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

good eats and health talks

After today's yoga class at the neighbor's, we went to a classmate's house for some healthy eats and a talk by Dr. Escalona.

We were greeted by a generous assortment of greens, toppings and dressings, and a green juice shot of cucumber, pineapple, kale and turmeric.

Green juice shots

Healthy eating isn't always as appealing as full blown buffets, or meals of meat and carbo overload, but with hosts like Joy who are in the food business and know their way around the kitchen, you're surely in for a delicious healthy treat.

Today's talk was conducted by Dr. Escalona who shared with us the importance of overall wellness that most of us nowadays neglect because of the fast pace lifestyle that we keep. Some new things my ignorant self learned during this talk:

1. Milk is good to take when you're young. As you get older, it's something to avoid because our body can't absorb it as well. You can get your calcium from other fruits and vegetables, or take more healthy alternatives like almond milk.
2. What you do everyday is more important than what you do once a week. So 15 minutes of running everyday is healthier and more effective than one 10k run a week.
3. When getting a second round during meals, wait 20 minutes before you do. This helps your body digest all the food you're eating and gives it time to register in your head that you don't need more food, you've had enough.

Something to keep in mind the next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: halal guys

The wait is over. I finally popped my Halal cherry!

I was so intrigued by this "Halal Guys" I kept hearing about from my friends that lived or travelled abroad. It came up pretty often in our discussions about visiting NY or midnight snacks, and eventually I learned that it was a food cart that was everyone's go-to in NY for a delicious quick fix to a shawarma craving. And midnight munchies.

The famous food cart finally made its way to the Philippines, and yesterday, it officially opened its door to the public in Megamall.

He takes is Instagram more seriously now. Don't bother.

I got the opportunity to get a taste of it before it officially opened, and I ordered the regular Beef Gyro on rice because I enjoy beef more than I do chicken. It came with tomatoes, lettuce, the beef, slices of pita, rice, and a bag of white and hot sauce. 

The usual question you get when eating in Halal Guys is, "Is it the same as the one in New York?" Truth is i've never tasted the original one. This was my first platter of Halal ever, and what I can share with you is that people I know who have tasted the NY Halal say it tastes the same. This is because the ingredients of the Halal Guys in Manila are imported, and are exactly the same ones you get in the States. The only difference of Manila Halal over NY Halal is that they use Jasmine rice in Manila.

The critic from a first timer: I guess I was expecting the taste on the beef and white sauce to be a bit stronger. It's good, and I enjoyed my platter a lot but found the flavouring to be more on the safe side where it's not too strong that one can easily get tired of the dish. I place a lot of the white sauce for more flavor, and just a bit of the hot sauce because it's extremely strong. But also so good! The white and hot sauce come in packets bigger than your usual ketchup from Mcdonalds, so you get more than enough for your meal. In case you want more, you can just order extra packs.

Halal Guys officially opened last October 13, and plans on opening up more branches around Manila soon. Try it out when you're in Megamall! Definitely won't disappoint.

Until next time #danieleats!

a new place

One thing you don't really see on Instagram or Facebook are the difficulties in life one goes through. Ya, some people do their ranting online which isn't really the best way to deal with it, but others seem to go through life without hardships at all. The truth is we only really see a small part of one's life through our screens, but the heartbreaks, hardships, discontent, hangups, fear, and other negative emotions are all kept away from the social media world and are contained inside our heads and our hearts. I for one can say that my IG feed looks like i'm having the time of my life eating all the food I want, but in reality there's fear, stress, hangups and discontent lingering behind those posts. I get stressed and turn to vices to relieve me from it, but I've come to realize that these things only relieve me temporarily and are not the best ways to deal with it.

After much convincing from my wonderful sister, I gave in to ashtanga yoga and fell in love with it after my first session. It relieves me from any difficulties or heaviness I encounter in my day, and also gives me a really good workout so I end my day feeling lighter than ever. We attend classes at a neighbor's house so it's very convenient, private, and less intimidating for newbies like me who are still learning.

