Food, Adventures & Beauty (FAB) by Carla

Review: Pond’s Perfect Care Cold Cream

2018-12-05T15:24:00.002+08:00

I don't always wear makeup but when I do I normally just wash my face with facial wash and water. Using a cold cream is a bit foreign to me and I wasn't used to it. But I tried it out for a solid week while I was in Japan. It was just 60ml and well within the carry on limit for creams. It was autumn, around October when we visited Tokyo. My skin got dry and crusty while outside and using the Ponds cold cream to remove the makeup helped moisturize my skin prior to even putting my normal moisturizer. My pores were cleaner and my skin was softer after using this versus my usual facial wash routine. Now I use it everyday. Almost gone in 3 months though. Might buy another one in the next Lazada sale. Haha

Live and Be Well with Taiwan Excellence Products

2017-12-22T11:38:00.003+08:00

Rapid technological innovation has paved the way for better healthcare and medical solutions. Older people can move around with ease thanks to e-motors and scooters, people monitor their physical activity with handy trackers, and surgeons are able to perform more efficient and safer operations with smart surgical solutions.

These are just some of the breakthroughs of Taiwan Smart Healthcare products. Bearing the Taiwan Seal of Excellence—a mark accorded only to the highest quality brands— these revolutionary products have guided people toward healthier and safer lives.

Utilizing 3D and Digital Imaging for Safer Surgeries

In minimally invasive surgery, fewer and smaller incisions are made on the body to lessen post-operative pain, blood loss, and scarring. Thin needles and an endoscope, a tube-shaped instrument with a camera and light, are used to guide the operation. The MonoStereo 3D System converts the 2D video captured by the endoscope into a 3D display on a monitor. Through these images, doctors can get accurate depth feedback in real-time, ensuring surgical precision and faster procedures.

Smart Surgical Glasses from Taiwan Main Orthopedics Co. Ltd. allow doctors to plan more accurately prior to surgery. As the surgeon looks at the operative site, 3D images of the patient’s bones and tissues appear on the screen, allowing them to save real-time photos. This can reduce complexity and operation time by up to 30%. An additional benefit to medical staff is less exposure to radiation from X-rays.

Keeping Sugar Levels in Check

With conditions like diabetes, ongoing monitoring of blood sugar is a necessity. Bionime’s Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems allow diabetics to easily monitor their blood sugar. The GM260 model delivers accurate results in just five seconds, using only a tiny blood sample placed on a test strip. The GM700S and GM700SB work with multiple types of blood samples, and the latter facilitate the transfer immediate transfer of results to smartphone via Bluetooth. The GM720 comes in an all-in-one fashionable case that holds additional strips and lancets.

Movement Anytime, Anywhere

Mobility becomes an issue for many people as they age. The ergonomic design and lightweight frame of Heartway Portable Scooters provide for travelling with comfort and ease. Weighing less than 27 kg, the foldable S19 Scooter Brio can be activated by one hand in seconds and may be stored inside a car trunk with no dismantling required. Powered by a lithium battery, it can travel up to 24km on full charge. The S21 EASY MOVE folds up electronically with a single push of a button, and can go up to 7 miles on a full battery. Both scooters support average weight builds and have easy-to-use controls.

For more information about Taiwan Smart Healthcare products, check out taiwanexcellence.ph or facebook.com/TaiwanExcellence.ph/.

Promo: Get 500 discount on your first purchase on Honestbee

2017-07-27T07:29:00.000+08:00

Honestbee is an online concierge and delivery service that started in Singapore in 2015. They're all over Asia now, with services running in 8 major cities. They recently launched in Manila and they currently deliver groceries or food orders straight to your home. Laundry delivery will be launched soon!

If you want to try it out for the first time, you can sign up using my link below to get 500 discount on your first purchase of groceries. The discount applies as long as you reach a minimum of 2000 worth of groceries. Credit card is not required, you can select Cash on delivery as the payment method!

Here's the link: https://honestbee.ph/r/ANAP4150

You can also click on the image below.

If you want to know more about my first grocery shopping stint with Honestbee, then click on the link below:

http://carurachan.blogspot.com/2017/07/lazy-grocery-shopping-with-honestbee.html

Lazy Grocery shopping with Honestbee! And how to get 500 discount on your groceries!

2017-07-26T17:36:00.001+08:00

If you clicked on this blog post, you're probably just interested in the discount, and if that's the case just scroll down to the bottom of the post to get the link to sign up. But before you do, let me share my experience shopping with the Honestbee service for the first time.

So it's currently monsoon season in Manila, and it's raining almost every day. I absolutely hate going outside when it's raining. But sometimes you have to. We have to buy food and groceries so we can just stay home and cook food and survive for a week before having to go out again. But what if you don't need to go out and buy groceries yourself? What if you can get someone else to do it while you're just sitting at home and watching Kdrama (I'm watching Pinnochio right now and I'm in love with Lee Jong Suk)? Well now you can (depending on your location of course) wahaha

Honestbee is Asia's leading online concierge and delivery service. They've been around since 2015 and launched in Singapore. They're now available in 8 cities including Manila. In Layman's terms. The Honestbee service can get your groceries (and even food) delivered right at your house.

So I've heard of "personal shopper" services before similar to Honestbee but I never tried one before. When I tried this out, it was simple and was pretty straight forward. Here's how to do it:

1. Sign up to Honestbee using this link https://honestbee.ph/r/ANAP4150

2. Search for the items on the Honestbee app/site like you would on Lazada and add items to your cart.

3. Fill your cart and select check out. The site will ask you for your phone number and preferred delivery time. The phone number is required so that the shopper can confirm if you want any substitute for out of stock items. And if the delivery slots are already full, you might need to wait until the next day to get your groceries.

4. Payment method can be via credit/debit card or cash on delivery. The 500 promo coupon will only work when your cart total is equal to or greater than the required amount. Then click on place order.

5. Once you place the order, it's just a matter of waiting for your groceries to show up at your doorstep. :)

My order took roughly 3 hours from the time I checked out until I received it.

