tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23873262019117489522026-04-23T04:30:01.689+08:00Seizing the day away...ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.comBlogger349125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-49966150522693553382010-10-13T20:03:00.000+08:002010-10-13T20:03:00.577+08:00

There are only a few Vietnamese restaurants in Manila, one addition is Banoi's ... Banoi's is a hole-in-the-wall type of restaurant in Perea, Makati. It serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Pho Bo/ Beef Pho(P225) - The broth was flavorful,  meat was tender and the noodles were cooked just right, it didn't  get soft after few minutes. The portion was a little smaller than what I

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-67641646569367826862010-10-06T19:02:00.002+08:002010-10-07T15:01:26.609+08:00

Sekitori means "sumo wrestler who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: makuuchi and juryo".... Ok, that explains why our order which was suppose to be good for 4-5, fed the 8 of us and with some little left over. Aside from my starter(salmon sashimi) and sake,  we  just ordered for  Kimuchi cyanko broth shabu-shabu. We were amazed when our order arrived...a

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-72255088602920473732010-10-03T13:05:00.001+08:002010-10-03T13:05:00.339+08:00

Bagnet is the Ilocano version of lechon kawali or deep fried pork meat.  And somewhere near our place, there's a house turned into restaurant named 8065 Bagnet  which reinvent  plain bagnet into something ... special.  I've been here several times already... order different viands of bagnet such as Spicy ginataan Kare-kare Dinuguan Since I'm a fan of spicy food my

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-37086925992258045332010-09-28T17:32:00.002+08:002010-09-29T10:37:41.054+08:00

If you are in Boracay and wants some Mexican twist go to Mañana, a hole in the wall restaurant in Station 1 fronting the superb white powdery sand/beach. There is plenty of good food to choose from Tacoto quesadilla and enchilada ... Their dish taste buttery but it's good mexican food.

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-30640450474293283032010-09-26T19:58:00.000+08:002010-09-26T19:58:00.472+08:00

Can't believed I haven't  blogged about Caffe Caruso... Caffe Caruso have the best pizza and the best mushroom risotto in Metro Manila. Best pizza means chewy-crispy crust and the cheese well melted on pizza.  Oooohhh the cheese... ♥♥♥ Their wild mushroom risotto  is rich, creamy and flavorful.  PS:  Appropriate(smart casual) dress code is needed here. Ambiance:

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-73377913330813496642010-09-25T18:11:00.000+08:002010-09-25T18:11:00.331+08:00

We went all the way to Eastwood mall to meet up with Don (Phil's chef friend from LA) – I suggested Ramen since I've been hearing buzz about the place. Ramen bar's chasyu ramen (P380) reminded me of daikokuya ramen in LA's little Tokyo. It has a thick/creamy pork broth, slices of chasyu (braised pork belly) and tamago (soft boiled egg) – Taste wise, the chasyu was cooked to perfection, soft

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-86006850043603776192010-09-22T15:52:00.000+08:002010-09-22T15:52:32.922+08:00

Hana is a hole in the wall restaurant inside Little Tokyo It offers the best and authentic takoyaki in Metro Manila. Affordable - 6pieces for P120.  Note that they start cooking takoyaki after 5:00pm  only.  the inside of takoyaki ball and served the  uni sashimi(P180) that I've been craving ... There are actually lot of scrumptious dishes to try at Hana. They have

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-64340271019345864622010-05-15T19:14:00.002+08:002010-05-15T19:14:00.324+08:00

There are only two formal nights in our 7 days cruise but our cruise dinner was almost always formal and should I say amazing.  Let me feature one Chef, simply because he's a Filipino ;-) Our second to the last dinner was  prepared by Chef - Loreto Bembo, he is one of the head chef in princess cruise. Here's the sample menu given to us: For your viewing pleasure here are two of his

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-2273036169760771362010-05-12T18:27:00.001+08:002010-05-12T18:27:00.327+08:00

Last stop was the jewel of Baja peninsula, Cabo San Lucas. From wiki, Cabo San Lucas is known for its white sandy beaches, several world-class Scuba diving locations, and the distinctive sea arch El Arco de Cabo San Lucas. As a result, Cabo San Lucas has become a high-end holiday destination with a number of resorts and timeshares along the coast between San Lucas and San José del Cabo. The

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-59066149656917963572010-05-08T11:57:00.001+08:002010-05-08T11:59:16.233+08:00

Second cruise stop was Mazatlan. Mazatlan is one of Mexico's most alluring and inviting beach destination , it is know as 'Pearl of the pacific'. We went to their public market in Old town and bought some Mexican items. In my case, bought  sombrero and a leather belt. A few blocks  from the market, was Mazatlan Cathedral... Near the cathedral  I saw a corn store... ate Mexican

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-15104988462197492632010-05-04T18:04:00.002+08:002010-05-04T18:04:00.312+08:00

After 3 days of sailing, we finally arrived at our first port stop - Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta  is a Mexican resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas. We  walked along the Malecon  (sea walk), where we saw and enjoyed the sculptures, sea breeze along with other locals and tourist. Here's a picture of me climbing the sculpture "In Search of Reason" by

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-68122853990594045632010-04-29T18:21:00.002+08:002010-04-29T18:21:00.929+08:00

One thing that kept me busy was a 7-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera via Sapphire Princess of Princess Cruise. A huge ship that can accommodate up to 2,670 passengers, with an array of swimming pools, lounges and  dining areas in addition to a couple of  clubs, a library, a theater and a casino. basically it is a hotel resort in the water but... much much nicer. With professional

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-88139940074453194502010-04-27T07:42:00.000+08:002010-04-27T08:22:29.329+08:00

How's life treating you? I know, I've been delinquent blogger lately, It’s actually a combination of many different things, been really busy living my life... Nah! Truth is I’m only lazyyyyy… To my dear friends, readers and stalker:  I thank you for your patronage... I will be back with more (it’s actually piled up now). Cheer up! Life is Beautiful! That’s All!

