No Compromises! ... and the winners are....

Make no compromises!

8 wonderful days have passed and I got a total of 53 awesome answers to the question:

What is that one thing that you will never compromise when it comes to dining out?

I really enjoyed reading through all of the answers and in the process realized that each of us takes dining out seriously and that each one of us have our own rules that will ensure each dining experience to be stress-free and worthwhile.

Allow me to share with you the top 15 answers which I think are just truly great! These are some things I will definitely bare in mind on my next food trip:

Cleanliness

1) Rowena Wendy Lei

Hygiene! I will never compromise the cleanliness of the food and the place because you can catch killer diseases like Hepatitis A,B,C and so forth by dining in unsanitary conditions.

2) Cherry

i won't compromise cleanliness, it definitely will speak something about the person who prepared it and the place how they value themselves and others. the quality of taste and the presentation and cleanliness is a package result because of their passion of cooking.

3) Maan

After being diagnosed with cancer, my doctors gave one of the most important requirements to help me sustain my life (because of low immunity)- eat only clean and sterile food.
So if there's one thing that I cannot compromise, especially when dining out, I must say it'll be the *cleanliness and freshness of the food I'm eating* - whether I'm in a 5-star resto or at a carinderia.

4) Lia

I will never compromise the cleanliness of the area both inside and outside the restaurant. I ate once in a fastfood joint where I was appalled by the stench of the comfort room. In addition, the garbage outside was filled to the brim. Now, our food might look and smell clean after preparation but if the place surrounding it is unclean, then our food might still be swimming in bacteria which is of course something we cannot detect right away. Hence, we should also not make no concessions about the restaurant's cleanliness and maintenance. :)

5) Luckyfinds

I cannot compromise food safety for price issues when dining out. Not only should the food be healthy and delicious, I also look into the restaurant's safe food handling practices to make sure that the food they serve are free from food-borne illnesses.

6) Kasai

When dining out I will never compromise the place safety, cleanliness and food quality. Safe in that our body is still all intact after leaving the place. Clean, the place dont need to be too fancy its ok that it has a well sanitize CR. Food quality is a must, how we are going to enjoy our dining out if we wont have delicious servings.

Health Benefits

7) Kimberly

I will never compromise health benefits. It may taste like it's the best thing on earth but if it's loaded with bad cholesterol and harmful ingredients, it's not worth it. That's why i don't opt for fast food chains.

Pricing

8) VPao

I will never compromise inappropriate pricing of foods.
Although the best restaurants really have expensive menus, I think it is really important that you get the most of the value of your cash. Its not just of the beauty of the place but, its of what you got out of the food you intake from the place.

Customer Service

9) Marshi

i will never compromise the kind of customer service they offer.It´s nice to eat if the people will serve you food with a smile.Once you dont like the service, it becomes a wall that hinders you from coming back to that place. :)

Safe for kids

10) Bachuchay

When dining out I will never compromise my family’s safety by picking an establishment that provides quality products and services. Cleanliness on the place and the way people serve is one factor. The quality of the food is another requirement. Lastly, the venue should be safe for my kids. I will never compromise their safety by bringing them to a place which I know is hazardous nor not safe for kids to roam around.

11) Zoan

I will never compromise my child's safety. I am a single-mom, and i took care of my son. Having him beside me all the time makes me feel that he is safe. So, I will need to check the cleanliness of the area as well as the cleanliness of preparing our food.

Taste

12) Jarmela

Dining out is one of my favorite things to do for pleasure. It's like a treat - getting away from the house, I don't have to prepare my own food, and taste new or favorite delightful dishes. So definitely, the one thing I don't compromise from dining out is the taste of food.

13) Bernadette Siazon

I will never compromise the taste and food sanitation and cleanliness of the utensils. It may be a hole-in-the-wall food joint as long as the food tastes superb and the food and utensils are clean.

Quality of the food

14) Nicely

I will never compromise QUALITY, and when you say quality, it includes the freshness of the ingredients, cleanliness of the area, sanitation in the kitchen, commitment of the persons responsible in preparing, cooking and serving the orders, the taste of their products and the way how they (staff) treat their customers.

