THE SAMSUNG GALAXY MEGA CHALLENGE WINNER IS....

      First and foremost, I want to apologize to everyone for the long delay in the announcement of the winner of the Samsung Galaxy Mega. I know it's no excuse, but let me explain to you all what's been going on in my life, just so you won't think I'm a lazy oaf that does nothing but eat and write hehe. 

      When September began, I mentioned that I'll be busy throughout the month because of a movie the post production house I work for was making, called "Kung Fu Divas", starring Marian Rivera and Ai-Ai De Las Alas. The movie is going to be shown on October 2, and I hope you call can watch it!

     Since my working hours usually has me in the office from around 10am til past 9pm (sometimes even later), finding time to comb through every entry on a daily basis is impossible, especially since the Facebook is banned in my office (Well, at least it is in MY computer hehe #MedyoBadBoy). 

     Taking into consideration that there were more than 70 people that joined, and some submitted entries from more than one social network. So going through each one by one was quite an arduous task, although one, I must admit, I enjoyed very much doing.

         I was blown away by the effort some of you put into coming up with such creative entries... But in the end, sadly, there could only be one winner!

        

PI: BREAKFAST & PIES = THE FORMULA TO BREAKFAST AWESOMENESS

        Yes, there are a lot of breakfast places sprouting all around the metro. But they all usually serve the same thing. Bacon and eggs, pancakes, waffles, tapsilogs and such. Which is why I'm always excited to find a new breakfast place that is unafraid to take breakfast classics to a whole other level! 

        I am so ecstatic about this post because Pi: Breakfast & Pies is my heaven on Earth!!!

THIS IS A HOLDAK!

         Among the cities in the Metro that I would love to explore further, Quezon City would definitely be high up on that list. I know it's not exactly far away, but the sheer size of the city leaves so many restaurants just waiting to be discovered. It's almost unfair because over ten years ago, I was a resident of Quezon City.. and back then, I assure you, it wasn't the restaurant haven it is today. In fact, I was kind of bummed to find out that the exact spot where I used to pick up my ex girlfriend during my college days- The spot that back then, only had McDonald's as a decent place to eat - has been turned into a condominium called "Mezza Residences", and is now filled with intriguing restaurants! The one that caught my attention the most was Holdak.  

          Apparently, the word "Holdak" in Korean stands for, "To fall madly, and deeply in love with Chicken". In all my years as a lover of food, I've never had a fried chicken that had me hearing the music of "Savage Garden" in my head. It seemed like all that would change once I got a bite of Holdak's twice fried chicken. 

HAYOP NA DEGUSTACION AT PEPITA'S KITCHEN!

Serious na si Food Reviews Manila and Chef Sharwin Tee

               Though my blog is already on it's third year, It wasn't until my second year of blogging that I decided to begin accepting invitations from establishments to sample what their dining experience had to offer. Since then, Rina and I have been fortunate enough to have taken part in many amazing dinners. There are a select few that stood out more than the others, and one of those dinners was my 14 Course Lechon Degustation by Pepita's Kitchen. 

          Did you ever watch the movie "Seven" by David Fincher, starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gweneyth Paltrow? The scene where the obese man was being force fed with food as a punishment for his alleged, "Gluttony"? If you take away the psychopath pointing the gun to the man's head, that was sort of how I describe that evening. 

         No one was forcing anyone to eat, but all these mouthwatering dishes kept flying out of the kitchen, it would have been a crime in itself to NOT eat them.. Stomach lining be damned. 

         Even though I only actually knew a handful of people there, Rina and I had such a wonderful time. So, when given the opportunity to go back, how on Earth do you say no to that? 

         Easy. You don't. 

         This is our HAYOP NA DEGUSTATION EXPERIENCE at Pepita's Kitchen. 

BELLEVUE HOTEL MANILA: FILIPINO HOSPITALITY AT ITS FINEST

            Even before we were married Rina and I have been advocates of the concept of a "Staycation". I for one, don't mind shelling out for a stress-free weekend of pampering and relaxation with my family, especially after a pressure filled week at work. 

