When: 24 Sept 2011

Where: Sinfully by Makai Shangri-La, Greenbelt 5

For: Buying chocolates for your lady (or man; or mother; or father; or friend)

This is the perfect place to buy sweets for your special someone. Let the pictures tell you why.

The macarons! I would definitely want to have lots of these. Too bad they're freakishly expensive

Let them eat cake!

Also, our wrestling team gets to train with some of the most hardcore wrestlers out there. They usually get to train with Bulgarian wrestlers, which from the stories i’ve heard, looked like minotaurs without the hair. They also get to train with Mongolian wrestlers. People who know about Mongolian culture will know what this means. Wrestling may be one of the most popular sports in Mongolia. Their people respect those with cauliflower ears more than they respect those with huge muscles. And just to prove how much they love wrestling, they consider their wrestling champions as gods. No kidding. When someone wins a championship, people wait outside his new home for him to arrive. When he gets there, he throws golden coins minted with his face to the crowd. Now, i don’t think these coins can buy them anything, but it’s supposed to be one of the luckiest charms that a Mongolian can have. So yeah, you get the picture. Their culture is a culture of bad-assery, and i’m sure that some of that bad-assery gets beaten into our guys when they train with them.

Also, everyone says that wrestlers have the best work ethic. I think that’s true. The burn you get in your lungs, legs, arms, and back from training is enough to make the average joe quit. Try doing a double leg ten times in the air as fast as you can. You’ll feel your legs start to cramp and your lungs start to tighten. Now imagine doing that hundreds of times while trying to lift the full weight of someone that’s trying to crush you. You can only imagine the strength wrestlers have, mentally, physically, and emotionally. There’s a reason that wrestlers look like they were carved out of stone by Greece’s finest sculptors; they look like that because theirs is the hardest sport. A wrestling match is a battle of strength, speed, endurance, wit, and heart. Every muscle in your body has to be up to the task, or you will wilt like a dying flower’s petals under the pressure of a man whose soul goal is to slam you into the very core of the earth.

Anyway, if you’re looking to train in wrestling, you can’t just ask around. There are lots of gyms that have people that teach wrestling, but few that are wrestlers at heart. It’s best to go to the national team and ask around for contact details of ex wrestlers that are willing to teach. It is a hard sport to get into, but well worth it. It not only builds up the strength of your body, but the strength of your character. If you’re willing to put in the effort, it’s definitely something that you should try.

- Doughnut

Where: Sonya’s Garden, Tagaytay

When: February 15, 2011

For: Date Nights / Family dinners (visit at night for the pretty lights!)

Sonya’s Garden is a perfect place for dinner dates (or lunch out with friends). They offer Asian and European-inspired dishes in a very nature-y setting. This post is on their Valentine’s Day special.

Cozy interiors despite me not understanding what its theme was supposed to be (modern-ish Spanish?)

Create your own salad

They also had pasta with two kids of sauces and toppings: sun dried tomato and chicken cream with mango! Check out their menu by clicking on the photo!

A slice of chocolate cake for dessert! (Sorry for the blurry photo.)

Pretty lights all around the place!

More lights outside!

More sights to see around the place!

They had several corners with a cozy couch/seat. Perfect for after-dinner talks.

The red brick road to the bed and breakfast cottages

We stumbled upon a garden filled with flowers and herbs. I can't remember the way though. The place is a bit big. Fun to get lost in!

What: Pig-out Date Session

Where: Chuck’s Deli, Eastwood

For: The Couple w/ Big Appetites

In a not so far off place called Chuck’s Deli lives a small group of amazingly happy and satisfied customers. Here at Chuck’s, life is simple. The staff greets you; they find you and your lucky companions seats; you order; and as in all great stories, you eat till your heart’s content.

Chuck’s Deli, located in Eastwood, is the home of the SLABWICH. That’s right, the SLABWICH. Its name is a particular give away to what it is — a sandwich but just a thousand times better. Made with their homemade bread, standard half a kilo of choice meat, and an array of delicious sauces, it equates the ultimate meal. Remember kids, that’s 1.1 pounds of meat. Working out before and after is well in order!

Chuck's Deli can be found by the new mall in Eastwood (in addition to their other branch in The Fort).

The scene in Chuck's Deli.

