Ochi In The City

Easy and Healthy Spicy Miso Soup

2026-10-01T13:42:49.771+08:00

I haven't really paid attention to my health when I was i my 20s--come the bit 3-0, I'm now kind of reaping the kind of lifestyle I used to have back then. It's not so bad but I've had to do some changes starting with stopping smoking, eating healthier, drinking less and can you believe it, actually going to the gym. A huge chunk of staying healthy is nutrition which is why I've been eating more whole foods and less processed selections.

I also read somewhere about a thing they call the 'blue zone' which are specific areas known for its exceptionally long and healthy lifespans--I think more specifically this term refers to Okinawa, Japan. I've always loved Japanes food and I don't doubt that their food is not just nutritious, but quite enjoyable too. One thing I love making is Miso Soup because it's easy, delicious and good for my gut!

𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:

Miso Paste

Gochujang

Onions

Mushrooms

green Onions

Dashi

Seaweed (optional)

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

1. In a pot, bring 2–3 cups of water to a gentle boil and add dashi according to package instructions.

2. Toss in sliced onions and mushrooms. Let them simmer for 5–7 minutes until soft.

3. Lower the heat. Stir in 1 tbsp of miso paste and ½ tsp of gochujang (or to taste). Stir until fully dissolved—don’t boil after adding miso!

4. Tear in a small amount and let it soften for 1–2 minutes.

5. Top with chopped green onions just before serving.

Enjoy this cozy, umami-packed miso soup with a spicy twist! 🍲✨

Quick and Easy Oatmeal Arroz Caldo

2025-07-31T15:52:00.001+08:00

By the time I've written this post, It wouldve been raining for almost 2 straight weeks with tiny breaks in between but we've been basically wet for the most part. Our dog hasn't had a decent walk except for the times we go out in the garden and front porch to stretch and go out of the house--but you get the point. The rainy season is upon us which just means time to whip out all the rainy day recipes--soups, porridge and anything warm to brighten up the gloomy days ahead.

I usually cook my arroz caldo like everyone else--with Sticky Rice (malagkit) but since I'm trying to go on a deficit but still want the warm goodness of this dish, I opted to replace 1/2 of it with oatmeal. Sometimes I do it purely with rolled oats but I wanted some of that thick texture you only get when you use sticky rice. This recipe is also very flexible--feel free to add any veggies you want. This is the base version but it's a little carb-heavy so I love adding other veggies like lotus root. You can also century eggs for this recpe--it's divine for this recipe but I used regular eggs this time.

✨ 𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:

* 1 tbsp oil

* 3 cloves garlic, minced

* 1 small onion, chopped

* 1 thumb-sized ginger, sliced

* 300g chicken (soup cut or breast), cut into chunks

* 1/2 cup sticky rice (malagkit), rinsed

* 1/2 cup rolled oats

* 4 cups chicken broth

* 1/2 tsp turmeric

* 1/2 tsp safflower (kasubha)

* Salt & pepper to taste

𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: boiled egg, fried garlic, green onions

👩‍🍳 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

1. In a pot, heat oil and sauté garlic until golden. Set some aside for topping. Add onion and ginger and cook until fragrant.

2. Add chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, and cook until lightly browned.

3. Stir in malagkit and turmeric, then pour in chicken broth (or knorr chicken cubes). Simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Once rice is half-cooked, stir in oats and continue simmering until thick and creamy (around 15–20 mins). Add kasubha and adjust seasoning.

5. Serve hot with boiled egg, fried garlic, and spring onions. Optional: squeeze calamansi or lemon for brightness 🍋

Save this for your next rainy day craving 🌧

Our first time at Gordon Ramsay Bar and Grill PH

2025-07-31T15:28:00.000+08:00

My husband is probably not the biggest fan of Gordon Ramsay but I can say he is one of the most passionate. He could be watching re-reuns of Hell's kitchen the entire day and he'll be A-okay. While I enjoy the momentary episode, I can't for the life of me take in all that shouting lol. Nonetheless, It's no surprise that all his dishes are mouth-watering and I often find myself wanting to recreate most of them.

Unfortunately, I don't have the techncial ability to recreate most of these--notably the ever famous Beef Wellington which I've been wanting to try ever since I saw it in Junior Masterchef Australia. Thankfully, Gordon Ramsay has the proper sense to open his newest restaurant at one of the food capitals of the world--the Philippines. We waited a few months before jumping into the bandwagon but best believe I was counting the days til our visit and til the day I actually get to taste Beef Wellington.

THE PLACE

Neatly tucked at Resorts World, it boasts a rustic interior, a little dim but also somewhat romantic. You need to schedule your reservation with an intial fee of P1000, which will be deducted to the total amount of your bill. Since we had a reservation and were on time--we were immediately seated, given a menu and sorted out straight away. The service was good but I can't help comparing it to Wolfgang Steakhouse where the level of service was just over the top. Anyway, on tothe food.

THE FOOD

For starters, we ordered the Cured Ham Mac n' Cheese (P650.00) and Aged Steak Tartare (P1,650.00). Of course we had to order the Beef Wellington P3,888.00), we also got the Fish and Chips P2,100.00), another best-seller apparently for our mains. For dessert we opted for the Sticky Toffee Pudding (P550.00) to share as we both don't have a sweet tooth and do not mind sharing.

The Steak Tartare tasted amazing, the tangy egg yolk confit cuts through the balanced test of the raw steak tartare and its chef's kiss. The only thing I didn't like about it is the texture--compared to other tartare's I've had before wich were finely chopped, this felt more corned, if anything. Mac n' Cheese nothing special, but the hubs loves Mac n' Cheese so we just had to have it. For the mains--this is my first Beef Wellington and it was great--beef was perfectly pink and medium, crust was flaky and I can disntinctly taste the mushroom duxelle. I do believe it still has room to be amazing so I'm looking forward to tasting more Beef Wellington. The Fish and Chip for its price was definitely a weak point, nothing wrong with the taste but for less, I've tasted better fish and chips at random mom and pop shops in the UK. And to end the meal, the Sticky Toffee Pudding was also something I thought would be too sweet for me but it wasn't! It was balanced, it was delicious and I actually found myself looking for another serving.

Aged Steak Tartare

Cured Ham Mac n' Cheese

Fish and Chips

My birthday boy ❤️

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Would we go back? For the Beef Wellington and the Sticky Toffee Pudding yes! The place is awesome for date nights but I find the service needs a little polishing conidering the prices and in comparison to other restaurants of the same price point like Wolfgang which has impeccable service.

Gordon Ramsay Bar and Grill PH

Budget : P1,200 - P1,500/pax

Open daily : 12:00 PM - 11:00PM

2F Grand Wing, Newport Boulevard, Newport World Resorts, 1309 Pasay, Manila, Philippines.

Fatwave Surf Resort #WhereToStayInLaUnion

2025-01-30T12:00:00.003+08:00

This is from a few years ago, but I believe my thoughts would still hold true today. Having lived in La Union for seven months last year, we’ve had our fair share of checking out the different accommodations in the area. But to give some context, most of our vacations are always with dogs. It’s rare for us to go to a destination that’s not pet-friendly, but I’d say this one was an exception since it was for my sister’s birthday. It was an overnight stay at a pet hotel, so we decided to indulge her. After a 4-hour drive to La Union, we finally arrived, so let me tell you about where we stayed.

Parking in La Union in general is a pain. Even after living there for a while, we still find it a hassle sometimes because parking is just limited, even with dedicated lots already available. Fortunately, when we arrived at Fatwave, they had enough parking. I wouldn’t say it’s a ton, given the size of the resort, but it was definitely enough for the number of guests they can accommodate. For those who aren’t checking in but still want to dine at their restaurant, though, I wouldn’t count on there being space. But that’s a whole other issue I’ll get into later.

THE PLACE

I’m not an expert on architecture, so I can’t say how accurate my description is, but stepping into the place, it felt like a mix of Moroccan and Greek styles. We ended up sharing rooms due to availability, but it was more than fine because the rooms were spacious and aesthetically pleasing. The decor wasn’t just for show—everything was functional. There was plenty of space for our luggage, and the bathroom was not only pretty but also had room for all our stuff.

Fatwave also had its own restaurant and bar. The restaurant patio would turn into a dance floor at night with a DJ, and there was a nifty cocktail bar off to the side. We enjoyed the energy of the place because of that, but I will say it can get a little loud at night, even with the curfew they impose for checked-in guests. My parents weren’t as bothered by it since their room was toward the back of the resort, far from the restaurant.

THE RESTAURANT

One of the perks of checking into a place with a restaurant is knowing you’ll never go hungry. When we arrived, they handed us a sheet with breakfast options for the next day. Plus, they gave us welcome drinks right away! The drink selection was pretty extensive, and the food wasn’t just visually appealing—it tasted great too. We visited in August, so it was pouring rain, which made it super convenient to just have dinner there as well.

The portion sizes were another thing to note—definitely generous. We even checked out the dance floor before it started raining and eventually ended up by the bar to grab drinks with some friends. The drinks were reasonably priced, and the bartender was nice enough to give us free shots!

Since the place is also located towards the central area of La Union, restaurants are a plenty. Aside from the in-house restaurant, some other nearby locations you may want to try food-wise if you ever visit on of these days.

