dumplings are tender. The soup was considerably Chinese-tasting (if you get what I mean) and just the smell of it is really intriguing in a good way.  I think I would go for this on my next visit!

Overall, food serving was generous. I would think this is the main reason why I’d go back anytime!

FiVE FiNGERS. GOOD FOR TREKKiNG?

Seriously.  If you’re hoping to read another one of my reviews, you may browse on my archives for other entries but my apologies, not this one.  Sorry if the title threw you off and sounded as though I am being a critic. This time, I was actually kinda hoping you could provide me your own feedback about Vibram Five Fingers.

Starting to plot our travel ahead, we have just booked a tour to Mt. Pinatubo and although we chose a later travel date due to other planned trips, I cannot resist but get prepared this early (I am somewhat OC like that.)  Last night, I started obsessing on which outdoor shoe should I buy.  I’m not really a big fan of rubber shoes.  In my life, I have owned less than ten pairs.  Recently, I even gave away my almost new pair of cheap running shoes to my sister without any regrets.  I am certain had that been any of my clogs, pumps, or boots, I would’ve died before lending them to anyone let alone giving them.  So yes, I must buy a new pair of outdoor shoes, preferably a real-good pair so as I won’t be disturbed by the need to get another one shortly.

Since obviously, we’re going to do some light trekking, I need something that will give full support at my base, provide good balance, and has soles that can hold good grip on wet surfaces.

I went on for hours reading online reviews last night, albeit my research still came limited, one of my top choices would be these rather interesting barefoot sport shoes – Vibram Five Fingers.  I have always wanted to buy a pair of these but never got enough reasons to do so.  I know though that every time we pass by their kiosk in Trinoma, I can’t help but leer.  Prolly because it’s sort of weird-funny-looking. And with it’s price being 4,000-6,000php, is it really wise to spend on this shoe? I need more than  it being cute on my toes.

I have done several trekking and hiking before and I don’t normally go nuts on shoes. But I’m putting trekking back on my Bucket List this year so I figured I need a decent pair of outdoor shoes.

Thoughts?

 

Disclaimer: I do not own the above photos. Photos are from Google Image.

BON CHON CHiCKEN : FRiED TWiCE iS NiCE!

What New York Times, GQ, and Esquire voted to be The Best Chicken in America is now in the Philippines! Okay, that is me exaggerating as it has been here for quite a while now.

When I try to Google “why double-fry a chicken,” I get about 22,700 results almost all of which talking about Korean recipes. Well, in fact, Bon Chon is actually an official franchise from Korea.  They deemed double-frying the chicken is indeed a crucial step in making this uber delicious chicken plus, of course, let’s not forget the secret Korean sweet and chili paste.

My partner’s birthday landed just a few weeks Bon Chon had it’s expansion in Trinoma.  Although I had plans of making reservations at Mango Thai Bistro, we opt to dine out and try their newly opened branch instead. Afterall, we’ve all been dying to eat Bon Chon Chicken!

Having it located at Level 1, the place is somewhat concealed, though it’s not that hard to find.  And not to my surprise, there has been a long queue of people waiting to be served.  Much to my luck, we were able to get a decent table almost instantly after arriving.

Just like most fast food chains, you are directed to the counter to self-order.  We ordered Combo A, 4 White Rice, Calamari, and Fries.

Combo A consists of 3 drumsticks and 3 thighs.  It’s a combination of Hot & Spicy and Soy Garlic recipe. This was brought to us by the store crew first.  We didn’t eat until we had all orders in our table.  By the time we got everything, I must say the crackly, crunchy taste of the chicken has not faltered; it’s still tender on the inside and the spicy juice is just right for my taste. The chili paste does not burn my lips nor the roof of my mouth as much as other spicy chicken does.  That is a plus in my pigging out book. And for 365php, bring it on!

The White Rice at 15php per cup is so-so. Although my partner has repetitively complained that it’s a bit moist.

I have enjoyed my crunchy Calamari way too much. But one should eat it the right way: Dip it in the spicy sauce. Otherwise, it would taste bland. This only costs 125php and I am thinking we could order this for take-out on our next movie date!