Chuck's Special Sauce & Garlic Sauce = beyond delicious | Roast Beef Slabwich at P445 (P255 for half pound)

We ordered the Roast Beef Slabwich. Simple but oh-so-mouth-wateringly delicious. Layer upon layer of roasted Angus beef put together into heavenly goodness by Chuck’s signature sauce. And from the first two sentences, I bet you can infer that it was enjoyable to say the least. 10 inches of heaven I tell you. Heaven! By the way, make sure you go out as a group or at least a pair because this monster is hard to put down.

Philly Blues Subwich at P345

Next up on the menu is the Philly Blues. Basically a Philly Cheesesteak but ingeniously made with blue cheese. As you can see from the picture above, it is CHEESY. As you bite this gift from God, large chunks of beef attack your taste buds while blue cheese literally floods the walls of your mouth. Not an inch of this subwich is empty bread. 100% loaded, 100% delicious. 100% guaranteed to take those blues away.

Chuck's Burger at P265

Next up on the menu is Chuck’s Burger– a heavy hitting half-pound juicy beef patty is snuggled in between two delicious buns with a crispy outer layer. Accompanied with a bit of fresh lettuce, tomato, and a heap load of delicious Chuck’s sauce, it is…. perfect. Big Macs and Whoppers have nothing on this. This beast is not for the faint of heart.

You can have your slab/sub/flatwich/burger with crispy potato chips or crunchy onion rings.

Each slab/sub/flatwich comes with its own potato chips. The smile (above) was courtesy of Jinky.

Chuck’s Deli’s good food, great service,  and fun ambience, make the pricey menu well worth it! Make sure to visit this place so you can be one of the happy and satisfied customers too.

Hard to believe this meal's for two!

P.S. Almost forgot to mention that we were only 2 people. And yes, this was too much for my 6-foot body to handle.

Tip: Chuck’s Deli is perfect for the barkada also! Best of all, they have the Chuck’s Challenge a.k.a. Slay the Buffy. Click on this link to find out more about it!

Caution: They do not include VAT and service charge in the menu prices.

What: Incubus Live! in Manila

Where: Smart Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City

When: July 28, 2011

For: The Concert Junkie

What has five men, a drummer, a guitarist, a dj, a bassist, and a vocalist? Pretty much every band in this world. Hmmm… That doesn’t get my point across much. Let’s narrow it down. What is AWESOME that has five men that ROCK, a drummer, a guitarist, a dj, a bassist, and a vocalist named Brandon Boyd? That’s right baby, Incubus was here in the Philippines just Thursday, July 28,2011!

Brandon Boyd, ladies!!!

This was their third visit to the Philippines I believe. I gotta say though, that there was something extremely different about their concert this time. It wasn’t just different because of how many songs they played or because Brandon Boyd didn’t take his shirt off to turn all women in the audience (and some men) into jelly. No, it wasn’t that. There was just a different vibe to this concert, and let me tell you, it was spectacular. The energy of the whole performance was just on another level. Every time Brandon Boyd moved to the music, the audience would sway with him. Every time he belted out a line, the audience was right there rockin out with him. If you’ve ever had to sing your country’s national anthem with your whole school present, then you’ll have an idea of what it was like to be in a room with thousands of singing people, except it was just mind-blowing! AND MAN, I gotta say, they hit the stage like freakin super heroes!

Yup, awesome has just landed!

And I really just wanna thank the Incubus for being so darn cool this time. Last time I went to their concert, they played only a few songs. I recall counting only around eight songs. Now, you don’t need to be a hardcore concert goer to know that that number of songs will always leave you lacking. This time though, Incubus just went all out. They sang a total of 20 songs! They didn’t need to sing that many, and that is obviously very tiring. But they did it, and everyone at that concert that night went home feeling like they’d been floating on clouds because they did it. What was also really cool was that they didn’t just sing all of their new songs. They sang a lot of their signature songs to get the crowd to sing a long, and they played some of their old songs too, the songs they started out with. It was great. The band showed us where they came from, what they’re known for, and where they were headed with their set list.

Thank you Incubus. You’re awesome.

Lights up!

Black and white.

Loving the energy from the band as well as the crowd!

