Upper East

It was supposed to be Day 1 of our serious diet when my boyfriend asked me out for lunch. We were thinking of places near school with decent, home cooked meals. Fast food is a big no-no since we were both on a "diet". I even went to the gym that morning! haha Anyway, we decided to try out this place - Upper East.

 It turns out that Upper East  is the teaching restaurant of the American Hospitality Academy (AHA) which to our surprise such institution exists (Sorry, we're both law students and you can just imagine how limited our world is =)) Upon entering the restaurant, I was in awe of how beautiful the place was. I'm not super familiar with rating restaurants but man, the ambiance was to die for! The place was sooo pretty and quaint that you would think you were in a showroom of some sort. I must say, the place was perfect for a having a baby shower! (Sorry, first event that came to my mind haha)

See their food in pictures!

Menu (I love how they describe the food that you'll know what to expect from what you'll be ordering)

YUM! Meal prices range from 130 - 400. A bit pricey though for students like us.

Wall decor- i love the concept of hanging frames

panira to the concept the round silver clock

table set up

too small though for their plates 

i love this sort of chandelier/hanging light or whatever

with 2nd floor

free muffins - after we finished the first one, they gave us another one while waiting for our food to be served. we were so tempted to ask if these were unlimited haha jologs lang!

 I had their lunch special which was composed of mushroom soup, pork schnitzel and eclair - Php199.00

mushroom soup - I'm a big fan of mushrooms and i liked their soup since its not your ordinary campbell's soup in a can. 

pork schnitzel- comes with rice and ceasar salad

I really didn't know what pork schnitzel was when i ordered the lunch special. Turns our it's just like cordon bleu minus the cheese haha! fancy name! their ceasar salad was good btw! My boyfriend ordered their pot roast - comes with mashed potatoes and ceasar salad. The beef was a bit hard to chew/slice though=(

I super love the plate they used for serving our meal. It was long though so it seemed like our table was really crowded

Eclair - I was disappointed though on how they served their dessert. Everything was so fancy that I didn't expect my dessert to be served this plain

Our overall rating (10 being the highest):

Food: 7 out of 10 -- we think the pot roast needed more boiling to be easier to chew. Presentation was ok, except for the manner they served the eclair

Ambience - 10 out of 10 -- If only I had girlfriends with me and a decent camera, I'm sure to have taken lots of pictures. Everything was so pretty!

Service -  9 out of 10 -- they were just students but they were attentive to out needs, A bit awkward though knowing we're making utos to people younger than us haha

Price: 6 out of 10 -- too pricey for our budget and their servings are not that big for sharing

Upper East is located at 116 Tordesillas St, Makati City- Philippine International Trading Corporation

Hello corndog!

Oh hello there, come to momma!

I felt guilty for not trying out the corndogs in Il Mercanti, so when we had the chance to go back, the first stop I made was to the corndog stand! How i wish they would sell corndogs in basketball games, concerts, cinemas, etc! But being my boring self and with my sort of disgust for mayo and mustard, i ate it with ketchup only haha oh well!

Btw, on the way to Metrowalk, my boyfriend and I almost had a fight because 3 drunk korean teenagers walking right in the middle of the street!! I have nothing against koreans just so we're clear but hey, they're pretty much drunk and were FREAKIN'WALKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET! I had to admit I got a bit scared when I saw 1 of them holding a beer bottle (I kept honking the horn at them during this time) and with my praning self and wild imagination i had to stop making them get off the street! what is duwag much?! haha

For frustrated singers like me

 I've been channel surfing and saw The Voice on AXN. Now I can't tear myself away from the television! Great timing since I saw Dia's performance of Heartless! I love love loooooooove her voice!

Then i saw Team Christina's lady marmalade performance! I was a big christina aguilera fan back then (Sorry britney!) 

Then I remember seeing this group singing on Ellen - Sidewinder (US aarmy soldiers) singing Adele's rolling in the deep! It made me teary-eyed hearing them sing haha (sorry I'm mababaw and iyakin like that!) =)

Oh wow, I think I've had around 5 voice lessons and my voice is nowhere like theirs!! Guess i'll keep my singing within the confines of my room and bathroom! =P

Apps I'm loving now!

