dekaphobe.com | Food, Travel, and Lifestyle Blog

Note: Giveaway has ended. Winner has been announced.  We continue this blog's 3rd anniversary celebration with a lovely giveaway from Osaka Ohsho ! I'm so addicted to their Gyozas: Original, Cheese and Nori! My ultimate favorite is Cheese though. :) What I love most about Osaka Ohsho are their meal sets, some of which can be good for sharing, like the Fuwatoro Sets. Fuwatoro Tenshin Han is their bestselling dish of Koshihikari rice topped with a fluffy, fluffy omelette and gravy.  Another dish you shouldnt's miss the Black Vinegar Chicken, their sweet and sour tribute to chicken.  and the GIVEAWAY! 

Hong Kong is out to see how good Filipinos are at getting a vacation We all need time off from work, but to Ask the Boss for a leave is never that easy. If cinching that vacation time is top priority, filling out a leave form and crossing your fingers probably won’t cut it. So how are you going to convince the office tyrant to let you enjoy a few days of indulgence, renewal, summer fun or urban escapes? That’s exactly what the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) wants to find out. Their Discover Hong Kong campaign is throwing in actual vacations (we’re talking about 4-day-3-night packages, airfare and amazing activities) at “Asia’s World City”, and all you need to do is to Ask the Boss .  The Boss can be contacted at Discover Hong Kong’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/DiscoverHongKong .

I was invited by Zomato to grace the grand launch of Croque Cafe + Bakery , located along Pasay Road, Makati City.  Owned by young chefs, Chef Paco Lao and Chef Alexa Alaba, Croque started serving comfort food alongside bread, desserts, coffee, and wine last March 2014. 

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  On our way to Subic, I had a sudden craving for Korean food. Luckily, a few blocks away from our hotel, we found Geo Gu Jang Korean Japanese Restaurant .  Located on the second floor, Geo Gu Jang is a very spacious yet simple restaurant.  What I really love about Korean restaurants is the abundance of banchan or appetizers. Though always a bit spicy for my palate, I like how healthy Koreans prepare their food.  Banchan

Though I've always gone to Subic since I was a child, I've never spent a night there until a few weeks ago, when our travelers' itch took us to Subic Bay Venezia Hotel.   Subic Bay Venezia Hotel lobby The hotel is conveniently located at the heart of SBMA. It's one block away from Harbour Point Mall, Freeport Exchange, and a few blocks away from Waterfront Road (where most bars and restaurants are located). 

Pinoy Bloggers Outreach (PBO) is cordially inviting you to our fund-raising event on August 17, 2014, 7:00 PM at Robinson's Galleria Cinema 10.  We will have a special movie screening of the movie "Lucy", starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman.  Each ticket costs Php 320. This event is for the benefit of Special Education (SPED) students of Pasig. Watch the trailer of the movie here: For inquiries and reservations, kindly contact: Christian Dee - 0949 3555570 Arline Matulac - 0922 8907212 pinoybloggersoutreach@gmail.com See you there! :) -------------------------- Pinoy Bloggers Outreach Facebook Page   Twitter: @iHeartPBO   Instagram  

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  Much as I want to control my appetite, I let go of all the restraints whenever I go to a Japanese restaurant. I couldn't help gobbling up sushi, rolls, sashimi, and other Japanese specialties. That's why during the day I was going to visit Genji M , I knew that I'll be throwing dieting off the window. I just adore Japanese food! Genji M is a Japanese-Korean restaurant located in Kalayaan Avenue, Makati City.  inside Genji-M The place may look small as you enter the premises, but it was only half of the whole space as they have a lot of private rooms for groups.  I was in awe watching the chefs prepare our dinner. Genji M's manager, Ms. JM, says that the seafood is selected carefully and bought the same day that it will be served to maintain its freshness. 

After we paid homage to modern Ilonggo cuisine with Sarsa , we drove to another Negrense restaurant: Kuppa Roastery & Cafe .  As my Ilonggo friend who brought us to this place, Kuppa is one of his favorite hangouts whenever he goes home to Bacolod. Trust an Ilonggo foodie and you'll never go wrong.  While my friends are admiring the dessert display, I was ogling at this huge coffee grinder. Too bad I had to say goodbye to the lovely machine as we were seated upstairs. 