The delivery guy was soaking coz it was raining crazy hard when I tried this. The Rainy season is the perfect season to use this service!

Oh another interesting thing that wasn't mentioned anywhere. YOU GET FREE HONESTBEE ECOBAGS!!

The price of the items may vary a little bit by 1 peso from the usual price at the mall but to have to skip the lines, and skip the effort of looking for the items at the grocery yourself is well worth the price bump. My total bill was around 1600 and with the discount, I still paid for 1100. Remember that you still have to pay P99 for the concierge fee but since that's technically the same price as a one-way Uber to the mall then we're good.

So that's my first try of Honestbee and to be honest it was pretty good. It was convenient, simple and easy. Definitely recommend you to try it. But don't just take my word for it. Try it out for yourself with a P500 discount. Click on my referral link below and sign up! :D

https://honestbee.ph/r/ANAP4150

To get more info on the service, you can visit their site: https://honestbee.ph/en/about-us
Logo of Honestbee from Press Kit: https://honestbee.ph/en/press

Carla's Hong Kong and Macau Trip - 5 Day 4 Night Itinerary - P35,000

2017-06-11T02:38:00.002+08:00

My mom and me during the Tramoramic Tour

Earlier this 2017, I went on a trip to Hong Kong with my Mom for 5 days. It was my second time to visit the city so we did not visit most areas that I’ve seen before. Below is an overview of the itinerary of our trip to HK and Macau in 2017. Added an asterisk on the landmarks/areas we visited.

Day 1 – Flight to HK and General City Stroll
Flight to HK – Arrive around 10 am
Ride the Airport Express to Hong Kong
Got out at IFC mall, and got lunch
*Hong Kong Observation Wheel
*Central Pier Station
Got on a Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui thru Pier 7
*Clock Tower
*Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Check in at Hotel and rest
*Food Trucks at the HK Space Museum
*HK Bay area
*Heritage 1881
Strolled around and got dinner, lights out

Day 2 – Disneyland
We only went to two spots on this day.
*Disneyland
*Temple Street night market

Day 3 – City Tour
*Tramoramic Tour across Central ave
*Western Market
*Times Square Mall
*HK City Hall
*Chater Garden
*Bank of China
*Cheung Kong Park
*St. John’s Cathedral
*Peak Tram Terminus
*Victoria Peak
*Trick Eye Museum
*Hong Kong Day
*The Peak Galleria

Day 4 – Macau Day Tour
Generally, a casino hopping tour. We took a ferry ride from HK to Macau. ^_^
*Galaxy Macau
*Grand Lisboa
*Tai Lei Loi Kei – best pork chop bun
*Se Catedral
*Sun Yin Park
*Lou Kao Mansion
*Tim Ho Wan – Takeout nook
*St. Dominic’s Church
*Jerky Street ^_^
*Ruins of St. Paul
*Wynn Macau
*Macau Tower
*Wynn Palace Cotai
*The Parisian Macau

Day 5 – Final city tour and Flight back
Checked out from the hotel
*Mongkok Street Market
*Excelsior Hotel for Lord Stow’s egg tarts
Went to the airport for the flight back

The overall cost of this trip for the both of us was around 35k. Or around 17k per person for the trip. Or just 3500 per person per day! This already includes the airfare, travel tax, hotel fee, and the pocket money we used to spend for everything we ate and bought and other items I purchased beforehand thru Klook.

It wasn’t as cheap as I would have wanted, but c’mon we went to Disneyland! That alone already costs almost 7k for the entrance fee. Disneyland was expensive but totally worth it!

I’ll post more details on the places we went to on the Per day posts. Thanks for reading!

Eats in Cubao: Banapple @Gateway

2016-09-12T06:15:00.000+08:00

For this installment of Eats in Cubao, my friend Andrei and I try out the food at Banapple at Gateway Mall. This was also my first time eating at Banapple so I didn't know what to get. hehe

We went here after our shift around 9 am, and nobody was around yet. Thankfully the branch is open from 8:00am until 10:00pm. The place was pretty cute. Each of their chandeliers were unique, but had similar styles, all had curly wire and red lamps on the end.

There's a huge mural of a meadow and trees on one wall. Then there were exploded sandwiches on another. The chairs are pretty simple, metal form and wooden seats. The table was adorable. It had like a million white thingies on it. Not so sure if they are marbles, more like round shaped white glass pebbles. hahaha

They will provide you with a menu upon entering the restaurant, but if you want to place your order you have to go to the counter and line up. They also had a bunch of pastries and cakes on display near the counter. Makes you want to try them all out!

We ordered 2 mains and 1 drink. All of which we split between the two of us. Then we also got a free Brownie Overload thanks to Smart's promotion. :) And then we proceed to wait for the food

We had to take a ton of photos while waiting... Of course.

We ordered three items that summed up to 596 and we also got the brownie which cost 75.

Trio of Sausages Fettuccine P235

Chicken Parmigiano P235

Dark Chocolate Smoothie P125

Free Chocolate Chip Brownie Overload!!! (P75)

We were feeling pretty hungry when we came in the resto which is why we ordered two meals but the servings were pretty big so we didn't get to finish everything. We mopped up the chicken pretty quickly tho, down to the last morsel of rice. Both dishes were very good too! Loved the gooey mozzarella on the chicken and the sausages were amazing in the fettucine dish. The Dark Chocolate smoothie was to die for and the brownie was perfectly fudgy. It was soft and warm and not too sweet. Just perfect.

No qualms with the service too. We didn't wait too long for the food to be served and the waitress was nice enough to take our photo. Claiming the freebie wasn't a hassle.

