dekaphobe.com | Food, Travel, and Lifestyle Blog

A Spanish-Italian treat for the fourth part of my 5th anniversary giveaway courtesy of Toni & Sergio Gastro Italiano . :) Opened early this year at the Venice Grand Canal Mall, this new restaurant concept is named after two Italian brothers who has a preference for Italian and Spanish cuisines. [ Italian and Spanish Fare at Toni & Sergio in Venice Canal Mall ] While you can enjoy Italian fares like pizza and pasta, you can also have Spanish dishes such as paella, pollo, and many others.  Toni & Sergio also serves a variety of drinks: from Italian soda, coffee to cocktails and wine, you will surely have a great time with your friends and family at this resto. GIVEAWAY

A few days before I left New York, my boyfie brought me to Captain's Pizzeria at The Bronx for dinner.  A true mom-and-pop restaurant, we waited for a few days for the resto to reopen because the family who owns the place went on vacation.  The restaurant has a take-out counter in front and a dining area at the back.  To start our meal, we were served freshly-baked bread and butter. The bread arrived warm, so we dug it right away. The boyfie told me that we can ask for as much bread as we want. 

I have ate a lot of oranges but Australian Oranges are the sweetest oranges I have tasted so far. I was so happy to receive a bountiful bag of Australian Oranges as I really need to strengthen my immune system because of the unpredictable weather. Also, I love eating fruits. :) Why eat oranges? Here are the main reasons: 1. Oranges can support your immune system Oranges contain antioxidants to support your immune system and also known to fight off radicals and can possibly keep cancer at bay.  2. Oranges can keep you feeling and looking youthful

As a fan of Japanese food, expect me to get ecstatic whenever a new Japanese resto opens. The place that got me excited last week is Yayoi (pronounced as ya-yo-ee), which officially opened last September 16. I was glad to be one of the lucky few to try it before it was opened to the public.  Yayoi is inspired by the Japanese culinary practice called ichiju-sansai, which means "one soup, three sides", refers to meal consisting of rice and soup with three dishes (one main dish and two side dishes). The teishoku dining concept is similar to this culinary practice with set meals with meat or fish, miso soup, a bowl of rice and side dishes of vegetables and tsukemono (Japanese pickles).  Yayoi takes Manila dining experience up another notch by introducing the ordering system using the iPad menu, set up on each table in the restaurant. 

We are going Italian for our 3rd giveaway with Parmigiano. :) Located at the Resorts World Manila, Parmigiano has evolved from having a formal setting to a more relaxed and casual dining experience.  [ Parmigiano Starts Anew With Better Look and Better Dishes ] Made by Parmigiano's in-house pizzaiolo, you will feel like you travelled to Italy with their delicious pizzas.  You wouldn't want to miss their impressive pasta dishes, like the Lasagna 5 Cheese. More than the pizza and pasta, Parmigiano excels on serving risotto, chicken and many more.

I'm a huge fan of MasterChef. I have never missed an episode since I started watching it, and I really admire the contestants who push themselves hard to win the trophy and the much-covered MasterChef title. This show has inspired me to level up on my cooking and be more experimental in the kitchen.  MasterChef has developed a range of kitchen knives to help anyone master our kitchen skills, and it is now available this September.  The MasterChef range has eight (8) high-quality, expertly-designed knives that comes with a five year warranty. The stainless steel knives have passed food grade requirements of Germany, France, USA and Italy.  The range includes all the basic knives that every kitchen should have: a cleaver for heavy duty tasks; steak knives for easy meat cutting; a small and large Santoku knife for slicing, dicing and mincing; an all-around cook's knife; multi-functioning utility knife; and a sharpening steel.

It is not a secret that I'm obsessed with anything cheesy and I'm also a coffee addict, so it is safe to say that I will be more than willing to eat any food with these delectable flavors.  A few days ago, Boulangerie22 sent me a wonderful package of their newest items for me to try. Meet the Real Mochaccino Cake and the Holy Cheesus.  The Holy Cheesus is their golden 3-cheese bread with milky and buttery goodness, best eaten while hot. There are 3 variants: the Holy Cheesus (Php 149), the Blue Cheesus (Php 149), and the Hot Cheesus (Php 149). I got to try the Holy Cheese and the Hot Cheesus with my family. Holy Cheesus!

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  I have been to IHOP in BGC several times but I only limited myself to pancakes and coffee. Gladly, I was invited by IHOP to try out their new dishes from the lunch and dinner menu, healthy drinks, and limited edition pancakes. :) This month, IHOP has introduced its limited edition Paradise Pancakes. Inspired by the tropical flavors of the Philippines, the Paradise Pancakes has three flavors: Strawberry Passionfruit , Banana Macadamia, and Pineapple Upside Down. Strawberry Passionfruit Pancakes Banana Macadamia Pancakes Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes

Another giveaway to celebrate my blog anniversary! Megawatt's sister resto, Red Baron Ribs and Steaks is well-known for their bang-for-buck ribs and steaks. The milkshakes, like the Good Shepherd Ube, Ice Scramble and Nutella Milkshakes, and the burgers are must-tries too. [ Red Baron Ribs and Steaks ] With their huge servings, Red Baron is the place to go with family and friends. But you can also go solo. ;) GIVEAWAY

Being a foodie, losing weight or maintaining weight has always been a REAL STRUGGLE . Though I try my best to eat moderately and move around more, it doesn't seem enough. I am glad to be given help by Contours the LaserFit Treatment. LaserFit is a holistic approach to weight loss and body contouring. This is a combination of full body cold laser exposure to melt fat,10-minute interval training to burn the melted fats, and added nutritional recommendations and diet guide that leads to a holistic lifestyle. This is a program that provides fast results that goes immediately visible as fast as the second session. -Contours I was booked for 6 sessions of LaserFit, to be done 2-3 days apart. Each session involves 40 minutes of cold laser treatment (20 minutes in front, 20 minutes for the back), 10 minutes cardio exercise and 10 minutes vibrafit exercise. It was advised that I should wear exercise clothes for every session.  For the first session, my measurements wer

Out of the five boroughs in New York City, The Bronx is probably the least explored by foodies. However, The Bronx has a diverse culinary culture.  Here are the dishes the boyfie and I have tried during my stay: Spinach Seafood Ravioli with Pink Sauce and Penne with Meatballs at Patricia's of Morris Park The first restaurant the boyfie took me for dinner in New York. It can get really crowded so reserve as early as you can. His and Hers ;)  Muffins and Sandwiches by Scaglione Brothers Bakery and Deli The boyfie's version of a sandwich. Turkey Bacon for the win. <3