Chez Karine Macarons

Eversince that fated day when the last crumb of Laduree macaron disappeared, daughter and I have been craving for something similar. Luckily, I had to go somewhere in BGC so I made a mental note to visit Chez Karine.

RECIPE: Mestizang Kare Kare

You must be wondering about why its called--- Mestizang Kare-Kare, right?

Ingredients:

3-5 pcs lamb chops
1 medium puso ng saging (banana heart), sliced
1 big bunch of peachay
eggplant (optional)
sitaw (optional)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 sachets ground Happy Peanuts
1 tsp of peanut butter- I used Reese Creamy
flour or rice flour
1 tsp of bagoong
ground pepper
salt

Arriba Akiba!

As a first-timer in Akiba Cafe, I really don't know what to expect nor what to drink and what to order. Also, the cafe was celebrating its second year when we visited so it was really full of people availing of the P22 only on all drinks. Wow! Cool, right?

So I told my new foodie friend HOP to just order for me.

Laduree: Chic Macarons!

Laduree is a famous name when it comes to macarons. It is a luxury bakery that goes all the way back to 1862. However, it rose to fame in 1930 when the grandson of Louis-Ernest Laduree, Monsieur Pierre Desfointaines had the idea of sticking two macaron shells together with a ganache filling in the middle. And as they say, the rest is history. source: Laduree

My cousin who is based in France, arrived early this month and I told her I wanted some Laduree macarons. And aside from the "pasalubong," she even took photos of the shop. Merci!

Fridays Fridays

Celebrating Thursday night at TGI Fridays! It was a fun Thursday night since my group of mommymates was reunited with C who is now based in Cebu.

Ceasar Salad. Nothing unusual, still tasted the same. Yum!

Moshi Koshi

This ramen-place almost escaped me because it used to be located along Shaw Blvd. near Red Ribbon. We did plan to eat there but when we found the time to do so, the place was closed already. Sadness.

Fast-forward to several months after ... I had a lunch date with my mommymates in Robinsons Galleria. And since I don't really frequent the place, its such a shame to eat in restos that have branches in other parts of the town. So when Maya suggested this newly opened Japanese Ramen Place, I readily agreed with her. And serendipity strikes again. It's Moshi Koshi. :)

RECIPE: Lamb Chops Caldereta

Availed of the B1T1 Lamb Chops at Rustan's Fresh last night so we are in for a meaty week. (Sings--- Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb... Mary had a little lamb ..) Alas, today is a rainy Tuesday afternoon so grilling is definitely a no-no. Luckily, daughter loves caldereta so its Lamb Chops Caldereta Night for us.

NEW RESTO ALERT: Barley Gastropub

A great place to hangout after a tired day's work or simply to dine-in-style with your love one. This restaurant/bar is the latest on Sgt. Esguerra's food strip. It is located at the El Jardin Presidente Condo. It's not that hard to miss this place since its several steps away from El Jardin's gate.

Brownie Crunchies

Why oh why did you show yourself to me only now ???????????

Mr. Moo's Barn At Il Terrazo

I don't really have plans to go to Il Terrazo tonight but daughter texted me that there's a B1T1 lamb chops promo at Rustan's Fresh so I included a short side-trip there after having dinner somewhere nearby- which is about 2km away. I walked all the way to burn off unwanted calories--- hahaha.

Anyways, after buying the precious lamb chops, I was about to go home when I suddenly had this urge to check the new restaurants in Il Terrazo. And this is what I saw .....

Wan Chai Tea House

Me and my mommy-mates haven't been going out much lately because of our different skeds but when we do have time, we make it a point to bond over food and (sometimes) shopping. ;)

We were sked to go to a different restaurant today but because that resto doesn't serve dimsum, we opted to go to Wan Chai. I'm glad I told J and Ina to choose the resto this time since I wanted to taste something new. Actually, I've seen and passed by Wan Chai for so long that I think it is high time to visit it now--- and I'm glad I did. :)

Boses The Movie

A few nights ago, I and fellow writers attended the cinema preview of Boses, The Movie at The Podium Cinema 2 in Ortigas. The film which was completed in 2008 according to Direk Ellen Marfil and already made the rounds of film festivals all over the world. It was also shown in some schools here in the Philippines since then as it is being endorsed by the Department of Education.

The film tackles mainly on child abuse, and a bit part on bullying. These two issues, I must say are still very rampant in our society today.

Through the film, it was shown that music can be therapeutic not only for the child victims but the adults as well. It also shows where and how can an abuse be reported.

Throwback Thursday: AMGURLS and Rocio's Birthday

These are my mommy friends and our kids. I think this was in 2004 when Rocio celebrated her birthday in Jollibee Pioneer.

AMGURLS was the name coined by MayA for our mommy group. We all met in cyberspace, being members of a parenting group. That was in the early Y2K. The name of the group was sort of a pun because we don't usually meet when the sun is still shining but during evenings because most of them are working in offices. Get-togethers then were called EBs (eyeballs). There are 13 members in our group and some are absent in this gathering.

