Green Tea Leaves








A few weeks ago, a friend gave me two packs of green tea from Taiwan. thought that there's lots of tea bags inside the pack but to my surprise, it is full of dried pellet-like leaves that unfurls into whole leaves when you pour hot water. I love it!

And it smells so green-tea yummy also. :)

Japanese Kit Kats

Had an early morning breakfast conference with Maya and Cyd today- haha. Conference daw. Anyways, Maya just arrived from Japan and she gave us these yummy and kawaii kit kats. Arigato gosaimasu, Maya-san!

Green Tea Kit Kat. Think sweet green tea.


Ichigo Kit Kat. I don't normally like strawberries but this is okay. Nice color, too.


Cheesecake Kit Kat. That's the blue one at the back. My fave!




Herb-Cheese Baby Pancakes Daughter and I made this yummy pancakes. We added some cheese and herbs to the pancake mix. This is a refreshing twist to the usual pancake + maple syrup + butter.

Minty Goodness

A refreshing chocolate flavor by Cadbury. Got this beauty from Royal Subic and it costs $2.98. Forex was low when I bought it so happy, happy, happy.




The Dark Side

A recent trip to Royal Subic yielded not one but three interesting dark finds.




Sanrio-ish Kit Kats!


I guess that if you sell chocolate Kit Kats in Japan to tourist, it won't give you profit. But, if you make this Kit Kat special--- then its going to be a hit. I particularly like the sakura-matcha (cherry blossoms and green tea) Kit Kats.


These goodies were given by a very good friend who just landed from Japan. Domo Argiato!





Au Revoir!


A few weeks ago, it was announced that Haagen Dazs will bid the country goodbye. They will be closing its doors come September 2012. All Haagen Dazs items in the grocery will be sold for half the price or even less. Time to hoard ;)



Interesting Resto Find In Subic


Since most of the restos that we went to are either closed or unappealing, we chanced upon this goldmine after a few missed turns (n.b. be careful when driving in subic, you can get easily ticketed!).


Koko Buri. Actually, a friend recommended this resto but the one she ate it was in Angeles City and we crossed it off our list since it's a bit far from Subic. Luckily, we found a newly opened one just a block away from Puregold Duty Free. Yey !!!


Calamares. Beer battered and double-fried to perfection. And it's so cheap too. Costs only P150 for a hefty serving. The dip wasn't that exceptional though. Two thumbs up!


Soy Chicken. This is the one-piece soy chicken. Hmmmm, looks Bon-Chon-ish! But that's where the similarity ends. The one from Koko Buri was flavorful in and out. And super crispy too. Yum yum. Single chicken order with rice plus salad (shredded red and green cabbage and honey-mustard dressing in vinegar if I'm not mistaken) only costs P120.00!!! Two pieces chicken meal costs P185. Wow wow wow. Two thumbs up.
Hopefully, we can go back there again soon. Curious to try the pizza, pasta and salad, and other stuff on the menu.
Oh, and by the way. I ordered soy chicken but was instead given spicy chicken so my friends offered to just exchange it for theirs since they know that I don't like spicy food. Then after several minutes. The waiter went back to our table with a plate of complimentary soy chicken from the Chef saying that the Chef misunderstood my order. Big thank you, Mr. Chef. Our dining experience was made truly memorable with your service-orience gesture. I believe that what you did was a rarity nowadays in most restaurants. We are happy campers indeed. :)



Avocado Ice Cream







My second attempt at ice cream/ gelato-making. Instead of milk, i used soya-milk. Daughter says it tastes like the avocado donut of J.Co. WOW!!! Mommy's super flattered :D

Jam-packed!

My first attempt at jam-making! I grew up in a household where my mother and aunts made jams and marmalades and other goodies. And it took me decades to gather up my courage and delve into jam-making.



Cafe Mary Grace


It's my first time to have breakfast at Cafe Mary Grace and the food didn't disappoint. Also, I love the table decors and the comfy chairs. So relaxing!






Had two servings of these yummiest cheese roll. Its so light and airy with just the right amount of condense milk to tickle the palate, making you crave for more and more. Hahaha. Diet goes down the drain!



Basil Omelette. Its good but I've tasted other memorable omelette.
For Pizza Lover's


I love the not-so-thin but just-right-thin crust of Uncle Cheffy's Salmon Pizza. Also, it has a generous amount of cheese and served with salad- alfalfa sprouts and tomatoes.





