2013: THE YEAR THAT WAS..

(December highlight: Wild night at Chihuahua!)

         I'm gonna go all out and say it. 2013 was the best year of my life.

       In a way, its kind of unfair, because ever since Rain was born, it pretty much became understood that every year that I spend with her, watching her grow, will just get better and better. But no doubt, despite the fact that 2012 included an all expense paid trip to New York for Rina and I, 2013 was the best year ever. Maybe not for my blog, but for more personal reasons. 

        My goal last year was to expand my blog to include more travel posts - not just food from different regions, but hotels as well.. And I think We did a pretty good job for one year.

       I'm looking forward to more food and travel posts in 2014! I hope you are too!

        Here's a quick review of 2013.. The Year That Was...

THE ROYAL TREATMENT AT ARISTOCRAT

        I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I spent the first few years in my life growing (or not growing) in the good ol' U.S. of A (Which probably contributed to my picky palate). I was six years old when my family and I moved back to the Philippines after a five year stay in America. 

      The day after I had arrived, I still remember the first meal that my grandmother prepared for us. That images of that dish is still ingrained in my memories, to this very day, simply because what I saw scared the living crap out of me. It was a big bowl of black slop, with little bits of animal parts I couldn't make out floating around. I asked my yaya, "What is that?" and she answered, "Dinuguan.". I looked up at her and asked, "What's Dinuguan?". Never one to B.S. me, she got straight to the point and said, "Pigs blood". I made a face and answered, back, "Yucky!". My mom called me to come eat lunch, and I said, "I don't want to eat the blood of a pig!" and run up the stairs and into my room. Seconds later, my brother followed me into the room. I went up in tears, because in my six year old mind, I was afraid that moving to a strange land such as the Philippines meant being forced to eat food made from the blood of an animal and other exotic dishes.  

    Two minutes later, my mom and dad came into our room, saying that I shouldn't have stormed off, and I should apologize to my grandmother for insulting her food. I was in tears and said, "I hate Filipino food!". That moment, my grandmother entered the room with a tray in her hands, and a warm smile. I didn't have the guts to tell her that I didn't want to eat the food she brought, but thankfully, I didn't need to say anything. She walked in the room, and said, "Richie, you don't have to eat the dinuguan if you don't want to. I prepared this for you.". 

     I was half expecting to see an animal's head perched on to a plate, but instead, I found two plates (for me and my brother), with six slices of Spam, a cup of rice, and a bit of ketchup on the side. Needless to say, we tore into the plate like ravenous cheetahs having a field day with the carcass of a gazelle.  

    Later that evening, at around dinner time, my dad walked into with a bag of food. I won't lie to you. Whatever was in that bag, smelled really good. He said, "Hungry?". I was being bullheaded, and I just replied, "I don't like Filipino Food.". He dipped his hand into the bag, and pulls out a sandwich unlike any other I had seen before. "Its a flying saucer". he said of his strange, round, sandwich. He went in for a bite, and I gotta say, it looked really good. My dad continued to pretend that he didn't notice me watching him, and continued to focus on the TV. He then pulled out another sandwich from the bag and said, "All yours.". I hesitated for a minute, but in my mind, decided that sandwiches are considered American food. 

   I was pleasantly surprised with what I found inside after my first bite. It was definitely new territory for me. It was very meaty, but the flavor was something I had never experienced before. It was only after I had finished my last bite that my dad took the empty sandwich wrapper from me, to throw in the trash, and with a smile said, "That was called "Adobo Flying Saucer". It's made with Chicken. A very popular dish in the Philippines.". I was a little annoyed that I had been had, especially since my Filipino food boycott was still in full effect. My dad, with a laugh, said to me, "See? Filipino food isn't so bad, right?".

   The days following, my dad would bring for me take out food at least once a day, introducing my brother and I to basic Filipino food staples, such as their Chicken BBQ, Liempo and Pork BBQ.. All from Aristocrat.     

     More than 30 years later, I found it ironic that my journey into exploring Filipino Food would continue where it all began: At Aristocrat restaurant, whose standards in food and service still stands tall, till this very day.  

LAST MINUTE SHOPPING SOLVED WITH DEAL GROCER AND TASTE CENTRAL!

