Celebrate Chinese New Year at Solaire Resort & Casino and be mesmerized by the array of visual treats and sumptuous treats that they have in-store for guests. The Year of the Horse heralds an interesting year for all of us. It is believed that giving "Tikoy" during the Chinese New Year is an gesture that will result in auspicious blessings and harmonious relationship between family and friends. And because Solaire wanted it to be more special, they created a "Koi fish-shaped" Tikoy that is packed in elegant gift boxes that guests can give to family and friends. This popular Chinese New Year staple is available at the Red Lantern booth at the resort's ground level until 14 February 2014. For bulk orders, guests can call Solaire at 888-8888.

My Amgurls group happen to have a spur-of-the-moment dinner date last Saturday so I suggested Kettle at the East Wing of Shangri-La Plaza. Hubby, daughter and I passed by this resto several times last year but we always end up in another somewhere. This restaurant is barely six months old but people are already talking about it. It serves good old comfort food and that is the reason why people keep coming back, especially families or group of friends during weekends. They also have a no-reservation policy during weekends so it is advisable to go there early to secure a table.

We love midnight snacks but because there's also the effort to eat healthily, I opt to prepare this green salad last night from what's inside the fridge. Besides, Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day are just around the corner so we need to diet a bit. ;)

The Perfect Pair A couple of days ago, I and two other bloggers friends were invited by Le Cellier for a gourmet lunch at Aubergine Restaurant in BGC. I've been hearing a lot of great things about Aubergine Restaurant for years now but I still haven't found the time to visit until now, and I have to thank Le Cellier for that. Aubergine has been around for a decade and if you're familiar with BGC, you'll recall that there's just a handful of buildings in that area during that time. I believe that this is one of the few restaurants in BGC that witnessed the changing scene in the area.

This artisan pizzeria which is quite famous in Canada is now here in Manila and already has two branches since it opened in April 2013 along Tomas Morato in Quezon City and the second branch at U.P. Town Center along Katipunan Avenue which opened in October. For being a newbie here in the country, Steveston is doing quite pretty good and the U.P. Town Center branch was quite full when we visited recently. In a nutshell, Steveston Artisan Pizza originated from Richmond, Canada. Chef Nader Hatami who owns Steveston, created the $450 pizza, a very expensive pizza which is topped with a thermidor of lobster , black Alaskan cod , and a side of Russian osetra caviar . Nader Hatami's photo courtesy of - http://news.yahoo.com Classic Ceasar Salad. Chicken Wings. This is so good! The mango glaze is the winner here because you'll just craze for more. ;) Brewed Iced Tea. Daughter gives this a two thumbs up. She's the expert on brewed iced teas. The El

The Holiday Season may be over but for us- Filipinos, we always have an excuse to celebrate an occasion, to party, to organize a get-together just so we can prepare a special meal for our love ones. And because it is also in our culture to prepare good food, we are also particular when it comes to our recipes and ingredients. Thus, Bounty Fresh Chicken , a brand recognized and trusted by Filipino families as "Asia's best chicken" always comes to mind whenever we want a special chicken dish on our dining table. Coincidentally, Bounty Fresh Chicken brand stands for healthy, nutritious poultry products (fresh chicken, Chooks-to-Go , and processed meats) that respond to various styles of preparation. Another reason for choosing Bounty Fresh Chicken is because of its freshness and its juiciness, thanks to being carefully vacuum-sealed to prolong refrigerated shelf life.

Chef Samurai is the brainchild of Bambi and Michelle Meer whose kids happen to love Japanese food- that's why they came up with their very own Japanese restaurant. The location in Subic was their old Surf & Havaianas Shop which transferred to the nearby mall so they have this "free" space to work with. But they're not really neophytes when it comes to food business especially Bambi who is at the helm of Meat Plus Cafe, also located in Subic. The restaurant is just a few days shy of celebrating its first month but it has already attracted the attention of locals and tourists who both agreed that Chef Samurai doesn't only serve good Japanese food, but it is reasonably priced as well. *** Hope they open a branch here in Manila soon. :)

We were supposed to have lunch somewhere near Bolinao, Pangasinan but the restaurants along the highway were full of diners and we can't find a parking space so we ended up in Dagupan (still in Pangasinan). That's about 2hrs away from Bolinao so we were quite famished and the kids cranky also. Silverio's was just after the bridge and along the highway and we were puzzled when we arrived because we saw parked vehicles outside but can't spot diners inside. But the staff who greeted us led us to the al fresco part of the restaurant which is right beside the river- wow! So that's where the diners are.

