Countdown to J. Co's Grand Manila Opening!

Today is the last day of February and in just a few minutes March will come running in. Time flies really fast!! I'm really excited for March because of four big happenings -- my best friend T's big birthday bash, the wedding of my dear cousin, the Good Housekeeping Family Fun Run (with dogs!), and lastly, the grand opening of J. Co Donuts and Coffee!


A month ago, I received boxes of J. Co Donuts that I happily shared with my colleagues. Once again, the generous people behind J. Co Donuts and Coffee Philippines sent another batch of donuts and this time they came in mini, bite-size versions.

I find them so cute! As a result, my sister and I quickly transferred some J. Pops, as they're called, to a clean plate and off it went to the microwave oven as we love biting into warm, soft donuts.

Meet Guactruck, the Food Truck at Bonifacio Global City

Around September last year, Paul and I learned about the arrival of the first ever food truck called Guactruck from fellow food blogger Anton. According to his blog entry, food lovers will be able to see and try Guactruck's specialties at Mercato Centrale. Since then, Guactruck has been around, mostly within the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) area.

We've been so excited to check this out due to our failed attempt at spotting a single food truck while vacationing in the US last year. I'm not giving up and I'm so glad that I don't have to book a plane ticket to see one up close.


While strolling around BGC last week, my sister pointed out the brightly-lit food truck that was parked right in front of the Fort Legend building and Tully's Coffee. I totally forgot about Guactruck being in BGC and I was so happy that we finally spotted it!

After having coffee, I dragged my family to check the food truck out. It was quite dark already however the bright LED lights of the truck really made it really attractive. We were greeted by a friendly Chinese-looking girl who guided us through their simple menu. Their specialty was the Beef Tapa but we opted to get Chicken Tocino on Burrito Bowl (Php. 150) instead.

Luxe-Dining: Lusso at Greenbelt 5

Forgive me dear readers as I'm still in truffle heaven.

I woke up this morning with a smile on my face as I thought of that delicious plate of pasta that I had last night. Indeed, this just got to be one of the best hangovers that I've ever had and here I am daydreaming about it again as I type this entry.

Finally, after months of planning, Paul and I met up with a couple of his cousins for dinner at Lusso. This is to bid goodbye to two cousins who will be traveling soon and to also celebrate ML's birthday at the same time. What a fun celebration!

We initially had a hard time looking for the restaurant as there was no huge signage which you will commonly see in most restaurants but rather all they have is an engraved signage spelling out LUSSO at the handle of the restaurant door. Very subtle yet so elegant. Reservations were made and our party of 12 was comfortably seated inside. The menu came in the form of a small lengthwise piece of paper with back-to-back printing. Once again, very simple and clean.

As a diligent foodie, I did my own research. Thanks to various food bloggers who gave their recommendations making ordering that evening a breeze.


Paul wanted to share but as we were advised, the serving is pretty much just good for one. Thus we decided to order to entrees and split both into half. Dinner began with a bowl of Truffle Potato Chips (Php. 150). As you all know, I love truffle oil! I love how I can easily smell the aromatic scent of truffle the moment the bowl was laid down on the table.

There were three bloggers present that evening (my cousin Lovely, ML and yours truly) and thankfully we were seated near each other allowing the other half of the table to have a head start on their own bowl of chips. We quickly took a couple of photos and began munching on the delicious chips. I got to admit though that while the scent was pretty strong, I had a hard time finding the taste of the truffle as I bite into the chip. I guess they were trying to strike a balance between truffle aficionados like myself and those who are not so into the strong, earthy flavor of truffle.


For our first entree, we got the Spinach Taglierini (Php. 350). Initially, we wanted to try the Luxe "Mac & Cheese" but upon asking the serving which of the three pasta dishes is their best-selling and he told us that it was the Spinach Taglierini, we immediately changed our order. Of course, this decision was made after I asked him if they also add truffle oil to this dish and once I heard the "YES", there goes our Mac & Cheese which we will try next time.

Now let me tell you why this particular dish has kept me daydreaming about it hours after our dinner at Lusso...

