dekaphobe.com | Food, Travel, and Lifestyle Blog

I met up with one of my closest friends since high school. We agreed to meet up in the Tomas Morato area. Since I wasn't familiar with the area, I was excited to do a food trip in the area. After walking for quite a long time, this particular restaurant caught my attention: 1970 Grill , which I initially thought was an ordinary cafe. But it was a Korean yakiniku restaurant. :) I haven't really been to a Korean restaurant ( Sambokojin is considered Japanese-Korean). I was quite uncertain about the food since I have a low tolerance for spicy food. Anyhoo, I have to give this a try.  inside 1970 Grill

I was really craving for a breakfast meal that I had to drag my friend to one of the places I haven't visited for years, Cafe Mary Grace. I received a cake from Mary Grace for my birthday last year, that I made a mental note to visit Cafe Mary Grace soon. Cafe Mary Grace looks like a home library cum coffee shop. It was a bit full that we were seated at the alfresco area, which I didn't mind as I was really looking forward to having a breakfast meal, and cheesecake. What do I love more than food? The quotable quotes!

As a post-Valentine treat to all its loyal subscribers, Globe Telecom gives its prepaid and TM customers free access to Facebook via their mobile phones until March 14, 2012.     Through m.facebook , the mobile version of www.facebook.com , Globe Prepaid and TM subscribers can browse Facebook on their handsets and easily post status and comments, add friends, upload and tag photos, and edit privacy settings wherever they are, without the need to log on to their laptops or PCs.     Globe subscribers using any internet capable phone* can enjoy unlimited access to the world’s most favorite social networking site. With this exciting promo, everything will be a breeze for Facebook fanatics: post a status while braving the traffic, make a hilarious comment on a friend’s status, take a photo of that yummy dessert and then upload and tag your best buddy to get her envious, or change account settings to make sure profile is kept private. Capture all th...

Note: This location is already closed.  I've included The Sandwich Guy at my post about my favorite quick eats , and recently, I'm really getting obsessed with The Sandwich Guy! I spend an hour traveling from our house to the office and though I eat breakfast at home, I'm usually hungry by the time I reach the office so I grab something for a quick breakfast (part 2) and I usually buy at The Sandwich Guy. The Sandwich Guy uses patented hexagon whole wheat bread, fresh and organic ingredients for their sandwiches. They also serve pasta, baked potatoes, and salads.

I was tagged by my fellow blogger Vallarfax to do this curious tag game. I've read it in other blogs and I'm glad Vallarfax tagged me. Thank you! :D Dear readers, feel free to answer any of my questions by commenting below. :) So here are the rules for the game: - Post these rules - Post 11 random things about yourself - Answer the question that the tagger set for you in their post - Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer - Go to their blog and tell them they've been tagged

Much as I hate to admit, I've only been to Pancake House recently, and it was even unintentional. My friend and I were looking for a resto where we could eat lunch, but we weren't much in the mood for an adventure and so we settled to what we know and we love best: all-day breakfast! And boy, I was really craving for all-day breakfast for quite a while. Pancake House always has this orange theme and an old diner feel, think Johnny Rockets without the dancing crew and a more yellowish hue.

Note: This location is already closed.  Let me share with you another voucher success story: Bugsy's Bar and Bistro. Bugsy's Bar and Bistro is a neighborhood bar and bistro offering American comfort food and delectable drinks at affordable prices. Bugsy's is one of the restaurants I've been eyeing for quite a while that when I saw the Groupon deal, I bought vouchers right away. The deal may be claimed from 11:00AM to 5:00PM, which was perfect for lunch. The ambiance of the place looks like a classy home, with mostly dark wood interiors and a long red couch for a more comfortable dining experience.

I was invited to attend Globe Telecom's Free Mobile FB launch with the Philippine Volcanoes at Izakaya Sake Bar, Greenbelt 2, Makati City. The Philippine Rugby Union, better known as the 'Volcanoes', are Globe's Ambassadors for Bill Shock.    The event was attended by more than 25 media people and women bloggers. Since there are 7 guys from the Philippine Volcanoes, the session was divided into batches and we were given 2 minutes per guy to strike a conversation and take a picture using the camera phones provided by Globe.

PEx food club recently had dinner at Poco Deli, located at one of the newest food spots in the metro, Bgy. Kapitolyo in Pasig City. Poco Deli is a small delicatessen serving traditional German sausage and other deli meats. They also serve wine and other dishes and desserts. The place is quite homey, with a simple display of racks of wine and shelves of imported beers. Instead of the usual cushioned seats, they have wooden benches for a more laid-back feel. The lights are tinted with yellow (thus all the pictures are yellowish).

Note: This location is already closed.  I was recently invited by Seattle's Best Coffee for an afternoon delight with fellow bloggers. It was a good opportunity to try Seattle's since I was planning to do a coffee -and-cheesecake thing there (I'm quite addicted to cheesecake recently). Little did I know that I would be up for a challenge: Milk Tea! If you've been reading this blog, you'll notice that I don't have posts about milk tea. It is because for some reasons, I don't like milk tea. There's this taste that I just don't like. I don't like pearls too that even my taho doesn't have sago on it.