15) Marizen

I can never compromise the quality of food, particularly the ingredients used, the manner of preparation as well as the overall taste and most importantly the reputation of the place for serving their dishes. After all that's the reason why you went out dining; to taste something new, exciting and satisfying. And make sure that it will all be worth the money you're spending. Although cleanliness cannot be dispensed with, there is no exact way of verifying how clean is clean. But off course, we all have our own standards of cleanliness and it is very subjective to the specifications of customers even if the restaurant have their own method of accomplishing that.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Kindly expect an email on how your Kotex gift pack will be delivered to your doorstep soon!!! :)

**UPDATE**
To Cherry, Jarmila, Lia and Kimberly: may I ask for your email addresses please ;)

Looking forward to the Weekend

I guess I'll be dreaming of this tonight...

Coco Loco Prawns by Lorenzo's Way

What I great way to start yet another busy weekend!!!

Enjoy it everyone! :)

p.s. thanks to Danio, Becky and Koko for the Yummy treat!
p.p.s. Lorenzo's Way, I shall return!

Enjoying Italiannis!

Last week was spent meeting up with old friends, first there was that delicious Chinese dinner at Eat Well with my high school seatmate N and this time I met up with another high school buddy who actually graduated from the school across my school.

Knowing how much I love to dine out, A told me to decide on our dinner venue for that night. A long list suddenly came to mind but after going through my thick yet handy-dandy Enjoy booklet, I chose from the ones with branches in Greenhills and finally settled on Italianni's.

It was a good thing that A was also craving for Italian food and so this made a perfect choice.

I arrived earlier than expected and I took this opportunity to scan the menu. I actually love doing this as I like reading each item slowly before making my choice. A arrived right after I did and we decided to make use of my Enjoy coupon that gives us a Buy one, Get one free main dish treat!

On the table

It wasn't that difficult to make our choice as A and I practically eat anything. With that we got the Porkchop au Poivre (Php. 620.54) and the Parmesan Crusted Fish (Php. 531.25).

One reason why I love dining at Italianni's is because of their warm aromatic foccacia bread that they always serve together with a plate of balsamic vinegar-olive oil dip.

This is actually perfect to munch on while waiting for your order. Of course A and I began to catch up on each other's lives too.

While I was busy bugging A to spill about his love life, our main dishes finally arrived.

A, being the ultimate gentleman began slicing a generous piece of Parmesan Crusted Fish and placing it on my plate and asking if I want to try the pork chop already. I shook my head as I was already enjoying my juicy piece of fish fillet. It has a creamy parsley sauce and some sauteed veggies at the side. I make sure that I spread the sauce on top of each bite as it really perked up the flavor of the deep-fried fish fillet. Yum!

Next, we each got a piece of the Porkchop au Poivre that looks so juicy and tender. While deep into our conversation, we were busy slicing, biting and talking at the same time. However, slicing further through my pork chop, I noticed that the meat was still raw and there were actually a hint of pink on the supposedly white pork meat. I asked A if his pork chop was ok but he just stared at his almost empty plate and gave me a sheepish grin. I called the attention of our server who immediately offered to replace our dish.

Since we were almost full with these two main dishes, we initially declined but they still insists to make up for it. Instead, we chose to get a pasta dish and requested to just split this and wrap it for us to take home. Needless to say, we appreciate that they quickly responded to our complain and repeatedly apologized for the oversight.

Thank you Italianni's! Their good service has saved our meal from disaster!

We just paid for the Porkchop au Poivre as the Enjoy card allowed us to get the Fish Fillet for free! Hooray!

Barre3: Stretch. Flex. Tone.

After years of indulging in the best tasting dishes and enjoying dinner outs, 2010 is the year to be healthy and to take on a more active lifestyle.

This is the main reason why I immediately said yes to an invite to try the latest exercise workout called Barre3. This was brought in by its Managing Director Tanya Tan after spending 5 years in the USA and loving the combination of yoga, ballet and pilates.

So, I went straight to The Spa at the Bonifacio Highstreet after work yesterday. Entering the building, I was greeted with the soothing sound of water that immediately made me feel relax and a bit sleepy. The strong minty scent makes me want to go up to the second floor to avail of a massage treatment. Then, I had to stop myself as my main goal was to try Barre3 and to torment my body who hasn't worked out for quite a while.