Shine in Barcelona with Sun Life Financial Philippines

Sun Life Financial,the pioneer insurance company in the country, has always been a part of our lives for as long as I can remember. It's simply because my mom has been a Sun Life Financial advisor since I was one. That's how loyal and successful Mommy has been with the company. In fact, I always like to say that Sun Life Financial has helped my parents in being able to bring us to the best schools in town starting from grade school up until our university years. It also has helped made our lives really comfortable and of course, this is all with the extreme hard work that both my parents have exerted to make everything possible.

Needless to say, the Sun Life community is like family to us. My mom's colleagues have seen my sister and I grow up. In fact, some of them have been my mom's kumares making us closer not only to their kids but to the entire family as well.

There's also a really fun part about being a Sun Life advisor! You get to TRAVEL! Through the years, Sun Life Financial has brought both my parents to Europe, China, most parts of Asia, and even down under in Australia to join their leadership conferences. While my sister and I would get bummed out that we both will be parent-less for two weeks or so, we love the gifts that they would bring home for us all from those trips. :)

Lastly, seeing my mom totally in love with her career, I realized that as a Sun Life Financial advisor, you do more than selling and explaining the wide-array for products of the company. You become a friend, a mentor and someone who will stand by not only your client's side but you watch out for the entire family as you help them achieve financial security all throughout the highs and lows of their lives. I've seen how close my mom has been with her long-time clients as they would confide in her, ask her for advice or just call her for a few minutes to chat. To them, she's more than their advisor, Mommy has been their life-long friend whom they trust and will continue to trust forever. Her career, to me, has transcended to being a mission in educating and bringing light to everyone whose lives she will continue to touch.

I really am so proud of my Mom! :)


If you feel that being a Sun Life Financial advisor is your calling or you know of someone who does, well here's your chance to make a difference! The best part is, you can actually win a trip to sunny Barcelona by simply making a referral.

Meatless Fridays : Jollibee's Tuna Pie

For Catholics all over the world, Lent began last Wednesday. This is the time when we try to make a sacrifice by either giving up something we really like doing or eating, practicing more good deeds and a lot more.

For me, I abstain from meat. I do this for every Fridays of Lent beginning Ash Wednesday and this goes on until Easter Sunday. Of course, temptation is out there. It’s really hard to say no to that juicy piece of lechon meat or to have a cheese steak sandwich especially when it’s right there sitting happily in front of you. Still, I stick to my sacrifice and for years I’m proud to say that I’ve been pretty much successful at carrying it out all throughout the 40+ days of Lent.


What make this sacrifice extra challenging is when we eat out. At times, it's just so hard to find a place that serves really good seafood options that's also friendly on the budget. Imagine my glee when I found out that Jollibee's Tuna Pie is BACK! Hooray!

Cookin' and Grillin' at Taza Mix in Madison Square, San Juan

While eating is a fun experience on its own, I personally find greater excitement when I get to cook and eat at the same time. This is the reason why I'm such a fan of shabu-shabu (hotpot) restaurants or those that have table-top grills where we can cook our choice meats to perfection.

To be honest though, Paul is a greater cook than I am. So, more often than not, I leave the cooking to him while I happily chew away. He's such a natural with a spatula on one hand and a pair chopsticks on the other. One evening while trying a new restaurant called Taza Mix with some members of The Food Club, I was so lucky to be seated beside Paul and Irene, two of the more talented cooks of The Food Club (this special category also includes fellow bloggers Carlos, Jane and Joan -- you should really try their kitchen specialties!). Just imagine how Richard and I were enjoying having our plates filled with delicious shabu shabu balls, strips of lamb and chicken, kani sticks, veggies and so much more!

Taza Mix is a newly-opened restaurant located at Madison Square that is adjacent to a Chinese restaurant called Taza de Oro. While the latter specializes in short orders ranging from dimsum, pork dishes, a wide array of congee, and more; Taza Mix offers diners with grill and shabu-shabu platters.


That evening, our group of 7 were given two shabu-shabu platters good for 3-4 each. We were surprised with the generous serving as one huge plate comes with a wide assortment of meat and fish balls, wanton dumplings, fresh shrimps and thinly sliced pork and lamb.