Sorry for the bad quality, it was dark in the place and I didn't want to insist on turning on the lights.
My face is also extra red because I ran before the class (which was a bad idea because it ended up being 50 minutes of cardio!)

I still do my regular workouts at the gym but yoga has become my go to for extra workout, relaxation and peace. I hope that if you're going through any difficulties in your life, big or small, you find a place to release, find peace, and feel content amidst the chaos of life.

#danielaeats: part of japan

Before I share with you some photos of Japanese food I had in Osaka, I have to let you know that this post might come out as a disappointment to some of you who have been to the place. 

1. I didn't get to try their Kobe or Matsusaka
2. Because of the limited time we had, we rushed all our meals so we could get on our feet again and explore places
3. Conveyor belt, Family Mart, conveyor belt, Family Mart
4. Non-Jap meals (shame!)

Nevertheless I am sharing this still for those who would like to get some ideas when visiting Osaka. 

Family Mart. 

Here's what we had on our first night. We got to our place in Namba past 12 midnight and were not familiar with the area, so we went straight to Family Mart just a street away from our building. Though it's a shame we had this several times during our trip, I have to say that Family Mart there is the bomb. If the quality of food in the ones we have here were the same as Japan, I'd have it for all my meals. We got there pretty late but the maki was still so good, the rice soft and still moist inside. Probably even better than what you would get in some restaurants here that serve it to you as you order. The soba was just okay, not so sure if that's how legit Japanese noodles really are or if it had an off taste because it was sitting in the store almost the whole day, but it had this flavour I didn't enjoy so much.

Dotonburi restaurant with the hand holding the sushi. It's hard to miss because you'll see this in the line of restaurants along Dotonburi along with big octopus and crab figures outside other restaurants. This was one of the conveyor belt restos we ate in during the trip. It's about 100 yen (around Php 40) per plate for fresh, delicious sushi (their uni still tasted like the sea!). It's crazy how affordable Japanese food is here! A lot of people think that going to Japan is hella expensive because the quality of their food is so much better than in Manila, but really you get good quality at such low prices. It makes you wonder why it's so expensive in Manila (for some restaurants) when the fish isn't even that superb. 

For every conveyor belt we ate in, I managed to consume eight plates (some salmon, tuna, uni, shrimp and others I tried). That's eight plates with two pieces each of fresh, hearty, delicious sushi. 

Photo inside the restaurant with the big sushi hand. Sorry no name, there was no English translation outside.

Another conveyor belt we ate in in Kyoto is Kaiten Sushi. It had pretty much the same servings as the one above but had some extra noodles with soup (not ramen). According to @bookymanila, Genki Sushi (pioneer of Kaiten Sushi) will be opening at Bonifacio Stopover!

I couldn't help myself. I was starving that day (we had lunch almost 3pm) so I took a bite before taking the photo and forgot to take more photos of my meal because I was too busy stuffing my mouth.

This conveyor belt was cool because each table had a machine to order in case what you're looking for doesn't come out. On top of the revolving belt was another belt also connected to the kitchen. Once you input your extra order in the machine, it will appear on the top belt in five minutes or less. 

Noodles with Soup. It's not ramen, it's noodles with soup. We stumbled upon this "ramen" place (so we thought) that had a long line during the day. When the late night munchies called, we walked to Dotonburi and looked for a place that was open, and this so happened to be the first one we came across. My first taste of it brought me to Pho Hoa. It tasted and had the texture of Vietnamese noodles, different from the ramen that we were expecting. On the side you have the option to add extra garlic and kimchi to add more flavour. After putting in a generous amount in my bowl, I was more satisfied with the flavour and enjoyed my first "noodles with soup" experience in Japan.  

Noodles with soup

Sisen Ramen. My friend recommended that we try out the ramen place across Swisshotel (Namba station) so we made a stop there before heading home one night. It's probably one of the less known ramen places to visit in Osaka, but I highly suggest you try it out. I'm not so fund of Tantanmen (mostly because I get tired of the flavour halfway through my bowl), but when I ate here I devoured the whole thing. Their gyoza was also really good and had the right cook on it - slight crunch at the bottom and a soft top. I really regret not making a second trip. 