Entering the Barre3 studio, I was greeted by Tanya Tan herself who happens to be my sister's batch mate in high school. After exchanging his, hellos and a couple of "do you know ____", she led me to the locker room for me to change into my workout clothes. The rule here is to wear something comfortable. I went with my trusty gym pants, my favorite shirt and my comfy pair of socks.

Shortly after, my fellow bloggers arrived and our class began at exactly 7PM. This is a 60 minute workout wherein we will be taught various moves and stretches that aims to improve our balance, breathing and grace.

This actually sounds and looks easier than it seems. It was throughout that 60-minute workout then I realized that standing on tip-toes while doing lunges can be the hardest thing to do when your legs, thighs and arms are shaking uncontrollably which obviously is a sign of being inactive for quite a while. I shake my head as to scold myself for allowing this to happen. It's embarrassing to say the least.

Darcy Harding, the master trainer from Portland, Oregon was the one who conducted our session. I watch in awe as she moves gracefully. She gently instructed us to perform one move to another and repeatedly told us to just take it easy and to relax. This is a very low impact exercise but I was sweating like mad as if I was doing a one hour hip hop aerobic workout! I can just imagine how this will definitely help one lose weight, gain better posture and live a healthier life!

Finally, our 60 minute workout was over and I honestly couldn't believe that I have survived throughout the whole thing. While my body was screaming and telling me never to torment them again, my mind is telling me to go back and give it another try soon.

Let me share with you the benefits of Barre3:

- it connects mind, body and breath and definitely relieves stress
- it promises inch loss and reduces body fat
- it builds longer, leaner muscles and a strong core
- it energizes and increases stamina
- it develops muscle balance leading to a well-proportioned body with less risk for injury
- it increases flexibility and creates a natural flow to the body
- lastly, it builds connections and community which are both important in making exercise a regular part of life

Check out their rates: (in my opinion, a small price to pay to get all the benefits listed above)

Classes
Single class - P700
10 classes - P5,500
30 classes - P15,000

Membership
Monthly Unlimited membership - P5,500
Annual Unlimited membership - P50,000

Special Rates
Private session (one-on-one) - P2,000
Exclusive session(minimum of two clients) - P1,500/person

As of the moment, Barre3 lessons are only available at The Spa Alabang and The Spa at the Bonifacio Highstreet. Soon they will also have classes at Rockwell and at Eastwood.

Call The Spa for more information, 8363184 (Alabang) or 4035994 (Bonifacio Highstreet).

Friday Night at Eat Well! Delicious Kitchen

It was during our 3rd year in High School when Ne and I were assigned to sit beside each other. While I've known her since we were in Grade School as our younger sisters were classmates then, it was only in high school when we found ourselves on the same class. N's your typical quiet diligent student while I... well... I just love to talk and talk and talk.

I guess our teachers back then thought that by putting me beside N would finally make me keep quiet and give more attention to the teacher... well, they were wrong! (haha!) While N still remained the diligent type, let's just say she found a chat buddy in me. During class we would pass notes once in a while or more like whenever we're really really bored and eventually became really good friends. It's amazing how we can talk for hours and hours despite the fact that we see each other every single day.

Graduation came and we went to different universities. She turned out to be a budding licensed CPA while I made use of my love for talking (and writing) and took the brand management path. It was only just recently when I received a text message from her asking how I'm doing already. Immediately, we arranged to meet up and so we agreed to try out the new Chinese restaurant in Greenhills called Eat Well!

From the outside I like the brightly lit red-yellow signage that will surely catch your attention even from afar. Inside, the restaurant has a very casual ambiance but with a touch of the traditional Chinese restaurant as I can here instrumental Chinese music playing in the background. While waiting for my friend, I scanned the menu and I actually liked the photos showing a couple of their highly recommended dishes.

N arrived shortly and after saying our HIs and Hellos we immediately updated each other with our lives. We had to stop ourselves first to order and resumed with our stories right away.

Service was fast here. It's a good thing that we were seated at the ground floor where there were a lot of servers waiting to respond to our requests. It was easy to order as N and I agreed on almost the same things.