We also had another plate filled with veggies, corn, my favorite taro and some sotanghon noodles. What looks like just enough for 3 to 4 people turned out to be quite a bit too much. We ended up so full after consuming all the meat and seafood that we were not able to cook all the veggies served to us. We enjoyed the sotanghon though which was our only carbs that evening. 


Of course, shabu-shabu dining is not complete without creating your own sauce. I really enjoy mixing spoonfuls of chopped garlic, spring onions, hebi (dried shrimps), a few peanut sauce and satay sauce before I poured in the soy sauce. The trick here is to dunk everything into the sauce because taking a bite. Believe me, this makes all the difference.

Love Food. Love Mega: Awaiting the SM Megamall Food Sale!

It’s BACKKKKKKK!!

A year ago, my food-loving colleague excitedly told me about SM Megamall having a 3-day Food Sale. Imagine having at least a hundred food establishments offering discounts, free dishes and a lot more! It truly felt like a food lover’s holiday! I wasn’t sure what happened last year but sadly, I missed the fun weekend.



Well, I’m not going to let that happen again this year. In fact, as early as last weekend, Paul and I headed to SM Megamall to check out the participating establishments already and took mental notes on which ones we will definitely visit this coming weekend. We mean business which means, we need a surefire strategy. This is WAR! Food War! :)

Recipes by Cafe Metro

A few months ago, Paul and I had one of our impromptu lunch dates again and this time we had it at the Shangri-la Mall. Going around the mall while thinking of where to eat, we were faced with a big dilemma as there were quite a lot of options to choose from. The best way was to do it through the process of elimination. Since we both don't eat beef then all steak and burger places were immediately removed from the list. Paul wasn't in the mood to splurge so there goes the high-priced restaurants as well. However, I was feeling hungry (a.k.a. I want rice) so we skipped all sandwich bars and cafes in the mall.

Finally, as we got to the 5th level and I spotted an old favorite -- Recipes by Cafe Metro. I first tried this more than 5 years ago and it has been my go-to place for comfort food done the Filipino way. Believe me, you'll never go wrong with their Gising Gising, Crispy Tilapia and their famous General's Chicken.

We got there earlier than the lunch crowd thus we were able to secure a table right away. Since it was Paul's first time to dine there, he left the ordering to me. Of course, I didn't have to browse through the menu as I knew exactly what I wanted to get:


First, we had the Gising Gising (Php. 170). In my opinion, Recipes makes one of the best Gising Gisings in town. Paul and I love anything cooked in coconut milk (gata) and I love how tasty this vegetable dish is that it will surely make you eat more rice. I just love the finely chopped string beans cooked in rich coconut milk and mixed with ground meat and chili. Yum!!


To go with our bowl of Gising-Gising, we had the Crispy Tilapia (Php. 215) which is also a house specialty. Paul was excited to try this as he is a big fan of fried fish. Upon ordering this, I was pretty confident that this will surely win my husband's heart. I was right! He enjoyed the tender fillet as he would dunk the meat into their special dipping sauce. He even used his hands as he happily ate the head and tail of the fish until we were left with the clean fish bones.

Living the Dream : Istituto Culinario

At the beginning of the year, Paul and I made our SuperPlan..the kind that we promise to stick to as we really want to make a difference this 2012. I wrote about this a month ago, sharing with you how we've been wanting to take up a culinary course to sharpen our kitchen skills.


It's not a big secret that the Big Guy up there loves us very much. As early as February, we got an invite from our dear friend Spanky to attend the grand opening of Istituto Culinario. The newest, most innovative institution that specializes in the culinary arts. The best part about this is it's located so close to home. Definitely a billboard sign for us to take notice and consider when mapping out our plan.

Last Saturday, Paul and I headed to the O.B. Montessori campus to take part of the celebration. Upon registering we were given a passport wherein we're told that it will be our handy guide as we tour around the campus. This was the start of our exciting evening!