Merci Beaucoup

Been dreaming of these macarons for quite some time now and now I am eager to meet Laduree. Glad that a cousin is flying in from Paris and agreed to hand carry a box for me. Yey!

Photo taken at Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Starstruck With Coke Bolipata

I watched Boses, The Movie at the Podium earlier and aside from meeting Direk Ellen Ongkeko, we were also treated to a night of music from two of Casa San Miguel's prodigies- Julian Duque and Joseph; both of whom have a starring role in the indie film.

But I'm not going to talk about the film- yet. Let me just share how starstruck I am to meet Mr. Coke Bolipata of the famous Bolipata Brothers.

I grew up listening to classical music especially the violin since my father used to play it when he was alive so I enjoyed very much the small performance earlier. As for Mr. Coke Bolipata, we've met years ago. Or rather, I talked to him on the phone years ago to badger him about his curriculum vitae. I was working for Ms. Abaya of RPN 9 that time and was in the research department. I was in charge of pre-screening Artists for the show. Meeting him in person tonight brought back so many happy and wonderful memories of my first job, and my fondness of violin music.

Leaning Tower of Golden Spoon

Going to Golden Spoon Shangri-La Plaza branch is a current fave hangout place for me and daughter. I guess its the yummy yogurt ice-cream and friendliness of the staff that makes as want to go there even on rainy nights. And yes, they are the same staff since the place opened up years ago.

So anyways, after they renovated the Shanri-La Plaza branch, they also started offering new things such as the DIY cups which costs P199 - P399. And the fun part is that you can get as much ice cream (in all flavors if you like) as long as it can fit on your cup, then did I mention the sprinkles, and chocolate and caramel sauces? So anyways, we always get the smallest cup which is called the "cupful." It cost P199.

But this time around, we asked help from one of the staff. Sorry, I'm having a senior moment now and I can't seem to remember her name. However, she's the one with the cheerful face and friendliest smile. And she created a tall tower of ice cream for us--- yum! We only selected three flavors-- red velvet, cake batter and chocomint. From the rim, the ice cream was about 6 inches tall. Then daughter added tons of mallows and toffee underneath. So good but really, its hard to finish it all by ourselves (including hubby). Looking forward to more happy ice cream days (or rather nights) at Golden Spoon. :)

Bianca's Secret

There are really times when a woman feels insecure when it comes to personal hygiene and I think almost every female I know can relate to this insecurity especially when having the monthly visit or the "red" calendar days. Holiday? No, I'm not talking about holiday here when I mentioned "red" calendar days. I'm talking about when we, women, have our menstruation. Aside from having mood swings and the unexplained irritability and sensitivity, we also have this feeling of discomfort and insecure of our personal hygiene. And if its only possible to just stay at home and hide, we will do so.

And because Bianca is a woman like us, she is not spared of that also. I'm talking about Bianca Gonzalez here- the tv host, model, product endorser, among others.

 Shown in the photo with Bianca Gonzalez is Mr. Lito Ardeta of Mundipharma Phils.

Sweet--- TARTS

I am not overly fond of tarts but there's always some exception. And this one is a perfect example of that exception since it is really, really good. The tarts came from Cocina Centrale, Pampanga. Read blog entry about Cocina Centrale here.

Tomadachi At The East Wing

One of the reasons why I love Shangri-La Plaza over other malls is because it doesn't just offer shops, restaurants and cinemas but it immerses its mall-goers to Arts and Culture also.

Lovely masks and drums. These are used in Kabuki, or classical dance and drama theatre.

BOOK REVIEW: The Carrie Diaries

Because I've been too focused on koreanovelas lately that I've been neglecting my other passion- which is reading. Luckily, a friend gave my daughter a copy of The Carrie Diaries. But my maternal instinct warned me to read the book first just in case the story is full of teenager angst and some girl and boy thing that is not yet appropriate for pre-teeners. Glad that I read it and banned daughter from reading the book until maybe she is 16 years old. Hahaha

On the other hand, I did enjoy the book. I find it fun and compared to the Clash of Kings which I started reading last February and still haven't finished reading up to now. :P Also, I love Sex And The City Series so falling in-love with the younger Carrie Bradshaw is easy.

The story begins with the usual High School environment with the MEAN girls, the nerd, the love story, the love angle, etc. Although a bit cliche, I think the success of the book (and The Carrie Diaries Series) is mainly because teenagers can easily relate to the characters themselves. And there's redemption (for some of the characters) before the story ended. I can't say much for the TV Series because I haven't seen it. But looking forward to watching it with daughter in the near future.

Now I can't wait to read--- Summer and The City! :)

Fiesta Bahia

Another reason to celebrate --- this time at the SM Mall of Asia By the Bay.
Grand Opening on July 12, 2013.

A Fiesta !!!

It was a rainy Wednesday morning but the weather didn't dampen the fiesta mood at the Grand Opening of Binalot Harrison Plaza Branch. And according to our elders --- a rain is a blessing. :)

"

This fiesta-scene reminds me of Larry Alcala. And Binalot is exactly just like that- A Fiesta! It is a place of food, merriment, and camaraderie. A hodgepodge of all the good things that is akin to Filipinos.

