dekaphobe.com | Food, Travel, and Lifestyle Blog

Note: The giveaway has ended. Winner has already been announced.  August may almost be over, but my giveaways ain't stopping yet! This time, I'll be giving away Php 1500 worth of GCs from Wee Nam Kee. As a huge fan of Hainanese Chicken Rice, I have always been curious with this franchise from Singapore. I will be featuring their bestselling chicken and other dishes soon. :) Kindly read the guidelines before joining:

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  It was a lovely weekend to have a nice lunch at Madison's Bistro Moderne .  Located on the ground floor of EDSA Shangri-la Hotel, Madison's Bistro Moderne has been serving French and Italian style dishes, from morning to late night, under its Executive Chef Giovanni Sias. Chef Gio has worked in NewYork for years before he settled here in the Philippines. 

It's been more than a decade since I last visited Ocean Adventure, during our high school field trip (you can probably guess my age by now). I couldn't believe that it took me so long to visit the place.  How to Get There For our case, we rented a van to drive us from our hotel to Ocean Adventure, and to tour us to some other spots. Driving instructions are available in their website. Free shuttle from Subic bus and taxi terminal is available as well. Pickup times are at the site too.  Admission Fees Php 550 for adults and Php 440 for kids. You may purchase the tickets on-site or through the website.  Inclusions The entrance fee includes admission to the Ocean Discovery Aquarium, SeaTrek Aquarium, and of course, the shows! Sea Lion Marine Patrol Show Probably the show that I enjoyed the most was the sea lion show. I simply adore their underwater tricks. :)

It is with pleasure that we announce an event for both artisanal & gourmet food lovers and natural, healthy & organic food advocates will enjoy!  OUR AWESOME PLANET, MERCATO CENTRALE, MOMMY MUNDO and GLORIETTA bring to you BELLY-SIMA – the FIRST-EVER FOOD-FAIR THAT CELEBRATES ARTISAN, GOURMET AND HEALTHY, ORGANIC FOOD FINDS on September 6 and 7 (Saturday & Sunday) from 11am to 8pm at the GLORIETTA ACTIVITY CENTER, MAKATI!  This is a great opportunity for foodies of all ages to discover artisan and gourmet food from professional chefs, culinary students, home bakers or simply anybody who loves to bake and cook; and natural, healthy and organic food products from passionate healthy food advocates and local farm producers.  For food suppliers who want to join the market, there is NO joining fee! But please get in touch with us soonest as slots are limited. Please fill up the Belly-sima form and email it to admin@mercatocentrale.ph. You can...

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  Hawaii's number one burger chain, Teddy's Bigger Burgers , officially opens today! But three days before it opened, I was lucky enough to grab a taste that Teddy's has to offer. :) The whole place has this old American vibe, with a touch of Hawaiian decors all over. The evening was graced with the founders of Teddy's Bigger Burgers, Ted and Rich.  Teddy's uses Frame Broiled 100% U.S. Ground Chuck in all their burgers, cooked medium-well and stacked with Special Sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, onions & pickles.  Teddy's has 4 kinds of burgers: Original Burger , Cheese Burger , Teri Burger and Monster Double Burger (Original Burger with Double Patty). They also have these bun choices: potato, wheat, and lettuce wrap. 

Note: This location has closed and transferred to SM Manila.  Update: This restaurant is already closed.  A new create-your-own pizza place has recently opened, and it offers more than just pizzas: meet Mad for Pizza. :) Located in Il Terrazzo, Mad for Pizza serves snacks, salad, rice dishes, desserts, and even cocktails. For starters, we had the Disco Fries (Php 188). Disco Fries Nacho style toppings on my favorite junk food, how could I complain? :) We also had their House Salad (Php 158) and Spaghetti Carbonara (Php 188). House Salad Spaghetti Carbonara

Note: As of August 2015, Habitual Coffee has closed in Ortigas and will be transferring to Chino Roces Avenue, Makati Good news: a new third wave coffee shop has opened recently, and the better news? It's just near my workplace! :) Located inside the very hipster Edition Lifestyle Shop, Habitual Coffee began its dry-run last July, serving coffee using Aeropress. Aeropress is a coffee-brewing device that steeps coffee in less than a minute. 