       It’s already mid-December. I’m trying to be as calm as I can. But it’s hard to, knowing WE HAVEN’T STARTED WITH OUR CHIRSTMAS SHOPPING YET!!! Things have been crazy at work for Richie and I so we kind of lost track of the date. Thankfully, a brilliant person thought of inventing the internet thus leading to another person inventing online shopping! (Bless you whoever you guys are!) This means we can do some last minute holiday shopping from Deal Grocer! Not only that, by shopping at Deal Grocer, we’ll also have the chance to win a trip for two to Cape Town, South Africa! AW HELL YEAH!!! I’ve never been this motivated to go online shopping! Hahaha!

EASY RECIPES WITH GUSTAZO! -Rina Z

　　Here I am again with yet another attempt on “cooking”. I wish I could learn how to cook amazing dishes. But I don’t want to. Haha! I leave that all up to chefs! After all, that’s what restaurants are for!

　　But this doesn’t mean that cooking or preparing a meal is hopeless for me. There’s still hope! That is why I truly appreciate things that are easy to prepare. It makes my life as a work-from-home Mom easier somehow!

　　Today I decided to whip up an Italian meal using these amazing Gustazo goodies that I bought from Greenhills! They’re gourmet fish in jars! Sort of like sardines but on a whole different level! They have Gourmet Tuyo Mild, Pomodoro Tinapa, Bangus Ala Pobre, Chunky Bagoong, Bacalao De Manila, Lemon Garlic Sardines, Sundried Tomato Sardines, and Gourmet Tuyo Regular. I’m sure judging by just the names you can already tell that this is not your ordinary bottled sardines. It has that top quality taste which you can create a lot of simple but scrumptious dishes with. And you can be sure your family will love them too!

Check out what I did with these jar wonders!

KRISPY KREME LIGHTS UP THE HOLIDAYS!!

       After the creative Monsters donuts, Halloween Donuts, branded chocolate donuts, it's only apparent that Krispy Kreme creates delicious treats that are beautifully decorated with happy Christmas cheers! 

RAMEN NAGI OPENS AT SM AURA!

           I'm not gonna lie to you, I got into the Ramen game rather late. I'm really more of a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so as my foodie friends were talking about the richness of a ramen's broth, the firmness of their noodles and the like, I was wondering why people were going nuts over something that you can buy at the grocery by the pack. 

        Naturally, as my food blogging career went on, so did my education in the art of Ramen, courtesy of my other foodie friends.  A few months ago, I was invited to visit a taste test of the newest Ramen place that would be arriving in our shores. I had the pleasure of tasting some Ramen dishes that were completely out of the ordinary, and anxiously awaited the day that their doors would finally open. 

       As December came, I got the call I had be waiting for. 

       Rejoice, Ramen Lovers! Ramen Nagi has opened its doors in SM Aura. 

MAD MARK'S: THE MADNESS CONTINUES AT GLORIETTA 5

            My first visit to Mad Mark's was a memorable one. You throw in a Beef and Chicken Sandwich in front of me the size of a battleship, and yes, that will definitely leave a mark in my memory for ages to come. Although the first branch had a cool, hole-in-the-wall vibe to it, the popularity of Mad Mark's food made it impossible for their progress to remain stagnant. Considering its fan base, it was only a matter of time that Mad Mark's would expand, and go to a more mainstream venue. 

   

    

  Sometime in October, the inevitable happened.. Mad Mark's opened their second branch at Glorietta 5 in Makati. I always knew that they would go mainstream, but I didn't think they would go THAT mainstream hehe. 

       Agent Smith said it best:

          

AirAsia Zest Brings Good Food in the Skies!

“Airplane food sucks...”

       You’ll usually hear this complaint from a lot of people when talking about food being served in airplanes. It’s become a known fact that one can’t really expect a scrumptious feast when on board a plane. First of all, servings are small. This part is forgivable because of course they have to take into consideration the weight and space in an aircraft. But they could at least make the taste good. I do not recall eating an airplane meal that is not bland. (Thank goodness they serve those meals with a sachet of salt.) But wouldn’t it be better if airplane meals actually taste good?

       Thankfully, AirAsia Zest is now in Manila and has made yummy airplane food become a reality!