Fries is at 45php.  It’s contained on a cute Bon Chon cup but there’s nothing really special with the taste.  You may enjoy it though to wash off the spicy taste in your mouth after all the chicken-munching.

My verdict? Self-ordering is fast.  It is the waiting game that’s the pain in the ass.  I would have to say that although their chicken recipe delivers, they would have to do something about the somewhat slow service.  I keep trying to make an excuse to myself that it maybe because Trinoma branch has just launched and is still bound for kinks at this early stage. Regardless, I so know the pig in me, and I will always like Bon Chon Chicken!

 

Visit their website: http://bonchon.com.ph/

Bon Chon also offers pick-up and take-outs. Dial the number of your preferred store!

AN ODE TO ONE OF MY TRUE LOVES: WHiTE HAT, iTALiAN FROZEN YOGURT

Every time I pass by White Hat, it never fails to call my name.

There has been a lot of bloggers who continuously rave about this store, and boy I’ve read nothing but great reviews!  Being a yogurt fan myself, I have already tried several yogurt stores.  With the numerous number of stores peddling their own version of healthy frozen yogurt, one of my few favorites would be White Hat, Italian Frozen Yogurt.  It captures the right amount of sourness and tangy aftertaste and I just can’t resist the gorgeous ambiance of their cute store accented with blue and white.

Considering my partner to be lactose-intolerant, I must admit that dragging her into a fro-yo house could become quite a challenge.  But my liking to yogurt is unstoppable and she usually just succumbs to my will when I start to desperately attempt to mimic Puss-in-Boots’ sad face.

At White Hat, you get to try on different hats and even create your own. My personal favorite hat combo would be “The Choco-Loco Hat.”  This was part of the ten fro-yo combos added during mid to last quarter of 2011.  It has brownies, dark choco drops, and Oreo cookies.   For most of my visit at White Hat, this has been my order.  However, a new gimmick has been added to their menu introducing the 3 + 1 combos.  Each combo comes with selected best-seller toppings plus a free sauce drizzle.  Oh, just the way they advertised it makes my mouth water, yummy!

When we got to Trinoma branch, I missed the 3 + 1 combos on the menu so I opt to order “The Cookie Hat” instead.  It has cookie dough, walnut chunks, and white chocolate chips. For 125php for a regular cup, it was a snack worth the price. As always, my cup was not deprived of delicious toppings.  At times, I often find myself bragging how chunky the walnuts on my yogurt are. This, too, is what I like about White Hat.

So long as White Hat continues to make creative innovation on their menu of frozen yogurts (and of course retain their authentic Italian yogurt recipe), their yogurt house will always stand out, maybe even abroad!

 

Visit their website: http://www.thewhitehat.com.ph/

Disclaimer: First image is from White Hat’s Facebook Fan Page.

CRAViNG FOR SHiSHA RESOLVED!

Date of visit: January 2, 2012

TRY SHISHA/HOOKAH FLAVORED SMOKE – Check on my Bucket List!

I have been on the raid, for several weeks now, for the perfect nearby place to try and smoke on a glass pipe commonly known as hookah, shisha, or narguile.

“Some say it originated in Turkey over 500 years ago while others claim it came from Syria and India.

In today’s context, Shisha refers to the flavoured tobacco used in the smoking process using a hookah, also commonly known as ‘hubble bubble’ and ‘narghile’.

The tobacco is soaked in fruits shavings such as apples, grapes and strawberries. A hookah consists of a base, pipe, bowl and hose or a mouthpiece. Tobacco is placed in the bowl, which is at the top of the pipe structure. An aluminium foil covers the bowl and small charcoal pieces are then placed on the foil, which is punctured using a pin to gently heat the tobacco. When smoked using the hose, smooth, sweet-smelling vapour is filtered through the base containing water.”

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/3/24/central/17078985&sec=central

Matthew, part of The Crew (name of our gang), suggested we go to Vogue Restobar for my birthday so as I can finally experience shisha/hookah, it being my request for that day.

Vogue is located in Ortigas Home Depot, Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.  We took Bullet (Matthew’s ’94 Honda Hatchback) going there and considering Matt’s “driving skills”, we sure had a swift ride.

