Think healthy when drinking: Herbajuice

While strolling around --- alone --- in SM Megamall one day, I had the usual dilemma on what to eat which was healthy and, at the same time, satisfactory to the taste at least. I wasn't really hungry since I had just gone to a family reunion which was too filling for the whole day. And so I had a taste of what herbajuice had to offer. Located just in front of health-related establishments, it's a good place to go to even when you feel just having to consume something healthy. 

The waitresses there were really bubbly and for a hundred bucks, the Acai Antioxidant that I tried was worth it! I was offered to have their healthy cupcakes as well though I had to turn it down since, as I have mentioned, I'm to full for my life that time. Their counter was full of health supplements as well Going back to what I ordered, though, the acai antioxidant was sweet for my taste; however, the health benefits were what mattered. On the counter, displayed were their health supplements like Vitamin E, Vitamin B and Omega-3! 

Going back to what I ordered, acai antioxidant was somewhat sweet for my taste; then again, what made me choose it was that I've never tasted what acai tasted like. Acai berries have seemed like a fad to me when I first heard it. However, while I was reading through it on the internet I thought, why not give it a try sometime, right? So here came the opportunity. For a hundred bucks, I had what I wanted! 

Acai Antioxidant 

Straight from Brazil, this super food will power you up for your day. Blueberries, Strawberries, Pomegranate, Banana, Apple Juice & Low Fat Frozen Yogurt. Boosted with HerbaJuice Acai Booster

For my next visit, the next one I'm trying out is the Mango Memories and those cupcakes looked interesting!

Herbajuice
4th Floor, SM Megamall near Clinica Manila and Slimmer's World
EDSA corner J. Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong City
Official Website | Facebook | Twitter

We belong, Cafe 1771

A month or so back, I signed up for The Burp Society because, aside that it sounded fun to eat at a new restaurant, I'd get to meet new foodies over the metro. When I finally received the e-mail invitation from Ms. Mhel of Certified Foodies, I initially though that it's gonna be some big event wherein food bloggers would be there but, alas, to my surprise, it wasn't. And I thought that it sounded like a superb idea to spend over the weekend! I'm just blessed to be part of it. :)

So last December 16, Sunday, I met up with awesome foodies (it's weird not to call anyone with honorifics here. Haha): Norman, Mishi, David, Crystal, Kim, Jan, Karen, Karl, Sevie, Potchi and, of course, the siblings and owners of TBS, Mhel and Kenneth.

Dressed in my most casual-slash-ordinary outfit, I headed to this cafe that I've wished ever to dine in at for all of my stay in Ortigas as a student. Cafe 1771 in El Pueblo, Ortigas Center, is located near Podium and SM Megamall.

Obligatory group photo with all the food... (Oh, would you look at that!)

Oppa Kogi Style!

Everytime Nixie and I go out to have lunch somewhere random in a mall, we are always able to think of new plans. Yesterday, we finally had a "one down" plan again crossed off our list and that's to eat at Kogi Bulgogi in Lucky Chinatown, Binondo, Manila.

The mall wasn't crowded as it's newly-opened though I honestly wish it wouldn't be too full in a matter of time. Or was it because it was Monday and people are either in school or at the office? Anyway...

Mas masarap ka pa kaysa sa...

Okay, that was just to get your attention. If it did, you're in for some sugar rush with this post since most of the photos here will be about our first dinner/dessert meals in Bacolod!

So our plane landed just in time for the ETA in Bacolod last October 19th and we met up with Irmay, her father and Jerome then went straight for dinner at Chicken House. While looking through the menu, I was completely dumbfounded that I only managed to say, "bakit ganito!! Bakit..."

Since the "pecho" part wasn't able at that time, they opted to have the wing part instead while I chose to have spareribs.

 

Having this as a first course for our stay in Bacolod City, it wasn't so bad! Unlike the ones that are served here in Manila with too much oil in them, the food there were deliciously marinated and the oil was in a different container which we can add further on. 

Right after, the most exciting part is this! Calea! I've only had a taste of their cakes when my mother went to Bacolod last summer and I had a really good impression of it.

Pinoy Blogfest 3.0

Give each side a chance to air their story—that’s one simple solution to settle the long-standing feud between pro- and anti-Internet piracy supporters. Pinoy Blogfest 3.0, an annual event staged by Gadgets Magazine, aims to do just that. Everyone—no matter which side of the piracy issue you’re on—is invited to be part of this instructive yet fun event, happening on Saturday, 22 September 2012 at the Alphaland Tents (EDSA cor. Chino Roces, near Magallanes MRT station) in Makati City.