1. AMARE LA CUCINA – They used to be inside a hotel but have since moved to a bigger spot that’s still fairly close to Fatwave. If you're a fan of pugon-baked pizza, you’ll love this place. The thin crust and rich fillings are cooked to perfection and will definitely leave you wanting more

2. NAKNAK EATERY – This one’s a bit more on the local side, but if you’re into discovering regional cuisine, it’s a must-try. From what I’ve observed during our time there, La Union’s food scene really likes to feature goat meat and incorporate a bit of bitterness. If you go, you have to try their Papaitan. They have a lot of other local dishes, but that one tops my list.

3. UBE MAMA – If you find yourself in the area during the hotter months, there's a hidden Ube Mama store just above El Union. The ice cream is a bit on the pricier side and definitely sweeter, but somehow, my husband and I always end up there when we're craving something sweet. The mix of pinipig, glutinous rice balls, and ice cream creates the perfect dessert.

4. KERMIT – Another crowd favorite, and trust me, it’s not overrated. They make some of the best pizza and serve up delicious cocktails. I love dining here because it’s pet-friendly, and the location gives you an awesome view of the beach.

I can’t even begin to describe the joy I felt living in La Union for more than half a year. Sharing this trip from a few years ago just makes me miss it even more. I’ll definitely share more of our adventures from that time, along with a compilation of other restaurants we tried while we were there.

For now, ciao and see you next time!

Irvins-inspired Tofu Squares

2025-01-30T11:12:00.005+08:00

If you're chronically online, you've probably come across variations of this recipe, each with a different ingredient or sauce combination. Pick your favorite—it's all about personal preference. This recipe is a blend of those versions, adjusted to suit my palate. It's simple to make, perfect as a snack or a companion to your beer. The only cutting involved is for the tofu, onions, and green onions, and then you're good to go. As for the sauce, it requires no cooking—just a mix of pantry essentials you likely already have on hand. If you're ready, let's begin!

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦

Tofu

Egg

Breadcrumbs

All-purpose Flour

Green Onion

𝗱𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗲

Mayonnaise

Oyster sauce

Liver Spread

Calamansi

Seasoning

Salt & Pepper

Onion

𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗥𝗘

Prepare Tofu: Pat tofu dry and cut into 1-inch cubes
Coat Tofu: Coat in egg, then all-purpose flour, then egg and finally, breadcrumbs.
Fry Tofu: Heat oil and fry tofu until golden brown (about 3–4 minutes). Drain on paper towels.
Make Sauce: Mix mayonnaise, liver spread, seasoning, oyster sauce, calamansi, salt and pepper and chopped onion.

Tips:

For extra crunch, double-fry the tofu: fry once until light golden, let it cool, and fry again until crisp.
Add a sprinkle of chili powder or nori flakes for a unique twist.
Pair it with a refreshing drink like sago’t gulaman or calamansi juice for a full UST street food experience.

@ochibernadas 𝗧𝗢𝗙𝗨 𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗦 Trying to recreate the popular Irvin’s Tofu Squares! Will make sure to try the original one pag napadaan sa UST but for now, ito muna try natin! 𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 Tofu Egg Breadcrumbs All-purpose Flour Green Onion 𝗱𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗲 Mayonnaise Oyster sauce Liver Spread Calamansi Seasoning Salt & Pepper Onion 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗥𝗘 1. Prepare Tofu: Pat tofu dry and cut into 1-inch cubes. 2. Coat Tofu: Coat in egg, then all-purpose flour, then egg and finally, breadcrumbs. 3. Fry Tofu: Heat oil and fry tofu until golden brown (about 3–4 minutes). Drain on paper towels. 4. Make Sauce: Mix mayonnaise, liver spread, seasoning, oyster sauce, calamansi, salt and pepper and chopped onion. Tips: * For extra crunch, double-fry the tofu: fry once until light golden, let it cool, and fry again until crisp. * Add a sprinkle of chili powder or nori flakes for a unique twist. * Pair it with a refreshing drink like sago’t gulaman or calamansi juice for a full UST street food experience. #tofusquares #streetfood #USTstreetfood #CapCut ♬ Happy Motown Celebrate - MetamixMusic

A Simple Guide to Applying for a UK Visitor Visa (Philippines Edition)

2024-11-27T12:58:00.001+08:00

If the title wasn’t clear enough, this guide is specifically for Filipinos applying for a UK Visitor Visa. If you’re applying for a different type of visa, I won’t be able to help. Now, let’s dive in!

I want to preface that 2023and 2024 have been amazing years of travel for me both for work and for leisure! I haven't been out of the country before my first work trip with my current company and it jump started pretty much everything for me. My first international trip after almost 30yrs of existence was in 2022 for Singapore and Indonesia, both for work. Most travels I've had after that were also for work. But going back to the UK Visa guide, I'll also provide some context about my situation to give you an idea how it will be like for you but please be warned that each experience will be different.

1. CONTEXT

My husband and I, together with family, wanted to spend Christmas in the UK. We all have different financial backgroumds but we all succeeded in acquiring our Standard Visitor Visa. One of the most important things to consider if you plan to spend a holiday in the UK will be financial capacity and I will explain this in depth later on. But essentially, this was our only purpose--spend some time with family and friends in the UK over the holidays.

2. REQUIREMENTS

The official UK visa application process starts here: Apply to Come to the UK.

The UK visa website is one of the easiest to navigate. It’s clear, concise, and straightforward. Start by checking the eligibility requirements to confirm you qualify for the visa you’re applying for. There are several visa types, so make sure you’re selecting the one that matches your purpose.

3. APPLICATIONS

For the Philippines, the actual Visa application procerss is handled by VFS Global--which in my opinion is very strategic as our experience with them was very quick and easy! First things first.

Website for application : https://www.vfsglobal.com/united-kingdom/

Once you're done with your eligibility check, you can proceed to go to the UK VFS website and continue with your application. Again, still one of the easiest Visa applications I've done by far. As you're completing this application here are some thing you may want to be extra caitous with :

Home Ties - This is where you extensively talk about your work, family, community ties in depth. How long you've been with your company, do you have any properties or assets in your name etc. For most countries, the Philippines is stypically tagged as Medium/high risk so this is just a way to assure them of the genuineness of your intent.
Finances - Again, this is just to show how capable you are to finance your trip. If someone's sponsoring your trip, just make sure the amount you'll spend on a daily basis will be commensurate to the total amount of spend you'll declare. If you're unsure about this, try to estimate how much tours are going to be etc--everything will fortunetely be on Google. For tours, you can also consult Klook for ballpark figures on how much things will be so you can a bit more depth on how much you'll be spending.
Purpose - I honestly wasn't overthinking how I answered the questions, everything was justy straightforeard. I did spend some time on talking about what I wanted to visit, things I wanted to see and try etc--although this wasn't a formal itinerary, it was fun to fioll out.

4. BIOMETRICS

There’s no interview involved in the visa process, so it’s crucial to ensure your answers to the online questions are factual, relevant, truthful, and accurate. The biometrics appointment is solely for collecting your documents and biometrics. The entire process took us about 30 minutes. While there is a fair amount of waiting before being called, I have to say the VFS process is quite efficient. VFS will collect your passport and you will be contacted via text/email (depending on your preferred communication) once it is ready for pickup.

5. RESULT

We received an email notification that our passports were ready for pickup. The pickup process itself took only about five minutes—shorter than our drive to the VFS center! Sitting in the car, we opened our passports and were thrilled to finally see the visa sticker.

Honestly, we were elated. There’s always a cloud of anxiety during these processes, especially for Filipinos who often face more stringent requirements. While citizens of other countries can travel freely, Filipinos must provide extensive documentation—proof of income, assets, daily expenses, and more.
That said, the UK visa application process was one of the smoother ones I’ve experienced. I’ll share comparisons with other countries in a separate post.

Getting a visa regardless of the country is a very nuanced process fo Filipinos. There's a lot of fear mongering happening more than actual education of what documents are required, should you have this amount of money etc. Utlimately, my goal is to share how I go through these processes as a normal Filipino and hopefully make visa acquisition easier for every Filipino. Happy travels!

My First Trip Outside Of The Country

2024-11-19T16:33:00.003+08:00

Can you believe my first international travel was when I was already in my 30s? It wasn't even for leisure, it was for business/work. I was so anxious and scared because I didn't want to look stupid because I didn't know how to communicate with people when I'm abroad, do I exchange money, what documents should I bring? It was a whirlwind of emotions but thank God I have really supportive co-workers who took care of everything. Granted it was a work trip, everything from my plane tickets, insurance and hotels were taken cared off which at least made things easier for me. And for our first international country--it's Singapore.

And as mentioned, this happened a couple of years ago but I wanted to be able to look back and read about my experience so better late than never! I do not have a ton of photos to show for it as it was mainly a work trip. I had a video of me crying while on the place because I couldn't believe the opportunity I was handed with. I mean I know it's work but it did propel all the travels I would have in the future.

I told my bosses it was my first international trip so upon arrival at the airport, they booked everything for me. I was picked up by a Grab car and dropped off to my hotel. My other colleague was already there waiting to assist me with my check-in. Also did a tiny orientation on money exchange and some apps I should have while there, then we went shopping because he lost his luggage lol. I didn't have any data at all and no SGD as well, just relied on my credit card and my colleague's hotspot. We'll be staying for just 2 days so I didn't stress myself out.