We were greeted with nice ambiance and loud music.  Half of the venue is well-lighted with beaming hues of blue and violet, making it a little bit dreamy.  It’s also a good thing the place was an open bar, due to most people are smoking.

A VIP table for the amount of 3,000php consumable, was initially offered to us by one of the waiters.  We thought about it for a moment but then declined as we don’t think we’ll be able to consume 3,000 worth of chips and drinks with just the four (Matthew, Rookie, Rowan & Me) of us.  In the end, we got a rather okay-looking table set just like every other guests, nothing fancy.

Vogue Restobar has a good list of food in their menu but failed drastically in making all of it available for people to order. For instance, we ordered Pork Sisig and Cheesy Mojos but got dismayed to be informed that it was unavailable.  I certainly hope it was just for that night since by the looks of the images printed on their menu, their food looked inviting and rather cheap for the price.

None of us were certified drinkers so we asked the waiter for their bestseller.  We were instantly answered with, “Sex on Vogue.”  For, 350php per pitcher, we got two pitchers of the recommended cocktail drink and the waiter also handed us four short but stout glasses with stirrer and cherries on it.  Sex on Vogue tasted somewhat a mixture of vodka, gin, and perhaps peach or orange; the cherry juice added a hint of sweet taste. It reminded me a little bit of these cocktail drink I love, Amaretto Sour, minus the lack of sweetness.  And for I am not an expert in cocktails yet, I may never know until I ask the bartender what the exact mix used when we visit the place again. It was, in conclusion, not really to die for but a must-try.

I leaned on the waiter to confirm if the Restobar does have Shisha and got a little bit overwhelmed with excitement with his response, “Yes, ma’am. For 350php you get to choose among flavors strawberry, raspberry, mint, or vanilla.” I am pretty sure he mentioned other fruity flavors but my being anxious to try it made me respond, “MINT!” in a matter of seconds.

I have been quite fascinated, being an asthmatic, that I can enjoy a flavored smoke without feeling any difficulty in breathing, thanks to Shisha. There was, however, a slight annoying tingling sensation on my throat if I try to breath in deeper so as I can enjoy more the minty aroma from the pipe.  I am not quite sure if that was due to my condition or just a general feeling you may get when you try to inhale as much vapor as possible.  But no regrets, that’s for sure.  I know I’m going to try strawberry flavor any time soon!

At past 2AM, we billed out as we decided to hop to another bar somewhere in Timog, Quezon City.  I paid a total of 2,140php for everything we ordered.  The fun we had was priceless. One of the best birthdays yet!

Photo Credits: Matthew Canedo and Rowan Legaspi

THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL

Date of visit: December 31, 2011 – January 1, 2012

Our way of welcoming 2012 is to avoid other tenants in our condo with their routine of non-stop videoke.  Don’t get me wrong, I love singing and hearing people sing. I must agree, you’re not a Filipino if you have not hog, at least once in your life, a karaoke microphone.  But it’s a totally different story if you hear it from drunk strangers, echoing in the hallways of our building. What better way to escape such unfortunate scene than to spend some relax time with my family at a nice, cozy, hotel within the city –  The Great Eastern Hotel.

Last year, my partner and I also celebrated New Year at this hotel, Quezon City branch. We got a Superior Room at the 5th floor; this time, we were assigned at the 12th floor of the West Wing building.  I didn’t realize this hotel is this big. I know for a fact there are other better hotels but we choose to go here due to accessibility. I can’t afford to wake up early and prepare food delights for Media Noche just so we could check-in at a nicer hotel somewhere in Makati (although, I must say, that was the original plan, but I blame the sloth in me.)
We booked a Superior Room via Agoda and paid a discounted price of only 2,000php.  When we called-in to reserve a room, the front desk told us the rate for their available room is 2,300php, without complimentary breakfast. We assumed we won’t need to have breakfast nor dinner at Aberdeen Court, their known buffet restaurant, as we have Media Noche food that will suit our cravings the whole stay. So, goodie, we saved 300php on an already cheap rate!