I finally have a domain: dekaphobe.com Teehee! It's a lot easier to remember (and faster to type too!) Thanks to Sumi for the tip. =)

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  I was again invited by OpenRice to try one of the newest hang-outs in Ortigas: Citizen Pub and Burger Bar , located at the City Golf Complex. Citizen Pub and Burger Bar is a three-level restaurant that opened less than a year ago. It serves mostly American comfort food like pizza, grilled meat, sausages and offers imported beers and other booze, but what Citizen Pub takes pride in their Classic and Flavored Burgers.

"Me time" means coffee and cheesecake for me recently. As I've already tried Secret Recipe , I tried Coffee Bean this time. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf started almost a decade before Starbucks. If Starbucks is from Seattle, Coffee Bean is from California. There are several Coffee Bean branches around and outside the Metro, however, there is still have so much expansion to do to be at par with Starbucks. (My apologies if I have to compare it with Starbucks). I think this is more of a tea shop than a coffee shop, and I'm not really into tea (including milk tea). I ordered a large Hot Cafe Latte (Php 135) and a slice of Triple Decker Cheesecake (Php 135). Cafe Latte Triple Decker Cheesecake For the unfamiliar with those coffee terms, a cafe latte is an espresso added with milk. I found the coffee mild, but maybe I'm just used to strong coffee. The Triple Decker Cheesecake are layers of coffee, oreo, and Chicago cheesecake on an almo...

It's my most favorite brother's birth month! (Before you react violently: I only have ONE brother). My brother is so obsessed with Transformers, so I took photos of his robots last weekend. He owns more than enough toys (cars, trains, robots, he have it), but these robots are the only photo-friendly ones. I can't remember the names of the Transformers. I could only remember Bumblebee so forgive me if I can't label them. Advanced Happy Birthday Little Bro!

I did some book-hoarding lately from Fully-Booked , Powerbooks and Bookay-Ukay Pilipinas. And so I solved my life-long problem: not having any book to read. I also received books last Christmas , and that makes me a very, very, happy girl. ;) I'm a voracious reader. My love for reading started when I was in Grade 2, when I was offered to buy an atlas (so I forced my mom to buy it for me, I still have that book with me). This year, I'm trying to read as many books as I can . For January, I read 4 books. Let me share with you some insights about these books: 1. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella - The second book in the Shopaholic series, Becky Bloomwood was asked by her boyfriend, Luke, to accompany him to New York. Leaving behind a flourishing career giving financial advice on TV and accumulating more debts from buying more TV outfits, how will Becky tell Luke of her situation and how will she pay her bills? - I was getting annoyed on how Becky buys clothes a...

Note: This restaurant is already closed. As I've mentioned last time I visited Secret Recipe , I'll go back to try the dessert, and so I did to have some 'me-time' and destress a bit.  Secret Recipe is an international lifestyle cafe chain with branches in Bangkok, Melbourne, Brunei, Shanghai, and many more. I ordered their best sellers: a slice of Marble Cheese (Php 150) and Flat White (Php 80). Marble Cheese Marble Cheesecake is plain cheesecake with chocolate swirls on top. This cake is quite simple (well, the slice is a bit small), but I love the uber-cheesy taste. I just don't think a slice is enough for me.  Flat White I also got their must-try coffee: the Flat White, which is an Americano with milk. Nothing special with their coffee, but I liked how it was presented. It goes well with the cheesecake too.  I'm a certified dessert addict, and I'd definitely go back and try their other eleven cheesecake...

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  My fellow bloggers and I were invited by OpenRice to try this new Filipino restaurant at The Podium called Sa Kanto (emphasis on the 'Sa'). From the people behind Il Ponticello, Sa Kanto specializes in Filipino dishes with a twist. The interiors of the restaurant remind me of Old Manila that it made me forget that I'm was in the middle of a business district. The decorations are very simple, and the lighting creates a comfortable ambiance. Sa Kanto also has an upstairs area for a much intimate dining experience. Salads Ensaladang Ampalaya We were served Ensaladang Ampalaya (Php 145), a mix of ampalaya, tomatoes, and onion. We were told that it wasn't bitter, but didn't take the challenge: I don't eat ampalaya, sorry. :( Starters Gambas Chorizo We were also served Gambas Chorizo (Php 330) as a starter. The dish has sauteed tiger prawns, Spanish chorizo, chili, and garlic. The...

Note: This branch is already closed. A good friend introduced me to Slammer Burgers (or Slammers) back in college. During that time, their Galleria branch was just a stall in the middle of the Sports Loop and now they have their own space.  Slammers has become one of my go-to places whenever I'm craving for a burger. What makes Slammers special are the mini burgers and Belgian fries. Unlike the usual burger restaurants, they serve cute but delicious 3-inch burgers. And if you're a fries junkie like me (still not doing my 2012 goal: avoid fries), Slammers has quite a variety: Belgian fries, crisscut fries, potato wedges and mash potato crispers. Slammer Burgers Menu I would always order Slam Meals. Slam Meals come with fries, dip, and iced tea (just add Php 10 to upgrade to soft drink in a can). I ordered Slam Meal 3: 2 pcs Bacon Mushroom Melt (Php 165) while my friends ordered Slam Meal 2: 2 pcs Cheeseburger (Php 155) and a medium Belgian fries ...