After shopping, we did a litte tour with some of my other co-workers. We had half a day to stroll and go around before our scheduled dinner drinks. Singapore was humid and I wish I had worn lighter clothes, but lesson learned for next time! We had some coffee while exploring China Town, visited some temples and then went back to our hotel to prepare for our dinner. The rooftop bar we went to was amazing--it had a perfect view of the river and Marina Bay Sands just enough for me to witness the light show scheduled that night.

And I know it was work, but honestly that dinner + drinks was very invigorating for me. It fueled my social energy talking to my multicultural work group, seeing the view while doing so--everything just felt in place. Even before having the privilege to travel outside the country, I was already a staunch watcher of how our taxes are being spent here in the Philippines. The moment I stepped on foreign soil, my beliefs were further solidified upon seeing how the other half lived. The effective transportation, the efficient government services, the well-built roads--I could go on but you get my point.

This opportunity no matter how much it made me happy, also left me wondering are we second class citizens to our own country that our public officials do not make the tiniest efforts to make our lives better? Everything in politics is for their own selfish motives--and while sure, we have some people in politics who do have the purest intentions for the people, they're slowly being overtaken by the evil majority. It was a lot to take in, thank God I had work to put my mind to. I'll leave it at that for now. I just wanted to reminisce how this feeling was for me a couple of years ago.

We Moved To La Union

2024-10-11T08:04:00.004+08:00

A lot has happened since the pandemic and everyone pretty much abandoned blogs for vlogs, moved from YT to Tiktok, long form to short form, videos to reels and the rest goes on. Much can be said about what happened in my last personal update as blogging and vlogging in the past few years have been purely money-making tools for my creative outlet--but to be honest, there's not much room for creativity when you're working with brands since they often come with pretty strict guidelines to follow. I remember the hay days when I would giddily go to Ditz-Revolution by Helga Weber just to see random updates abbout her life, new photos from parties she's attended and other 'hipster' shenanigans she had going on. Or visiting Camie Juan's The Wild Spirit for my weekly dose of design inspiration because her vibe and aesthetic were just dreamy, and I love reading about her travel exploits in Europe.

Back in the days, when you followed a blogger, you really knew them. Not just a peak of what's going on in their lives, but who they are as a person. It was such a glorious time, then came Tumblr then came all other social medias and we just couldn't keep up anymore. Same went for me, I went from trying to chronicle my life in the city to accepting one brand deal after the other, turning this page into more like an advertising space in a newspaper with a barrage of sponsored posts and nothing about me at all.

I want to change that.

I want to start creating content for me. If people follow along, that's good. If they don't, that's fine too. I haven't really peaked as a content creator (never really got over 1M, or got overly popular), but I think I've just about reached what I could handle mentally and emotionally. I want to go back to the hay days of blogging where creating content was a means of documenting your life, for your own consumption and not the overly curated day in the life or week in the life we often see now. That kind that feels like a perfectly manicured lawn in a gated neighborhood where dark secrets go to live. I want to stay grounded, enjoy the content I'm creating and not have my world revolve around the money that comes with content creation.

There's still so much I have to say on that topic--sometimes I wonder if Camie and Helga both kind of felt the same way because they're both pretty inactive on social media lately. Helga still posts from time to time but since moving to NY, Camie has been really quiet. Sometimes I don't know too if it's how social media is used in other countries, not a lof of people outside of Asia are as addicted to social media like we are. When I was in the UK for a vacation, I rarely held my phone because pretty much no one else was recording or taking photos of everything so I just did the same and enjoyed everything I had at present. But again, a conversation for another time. Today, I want to share some updates.

As I mentioned, a lot has happened since my last personal update. I moved out of the metro to the province since quitting my work in Tech and moving to a remote sales job, but also still in Tech. I also got a dog! And for the bigest. one, we moved closer to the beach. We have been living in Bulacan for quite some time now and I found the monotony damning. Don'tget me wrong, the location is perfect because we get to stay with my husband's side of the family and my family too; a quick trip to Manila would take us about 30-40 minutes and the house we have is big enough that I get to have my own office and Chewy gets her backyard. But somehow even with that, I've failed to build a community from where home is.

If no one has told you yet, working from home can be pretty isolating. And even if I get along with so many co-workers, none of them aren't from the Philippines and can't really hang out if wanted to share a beer or two. And admittedly even if I say more than often that I don't like people in general, I've also come to accept that one needs a community to thrive. It can be a spiritual community--which is why we often see people congregating celebrating their beliefs, a community built on things that we love--like people who often go to the gym to celebrate with like-minded individuals who value their health and phjysique, or simply a community within your neighborhood who you can share extra meals with in the essence of proximity. And believe me when I say I have tried to find my own community as hard as I could given the circumstances, it just didn't feel like the right place for me.

Once I realized that a lot of the lonelines I was feeling stems from that, I made efforts to change things. Tried to meet my firends more often, visited family as much as I can, engaged in activities that could eventually lead me to a community--but all efforts for naught as I still found myself feeling isolated. The beauty of remote work is that, it's remote--you can literally do it anywhere. And that's when both my husband and I realized, yes we have a home here but it also doesn't stop us from making other places our home as well. This was after a much needed Q1 break in Siargao--Q1 has been brutal to me and I was feeling burnt out at work. And while we initially planned on Siargao, the logistics alone of bringing our dog is a nightmare. Plus, the thought that there are no decent hospitals should any of us get sick, isn't really a comforting idea. So we settled on the next best thing, still a beach but closer to home should family need us we can still come home on a whim. We finally settled on La Union.

Chewy and her beach friends

We tried looking for long-term homes online and we stayed at one unit we potentially liked to test the internet, how Chewy can adjust etc. And we didn't like it--the place felt cramped, it was not a bechfront location and it just didn't feel right. At that moment we thought, well it was worth a try. We met with a friend who lives in Elyu, had some drinks and all of a sudden he mentions this place that he thinks would be perfect. It doesn't have a lot of online presence so we had to visit the place in person but we were already there so that wasn't a problem. The place had spacious parking, it was surrounded by greens and although it wasn't a beachfront location (the owner's house was on the beach front), we can see the sunrise and the beach from our window and it's literally a minute walk to the beach. It was perfect--it was a small studio unit, it had a corner 'living room' where we can work, a decent twin-sized bed that can fit the three of us, and a tiny kitchen right in front of our bed with a tv mounted just on top of the kitchen appliances. It was weird setup as I'd never lived in a studio unit before, but somehow it felt perfect for our little family.

It was a family-ran business and we were talking directly to the owner. We paid the deposit, set expectations on when we're coming over, settled for a month initially and that was it--we were moving to La Union for a month. I was so excited and kept conting the days 'til our 'move'. I packed just enough clothes and swimsuit to last us a month, Chewy's bag, some kitchen items they didn't have, my work things and of course my cameras--I wanted to document every bit of this journey, I told myself that. Then came they day, we drove happily, met with our friend once we arrived, had some coffee and light lunch and then we're off to fix our tiny studio unit. And for some reason somehow, that was 6 months ago.

I know I told myself I'll document the heck out of this little adventure, but I found myself reaching for my phone and my camera less. I spent more time with my husband, played with Chewy more often and cooked countless of meals in our tiny kitchen. I thought I would take videos and photos of everyday, but I didn't--I would wake up giddy at the thought of being blessed with a morning walk by the beach and a vivid sunset everyday to end my day. When I was stressed at work I'd put on my swimsuit and go for a swim, or simply ask my husband and Chewy for a walk and everything else will be okay. I went to the Sunday market more often than I can imagine, buying local fresh produce to grace my meals with. We visited lesser known local restaurants to diversify our palate of local Ilocano food, and we enjoyed everyday rarely remembering to document.

And so I guess, that's life for now. Uncertain but thriving, chaotic but full, fleeting but present.

Steak To One PH | Pet-friendly Steakhouse in Maginhawa, QC

2024-10-06T10:35:00.001+08:00

In the past month, much has been said about the nuances when a restaurant calls itself 'pet-friendly-'. If you are not chronically online and may not be familiar with where this issue stems from, just look for 'Balay Dako Issue' on Facebook and you will pretty much have a sense of what's happened. But in summary, Balay Dako, one of the well-known restaurants in Tagaytay labels their themselves as 'pet-friendly' except when it comes to Aspins (or local dogs aka Asong Pinoys as they're coloquially known). There was a whole discussion saying the Aspin was considered a large dog and therefore not allowed to come in, but at most he was medium, and to add to that--Labradors and Golden retrievers were actually allowed. So at the end of the day, it came to the discussion of discriminating between dogs with breeds and Aspins which the restaurant received heavvy flak about. So there's the downlow, but today I wanted to focus on the opposite and go with a restaurant that is completely the opposite--Steak To One PH.

I haven't blogged in a while and for me to come on here and vouch for this restaurant may not mean anything to you, but it means a lot to me. The Philippines is such a horrible place for strays and dogs in general--for some reason we have a general disregard for snything that's not human. Actually with the recent drug war, you can also say a lot of people in here have even less regard for human life but that's a topic for another time. So when I see restaursnts like Steak To One, I would do my part and spread the word about the business.