Overall, Banapple is an awesome resto. It should be fine for 3 people to share the food we ordered. So it's pretty affordable as well. Definitely gonna bring my mom here soon. :D

Banapple
Ground Floor, Gateway Mall,
Araneta Center, Cubao,
Quezon City
02 4370204

Visited: September 10, 2016
Food Adventurers: Ana Carla Pagulayan, Andrei Lee

Eats in Marikina: Cookie Mug Snack Lounge

2016-08-22T09:50:00.001+08:00

Cookie Mug Snack Lounge is a tiny cafe on the second floor of this modern looking building on Lilac Street. I saw the photo of the cookie with milk on a blog and I wanted to try it out myself!

This place is the main reason why I went to Lilac Street in the first place. Wahaha

Hello Betty Boop.

We got 2 small cookie shots from the counter and paid P68 each. It's cheaper if you just want the cookie shot, but I wanted to try it out with the milk while we were there.

Cookie Mugs and cookie shots selection.

Coffee selection and flavored milk menu.

I really wanted to try the caramel milk or the mocha flavored one, but they were not available at the time we visited the cafe.

Compulsory selfie/twofie XD

A few minutes after paying for our order, they served the cold milk in cute tiny jars along with the cookie shots.

The cookie was nice and chewy, the chocolate was delicious, and combined with the cold milk that you drink out of the cookie makes it oh sooo wonderful!! XD

Of course we took several insta shots before eating the cookie shots.

A photo posted by Carla (@carurachan1) on Aug 19, 2016 at 11:15pm PDT

Milk shot :D #cookie #chocolate #milk #cookiecup

A photo posted by Carla (@carurachan1) on Aug 19, 2016 at 11:51pm PDT

This cookie shot is delicious!

A photo posted by Carla (@carurachan1) on Aug 20, 2016 at 8:13pm PDT

I absolutely loved the cookie shots!! XD I'd love to try the other variants of the cookie shots too. I'm definitely going back to this place!!

Cookie Mug Snack Lounge
116 Lilac Street,
SSS Village,
Concepcion Dos,
Marikina City

Visited: August 20, 2016
Adventurers: Ana Carla Pagulayan, Kat

Eats in Marikina: Gao by Mandi's Crispy Sisig

2016-08-22T09:19:00.000+08:00

On a crazy rainy Saturday afternoon, my friend Kat and I tried out a resto in the "Maginhawa" of Marikina, Lilac Street. We saw a lot of restaurants while walking around the place but we chose to eat at this orange colored restaurant that we saw in Bentt building.

Gao by Mandi's is on the ground floor of Bentt III. We were enticed mainly by the P99 peso deal plastered on their window. XD The place is designed with posters of race cars and the beatles posters on a background of bright orange. I don't see the connection with the name of the place, but we'll just roll with it. wahaha

Gao has a menu of meals, along with ready to eat viands that you can choose from. Price ranges from P90 and up.

Kat and me while waiting for the crispy sisig.

The crispy sisig takes around 7 minutes to be served because they still refry the pork before serving it.

Crispy Sisig Meal P99

Lechon Kawali Meal P90

The Crispy sisig was very good. Waiting for the meat to be refried is worth the wait since it makes the meat and fat all crispy again.

They also have a pretty neat drinks selection, and these are all non-alcoholic. XD

They have 8 flavors that can be mixed to make 8 new drink flavors.

Purple Brew.

Since I love purple, I chose the Purple Brew which is a mix of Blue Lemonade and Red Iced tea. Tasted pretty good too. A little too sweet tho, I mixed it with another glass of water to spread out the flavor.

Overall, we were very satisfied with the delish meal and awesome service. The waitress was very friendly and was telling us about the resto while waiting for our order. The owner's husband also came in and said hi. Would love to come back again! :D

Gao by Mandi's

Ground Floor, Bentt III Building,

75 Lilac Street,

SSS Village, Concepcion Dos,

Marikina City

Visited: August 20, 2016
Adventurers: Ana Carla Pagulayan, Kat

Dohtonbori @SM North: My First Awesome Okonomiyaki Experience

2016-08-11T13:07:00.000+08:00

It was my first time to try out authentic Japanese style Okonomiyaki last Sunday at Dohtonbori!! It was awesome! We tried out the Dohtonbori branch at SM North Edsa, Main Building. :)

First thing we noticed when we got there was the line. My friend Dana and I met up in front of the resto around 11:30 am, almost lunch time. While waiting for a table, we checked out the menu and chose what to order.

We went with the Cheesy Pork Okonomiyaki :D

The Yakiniku looked pretty good too, so we ordered it as well!

We waited for around 20 minutes before we got a seat. The place was really packed and lively.

There was also the overwhelmingly delicious smell of cooking meat. Just can't help salivating. :D

We were brought to a table with a teppan, or the metal griddle in the middle of the table. :) It's for us to cook the okonomiyaki and other items on.

Within minutes, a server approached our table and asked for our order. We ordered the okonomiyaki and the yakiniku, we also got a side of gyoza and two rice sets.

The place is full of interesting Old timey Japanese posters! Makes you feel like you're in a movie set!

Anybody know what the text on this wall says?

Also love the red lanterns lining the ceiling.

Our server came back with the raw version of our orders ready to be cooked. Except the rice set of course, wahaha!

Pork Yakiniku P180

Gyoza P120

Cheesy Pork Okonomiyaki P240

See those square thingies on the right side? Those are mozzarella slices!!

Rice Set, 1 cup of rice and 1 cup of miso, P90

Let's pretend that we did the cooking here. But really we didn't. Wahaha It was absolutely enjoyable just watching the server to mix and cook the food in front of us while we were sipping our unlimited House Blend Iced Tea.

Unlimited Iced Tea P120

The server started cooking the okonomiyaki first to make sure that it gets cooked around the same time as the other items. He even has a timer!

Stages of an Okonomiyaki:

Raw as hell, with cheese

Flipped and almost cooked

Cooked and glazed with the teriyaki sauce

Added the Kewpie Mayonnaise

Added the stripe design along with the bonito flakes and nori bits

Sliced into 4 parts and ready to eat.

The entire meal was cooked simultaneously on the same teppan. :D

This is us pretending that we did anything close to cooking the food. XD Actually, we just held the utensils for the shot. wahahaha

Here's the food, all cooked and ready to eat! The entire cooking time took probably 20 minutes or so.