Together with our guide Lou, we headed up to the 7th floor where we were greeted by their friendly admin staff. The office had a very modern look with the bright red and black lighted logo that will greet you as the elevator door opens. We went to check out their back office as well as their meeting rooms where great ideas were and will continue to be created.



After the admin room, we headed to their Library. I love the rows after rows of books! They are also subscribed to the best local and foreign magazines too! :) Sadly, the library is just available to the students of Istituto Culinario and not to the public.

Visiting Saint's Alp Teahouse at the Bonifacio Global City

When I first saw Saint's Alp Teahouse along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, my initial impression was that it was a local milk tea store concept. It was only when The Food Club decided to check it out for our after-dinner snacks and drinks that I realized that it was, in fact, a foreign franchise from Hong Kong with branches also in New York. That evening, I was nursing a nasty sore throat so I had to skip the milk tea and settle for just the snacks available. As they were having their dry run, not all menu items were available then. Paul and I decided that we'll just go back some other time to try it once again.


Fast forward a couple of months after, Paul and I joined our favorite dinner buddies Richard, Irene and Lauren at Saint's Alp's newest branch at the Bonifacio Global City. Richard and I were each given a Php. 1,000 credit which we decided to use that evening.

We began choosing from the Rice Entrees and it was a toss between the Honey-Glazed Coffee Spareribs or the Taiwanese Breaded Chicken Chop with Marinated Minced Pork (Php.195 +60). We decided to go with the latter as we miss Taiwan food so much.

In addition to this, I also ordered the Daing na Bangus with Garlic Rice and Egg (Php. 185) from their Breakfast category.

Service was quick as we were the only ones there. I really think its important for Saint's Alp to be more aggressive in spreading the word about their stores most especially with the proliferation of milk tea shops in almost every corner. Competition is very very tight. It's sad to enter an empty restaurant given that their food and drinks are pretty okay.


We got our rice meals right away and I initially wanted the Daing na Bangus but seeing that the fish wasn't boneless, I asked Paul if he'd like to have my fish instead while I get the Minced Meat. This is all because I have zero talent in de-boning fish.. milk fish most especially.

I kept the garlic rice and egg though while Paul had the fish together with his Taiwanese Chicken Chop meal.


As for the Marinated Minced Pork which I was hoping would bring back fun memories of our food trip in Taiwan; sad to say, I find it a bit too salty and lacks the flavor unique to this famous dish.

The Daing na Bangus, according to Paul was pretty okay but he'd like his fish deep-fried making it crunchy and the bones edible. The Taiwanese Chicken Chop was tender however lacking the 5-spice powder flavor.

Wine and Dine at The Winebar – Café 1771

A couple of Fridays ago, The Food Club was invited to have dinner and a few glasses of wine at Café 1771’s The Winebar. This came as a perfect timing given that it was the end of a stressful workweek and a great way to welcome the much-awaited weekend. We arrived just about the same time and as we made our way up to the 2nd floor of Café 1771 in El Pueblo, we were all impressed with the sudden change of ambiance. From the bright pink and blue décor of the Whimsy section, climbing up the wooden staircase led us to an all-wooden interior that reminds me of a scene from The Godfather or one of those Al Pacino films that Papa loves to watch over and over again.

After leading us to our table, we were offered some wine to get things started. I sadly had to decline as I’m not really much of a drinker…an “eater”, yes…a drinker, no. Nonetheless, my companions seem to enjoy their selection of wines which I think went perfectly well with our wide-array of dishes that evening.


In true Café 1771 fashion, they also served us a bowl of popcorn to munch on. Paul loved this very much and actually looks forward to dining at Café 1771 every time partly because of this.


Shortly after, out came our appetizer – Oyster Rockefeller (Php. 550). It’s a platter of 8 baked Alaskan oysters topped with gooey cheese, creamy spinach and bacon. Readers would know that I am not allowed to have corn (thus I said no-no to the popcorn) and selected shellfishes which include oysters.