I headed out to Yabu one evening, not for katsu, but for the newest addition to their menu: the Yabu Craft Cocktails curated by Erwan Heussaff.   Erwan Heussaff, a successful restaurateur, has created 7 cocktails on the menu with Takuyi Suzuki, a famous Japanese bartender, in mind.  Each cocktail has only 4 to 6 ingredients like the Japanese prefer their cocktails. All drinks are sake, shochu (soju) or whiskey-based.  Along with bar chows that Yabu has prepared exclusively for that special evening, we were able to try some of the 7 Yabu Craft Cocktails. 

There are times that we only get to see every once in a while, and this was one of those moments. One of my friends went home for his annual vacation, and as tradition dictates in our group, we had a lovely dinner at Lugang Cafe .  Lugang Cafe is an international restaurant brand offering mainly authentic Taiwanese dishes.  I had a taste of Lugang Cafe last Mega Food Tour , and I was excited to visit it again to try more dishes. I was excited to bring my friends along too.  For starters, we ordered Steamed Shrimp and Pork Shiao Mai (Php 288, 8 pcs) and their bestselling Steamed Pork Xiao Long Bao (Php 248, 8 pcs). Steamed Shrimp and Pork Shiao Mai Steamed Pork Xiao Long Bao I could say that their Xiao Long Bao was truly one of the best I've tried so far. It can be challenging to eat, but it's worth it!  We also had Spicy Sliced Offals (Php 280) and Three-Cup Chicken (Php 320). Spicy Sliced Offals Three-Cup Chicken

Note: Winner announced! :) It's that time of year again. This blog just turned THREE ! Yep, you read that right. I'm still in awe that this silly idea of mine has been running for this long. Thank you so much for reading my stories and reviews. :) As a foodie, I read a lot of food news and food blogs for suggestions on where to try next or to check out what's new. But aside from that, I check out Zomato most of the time.  Zomato is an online restaurant guide where you can check out ratings from fellow foodies, information about restaurants like address, contact details, menu, among others. It really helps that Zomato also has an app, which comes handy because I'm out most of the time.  With the help of Zomato, I'll be giving away Php 2500 worth of SumoSam gift certificates.

Note: This location is already closed.  I'm always ecstatic to try out new coffee shops, that's why when I saw that Caffe Pascucci opened a branch in my area, I cannot wait to try it. I have passed by the Glorietta branch during Mitch Albom's book signing , but I never got the chance to visit it. Now I don't have to go to Makati to try it. Caffe Pascucci is an Italian coffeehouse chain with branches in the US and South Korea. Unlike other coffee shops that have natural hues for the interiors, Caffe Pascucci is black and red, including the tables and chairs, to give the place a very modern vibe. 

Spa junkies that we are, Mr. B and I recently visited an organic spa in Quezon City named Soneva Spa .  Located along the busy street of Tomas Morato, Soneva Spa is a wellness hub that offers body massage, foot treatments, and facials.  The reception and waiting area were reasonably spacious, with personal television for every table. However, we weren't able to try it because we didn't have to wait for our treatments. 

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  A few months after my first visit , I found myself in front of the dessert counter of Wicked by Cravings , wonderful which desserts I would be attacking now. Because we were still full from our ramen dinner , we opted to go a bit light. ;)  While waiting for our desserts, I starting sipping on my Wicked Macchiato (Php 85), while my friend got her Dallah Earl Grey Tea (Php 100).  Dallah Earl Grey Tea Wicked Macchiato Yes, their hot teas are from da.u.de Tea Lounge. ;)

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  Tucked inside the busy streets of BGC is a small milk tea shop that serves not only milk tea but affordable food as well: MyTea .  Unlike other milk tea shops, MyTea offers snacks, rice meals, and even noodles to go with the drinks. :) Wintermelon and Royal Boba Milk Tea