For starters, we got the Cold Cuts Platter (Php. 280). This has a combination of white chicken with a generous serving of my favorite garlic-ginger sauce, pork asado, century egg, jelly fish and the delicious yet sinful lechon macau. Since our rice also were served right away, we actually use this as another viand to our meal. From the platter I particularly liked the tender white chicken simply because of the flavorful sauce that came with it. The lechon macau is also something that they can be proud off because they have successfully kept the skin crispy and the meat soft and tender too. I'm glad that the pork was pretty lean with just a small amount of fat making it more delightful to have.

Next came the dish that really caught my eye as I opened their menu: the Shrimp Puff with Wasabi Mayo (Php.288). While this may not be traditionally chinese, I'm curious as to how well the wasabi mayo can mix with the crispy shrimp puff. With 8 bite-size pieces per order, this is actually good for a group of 3. I enjoyed biting into each shrimp puff as the minced shrimp was enveloped in between a crispy Chinese-style puff pastry very similar to the You Tiao (long deep-fried bread) that Paul and I would normally would have with our congee. The wasabi mayo was a good addition to the shrimp puff as it adds a special zing to the over-all taste of this dish.

I love dimsum and it's a good thing N was game to order too! We both got a basket of hakao (Php. 130) (shrimp dimsum) to share. One order comes with three hakaos that we both truly enjoyed. However, I noticed that they had minced shrimp inside instead of the usual whole crisp shrimp. The wrapper has a good consistency though, not too soft and mushy and not too thick and rubbery. Maybe we'll just stick to the main entrees on our next visit.

Over pretty good Chinese food, N and I swapped stories dating back from the time we went to different universities and along the way discovered that we shared a couple of mutual friends and learned more about what we each were both doing in our careers now. I promise to finally introduce Paul to N before our big day so this definitely calls for another (or even more) dinner dates in the coming months.

Eat Well! Delicious Kitchen is located within the Greenhills Commercial Center (beside Sugi and Pancake House). Call them at 722-8518.

[ CONTEST ALERT! ] Hey Girls! No Compromises with Kotex

I guess it's no secret how much I love to dine out! In fact this is probably one of the main reasons for this blog's existence.

Trying out different cuisines and immersing myself into the different themes and feel of each restaurant is always something that I look forward to at least every weekend. From the formal restaurants to the fun and hip diners, I am game to try out their best-selling dishes and to take my taste buds into a new foodie adventure!

However, if there's one thing that I expect each restaurant to have -- that would be to be able to provide the best service possible to its customers. Working for a coffee shop for more than two years showed me how we should treat our customers. Sanitary was of course the top priority. Here, I learned that we shouldn't put anything that has food (not even a plastic bag) on the floor. We take great care in checking the best before tags and most of all, we try our very best to give each and every customer the most amazing coffee experience ever.

This for me is definitely one thing I will never compromise on when it comes to eating out.

Speaking of compromises, Kotex came out with the Kotex Luxe a new line of sanitary napkins that has the the combination of dry-net and cotton-like covers to give us the dryness of net and the softness of cotton. I love it that it has longer wings making me feel more secure with every move.

With this new breakthrough, it allows you to be in-charge. Take no compromises as you have to make the right choices. It's after comfort and security we should all prioritize after all.

Just like how I will never take any compromises when it comes to getting the best restaurant service possible, Kotex would like to know...

What is that one thing that you will never compromise when it comes to dining out?

Leave me a comment with your name and email address and the Top 15 answers will be able to receive a special Kotex sampler gift pack sent right to your doorstep!

This contest will run from January 23, 2010 - January 30, 2010 at 11:59PM!

Flipflopping my way around Binondo

I must admit that although I do have very strong Chinese lineage, I grew up at the other side of town thereby depriving me from living the Oriental life where horse-drawn carriages would go around and around town, where majority would speak the Chinese language (or at least, the more popular dialect called Hokkien), where I can stuff myself with the best tasting dimsums, noodles and a lot more.

Needless to say, I'm trying to make up for the loss as I would frequently visit Manila's very own Chinatown otherwise known as Binondo. Thanks to the talent and expertise of Ivan ManDy who conducts fun walking tour around Binondo as he shares his knowledge about his side of town as well as the secret food stops that makes Binondo a must-go place for not only the tourists but for locals as well.

Notice we're all in Red? :)

Like Ivan, I take pride in showing a bit of my Oriental lineage to my friends. Such was the case when I accompanied three of my dear colleagues to Ivan's Binondo Food Wok one afternoon.