Well, maybe not everyone went home feeling like they’d been floating on a cloud. Now, not many bands visit the Philippines often, and the ones that do, don’t always come back. I really have to say it though, the Philippines is extremely lucky that Incubus keeps on coming. I can’t stress this fact enough because there seem to be some douches in the country that love to do things that might make the band hate us. The last time they were here, there was this guy with a red laser pointer that kept trying to blind Brandon Boyd by shooting it directly into his eyes. Thank God for the quick thinking of the managers who thought of turning the stage lights red so that it wouldn’t irritate Brandon Boyd as much. THIS time, the douche had a green laser pointer (i’m not sure if it was the same douche) and tried shooting Brandon Boyd in the eye again! I mean, I don’t know if this guy hates the band and doesn’t want them to ever return or if he just thought it was cool. But hell man! You’ve gotta to know that if you piss them off, they won’t be coming back! Anyway, all of the Incubus fans out there will be glad to know that the concert producers were ready this time. The guards caught him before he could do any damage. So guy, if you’re reading this, QUIT IT!

What: Online film shop

Where: lomolocoshop.com

Do you love taking photos? Do you love film? Here’s the shop for you! Lomo Loco sells the cutest lomography cameras and cheap films! The owner, Kara Hizon, is really nice! (She does meetups if you don’t want to pay through Globe G-Cash or BPI Bank Deposit.)

Here are some photos I took with the films I ordered from her.

Using my Diana F+ camera:

Using my Kodak camera:

Here’s a photo of my Diana F+ with her ring flash:

And here are some of her babies:

If you’ve tried ordering from her (or if you have some other online film shop to share), don’t hesitate to leave a comment! And share you photos too!

Where: ROC (Restaurant of Choice), Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman

When: July 19 (Tuesday)

For a non-isko like me, UP-D is known for two things: mouth-watering isaw and cheap photocopying centers (I’d like to assert that nighttime ghost hunting comes at a close third). Of course, with their mass expanse of land there’s bound to be more treasures hidden in the deep crevices of the great Peyups.

Enter ROC (Restaurant of Choice). Found at the ground floor of Bahay ng Alumni, ROC gives the famous Chocolate Kiss (a floor above) a run for its money.

ROC Lenten specials

Stained glass windows!

I love the blue on the ROC doors. However, the Free Wifi sign wins me over hands down.

The ROC scene at around 5 in the afternoon.

Now, I haven’t been to Chocolate Kiss in ages but from what I remember, in terms of ambiance, ROC has a more intimate setting perfect for a comfortable (and relatively quiet) meal with your company of choice. The dim lighting coupled with the rustic Mediterranean walls and floor tiles made it easier to believe we were in some posh restaurant rather than in a university.

The lamps hanging by the walls added a nice elegant touch.

We were rather disappointed over the fact that the panizzas (panini + pizza) weren't available.

Their menu consists of a mix of Western cuisines (from pasta to paninis to buffalo wings) with a dish or two reminiscent of our Filipino roots (kesong puti and bangus specialties) ranging from P150-P300.

Queso Bianca. Deep fried kesong puti, tomato sauce, pesto drizzle.

The pesto drizzle added a lovely salty flavor. I’ve reserved the jalapeno cheddar sticks for my next visit.

A ham and cheese crepe on lightly buttered fettucini with a thick vat of bechamel sauce.

This was possibly my favorite dish of the night. They cook their pasta perfectly al dente and the ham and cheese crepe was crispy on the outside and gooey with cheese on the inside. You can also opt for marinara sauce instead of bechamel.

Creamy pesto with chicken slices.

True to its name, their pesto was more creamy than salty which was probably why I didn’t enjoy it very much. I prefer my pesto oil-based and with tons of garlic.

A painting of the Mona Lisa -- now there's a room decor must-have.

Had I not stuffed myself with carb after carb, I would have loved a slice or two.

From what I’ve gathered from online reviews, Chocolate Kiss has a wider and better tasting selection of desserts, a claim I will investigate on my future adventures in Bahay ng Alumni.

"Meet me at ROC's"

Save for the rather ignorant waiters (Us: Ano po yung pwede niyong i-recommend na [dish] dito? Waiter 1: Lahat ng may thumbs up. Us: Ano po masarap dito? Waiter 2: Lahat po masarap, Ma’am), I’d definitely come back to ROC and try out more of their grub and eat my troubles away.

