dekaphobe.com | Food, Travel, and Lifestyle Blog

We're ending July with another giveaway: The Buffet at Quezon City ! :) The Buffet offers international cuisines including Japanese, Korean, Italian and many others. My personal favorites are the Sushi Station, the Steak Station, the on-the-table Shabu-Shabu and the desserts!  GIVEAWAY

I don't really travel during summer except for this year when the boyfriend, A, was here for vacation, so I packed my bags (and a huge bottle of sunscreen) and flew to our first stop: El Nido! Good Morning El Nido! :) El Nido is a town located around 240 km north of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. It takes 5-6 hours drive from Puerto Princesa (PPS) to get there. I have traveled to Palawan two years ago but stayed in Puerto Princesa . It was nice to be back at this paradise, this time with the better half. :) We booked Island Tours A, B, and C via Sealand Ventures, the El Nido partner of my trusted Palawan tour agency, La Tiara Tours.  Island Tour A costs Php 1200 per person. It includes the tour guide, lunch, life jackets, and snorkeling gear. The call time is 9:00AM for the island tours. You need to bring your swimming attire, extra clothes, a towel, drinking water, and sunblock.  1. Big Lagoon There are three lagoons in the tour, one of them is ...

I was invited by the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), together with Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) to visit a few of the top restaurants around the metro to taste their dishes using Australian Grassfed Beef.  What is Australian Grassfed Beef? It is meat from cattle raised on natural pastures. It may also be called "pasture-fed" or "free-range". 97% of the cattle in Australia are located in a grass-fed environment. Grassfed beef has a yellowish fat tone, less marbling, and has a complex flavor due to a varies pastoral diet. This kind of meat is naturally low in fat and cholesterol with a higher level of Omega 3 fatty acids, which is known to lower blood pressure and reduce the risks to certain types of cancers.  For our trail, we were able to visit four restaurants that serve this healthy type of beef.  1. Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie (closed) At the Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie, we were served the Australian Grassfed Top Bla...

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  My friend and I went to Powerplant Mall in Rockwell to have dinner at Wild Ginger , a restaurant that serves Southeast Asian dishes. The menu is a mix of Thai, Indonesian, Filipino, Singaporean, Malaysian and Indian cuisines. I do love Asian dishes and I was so happy to have found this restaurant. For starters, we had Roti Prata with Curry Dipping Sauce (Php 155). Roti Prata with Curry Dipping Sauce The roti prata was served warm and I love how the flavors of the spices burst in my mouth.

Fall in Love with Racks' falls-off-the-bone goodness! Full Rack of Baby Ribs The famous flame-grilled falls-off-the-bone ribs of RACKS can now be enjoyed at their newly renovated and relocated store at the 4th level of SM Megamall. Since they opened their first store in 1992 at Makati’s Central Business District, they now have 16 outlets located in key places in the Philippines to cater to their ever-growing number of clientele. Through the years, RACKS has become a household name for their mouthwatering selection of all-American favorites that won the hearts and tastes of many. Smoked Spring Chicken RACKS falls-off-the-bone flame-grilled ribs will constantly give you the feeling of falling in love with every bite. From the moment it is served, the smell will tickle your senses. The image of its tender meat falling off the bone with ease is something you’ll have in your mind constantly, playing in slow motion and in repeat. And when you finally take a bit...

The Aristocrat always brings back pleasant memories. This place has been a witness of numerous family gatherings and special occasions, or it has been a place where you visit for your Filipino food cravings.  I found myself again at The Aristocrat to try the Pinoy Merienda that I'm pretty sure you'll be craving as much as I did while writing this post.  For something warm and comforting, they have the Sotanghon Soup (Php 70), Pospas de Gallina (Php 120), and the Arroz Con Caldo (Php 120). Sotanghon Soup Pospas de Gallina Arroz Con Caldo Pospas de Gallina is rice porridge with chicken while Arroz Con Caldo is rice porridge with ox tripe and entrails. 

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  My foodie friends and I were invited to the second branch of Red Baron Ribs and Steaks , located in Bambang, Manila. The Manila branch has just opened last March 2015.  Red Baron started out as a coffee shop but evolved to a ribs & steaks place as they are known now. This small ribs joint is located on top of a car wash, it could be very convenient where you can have your car washed and eat something delicious while you wait.  We started out with a few appetizers and drinks. We were served the Nachorrific (Php 148 for small, Php 258 for big) and Baked Potato Soup (Php 159). Nachorrific Baked Potato Soup I liked the wanton-like nachos that stays crunchy for quite a long time. The Baked Potato Soup can be quite filling but tastes wonderful while hot.   We also had their simple yet elegant Flakey Tuna Pie (Php 159). Tuna Flakey Pie I love anything with tuna, and I love how the...