Sorry for the blog flood teehee. Living in a condo sucks since I don't have internet connection there and my broadband stick is useless! Couldn't find a decent spot with a signal. Remind me again why I'm using that particular brand?? Oh yeah, because I broke my very first one and since I didn't want to spend for a new one i just took whatever's available at home. KILL ME NOW! So now i'm blog flooding -  since i'm home for the weekend and we have superb internet connection!! haha

Here's what's driving me crazy - my newly found ipad app Monster Pet Shop!!! 

App also available for iphones. You can download this free from the app store!!

 I've been playing it for a week and I am so hooooooked to it!! Who wouldn't be once you see those uber cute pet monsters!!! 

See how cute monster pets are!!

In this game you get to run your own monster pet store - customers will give you their requests; raise, feed, play with and clean your pet's habitat and adopt out your pets! You'll have to check on your pet every now and then and that's what makes it sooo addicting!! Bad news though - for those with devices "jailbroken" this app is not yet available. =(

If you decide on having this app, I suggest you join this facebook page Monster Pet Shop guide which gives you super helpful tips!! Hope you like it!!

Another app I'm loving now is BOP IT!  

Party pleaser for you and your friends!

I found myself screaming with my friend since we just couldn't get it!! haha! Be sure to try the demo first to know what to do! =)

Last app is New York Zombies (NYZ)

I'm a sucker for zombie games and I just couldn't resist the thought of fighting off zombies and feeling like I'm in the series walking dead!!

Finished storymode already!!

Took me 4-5 days finishing story mode!! Once I get hooked, I won't stop til i finish the game. See how geeky i am?? haha You must be thinking " I thought she's a law student? Isn't she supposed to be studying??" Well I am a law student but we need a break too you know!! haha

Good thing about this app is that you don't have to control it so you can move, all you need to do is look right and left to kill them zombies!! haha

You'll feel like you're really killing 'em all! haha

Go get these apps now!! and I'd love to hear what apps you're crazy about too! =)

il mercanti food bazaar - Metrowalk

It sucks to have a schedule like mine. My classes usually start around 5pm, ends at 9:30pm! PM guys!! but hey, i got used to this schedule. It means more study/preparation time during the day for those terror profs :s Anyway, what really sucks about my class schedule is that most restaurants are already closed by the time i leave school. bummer right? and by the time i leave school I am so famished that it makes me irritable!! sorry but you wouldn't want to be near me when hunger strikes!! haha add to that the traffic and those crazy bus drivers along edsa on the way home. So by the time I arrive home, what's left of my food choices are fast food establishments. :s Yes, fast food's great but not for everyday meals!!!

One super hungry night, we dropped by metrowalk to look for a decent meal when we saw their parking lot converted into this food bazaar!! You wouldn't believe how ecstatic I was just seeing it! It not only means I can get dinner for a very affordable price but also that I have a looooooot of choices!! I've been to several food bazaars and there are stalls that sell almost the same kind of stuff. Hurriedly, I went around and looked for that unique meal that hasn't been offered in the food bazaars I've been to. Look what I found:

Pares by Pares ni Mang Juan (70php) I definitely recommend  this, great value for super yummy food.

The pares meal I had was delightful and not just because I was hungry but it was really good! One thing I don't like about food bazaars like this is that the food they serve are most often cold already. But for this meal, I saw them reheat my food in the stove! Plus points for hot meal! But before I could totally dig in to my meal, I had to pick out the star annis from my meal.   See below what annis looks like haha

Star annis

I had squid balls too but it was a little pricey for 20php. But hey, I was craving for it!

What you'll love about Il Mercanti is that there's a huge eating area for its customers!! And you won't worry about finding a clean table since they have hired help to clean up after a customer dines.

Of course, the night wouldn't be complete without dessert. So we looked around (again) and look what we found!

Dulcinea @ il Mercanti

their cream puffs are a must!