THE RESTAURANT

Majority of restaurants in Maginhawa are not as spacious as regular retaurants given the density of establishments in the area and this is no different, however they have a loft which makes it roomier. If you have your furbaby with you upon entrance, they just ask that you make sure they're in a diaper. If the place is not busy, you can get seated immediately but we were a party of 8 so we had to wait for about 9-10mins before we got seated. They also have a small nook dedicated to their advocacy of supporting strays, rescuing abandoned dogs etc. You can buy stickers and other pet products to support the strays they're taking care of at the moment.

THE FOOD

During our visit, the local steaks were all not availablle so it was a pretty limited menu for us. Majority of us got the USDA Choice Ribeye (P699.00) and you can have your choice of sides and gravy. Some sids are premium which emans you have to add an extra P50, and for the premium gravy you have to add an extra P80. I also got an extra bone marrow (P120.00) on the side which I think is priced very reasonably. The other only steal option we tried was the Filet Mignon (P650.00) which my sister had with creamy pesto pasta and a side of bone marrow as well. For the parentals we ordered Wagyu cubes salpicao (P290.00), Double Fried Chicken Tenders (P350.00), Truffle Parmesan Fries (P250.00), Mozarella Sticks (P150.00) and Chicken Skin (P145.00). For the size, the steaks were reasonably priced although the quality could've been more consistent. I always have my steak medium rare and the piece that I got had too much "litid". It took me a while to chew on some pieces because if it's medium rare you can imagine what the the texture would be like.

However, the highlight of our visit was the pet menu. It's not extensive but what a treat to have a menu specifically for our furbabies, am I right? We got Chewy a Pawrger Steak (P250.00)--it had rice, mixed veggies and ground beef patty, everything without seasoning so really perfect for our furbabies! My beagle is extremely food driven and we don't feed her rice, but once in a while is okay I think. She thoroughly enjoyed the meal and finished every bit of it. The human food wasn't the best but would I come back? DEFINITELY. I know bringing pets into restaurants can be annoying to some people, but having a place inclusive to is is rare so I;m keeping this gem!

Steak To One PH

Budget : P450-500/pax

Open daily : 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

189 Maginhawa Street, Quezon City PH

Dining at Wolfgang's Steakhouse

2024-04-08T20:22:00.001+08:00

Wolfgang seems to have been a buzzword since 2023 ever since people started finding out how costly it is to dine at this steakhouse. Prior to my visit, I had known my sister went here before and racked up a bill of P28k+. So coming in, I already had an idea what the price point would look like and what food I would order. I didn't want to go on in blind and emd up with a bill higher than what I could afford.

Compared to places where we would usually dine as a family, we were celebrating my sister's birthday so we thought a little lavish meal would be okay. She's been requesting to go back, but this time with us. Enough of the backstory and let's get into the food.

THE PLACE

From when we got to the door to when we got seated, we were assisted by their wait staff who also immediately offered a place for my bags and other belongings. It was a basket with woven cloth and my bag felt like royalty actually having a place to be put in given I've always had to just strap it on my chair when I dine out. I noticed and fancied this detail as it's the first time to have such attention be given to my bag.

Our very courteous wait staff also pulled my chair, setup my napkin and made sure my table was all set. People can say all they want about Wolfgang and their price, but I got to tell ya, service is just topnotch. We were also looking for some things that weren't on their weekend menu and they accomodated this request as well. Mind you, they have a different weekend and weekday menu. Some things will not be available but you can politely ask and see if they can accomodate.

THE FOOD

We ordered a little bit of everything. Soup of the day (P488.00), Porterhouse for 3 - 1.5kg (roughly P15k), Lobster Mac 'n Cheese (P988.00), Mixed Green Salad (P458.00), Classic Wolfgang Burger (P858.00), Mango Juice (P328.00) and Seafood Linguini (P1388.00). Aside from the steak, I think everything else was priced okay. Not cheap but it was not as bad. Taste is another thing though.

The steak was okay, for the price I was expecting myself to be crying on my first bite but I didn't? lol. I dont know. The doneness was perfect though and it was served on a hot plate and again the service was immaculate. But the taste? It was okay. Everything else was just okay too, nothing super or extraordinary. I think of all this the highlight was the burger. It was so juicy, tasty and tender. Every bite I can feel the juice oozing out with flavor. It was pretty humungous though and it was served deconstructed so to completely taste everything, you have to have a bite of the burger and a bite of everything else right after.

We made an event out of it given it's my sister's birthday and even wore outfits with a theme. I think what put people off when hearing about dining at Wolfgang is firstly of course, the price. I think anyone would be willing to shell out a little more than what they're used to IF the food is worth it. Personally I think it's worth the experience but for the food we got which amounted to about P21k+, I wouldn't go out of my way to dine again. Unless maybe if I'm hosting friends that want to try good steak and have the money to go for it, then why not. The service is impeccable and couldn't complain about anything, as is with the actual restaurant, it's cleanliness, decor and everything else.

Will I go back? As mentioned, if it's under the circumstances of hosting friends, sure. But would I include it in the list of restaurants on my rotation? I think I've had better steak for that price. I wouldn't discourage anyone in trying it though, if purely from an experience standpoint. Just plan out your meals ahead of time if you're on a budget so you won't get any bill shock as everything in totality would still include taxes plus service charge. It was still a nice event for the family so all in all, we had a good time. Check out more of our dining experience below. 'Til next time!

@ochibernadas Is P13k+ steak worth it? Sharing our Wolfgang Steakhouse dining experience! 🥩 #steak #wolfgang #FOODIEPH #viralfoodtrend #food #mukbang #foodieph #food #drinks #phoodtour #phoodtour #foodreview #fyp #viral #foryoupage #findom #paypig #cashcow #capcut ♬ original sound - Ochi in the City 🌸

Subic Yacht Cruise Experience

2022-06-21T18:09:00.002+08:00

It's been a extremely tedious to try and blog while vlogging a the same time. There's a difgferent art to writing and telling stories through a written platform, but lately with all that's happening--socially. politically--doing my content through video really has been the best way to go. But when it comes to getting all the information out there, blogging is still the way to go.

I get to write about all the details in a concise manner and can always reference to it without spending so much time going through the entire video. But hey, after a few months here I am again so I can document anotehr exciting experience I just had!

WHY A YACHT EXPERIENCE?

If you're on Tiktok, you probably have been seeing the same videos as me and I've been seeing a lot of yacht cruise videos! First saw it on Kathryn Bernardo's birthday photos and I did a couple of inquiries after but thought it was too expensive. Thankfully duting the time we decided to visit, we were celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday so we kind of had a reason to splurge a bit.

For the rentals, a minimum of a 2-hour booking is required and a one-time terminal/port fee of P1,500. There are a lot of yachts to choose from but specifically for us, we got the La Banca yacht which is P6,000/hour. There are also specific island destinations you can visit based on the duration fo the package you're selecting.

The rental doesn't include food so we brought our own snacks and water but the good thing is, there's no corkage fee so bring in as much as you can consume. They also have partner restaurants just in case you don't want to bring it yourselves. You can order from the restaurant and have it delivered to the yacht directly before you leave.

Time is very strict for the booking because they do make about 5-6 trips a day. If you're late, time already starts running even if you're not there. During the trip, you can do fishing, swimming and snorkeling once you arrive the island destination. Pick-up and drop-off is at the Subic Bay Yacht Club.

THE YACHT

There were only 11 of us and the yacht capacity was 20pax. Even fi there were 20 of us, it would still be super spacious. It also has a full kitchen that includes a functioning stove, microwave, water heater and a refrigerator. It has one room with a huge bed that can comfortably fit 5 people and it has it's own toilet and bath. There's also another standalone toilet and bath just beside the bedroom.

WHAT CAN YOU DO

As mentioned, you can fish, swim and snorkel. If you're fishing, you have to brign your own equipment and bait. Same goes for snorkeling, you have to bring your own goggles. For our destination we went to Grande Island and the water was crystal clear! There weren't a lot of fishes when we were swimming but we saw a couple when we were about to leave so not sure if it's because we're too early lol. Our schedule was 7AM - 10AM, we didn't want it to be so humid because we had kids with us.

Personally swimming around while eating and drinking was a really fun event. My niece and nephew just learned how to swim and we were teaching them to kind of take it on their own at sea--and they did have a lot of fun--I did too.

Will we come back? if there's a worthy occassion why not?? Lol. I'm not going to lie, compared to renting a regular boat to tour the islands, it can get pretty expensive. In El Nido we had to pay like 2k+ for an entire day and that comes with food for lunch. I guess what sets this experience apart is the exclusivity you get from it--I mean we had an entire yacht for our little family to enjoy! Plus the flexibility to go if we wanted to and just complete a different itinerary altogether. So yes we will. It's an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience that everybodo should get to try.

Check out : https://www.labancacruises.com/cruising-around-subic for mroe information. #notanAd

Mt Fuji Japanese Restaurant

2022-04-21T16:38:00.000+08:00

If you don't know yet, I moved to the province in 2020 to better align my life with how I actually want to live. That province is Malolos, Bulacan and as much as I love living here because we don't get as much pollution, we have a bigger space and we just overall have better quality of life in here--one slight inconvenience is that we don't have as much choices when it comes to restaurants compared to Manila. One of the things I constantly look out for would be Japanese restaurants as a person who has a slight obsession with sashimi--Salmon to be specific.