     Which is precisely why I jumped at the opportunity to spend the night at a hotel in the Filinvest City in Alabang, I knew it was something that we couldn't pass up. This was the week after we arrived from Davao, so we were looking forward to spending some quality time with Rain, whom we missed so very much when we were away. 

      And The Bellevue Manila was the ideal place to spend a fun filled Staycation with the family!

WAFU TEPPANYAKI TREAT!

Wow...

       Was my first impression as soon as I saw the facade of Wafu Greenhills. From the outside you could see that it has a high ceiling and it looked so classy and well-decorated. But as soon as I stepped inside, I was wowed even more.

IHOP'S NEW GRIDDLE MELTS!

          Though its still rather busy during peak hours, the IHOP craze has seemed to die down. The lines are nowhere near as ridiculous as it was during the first few months of their operation. 

        So what does IHOP do to make sure their brand stays fresh? Introduce new products of course! 

         Starting off with their new Griddle Melts!

SUPER SAVER DISCOVERY: KANTO FREESTYLE BREAKFAST

       It was almost lunch time when I got a text from my wife asking where she and her sister (my sister-in-law) can eat that’s one-of-a-kind but good. Something they haven’t tried yet. (I am actually getting used to being the restaurant guru to my relatives) 

       But then she remembered that she only had a little amount of money left in her wallet. On a normal day I would probably have gotten worried but not this time. Thankfully I knew I had some cash left in my ATM from the rebates that I got from Security Bank. Yes, that’s correct! Security Bank gives rebates in the form of cash which is so much more practical than getting freebies in establishments I’m usually not so into. This way we get to choose how and where to enjoy our rebates.    

Kanto was featured in Manila Standard Newspaper

THE 2013 DAVAO ADVENTURE: POLO BISTRO AT MARCO POLO DAVAO

        I'm really more a relaxed kind of guy. If you asked me where I'd like to have a meal, there's a stronger likelihood that I would choose a burger joint or a rib shack before I would go for a fine dining restaurant (You'd feel the same way too if you didn't have any comfortable leather shoes to wear). 

     But of course, I had no complaints when I found out that dinner at Polo Bistro of Marco Polo Davao. I whipped out the polo shirt I had packed, gave my Crocs a little shine, and I was ready to go!

KRISPY KREME'S KRISPY KROISSANT - RINAZ

     

     And so the cronut craze continues, with some of the biggest names in baking creating their own version of Dominique Ansel's half doughnut- half croissant creation. 

     We weren't as surprised when we found out that Krispy Kreme had made their own croughnuts, or "Krispy Kroissant" as they call it. Krispy Kreme always makes something fancy almost every time. And so it was just about time that they made their own version. 

THE 2013 DAVAO ADVENTURE: CAFE MARCO AT MARCO POLO DAVAO

              If you're like me, then one of the things that excites you most when thinking about checking into a hotel is the food.. Especially a buffet. Call me weird, but the thought of a breakfast buffet is more appealing to me than a lunch or dinner one. I'm probably one of the few people that feel Bacon trumps Roast Beef, any day.

           This case is true for Cafe Marco at Marco Polo Hotel Davao. Their lunch and dinner entrees, are actually quite spectacular. But it can't quite compare to their breakfast food... particularly their Bacon, which I have to say, easily ranks among the best I've ever tried. 

OUTBACK'S STEAKHOUSES' NEWEST STEAKS! - RINAZ

    

  Whenever we’re dining in Outback, I am always guaranteed a night of good food and good company (given of course you’re dining with your most favorite people hehe). It’s just a night of stories and drinking and lots and lots of eating! This time, we were introduced to two (kinda) new steak members they have on their menu. Meet the Grilled Peppercorn New York strip and Herb Crusted Prime Rib. (More on these newbies in a bit)

WINE PAIRING AT THE CAKE CLUB - RINAZ

        People usually find it interesting that between Richie and I, he’s the one who does not drink (at all!) and I’m the one who can take a couple of glasses of cocktails occasionally. I especially love frozen margarita with lotsa salt! (Missing weekends at Chilli’s with my ex-office mates! Huhuhu!)