Sisen Ramen

Ichiran. One of the more known ramen places to visit (long lines in the two branches we came across) but also worth trying. They only have one flavour of ramen here, but the strength of the flavour, the cook on the noodles and the level of spice is determined by you before giving in your order. Also so delicious!

Ichiran

Food on the street. We spent our nights in eating areas around our place. The restaurants were very small and could seat less than ten people at a time. Even these small restaurants had good food, and we would munch on some sashimi or takoyaki balls along with our Asahi. 

Don't forget to enjoy the Kirin, Asahi, and Sapporo while you're there.

We were expecting to have Family Mart almost the whole trip because we thought we'd be spending a whole lot if we ate in restaurants. It turns out food there isn't as expensive as some restaurants in Manila. You can get good quality food in the smallest and simplest restaurants, and not have to pay a premium for it. If i'm not mistaken I think I spent about Php 1,600 on my first day just for food, drinks and some transpo (we used the train to get around, forget the taxi). It's really so much more affordable than I expected, and if you don't splurge on these things like I did, you might even end up spending less in a day. Crazy! Time to book that trip to Osaka! I'm definitely planning another visit next year.

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: green living

One thing I know I will never be able to give up is eating good food. Even dieting is too hard to do because how is it possible to decline delicious food when you know you're stomach's not fully satisfied? When food is there, I'm always there (and so is my iPhone, ready for that food post). Eating just gives a different kind of happiness that doesn't only last the meal. Which is why I might pull back a few bucks when spending on clothes and other necessities, but with food, i'm all in. 

In the last couple of days I've been exposed to different vegan and vegetarian restaurants because of my work. I've heard of these places a lot, but since most of them are located up north (aka anything past the skyway), I don't usually make an effort to try out these places. Aside from that, the term veg or green was never appealing to me. I regularly eat my veggies, but I don't go out of my way to get some. Aside from that, I can never imagine myself having consecutive meals without my meat. But visiting these places totally changed my perspective on vegan or vegetarian restaurants, debunked all my initial thoughts about it being bland, boring and not filling, and has opened a new door for me to explore. 

Pipino (Maginhawa, QC)

Edgy Veggy (Kapitolyo)

 Susi (Bonifacio Global City)

They don't look boring at all and they definitely don't taste bland. These dishes (and others that missed the photo op) were, to my surprise, very, very delicious. They were more flavourful than I expected and were so fun to photograph! Being a visual/photo person, I immediately judge the dish by its looks. When they were served and I saw all the colors, I immediately whipped out my phone and snapped away. I got to taste majority of the dishes, and they were all. so. good! They may come with a lot of veggies, but having them prepared the way these restaurants do makes you want to have them all the time. 

The Earth Kitchen (Bonifacio Global City) 

The Earth Kitchen is not exactly veg or vegan (as you can see, we had super good kebab!), but it will be on the show mainly because it's one of the few organic restaurants we have in the metro. They make all their ingredients from scratch so nothing's processed, and they have a farm up in Tarlac with almost 200 communities working together. Like all others, this restaurant is one to try out when you're in Bonifacio Global City because the food is delicious, it's HEALTHY, and the restaurant setup is so beautiful it's like dining in a garden with aircon. You may not be able to go the veg/vegetarian route early, but eating in places like The Earth Kitchen is a step towards keeping a healthy diet without compromising flavor.

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: #MeatHeads at the red light

Last month I missed out on Bruce Ricketts' La Chinesca pop up at Mecha Uma and I felt bad about it. The feedback was really good (the food, the prices and the turnout as a whole), and even though I'm not a total Mexican food lover, a part of me really wanted to try it out because I was almost sure that it would've changed my thoughts on Mexican food. So when I heard that #MeatHeads was happening at The Red Light, I made sure not to miss it. 

The cook out was a collaboration of Chefs Bruce Ricketts, David Ong, Erwan Heussaff, JP Anglo, Allen Buhay, Mikko Reyes, and BJ Mantuano. The guys got together and did a pop up at The Red Light for charity, and all proceeds of the event are to go to Payatas Mother of Divine Providence Parish. Now, how could you NOT want to go? 