And while there are a couple of places I usually order from, can say the quality is a tad mediocre and not really something worthy of my happy dance. Nonetheless, they satisfy my cravings so I'm not complaining. HOWEVER, and that's a big however, I discovered a new Japanese place that's not really in Malolos but pretty close and I'm so excited to share it with you. As a probinsya girl (now), who doesn't have a lot of access to GREAT sashimi, this excites me okayyy. Haha

THE PLACE

Mt Fuji Japanese restaurant is located in Guiguinto along T12 Polo land. The place is huuuuuge. I've been in the area before because beside it is a warehouse of repossessed cars where my husband and I did our bidding. Anyway, the place is extremely spacious. They have indoor and al fresco dining available and they have private function rooms if you're a big group who want some privacy. The wait staff were very friendly and they know their food. The wait time upon ordering is relatively fast given the number of people--it was quite impressive to be honest.

THE FOOD

We got started with a couple of appetizers : Edamame, Crispy Salmon Skin and Kani Salad. From the first couple of bites I can already tell they used premium ingredients. Of the 3, I would probably recommend the salmon skin and edamame if you're looking to enjoy a full meal. The Kani salad while equally delicious was kinda filling for me. We also ordered california maki and dynamite rolls--both were pretty good too.

GYUDON

As a side story, my husband always orders Gyudon when we eat at Japanese restaurants. He's an extremely picky eater when I met him, he didn't even eat beef. I made him eat beef by taking him to an extremely expensive Japanese restaurant and they had the most savory, most tender and most flavorful beef gyudon. From there, I was able to transition him to other form of beef hence the beef gyudon in all my japanese resto posts lol. You can pretty much call him a Gyudon expert given his experience. So his rating for this is 4/5, he says the beef is not as fatty compared to others (which he prefers to avoid highblood lol). But I guess if you like fatty gyudon, this isn't for you. He also prefers the egg to be more overeasy than cooked all the way but he said it isn't a big deal.

SASHIMI MORIAWASE

Okay y'all know I'm a sashimi addict and this is always the highlight of my visit in all Japanese restaurants. I ordered the Sashimi Moriawase which is like a sashimi buffet containing 5 different types of Sashimi. The plate had Tuna, Salmon, Octopus, Lapu-lapu and Scallops. I think it was supposed to have shrimp but it wasn't available so they swapped the shrimp with scallops instead. It was my first time having scallops sashimi and holy cow, it was DIVINE. It almost dethroned my Salmon but it isn't quite comparable. They both have different flavor profiles but equally excellent in taste.

FOIE GRAS ABURI

You know I could've lumped this under sushi and sashimi but no, I want this to have its own section because it deserves the spot. Aburi literally means “flame-seared”; the technique involves using a torch to gently scorch the surface of the fish, transforming its flavor and texture. But for this dish it involves Foie gras, can you imagine--flame-seared fattened duck liver. Rich, buttery and delicate and literally just melts in your mouth. The flavors were luscious, delightful and decadent. I almost cried devouring this and for the price, it was really a steal. PLEASE for the love of god if you ever visit, try this.

Overall, it was an amazing experience. I'm so glad we've leveled up the choices of sushi and sashimi we have here in the ~province~. At the moment I get delivery from my usual sushi places about 2x a week but now, I think I see myself here at Mt Fuji on a daily basis.

MT FUJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Budget : P800 for 2 people

Open daily : 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

T12 Polo Land Industrial Estates, Ilang-Ilang St,

MacArthur Hwy, Guiguinto, Bulacan

Greenhouse Cafe - Tagaytay

2021-10-14T09:08:00.002+08:00

A couple of weeks back as restrictions were lifted, we decided to take a break from our WFH situation and spend a nice and quiet weekend in Tagaytay. We really didn't book/reserve anything in advance aside from our AirBnb because we weren't sure about restrictions so when it came down to where we had to eat, we were doomed. We went to the usuals--Balay Dako, Antonio's but both were booked to the brim. We headed to Sonya's because the place still comes highly recommended online. I'm pretty sure their menu had changed because we weren't as satisfied with the food as we were before. I believe it's their pandemic menu, but the service was terrible :( We left the place feeling full but not satisfied.

As we were driving home, we thought we'd have coffee. I searched googled and most of the recommended places were again more of the popular ones. But this cafe came up in one of the blogs I was reading. It was a little far from the usual busy district so we thought, hey why not. We're so glad we did because this place is a dream!

THE PLACE

Upon going down, we were already vibing with the place. With all the waiting and driving we had to do queueing for a place to eat, we're just glad this place was spacious enough even for parking. No waiting, no maneuvering tiny ass pathways, it was spacious and it was a treat given how crowded Tagaytay can get during the weekends. Upon coming in, not only was I in awe of how luscious greens surrounded the place, I was engulfed in the healing energy of plants.

I know some people come to this place because of the rare plants, but I'm not one to really look at tags. I was more focused on the calming energy the place had. Imagine being surrounded by all these plants! The place was quaintly decorated; they even had a small private room if you want to dine in intimately with your party. All tables were socially distanced and it felt like dining inside the forest. To top all that, did I mention the place is also pet-friendly? We had our beagle with us while dining. They even gave her cold water because she was feeling a little hot.

THE FOOD

We didn't order a lot because as mentioned, we already had our lunch someplace else. We had the USDA Angus Tapsilog, Carbonara, Mozzarella Sticks and a couple of things from their iced coffee selection. Nothing really stood out from the coffee we had, but the food was great. We were unsure in the beginning if it was really good or we were just too unsatisfied with the place where we had lunch that everything that came after immediately was a delight lol. But no, several of us had to taste test and the food was indeed good. Star of the show for us was the Tapa--the beef was so tender and flavorful and perfectly served with a side of pickled vegetables.

The carbonara was okay; not the best but it was okay. I found it a bit too salty more than creamy. The pancetta on the carbonara however is a different story. I rarely see carbonara being served with pancetta because the Filipino version uses sweet ham, so plus points for using real pancetta.

Will we go back? Definitely. I'm already looking forward to visiting the place again and hopefully next time I will have more space in my tummy to try some of their other dishes. If you're ever in Tagaytay, give the place and hopefully you can feel the same healing energy I felt when I first stepped into this lovely greenhouse.

Making Beef Pepper Rice Ala Pepper Lunch!

2021-08-13T22:49:00.002+08:00

Earlier this year I was on a roll with my recipes. I may not have been updating the blog as much as I was updating my other social media sites, and my excuse is Tiktok lol. It's just so easy to consume media on Tiktok for someone who has short attention span. I mean, it's the perfect formula--people stuck at home in the middle of a global pandemic + a mount of useful/useless content lol = a blackhole where you end up spending 3hrs of your time just scrolling through everything. But anywaaaaay, I've been doing a ton of recipes there until I got burn out in May because I have been producing content almost on a daily basis. Took a month off and I'm finally back with a new recipe!

Since we're on another lockdown and most restaurants are closed, I thought I'd recreate another resto favorite--Pepper Lunch's Beef Pepper Rice! I was absolutely obsessed with Pepper Lunch during their earlier days--rice, beef, corn on a sizzling plate with their sumptuous, savor sauce--what more can you ask for?? My last dine-in experience at Pepper Lunch was in 2019 at Ayala the 30th and I wasn't too impressed with the changes. Which is sad because I understand inflation but at the price they're selling, the quality shouldn't have diminished. So, recreating this dish at home perfectly made sense because I have control over the portions. Enough talking, let's get cooking!

INGREDIENTS

800 g very thinly sliced beef

1 white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 large cups cooked rice
1 cup cooked corn kernels
6 tsp butter
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
thinly sliced spring onions, to garnish
oil

Amakuchi
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce

Karakuchi
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp vegetable oil

PROCEDURE

1. For the sauces, just combine all ingredients in a pan and simmer in low heat. Set aside.

2. Heat pan over stove top, and cook your beef slices according to your doneness preference.

3. Add pepper and a little salt. Take the beef odd the pan soon as it's done.

4. In a sizzling plate/regular plate, position your rice in the middle.

5. Surround with beef, top with buttered corn and drizzle with the sauce.

6. Top with additional pepper and dried basil and voila, you're ready!

A Day In The Life

2021-08-03T15:17:00.000+08:00

Since the pandemic started, I've always felt like my days come in day in, day out with unbothered monotony. Moving to the province has given my mental health the much needed breather it craved while being choked up by the pandemic last year. For some reason, living in the city aggravated whatever it was that I was feeling--just made everything worse for some reason. Moving to a house. I have space, I have my plants, I have a bigger area for everything--work, sleep, hobbies pretty much everything. I even got a dog and she has all the space she needs to play around. I wake up pretty much the same time everyday, 6AM and get ready for the day ahead. I'm more exhausted compared to when. was living in a condo but not for nothing. Before 9AM hits, I've already taken care of my dog, cleaned the porch and the backyard, watered my plants, prepped breakfast and squeezed in a workout.