We happen to visit Powerplant Mall after avoiding the place last December due to traffic and was surprised to discover that Eric Kayser was already open. Maison Kayser turned traditional bread into a work of art. He opened his first store in 1996 in Paris and has expanded to major cities around the globe including Hong Kong, Japan, and now in Manila. The store in Powerplant Mall is located beside Rustan's Marketplace. I would have passed it by if not for the big orange sign. That's when I saw the eclairs ! It was already passed 7pm when we saw the shop so most of the breads were sold out already. We were going to watch a movie so daughter chose the chocolate croissant (I think she got the dark chocolate one), and I got the dark chocolate cookie for hubby. The cookie was just okay but daughter was singing praised about the chocolate croissant. I had a tiny bite and it was good. The cookie and croissant costs P85 each. Salted Caramel Eclair . This is

My mommymates and I had several dinner dates at TGI Fridays (Robinsons Manila) already but what endears us to the place was the happy and sad times that we share here as friends. Our latest had a crazy mix of tear and laughter but not to worry because its not food related. As always, the food and service made us happy. Calamares . This is a nice pair for a chikahan-filled dinner.

I've noticed a Tinapayan Festival store somewhere along Stop-N-Shop in Sta Mesa but never really had the chance to buy because we just pass by that route early in the morning when I bring my daughter to school.

The day after Christmas, daughter had a lunch date with her Ninang Addy and I sort of tag along and even suggested where to eat- hehe. Actually, Addy and I were supposed to visit Mitre around June but our schedules doesn't seem to agree with our plans. So we ended up in Mitre last December 26. I've blogged about Ristorante delle Mitre here , here,   here,  here,  and here.  I guess we've eaten here so many times already because the food is just great, not to mention the company. Hubby and daughter also loves the food here especially the crispy pata . I lost track of how many times we ate here already but I'm pretty sure I will come back again.

Puerto Del Sol is one of the most picturesque resort that I've been to. This resort is located in Bolinao, Pangasinan . We happen to be here because Baguio was super crowded and Little Bear wants to go swimming. You can read about our Day 1 in Puerto Del Sol here  and Day 2 in Puerto Del Sol here .  We were quite famished when we arrive because we didn't eat lunch along the way thinking that Bolinao was just two hours away from Baguio. After freshening up which includes the kids jumping in the pool, we adults proceeded to the Al Fresco Restaurant of the resort. And I immediately fell in love with the charming water container. 

Last December 14-15, Treston International College held a bazaar inside the college campus for the benefit of typhoon Yolanda survivors. This two-day event highlighted the culinary school's aim to raise funds and showcase not only the student's culinary talents but their entrepreneurial spirit as well. The campus was packed with shoppers especially as it is just the beginning of the Holiday Season. And not only that, the items found in the bazaar are also worth the trip.

Bliss Cafe in Baguio City will serve its last order later today and bids us farewell. Although I've discovered it only in 2011, I've been visiting this cafe whenever we go to Baguio. Also, I didn't know then that it was owned by a friend. Bliss Cafe is one of the vegetarian restaurant and belongs to the must-visit-place-when-in-Baguio. The place looks very nice and relaxing also. The place is owned by a husband and wife team who also does yoga and meditation and it does reflect on the way they decorated the cafe. The vegetarian chicharon here is l-o-v-e. Read about Bliss Cafe here.

Who would've thought that after the month-long pigging-out last December that I'd still have space for another one just a few days after New Year's Day? But I have a very good excuse- my best buddy and foodie-mate from Cebu is here so there's reason for another celebration. Also, she was the one who told me about the Saturday lunch promo of 100 Revolving Restaurant for Citibank card holders which began last month. The restaurant is located along C5 in Eastwood. Thumbs up because I've already tried their Saturday Buffet Lunch at 100 Revolving during its first run last December and I love, love, love the buffet spread there especially the cochinillo. I also love the turkey and the roast beef. I love the salad greens, the pasta, the seafood. And the love the desserts. Okay, I love everything there. Take note: the buffet spread is not as extensive as the buffet spreads in most hotels and restaurant but the difference here is that you want to eat everything here b

I love unplanned trips because there's happiness in discovering not only a lot of interesting places but food and restaurant as well. Our first stop was in Baguio. We arrived there around 9pm of December 27 and was lucky enough to secure a table at O' Mai Khan along Session Road (near Narda's). The restaurant was quite full and a bit hard to go there because of the traffic. The kids had chicken barbeque . Didn't get to taste this though because I've had my fill of chicken already and I might grow wings anytime soon. But based on the kids happy faces, I guess the chicken barbeque rocks!

We had this for our media noche. It's very easy to prepare and a great alternative to the usual bolognese and carbonara pasta sauce.

Please bring us your sweet blessings and good cheer ...