       Meet AirAsia’s Hot Meals! It’s AirAsia Cafe’s pride and joy. Real food bursting with lots of flavors at very affordable prices! Sounded almost too good to be true!

OUT AND ABOUT AT U.P. TOWN CENTER: CAFE SHIBUYA

             I'll be honest with you. When I first found out that a restaurant that specializes in "Toast" opened at U.P. Town Center, I was a little wary. What were these people thinking? A restaurant that revolves around different types of toast? Are you serious? 

         I thought to myself, in order for this to work, their toast has got to be pretty good.

      So during for our second stop at U.P. Town Center (Check out our first stop here), me and my food blogger friends went straight to Cafe Shibuya, and discovered that their Toast... Was nothing short of spectacular.  

THE OISHI GIVEAWAY WINNER IS...

To the Winner....

      You have no idea how huge this package is! So make sure you pick it up with someone and take a car!! :-) It's awesome!! Now you can sit back and relax with your Oishi snack stash!

OUT AND ABOUT AT U.P. TOWN CENTER: TOKYO TONTEKI

               I've been hearing about the growing food haven that is U.P. Town Center for quite some time now, but I unfortunately never had the time to go check it out for myself. During my work "hiatus", Rina and I decided to go with some of our foodie friends to check out the first two restaurants that were kind enough to extend an invitation to us to try their food (Yes, all in one day. One after another. We're Food Bloggers. It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it.), with Tokyo Tonteki the first on our list.

UNLIMITED DIMSUM BUFFET AT XIN TIAN DI AT CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL GALLERIA

         During our amazing Staycation at Crowne Plaza a few months back, Rina and I capped off our epic weekend with a late lunch at the Hotel's resident Chinese Restaurant, Xin Tian Di. Although Rina and I were seriously contemplating ordering a whole bunch of Chinese dishes, the instant we found out that they offered an Eat-All-You-Can Dimsum feast, we dropped our menu and told the restaurant manager (who was kind enough to welcome us to the restaurant), "GIMME SOME OF THAT!"

THE TWO WINNERS OF NOMAMA BOWLFEST IS.......

Who's excited to find out who won the Nomama Ramen Bowlfest??

One bowl of Ramen everyday for 

60 days!? 

Let's do this!!

ON OUR WAY TO STOCKTON PLACE

        This was one of those restaurants wherein Richie really really really regretted not being able to make it. It was all because on one photo:



        A picture can paint a thousand words. But this photo made Richie speechless sulk in his work desk for the whole night. Hehehe... But we’ll get back to that later...

LACHI'S SANS RIVAL ATBP: A TRUE DAVAO LANDMARK

       You ever notice how, when you think of a trip you want to take to a place that you'd like to visit, names of restaurants from that area seem to pop up into your head instantaneously?  

        I've mentioned in the past that I used to live in the beautiful city of Cebu. Mind you, not when it was the modern city that it is today. I'm talking about the time that, when you watch "Lunch Date" on GMA 7 (There was no cable TV yet, so don't judge) you did so on a one week delayed telecast. But during my nearly one decade stay there, I found so many small, local dining gems, that till this very day, my taste buds crave for. 

        In Davao, there is one restaurant that I think anyone from Davao would easily tell you, is one of the city's dining treasures: Lachi's Sansrival, atbp.

SEEK YOUR SOLACE IN ONE GREENBELT HOTEL

           I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I left my job of six years a couple of weeks ago. Though I'll definitely miss the people that I worked with, One of my biggest regrets would be not making the most out of the amazing places to eat along Arnaiz Avenue. There were several excellent restaurant in the neighborhood, such as Nihon Bashi Tei, The Cheese Steak Shop, and Hai Shin Lou, all of which I had the pleasure of dining at more than once.  

         I would sometimes think to myself how nice it would be to be able to afford to dine at every single one of these restaurants one by one before I left. One of those restaurants was Solace Wine and Dine at One Greenbelt Hotel.

      Someone upstairs must have been listening, because just a few days removed from my last day of work, I found myself walking through the doors of Solace. 

