New Dishes on the Menu of Yomenya Goemon Japanese Spaghetti House, Greenbelt 3 Makati

Yomenya Goemon Japanese Spaghetti House is a Japanese restaurant here in Manila that specializes in Japanese-style spaghetti. Located at Greenbelt 3, Yomenya Goemon opened its door last 2012 and still making a lot of food enthusiasts happy. There are other restaurants and foodie places that serve Japanese-style pasta as part of the menu but I think none of them offers wide variety and extensive selections the way Yomenya Goemon does (If you know of any other restaurants, the comment section is open for you to share your thoughts.)

Not a lot of us are well acquainted with this rather unique rendition of what most of us know as an Italian specialty. For some, it might be weird. I myself was a little adamant about Japanese-style spaghetti at first, I guess that is why upon hearing of the opening of Yomenya Goemon, it doesn't really enticed me. Until I had my first taste of Mentaiko pasta at Diamond Hotel's The Cake Club and Lobby Lounge. Boy did I fell head over heels! This year I thought it is high time to explore other options and expose myself to other delicious possibilities with regard to Japanese spaghetti. Good thing we have Yomenya Goemon here in the Philippines.

East Café in Rustans Makati City

I remember way back my pre-food blogging days, my mother would always talked me into trying East Café located inside Rustans Department Store at Makati every time we visit the area to shop. It is one of her favorite dining destinations when in Rustans because that is where she usually meets up with her friends. I never heeded to such call because in all honesty, I found the feel of the restaurant a bit classy for a taste of a youngster like me during that time. I always wanted my usual burger, soda, and fries so why would I bore myself to death to something that for me only mature women like my mom seem to enjoy?

Little did I know, I was missing on something great. Fast forward to the semi-mature me days, after trying out East Café at Rustans Makati, I would say that I should have listened to my mom and gave it a go even before. The things we learn too late in life, eh?

Good thing though that after a decade in the business, East Café is still standing strong amidst competitors in Makati area so I got to try some of the dishes that East Café is proud of. 

Cinq Dessert Boutique along Jupiter St. in Makati City

Along Jupiter St. in Makati City, a new French dessert place named Cinq Dessert Boutique opened its door to cater to dessert loving food enthusiasts. Desert places in Manila are aplenty but not all are well worth the calories, I must say. Bumping into ones that shook my world inside out is like finding a gold mine, well at least for me. Being introduce to Cinq Dessert Boutique is one of those happy moments of having gold at hand.

Cinq (pronounced as Sank) is a French word for “Five” that according to owner Angela Villoria Tolentino stands for the five basic ingredients namely flour, eggs, sugar, milk or cream, and butter which are all used in baking.

Weeks ago, we were invited to sample some of the delectable desserts they offer at Cinq Dessert Boutique. It was their soft opening during that time but this quaint dessert place was already gaining thumbs up to some of the foodies in Manila I consider the best.

Grab That 7" Android Tablet for only Php 999 Exclusive Price for WeChat Users!

I am really excited to share this good news to my fellow WeChat users because seriously, 7" Android Tablet for Php 999 only? Wow, I know!

WeChat, the country's leading social mobile app in partnership with an online shopping site Lazada Philippines is rolling out discounted Android tablets in line with Lazada Philippine's 2nd Anniversary celebration.

This special promo is available for 1,000 WeChat users following Lazada Philippines's official WeChat account. The original price of the 7" Android Tablet is at Php2,499 and if you are one of the chosen WeChat users, then you can have it for only Php999.

I suggest that you do not miss out on this celebration so, if you are a WeChat user, be sure to follow Lazada Philippines on WeChat (Official WeChat ID: Lazada_PH) and if you have not joined the WeChat community yet, now is the right time to create your account.

Ginza Bairin Philippines: New Dishes on the Menu

When tonkatsu craze hit Manila the past years, Ginza Bairin which first Philippines branch is located at Glorietta 2 in Makati City was one of the restaurants that offer what Manila food enthusiasts craved for. Since it opened last year, Ginza Bairin remained to be one of the Tonkatsu Restaurants with glairing positive reviews. Now with another branch located at UP Town Center, Ginza Bairin step up a notch higher on its league by introducing new items on their menu.

Weeks ago, I got to visit Ginza Bairin at Glorietta 2 with some friends to try some of these new additions. The fact that they are considered as the Home of The Number 1 Donburi in Japan plus the positive reviews I have read, I kind of have high expectation as to what we are going to feast on that afternoon.

