v-day

This year, the girls surprised the guys. 

Manna, Tabby and I surprised the boys with dinner and drinks at a helipad in Antipolo, which was overlooking the whole city. 

Beautiful view, cheesy 90's love songs, good food, good drinks and amazing company. This is by far one of the best V-days yet!

         

To new traditions! Thank you Manns for setting up the location and thank you Angelo for the photos.

Happy Valentine's everyone! 

isabelo garden restaurant

Last Sunday morning, this is where my family and I brunched. We don't really do this and often opt for a lunch or dinner meal out, but since we wanted to try something slightly different and go slightly farther from our area, we visited Isabelo Garden Restaurant in Marikina. 

I wasn't expecting it to look like this. Actually, I had no expectations. But once I saw the place I instantly fell in love with it. The little details, from decors, to signage, to center pieces and artificial lighting, looked like they were all taken from the most random places. You'll find a lot of broken glass   cemented to the walls and floor; bottles of different colors, shapes and sizes; utensils made of different materials; colored bird cages, different colored and printed tiles, hanging windowpanes, fruits, pales, shells, and a whole lot more of really random things put together to make something beautiful. 

There are several small eating areas in this little garden, and every one of them has its own distinct look. 

The food. Oh the food is delicious! I just had the basic corned beef and eggs, but it came along with some tomatoes and cilantro (just like Bruschetta), which I really liked! I also shared a waffle with my sister. It's actually a good idea to share the waffle with someone and have your own meal so that you can have a meal meal and have a taste of something sweet on the side. Just try not to neglect the waffle while you eat your main dish because it's absolutely delicious when it's fresh from the kitchen. 

My meal

My dad ordered an omelette called 3 mushroom. That was THE favorite of the family. It was light and had a good mix of flavors in it. I don't remember exactly what else was in it but I remember it being so good. It's a must try! 

Our table

 Beautiful place and delicious food. The only thing wrong with it is that it's an hour (or more) away from my area. If you're wondering about the price, a lot of what I saw from their Rustic Mornings menu ranged from about P250-P400, which is very reasonable for the flavor and serving size.

Porscha (if i'm not mistaken w/ the spelling) is the owner of this quaint little garden restaurant, and according to her, the place is even more beautiful at night (and has a whole different menu).

Gaah. Must visit again!

ramen runs

In the last two weeks I was able to eat in three ramen hot spots in my area: Kenji Tei, Yushoken, and Ukokkei. I'm no foodie with discerning taste, but here's a little feedback on the three from someone who likes to eat. 

Miso at Kenji Tei 

Kenji Tei is the more affordable one of the three. If i'm not mistaken, a bowl of ramen costs about P250-P300. The serving size is just right, considering I don't usually get to finish ramen bowls. Often times it's never enough for Anton, my dad, and brother, so it might be considered small for others. The noodles are a bit too thin for me, but the flavor is okay.

I can't seem to remember the gyoza of this place so much. But what I do remember is their Spicy Maguro Maki. YUM. Still not as delicious as Omakase and Nishijin's spicy tuna, but I like that they have the salad all over the maki when you order it.

Personally I think Kenji Tei will suffice for any ramen craving. But if one is looking for legit, delicious ramen, go for something else.

Tantan-men at Yushoken

The first time I tried Yushoken, I got Miso. I loved the noodles and I loved the gyoza. But after eating there a second time, I realized that the noodles are nice at the beginning of the meal, but its thickness takes over after and makes you feel like shit. Yeah, it's a bit too heavy; it's almost like pasta. Yushoken makes their own noodles. What they have is really different from Kenji Tei and Ukokkei, but I find it a tad bit heavy for my ramen.

I like the flavor of their Miso and Tantan-men, although the Tantan-men gets tiring halfway through the bowl. It's the first of that type I've ever tried, so I don't know if it goes for all Tantan-mens. Still delicious though!

Their gyoza is my favorite. Neat, delicious, and big in size (as compared to the other two restaurants).

Miso tray at Ukokkei

I only saw this offer on the menu during my last visit. I didn't know that you could get either Miso, Shoyu or Shio ramen + gyoza + rice + mini salad all for P380. Really. A bowl (of any three bases) in Ukokkei costs about P300 and you only need to add P80 for the add-ons. Not bad! The only problem with this is that you are only allowed to choose from the three bases and nothing more. So if you're going for Seafood ramen (which is so delicious here), you shouldn't get the tray.

ps. If i'm not mistaken, this offer is only available during lunch.

After eating in Yushoken, I did not enjoy Ukokkei's gyoza. It was a little too small and burnt for me. Aside from that, it fell apart after biting half of it; unlike the gyoza in Yushoken, which was still intact.

The noodles of Ukokkei are just right; they're not too thin, and also not too thick. The flavors are delicious (I got Miso but also tasted a few from my siblings) and I really enjoyed the others. Maybe next time I should try ordering something other than the basics.

-end-

fellow on chalk

Check it out! Fellow's first ever feature in Chalk's Feb 2013 issue! :)

Watch out for Fellow's SUMMER COLLECTION coming soon! You won't want to miss out on that one! 

pinteresting

x

My most favorite meal. 

x

Simple and classy.

x

Contentment. 

x

You!

blahblahs

Random

* It is so cold in Manila. My cold finger (that turns purple every time I'm feeling cold) is consistently purple and numb.
* Swedish House Mafia is tomorrow. The buy one take one Patron ticket for 8k is so tempting.. but still a bit too much for my budget. Or maybe I am just kuripot.
* I had a good 10k run today. A good back day as well. Then a good meal. Sweet!
* I had to cut off about five inches of my hair because it got burned. I had it curled for a wedding and made the person from the salon style it to an up do. When the wedding was over, I washed my hair and found half strands falling--and I mean A LOT of half strands--every time I went through my hair with my fingers. Aside from that, it smelled burnt for days and had dry, semi-curled ends (burned curls). Gaaah. Never be frugal when it comes to something as delicate as hair!
* Currently craving Kenji Tei's Spicy Tuna Maki (or any spicy tuna salad/maki/sushi whatever).

 

* A few days ago I had my first food shoot experience with Seabiscuit. I wasn't feeling so well that day so I had a difficult time trying to do anything, but the shoot was still a lot of fun! I enjoyed helping out in this one (and eating some of the food, hehe), and also got to learn a lot. 

-end-

christmas party

Christmas partying with my second family. Always a joyous get-together with lots of food, booze, and laughs. And of course, photos! It just gets better and better every year.

Many thanks to the guys who voluntarily organize everything--from making the event, preparing the program and awards, planning out the food and drinks, collecting the money and actually making it happen. It's not everyday we find creative, well-organized guy friends who take time to party plan :)

To friendship and more Christmas parties to come! Merry Christmas!