        But truthfully I never really enjoyed wine (unless it’s my sister-in-law’s special red wine with sprite... I think it’s sprite...) Aaaaanyway, I find the taste of wine a bit too bitter for my liking. I would try but only end up taking 2-3 sips and that’s it.

        And it was only until a few days ago when I finally appreciated the pleasure of drinking wine. It was during the wine pairing at The Cake Club that I started to understand that wine is best enjoyed when paired with the right stuff. 

       Or in this case, when paired with the right dessert! 

The ULTIMATE TASTE TEST 2013! (Food Critic for a Day!)

                                    

                                                                            

          Now's your chance to be a food critic for a day! It's the Ultimate Taste Test once again on September 14, 2013 and tickets are now available at the Rockwell Tent Powerplant Mall! It will start at 11am and will close at 9pm. so do drop by if you can! Hope to see you all there! It's gonna be awesome! Reserve your tickets now!

The fee per hear is P585 inclusive of the following:

• • Food Taste Portions from a minimum of 40+ Home-Based Food Vendors
  • & Power Plant Mall Restaurants for the entire Saturday
• • A bottle of San Miguel Super Dry, Premium All-Malt or Cerveza Negra
  • (For foodies 18 years old and above only)
• Food Critic Ballot for voting your favorite food discoveries.
• Donation to designated beneficiary.

Fr ticket selling guides and other FAQs, check out the complete details on Our Awesome Planet! :

http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/awesome/2013/08/ultimate-taste-test-tickets-2013-now-available-powerplantmall-.html

THE 2013 DAVAO ADVENTURE: LOTUS COURT AT MARCO POLO DAVAO!

         Word of advice to Philippine Airlines: A pack of peanuts and crackers does not constitute a "meal" - especially when you delayed our flight. As you can imagine, we arrived at the beautiful city of Davao around noon time, and we were absolutely famished. Seriously, I was getting worried because thoughts of burying my face in the first Durian I see were beginning to pop into my head. 

    The thought of exploring Davao for the next few days kept me excited enough to keep me from getting grumpy. But I was seriously contemplating asking Spanky if we could pass by for some drive thru somewhere. As we hopped on to the van en route to the hotel, Spanky then told the group, "Hope you're all ready for some Peking Duck from Marco Polo Hotel's Lotus Court!". 

     It was at that precise moment that my tummy decided to let out a loud growl, which I think was its way of answering"Hell yeah!". 

LE COUER DE FRANCE CROUGHNUTS! - RINAZ

         I was delighted to find out that there are now more than one establishment that makes the famous croughnuts. Now, I’m not a pastry expert. Considering it's a new product, I don't have much basis to tell if a croughnut is made correctly. But as long as my tummy gets full and my taste buds craving for sweets have been solved, I’m happy!

       And so far, I quite liked Le Coeur’s version. 

THE 2013 DAVAO ADVENTURE: MARCO POLO HOTEL DAVAO

     I believe it was in my 2012 year-ender post that I stated that my goals for 2013 would be to incorporate more travel posts to my blog, which would also include a "Staycation" Series. My plan was to make the most out of those deals from various Group Buying sites, and come up with at least one or two Staycation weekends, and possibly one fly out of town trip by the year ends. 

     Never in my wildest dreams did I even consider that I would be flown out to Davao by a world class hotel chain to cover the fun filled festivities of the popular Kadayawan Festival! 

     I had been to Davao before. But like most cities in the provinces that I have  had the pleasure of touring, the most I had truly ever seen were the malls. Case in point.. I was at Davao just last November for work, and again, the most memorable landmark I saw was SM Lanang Premier, which was where the conference I had attended was held. 

      Which was quite sad really, because Davao is much more than that. So much more. Its an incredibly beautiful city, rich in varied cultures, yet undeniably Filipino. 

       For the first time in my life, I would be visiting Davao as a tourist, and Marco Polo Hotel Davao made sure that, Rina and I, together with the other amazing members of our travel group would have the time of our lives. We go to experience one of the Philippine's greatest cities with the full Marco Polo Hotel VIP treatment. 

     So began our wonderful stay in Davao, courtesy of Marco Polo Hotel Davao.