The meeting place was at the plaza fronting the Binondo Church. Note that Binondo can be a very busy place but do not worry, it won't be difficult to spot Ivan (our tour guide that day) as he's dressed in bright red cheong sam and a cute little black cap to complete this look!

From the plaza we made our way in as we learn trivias and short anecdotes about Binondo. Of course, Ivan made sure that we do not go hungry as we visit one restaurant to another sampling the best of the best dishes that Chinatown can offer.

The tour normally runs for 3 hours but you won't even feel it as every step is truly enjoyable as you mingle, eat and learn!

But wait, there's more!

Just recently, Ivan contacted me to tell me a great news! He just came out with a handy map called The Big Binondo Food Wok Map (Php. 100) that will be one's ultimate guide to the different food stops around Binondo!

Just imagine being able to navigate your way around while stuffing yourself happy with the freshest seafood dishes, the best tasting dimsums and a lot more! I'm truly loving the complete listing of restaurants included in the map.

In addition to this, the map actually has a number of coupons that you can either cut-out or present to get freebies and discounts! For instance, I can't wait to simply avail of my favorite Eng Bee Tin Tikoy Roll by just presenting my map!

This is a perfect time to grab yourself a copy of the map as Binondo will become extra festive as we get closer to the Chinese New Year! Watch out for the exciting dragon / lion dance, food festivals and a lot more!

You can get your copy by contacting Ivan ManDy at fun@oldmanilawalks.com / 0917-329-1622.

See you in Binondo!!!

Dining Out is truly ENJOYable!

Here's one cool gift that I have received last Christmas...

Thanks to the folks over at Spot.ph, I squealed in delight upon seeing this lovely red tin can that I know holds the key to almost a hundred discounts and freebies in various restaurants not only here in Metro Manila but in Cebu and Boracay as well.

This is Enjoy Philippines this has been highly recommended by fellow blogger Anton who will even offer a 5% discount in any Ultimate Philippines tour of your choice.

It has been barely a month since I got this gift and I've already made use of both the card and the coupon booklet a number of times. First was when I met up with my dear friend Sab for lunch and coffee at UCC, followed by a quick lunch at Pho Hoa, then there was that dinner at Super Bowl of China and countless others that I've happily visited and availed of their discount and freebies!

One tin can contains the membership card, two coupon booklets (one for Metro Manila, another for the provincial outlets) and the registration card.

Sadly, this is only valid until June 30, 2010. I sure hope they will extend and will give existing card holders a good deal whenever we would choose to renew.

I also like visiting their website regularly as they continue to add in more partner merchants. Now they have a deal with Dusit Thani's food establishments such as Basix, Tosca, Benjarong and my favorite Umu. You can also purchase appliances at Western, Listening in Style and from Ariston which is actually perfect as Paul and I are about to start a major renovation project for our future room.

I really do ENJOY dining out nowadays with the help of my Enjoy Philippines card! It's big savings and big happiness all rolled into in one!

Luna Resto Bar : Party all Night!

What's your gimik style?

I must admit mine normally consists of an intimate and delicious dinner followed by a long night cap over coffee. When given more time, I would probably choose to watch a movie or to sing the night away at the KTV. I was never good at bar-hopping and perhaps the only reason why I would visit a bar is when they do also serve good food.

Such is the case when I received an invite from fellow blogger Hannah to attend the Grand Opening of Luna Resto Bar along Wilson street in Greenhills. Aside from the fact that it's perfectly located within my neighborhood, I believe that Paul and I deserve a break from our usual routine and it's time to do something exciting such as spending the night with friends while enjoying Luna's good food and drinks.

To get the party started, we were served with the Luna Nachos (Php. 220). Said to be the Best Nachos in Town, true enough, I love Nachos and this version earned at least 10 thumbs up signs from our table. The nachos was perfectly crisp and its topped with chili con carne, spanish chorizo, melted cheese and their signature pimiento mayo sauce. A perfect starter to match with a cold bottle of beer.

Up next was the Luna Sisig (Php. 195), served in a piping hot skillet pan with minced chorizo giving it a Spanish twist. This heart-stopping favorite is good for sharing given the high calories that you can get from every bite. Then again, have it once in a while and indulge!

