dekaphobe.com | Food, Travel, and Lifestyle Blog

Though I have travelled to a lot of places, I haven't been to Hong Kong. Yes, I'm a bit ashamed about it but I do intend to fly there and eat my way around Hong Kong soon.  While I have yet to plan my trip to Hong Kong, I was able to have a taste of what authentic HK cuisine last Monday at Xiu Fine Cantonese Dining in Greenhills San Juan.  Xiu (which means "elegance") is a collaboration of HTCG (the group who brought us Lugang Cafe , Tuan Tuan and The Dessert Kitchen ) with Lawrence Koo and Executive Chef David Cheung, both boast with their vast knowledge in Cantonese cuisine.  Located at the spot where Lugang Cafe used to be, Xiu has two floors with five private rooms for a more luxurious experience.  For starters, we had the Honey-glazed Prime Cut Char Siu (Php 680/portion) and Cantonese Style Crispy Pork Belly (Php 680/portion). Honey-glazed Prime Cut Char Siu Cantonese Style Crispy Pork Belly Made from the best cuts,

I had a glimpse of American History when we drove to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia. Harpers Ferry is a small old town located between the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, where the states of Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia meet.  Harpers Ferry is known as the place where John Brown started his raid, hence the beginning of the American Civil War.  Here are the things you can do in Harpers Ferry: 1. Walk around to see the old houses and shops at the Lower Town The buildings at the Lower Town are historically preserved and used as shops, restaurants and hotels to cater to visitors. 

Starting July 25, get 40% discount on Shakey’s Chicken ’N’ Mojos every Monday  Always finding ways to cater to its Guests, Shakey’s has grown to be a favorite hang out among Filipinos. From their mouth-watering Thin Crust pizzas to their all-time favorite Chicken ’N’ Mojos, their ever-dependable menu has evolved over the years to cater to every Guest’s craving. As a place that Filipinos know that they can count on for good times and great memories, Shakey’s is giving their Guests a good reason to look forward to Mondays much, much more through their Chicken ’N' Mojos Monday Madness Promo. 

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  Whenever I go to Marikina, there's always an interesting new place to try, like El Heneral Wings and Ribs , which I got to try last weekend.  Opened two months ago, the concept of El Heneral Wings and Ribs started during a drinking session among friends, who incidentally are of ex-military parents. Hence, this military-inspired resto was born. :) We started our meal with El Dinamita (Php 120) and Private Pesto (Php 130). El Dinamita Private Pesto

I love breakfast. I feel like a day isn't complete without a cup of coffee and breakfast. As much as I love tapsilog, I also love a simple pan de sal breakfast with a spread that I like. I was glad to be introduced to this new line of natural spreads by Chelcie's Spreads .  Chelcie's Spreads is 100% natural with unique flavors that I haven't tried before. They have the Western Selection, Filipino Selection and Fruit Butter Selection. 

Before I left for the US, my college friends and I met one evening for a small celebration at LoLa Cafe , near Tomas Morato in Quezon City. I was curious with LoLa Cafe for a long time but I never had the chance to visit before, so I was excited to try their dishes.  What looks like a small cafe from the outside is actually a spacious restaurant, with a mezzanine level and a bar for cocktails.  For appetizers, we had the Adobo Truffle Fries (Php 235) and Grilled Caesar Salad (Php 185 for solo, Php 290 for sharing). Adobo Truffle Fries Grilled Caesar Salad

Just last week, I was on the other side of the world binge-watching The Layover and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown when I realized that this blog has turned 5 years old.   The past year has been full of changes - a change in perspective, a change in priorities, a change in habits, a change of plans.  This past year, I learned that I should spend more time with people who matters to me. Nothing beats exchanging stories over coffee or dinner with amazing people.  This past year, I learned that opportunities are endless. This year started my venture with PR and marketing for food businesses. This allows me to open myself to push my boundaries and ignite the student in me by taking courses (yes to online trainings!) and practicing the things I learned along the way. 