A WALK DOWN MAIN STREET AT TUSCANY, MCKINLEY HILL

         I don't know if you guys know this, but I spent my early years in the States - Which is probably why I'm more particular to simple dishes from the good ol' U.S. of A, than classic Pinoy fare. Though I do love a good Chicken and Pork Adobo or Pochero from my Yaya's kitchen, to me, it was her BBQ Ribs, Roasted Chicken with Bread Stuffing - dishes that tend to lean towards the Western Hemisphere, that I always found the most comforting. 

       Which is why Main Street, a new restaurant at that opened at the growing Tuscany Hill that specializes in Canadian Comfort Food, really piqued my interest from the moment I heard about it. 

DECK THE HALLS WITH YELLOW CAB PIZZA CO'S CHRISTMAS FLEET!

       No joke, when I first saw a Yellow Cab Pizza, I thought it was an American brand. Back then, they didn't serve pizzas this huge. And though pizza (Like all tomato based dishes) tends to give me Hyper Acidity, when it's Yellow Cab Pizza, I suddenly find myself helpless to its powers. 

      Even though they specialize in Pizza, Yellow Cab also has some amazing dishes in their menu.. So how would one get a chance to try them all without breaking bank? 

         By ordering Yellow Cab's Christmas Fleet, of course! 

GOOD TIMES AT THE BURGER COMPANY

It's like a scene from "Sword In The Stone", Pickiest Eater Version

              It's funny.. Whenever I'm out with my officemates during out fastfood lunch break run, and they all order rice meals, and I order a burger, their reaction is usually, "Amerikano kasi yan, eh!" ("Cuz he's an American!"). Although I am proudly Filipino, I admittedly often do favor more Western dishes to pinoy classics. But in this case, I don't agree. My love for burgers has nothing to do with my heritage. I think it's just because the awesomeness of burgers is universal, regardless of where you're from, you can't NOT love a good burger. 

       So what happens when you take me to a Burger place that sells GREAT ones? Some place like, Burger Company, perhaps?

MOTHER KNOWS BEST: LUCIA RISTORANTE IN HOTEL CELESTE

            *Cue in Jeopardy Music*

      Contestant Number 1: I'll take "Unlucky Food Blogger Problems" for $500, Alex.

       Alex Trebek: The Answers are, Authentic Italian Tomato based Spaghetti, Gooey Lasagna, and Crisp Pizzas.

       Contestant Number 2 *Buzz*: "Food that the Pickiest Eater In The World Can't Eat!".

        Alex: Correct! 

          Yes, it's the sad truth. My hyper acidity makes eating those beloved Italian classics quite difficult for me. But some nights I can't help myself and be a little naughty. And my dinner at Lucia Ristorante at Celeste Hotel in Makati, was one of those nights.

BLOGOPOLIS 2013 : INTO THE WILD!

Weaving Information for Leaders of the Digital world

This year, we are taking you to the Information Jungle. With the surge of social media, and other online platforms, we want to help you make sense of the digital world. Key speakers will be discussing social media know-how and digital marketing and advertising trends. Blogopolis 2013 is a day-long event starting with plenary sessions in the afternoon, and a post-conference party at night where key influencers in the industry will be awarded. This event is open to everyone - bloggers, social media influencers, students, digital marketing officers, and advertisers, and anyone who is interested in the world of digital, particularly social media.

Gifting, Thanksgiving, and Merry-Making in Marriott Hotel!

       Around a month to go before the Christmas Holidays! Are you prepared?

_ Christmas feast?
_ Christmas gifts?
_ Help a special Cause for children?

with Marriott Hotel, you can check all of the above! How?

Read more here Rina discovers the season of giftting, thanksgiving, and merry-making in Marriott Hotel!

BURGER KING'S BATTLE OF THE STACKS KING - EATING CHALLENGE! ~RinaZ

     

       If you're an avid follower of this blog, you may already know how many times we've mentioned the inspiration for this blog is Adam Richman's show, Man Vs. Food. We, especially fell in love with the mouth-watering sinful burgers and other mind-blowing comfort food he features there. (Which is our bucket list is to visit those places he's featured). Anyway, the show Man Vs. Food is basically about these outrageous food and then towards the end they will hold an eating contest to see if Man or Food will win.


      This is how it felt like when I attended Burger King Philippines' Battle of the Stacks King Eating Challenge! 