I suggest you do the same.

Where: Market! Market!, Bonifacio Global City

For: The Kick Ass

Whenever I hear laser tag, I always think Barney Stinson owning kids. I’m not a douche, it’s just that after watching How I Met Your Mother, that’s always what registers when I think of the game. And don’t deny it dear readers, I know you do too. So anyway, you can play laser tag in Market! Market! at Bonifacio Global City (the Fort). It costs 200 bucks for one game that’s thirteen minutes long. Thirteen minutes doesn’t seem like a long time, but trust me, when you start playing, it feels like an hour. When you’re running, rolling (which you’re not actually allowed to do), laughing, shooting, and screaming, thirteen minutes can become very tiring.

So I went to play with four of my very handsome friends. Two balikbayans from Canada named Jeff and Gio, and one balikbayan from America named Miguel. The final member of the group was my barkada’s resident sniper, Juju. So anyway, we arrive at the place and the only other players we see there are a bunch of kids. First thing that pops into my head? Yep, you guessed it buddy. Barney Stinson standing over a kid laughing like an ass. I thought that this game would turn out a lot like that. I mean, I had no intention of hurting the kids or you know, beating the crap out of them, but I did expect to win.

Barney and Robin

Now, these kids were really cute kids. The youngest might’ve been six or seven years old and the oldest couldn’t have been older than twelve. The youngest was less than half my height. He was so small that his vest touched the floor. Oh yeah, he was small. The others were generally half my height. Oh, and by the way, Jeff, Gio, and Miguel are taller than me, so you can imagine how much smaller the kids seemed to them.

Let me tell you, fighting people that small in a dark place isn’t easy. You can’t see them at all. A lot of the time, my teammates and I got killed because we couldn’t see them when they were right in front of us. Sometimes, we’d turn and wouldn’t notice that they were actually following us and shooting us. They’re also extremely hard to hit. The shoulder panels fell behind and actually became back panels, leaving us with only two front targets. And they run fast. I don’t know if they were on red bull or whatever, but they seemed like bullets.

Note: All pictures were taken here (Thank Zeus for ClickTheCity.com). You can also click on the pictures to find out where we nabbed these babies.

Lazer Xtreme is found at the 4th floor in Market! Market!

A view of the lobby.

We traded in our suits for these bad boys!

Where the magic happened!

Final score? Kids: 50690, Men: 49480. Oh Yeah. We Lost. I died 86 times, and I only got 72 kills. My efficiency percentage was 6.12. What makes it even worse is that Juju was ranked fourth and I was ranked seventh. The rest of my team took tenth, eleventh, and twelfth. The kids pawned us. The tall guys got their asses kicked. But hell, I don’t mind losing. It was really fun, something that I’m going to do again and again for sure. This is definitely a must try!

Where: Capitol Green Street, Quezon City

When: 20 July (Wednesday)

For: Breakfast Dates with Family and/or Friends

Stacy's in Capitol Green Street, QC

My boyfriend and I were supposed to have breakfast in Pancake House but then this little restaurant was just too cute so we decided to try it out.

There's a corner for tykes. I wanted to eat there but it was a little too small for me

This is how the place looks like. Good job on maximizing the space. And everything is so cute! It made me so happy. Cute things make me happy.

And more cute things:

Check out the pink refrigerator!

Cute desk!

I would've ordered one if I didn't have laryngitis that time The blueberry cheesecake looked so good!

Yay for the free mug of popcorn (it was yummy!) topped with strawberry-coated pretzel cookies and flower marshmallows! I felt like such a little princess! It was awesome! That's my boyfriend's coffee on the side (well, that wasn't free).

What I ordered: spaghetti and meatballs. It was yummy! They have a lot of breakfast meals (the place is super perfect for breakfast!). Affordable, too.

The place really reminds me of everything happy! And breakfast! 9:30 am is brunch for me already, but I like calling it breakfast! I swear, there’s something about that place that makes people happy. I was having such a bad morning but when we got there, I transformed into a smiling gremlin. This place is also nice for family breakfasts and for a date with your girls. I would’ve wanted to have a cup of hot green tea latte from Coffeebean after, but they closed already. Simple things like breakfast can make a girl’s day! Especially this girl

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