I was really happy with the okonomiyaki we tried! The cheese was gooey and it was simply delicious! I would prefer it if the pork was cooked before it was mixed in the entire pancake mix, but it still tasted pretty good. I'd probably try it that way next time. :)

Their pork yakiniku was heavenly too! It had a very tasty marinade, and it was cooked perfectly with crisp sides and still tender middle parts. I loved it with the soy sauce and lemon dip too. (sosyal version ng toyo at calamansi)

Only the gyoza and miso soup were the "Meh" parts of the meal. Everything else was brilliant!

Overall, Dohtonbori's okonomiyaki is something I'd definitely try again! I'm planning to go back soon with my siblings next time and have them try to cook their own okonomiyaki. Wahaha
I can already imagine the mess! Til' next time!!

Dohtonbori

SM North Edsa, G/F Main Building

02 3724576

Visited: August 7, 2016

Adventurers: Ana Carla Pagulayan Dana Pena

Plato Wraps Promo: Buy One Get One (Buy 1 Get 1) Chunky Chicken

2016-07-22T11:31:00.002+08:00

On July 30, Plato Wraps will celebrate their 15th Year Anniversary by giving one free order of Chunky Chicken for every purchase of a Chunky Chicken!

Buy 1 Get 1 Chunky Chicken Promo is available at all Plato Wraps stalls nationwide on July 30, 2016 only.

Shakey's Promo: Monday Madness Chicken n' Mojos

2016-07-22T11:03:00.000+08:00

This is another day you definitely have to mark your calendars for!

Shakey's has another treat for all SuperCard holders in the Philippines.

Enjoy 40% OFF on all Chicken 'N' Mojos packs every Monday beginning July 25 until August 22! Available in Shakey's branches nationwide.

This promo is exclusive to SuperCard holders. For dine-in transactions only. #LetsShakeys

Travel Madness Expo 2016

2016-07-05T10:58:00.001+08:00

Mark your calendars! Travel Madness Expo will be held at SMX Convention Center Halls 1 – 4 from July 8 until 10!

Entrance Fee: P50

Sponsors include:

BPI

Smart Communications

Enchanted Kingdom

Hong Kong Tourism Board

Philippine Airlines

Sofitel

Promo: Send a Free Enervon Happy Pack!

2016-07-05T09:43:00.000+08:00

Have you tried Enervon? Do you want to share energy from Enervon with a friend?
Want to get a Free Enervon Happy Pack for yourself?
Just visit http://www.enervon.com.ph/fb and sign up!

Enervon's promo is very nice. You have a choice of getting the free Enervon Happy Pack for a friend or for yourself. And since I wanted to try Enervon, after using Conzace, I got a sample for myself. :P

I signed up around June 15 and got the Happy Pack almost 2 weeks later.

Got my free sample from Enervon!! :D Perfect timing!! I need energy since I'm still kinda sick for the past few days. #enervon #freebie

A photo posted by Carla (@carurachan1) on Jun 29, 2016 at 8:52pm PDT

If you sign up, you or your friend can get 8 tablets of Enervon in the Happy Pack!

Got 8 pieces of Enervon in the Happy Pack. :) #freebie #enervon

A photo posted by Carla (@carurachan1) on Jun 29, 2016 at 8:56pm PDT

Wing Stop @Glorietta: Flavor Invasion with Wings

2016-06-27T06:21:00.001+08:00

For this week's Food Adventure, we tried out the different flavored chicken wings at Wing Stop in Glorietta 2, Makati.

Wing Stop has an ongoing promo called Flavor Invasion, you get to try a free chicken wing with a different flavor aside from the flavors that you will order. :D

We went to Wing Stop bearing coupons too. We used 2 different coupons from the Belle de Jour Power Planner. One for free Texas Style Fries and another for free Onion Rings.

The place was pretty empty save for 5 other people when we got there. It was spacious and well lit too. We settled in at a cool looking booth on the right side of the resto.

I ordered 5 pieces of wings in Honey Garlic flavor and a Free wing with Mild Buffalo flavor. With this order, I used the coupon for the free onion rings. Then I ordered 5 pieces of Garlic Parmesan wings with 1 free wing with Louisiana Rub flavor. Then used the coupon for the free fries.

Free Onion Rings and Texas Style Fries

Honey Garlic P195 for 5 pcs Battered Fried Wings

Garlic Parmesan P195 for 5 pcs Battered Fried Wings

Obligatory Groufie with the food. :D

Another obligatory Groufie with the food. :D

Wing Stop knows that eating wings is done better with your hands instead of with utensils. They provide plastic gloves so you won't need to wash your hands!

The food here is pretty good. The free sides, onion rings and fries, were quickly prepared and crispy and tasty. The chicken was cooked well and the flavors were pretty good. I loved the Honey Garlic flavor. But my least favorite was the Mild Buffalo one. Eughh It was too sour and neither of us liked it.

The service isn't bad but could be improved. They missed the second order by switching the flavors of the free wing and the actual order, so I had to take it back to the counter. Another thing that could be improved is their soap dispenser. When I tried to wash my hands the soap sprayed all over the place and went in my eyes. AAAAHHH

Overall, Wing Stop is a pretty good place to grab dinner and hangout. It's a sports bar mostly, since they are playing football and basketball channels on the TVs. Not really my thing but hey, if you like sports you might enjoy hanging out here.

After eating til we're full, we still couldn't finish all the food we ordered so we still had take out for the next day. :D

Wing Stop
LG/F Glorietta 2, Palm Dr
Ayala Center, Makati
(02) 958-4656

Visited: June 25, 2016
Explorers: Ana Carla Pagulayan, Duane Carlo Pagulayan

Promo: Free Yellowcab Pizza with Citibank!

2016-06-27T04:58:00.001+08:00

Get a FREE 18-inch Yellow Cab pizza of your choice and have it delivered right at your doorstep. Just PayLite a minimum single-receipt purchase of P25,000 using ANY Citi Card from March 3 to June 30, 2016.