A TASTE OF SINGAPORE AT BOON TONG KEE ~RinaZ

CHANGE PLATE!

That was the phrase of the night when we were invited to try the yummy Sinagporean dishes from Boon Tong Kee. What started as a small stall that sells chicken rice is now an international restaurant bringing great Singaporean food to the Philippines!

VISITING YABU AT SM AURA

          Be honest.. Before Yabu existed, was there anyone that ever stopped for a second and said, "Hey, I'm craving for some Katsu!". Back in the day, it was always just usually, "Dude, let's go for some sushi", or "I want some tempura!", or even the generic, "Let's get some Japanese food!". 

         Let's face it.. Yabu: The House Of Katsu elevated Japanese Katsu to a new level of dining, to the point where different franchises from all around the globe scrambled to set up shop in the Philippines, just to get a piece of the action. I haven't tasted all the other Katsu places that have opened just yet, but in my opinion, Yabu's place in the market that it created in this country is safely perched at the very top. 

         Whenever they have a new addition to their menu, I always feel compelled to stop whatever it is I'm doing just to give it a try (I've gotten in trouble at work cuz of that mentality... My boss was waiting on the other line.. Long story..). Which is why I was surprised even myself that I waited longer than usual to give their newest dishes a try. 

       Now I'm kicking myself for not having gone to Yabu's Aura Branch sooner.

BPI LIVING WITH AN EDGE!

    

  If you’re new to my blog, the term “Pickiest Eater” might give you the impression that I am cautious about what I eat, when in fact, funnily enough, it’s the exact opposite. I am the pickiest eater because there are a lot of things I don’t like to eat. And some may frown upon this but most of these things that I dislike are leafy stuff. 

NIGHT OUT AT DILLINGERS 1903 STEAK AND BREW - RINAZ

       I've spent a lot of time walking around and killing time in Greenbelt. But I've never walked past Red Box in Greenbelt 3. So naturally it was only a few weeks ago that I hear of this place called Dillingers 1903 Steak and Bar at the same floor of Red Box. Just walk a bit past it and this rustic-looking bar will greet you.

Photo from Dillingers Facebook Page

       We were invited along with other bloggers to try their scrumptious meals. And I'm glad I was able to attend (Sorry hun!). Unfortunately for my hard-working husband, although it was just walking distance from his work, he couldn't make it because they were up against a deadline. It was too bad because this place serves beautiful and delicious meat meals that are right up Richie's alley (We'll just go back next time hun hehe).

NOMAMA RAMEN BOWL FEST: FREE RAMEN FOR 60 DAYS!

                   FINALLY!!! I have finally been to Nomama Ramen in Quezon City!! I can't believe I had to wait for Nomama's Second year anniversary before I managed to visit. But no matter.. I visited at the perfect time. Because for their second year anniversary, Nomama and I have teamed up for a little something special for you all. 

            How special, you ask? 

            How does a free bowl of Ramen, everyday, for the next 60 days sound? 

             I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty darn special to me!

I SALUTE THE SINGAPORE FOOD REPUBLIC IN BGC!

          During my trip to Singapore in 2011 with my pregnant Rina and her sister Chaikka, we stumbled upon perhaps the most amazing food court I had ever seen, called Food Republic. Though the Singapore Food Republic located at Bonifacio Global City has nothing to do with that epic food court, they do share the same ideals: 

         Serving to their customers the most authentic, and the best in Singaporean food.  

QUICK PICK: SPECULOOS COOKIE BUTTER MOCHI FROM MOCHIKO!

               From the very first millisecond that I heard the words "Cookie Butter" from my friend, Spanky, I immediately became enamored with it. Admit it.. the words "Cookie Butter" even sounds delicious. 

          People ask what Rina and I like eating our Cookie Butter best with. Well, Rina loves it with hot Pan De Sal. 

          Me?

          A spoon. 

             I knew Cookie Butter would open a floodgate of new dessert possibilities.. From Cupcakes, to donuts and even simple delicacies such as Polvoron, the possibilities seemed endless. 

         Mochiko is one of the brands that is constantly in touch with their customers wants and needs, always innovating and creating new flavors.

         So it was inevitable that Mochiko's latest release, is a spin on the latest global food craze.. Behold.. The Speculoos Cookie Butter Mochi!     