Osaka Ohsho Megamall: The King of Gyoza Now Serving The World's No.1 Gyoza in the Philippines

Osaka Ohsho located at SM Megamall Mega Fashion Hall in Mandaluyong City is one of the newest international franchise restaurants that landed Manila which offers what they dub as "The World’s No. 1 Gyoza." Most of the food bloggers in Manila which I follow have already written their opinion about Osaka Ohsho, even Kris Aquino raved about the goodness of Osaka Ohsho on her T.V. program. I deem that most of them believed that indeed, Osaka Ohsho is the King of Gyoza. 

Osaka Ohsho’s humble beginnings can be traced back in Japan during the year 1969. Fast forward to 2014, Osaka Ohsho boasts of 300+ stores worldwide including the one here in the Philippines, all thanks to the same group that brought Wee Nam Kee here in our country. Its signature gyoza is the main highlight of Osaka Ohsho’s menu, the very same reason of its popularity.

Jollibee KIT KAT Mix-ins: Take a Break and Beat the Heat

Have you noticed the weather lately? I know. It seems like summer is upon us. Although it is usually perpetually cold where I live, stepping outside home these days could mean a struggle not to have a heat stroke.  Yeah, that is why I am writing about Jollibee KIT KAT Mix-ins right now. You see, this relatively new product of the number one local fast food chain in the Philippines is one of the cold desserts I have been digging lately.

One of the reasons why Jollibee KIT KAT Mix-ins sits well with me is the fact that well, it has Kit-Kat Chocolate, one of my favorite products by Nestle Philippines, in it. I love Kit Kat Chocolate, I love ice cream, therefore Jollibee KIT KAT Mix-ins is just perfect way to combat the heat while enjoying in the process.

As with any other Jollibee Mix-ins introduced by Jollibee, this new mix-ins variant has Jollibee creamy vanilla soft serve as its base. Thrown into the mix for a good measure is crushed Kit Kat Chocolate that lends palatable chocolaty flavor and pleasant texture to the entire deal.

Plan Party in Five Days Through WeChat

Are you one of those who loves to plan party? I am not talking about one-thousand-guests-big-event-kind-of-party though, I am referring to the usual chill out party amongst you and your friends. I do. I love cooking and having friends around to feast on the dishes I prepared. These small parties used to be my usual weekend fix especially when I was in college and early on my corporate world stint. I also love having staycation on some hotels with my friends and just have a good time over food and shared stories. Then I got busy and rarely got the liberty of time to plan parties again. So, for a time, I stopped creating these little parties because I cannot afford to deal with stress that party planning entails. But then there’s a comeback.

Enter WeChat.

Yes, the mobile app I have been talking about here on my blog for the past few weeks. WeChat and planning parties, what’s the connection you ask. Well, by the time that I am writing this I am cooking a party, a small gathering over food with my old time friends that will happen in five days. Yes, party planning in five days is now possible. With the help of WeChat.

WeChat: Of Storage and History Backup

I have this thing about storage devices. Because really, wouldn’t it be so much easier if we could stash and keep away our things for future usage? Like say for instance, food. I am a fan of those nifty storage containers we can by from the market. I love its usability and the fact that it helps me keep things and food in my pantry organize made me love it all the more. 

And this affinity for storage extends to most important things in life. I am a photographer, hence, heavy duty external hard drive is a must for safekeeping the photos I shoot for my clients. I am a blogger, so I appreciate online services that can back up datas from my blog. As for mobile conversation through chat, I am happy that WeChat has History Backup feature that enables user to save their conversations histories and restores them to any device for up to seven (7) days.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know for a fact that I am a WeChat user. I use it both for personal and business purposes. And I couldn’t stress enough how WeChat features help me in my line of work and day to day life. One of the features that I find indispensable is this History Backup.

Tex-Mex Food Feast at TGIFridays Philippines

It was only recently that I visited the newest TGIFridays Philippines’ branch located at Greenbelt 3 in Makati City to check the new look it is sporting. Weeks after that visit, I found myself at the same TGIFridays branch to try their take on Tex-Mex dishes. TGIFridays is one of the restaurants I have high respect for since the way they execute Western dishes, not to mention the impressive line of cocktail drinks, is well suited to my liking. Now that they are taking their game on a different level by giving highlight on Texas-Mexican dishes, I deem that my visit with few friends must happen. 

