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Here comes another set of winners! :) Thanks for the support and for joining my anniversary giveaways! Giveaway #3 is still on-going. :) Five winners will receive Php 400 worth of GCs from Akiba Cafe. Again, thanks to Kenn Ong of Akiba Cafe.  The GCs may be used at any Akiba Cafe branch (SM Megamall or Ash Creek, San Juan). And the winners are:

Our first day in Brunei started a bit late. It was Friday, a non-working day in Islamic countries. All establishments are expected to close from 12noon to 2pm. So before noon, some of us went out to buy food in the nearby mall (more about this in the future). At exactly 2pm, we went out for some sightseeing.  Yayasan SHHB Complex We were first dropped at one of the malls called Yayasan. You can find Hua Ho Department Store, grocery, a souvenir shop (near Jollibee), and other shops. What's nice about Yayasan is the spacious courtyard, where you can take pictures with the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque in the background.

Note: This establishment is already closed.  My lunch buddy and I have been eyeing Cafeteria Verde (or C Verde) for a long time but this little cafeteria is always full. We went lucky a few weeks ago to finally try what this place has to offer. Cafeteria Verde is beside Old Manila Coffee House at the Sports Loop of Robinson's Galleria. It is the vegetarian resto counterpart of Big Chill. Yes, the healthy smoothie bar.  To save a few bucks, we ordered 2 set meals for Php 99. Each set includes an appetizer and a 12oz Slush of the Day.  The slush of the Day: Mango Watermelon The slush of Day is Mango-Watermelon, an interesting combination, I must say.

Note: This giveaway has ended. Winners announced here . :) Giveaway #2 is ending tonight, but that doesn't mean we'll be stopping there. This time, it's Masatami Shave Ice! I will giving away 2 sets of Php 500 worth of GCs and 2 sets of Php 250 worth of GCs . Yes, 4 lucky winners for this giveaway, isn't that cool? :) I have first tried Masatami Shave Ice almost a year ago . I would indulge with my favorite, Swiss Cheese Flavored Shave Ice almost daily. Sadly, this particular branch closed a few months ago. I reunited with Masatami just recently when I visited their Robinson's Magnolia branch. I also got to try their other flavors. Swiss Cheese

I went to Brunei last week for a short vacation with a few relatives. Brunei is my first international trip (teehee!) so it was quite special to me (I finally got to use my passport. hehe).  When I told friends that I've booked a trip to Brunei, they would ask me, "why Brunei?", as we all know, this country isn't a popular tourist destination compared to its neighboring countries. But I tell you, visiting this country made me appreciate the culture this beautiful kingdom has to offer. Also, one of my aunts has been staying in Brunei for the last 20 years, hence, we had somebody to tour us around. :) Brunei Darussalam is a small country with a population of less than half a million. It is ruled by the "King", Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. This country's main religion is Islam, but there are few non-Islam churches in the country, as the Roman Catholic and Anglican.  Here are some of the things I knew about Brunei, which I think would be u

Note: This establishment is already closed.  I recently got the services of Twoanyone.com by Quickdelivery for lunch with my workmates. We want some cold drinks so we ordered from Mirinae Tea House (formerly Milky Way Tea). Unlike my previous transactions, this delivery came a little late. The delivery guy was quite apologetic and explained why he came late: the resto didn't fix our orders right away.  Delivery delay aside, I had no problem with the packaging. Our orders arrived in perfect condition.  My friends had milk tea: Dark Choco Mint Milk Tea (Php 110 for large) and Mint Milk Tea (Php 105 for large). Dark Choco Mint Milk Tea and Mint Milk Tea

I will be making this announcement really short.  Thanks for joining my 2nd Anniversary Giveaway #1! Special thanks to Manang's Chicken for the prize. :) The winner of Php 500 worth of Manang's Chicken GC is:

Akiba Cafe is celebrating its 2nd Anniversary on July 22, and as a way to celebrate, they'll be offering any  regular-sized drink to everyone for only Php 22! :) This offer will be available on July 22, 2013 only in both SM Megamall and Ash Creek Center branches. One drink per customer only, while supplies last.  PS. My Akiba Cafe giveaway is still on-going. Hope you'll join! :) ---------------------------------- Akiba Cafe Ash Creek Center,  Ortigas Avenue corner. Madison St.,  Greenhills, San Juan 2nd Floor Hallway, Mega A SM Megamall  http://www.theakibacafe.com Facebook Page: akibacafe Twitter: @akibacafeph

Note: This location is already closed.  Escriva Drive is a haven of Korean restaurants in Pasig City. I've visited one of the restaurants, Kimbap Cheonguk , a few months ago, and was planning to try the other restaurants in the area. My friends and I decided to revisit the area and try Jang Ga Nae. Jang Ga Nae was actually a few meters away from Kimbap Cheonguk, but it was easier to find.  inside Jang Ga Nae The place was quite full when we arrived, good thing there were 2 tables that were still vacant. The whole restaurant was more spacious than I expected.  While waiting for our orders, we indulged with the banchan!   Banchan Galore!!!