It sounds dreamy but it's also a lot of work. Everytime I get frustrated with the amount of work it takes to maintain a house, I just go back to my core and tell myself this is exactly what I wanted. A quiet place to settle in, a huge space to take care of my plants and still have room for my hobbies, not to mention an enormous kitchen where I can buy all the ingredients and spices I want and have a place to put them in. But this place I also have to clean, keep pristine and liveable, maintain and regularly do repairs and upkeep-it's a ton and it's overwhelming. It needs a lot of adjustment but nothing my partner and I can't handle. I'm back in therapy and I putting a lot of effort working on my coping mechanisms--life is good. Life isn't steady but it's pretty good.

I decided to film "A day in the life" content as some sort of tangible memorabilia so I can have something to remember these days by. I feel like if I don't, it'll casually slip my mind. And in between everything that's happening--a global pandemic, moving to the province, getting engaged and raising a dog for the first time--these are days I want to romanticize, these are days I want to remember forever. I find myself creating content more for myself more than others. If other people enjoy what I put out, great. If not, that's fine too because again--I'm creating all these mostly for myself and I hope others would too.

I'm so tired of seeing content being dished out only to make us buy something, it's getting tiring. I miss the old days where I'd read blogs about random people I don't know. I want to see the same for Youtube; I want to know what you're up to without you necessarily telling me to buy this, buy that etc. In this day and age where I don't get to see a lot of my friends and family anymore due to the pandemic, I really just want to see content that will resemble the tiniest bit of human connection and that's letting people in. Which is somehow what this vlog is all about too--letting my dear readers and viewers into my life too. Hope you enjoy having a peek. ♡

I Tried A Kpop Idol's Diet

2021-07-15T19:42:00.003+08:00

I've always had a love-hate relationship with my body. I remember calling Marie France (an aesthetic clinic) when I was 12, asking how much a scar removal would cost because I was a pre-teen who couldn't imagine wearing a bikini because of all my chickenpox scars. I also wanted a boob job and I wanted to have fair skin. I wanted to change so many things and I was never really quite satisfied with my body. A lot of factors come into play--media's portrayal of beauty, how society defines beauty and the environment I grew up in that that really just highlighted these insecurities. From whitening products, to the media's portrayal of what a beautiful woman should look like. I'd see this in magazine, newspapers--everywhere and I wanted that.

When I look back at that moment, it's scary how I went into great lengths so I can save up for the procedures I wanted, well, but not as scary as trying to make the conversation quick so my Mom wouldn't catch me doing a long-distance call haha. But seriously, when I look back at that moment, I was 12 and already vastly insecure with my scars, my skin color, my nose, my forehead and just everything about me that doesn't look like the "standard" look of beauty.

It's been years since that phone call but I ended up taking those insecurities with me going as far as seriously considering surgery and incessant dieting throughout the years. I've always been skinny but when you see a different standard of beauty on the media, you always want to be skinnier. My body before was okay but I would go on crash diets all the time and I feel that it ultimately ruined my metabolism. It became harder and harder for me to lose weight as I ate less--and my last straw at this was when in 2017 while I was on Keto. I was eating solely protein and fat and didn't realize how it was affecting my mental health. I was always hungry and drunk because it was becoming too much. I weighed 39kgs when I finally decided to stop because I realized it wasn't sustainable. I binged hard after that. I wanted all the carbs I lost and overate all the time--this went on for 2yrs which eventually led to my heaviest weight--60kgs.

Can you imagine, from 39kgs to 60kgs in a span of 2yrs? I didn't even realize I didn't fit in my clothes anymore. I was wearing the same thing and little by little felt a little ashamed to go out because I didn't look good. It took an entire pandemic for me to realize my worth is not based on my body or my looks or whatever physical attribute society dictates. I am still struggling right now but I'm slowly unlearning all the unhealthy and impossible standards society has planted in my head. I'm sharing this vlog not to encourage you guys to do it but to share how I finally got out of that hole and learned to love myself more ny nourishing my body with proper nutrition and feeding my mind and soul with kindness instead of unrealistic standards. Phew, that was a lot to unload but hope you learned a thing or two about my journey.

Glamping at Camp Sandugo

2021-05-25T12:59:00.001+08:00

The Philippines has one of the longest lockdowns documented during this pandemic, and to be honest, it's getting frustrating. I've spent two birthdays on lockdown, but I'm thankful for the one I had this year because I at least had the chance to connect with nature, breathe fresh air and enjoy some peace and quiet. This trip was one of the best I've had during this pandemic, I mean, not like we've had a lot. But it's definitely one that I needed--physically, mentally and emotionally.

I didn't really plan on going anywhere because God knows how crowded most places are lately even if we're being told to stay at home. But one Sunday afternoon while I was mindlessly scrolling on Facebook, I saw my friend's photo--it was atop somewhere high with majestic views of the sunset and the mountains. And they had with them a dog. I've had Chewy for about 6mos now (Chewy is my beagle), and I feel sad because she hasn't seen the outdoors. The most outdoor she's had is our backyard and the garage--which is just tragic for an active beagle really. I also just want to take her places and let her see the world. So I told my fiance to look it up and book us a stay.

Photo from Camp Sandugo's Facebook Page

THE PLACE

When we arrived at the parking, we were a bit clueless where the camping grounds were because the road wasn't paved, it was dusty and it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. Turns out the parking are is also their pick-up point. We brought a pick-up truck with us but we didn't realize the path going to Camp Sandugo was a rough road, also quite popular among bikers, but a road we didn't want to risk our car on hehe. But thankfully when we called our contact person, there's a pickup service ready to take us to Camp Sandugo. The ride was definitely rough, and Chewy was very nervous the entire time because it's her first off-road adventure but she had fun nonetheless.

Camp Sandugo is a spacious, vast piece of land in the mountains surrounded by trees and luscious greens. According to some of the staff I spoke with, Camp Sandugo is a popular destination to bikers and campers alike. Upon entering the Camp, we were greeted with the 'reception' area aka kitchen aka bar. There's a lovely dining spot in the camp grounds too which is why they have a pretty extensive kitchen.

Campers can choose to avail of Camp Sandugo's tents and other materials, or bring their own. You can also opt for 'Glamping' which is what we availed since we had a dog and she can't be quite handful since she's one energetic pup. In total, there are 3 glamping sites. They also have tents already setup and grounds available for people who want to pitch their own tents. Comfort rooms are available and a cooking area is also ready for people who want to cook their own food. We actually had a grill right beside our tent to it's quite easy to get our grill on. The charcoal isn't free but it's readily available for purchase.

We were quite amazed with our glamping site because we had an entire deck all to ourselves. On the deck was our tent with folding beds, a fan, chairs and tables for dining and a grill. When we got there, we immediately setup Chewy's playpen. While the camp grounds were spacious, it was also slope-y and we didn't want to risk having her roll in those mountains because I tell you, she's a rowdy pup lol. She loves her playpen anyway and was comfortable. Check-in is at 2PM while checkout is at 10AM. We arrived at around 3:30PM in the afternoon so the heat was quite scorching but thankfully the deck had covers that would eventually be removed when the heat wasn't as bad.

For the Glamping Package we availed of, it was priced at P2,500--comes with a tent, beds, toiletries, blankets and pillows! The package also comes with free breakfast. Everything else, you have to pay for. In our case, we ordered more food and had to pay for charcoal so towards checkout we paid an additional P650. May seem a lot, but we did order a lot of food too hehe so I think it's justified.

THE FOOD

Even if we brought our own food, we couldn't resist but try some of what they have to offer. Upon arrival, we immediately ordered a Mango shake and Pork BBQ, something light to quench our hunger and thirst. The boyfriend then ordered a meal after even if we were set to grill hotdogs that night lol. He said the food was good. Camp Sandugo also offers local craft beer and other refreshments. Upon arrival, we were also presented with quite a huge cooler which was like our personal mini bar. It has alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. We're good with the alcoholic drinks so we just got a couple of gatorades in the morning which we also had to pay for.

Overall, it was an amazing weekend spent nurturing myself through nature's energy. If there's just one thing they can improve on probably the noise over at their dining area. As mentioned, aside from the Glamping and Camping sites, they also have a restaurant that caters to customers visiting the camp. During our visit, it was already 9PM and the noise was pretty disruptive even for us not even close to the dining area. But aside from that, I really couldn't have picked a better place to have spent my birthday.

Where to eat in Baguio : Tajimaya Charcoal Grill

2021-03-18T21:29:00.006+08:00

In the past month, I've been to Baguio a couple of times to finalize some things for my wedding. And yes, I'm engaged lol. I don't think I'll be sharing the story here on the vlog but I sure will share some of the places we visited while we were there. I haven't been to Baguio in a year so I'm not updated which places are close/open, good thing my sister is a resident in one of the hospitals and is already a local in Baguio. Tajimaya is one of the places she recommended we try.

THE PLACE

Upon entering the restaurant, you're required to fill-out their contact tracing form while getting your temp checked. The tables were also neatly separated with transparent films to make sure there is no/minimal contact between other diners. During our visit, the place felt understaffed but I reckon it's understandable since not a lot of places are operating at full capacity not to mention workers who have been laid out so not taking that against them.

THE FOOD

At this point you might think it's just another all-you-can eat buffet dining and yes it may be but the selection of food they have makes it more interesting than the rest. For one they have cuttlefish and it was REALLY good especially when grilled right. I overcooked the first few servings I had so they turned out a bit chewy but still yummy! Another premium selection I found delightful was their scallops! I love scallops and seeing it on their all-you-can eat menu was amazing. But dont expect big-ass scallops like the one in Japan--theirs is on the smaller scale but equally delicious served with their signature sauce.