Pinoy Blogfest 3.0 is themedCaught in the Web: Both Sides of the Digital Movement, and promises a whole afternoon of exciting activities. Whether you’re a tech geek, a music buff, a gamer, a fashionista, or just someone who wants to learn and discover new things, we’ve cooked up something special just for you.

The afternoon program, which opens at 12:00 noon, is free and open to the public. The series of activities starts out with a digital photography workshop courtesy of Canon Philippines.Also lined up to talk about internet piracy, its effects, and how online movements are bridging the gap between consumers and content-makers are Atty. Ann Edillon of Bengzon Negre Untalan (BNU) Intellectual Property Attorneys, Diego Mapa of OPM bands Pedicab and Tarsius, and Mark Laccay from local creative funding platform Artiste Connect. Color It Red, Taken By Cars, Ciudad, and other local OPM bands will be there for special guest performances. You can pick up gifts and prizesfrom our sponsors when you participate in the activities. You can also pick out awesome finds in our fashion aisle courtesy of Supersale Bazaar, while gaming rigs will be set up for those who want some free gaming action.

At the evening program, resource persons from the visual arts, publishing, music and legal industries will give an interactive discussion on internet piracy and digital rights. Legal luminary Adel Tamano, Director for Public Affairs and Communication of Coca-Cola will be the evening’s Keynote Speaker. Concluding the program will be the announcement of the winners of the GoodBlog Awards, music from local band Runmanila, and the raffle draws.

In addition to that, there would be an evening program by 6PM! It's an invitation event only for the evening part so if you're interested to go there, visit Gadgets Magazine for more details on how to. 

Pinoy Blogfest 3.0 is staged by Gadgets Magazine and is made possible by Coca-Cola, NEO, AOC, Edifier,Ginebra San Miguel Premium Gin, and official media partner Manila Bulletin. For more information, head on over to www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/pinoy_blogfest3! :)

Sounds exciting? It's open to everyone, especially bloggers so mark your planners and head over there to the Pinoy Blogfest 3.0 on Saturday for some chillax memento!! :) See you there! 

Pho Hoa Vietnamese House, SM Megamall

The past week wasn't just mentally and physically challenging when it came to the topic "school" but being emotional's a part of it. The top reason must be that I had a pecha kucha presentation that was due last Friday though I'm glad I pulled it through! I'm entirely grateful to the people who wished me luck since I wasn't confident enough for it. Yep, public speaking's always the last thing on my mind.

Anyhoo, for a late food post, here's what we had when my family and I had a little dinner at Pho Hoa Vietnamese House, Megamall. Primarily, the thing that got my attention was the "whiteness" of the place. Because of the interiors,  it gave that warm, hospitable feeling that made me want to try it out. Since the other supposed-to-be Viet restaurant in Megamall was closed at that time, we decided to have it there at Pho Hoa. Really nice ambiance and people there! The person who served us was patient enough to answer all our questions. :)

Yabu Food Tasting, Robinson's Magnolia

Without any hint of hesitation, I immediately hit the reply button to Yabu's tweet:

I knew I had the chance to, again, devour on the luscious servings of Yabu's dishes so I joined. Besides, what they serve there are indeed my comfort food. As you can see, also for references, I've already posted about Yabu several times before so you can as well check back on those posts. :) 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Hours later, surprisingly, I was one of the lucky 25 who they reserved invites for for their tasting event and it left me speechless. Unfortunately, Nixie was in Singapore to miss this awesome event so I had to go there alone. But then, as Effie Trinket said, "may the odds be ever in your favor!"

So, where do I begin?

Jipan Japanese Restaurant, SM Megamall

Yesterday, Nixie and I went to this awesome restaurant called Jipan at SM Megamall Bldg. A. Strolling through the area, I bet many of us would have probably skip this one since it doesn't grab too much attention and no artsyfartsy logos or store layouts whatsoever. Then again, as we we entered the store, we easily got into the Japanese feel! It was one --- if not the best --- of the best Japanese restaurants we've ever went to! It was just a small restaurant near ChaTime but the advantage was that the people there were efficient to customers given its size.