From our condo in Batasan Hills, we took a cab to The Great Eastern Hotel.  Our cab fare was 170php.  This hotel is like 10-11km away from our humble abode, if I am not mistaken.  Family members are coming from South, they took an MRT from Taft and alight at Quezon Ave station.  From there, you will find several means to get directly to the hotel: cab, jeepney, and FX.

We were greeted with very accommodating staff the moment our cab entered the hotel premises. I was holding two boxes of pizza, a box of cake, and our DLSR bag, so their being helpful was more than needed.  The lobby was still as cozy and Christmas-y like last yea’rs Yule Season.  I particularly like the yellow-orange-ish beaming lights that fills the entire room which makes the place totally picture-perfect, lighting-wise. We were, however, directed to take an elevator going to the 8th floor and proceeded to the West Wing lobby where I shortly got our room key-card upon verifying our Agoda hotel voucher.

1207. Our room was big enough for the 5 of us, 1 kid included.  It has:

- One Queen Size Bed, across the TV (not yet LCD nor LED, but with cable-subscription, so it’s okay.)

- Toilet with Bathtub. I rarely like a hotel without this, so I’m happy the hotel rooms have these.

- One closet and cabinet.

- And two huge windows which provides a good view of the city.  Perfect for firework-watching when the clock strikes 12.

The only downer is the slight hint of smell of mold in our room as the building is already quite old. But you’ll soon get over it.

We enjoyed merienda at a nearby fast-food chain, Mcdo. We hurried so as we can dip in the hotel pool but got a little bit dismayed to be informed that the pool opens from 8AM until 5PM only.

Our celebration was pretty traditional. A bottle of Chamdor, pizza, cake, and a few of Mama’s recipes and we’re all set! The view in our window was spectacular! Good thing we get to experience eye-candy fireworks without burning our wallets.

We woke up 9AM the next day to enjoy the pool, our frustration ended.  It was located on the 5th floor, just beside the gym.  The hotel pool is quite small and somewhat lacking a few decors but would still pass if you just need a little time to dip.  When we’re done swimming, we headed back to our room to freshen up and finish packing our things.  We still got about an hour and a half before check-out time so we decided to goof around and camwhored at the gym.  It’s really small for a gym but is still equipped with some basic equipment one needs to be fit.

Overall, for a one-night stay, we enjoyed our vacation in this hotel and would perhaps soon try their buffet restaurant.

Visit their website: http://www.greateasternhotelmanila.com

Quezon City: 1403 Quezon Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines │ Tel No: +63 2 3718282
Makati City: 7842 Makati Avenue, Makati City, Philippines │ Tel No. +63 2 8982888

THE TUMMY TRAiN

I have always wanted to start a food&travel blog but never got the time (yes, maybe that’s not really true) to do so.

I just turned 23 last January 2nd and it still surprises me how this two consecutive numbers they call “age” damn sound so old for me. I may just be overreacting. I’m not even sure how my age is quite relevant with the said realization but at that very point, it hit me: START THE FOOD&TRAVEL BLOG. NOW.  Double-emphasis on that. I know there are a lot of blogs like this out there; but boy this one is mine.

For the love of food and travel - DELi-SHOES, it is.

On this entry, I’d like to apologize for I am about to get sucked with nostalgia of my previous experiences of which I have not been able to properly document long since.

Erma Bombeck once said, “I am not a glutton, I am an explorer of food.” I would like to believe I am not a glutton, too. For a lady with so much delight on food as I am, people are often astonished (sometimes, with horror) with my physique.  In a world full of irony, I guess I am one of those struggling to get fat while everyone’s trying to lose weight. Looking on the brighter side, I get to eat what I want without the fear of becoming overweight. That must have been the greatest catch for a food enthusiast.

It’s such a brazen experience to not just limit yourself in indulging food-yums but rather to also traverse places and unravel more amazing discoveries.

I must say, I consider myself a wanderlust, too. I have this real craving to travel and visit places. I am impulsive most of the time and I find that to be an asset, a good combination to my being a wanderlust.

So. Join me. Tara. Lakwatsa. At Mangaon ta!