However, I can feel my mouth water as I look at the freshly baked oysters sitting peacefully in front of me. It looks so delicious and totally inviting. I asked Paul if I can try a piece and he agreed saying that he trusts Café 1771’s quality. At least I seek permission from the one who will be staying up with me should anything nasty happens to my tummy. :p

Taking a small piece, I drizzled some lemon juice on top and gently carved my fork around the shell making sure I’d be able to get all the cheese and creamy spinach inside. I ate the whole piece and immensely enjoyed the smooth, salty flavor that filled my mouth. It was so delicious and luckily, no fishy taste from the oysters which is a good indication how fresh it was. I couldn’t stop at just one piece and had a total of 3 Oyster Rockefeller that evening. Oh heaven! This just got to be the best Oyster Rockefeller in town!


Café 1771 is known for a couple of things, one of which is their pizza called Holy Cow (Php. 300). I was able to try this on my first visit two years ago and I’m so glad to be able to have this again. I just couldn’t get over how delicious this freshly baked pizza topped with arugula, kesong puti and lots of mozzarella is. It’s so simple yet truly addicting.

Classified Ad: Beer for Crumpler Bags!!!

Yep! You read that right..true I had a shot of this cocktail called Kiss on the Lips and I think it actually hit me even more than just a soft, tender kiss. With my low tolerance for alcohol here I am typing away as my brain is starting to head to la-la-land...Before I completely doze off, I'd like to share with you this great news from our friends over at Crumpler Philippines!

They will soon be having a big event where you can exchange a bottle/can/case of beer for your very own Crumpler bag!!! I don't know about you but I'm definitely hoarding probably a dozen cases of beer just for this.



See you there!! For more info, visit the official Facebook page of Crumpler Philippines.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Love is truly in the air! ♥

Even on my delicious plate of Penne alla Russa (smoked salmon and caviar) from Cibo.

Spend this day spreading the love not only to your special someone but to your family and friends as well!!

*BIG HUG*

p.s. this is me trying my hand at Instagram and other Apple apps. heehee

Let's go to GUAM! : Heinz-United Airlines Blogging Contest

"Hada Adai, fellow bloggers!" -- This is the way people say HELLO in Guam.

If I were you, I'd read up on Guam and learn a phrase or two as you and a friend might just be on your way to the beautiful island of Guam for an all-expense paid trip brought to you by Heinz Tomato Ketchup!

Before I share the great news with you on how to join this exciting contest, let me share some Guam 101 first.

Guam is actually part of the US Territory thus a VISA is required prior to entry. Unlike California or New York, Guam is just a 3-hour flight away from Manila! Even closer than Singapore or Korea that takes us 4 hours to get there. The weather is fairly similar to the Philippines so no need to lug around your boots and coat for this trip.

As for the food, Filipinos won't have a hard time adjusting as the food in Guam is really similar to ours. This is brought by the early Filipino immigrants who transferred to Guam as early as the Spanish colonization. Thus, don't be surprise to see something that may look like a Pancit Sotanghon or an Adobo or perhaps our delicious Lechon during a feast in Guam.

Being part of the US Territory expect also to see the usual US retail and food shops like K-Mart, Duty Free stores, Cold Stone and Taco Bell to name a few.

Writing this, I'm personally excited to see Guam and I'm making sure to be able to tick this off my travel wish list hopefully soon.

Ketchup smiley at Johnny Rockets

Here's how YOU can win a trip to Guam courtesy of my favorite ketchup, Heinz Tomato ketchup:

Sunday Brunch at the Marriott Hotel

Don't you just loveeeeee breakfast?

I really do but I sometimes find it so hard to pull myself out of bed especially during the weekends. Can you relate with me?

This is the reason why I totally salute the person who invented the word "brunch". It's perfect! Not too early like breakfast yet no need to wait till 12 for it to officially be considered lunch.

Take for example what happened last Sunday. Paul and I had to bring my sister to the airport at 10AM for her to make it to her noon flight. Feeling our tummies grumbling loudly, we headed to Marriott Hotel's Cafe at Newport City to avail of their Sunday Brunch where we, together with other bloggers, were invited as it was their opening day. We were one of the first who arrived and boy I was so excited!