Choose from three flavors:

New York's Finest
NY Classic
#4 Cheese

Here's how to qualify and redeem your FREE pizza:

Avail of Citi PayLite at any accredited merchant for a single-receipt purchase of P25,000 from March 3 to June 30, 2016.
Remember to keep your charge slip! You will surrender your charge slip upon delivery of the pizza.
Have your FREE pizza delivered starting March 15, 2016!

Log-in to your Citibank Online account and get your Citi PayLite Redemption ID.
Call the Yellow Cab pizza delivery hotline:
Metro Manila, other parts of Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao: 789-9999
Baguio: (074) 442-9999
Cavite: (046) 416-9999
Laguna: (049) 502-9999
Cebu: (032) 254-1111
Make sure to have these information on hand when you call:
Yellow Cab 18-inch pizza of your choice: New York’s Finest, NY Classic, or #4 Cheese
Citi PayLite Redemption ID
Charge slip details (last 4 digits of the Citi Card, IPP Sale/Installment tag, transaction date, approval code "APRCODE", transaction amount, "Customer Copy" tag)
After validation, you can already advice the hotline officer your delivery details.

Show your Citi Card and surrender the valid original customer copy of the charge slip to the Yellow Cab delivery Rider and enjoy your free pizza!

For the full info page visit Citibank's site below:
https://www.citibank.com.ph/gcb/promos/free-pizza/index.htm

I got to try this out just today! :D

I ordered thru the hotline, gave my APR code and Redemption ID. Chose the pizza flavor, New York's Finest. Then an hour later my pizza arrived at my doorstep. The rider just took the copy of my charge slip and that's it! Free Pizza!!

3 days to go before the last day of the promo, but redemption is still until August 31, 2016.

Ramen Cool in Kapitolyo: Hot Ramen in a Cool Ramen Shop

2016-06-12T08:41:00.000+08:00

For this Food Adventure, we tried out the ramen at Ramencool in Kapitolyo.

Me, Chii and Liezel went here after our stay in Ace Water Spa for a couple hours. After soaking in hot water for a while, we had a hankering for something hot in our tummies and went here. Chii recommended the place. :D

The ambience of the restaurant definitely takes you to Japan. There were photos of Sakura, Samurai and Geishas along with some photos of noodles on the walls. The light fixtures were pretty cool too. We sat in a booth good for 4 people. There were also sections that are good for 6 people and have the nice Sakura designs painted on the walls.

Central area, look at the light!

Tokyo Night lights wallpaper in the washroom

The samurai reminds me of Samurai Jack somehow. :)

We each ordered a different type of ramen so we could taste them all. I was looking for something like the Black Garlic Ramen I tried from Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen Shop, but they don't have anything close. So I just decided on something else.

I got a Tempura Ramen for P220

Liz got Mabo Ramen for P195. Ramen in a spicy soup base topped with tofu.

Chii got a beef ramen for P245

My order, Tempura Ramen, came with three pieces of tempura on top. :D

The noodles don't look like the handmade ones, I didn't ask but they taste pretty good along with the shoyu base soup. The tempura could have been served separately so they don't go soggy but they were pretty tasty anyways.

Top view of the Beef Ramen

The Beef Ramen was the most expensive one from all three ramen we ordered but it has the most toppings on it. It had beef, a soft boiled egg, nori strips and some leafy things I don't recognize. haha

We were pretty tired and hungry after lounging in ACE Water Spa, so our photos lacked energy. haha

Taking selfies/groufies is probably the most fun way to spend time while waiting for your order

Selfie from below, para maiba

My order was the last one served. :( waaah

We definitely enjoyed our post ACE Water Spa food trip. Ramen cool's ramen are okay and definitely cheaper than the other shops I tried. But you are also getting what you paid for. If you really want awesome ramen with hand pulled noodles at a really expensive price, then go to the expensive shops. But if you just want some ramen in your system, and you're in Kapitolyo well Ramen Cool is a pretty decent place to go.

Ramen Cool
Kapitolyo
E Capitol Dr
Kapitolyo, Pasig
(02) 636-0972

Food Trip Crew:
https://web.facebook.com/acpagulayan
https://web.facebook.com/mikaekae.kawaii
https://web.facebook.com/liezlvinci

Promo: Get a Free Cheeseburger with the MCDO App!

2016-05-25T19:05:00.000+08:00

Want to get a free Cheeseburger from McDonald's? Here's how.

Download and install the MCDO PH App.

That's it! You get a free coupon for a cheeseburger that you can redeem via Mcdelivery. No other purchase required. ;)

Promo runs until June 8.

BPI Promo: Get a Starbucks Handcrafted Beverage for Free!

2016-05-22T13:19:00.000+08:00

Use your BPI Express Credit, Debit or Prepaid card and enjoy a complimentary Starbucks handcrafted beverage for a minimum spend of P3,000.

Promo runs from March 18 to June 18, 2016. Redemption until August 18, 2016.

The promo is open to participating BPI Credit, Debit (BPI, BPI Family Bank and BPI Direct) and Prepaid cardholders.
Promo period is from March 18 to June 18, 2016.

To qualify, cardholder should use any of the QUALIFIED BPI Credit, Debit or Prepaid card within the promo period for a minimum single receipt transaction P3,000 at any merchant or USD65 for Cirrus transactions. The following transactions types are qualified to earn Starbucks Discount eCoupon(s):

Credit Cards

Straight (Local & International)

Auto Charge

Installment (S.I.P.)

Online / Internet

Cash Advance - ATM (Local & International)

Mail & Telephone Orders

Cash Advance - Over the Counter

Other card not present transactions

Debit Cards

Express Payment System (E.P.S.)

Cirrus (International ATM withdrawal)

Prepaid Cards

Straight (Local & International)
Online / Internet

Cardholder will receive Starbucks Discount eCoupon (worth P150) for a minimum single receipt of P3,000 at any merchant or USD65 for Cirrus transactions. The Starbucks Discount eCoupon(s) may ONLY be applied to Starbucks handcrafted beverages and add-ons.