After an exhausting but fun walking tour around DC, our group (especially myself) was extremely hungry. The boyfie thought that walking a few more blocks is a great idea so we can have dinner at Joe's Seafood Prime Steak and Stone Crab , located a few blocks behind The White House.  Joe's is originally from Miami Beach in Florida and has opened branches in Las Vegas, Chicago and Washington DC. It is known that President Obama dined at this restaurant.  While our company got enthusiastic with the starters, the boyfie and I decided to go light and split a Manhattan Clam Chowder ($7.95 or Php 373.65).  Manhattan Clam Chowder I love the spicy note on the Manhattan Clam Chowder, a great way to start our dinner.  The main reason for our visit to Joe's is to have steaks, this is also the same reason why we went light on the starters. The boyfie ordered for Filet Mignon 12 oz ($44.95 or Php 2112.65) while I opted for Petite Filet Mignon 8oz

This year, be part of one of the world’s largest celebrations of our favorite frozen treat, as Uber, the world’s leading ridesharing application, brings Uber Ice Cream to the streets of Metro Manila. Now on its third year in the country’s largest metropolis, Uber encourages everyone to indulge in their favorite ice-cold treat with their friends and loved ones with this year’s theme “Indulge Together.”  Uber Ice Cream is happening in over 400 cities in 69 countries around the world this July 15.  This year, Uber partnered with Unilever in creating magical ice cream delivery experiences for  riders by delivering Magnum Infinity ice cream bars in various areas across the globe.  “Uber, aside from helping in decongesting Metro Manila’s streets, aims to help people indulge together through our common passion for ice cream,” stated Laurence Cua, Uber Philippines general manager. “This year, we are bringing this big Uber ice cream social to over 400 cities worldwide and over a mill

Whenever I hear Tex-Mex, I get confused and wonder about the difference with the authentic Mexican cuisine. I found out just recently that Tex-Mex cuisine uses beef and cheese heavily, unlike Mexican cuisine. Chuy's is a Tex-Mex restaurant chain that started in Texas and now has numerous branches in mostly the eastern part of the US.  Chili con Queso, Dinner Salad and Unlimited Chips As soon as we were seated, we were served nacho chips (which is refillable, btw), so the next sensible thing is to order dips: Guacamole ($6.99 or Php 328.53) and Chili Con Queso ($7.49 or Php 352.03), along with Tortilla Soup ($5.49 or Php 258.03) and Dinner Salad ($5.99 or Php 281.53).

Blue Elk Burger with Fries During my first weekend in New York, the boyfie took me to Bareburger in Hartsdale for late dinner.  Bareburger is a burger chain that serves organic and all-natural ingredients. All their meats are free -range, pasture-rasied, antibiotic-free, gluten-free and hormone-free.  For starters, we shared a serving of Crispy Brussel Sprouts ($6.85 or Php 322) and glasses of Root Beer Floats.  Crispy Brussel Sprouts Root Beer Floats The Crispy Brussel Sprouts is a little bitter, however, it is complemented by the grated manchego cheese and a squeeze of lemon. The huge glass of root beer float helps too. 

Hello from the other side (literally). Apologies for not updating this blog for weeks as I'm currently in the US to visit my favorite person. This trip has a lot of firsts for me: my first trip to the US, my first long-haul flight, and many others.  I love flying solo. I have been flying solo several times already so I wasn't uncomfortable at all.  My flight was via Delta Airlines, with a layover at Narita International Airport in Tokyo. The flight time from Manila to Tokyo was almost 4.5 hours, while the flight from Tokyo to New York was more than 13 hours.  My meal during my MNL-NRT flight Since I haven't eaten breakfast when I left my apartment in Manila, I was too happy to indulge in Delta's inflight meals. My food during the MNL-NRT flight was sausage with potatoes and eggs, with bread, fruits, and flan.  Touchdown Tokyo (airport)! My 2.5-hour layover in Narita gave me enough time to have some ramen. Amazing.  Tonkotsu Ramen at the a