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-89947248634562738242010-03-13T09:28:00.001+08:002010-03-13T09:28:00.377+08:00

Bulalo Craving! Yes I have that once in a while...When in Manila, if you are looking for bulalo house that can satisfy your taste bud, may I suggest Myrna’s bulalo house. It is a carinderia type of eatery which is located at the corner of Tomas Morato and Kamuning in Quezon City.  Most local celebrities usually dine here which made visible by  the pictures and plates with autograph

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-90343792765432994662010-03-09T17:00:00.003+08:002010-03-10T13:22:19.774+08:00

Burger lovers or even those who are not will surely love Charlie's. Charlie's is a small, unassuming burger joint next to a car wash in Kapitolyo.  We ordered for the most famous and most raved about burger...Black Angus burger .P165. Quality angus meat with an affordable price! Tender and juicy...wickedly good. We also ordered  for  hot Buffalo wings(P170 for 6 pieces) which I

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-120448199656394592010-01-22T17:28:00.001+08:002010-01-22T17:28:00.045+08:00

In my opinion, there are only few Mexican restaurants in Metro Manila and non of them were really authentic. I'm not saying that Ristras is not good, but it's just not authentic...   Ristras is a small  Mexican cantina in San Juan that serves good tex-mex cuisine. From wikipedia, ristras are arrangements of drying chile pepper pods. Although their main purpose is to preserve

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-54150231234141903252010-01-19T16:44:00.001+08:002010-01-19T16:44:00.532+08:00

For those of you who don’t know, Kansi is one heck of a cholesterol-filled goodness; it is the infamous Iloilo version of "Bulalo" or bone marrow soup with a pinch of sourness from a fruit called batuan/batwan. In Makati,  there’s a  specialty resto for kansi called Pat pat’s kansi. Nothing fancy, no air conditioning. The service is just ok but quick... Price is reasonable for

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-88882920831398235112010-01-15T16:05:00.000+08:002010-01-15T16:05:00.687+08:00

We're in Santorini Greece... NOT! During our vacation in my mother's hometown, we visited  Thunderbird resort which is few minutes away from San Fernando La Union city proper. Thunderbird is a Santorini inspired hotel which is nestled on a scenic cliff... Overlooking the white to beige colored sand beach We took our almost 100 year old grandma there to have a taste of fresh air We

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-12215185217166584122010-01-11T18:41:00.001+08:002010-01-12T13:24:50.285+08:00

A trip to Vigan will not be complete without visiting the most photographed street: Calle Crisologo - fairly preserved "Spanish-era" buildings and houses (some houses where converted into antique shops) can be found here.  The street is closed to modern traffic; only kalesa (Horse carriages) is allowed to enter in the quaint street which added some historic touch.  Adjacent to

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-46603518133528312282010-01-09T19:06:00.004+08:002010-01-09T19:39:08.939+08:00

Just want to share some pictures which I got from facebook photos.... Is Mayweather scared? what do you think? That's All!

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-39709046353165456712010-01-08T20:00:00.000+08:002010-01-08T20:00:02.017+08:00

 Before heading to Baluarte zoo, we stopped by Hidden garden for lunch and enjoyed the warm breeze of fresh air that whispered through trees. Hidden garden offers family-style dining in a relaxing and comfortable setting.  It has a nicely landscaped garden with a native ambiance. Wide variety of tropical plants, flowers and trees plus red clay pots and antique finds can be seen here

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-82001779219728046752010-01-06T19:53:00.004+08:002010-01-06T20:25:43.230+08:00

I've finally got to see a real camel without traveling too far... Yes, there's a camel  living in  our tropical country and it can be found  in Vigan's Baluarte... I captured this photo after feeding it with a grass. Deers loitering around the sanctuary Lurk, I'm up-close with the tiger, ROAR! "Baluarte is 80 hectares of gently rolling terrains, hills and mountain sides,

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-50384819864116460602010-01-04T19:38:00.022+08:002010-01-04T20:59:37.506+08:00

Some pictures from New Years eve 2009. Getting ready Boom Blast Playing with lights   Damages After-Partayyyy!!! @ Members only, the Fort Happy New Year everyone!  May we all have an awesome 2010... ... keep on shining! That's All!

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-25357221103254246402009-12-31T08:45:00.003+08:002010-01-04T07:44:23.381+08:00

It’s that time of year again! New Year's once again creeping up on us, for sure, a lot of us have started toying with the idea of a resolution. One of the most popular resolutions includes “Eating healthy”. I’m not here to lecture about creating a healthier self rather to share my food discoveries. Anyway, here’s another vegetarian restaurant discovery which impresses me and think it’ll do

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387326201911748952.post-60185130284974034162009-12-29T15:19:00.001+08:002009-12-29T15:19:00.393+08:00

We had an adventure food trip up North in San Fernando, Pampanga; Everybody's Cafe is one of the most long lived and famous food places here and is "the home of authentic Kapampangan cuisine"They serve "turo-turo" or carinderia style and offers smacked of down-home cooking and also those of classified as bizarre/ exotic foods.I tasted an insect for the first time in my life; Camaro or deep

ALiNehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269936750929739286noreply@blogger.com12