Cafe 1771

Last Saturday, despite the heavy metro traffic, my friends and I had our annual Christmas dinner at Cafe 1771 in El Pueblo, Ortigas.  And here are the scrumptious treats:

Veggie lasagna

mushroom soup

We received the complimentary soup because the pizza we ordered took so long.  But I must say, the pizza's worth the wait.

Holy Cow pizza. So good, you'd say "holy cow!!!"

Though some items in their menu are quite pricey, the servings are actually good for sharing.  So invite your friends and have a really posh bonding over at Cafe 1771.
click here for the menu


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Xtremely Xpresso

Xtremely Xpresso ka ba?

Bakit?!

Di kita makalimutan eh (wahahaha!)

Last Summer, we went to Zambales and had lunch at Subic on our way back to Manila.  Now, I'd like to go back to Subic to have a taste of Xtremely Xpresso:

L-R: Vegetable lasagna, Giant pizza, meatballs spaghetti and Cafe Mocha

The Veggie Lasagna is the best I've tasted so far, with generous servings of cheese and eggplants. Perfect for vegetarians and health buffs.

Meatball Spaghetti, the Italian blend, not the sweet children's party type, really yum-yum.

Pizza Margherita Xtreme - 22-inch pizza for only about Php700.  Here's a big slice for everyone.

XX Mocha - one of the most smoothly-blended and affordable cafe mochas I've tried so far.

For your next road trip up north, consider making a quick pitstop to Subic for an Xtremely Xpresso experience.

SUBIC BRANCH (MAIN)
#1 Dewey Avenue cor. Sta Rita Street, SBFZ
Open Daily from 6 A.M till 12 M.N.
click here for the menu

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Sweet Treats

Last Sunday, we shared our booth with Gooeyfudge.  Here are the sweet treats from them that everyone will surely love.

Christmas chocolate balls

more chocolates! :)

perfect as Christmas giveaway

healthy and yummy carrot bars

Angry birds cupcakes. Soo cute!

For more information, visit Gooeyfudge's website http://gooeyfudge.multiply.com 

For orders, you may reach them thru these numbers: (0922) 888-5223, (0916) 356-5135, (0923) 5962581 or 435-9400 or email: gooeyfudge@ymail.com.

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Happy Holidays Bazaar @ Valle Verde5

Up for an early Christmas shopping?  Catch Sublime and Bits of Beads at the Happy Holidays Bazaar @ Valle Verde5 this November 26 and 27 at the Valle Verde5 covered court.  Booths open at 9am.  See you all there!

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BAZAAR FOR ALL SEASONS YEAR 3: CHRISTMAS WISHES BAZAAR

Please visit our booth at the Bazaar for All Seasons3: Christmas Wishes Bazaar this November 18-19 at the UP Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman.  See the latest collection of Sublime, the hip clothing line of GALZ, and fab accessories at affordable prices from Bits of Beads.

see yah all there!

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Rock for Humanity Halloween Bazaar

A Halloween treat for kids and kids-at-heart, Rock for Humanity travelling community bazaar hits UP Village this October 30, Sunday.  Be amused in the Halloween Costume Contest and mini fashion show, trick or treat and surprise numbers from the kids of the beneficiary Claret Mission Center.

Also, don't miss the booth of Bits of Beads and Sublime and you might find chic items to suit your style and budget.  See you all there! :)

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Binondo Girl

Last weekend,  my GALZ business partners and I went to Divisoria in Binondo, the bargain shopping mecca of Manila.  Aside from fashionable finds,we also checked authentic Chinese diners in the Ongpin area.

Our incessant walking led us to Maki Place along Salazar street.  It's not really a posh diner, but we're so surprised to have found a hole in the wall eatery in the side streets of Binondo.

Here are the pics of our food trip in Binondo:

complimentary tea is soothing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

kiampong and regular siomai (yes, regular. i can't imaging how big the other siomais are)

dumpling mami. P90 only, good for 2 pax, with 6 dumplings. yum yum

yangchow fried rice

goyong aka pork embutido. yummy!