Cocina Centrale: A Reunion

Last Saturday, I attended the launch of Cocina Central in Maquee Mall, Pampanga and was excited to reunite with Carlo's Kitchen. Yes, I'm a fan. In fact, I already blogged about them here. And like the last time, the crunchy belly didn't disappoint. Oh so good and sinfully delish! Hello cholesterol, let's be friends. ;)

EVENT: Kultura, Musika ... Saya

DOT Initiates Fun Activities in Intramuros: "Kultura ... Musika ... Saya!" Kicks-off at Maestranza

The Department of Tourism (DOT) will be holding various fun activities in Intramuros in line with its “It's More Fun in the Philippines" campaign through the Intramuros Redevelopment Project. As a project kick-off, a free admission concert night dubbed as the Kultura...Musika...Saya! featuring "Intramuros Rocks" will be held on 05 July 2013, Friday at the Maestranza Park, Intramuros, Manila.

I.T. Competition for Intelligent Trip-Planning by The DOTC

July 1, 2013

THE PHILIPPINE TRANSIT APP CHALLENGE:

I.T. COMPETITION FOR INTELLIGENT TRIP-PLANNING BY THE DOTC

Manila, Philippines – The launch of the first national transport application (app) development competition led by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) will be heldtomorrow, 2 July 2013, in partnership with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Cebu City Government.

In a move to maximize the conveniences made possible by modern technology in delivering its services to the people, the transport agency is opening its database on bus, train, and jeepney routes in Metro Manila, called the Philippine Transit Information Service (PTIS), to the public, via the Philippine Transit App Challenge.

The competition will be a three (3)-month long hack-at-home event – a new trend in the IT community which allows software developers to create apps at their own pace and on their own time, using the same datasets provided to them.  Based on the international experience, hack-at-home events lead to the development of a broad spectrum of apps, many of which were not previously conceived and which give end-users a wide range of products to utilize and enjoy.

“We are very excited about the Challenge and we expect it to bring out a lot of innovation from software developers.  The goal is to create all sorts of apps which will make commuting in Metro Manila much more convenient,” said DOTC spokesperson Migs Sagcal.

The PTIS database contains previously-unavailable data gathered from participating agencies such as the MMDA, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3), the Philippine National Railways (PNR), the Land Transportation Franchising & Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM).

It will contain two (2) kinds of datasets: regularly-updated geographic location and service information on bus, train, and jeepney routes in Metro Manila, as well as live traffic incident data streams in both Metro Manila and Cebu City.

This means that the commuters will now be able to easily check the various routes available to take from one point to another, including how many transfers each route will require, how much fare will be needed, and how much travel time will be involved.  This will allow the public to make better-informed decisions when they plan their trips, resulting in more convenience and efficiency, and a better passenger experience overall.

“The point is to empower the public with better decision-making abilities using our data.  This project stems from government’s effort to look at public service delivery from the viewpoint of the end-user, and to make commuting better for everyone,” Sagcal remarked.

The Philippine Transit App Challenge, which will be open to all interested app developers, will be launched at the Toyota Auditorium of the University of the Philippines’ Asia Learning Center in Diliman, Quezon City, on 2 July 2013 at 9:30am.  More details about the event are available on the competition’s official website, http://philippine-transit.hackathome.com/.

PROMO: Sugarhouse @ 30

Here's another Monday Treat and this time its from Sugarhouse. The cakes here are L-O-V-E. My family loves Choco Bliss, Concorde and Dulce de Leche. We also love the caramel candy.

It's not always that a cakeshop gets to celebrate 30 years and if it does, it only mean one thing-- the food in this place tastes superb.

Congratulations, Sugarhouse !!! Wishing you another 30 sweet years. :)

PROMO: Chili's P999

Another great food promo. :)

Visit Chili's FB Page here for details.

PROMO: Starbucks' Frappuccino Treat For Two

Time to mark your calendars --- July 8 & 9 for the Frappuccino Treat. Please read details below. :)

Visit Starbucks FB Page for details.

DOTC To Make Commuting In Metro Manila More Convenient

June 30, 2013

Manila, Philippines – An exhaustive, two (2)-year effort to gather and organize previously-unavailable data on buses, jeepneys, and trains in Metro Manila has been completed by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), now making it possible for commuters to plan their trips more efficiently and conveniently.

The initiative of building the Philippine Transit Information Service (PTIS) began in 2011, at a time when the Transport agency could not immediately provide certain essential information to commuters, such as the best route to take at a particular time, as well as the travel times involved. 

“The need to gather reliable data at that time in order to deliver convenient and efficient services to the public was immediately recognized and pursued,” explained DOTC spokesperson Migs Sagcal.

Pergola

I attended an event last week at The Pergola. It was my first time to visit the place.

EVENT: Corporate Giveaways 2013

Inviting everyone to the 26th Annual Buyer's Show on Business Gifts, Premiums, Promotional Ideas & Merchandise Incentives