It was disappointing that I forgot to bring my DSLR with me hence, the low-quality photos. I should stop stalling at home and ending up rushing to school 30 minutes before class... Anyway, I... or rather, we highly recommend every Japanese food lover to try out this place! And their bread were so delectable, I couldn't get enough! The most unique bread we found was the macha bread which Nixie bought --- only one loaf was left! :)

This grabbed my attention. Butter vs. Margarine.

The prices were also very affordable and the food absolutely gave us what we paid for. With which I only took a photo of the first page for some suspense. Haha. Everyone should try this!

Nixie's order meal

Gyoza for side dish 

What I ordered: Zaru Soba with wasabi, nori and quail egg

Free dessert for us! :D

Itadakimasu!!~

Yes, I'm alive!

I just miss posting food photos on this blog. :( But then, on a brighter side, I'm still grateful for the people who still visit here. I wanna kiss and hug all of you. Echos lang lol. You can still visit my amateur photography blog though at http://creamofscrap.wordpress.com! :) 

Decent photos from my Instagram account! (_franceslim)
From top-left, to inside:

Green Tea Cheesecake from Secret Recipes

Chicken Teriyaki Salad from Kimono Ken

Crunchy Kani Maki from Kimono Ken

My “masterpiece”: chicken with black beans and tomatoes with squeezed orange

Macau 2010

Haggard face from yesterday

Books I retrieved from our old house

Outside our unit

Uhh, sofa bed aka my bed

Shark’s Fin from Next Door by North Park

House Salad from Flaming Wings

Filipinas Heritage Library

Next Door Noodles by North Park

For my aunt's birthday, we had a very sumptuous dinner at Next Door, a restaurant under Chinese restaurant North Park, in Ortigas Home Depot. Prior to dinner, we had to wait for the celebrant for two hours and we were beyond hungry when they arrived. Nevertheless, it was another good family time and laughter was a big part of it. It was the second time that we ate at Next Door and this one's one of my favorite restaurants to date! :)

We ordered one of the set menus 'cause they can't be bothered with deciding on different orders. All of the food were really great, nothing was too much of anything when it comes to taste. So we went home really satisfied with our dinner despite of the long wait before dinner. Plus, the sweet corn soup was a good one for the rainy weather!

Four-piece siomai...

and steamed shark's fin for appetizers.

Sweet Corn Soup

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Salted Garlic Squid

Lechon Macau

Boneless Honey Lemon Chicken

Wok-Stirred Spaghetti Noodles w/ Black Pepper Beef

Gabi Buchi

Next Door Noodles

Ortigas Home Depot

Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City

Coming Home to Mandaue Foam

It's that old saying, "love begins at home."

Everytime we go home, there's surely the tendency to feel extremely tired from a long day of work, either it's the parents who go to office or the children from school. And, everytime we go home, there's that yearning feeling of wanting to be relaxed and feel refreshed.

Good thing there's Mandaue Foam! Mandaue Foam is one of the top home stores in the Philippines known for its reputation of providing really good quality products.

Back in the day, my parents would choose Mandaue Foam for our mattresses because of the comfort that it gives to us. Browsing through their website, I found quite a number of mattresses available and what caught my attention the most is the memory foam mattress. It's very important for each one of us to get the most number of hours we can possibly acquire to be able to function properly throughout the day. Well, I know oversleeping should be avoided but with this mattress and its premium feature, I think that's quite impossible. ;)

You probably would've guessed by now that my most favorite hobby is sleeping. Frankly, I can sleep anywhere! Also, I really love that close-to-nature feeling while at home since I consider it the best therapy ever --- yes, even more than that delightful massage I'll never hesitate to have. With Mandaue Foam's Aluminium Lounge Bed, from the looks of it, is very relaxing to have in our home. Plus, with that coffee table (I love coffee!!), relaxing is even more delightful!

Last, but not really the least, what I loved from Mandaue Foam's online catalogue are their bookcases. Since I love reading books, I want them to be really organized like, I can get them when I want at any time. Also, I think the edge of the Gregory bookcase from the others is that it can be used as a divider-slash-bookcase with style. 

You see, any home can anything you want it to be. The right furniture, the good feeling and a loving family would make you homesick anywhere you go! Together with Mandaue Foam, there's that relaxing feeling you can easily have, no need to go outside.... it's your home, your imagination. ;) Wanna see more? Click for this video!