I love it that the menu of Luna is very innovative! Take the Flaming Chicken Wings (Php. 240) for example. They took our average buffalo wings to greater heights -- that is by flaming it up! I love how crunchy is it on the outside and yet remains tender inside. My only wish is that if the wings can be a little bit bigger for one to be able to fully appreciate the meat even with just one piece.

These are a few of our favorite dish..es

From the interesting round of appetizers, out came the main highlights of the evening. First was the Luna Paella, which according to the server is one of the dishes that they are truly proud of. One scoop of the paella and we immediately knew why, the dish is very flavorful and my favorite was the slightly burnt rice found at the bottom of the pan that has a very crunchy texture. Yum! I love the chorizo, egg and veggies added into the rice.

Next came my personal favorite, the Lengua Salpicao (Php. 195). It's bite-sized ox tongue sauteed in olive oil and lots of garlic! This is actually perfect with a cup of rice to complete your meal. The meat was very tender and there was actually no funky smell that one is normally wary of then it comes to eating ox tongue.

From the Salpicao, another dish that stole my heart was the Lengua Estofado which are thin slices of ox tongue cooked in thick tomato sauce and served with Spanish yellow rice. Once again, the meat was very soft and I love the tangy hint brought by the tomato sauce.

We had quite a meal but for those who would like to add a little Italian feel to your Spanish-inspired meal, there's a wide selection of unique pasta dishes for you to choose from. The owners are very proud of their Paella pasta which is plate of al dente pasta noodles cooked in the very same sauce used in their Paella. Expect this to give you that rich and flavorful taste that we all enjoyed from their Paella. Another pasta dish is a cream-based version with Spanish chorizo. This one might be a hit with the ladies who loves creamy pasta combined with a little kick from the spicy chorizo.

As Luna is both a Restaurant and a Bar. Make sure to grab either a cold bottle of beer (I highly recommend Super Bock which is a new beer brand from Portugal) or a glass of their specialty mixes that will bring out the party girl in you.

Allow me to share with you some party snapshots taken by Paul:

Party scene at Luna

A lot of guests came to celebrate Luna's grand opening

Hey Mr. DJ! (DJ Way Yao)

Chris teasing Jane hehehe

I will definitely be back! In fact I'm even thinking of spending my last single-girl birthday here in a couple of months with my dear girl friends! :)

Luna Resto Bar is located at 220 Wilson street, Greenhills, San Juan City.

*special thanks to Carlos for lending Paul your awesome flash!
*photo credits : Paul Ang

Cooking Risotto at Home!

Let me share with you my latest discovery!

While shopping at the Rockwell Moonlit Bazaar last month, I chanced upon a booth selling packs of grains and dried herbs. Looking at it closely, the package says Mushroom Risotto. Hmm.. interesting. I turned the package and read the step-by-step procedure, looks pretty easy to do.

I couldn't resist and bought myself a pack to try.

Finally, a couple of weeks after Christmas, I decided to try this interesting instant Mushroom Risotto and see if it can definitely satisfy one's sudden gourmet Italian craving.

Cooking this is simple -- I simply just boiled 5 cups of water and added everything into the pot. After the liquid has been reduced to half, I turned down the heat a bit and continued stirring until I got the right consistency. Within minutes, I can smell the mushroom and herbs! Mmmm

To make it extra yummy, I sprinkled some Parmesan cheese before serving.

The verdict: It surely was a hit with my family particularly with my sister! While it may still need a little more experimenting to get the authentic feel, it can definitely be an instant solution whenever you just want to add an Italian feel to your meal.

To order, contact Cuisine de Maison at 0916-2269800.

Jackie Chan becomes a Spy Next Door

From being the famous Drunken Master to the talented Chief Inspector Lee to lending his voice as a Monkey... Jackie Chan is back, this time, as Bob Ho in his newest movie, The Spy Next Door.

The movie was very entertaining which was definitely perfect as I was really looking forward to an opportunity to unwind after a hectic week at work. Thanks to fellow blogger Az and Viva International Pictures for inviting me and Paul to take a sneak peek of the movie, we truly had a marvelous time laughing at Jackie Chan's funny antics and at some point even got teary-eyed at a couple of dramatic scenes.

The story is all about Bob Ho, an undercover CIA agent, who retired from work to attend to his personal life most particularly his blooming relationship with his girlfriend Gillian.