We left Metrowalk with super satisfied and food filled faces. We'll definitely be back!!
Go visit Il Mercanti Food Bazar at Metrowalk.
Schedule: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 8pm - 6am

Homemade milk tea!

Call it  a fad or whatever you like. One thing's for sure, milk tea is everywhere. It is divinely delicious and will keep you asking for more but.... wait for it -- it leaves a big hole in your pocket! or for students like me, it means i'd have to save up on my next meal just to get my milk tea fix. When froyo was brought here to Manila, I found myself lining up at Red Mango almost everyday!! Ahhhh, the perks of living beside a mall! But hell, i had to tear myself away from it or else nothing would be left of my allowance! haha =)

Anyway, for those milk tea lovers/afficionados out there, here's how to make your very own milk tea! It costs a lot less than your typical 85-120php per cup!

Here's the easiest way how!!

Ingredients:
Lipton black tea bags - you can get this a for a box around 80php
1/2  condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar -
1 cup evaporated milk
hot water

Instructions:
1. Pour hot water into a pitcher and steep your tea bags for about 5 minutes but being my praning self i let mine steep for a little over 5 mins just to make sure hehe. The number of tea bags you'll steep will depend on how much water you'll put. But i suggest you make the tea strong since its taste will be diluted by the milk and ice later on. In my case, i used 7 tea bags for around 4 cups of hot water.

2. Take out your tea bags. Add your condensed milk and sugar. Yes, this is how fattening milk tea is but who cares! For those who are health conscious, you may use brown sugar instead but make sure you get the right amount of sweetness in there.

3. Pour your tea mixture into a glass, put your evaporated milk on top then add ice!

There you have it, your very own milk tea!! Of course, you can add pearls but being my lazy self I didn't bother. All the ingredients will more or less be around Php150. Not bad right? and good thing about this is you can make and experiment with your milk tea everday for a lesser cost! you can even substitute the ingredients with low fat milk or lowcal sugar!

Here's my own version of milk tea! I didn't add the evaporated milk though since I'm not a big fan of milk. haha

Giordano's Transforming Cape

My mom gave me this super cool Giordano transforming cape from Hongkong. It costs around 238HKD. Sorry pic to follow but I can't wait to try it on! the tag says there are 6 ways of wear it but I've been researching and wow, there are more than 6 ways. I cannot wait to try it out! This is definitely a must for the upcoming cold weather or perfect for super air conditioned class rooms in my case. - I can already imagine myself wearing this to simbang gabi! woohoo! =)

To see how to wear the cape: 

 

Btw, mine is the same color as that of the one in the video. cute right? 

I even found other ways of wearing it courtesy of :

http://thesupermodeldiaries.blogspot.com/2011/07/transform-your-look-with-giordanos-5-in.html

CBTL's Swirl Rewards Card

I'm a big fan of coffee shops - studying there of course. It sets my mind to study mode especially when i see other students with the same predicament, busy and focused. I'm that type who has to have everything - book, notebook, cases, notes- with me whenever I study even though I know I won't be able to study all of the materials but it gives me a sense of comfort knowing that it's there whenever I need to check on something. Having the ipad helped since I can easily download my cases online without bringing those stacks of paper (yes, law school can be very cruel to mother nature) but what sucks is that I have to use my broadband connection which means I get charged for 10php for every 30 minutes of internet usage. Why can't there be free internet everywhere??! Anyway, I recently found a solution to my internet dilemma without paying for it - CBTL's swirl card!!

Php 195.00 only!!

 

 

 

The perks: it entitles you to free internet usage!! and it entitles you to points which is good as cash and can be used to pay for your next cup of coffee or whatever. Works kind of like a rebate! Aint that amazing?? You can even register your swirl card online to keep track of your points.

It can also be given as a christmas gift to your loved ones since you can put "load" in it for their purchases!