My favorite katsu is joining my 4th anniversary giveaway: Yabu: House of Katsu! It is not a secret that I'm addicted to Yabu, as evident on how much I write about Yabu since I started this blog. Introducing #TheYabuDonSeries!   Yabu Craft Cocktail by Erwan Heussaff   What's New with Yabu   Yabu Opens in SM City North EDSA   Yabu: New Katsu Dishes and More   The Return to Yabu: House of Katsu   Yabu: House of Katsu   Yabu has kept on evolving its menu and has kept on expanding to eight (8) locations around the metro: SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, Robinson's Magnolia, SM Aura Premier, Glorietta 5, Rockwell Powerplant, Alabang Town Center & SM Southmall. GIVEAWAY

Our last day in Taiwan was relaxed as we only planned to buy pasalubong before going to the airport.  We chose to have a comforting breakfast at McDonald's near the Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT Station.  breakfast at McDonald's Along with Sausage McMuffin, Brewed Coffee and Hashbrown, I also got the Corn Soup.  Wufenpu Garments Market We spent the rest of our day shopping for pasalubong. Wufenpu is located near the Houshanpi Station (MRT blue line). It is normal to see people pulling trolleys of bags full of clothes as Wufenpu is known as a wholesale market. It opens at 11:00am until 9:00pm on weekdays and until midnight during weekends. I bought a few clothes for myself and for my family and found the prices cheaper than the stores in Shi Lin and Ximending .  Personally though, shopping for clothes in Taipei is significantly pricier than shopping in Bangkok . A blouse could be as cheap as NT$350 (Php 507), depending on how ...

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  I was invited last week to try out the newest addition to The Palace Group: Cafe Naya.   Cafe Naya at The Palace serves coastal cuisine from France, Spain, Italy and Greece with a bit of Asian flavors mixed in. 

Here's a favorite for giveaway #3: Php 1500 GCs from Shakey's! :) Shakey’s has always been a family restaurant, with pizzas that encourage hearty eating and bonding over a delicious meal. It’s not just their namesake offer, however, that has guests craving for more, but a whole lineup of favorites that have made them the destination for good times and great memories. “Pizza is meant to be shared,” says Vicente L. Gregorio, CEO of Shakey’s. “It is natural to share = pizza, big or small, with other people-family, friends, or even strangers.” Belly Buster Pizza Manager's Choice Pizza Angus Steakhouse Pizza Shakey’s pizzas come in various exciting flavors and a variety of crusts. Their Manager's Choice, Friday Special, Angus Steakhouse, and Belly Buster number among a few of the brand’s more popular variants. Hinging off on it’s signature thin crust or hand-tossed version and premium ingredients, these choices are rich in flavor and pack o...

Last July 1, 2015, Marriott Hotel Manila officially launched the largest ballroom in the country: the 8000-square meter Marriott Grand Ballroom.  The Marriott Grand Ballroom has the largest pillar-less ballroom, with 28 multi-functional meeting spaces, where you can hold corporate meetings, family reunions, wedding receptions, symphonies, fashion shows, or even concerts.  I was able to attend the "out-of-this-world" launch cocktail party last July 3 held at the Main Ballroom.  We were welcomed to the 3000-square meter main ballroom with an impressive light show courtesy of the Programmable Pillow Ceiling Lights. The Grand Ballroom can hold a banquet for up to 2500 people, a concert or reception with 3800 attendees, and a conference for up to 380 people. The Grand Ballroom can be divided into 4 ballrooms with floor areas of 701 sq.m. and 748 sq.m. 

The Minions are back and they have officially taken over McDonald’s!   A full Minions experience awaits, as Kevin, Stuart, and Bob, stars of the Minions Movie, bring us the  Minions Banana Festival.  Get ready to go bananas every time you enter a McDonald’s store with the new Minions Happy Meal toys —10 Minions collectibles now available in-store— and the Minions Combos featuring an array of Minions-themed desserts. Pair a classic like McDonald’s World Famous Fries with the all-new Minions-themed desserts and you get the perfect snack combination for you and your friends. Try the new Honey Banana McFloat , a sweet and refreshing banana and honey flavored drink topped with vanilla soft serve, through the Minions Medium Fries ‘N McFloat Combo for only Php65. Honey Banana McFloat Minions Medium Fries ‘N McFloat Combo