Due to an unavoidable situation, Gillian had to leave town and Bob offered to baby-sit her three kids who does not like Bob very much. In his quest to get the kids to like him, he also came across an unfinished issue that requires him to protect the kids against a long time enemy -- a Russian terrorist who is after a top-secret formula that was accidentally downloaded by one of the kids.

Will the kids eventually like him enough to be their next daddy?

Watch as Bob tackles being both a baby-sitter and an undercover spy at the same time.

The Spy Next Door is now open in cinemas beginning today!

Photo credits: Viva International Pictures

Mo' Food! Mo' Drinks! It's Momolicious!

It's always a joy going to the new Eastwood Mall. With its growing list of interesting food establishments, I normally would suggest meeting up here for a quick get-together or a cozy lunch out with friends.

Such was the case one Saturday afternoon when my balikbayan friend Ei and I agreed to meet up for lunch. Since she lives up north and I, somewhere along the center of the metro, Eastwood City turned out to be our middle ground.

I have a growing list of must-try restaurants in this new mall and this includes Momo Cafe. After enjoying our lunch at Chelsea Market and Cafe and loving the drinks over at M Cafe, I was very excited to try out this particular restaurant by the same operating group.

We arrived just a little past 12:30 and the restaurant was jam-packed! It's a good thing that service was quick and turn-over was pretty fast too. In no time, the front desk officer was able to lead us to our table. I love the bright, colorful interiors. With yellow being the main theme of the restaurant, it somehow gave us a sun-shiny feeling the moment we walked into the restaurant.

Ei and I quickly scanned its menu and it's funny that we were both eyeing on the same things! Taking a peek at the table beside us, we noticed that the serving was pretty big. Thus we agreed to just get one appetizer and a main course to share. I even told Ei to save some space for dessert after seeing that they have my favorite Cookie Dough Cheesecake from Chelsea.

We immediately placed our order as we had a lot of catching up to do.

While waiting for our orders to arrive, we happily munch on their complimentary garlic bread with this really yummy spread that I feel has a mix of pimiento, garlic and lots of cheese. We liked it so much that we tried asking the server what's it made off but looks like this remains to be Momo's top secret that she just gave us a big smile and told us to enjoy it.

Shortly after, our appetizer was served. We got the "Melted" Crab & Spinach 3 Cheese Dip (Php. 225). This was definitely a good choice as Ei and I enjoyed the crunchy chips, the juicy veggie sticks and of course, the delicious dip. In fact, this is probably one good dish to get the young ones to eat their veggies. I'm not really that fond of raw carrot sticks but with this one, I couldn't help but munch on one stick after the other as I carefully coated my carrots with the cheesy dip.

While enjoying our appetizer, our Sweet and Smokey Hickory BBQ Rib-lets (Php. 350) has arrived. Imagine a huge dish filled with perfectly grilled hickory bbq rib-lets placed sandwiched in between yellow party rice, a couple of buttered veggies and crunchy onion rings. Ei loved this dish and she kept on saying how tender the ribs were. I tried them myself and noted that the meat was literally fork-tender as the menu has promised. No need to struggle and lose your poise here. This is definitely perfect for families to enjoy.

While we only had two dishes that day, Ei and I were unbelievably stuffed that we just had to say no to dessert. Maybe on your next visit, I told my friend.

MoMo after a couple of research, I found out, stands for More Food, More Drinks. Guess they can also add there More Happiness as this was surely what we felt after our delicious meal. I will definitely be back as I would love to their their pizza, pasta and that cute cupcake that they have with a gummy bear on top.

Momo Cafe has two branches located at the Ground Floor of the Eastwood Mall (900 1006 or 1007) in Quezon City and also at the Ground Floor of Robinson's Place (353 4840) in Manila.

turning Indian by Nature

I must have mentioned before that my sister is such an adventurous eater. An evidence of which was when we were driving along Jupiter street one day, looking for a place to have lunch. Among all the different restaurants that seems to be worthy of a visit, only one caught my sister's attention and that later became our lunch date venue.

With its bright orange facade, how can one not notice Indian by Nature despite being located at the 2nd floor of the same building that houses Mey Lin Pot & Noodles, Malacca and the store of well-known designer Debbie Co.