The side dishes they have is quite limited but I'm pretty sure you'll be enamored enough with their premium meat selection that you won't actually mind. My sister told me they used to have salmon belly and unlimited beer, not sure why it wasn't on the menu anymore but it would be awesome to be able to try. Would I go back? Definitely! Try it if you ever visit Baguio and you're looking at grilling your own food without compromising safety protocols. Let me know if you try it!

Where to eat in Baguio : Grumpy Joe's

2021-03-01T09:00:00.002+08:00

Baguio has been home to me since 2005 when I first stepped foot on its cold mountains and took a whiff of its foggy air--I've been enamored and in love since. I spent my formative years aka College lol roaming the city, enjoying the view and always wanting to just live there. At this point, I still haven't made that goal materialize but I'm getting there. Hopefully when I look back at this blog in 10yrs time, I'll be doing so while hanging out in my cold, foggy patio in Baguio.

Anyway, I was recently in Baguio and had the chance to visit some of my old favorite while all the while discovering new ones. First up on our list is an all-time favorite of, well, almost everyone. My sister, who's based in Baguio recommended the place since she's quite fond of it.

THE PLACE

Grumpy Joe used to be located in Leonard Wood in a small but quaint space. It was easy to spot because there would almost, always be a queue outside. That's why I never really took interest in the place before because I hate spending my time queueing given that I only have a few days whenever I visit Baguio. But just last year, they transferred to a new location along Gibraltar. The new location is a rustic dream with a lot of open spaces to move around and a lot of light that comes in--complete opposite of their old location but an awesome upgrade if I do say so myself.

During our visit, we came around lunch time which I think is a bad idea because we ended up waiting for about an hour or so lol. If you're dining in, make sure you come in early because they don't take reservations. The place also has ample parking compared to their previous location.

THE FOOD

Where do I even begin? I'm not even putting the prices up because everything was budget-friendly with humungous serving sizes to boot! You can check their menu and see the prices there, but for today I'll be focusing more on my personal recommendations. First up, the Seafood Marinara--while there are a lot of dishes worth mentioning, this was the one that my sister kept mentioning and building up and I told her not to do so because more often than not, I'm always let down if I have high expectations. But I wasn't disappointed at all! The pasta tasted so fresh (if that makes sense) and the seafood was very tasty and flavorful!

Another favorite was their Garden Salad. I hate most of the salads I get in restaurants because salads are supposed to be teeming with fresh vegetables, not dressing! And Grumpy Joe's Garden Salad was a refreshing treat with their wooden salad bowl filled with fresh and yes, crunchy vegetables and their homemade poppy seed dressing! And since almost all my family members are carnivores, we ordered almost all types of their chicken lol. We got their Teriyaki Chicken, Buffalo Chicken, Chicken with rice and chicken fingers with fries and baked parmesan wings with aioli dip--all of which were fantastic. I loved the parmesan wings the best and the aioli dip was just the icing on top.

Aside from the things I mentioned, I also enjoyed our sides and additional orders--yes we ate a lot because my family loves food lol. We got the Garlic Shrimp Pizza and this was SO DAMN GOOD. Please get this if you ever visit the place, they use real shrimp, not the tiny frozen ones you get from the supermarket--they use really big shrimps I tell ya! I also enjoyed the mozzarella sticks and bacon fries! Oh and pro tip: ask the waiter for Toxic Waste. It's an extremely spicy hot sauce and you know they're not kidding when they say it's hot because you actually have to sign a waiver releasing them of any accountability should anything happen to me--that serious! But it's worth a try, you only live once lol.

Aside from all the things I mentioned, the place really is a treat and a nice breathr from all the hustle and bustle of the metro. The place is spacious with light shining through as you dine in, coupled with an awesome view of the pine tress with just the cold breeze as your companion. Grmpy Joe really live up to its name of being one of Baguio's go-to restaurants, not just for tourists but for locals alike,

GRUMPY JOE

Budget : P400 for 2 people

Open daily : 10:30 AM - 9:00 PM

#49 Gibraltar, Baguio

#MalolosEats : Chefie's Special

2021-02-08T17:11:00.003+08:00

As y'all know I'm a huge fan of anything raw (not the kind you're probably thinking), but y'all know what I mean--Sashimi! But since moving to Malolos, I've been having a hard time looking for a go-to restaurant I can call my happy place since the places surrounding my area do not have a ton of choices. While there's Ganchan, my current go-to for Salmon Sashimi, they're not available on FoodPanda and messaging their page for delivery is a chore since sometimes they reply after a day or two lol. Nonetheless, they're still one of the place I'll highly recommend if you're looking for topnotch Sashimi in Malolos.

But again, I wanted a place where I can have a ton of options for when I'm craving and thanks to my Goodbye, Manila vlog, one of my subscribers recommended this place called Chefie's Special and I wasn't disappointed!

THE PLACE

The restaurant is owned by Chef Alfie Leoncio who used to be a Japanese cuisine chef in the luxury island of Maldives. He has over 15yrs of experience in Japanese food making from sushi to teppanyaki, name it and he can make it. I was amused because there aren't a lot of places that offer really good sushi/sashimi in my area as mentioned. The place already accepts dine-in customers following IATF protocols. Delivery is also available via FoodPanda or via their Facebook page. I've used both methods and can I just say how FoodPanda really is capitalizing on this pandemic? They add around P50++ to every dish and that's on top of the delivery fee. You'd think at that amount delivery would be free huh? Nope.

Given that, I prefer to order via their Facebook page. The delivery to my place is P80 but considering the amount of food I order and the frequency, I've come to a conclusion that I save more rather than when I order through Foodpanda with every dish having an additional P50++.

THE FOOD

Okay, on to the food. I cannot stress enough how good the food is at such an affordable price! I mean 4pcs of Salmon Nigiri at P120, what more can I ask for? I've been stuffing my face with Sushi for the past 3wks just because. And you can see from the photos how presentable the food looks, right? I mean it's not the highest grade of Salmon Sashimi but for the price, I'm more than giddy to be sharing this place with y'all. I also always go for the Sushi and Sashimi for one which retails for P280, I mean are you kidding me?? It has Salmon sashimi, Tuna sashimi, Salmon Nigiri, Tuna Nigiri, Shrimp Nigiri, Shrimp Sashimi, Kani Nigiri and California rolls all for P280.00! I swear I can't with their prices, I am so in love with this place. I hope they can sustain this kind of quality as they go along.

If I can suggest anything to this resto, I hope they add more things to their menu because their Chef is so talented I'm so sure this will be a hit here in Malolos. I also would love to see some Uni and Ika because I seldom see Japanese restos serve it right. Nonetheless, the current menu is already satisfying as it is. These recos really are just add-ons. Anyway, if you're ever in Malolos, don't miss this place!

CHEFIE'S SPECIAL

Budget : P400 for 2 people

Open daily : 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM

638 MacArthur Highway Tabang 3015 Guiguinto

Goodbye, Manila.

2021-01-27T21:22:00.004+08:00

I created my blog in 2009 when I was a young, naive, fresh-out-of-college lad looking into making it in the corporate world. From my humble beginnings at ABS-CBN, to my now esteemed role in my current company, I've always maintained chronicling my adventures in this tiny online space. Looking back, I started this blog because I had a lot of "feelings" back then that I didn't know how to address them and putting all these feelings in writing just made the world a little better. I would eventually make these "feelings" post private and transition from making it my online diary into a space where I can write down memories of my food and travel adventures.

The name 'Ochi in the City' came about because, well if it isn't obvious yet, I'm very sentimental and wanting to document everything has always been my character. If not for Multiply shutting down in (2013/14), I would actually have photos to show for it because it was practically my dump lol. Come to think of it, 2009 was over 10yrs ago. I've been working my ass off in the city, hustling and bustling day in day out, enduring hellish traffic and wasting all my time just to get to work and get back home and...all for what? This pandemic made me realize a ton of things and one of them is that I don't want to waste any more of my time living in the city.

During the pandemic, I was cooped up in a 57-sqm loft and you know what, it's pretty spacious if you're considering how people live in Manila right? But is it something we just tolerate or is it really how we wanna live? My answer was the former and this led me to exploring options outside of the city. My first option was to move back to Pampanga, not with my parents but probably close to the vicinity where they live. Second is move to a place close to them, but also close to Manila so when the time comes for us to go back to the office, I can still afford the daily drive. The latter seemed like a more feasible option and even if traffic will be bad when the time comes, it's pretty much the same given I live around the Ortigas business district and a 2km ride takes me from 30mins to an hour. I'd rather do so and live in a place with more space for plants and everything else in between.

Given that, I decided I'd be moving to Malolos, Bulacan. It's the sweet spot between wanting to be with my family more, affording myself more space and still just the right distance between my home and work. Malolos is considered a city so I don't think I'll have to change my blog name, but being far from the busy streets of Manila--I probably won't have as much content on what or where to eat and i thought I'd have FOMO but you know what, it feels like a breath of fresh air. I mean, I still work with brands every now and then but I also have more time to be more creative with the content I put out. I've been wanting to do something like "A day in the life" type of vlog and I've finally had the time and space to do so! If you want to see more of my vlogs, check out the video below. And oh, for those from Malolos, see you around!