Before you go to the nearest store to buy something worth P3,000, you have to register first!
To receive the Starbucks Discount eCoupon(s), cardholder must register through SMS, e-mail or both using the following format from March 18 to July 18, 2016:

Pond's Age Miracle Beauty Talk with Iza Calzado

2016-05-22T12:47:00.001+08:00

Got an exclusive VIP invite to Iza Calzado's Beauty Talk that was held at the Pond's Institute Pop up Store at BGC on May 21.

Iza was a sight in white and gave a fun and informative talk about the secret to her beautiful skin, the Pond's Age Miracle line.

She gave the attending Pond's girls a breakdown of her skin regimen:

First, CLEANSE with Pond's Age Miracle Cell ReGen Facial Foam, MOISTURIZE with Pond's Age Miracle Day Cream with SPF 15, TREAT the delicate skin around your eyes with Pond's Age Miracle Eye Cream and lastly CONCEAL skin imperfections with Pond's Age Miracle BB Cream.

Iza also gave us a tour of the Pond's Institute.

First, you have to register at the counter.

Next, you will use the Skin Analyzer to find out the biggest problems of your skin. It will give the stats of your pores, wrinkles, UV Acne, UV Spots, Roughness, Spots ans Sensitivity.

Next, you will be brought to the product recommendation area where the Ponds Skin Expert will recommend the best product to suit your skin problems.

Next, you can try out the product at the product demo station. Iza looked for a volunteer and she picked me! :D

Lastly, you can buy the product that you want at the counter. ^_~

Iza was so nice. ^_^

Me and Iza Calzado after the Beauty Talk of Pond's

Also got a free goodie bag of Pond's products from the Pond's Team.

After the talk, I tried the Skin Analyzer for myself. The results show that my pores are huge and my wrinkles are going out of hand. Well, I didn't really need a skin analyzer for that but thanks to MJ, the Skin Expert who assisted me, I found that I can use a serum to help minimize the size of my pores and a cream to moisturize my skin and help repair the wrinkles.

Good thing the goodie bag already covered these things! I got a Pond's Dewy Rose Gel Moisturizer, Pond's Age Miracle Facial Foam, and a Pond's Age Miracle Serum.

It was a pretty awesome day for Pond's Girls. I'm definitely looking forward to the next event! ^_^

Thanks to the Pond's Team for the invite and the free goodies!

Eats in Cubao: Zark's Burgers

2016-05-16T09:24:00.001+08:00

Hey there! I'll be sharing my food trips all over Cubao in a series that I'll be calling Eats in Cubao.

For this first installment, I went to Zark's Burgers in Shopwise to try out their burgers along with my friends, Sleepy, Kat and JR.

First Burger: The Jawbreaker.
This burger has spam, bacon and three burger patties, oozing with cheese sauce on top and some lettuce and tomato at the bottom. It also comes with fries and bottomless drink. Choice of blue lemonade or iced tea. Suggest that you get the blue lemonade, it tastes better.

Second Burger: Deep Fried Burger.
Pretty obvious right? It's a burger with the usual, burger patty, bed of lettuce and tomato, then battered and deep fried. Also comes with french fries and a drink. You can also choose what sauce to get with this burger. Jay ar chose a Rum Bbq sauce. It was pretty Rummy. wahaha

Third Burger: Zark's Ultimate Burger.
This burger has sauteed mushrooms and bacon with cheese sauce on top. mmm. Look at all the cheese!! I can't see the bacon tho. Bwahaha. This one is 150 on it's own, you have to add 35 to get the fries and drink.

There's four of us in the first pic but we got three burgers. Sleepy and I split the Jawbreaker burger coz I know I just can't finish it on my own. XD

Jay ar was very happy with his choice.

Sleepy wasn't so sleepy with the Jawbreaker. Yup, the burger was almost as tall as the glass. XD

It was absolutely delicious too.

Pros:

Food tastes great

Trendy resto design

Burgers price range from 150 - 500

Cons:

Service is a little slow

Overall: Good!

If you want delicious and juicy burgers at a pretty good price then drop by Zark's. Just make sure you're not famished when you go here or impatient. These burgers don't get cooked in just a minute. Another good tip is to go to the restaurant at non peak hours. Before or after lunch/dinner rush, just to make sure there are seats. Also try to bring at least Php 400 per head just to be sure. The prices on the menu change depending on the branch so I decided not to post a price here.

Interesting story that day: there were foreigners who came in the resto and sat at a table next to us, you'll see them behind Sleepy's photo above. So the crew asked for their order in English, expecting that they will respond in English too. But they spoke in Filipino!!

Wahaha XD Just surprising to hear straight Tagalog from a Foreigner, but it's cool!

If you liked this post, watch out for other Eats in Cubao posts on the blog soon!

Shopwise Cubao
Shopwise Arcade, Gen Aguinaldo Ave
Cubao, Quezon City
+63 9054931016

Visited April 30, 2016
+Ana Carla Pagulayan

Gourmet Society PH now has Vouchers!

2016-05-15T02:20:00.000+08:00

Gourmet Society PH now has Vouchers!

Okay, what does that mean? Well, it means you can get more discounts!
More discounts is always good. *nod *nod
Aside from providing foodies 20% off their bill at over 200 restaurants in Metro Manila, Gourmet Society Members can also avail of exclusive treats via the Gourmet Voucher feature, which can easily be accessed in the Gourmet App.

Check out the images below to see how it works:

What kind of vouchers are we talking about here? Well here's a list of vouchers that you can get on the app:

Gumbo P500 OFF Voucher
Early Bird Breakfast Club Free Bacon Jam Dish worth P245
Mrs. Fields Buy 3 Take 3 Cookies
Burgoo Free Uncle Sam’s Burger worth P425
Ganso Shabuway Free Gyoza worth P228

Have you tried Gourmet Society yet? If not check out this Blog post to know more about Gourmet Society: http://carurachan.blogspot.com/2016/04/gourmet-society-ph-loyalty-card-for.html

Promo: Get Free Ice Cream from Yellow Cab

2016-05-12T20:45:00.000+08:00

Want to get a free tin of ice cream from Yellow Cab? Here's how.