Regular size costs P220. Not bad!
The pizza can be rolled also- think "Dear Darla" of Yellowcab.




I can't remember the name of the past but it tastes good!


Bonchon Is L-O-V-E


Calamares. So crispy! and the squid- tender. It lack freshness, though (of course, it's not from Dampa!). But then, will definitely order this again. :)


Fish and Chips. This used to be Fish Box and has 4 long and fat fish fingers. Now, it's just 3 slim-fingers and chips (fries). But still yummy! I'm just complaining. Lol


Kimchi Coleslaw. Spicy coleslaw. Perfect for fish, chicken, squid or pork. I always order this even if I find it too spicy.
Happy Lunch!

We were so happy with our Ristorante delle Mitre experience yesterday that we couldn't resist not going back today to sample the lunch menu. It was stressful though when it comes to ordering because of the extensive menu- hahaha. And speaking of menu, it needs a separate entry. You'll find out why! ;)

Crispy Pata. You need to eat this as soon as it lands on your table so that you'll enjoy the crispy skin. What's crispy pata without crispy skin, right? It was flavorful enough that I didn't bother with the dipping sauce (toyo-vinegar). And for the price of P288 + 12% tax, it's more than worth it. There's a larger piece that costs around P350+.




Lechon Paksiw. Sadness. Too sweet with nary a hint of sourness and lechon sauce. I won't be ordering this again. I'd stick to home-cooked lechon paksiw from now on.




Laing. Even if it's not spicy, this is a great pair for the crispy pata. Costs around P150+ for this huge serving. Really huge serving!




Pasta Bolognese. If you're craving for good old-fashioned spaghetti (think childhood memories), then this is it. Sauce is bursting with flavor and the noodles al dente. Two thumbs up.




Halo-Halo Special. I'm not sure if someone can finish this order alone because I know I can't. Luckily, there's three of us to share this wonderfully delicious halo-halo. Also, the ube ice-cream was not that sweet (so there's no umay factor) and it was homemade, too. I didn't check the price though.




Unexpectedly Sumptuous Discovery

Unexpectedly Sumptuous


RANT: We were a bit disappointed because we planned to have breakfast at Illustrado restaurant (it's 8am already) and we were told by the very accommodating security guard (2 thumbs up) that the waiter is not around yet. After a few minutes, he (security guard) gave us the menu. After a few minutes again, a grouchy-looking cook went inside the restaurant- maybe to get our orders. No way! No no no. A bad-tempered person even if he/she is a great chef (imho) must not cook simply because the taste of the food will be affected. So we left Illustrado with much disappointment.

Our next stop would've been Barbara's or Casa Blanco (or Blanca?) but I guess everyone is still asleep. So when we walked back to San Agustin Church where we parked, we espied Mitre. We were a bit hesitant least it was still closed but someone opened the door and let us in. There were already two tables occupied so I guess they serve breakfast. Yey!

Bangus Belly. Very tender and flavorful. I didn't even know that it tastes good with mashed potato. Yumminess! Costs P218 + 12% tax. Not bad.




Beef Salpicao. Tender beef. However, the salpicao itself lacks flavor. What could it be? Garlic. They forgot to add some garlic or garlic chips. Too bad! But then again, I love salpicao so I might order this again in the not so distant future. Costs P108 + 12%. This meal includes a glass of orange juice as well (powdered orange juice though).




Blueberry Cheesecake. Divine! Didn't scrimp on ingredients and no gelatin extenders. Two thumbs up. P78 + 12% tax.




Canonigo. It's like brazo de mercedes (egg-white) except that this one is covered with almond slivers. Wow! Tastes good, too. Around P55 + 12% tax.




Mocha Capuccino Cake. No need to order coffee if you order this. And quite a huge slice also. It's delish but the taste of coffee is too overpowering for me. Costs P88 + 12% tax.




We're definitely going back here and try the extensive menu on the list. Happy eating!

Breakfast Goodness At Buon Giorno

A spur-of-the-moment early morning trip to Tagaytay brought C and me to Firelake Area and we remembered Buon Giorno. Luckily, it was open for breakfast when we arrived because the other restos around the area were still closed. We weren't able to secure the daybed spot so we chose a table facing Taal Lake- breakfast al fresco!



Banoffee Gelato

I love ice-cream and I love gelato. So what's the difference since they both look the same. From what I've found out, ice-cream has more cream and gelato has more milk in it.




This is a homemade banoffee gelato. Yum!