Pa Muchim aka Scallion Salad ala Samgyupsalamat!

2020-12-17T17:04:00.003+08:00

It's no secret Filipinos have fully embraced Korean culture. From Kpop to Korean food, we've all managed to get our hands on it. Not only have Korean BBQs taken us by storm, we've started 'Filipinizing" some of their traditional dishes like Kimchi, alternating the flavor to fit the Filipino palate more. And it's not a bad thing! We've managed to widen our palate by introducing ourselves to ingredients like gochugaru, gochujang and samjang to name a few. Personally when I was delving into Korean cuisine, I had no idea what these all are but after countless hours of watching youtube videos and reading food blogs, I managed.

One of the things I love most about Korean food is their side dishes. As a Filipino you probably will be crossing your eyebrows at the thought of having to wash all those dishes but really, it's an amazing feast whenever we have korean food with all the mirage of side dishes. My first favorite was Myulchi Bokkeum (Stir-fried Anchovies)! I could eat a plate in a minute! Second would be pickled radish and carrots and third would be today's recipe--Pa muchim or scallion salad. Pa Muchim is best served alongside grilled meats like Bossam or Samgyupsal which is why we always see it in unli K-BBQ restaurants. If you haven't had this yet, you're missing out. If you want to try it for the first time, let's begin!

INGREDIENTS

1tbsp gochugaru (korean red pepper flakes)

1tbsp soy sauce

1tbsp sugar

1tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tbsp fish sauce

sesame oil (optional)

sesame seeds (optional)

PROCEDURE

1. Cut the scallions crosswise into about 4-inch lengths. Thinly slice each piece lengthwise.

2. Soak the scallions in cold water for about 10 minutes. Drain well.

3. For the sauce combine gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and fish sauce.

4. Top with sesame oil and roasted sesame seeds.

And that's it! There's actually a tool specifically used for cutting scallions like this but I couldn't find one so I just used a technique that I saw off of Youtube and it works! If you have better knife skills than me, it should be easier than the one on the video lol. Anyway, hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know if you try it and how it turns out.

Kitchen Chronicles : Chicken Teriyaki

2020-11-23T12:29:00.005+08:00

Since COVID happened, we've all been too reliant on food deliveries and I can't blame y'all because it's the closest thing we have to dining outside or at least having a taste of the cuisine we used to enjoy when we freely can roam outside without our face masks. But if I'm being honest, food deliveries can also get quite pricey, not to mention the tip we have to provide the riders who tirelessly bring us our cravings. Sometimes I also order for them, which I do wholeheartedly but then again also adds to how much one spends during deliveries. So, my point really is just I've been trying to learn how to cook some of these cravings so I can save some money because yknow we're not born rich lol.

So for today's recipe, I'm sharing a super easy version of one of my favorite Japanese rice meal. Word of caution, this may not be the authentic way of making it but this is what I like to call "pantry edition"--meaning making the most out of what I have in my pantry to make a dish taste as close as it should be to the original. Which leads me to today's recipe, Chicken Teriyaki! I love Chicken Teriyaki because it's sweet, salty, savory and is just so perfect with steamed rice. But yknow how sometimes when you eat out and they are so stingy with the teriyaki sauce that there isn't enough for the entire dish? Yeah, I hate that. So today I'm teaching you how to make a saucy one. I hope that made sense, so let's cook some chicken teriyaki!

INGREDIENTS

Chicken thighs/Chicken breast

Soy sauce

Mirin

Sake (but I use vodka, wink!)

Sugar

Ginger

Sesame seeds

Green onions

Cornstarch

PROCEDURE

1. in a pan, saute your chicken and cook for about 5 minutes.

2. Once the chicken has browned, let's make our sauce.

3. For the sauce combine equal parts soy sauce, mirin and vodka.

4. Grate some ginger on top and add 2-3 tablespoons of sugar.

5. Add a little water and simmer for about 3mins.

6. Once simmered, add slurry (cornstarch + water) to thicken the sauce.

7. Simmer for about 5 more minutes, top with sesame seeds and green onions.

NOTES

If you noticed, the recipe calls for Sake but since I have a hard time finding it in grocery stores all the time, I substitute it with vodka. If you guys saw my beef gyudon recipe, I also used vodka in place of Sake. I'm pretty sure the dish would taste better if you did use Sake, but again this is my pantry version hence the vodka. Also, you can note the resemblance with the gyudon recipe, but what makes teriyaki different is the addition of ginger. If you have dashi also, you can add that and it will definitely level up your dish. If you also watch the video, you'll notice that I kind of doubled the volume of the ingredients so that I can make a more saucy version. If you're fine with just the usual serving of the sauce, then just adjust your ingredients accordingly.

Let me know if you try this dish! It's one of my go-to recipes when I want something filling but easy to make. Can be paired with steamed vegetables or toppped in a bowl of steamed rice. Whichever way you choose to enjoy it, I assure it'll be amazing. Plus, you can do it with pork and fish too. Have an awesome week ahead!

Ginisang Ampalaya Without The Bitter Taste!

2020-11-19T21:21:00.001+08:00

I had vivid memories of hating vegetables as a child. Not just vegetables but eating in general. I've tried so many tricks on my mom when I was younger just so she'd think I actually consumed my food. I would push my rice around the plate just to make it appear like I've eaten some of the food on my plate, I'd throw it in the trash or push it in the sink--and just thinking about the cleanup, man that must have been hell for my mom that's why she was always mad at me. But on the rare occasion that I actually would have the appetite, I would usually just have soup and rice. But as I grew older, I was sort of 'forced' to incorporate other good groups because my mom wouldn't serve anything else lol. I was spiteful at first buuuuut, I actually thank her for it.

Which leads me to our recipe for today, Ampalaya. A lot of people hate it not just because of its appearance but also because of the vegetable's naturally bitter taste. There are tons of techniques out there such as soaking and massaging into salt and such, but personally, I don't mind the bitter taste. But since eating vegetables has done me wonders, I've explored a couple of methods on how to make this underrated more appealing to the people I cook for. I've seen this new method from Tiktok and I've tried it a couple of times and it seems to work so, sharing is caring. Let's go!

INGREDIENTS

Ampalaya/Bitter Gourd

Tomatoes

Onions

Garlic

Salt/Pepper

Eggs

PROCEDURE

1. Saute garlic, onions and tomatoes.

2. After sautéing for about 5mins or until the tomatoes are mush, add a little water.

3. Simmer for 2-3 minutes then add the ampalaya.

4. Important, DON'T MIX if you want to leave the bitter taste out.

5. Simmer until the ampalaya is almost done, then add eggs.

6. Once the eggs are cooked, then you can mix.

7. Season with salt and pepper!

NOTES

And that's it! Super easy. It's one of my go-to recipes when I really want to be loaded with vegetables. For some they add shrimp or hibe to add more flavor, some also add ground beef. You can do as you please, but again personally I want it to be purely made of veggies as much as possible. When I tried this process, I didn't massage the ampalaya in salt anymore. I previously did before I learned about this method but for this, I didn't and not mixing it while cooking actually worked. Let me know if you guys try it! Would be thrilled if I get to have more people try and eat vegetables. Have a great week!

Kitchen Chronicles : Kapampangan Sipo Egg

2020-11-07T12:58:00.004+08:00

Hey, everyone. For today's recipe I thought I'd share something quick and simple but equally good! Lately work's been a little crazy so I haven't had my relaxed time to prepare my meals. Anyway, we all know how the pandemic has ruined a lot of things for us, and for me particularly, it's social events. I don't know about you but fiesta is a huge deal in kapampangan culture. One thing they even say is that sometimes, even when people do not have money anymore, they still chuck out money no matter how small just to prepare food for a fiesta. That's kind of the culture I grew up on.

But again, we all know how everyone's missing out, and I'm no exception. It's almost the end of the year and I haven't attended any social gathering in the past 8mos, haven't gone home to visit my friends not attend a fiesta, which is one of my favorite festivities at home. So I thought, why not cook at home instead so I can reminisce? That's exactly what today's recipe is all about. Let's get cooking!

INGREDIENTS

Boiled Quail Eggs

Mixed veggies (peas, carrots, corn)

Ham or spam

Butter

Salt and Pepper

Nestle Cream

Cream of Mushroom

PROCEDURE

1. In a pan over medium heat, cook your hamp/spam in butter.

2. Once the ham/spam is cooked, add your mixed veggies and saute.

3. Next, add your onion and garlic.

4. Add the nestle cream and dilute with a little water.

5. Simmer and flavor with cream of mushroom.

6. Season some more with salt and pepper.

7. Add quail eggs and serve!

NOTES

See very easy! Sipo egg is usually paired with any fried dish and an entire assortment of meat as is during a proper fiesta. Personally, we love pairing it with fried chicken and steamed rice--perfection! The steps might seem odd because as you've seen I saute my onions and garlic towards the third step but it's only because I want the onion and garlic taste to be more prominent. If you prefer to saute towards the beginning, that's fine as well. Whatever works for you is good! Let me know if you try this dish; I'm pretty sure you'll love it. Enjoy!