SHIFU MASTER'S KITCHEN : GREAT FOOD AT A GREAT PRICE!

       Although we obviously enjoy writing about new and upcoming fine dining restaurants, I would have to confess that we miss writing more whole-in-the-wall restaurants. Something that will really make a reader say "Wow! I didn't know there was a restaurant like this in this area!" There's a whole different level of pleasure in sharing those types of restaurants.

      Which is why we're excited to finally share with The Pickiest Eater readers this simple Chinese place along Granada St. in Quezon City. A simple little place that is really worth stopping for. 

       A word of caution... make sure you bring a huge appetite when you go here. Because everything we tasted so far is just delicious!!!

Meet Shifu Master's Kitchen!

KRISPY KREME PREMIUM CHOCOLATE CREATIONS

           I don't know if you guys caught it, but I appeared on the TV show, "Ang Pinaka" Last September 29, on GMA News TV. I was asked about the top food crazes in the Philippines. One of the crazes in question, was Donuts. Even though we were discussing about a particular brand, I couldn't help but blurt out that, no matter what toppings out put on a donut, my all time favorite will still always be, the simple, Original Glazed donut of Krispy Kreme. 

        I don't know if the Hot Light Girl was watching, but she must have said something to the effect of, "Challenge Accepted", and before I knew it, a tin can of Krispy Kreme Premium Chocolate Creations donuts arrived at my doorstep.  

URBN BAR & KITCHEN'S NEW BAR CHOW!

Spotted!!! (Literally) : Richie ready to party!

       People who know me and Richie (especially Richie) would probably be confused if they saw us at one of the most happening bars in the metro today. For the second time, The Pickiest Eater was again spotted at URBN Bar without a drink in his hand for one main and very obvious reason: NEW BAR CHOWS!

URBN has new beautiful additions to their already awesome menu!

YELLOW FIN SEAFOOD & RESTAURANT: DELICIOUSLY DAVAO!

      Before I left for Davao last August for the Kadayawan Festival, I took a little survey on what food the "City Of Blooms" was famous for. As you can imagine, I got a lot of Durian and Pomelo answers (Someone who obviously wasn't listening to the question, actually answered, "Philippine Eagle"). Apart from that though, there was an undeniably strong consensus that my trip to Davao would not be complete without sampling their seafood, particularly their Yellow Fin Tuna. 

      Thankfully, as I would find out when we landed in Davao, our gracious hosts took that into consideration, and arranged for us to dine at one of the City's finest seafood restaurants: Yellow Fin Seafood Restaurant.

THE BELLEVUE MANILA: PHOENIX COURT IS NOW IN SESSION

       I cannot reiterate enough how much I love Chinese food. I swear, I think I could live on Sweet & Sour Pork for the rest of my life (And bacon). I had heard a lot of good things about Bellevue Manila's Chinese restaurant, Phoenix Court from my other food blogger friends, so in the days leading up to our Bellevue Staycation, I wasn't sure what I was more excited about.. Staying overnight in the Luxury Hotel, or eating in the Chinese Restaurant?

      I'm still on the fence about what I was looking forward to more, but I was fortunate to have both, and I can safely say, that I believe Phoenix Court is one of the best Chinese restaurant's I've ever tried. 

RED RIBBON'S BUDGET PARTY PLANNER!~RinaZ

It's October!!!

       No I'm not excited about Halloween (Okay maybe I am a little bit) but what I'm most excited about is my little Rainbow's 2nd birthday! This little rambunctions toddler is turning 2 years old! Oh my how time flies! Seemed like only yesterday that we celebrated her first birthday! I'm so excited! But...


Bring on the bacon!

RELIK TAPAS BAR AND LOUNGE: THE LUNCH MENU - RINAZ

       I felt like I was in a classy underground wine cellar. But I wasn't underground. I was at the 2nd floor of the Commercenter Building at Bonifacio Global City. However, because of the dimmed settings with brick walls and black ceiling, you may as well believe you're in a cozy underground restaurant. 

       All of this, the mood, the ambiance and the atmosphere, is all part of the amazing dining experience that is Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge. Now it was time to check out their new lunch specials!

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!