First you have to have a smartphone. An android or an iPhone will do.
Next you have to go to the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store and look for the Yellow Cab App.

I already have it installed in this screenshot.
Install the app. Tap on the 9 dots on the top left and then tap sign up.

Once you are signed up just tap on the coupons button and click on the coupon for the free ice cream!

That's it! Just present the app to the cashier when you order. And you also need to make sure that your order reaches the minimum of P500 pesos for you to get the free ice cream. ^_^

The first time I claimed a free ice cream from Yellow Cab was when I was at NAIA 3 en route to Kota Kinabalu. We got the Green Pistachio Ice cream and it was sooo goood!! Also, don't forget to ask for a feedback code from the branch manager so you can leave them feedback. After leaving feedback, you'll get another voucher that you can use on your next visit! :)

Aww yeah!!! Got a free serving of ice cream using the @yellowcabpizza app!!! ^_^ #freebie #yellowcab #icecream

A photo posted by Carla (@carurachan1) on Apr 14, 2016 at 7:03pm PDT

Another thing to note, make sure that the branch manager of the Yellow Cab you're claiming this freebie from has their code. It's a unique code that each manager has to enter to confirm that the ice cream is from that branch. When my friend and I tried to claim this freebie from the Yellow Cab near our office, the manager didn't have her code. I'm guessing she's a newly hired manager that's why she doesn't know what her code is. Anyway, she gave us 20% off the total bill instead of a free ice cream Which was even better!!

Hope you get your free ice cream soon! ^_^

Promo: Win Free Krispy Kreme Doughnuts with SM Supermalls App!

2016-05-11T16:12:00.001+08:00

Want to win a box of 3 Original Glazed® Krispy Kreme doughnuts? All you have to do is download and install the SM Supermalls App.

Just search "SM Supermalls" in the Play Store or App Store. Once installed you'll get a digital scratch card on the app. All you have to do is access the app daily and hope to win! There will be 100 winners daily! Promo runs from April 30 to June 28, 2016.

Why should you download the app aside from the free Krispy Kreme? Because the SM Supermalls mobile app is your ultimate shopping mall companion!

It has a whole lot if features that can take your malling to the bext level!
You can sign up to unlock exclusive offers and to download coupons for your next purchase.
You can check out the feed every day for a fresh serving of the latest store offerings, discounts and promos, services as well as the latest movies and events at all SM Supermalls.
The app also has a Mall Directory provides a complete list of establishments in SM Supermalls while the Mall Map shows the exact location of all shops, restaurants and mall facilities.
Plan a movie date using the movie schedule feature, which allows you to reserve seats and buy tickets through the app.
Build your profile page, save your parking spot, turn on location services to never miss a deal alert and keep your SM Supermalls app updated for more exciting features!
SM Supermalls mobile app--Everything is here

Din Tai Fung: The Famous Xiao Long Bao

2016-05-03T13:00:00.000+08:00

For this Food Adventure, we finally tried out the famous Xia Long Bao of Din Tai Fung. I can't believe we waited so long just to try it.

My brother and I went here on Payday weekend,a Saturday. The place was packed but we still got a table fairly quickly.

My brother's face while looking at the prices. hahaha

Excited to try the Xiao Long Bao!!

May the light give us guidance in eating the Xiao Long Bao. hahaha jk

When you want to order something, you just need to indicate it on this checklist that the servers will give you. I encircled the Pork Xiao Long Bao and the Green Squash Xiao Long Bao, as well as a serving of Fried Rice.

Once the servers take your order, a print out will be added to the checklist with your total due. But it's not the final receipt yet. They'll just keep adding to this as long as you order additional items.

The first item that was served was the Green Squash XLB, you can sort of see the greenish filling through the wrapper. P150 for 5 Pieces

Then we got the Pork XLB. Looks pretty much the same with the Green Squash one. But tastes so much better. P150 for 5 pieces

This one is an additional order based on what we saw the table beside us get. haha

It's a 5 piece platter of shrimp and pork wonton with house special spicy sauce. P175

Out of curiosity, I added the Green XLB in the Spicy Sauce and tried it out.

The Pork Xiao Long Bao was definitely the best seller here in Din Tai Fung. It was hot, the soup inside was delicious and the entire thing is just a delight to eat. Better to order the 10 piece platter so you can eat more. haha Aside from that, the Shrimp and Pork Wonton were also pretty good. Comes with legit shrimp inside! Not just a small iddy biddy piece of shrimp. The Spicy sauce wasn't that spicy either, but has a kick enough to make me reach for the nearest tissue. But you should be fine. It's just chilli oil after all.

The thing that I absolutely hated was the Green Squash XLB. It was not good at all. Stay the hell away from that thing. I realized that you really have to ask the servers about the items you order, otherwise they'll just let you order something that tastes disgusting. NEVER order the Green Squash XLB. You have been warned. That was a such waste of 150 pesos. *Sigh*

Pros:
Pretty good Dumplings
Quick Service

Cons:
You need to know what to order

Overall: Good. I'll have to come back and try the other items. ^_^

Din Tai Fung

SM Megamall
G/F SM Megamall,
Mega Fashion Hall,
Julia Vargas Ave
Wack Wack, Mandaluyong
(02) 997-1935 to 36

Explorers: +Ana Carla Pagulayan +Duane Carlo Pagulayan
Visited: April 30, 2016

Waterfront Restobar: Delicious but Pricey Food

2016-05-02T13:24:00.001+08:00

For this Food Adventure, the Gulay Gang goes to Waterside Restobar in Solaire Resort & Casino in Pasay.

It was my first time to visit Solaire or Waterside and I have absolutely no expectations. Aside from the idea that it's going to be expensive. Very expensive.