“The Taste of Texas. The Passion of Mexico.” Is the tag line that is suggestive of how seriously TGIFridays Philippines takes Tex-Mex dishes. It also holds the promise of what their patrons must expect should they opt to pay a visit and indulge themselves with the goodness of these two cultures merged into one by means of gastronomical feast.

Ube Cheesecake of Indulgence by Irene

By the time that I am writing this, a lot of my favorite food bloggers in Manila have raved about the Ube Cheesecake of Indulgence by Irene. Who could blame these food enthusiasts dubbing this awesome cheesecake as one of the best ube cheesecakes in Manila when in reality, it really is.  

This well-loved Ube Cheesecake is a product of Irene Co's collaboration with equally talented homebaker, Chona Ayson of Homemade Treasures known for delicious ensaymada. Chona is responsible for making the ube jam used for the cheesecake.

I could not count how many times have I raved to my friends how much I love Irene's Quezo de Bola Cheesecake. As a matter of fact, if heaven permits, I would have that for a wedding cake. I am not even kidding. Irene's ChocNut Cheesecake was also notably delightful especially for those who has an affinity for this peanut-chocolate bar of our childhood days. This Ube Cheesecake of Indulgence by Irene, is no exception to the fact that Irene Co bakes the best homemade cheesecakes in Manila.

WeChat 5.2 Upgrade with 6 New Features

For the past couple of days, I am developing this new morning ritual that revolves around coffee and WeChat. I was the big breakfast kind of girl but since I have been dealing with some recipe development and food photography projects lately, I have to make do with what my little time could accommodate. Ditching coffee is out of the question. Logging on to my WeChat account to communicate with some of my clients, all the more. So yeah, every morning, it’s just usually the three of us in my studio-slash-kitchen. 

Couple of days ago, upon logging on to my WeChat, I was prompted with a message from WeChat Team notifying me that the new WeChat 5.2 upgrade is now available. I tell you this, save for my Instagram account where I showcase most of my kitchen works, WeChat is one of my most used mobile app. Needless to say, I am excited with this new upgrade.

I could not stress enough how indispensable WeChat to me especially now that I am slowly trying to incorporate it in my works as a freelancer and as well as a blogger. Means of communication with clients, friends, and loved ones used to be within the confines of text messages, phone calls, and emails. Now that WeChat’s 5.2 upgrade for Android and iOS matches my drive and energy to get through the day with all my activities at hand, I am confident that communication while I am on the go will be so much easier, not to mention fun!

B&B Burgers and Brewskies at Burgos Circle, BGC

B&B Burgers and Brewskies is a gastro pub located at the Forbes Town Center, Burgos Circle area of the Fort in Bonifacio Global City wherein if you hear the phrase "Call the Nurse" you have the excuse not to resort into an immediate panic. Yes, because apparently, one of the carefully crafted burgers at this new addition to the best burger joints in Manila is called "Call the Nurse."

An epic burger variant that boasts of honey cured sriracha bacon and seared mac and cheese on top of a 1/3 lb 100% imported beef patty generously smothered with spiced mustard aioli and bnb cheese sauce, Call the Nurse is one of the many reasons why you must visit Burgers and Brewskies pronto.

Burgers and beers may sound like the usual combination most of us like but with numbers of joints offering the marriage of these two, how else can you elevate such a treat? Judging by the recent experience I had at Burgers and Brewskies, it seems to me that despite being a new player in the field, they have already mastered this league.

Love in the Time of WeChat

We are through with the love month couple of days ago and here I am still talking about Love. But really who could blame me when everything else around speaks of the wondrous things about Love? Especially in this day and age of technology when communicating with our loved ones is made easier. Just like the services that WeChat offers to its users. 

While I am a firm believer of the fact that technological advances like WeChat are not meant to replace human communication but to merely enhance it, I am aware of the advantages it brought to us. 

Through this world’s most searched social mobile application, people can communicate to each other even if one is at the far side of the world while the other is at the other.

Undoubtedly, this notable feature of technology is being relied upon especially those who are in a relationship and wants to be constantly connected with their significant others while doing their respective responsibilities in life. One good example is WeChat endorsers and real life newly married couple, Iya Villania and Drew Arellano.