I discovered Kapeng Barako Club on FB. I initially thought that it was an existing club for coffee addicts (like me), I just found out later on that it was a Palanca award-winning play written and directed by Juan Ekis. Juan Ekis is also known for his other Palanca winning play, "Twenty Questions". What makes this play more interesting is staged in cafes. This year, it is set in Third Cup Cafe along Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City.

I recently visited the place with the best gyoza in town, Osaka Ohsho , to try their bestselling items and their newest dishes.  For the salad, we were served Osaka Ohsho Salad (Php 195 for half order, Php 330 full order) and of course, the gyozas: Original, Nori, and Cheese.   Osaka Ohsho Salad Gyoza The Osaka Ohsho salad is generously topped with fruits, walnuts, and Kani. The dressing was a bit sweet but blends well with the whole dish. Our visit to Osaka Ohsho seems incomplete without gyoza. I really love their Cheese gyoza the most. :)

Teddy’s Bigger Burgers , Hawaii’s number one burger chain, marks its entry into the Philippines with the opening of its first store on August 23, at Level 3, Greenbelt 3, Makati City. Awarded multiple times as the best burger in Hawaii, Teddy’s Bigger Burgers takes pride in its signature fare: its 100% corn-fed ground chuck made-to-order burgers served with a sweet and tangy special sauce; and its super  thick milk shakes.  Established in 1998 by Ted Tsakiris and Rich Stula, Teddy’s has 11 locations in Hawaii and recently opened mainland locations in Washington and Iowa, with stores soon to open in California and Texas. The Philippines is Teddy’s 2nd international location, following Japan.  To celebrate its Philippine debut, Teddy’s will treat its first 100 customers with free Original Teddy’s Burger (5 oz.) on its August 23 opening day.

Long before I fell in love with Japanese food, I was crazy about Persian food. But honestly, looking for a decent Persian restaurant seemed difficult for me because some places I have tried before either changed the quality of their food or has closed down. I was glad Mr. B brought me to Arya, the place he claims to serve authentic Persian food.  I love the interiors of the place, and they play Persian music in the background (I couldn't stop Mr. B from singing, haha). There are also tables outside for guests who want to get shisha. 

Probably the strictest yet very popular spa that Mr. B and I went to is Ace Water Spa .  Ace Water Spa has been featured in television, magazines, and other blogs for a thousand times because of its unique concept: the Hydrotherapy Massage.  The pools have aquatic jets that focus on a particular part of the body. The water has a specific temperature to optimize your spa experience.  Apologies for the low quality of photos as most parts of the place don't allow photography to protect the privacy of the guests. Rates: Php 550 for adult and Php 250 for kids (4 ft & below) for 4 hours stay. What should I bring?

I was invited to the launch of "Australian Oranges - Now in Season" hosted by the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell, in collaboration with Citrus Australia, the National Association representing Australia's citrus industry. Citrus Australia's Andrew Harty and David Daniels and Austrade's Anthony Weymouth Ambassador Bill Tweddell Known for being the world's sweetest oranges, Ambassador Tweddell emphasized that Australian farms are known for being pollution-free with high standards for food safety, which makes Australian oranges "Sweet, Safe & Healthy".

A few blocks from our hotel is a restaurant made famous by its humongous pizzas: Xtremely Xpresso Cafe . However, they don't serve only pizzas, as they have breakfast food as well. It's a cafe, after all.  I ordered Good Morning Breakfast (Php 180), while Mr. B got Spinach Omelette (Php 150). Each order includes free brewed coffee. Since we can't switch the coffee to tea, Mr. B had a cup of tea (Php 50). 

I was invited by Zomato for a lovely evening with fellow foodies at Angels' Kitchen located in Greenhills.  The interiors of the restaurant are very simple as if you are eating inside your kitchen at home. There's also an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs prepare your food.  While waiting for our food, we had bread and dip (which I think is liver pate, not sure). I liked it nevertheless. 

After a lovely dinner with friends, we decided to head out to Starbucks Reserve in Forbes Town Center at The Fort.  The interiors look more modern than the Starbucks branches I usually visit. As I've read in other blogs, Starbucks Reserve pastries are also different, however, I was too full to try anything.