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Vigan in my mind

Our Vigan trip was cancelled. It was so much awaited but we had to postpone it because of a strong typhoon (signal number 4) and the center was the Ilocos region and Cagayan.  How sad.  It took us more than a month of preparation: booking with our travel agent,  filing our vacation leaves, finishing our deliverables ahead of deadline, shopping and packing our bags.

But just like attracting what you really want the most, an Ilocano diner recently opened near our office.  Wow! Authentic Ilocos empanada and bagnet just a few steps from where I am working.  Here goes my food trip at Empanada nation:

Bagnet meal: Fried rice, bagnet strips, itlog na pula and KBL kamatis (tomatoes), bagoong (fish paste), lasuna (onion) for only Php100

 

Vegan empanada: veggies and egg for only Php50

would you like to try puqui-puqui (eggplant) and adobong utong (string beans)?

Empanada Nation is located along Sgt. Esguerra Ave in Quezon City, just a few steps from the GMA Kamuning MRT station.

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sweet tarts

Anyone here Tagaytay-bound? I'm craving for blueberry tarts!

Rowena's Blueberry tarts: a box of six for only P120

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Shop for a Cause

Here's the first benefit vintage bazaar I am organizing. See the details here. :)

poster number1 for the first wave

poster number 2

Wee! I'm so excited.  This is the first wave of our fund-raising activities for our beneficiary Baby Yzrael Benedict. Also, I really pray that he'll get ok soon.  Looking forward to seeing him grow up a healthy kid.

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to iPad or not to iPad

I had to delay my enrollment until the next term due to unforeseen schedule conflicts. *sigh*  So to make up for the depression (well, not quite), I thought of getting myself a gadget I so covet. But I don't want to do it on impulse so I listed down the pros and cons.

photo courtesy: http://store.apple.com/ph/browse/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad

 Reasons to get an iPad:

- lightweight gadget perfect for my presentations

- can be my catalog for Bits of Beads that I can always bring along

- bigger screen for movies (compared to my iPod touch)

- my iPod's battery is not working properly anymore

- can be my organizer for 2012 (and the years to come)

- games and apps galore

What holds me back:

- I just bought a netbook early this year (her name's Blushie)

- I can do more with Blushie (edit slideshows, watch movies and games)

- I've got so many books to read (more productive than spending time playing games)

-  mac upgrades every six months

- I already have my trusty iPod touch

- I can use the money for something else, say, investments or start-up capital for my business.

What are your thoughts? Should I, or not get an iPad?

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Quest for the Best (mami)

I am on a perpetual quest for the best mami to satisfy my taste buds.  And this search led me to one major contenders for the title.

Along Timog Ave., just a few minutes from where I work, is a quaint Chinese diner named San-seh Hand-pulled Noodles.  The name itself stirred my interest as a lover of noodles and pasta.

The location is quite intimidating, being at the hub of posh restaurants in the Tomas Morato-Timog district.  But it is a surprise to find out that the food is quite cheap, considering the generous serving.

My friend and I had Beef Wanton noodles, split into two big bowls for only P150.  It's heaven, I swear!  The sweet and salty taste of the mami is just the right mix.  Dumplings cost around P50, and 3 siopaos for only P55.  There are also rice toppings, the best seller is a big bowl of rice topped with Chinese adobo for only P120.

Beef Wanton mami

Chinese adobo rice toppings

The interior of the resto is quite simple, similar to Binondo mami houses.  So if you want to experience a Chinese gastronomic treat that's affordable, San-seh is the place for you.

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More than a Hundred Wonders

Hundred Islands and Lingayen Heritage Tour

I seldom blog about the places I go to, but this time I feel this certain urge to do so.

Last July, I was made to experience a breathtaking beauty that is Pangasinan.  Pre-conference, I arranged a Hundred Islands day tour for my friends in SFC.  

From Cubao, we took a Victory Liner bus heading to Alaminos, Pangasinan.  Tickets cost around P380 each.  We got off the Alaminos terminal and took a tricycle (P50 for 3pax) going to Lucap port where we hired a medium-sized boat good for 10pax.  Upon reaching the port, guests must register in the Tourism office, pay the P20 entrance fee and the staff will helpfully arrange boat transfers for you.  For day tour, a boat costs about P1.5K and that will take you to all the islands in the vicinity.