For more info on the swirl rewards card, check out http://www.swirlrewards.com.ph/about.aspx

Craving for burger

A burger craving attacked me, but this wasn't just the type of craving that will be satisfied by any burger. I have been trying to avoid fast food since I noticed that I've been gaining weight again (bye bye 2 months of gym workout) and since I'm saving for this trip, i decided to stop by BURGER MACHINE. Yes people, that good old trailer type stall still exists! For me, they offer the tastiest patties at a very cheap price! Does this still qualify as fast food? I have no idea but nothing beats the sight and smell of burger being cooked in front of you.

burger machine somewhere in katipunan extension - if you see Tomato Kick, you're near. Forgive me, I'm really bad with street names

great value for your money with their buy 1 take 1 promo

Another good thing about Burger Machine is that their stalls are open 24 hours. Wasn't able to take a picture of their tiramisu but it was good considering it was only for Php15.00 =)

To satisfy your burger machine cravings, check out this link of store locations courtesy of munchpunch.com

http://www.munchpunch.com/2735/burger-machine-branches?h=1

When boredom strikes...

I've been stressing a lot lately with school and my boyfriend getting sick (thank God he feels better now) so one lazy and gloomy afternoon, I decided to rummage around the kitchen to find whatever it is that will brighten my day - a.k.a FOOD! And look what I found!! Wine and cheese.

This is perfect since I was just reading on wine and cheese parties and how fancy and expensive they can get. Not only do i get to have my own wine and cheese party at the comforts of our home but also for FREE!

The wine is just sparkling wine since my dad won't let us touch his "stash" - which consists of bottles mostly for display since he doesn't drink at all - and the cheese is just quezo de belo, which by the way i used to hate when i was little.

Picture taken with my lomo app. =)

Cafe Mediterranean (Alabang Town Center)

We were craving so much for Cafe Med's kebabs that we decided to go to Alabang. Food was amazing as always!

Lentil Soup (Php75)

This yummy soup is filling enough as it is. Similar to our mongo but better.

Beef Kebab Plate

Our all-time favorite!! 

Beef Gyro

Not a fan of onions so I had it removed from the gyro.

Cafe Med never fails us! Til next time! :)

T.G.I.Friday's goes kid friendly this summer!

Summer's here and I bet children everywhere are rejoicing for 2 whole months of being homework-free. Their parents, on the other hand, have already planned a whole set of summer activities for their children. Believe me when I say this as I have witnessed my own boss (during a summer apprenticeship program in a law firm) who probably enrolled her 2 girls in almost every summer class known to us Filipinos. Ballet, check. Taekwondo, check. Swimming, check. Reading and Math enrichment programs, check. Cooking and baking lessons, check. I pity those girls for not having a single day to themselves,just watching their favorite tv shows and munching on junk food all day. Now, I witness my own parents do the same thing to my 5-year old sister.

Planning out your kid's summer does not entirely make you a momzilla  (or dadzilla) but it is important to take into consideration your child's interests, his or hers strong or weak points to be able to choose the right kind of summer activity.  Otherwise, you might be spending on summer lessons that you and your child fight over everyday or worse, make you lose a lot of cash!!

T.G.I.Friday's offers parents and their children summer workshops where kids become part of their service crew. For only Php800, you can enroll your child to their 4-day summer workshop program wherein they will be taught how to serve customers, tour the kitchen, set the table, make something in the kitchen and even arts and crafts. The fee includes a red and white striped shirt and covers meals for your children during their 4-day stay in the restaurant. From 11am to 3pm, your children will get to experience how it is to work in a restaurant. This is also a good way of developing your child's social skills as he or she gets to mingle with other kids during the workshop. This is also the reason why we decided to enroll my sister in this workshop as she is almost always shy outside of the house. =)

I'm not sure if all T.G.I.Friday's branches offer the workshop but my sister is enrolled in their branch at Alabang Town Center.

Here's a rundown for those who decide to enroll their children in the workshop:

1. Pay the Php800 fee

2. The workshop is for 4 days only (Monday to Thursday, 11am-3pm)

3. Inclusive of meals and a red and white stripped shirt

4. Attire: shirt, black skirt or pants for boys, stockings or knee high socks, black shoes, suspenders

Contact or visit the nearest T.G.I.Friday's near you!