At Php 250 (each) you can get these sandwiches

PHUC NYU

Chicken Thighs, Bagoong, Pig Skin Pickles, Potato Bread

I'm not a fan of bagoong but I enjoyed this sandwich. It was a bit more filling than the others because the bread was big, and I wish it had a tad bit more sauce in it. I also wish the chicken piece was cut up so that I could have a piece of it in every bite. Flavour-wise though, it was delicious.

EL TORRO

Carnitas, Wakamole, Salsa Verde, Ciabatta

Anton and I were a bit clueless about Carnitas, so we were unaware of the fact that it has Wansoy (Cilantro) in it. I didn't mind, since I enjoy some Wansoy in my food, but Anton has this aversion to Wansoy (which according to studies, some people really have because of genetics) so I caught him picking out most of it from the sandwich. I took a bite off the El Torro without the Wansoy and I didn't enjoy it so much, but once I started eating into it and getting the bits of the remaining Wansoy and the rest of the ingredients, it tasted much better. 

GRILLED FACE

Beef Cheek Pares, Spicy Pickles, #meathead cheese whiz, Mustasa Pesto, Sourdough

Our Grilled Face sandwich had a bit too much fat in it but I enjoyed the little meat that I got. The bread was just right, toasted crust and soft inside, and I liked the flavor of the generous amount of sauce it had. 

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: meat depot

For our Father's Day dinner last week, my sisters and I bought frozen steak from Meat Depot in BF Homes along Aguirre Avenue. We got rib eye, about nine half inch slices of it for less than Php 700. It was more affordable than expected and the quality of the meat we got for dinner was pretty good, so I was curious to know the experience I would get if I dined in.

I tried out the place last Saturday and ordered Chilled Rib Eye Grassfed for about Php 311 + Php 100 cooking fee, sauce and a side. 

When you enter, the first thing they make you do is pick your meat from the freezer. Once you've chosen your cut, you decide the cook you want, the sauce (for this I chose mushroom), and the side (either potatoes, fries or rice).

We got there around 7:00pm so the place was full, and we had to wait around 30 minutes to be seated. While waiting, we already picked out our meat + cook, sauce and side. We got our dishes at around 8:15pm. It was a pretty long wait (so was getting the bill), but we were all quite contented with the turnout.

The mushroom sauce I had was good, but the spicy pepper one my friend got was much better. I chose medium rare for the cook on my rib eye and they got it pretty good. I just wish I chose a piece with more fat for more flavour instead of prioritizing the size of the cut (gah, what hunger can do). We all got free barbecue for their anniversary treat and extra mash and rice because our waiter was extra nice. All their waiters are! Anton got his pork chop which was much bigger (if i'm not mistaken his piece was Php 210 + Php 100 for the cook, side and sauce), and he really liked it. It already had a barbecue marinade so I didn't mind having it with the mushroom sauce though he still wanted the spicy pepper.

On my way out I was thinking of what I would decide to choose for my next visit since I felt I could've gotten a better piece. Little did I know that I'd be having my next one just the day after.

I went back to the Depot with my family the very next day for Sunday lunch. I arrived a bit late so when I got there, my mom had already ordered the Chilled Rib Eye Grassfed again for me, but this time, a piece with better marbling, mash, and the spicy pepper sauce.



I enjoyed this meal so much more the second time around because the piece had a good amount of fat in it and I enjoyed it with the spicy pepper sauce. My parents, on the other hand, got Angus, which was a bit more expensive and bigger in size, but was so much better. Soft and flavourful without needing much sauce to enjoy it.

The service this time around was faster since we went pretty early and were one of their first lunch customers for the day. I enjoyed my food more during the second visit, and I would recommend you try it out if you're in the area. It's a good place to buy your meat and dine in, just try to get there at a good time so you don't wait so long. They no longer take reservations so you have to go early.

283 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes Paranaque
(02) 501 0845
Restaurant in front of Tides
You may start shopping for meat as early as 8AM

Until next time #danielaeats!