The buffet spread was pretty impressive! We were greeted with an abundant display of fresh oysters with sauces and toppings to suit your taste. Across it was the cheese display where I helped myself to a few slices together with a lot of smoked salmon with capers and creamy sauce.


A new discovery, the Cured Tandoori Rubbed Salmon. It tasted very much like the Smoked Salmon only with a slight smoky taste. Yummy! I had two servings of this and I can't help but crave for more as I'm writing this.


Paul, on the other hand, can be pretty predictable when dining at buffets. Of course, he just have to fill his plate with Chilled Tiger Prawns and a bowl full of Cocktail Sauce. This is his routine as he loves this very much. Thus, this is also his gauge of determining whether a hotel buffet is good or not. Since he had two plates of Tiger Prawns that date, it surely looks like Marriott Cafe passed with flying technicolors!


Moving inward, I headed next to the salad bar where I helped myself to the freshest greens like iceberg lettuce, arugula and watercress. I love their creamy salad dressings and topped my salad with lots of bacon bits, croutons and cheese. Yes, I know...not very healthy but really really yummy!

Check out my first plate!!

Longganisa Sorpresa at Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig

I love the simple things!

A box of sweet treats... My doggie Scottie excitedly greeting me by the door...Impromptu lunch outs with Paul and friends and a lot more! I'd say I'm pretty easy to please and more often than not it always involves food! Paul, for one, knows this very well already... the way to my heart is definitely through my STOMACH! ♥

A couple of weeks ago, we had an impromptu lunch date with some members of The Food Club at Longganisa Sorpresa. I'm lucky that the restaurant is just a stone's throw away from my office making it very accessible for me. I've mentioned a number of times how much I love Brgy. Kapitolyo as it's rapidly growing to be a foodie haven. There's Mad Mark's, Lia's Cakes in Season, my favorite Milky and Sunny, the ever-dependable Uncle Moe's and our latest office craze..Rub Ribs!

We got there just in time before the lunch crowd arrived allowing us to secure a good parking spot. The menu was quite extensive however we zeroed in on their special set meals (Long-Si-Log) which is only worth P99 each! One set is inclusive of your choice of longganisa (Filipino pork sausage), garlic rice, egg and iced tea! What a great deal!

Longganisa is one meat product that is widely available, I'd say, all over the country! From Baguio in the north down to General Santos in Mindanao, each province has their own version of longganisa and the taste varies from sweet to spicy, from garlicky to smoked. As such, Longganisa Sorpresa offers a wide array for choices with a very helpful menu categorizing each longganisa allowing you to easily choose one that would perfectly suit your taste.


I love sweet tasting longganisa so I went with the Cabanatuan (Sweet version) longganisa meal. My platter came with two plump sausages which was very tender and as promised, sweet. The garlic rice was pretty good however I like my rice a bit more sticky and more garlicky. The egg was well-prepared too however I'll remember to request for them to serve it scrambled next time.


Paul, on the other hand, loves smokey and salty longganisas. Therefore, he went for the Vigan Long-Si-Log platter. He was also very satisfied with his order however he commented that the longganisa were a bit small in size.

Healthy Start with Starbucks Coffee's Salad Selection

I'm starting the week right!

After having a really tummy-filling hotpot dinner last Saturday and a gastronomic buffet lunch yesterday, I'm giving my tummy a break by having something light and healthy today.


Just a quick trip to my favorite Starbucks Coffee store and I get to choose from four of their new salad offerings namely: Southern Chicken Salad, Mediterranean Tuna Salad, Cold Chicken Soba Salad and the Moroccan Chicken Couscous Salad.

I was actually able to try all four salads a week ago when my friends over at Starbucks Coffee sent me a few samples to try.

During lunch one weekday, I started with the Southern Chicken Salad which gives a twist to the regular Chicken Salad. Served with crunchy wheat bagel crostinis, this one has all-natural chicken chopped and mixed with diced celery, onions, hard boiled eggs and pickle relish. It reminds me of what my Mommy would usually make at home only its served with assorted greens and sprinkled with lots of cheese. I enjoyed this very much and liked the fact that the amount of crostinis was pretty generous.