We went here to Waterside Restobar to celebrate my cousin Toni's Graduation from Medical School.
Absolutely proud of her. She's smart, pretty and saves lives. ^_^

Here's the restaurant's menu. Told you it's expensive. There are too many zeroes.

Waterfront has a bar with a huge selection of drinks. I don't have a copy of the drinks menu so I can only guess. Maybe each drink costs at least 300 per shot. Maybe.

Sea Platter: Grilled Prawns, salmon, squid, mussels and lapu-lapu P3,250

Land Platter: Oyster Blade, Pork black ribs, half chicken and liempo P2,380

Mango Drink - Can't find it on the menu so goodluck with the price

My drink, Raspberry Fizz: raspberry puree, club soda and gingerale. I have no idea how much this is! XD

One of the free Co-stars (sides) of the Sea Platter, Mango salad: Green and yellow mango, cucumber, a little bit of onion, mayo and cilantro.

Sisig: Sizzled pigs head, chili, fried egg & rice P350

Best part of the meal was the Salmon in the Sea Platter. It's the platter with all the seafood. The grilled salmon was soft, pink, fresh, and absolutely delicious. I tried salmon in another restaurant before, and it was soo awful that I swore I'm never going to try salmon again. Check out which restaurant here. But this time, I was glad to try it. Fresh salmon is always the best way to go. And it went really well with the hollandaise sauce.

Each platter comes with co-stars or sides. It's recommended to get rice but try to get at least 1 of the mango sides. It was weird to read out the ingredients: green and yellow mango with onion and cucumber, topped with mayo and cilantro. But it was good!

I also really liked my order of the Raspberry Fizz. You have to make sure you mix it up first, because the raspberry puree is all at the bottom and very tart if you drink it as it is served. After mixing, the bright pink raspberry gets dissolved and becomes a lighter pink. This is the point when the drink tastes perfect. Very much like, more please. hahaha

There were around 10 people on our table and we each ordered a drink, as well as shared the food platters. The total amount came up to more than 10k. Imagine that. I think I'd rather go for a buffet at Vikings instead.

Their ambience is amazing and the service is top notch. It's basically what you're really paying for in this type of restaurant. I'd love to come back to Waterfront just for the salmon, but unless I'm ready to spend 4,000 pesos in a meal, I don't think that is anytime soon.

Pros:
Great food (Yey for the Salmon!)
Ambience
Service

Cons:
Price

Overall: Great but comes at a steep price

Waterside Restobar

G/F Sky Tower,
Solaire Resort & Casino,
Aseana Drive
Manila Bay Reclamation Area, Pasay

Gulay Gang: +Ana Carla Pagulayan +Carmelita Pagulayan and family
Visited: April 6, 2016

Food, Adventures & Beauty (FAB) by Carla

Review: Pond’s Perfect Care Cold Cream

Live and Be Well with Taiwan Excellence Products

Promo: Get 500 discount on your first purchase on Honestbee

Lazy Grocery shopping with Honestbee! And how to get 500 discount on your groceries!

If you clicked on this blog post, you're probably just interested in the discount, and if that's the case just scroll down to the bottom of the post to get the link to sign up. But before you do, let me share my experience shopping with the Honestbee service for the first time.

https://honestbee.ph/r/ANAP4150

Carla's Hong Kong and Macau Trip - 5 Day 4 Night Itinerary - P35,000

Eats in Cubao: Banapple @Gateway

Eats in Marikina: Cookie Mug Snack Lounge

Eats in Marikina: Gao by Mandi's Crispy Sisig

Dohtonbori @SM North: My First Awesome Okonomiyaki Experience

Stages of an Okonomiyaki:

Plato Wraps Promo: Buy One Get One (Buy 1 Get 1) Chunky Chicken

Shakey's Promo: Monday Madness Chicken n' Mojos

Travel Madness Expo 2016

Mark your calendars! Travel Madness Expo will be held at SMX Convention Center Halls 1 – 4 from July 8 until 10!

Entrance Fee: P50

Promo: Send a Free Enervon Happy Pack!

Have you tried Enervon? Do you want to share energy from Enervon with a friend?Want to get a Free Enervon Happy Pack for yourself?Just visit http://www.enervon.com.ph/fb and sign up!

Wing Stop @Glorietta: Flavor Invasion with Wings

Promo: Free Yellowcab Pizza with Citibank!

Get a FREE 18-inch Yellow Cab pizza of your choice and have it delivered right at your doorstep. Just PayLite a minimum single-receipt purchase of P25,000 using ANY Citi Card from March 3 to June 30, 2016.

Choose from three flavors:

New York's FinestNY Classic#4 Cheese

Here's how to qualify and redeem your FREE pizza:

Ramen Cool in Kapitolyo: Hot Ramen in a Cool Ramen Shop

Promo: Get a Free Cheeseburger with the MCDO App!

Want to get a free Cheeseburger from McDonald's? Here's how.

BPI Promo: Get a Starbucks Handcrafted Beverage for Free!

Use your BPI Express Credit, Debit or Prepaid card and enjoy a complimentary Starbucks handcrafted beverage for a minimum spend of P3,000.

Promo runs from March 18 to June 18, 2016. Redemption until August 18, 2016.

Credit Cards

Debit Cards

Prepaid Cards

Pond's Age Miracle Beauty Talk with Iza Calzado

Eats in Cubao: Zark's Burgers

Gourmet Society PH now has Vouchers!

Promo: Get Free Ice Cream from Yellow Cab

Promo: Win Free Krispy Kreme Doughnuts with SM Supermalls App!

Din Tai Fung: The Famous Xiao Long Bao

Waterfront Restobar: Delicious but Pricey Food

Have you tried Enervon? Do you want to share energy from Enervon with a friend?
Want to get a Free Enervon Happy Pack for yourself?
Just visit http://www.enervon.com.ph/fb and sign up!

New York's Finest
NY Classic
#4 Cheese