Mango Bravo by Conti's Mother dear celebrated her birthday last month, and as I always do, I bought her a birthday cake. Last year, I got her Grandma's Chocolate Cake from Purple Oven , this time it's Mango Bravo by Conti's. One of Conti's bestselling cakes, Mango Bravo is available in two sizes: Mini (Php 665) and Regular (Php 1195). Thinking about the amount of food that will be stored over the weekend, I bought the Mini.  Mango Bravo is a wafer-based cake with cream, topped with slices of ripe mangoes, with choco syrup and cashew nuts. Oh, this cake needs to be frozen, btw (super thanks to my friend Mike for taking me and my cake home safely. hehe.)

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  Tried the services of Twoanyone by Quick Delivery for lunch. This time, I ordered from Taza de Oro Food Garden. I've been reading positive reviews about this resto that I was excited to try their food.  I ordered via Quick Delivery's phone number (2121212), and my call was handled by Mariz, who was really pleasant and snappy that our phone conversation was completed within 3 minutes. I received an email confirmation of my order a few minutes later. Our food arrived less than an hour later. Our food was carefully wrapped in foil that when I opened each pack, I was surprised that each dish is really piping hot. I love it! We had Beef Hofan (Php 157.50 for small) and Golden Butter Chicken (Php 294 for medium) Beef Hofan Golden Butter Chicken

Note: This giveaway has ended. Winners are already announced here . :) Time for Giveaway #2!  This time, I'll be giving away Php 400 Akiba Cafe GCs to 5 lucky readers! :) Nutty Macadami Kohi and Peanut Butter Chiru This Japanese-themed cafe opened its first location in SM Megamall in 2011. They have recently opened their full-scale restaurant in Ash Creek Center, San Juan where they also serve all-day donburi and katsu donburi. :)

Took this photo while riding a habal-habal in Samal Island. Ahhh, the things I do for love.. :) On this exact day two years ago, the frustrated writer in me opened this blog as an avenue of thoughts and anything random. Slowly, this blog turned into where my real passion is: food and travel.  I'd first like to thank you guys for all the comments, tweets, likes, etc. Thank you for reading and assuring me that I'm making sense after all. haha.  The past year has truly been an adventure. I got addicted to travelling, having gone to Davao , Cebu , Iloilo , Guimaras , Bacolod and Puerto Princesa in a span of five months. I've tried exotic food, tried a giant slide straight to the sea, chased the last fastcraft trip (and realized that being a girl is quite an advantage), rode a habal-habal with no hesitations and many more.  Tarpaulin Slide at Maxima Aqua Fun , Samal Island   Bacon Shaomai at Harbour City Dimsum House , Cebu Crocodile Sisig in  Puert

Not long ago, I had a lunch meetup with one of the personal bloggers I follow, Senyor Iskwater . I admire his command in writing poems and thoughts in Filipino. I love his no-nonsense observations on just everything.  Bakahan at Manukan is from the owners of Barrio Fiesta, one of the pioneering Filipino restaurants in the country. The resto is quite spacious, with a special area for private gatherings. With a few touches of Filipino-inspired decors, my friend and I both agree that the place still seemed empty. Maybe more decors were needed.  

Note: This branch is already closed. What better way to celebrate a cold weekend than have a quiet evening with my foodie friends. We decided to try a cuisine I haven't tried before: Moroccan Cuisine, at one of the most popular restaurants in The Fort Strip: Kasbah. A popular restaurant in Boracay, Kasbah opened its Manila location last year. Kasbah looks quite interesting even from the outside. Too bad it was raining when I arrived so I wasn't able to get a good photo from the outside. The interiors even are more beautiful, it feels like Morocco brought here in Manila. Even the restrooms are impressive. 

I was invited by Bulgogi Brothers last week to try the new addition to their menu: the new barbecue specials. I'm personally partial with Korean Barbecue. I couldn't imagine having an authentic Korean meal without it.   Each of the tables in Bulgogi Brothers has an installed induction cooker at the center. The restaurant is well-ventilated, so no need to worry about smelling like grilled meat. :) My fellow foodies got there early so I got the tail-end of the banchan or appetizers. Banchan or appetizers Some of the banchan are anchovies, quail eggs, corn, kimchi and sweet potatoes.