The Hundred Islands is truly interesting with the caves, rock formations and white sand pocket beaches.  We ate our brunch at one of the big islands: Quezon Island. We had sinigang na bangus and inihaw na tilapia freshly cooked for us.  It was quite pricey, though. We paid P200 for a medium-sized bangus.

From Alaminos, it took us around 2hours van ride to reach Dagupan where our conference took place. Our chapter stayed at the Value Star Inn along AB Fernandez Ave.  We paid about P600/pax for a quadruple sharing room for two nights stay.  The hotel's in the downtown district of Dagupan, a 10 minute ride away from CSI Stadia.

After the conference, we availed of the Lingayen Heritage tour offered by the Pangasinan Tourism Board.  Each of us paid only P150 for the half-day tour that made us see the freshly-renovated Pangasinan Provincial Capitol Bldg., world-class Sison Auditorium, the FVR Museum and the Lingayen beach front.  Plus, as a bonus, we even got to take the Dawel river cruise for free.  The relaxing river trip is similar to that of Loboc in Bohol, only sans buffet lunch.

There are still so many sights to see in Pangasinan.  Traveling from end to end will take around 13hours, just like going to and from Manila.  On my next visit, I'll surely go to Bolinao to see it's pristine beach and rock formations.  I just can't wait for the summer break to come!

Here are some helpful contacts and links for this trip:

www.100shores.com
+632.433.7532 , +632.928.2101   

Pangasinan Tourism Board

www.pangasinantourism.com

+6375.542.6853 

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Bohol adventures

The famous Chocolate Hills, stretch of Alona beach, Man-made forest, Tarsier, Loboc river cruise and Baclayon church

Since next year, Singles for Christ International Conference will be in Bohol, I decided to share some of my notes and memories when I went there two years ago.

From Manila, my friend and I took a plane to Cebu (that's where the SFC Icon was held last 2009).  After the conference, we took a Supercat fast craft to Tagbilaran, Bohol.

In Cebu, my chapter stayed at the Cebu Business Hotel in downtown district, a walking distance from the Basilica de Santo Niño.  We booked a room shared by 5 for two nights for only P300 per head. On my third day in Cebu, I transferred to Sugbutel Bed and Bath, a dormitory-type inn just across the Cebu Ferry Pier 5, the terminal for fast craft services Supercat and Weesam.  I can't recall how much I paid for a bed space for one night, but if you intend to stay there, be sure to bring your own beddings and towels otherwise you'll pay extra for those.

I reserved my Supercat tickets online (http://www.supercat.com.ph/) and claimed them at their SM Cebu branch a few days before my friend and I went to Bohol.

I also had a tour arranged a month before we went there.  My agent, Travel Treats is very efficient and easy to communicate with. We availed of the Countryside tour package, inclusive of resort accommodations for 3D/2N, and transfers for only about P4k per person. Some would prefer to arrange tours and to book in resorts on their own to save money but I say that seeking the help of a travel agency is all worth it:  hassle-free and stress-free.  And I also think we saved more than money.

There are so many sights to see in Bohol, aside from the famous Chocolate Hills.  I most enjoyed the Loboc River Cruise, not only because it comes with a buffet lunch, but because it's way relaxing.  The river is so calm and everything is serene.  Also, I was deeply touched by the Bilar Man-made Mahogany Forest.  It made me realize that someday, our tree-planting efforts may turn into something like this (though Haribon's so against planting Mahogany because it's a non-fruit-bearing tree). Oh well, it's simply majestic.

Let me share some of the important contacts I had for this trip:

Cebu Business Hotel
F & C Square, Colon Street Corner Junquera Street, Cebu City 

 +632.255.6010 

Sugbutel

http://sugbutel.com/OS.php

Don Alfredo D. Gothong Centre S. Osmena Blvd. cor. Road East North Reclamation Area Cebu City

+63.32.232.8888

+63.917.629.9961, +63.917.725.1447

Travel Treats

23 Graham Avenue, Tagbilaran City, Bohol

6338.501.8581, 501.8540, 412.2240
+63920.730.8935 +63927.573.2125, +63932.239.4555
travel_treats@yahoo.com

http://traveltreats.wordpress.com

I hope you enjoy your Bohol trip as much as I did.  :)

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