Walking inside the restaurant, we were the only guests there. I was told that their peak hours is at night where a lot of customers who go there to have dinner and a couple of drinks. Pan and I were given a table near the bar. The lighting was pretty dark which I guess makes it perfect for an evening ambiance.

There's a huge TV screen playing Indian drama series which was also a delight to watch. We enjoyed the ambiance which gave off an authentic Indian feel.

For those who are not so familiar with the Indian cuisine, it might take you a little more time than usual to scan their menu. Luckily we have a helpful server who suggested the right dishes for us to try. For this particular visit, we got the Paneer Taka Tak (Php. 229), the Chicken Tikka Butter Masala (Php. 299), a basket of Roti bread (Php. 79/piece) and a tall glass of Mango Lassi (Php. 99) each.

What we didn't expect was that Indian by Nature also serves a basket of complimentary Papadums with two types of sauces. My sister loves this appetizer that she was actually so giddy with happiness with each bite. The Papadums were a bit on the spicy side but this can easily be masked with the sweet mango chutney. This is definitely one complimentary starter you should not miss.

Our dishes finally arrived and I enjoyed the Paneer Taka Tak which are bite-size cottage cheese sauteed with the most colorful mix of veggies! From the red and green bell peppers to fresh onions, this dish will definitely perk up your taste buds with its interesting mix. I love the saltiness of the cottage cheese mixed with the tangy tomato sauce. Yum!

My sister liked the Chicken Tikka Masala which was a wee bit too spicy for my taste. This was a perfect match to our basket of Roti bread where we would dip the bread into the thick tomate butter sauce. There's also a generous amount of chicken in here that makes this good for 2-3 pax to enjoy.

This meal wouldn't have been complete without our refreshing Mango Lassi. Nothing can cool your burning tongue better than with a soothing blend of yogurt and fresh mangoes. We both agreed that this drink is worth going back for.

We shall return...and we did!

Not long after our first visit, we found ourselves craving for more authentic Indian dishes and of course that delicious Mango Lassi. Indeed, we were back at Indian by Nature exactly two weeks after our initial visit ready for another round.

This time, we decided to keep our choices simple. Once again, with the help of our server, we got the Paneer Pakora (Php. 199) and the Non-Veg Tandoori Platter (Php. 699) to share. Of course, our meal will not be complete without our favorite drink -- the Mango Lassi.

I am a huge fan of cheese and since Indian by Nature has a wide selection of Paneer dishes, this time I got the Paneer Pakora. This is a perfect dish for cheese lovers as its cottage and cheddar cheeses deep fried in Indian batter. How cheesy can that get?

For our main course, we couldn't decide whether to get the chicken or fish. It's a good thing our server recommended for us to get the Non-Veg Tandoori Platter to be able to taste both. One platter gives you generous servings of tandoori paneer, chicken, fish and shrimp! We had a great time sampling each and choosing our favorites. Mine was of course the paneer and the fish which was surprisingly fresh and tender. My sister enjoyed the crunchy tandoori shrimp that gives a strong smokey flavor.

We also ordered a bowl of Saffron Rice (Php. 189) to share. I love the buttery flavor of this long grain rice that was perfect for our meal choices that day. A word of caution though, this type of rice can be very filling to take it in slowly and in small portions to avoid over-eating.

Our choices on our second visit were not so spicy nonetheless, the Mango Lassi was still a star of the meal as it perfectly complemented our choice dishes.

Ambiance left a Bad Taste

Unlike our first visit where we enjoyed an Indian drama series, the servers this time played the adult movie American Pie which didn't suit the ambiance at all. It was also very uncomfortable to watch nudity scenes while enjoying our meal. How I wish the management could be more strict with the videos that they play during operating hours. It definitely left a bad taste despite the fact that the meal was pretty good.

It's a good thing that my sister and I are two grown woman who know just chose to ignore the movie playing in the background. Just imagine had it been a family with children dining that lunch hour, that would have been horrifying!

Do visit Indian by Nature for the meal but perhaps its best to just tell your server to turn the TV off to save you from viewing any indecent movies to ruin your meal.

Indian by Nature is located at the 2nd Level of Jupiter Place, Jupiter St., Makati City. Call them at 484-9629 for inquiries and/or reservations.