new home

You can now find me at 

www.danielagamboa.com

welcome 2016

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The busyness of the Christmas season got to me that I was only able to post before and after the festivities. The get-togethers, eating and drinking this year were overwhelming, and I'm fortunate enough to say that I had a really good Christmas and New Year, surrounded by my favorite people, food and drinks. One of my favorites in a very long time.

Now that it's 2016, I'd like to start the year by making my lists of things to do more and less, just to get the year started right.

More

Travels. Crossing my fingers for Korea, Bali, Bangkok, Cambodia and Japan.
Firsts. Classes, seminars, events, job opportunities.
New friends. And rekindling old ones.
Adventures. Another mountain climb, diving certification. And maybe even sky diving?

Work. Projects and collaborations.
Reading. More books and useful information, less showbiz.
Blogging. About life, experiences, hobbies, interests. AND FOOD!
Saving. Going out to drink and eat less, wise spending, more shopping control.
Cooking. To work with more recipes and be more organised in the kitchen.
Photos. Take the time and effort to bring a camera around and not rely on my iPhone.
Good health choices. Less fast food, more greens, steaming and grilling.
Risks. Because I shouldn't be delaying my dreams.

Less

Impulsive buys. And maybe malling with no purpose.
Bumming. And work like I got a 9-5.
Judgement. Getting to know people on my own and not taking in others' opinions of them.
Late nights. This might be a bit difficult, but the feeling of getting enough sleep is just amuhzing.

Here's to a riskier, scarier and maybe more exciting year. Cheers!

design

New releases are up tonight.

I finally had time to put up my necklaces on Tumblr, a site outside my personal Facebook so it's more accessible to the public. I have yet to add here some of the pieces still up for grabs on my Facebook album, but for now, please visit and don't hesitate to inquire and send orders to danielagamboa.design@gmail.com.

danielagamboa.tumblr.com

bits of boracay

Others find that Boracay island is not as beautiful as it used to be. The shores are tainted with trash, the sand not as fine, the common areas over commercialised and the island swarmed by numerous tourists that contribute to the island's degradation. It's a sad but somewhat true statement, as I've seen photos of the place and visited the island years back when "Laboracay" and "batch Boras" were not yet in place. It looked bare and clean, contained less structures and was surrounded by more natural greens. The boats could easily be counted and the waters clear of bits and pieces of a tourist's last meal. It may not be exactly the same as it used to be, but despite the horrific image that these truths may put in your heads, I must say after my visit last November, the island still holds a beauty worth going back to. 

White House, the go-to for 7am-7pm happy hour. 

The Strand

We tried out The Strand for this visit since we were able to get our rooms at 50% off thanks to our friend Marga. It cost us Php 3,000 a night for a suite that looked as though it could fit 8-10 people.  Though the place is quite a walk from D Mall, located a few resorts past Fridays and a minute walk into the back area, it was a comfortable, beautiful place to stay in. 

Our room was very spacious and clean, had a lanai, a living room, a mini kitchen, a big bedroom with a king sized bed and separate toilet and bath.

It was always clean upon returning from our daily activities, and we'd be left with a little note from our cleaner wishing us a wonderful stay.

When our flight got cancelled and we ended up having to rebook to a much earlier flight, we had to leave at 5AM to get to the airport on time. Leave it to The Strand to lighten up this inconvenience--the staff happily got up at 4:30AM to check us out, help us with our bags, call us a trike and even prepare a sandwich breakfast for takeout.

The Strand also has a pool and lounging chairs by the breakfast area.

As for the food, I was only able to try the free breakfast since we spent the rest of our days out. It wasn't anything grand and came in small servings, but surprisingly I still got full during all my breakfast meals. You have the option of a Filipino or American breakfast, and it comes with coffee, juice, and a mini fruit platter.

It was my first time to visit the island outside the summer season and it was surprisingly more filled than I expected. The beach wasn't empty despite the bipolar weather and the bars were pretty filled come night. It wasn't as packed as summer, I'd say just the right amount of people, so it was comfortable, relaxing and easy to get seats in restaurants. I was a bit worried about Boracay in November because of the weather, but even though the rain poured on us a few times during our stay, the bits of sunshine on the island, the beautiful beach, wonderful people, delicious food, and of course, great company, definitely made the trip worth taking. 

common ware holiday

For all those doing their Christmas shopping, don't forget to pass by Common Ware. We now have our minimal gift wrapping available to make the gift giving a lot easier (and prettier) for you. 

#danielaeats: ooma

Finally got to try another Moment Group and Chef Bruce Ricketts restaurant that's been on my "to visit" list for a while now. Ooma, I finally got to you!

I've been hearing a lot about this place and have seen several photos of the different dishes on my Instagram feed, so when I got there I sort of had an idea of what to order. I went with Anton and we both wanted to try out different dishes so we decided to share everything.

A few things to know:
It's not as expensive as you'd expect (Php 200 - Php 500 dishes)
Unlimited white rice
You brush your kikoman on the maki. They served this sauce in a small cylinder with a brush, unlike other Jap restaurants where you dip your sushi in a small kikoman sauce bowl.

Salmon Skin Aburi Maki Php 265

We were choosing between this and another best seller with tuna, but since we were also getting the Spicy Tuna Maki, our waiter suggested we try the Salmon Skin Aburi.

I'm not usually a fan of complicated maki (I always go for the basic toro, shake or kani), but this one will have to be an exception. This maki contained torched salmon, crispy salmon skin, cheese, asparagus, and some sauce, and altogether it was actually really delicious. It looks a little heavy but the sizing of the maki just makes it right so that you don't get so stuffed from the dish.

Spicy Tuna Maki Php 245

This would have to be closest to the Nihonbashitei Spicy Toro Maki because of the sauce. It's a good thing that they don't make the maki drown in it so you can still taste the rest of the maki without the sauce overpowering it. It didn't really stand out among the dishes we had, but it was still delicious. I just always need my spicy tuna fix in any Jap restaurant so I had to order!

Uni Udon Php 495

This Udon is probably the most photographed dish from Ooma that I see on my feed. I was so curious about it so it was a sure order when we went. Upon getting the bowl, I was surprised to see that it's much bigger than it looks in photos. I wasn't surprised though that it was freakin delicious. No wonder it's a must have when visiting Ooma.

Note: It's also really heavy and rich. If you do decide to order this, it might be too much to have only this for your meal. I suggest you share it with 3-4 people while enjoying other dishes because with this alone, you'll be stuffed and probably tired of the taste before you're halfway.

Hanger Steak Php 495

My favorite! Because it has truffle, of course! The steak was so soft and the serving generous, I was absolutely happy upon seeing it because I thought it would come out small. Luckily it was just enough for Anton and I to share without feeling bitin. The meat's cut into small bite sizes and sightly thin, so it's easy to eat and doesn't make you feel heavy after several bites. A good main to have when visiting the place!

Another must-visit Jap resto, down. I don't live near the area so making the visit to Megamall is a bit of an effort (with the traffic nowadays, extra effort!). But it's a good thing the end of a trip was Ooma. I suggest you try it too when you're in the area.

Until next time #danielaeats!

l'officiel: philippine fashion fest

Did a mini editorial for L'Officiel's website last week to feature some of the pieces by talented Filipino designers for Philippine Fashion Fest. Head to the L'Officiel website to read more. 

Photos by JL Javier
Makeup and Hair by Byron Velasquez
Styling by Andrea Ang and Mags Ocampo