Next was the Mediterranean Tuna Salad. Quite similar to the Southern Chicken Salad as it also comes with whole wheat bagel crostinis. I love tuna and I really enjoyed this salad as it's mixed with olives, onions, artichokes and red bell peppers. I'm happy to note also that the tuna doesn't have a fishy taste or smell.


We also had the Cold Chicken Soba which was my least favorite but ok nonetheless. I love the sesame soy sauce and the delicious shiitake mushrooms and chicken strips. It's a different take from the usual cold soba that we'd normally have in Japanese restaurants. This one has the addition of the veggies and a few pieces of meat making it a complete meal on its own.

Terrazas de Barako at Hacienda San Benito, Lipa

"Wellness is a state of mind..." - Chef Teresa Loob, Terazzas de Barako

Once in a while, don't you just wish you're outside of the city. Away from the stress, the hustle and bustle and the endless worrying? This is one reason why I love taking weekend trips as it allows me to relax and recharge myself for another busy week ahead. I also love taking in the cool fresh air and enjoying the beautiful sceneries that nature has to offer.


I'm lucky that I just got my quick break recently. It was upon an invitation to visit Terrazas de Barako in Lipa, Batangas that I found myself on the road with Paul and fellow blogger Richard and his lovely family. Initially, I thought the ride would take more than 4 hours which was why I packed my bag with a fully-charge iPod Touch, a book, a huge bottle of water and some crackers. I was ready for the long drive battle!

I was surprised though that it only took us a little more than an hour and a half to reach Lipa coming from Makati. Thanks to the very helpful Star Toll! In no time, we entered the highly secured gates of Hacienda San Benito and our van made its way in until we reached a beautiful structure surrounded by a Koi Pond and even has a grape vineyard beside it.

"Welcome to Terrazas de Barako.", said a pretty lady who offered a simple garland to each one of us.


The restaurant was not air-conditioned but there's really no need to install one as its design allowed Lipa's cool wind to come in through the shutter-like roof and its huge screen doors.


We met British Chef Teresa Lobb who used to be the personal chef of different personalities and royalties in the United Kingdom (hello Prince William!). It was truly an honor that she's preparing our lunch for that day. Chef was very busy when we arrived that's why our organizer decided to take us on a quick tour around the farm.

...and our WINNER is...[Why are you more than a 10 this 2012? Win P5k CASH! ]

Finally, the judges have spoken!

After going through more than 32 valid entries and choosing my top 3 entries, the judges from our dear sponsor, Unionbank have finally chosen THE ONE!

CONGRATULATIONS TO.....Joy S. Cabaltera!

She's the lucky reader who will be receiving Php. 5,000 CASH from Unionbank! :)

Thank you everyone for joining my very first contest for 2012!

Watch out for another exciting one coming very soon!

Joy, please expect an email from me within the day.

Mamma Mia! : A must-see musical in Manila!

I grew up in a very musically-inclined family. Aside from our shared love for food, cooking and eating, my relatives are also music lovers and its either one can sing, can play an instrument, or can at least appreciate good music.

A proof of this was during our wedding reception where not only one, not two but FIVE family members performed and there were actually still more who wanted to do a song number or two. It can truly be a concert when you put my entire family together.

Given that, my sister and I grew up watching musicals and listening to music that my parents would play on their cassette player. Imagine, the first movie that I watched was Sound of Music and I think I watched this over and over again until our Betamax tape gave up on me. My parents are fans of The Carpenters, Beegees, The Platters and ABBA so it's no surprise that my sister and I are very familiar with their songs... some we even memorize by heart.


This is one reason why I was so excited when Mommy told us that she got tickets for us to watch Mamma Mia as it opened here in Manila last January 24, 2012! We've seen the movie and were told that the play is a lot better than that. Since I liked the movie already, my expectation was at an all-time high for the musical! This was even heightened with friends telling me how nice it was and I'd definitely end up having a week-long LSS (last song syndrome) after watching the show.


We got to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) two hours in advance to get a good parking spot and to have time for dinner.