just K

Rainy treat? TABLEA DRINK!

2012-05-31T00:30:00.001-07:00

So the rain's pouring very very hard today. The sky looks dark when the sun should be burning my skin now. So as not to ruin my day I made this Tablea drink!

It is the Filipino version of hot choco. I once saw a documentary about the Tablea industry. I was fascinated how this cocoa can provide a living to many housewives. The Philippines is such a rich counry and if we can only harness its true potential, we can become better.

However with the fast-paced world we have today, everyone needs everything to be instant. Thus this quality homemade products are at risk. I hope our people's brilliance can come up with something to revive our dying products.

Once in a while, all we need is a break from this world and enjoy a hot tablea drink like this!

What to do with over ripe bananas?

2012-05-30T02:53:00.001-07:00

A few days ago, my mom was invited to speak to one of our church outreaches in Amadeo, Cavite. In return, they gave her 3 types of bananas and one of them is the senorita. These are small bananas with very thin skin and it has a bit bitter aftertaste. Nevertheless, they're sweet when they are over ripe already. Since my dad suggested to throw it away beacause it will eventually spoil and I don't want anything to be wasted, I made it into a smoothie!

Here are the ingredients:
> over ripe bananas
> evaporated milk
> sugar (bananas are already sweet so you may not add any sugar)
> ice
> vanilla extract (optional)

NOTE: The tricky part is peeling the banana. The more over ripe it is the more the skin sticks to the banana itself.

Procedure:
> Peel the bananas
> Blend the bananas (I tried to make the smoothies by batch)
> Add enough milk to achieve the right consistency. If you want your smoothie to be thicker, add less milk.
> Add ice, sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract.
> Pour into a nice glass and enjoy!

A Birthday Gift from Super Bowl of China!

2012-04-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

Guess what arrived in the mail today?

An advanced birthday card from Super Bowl of China!

Our family loves Super Bowl of China.

My mom got a lot of discount/promo cards from them but never got to use them. I am not sure if it's just a coincidence but Steamed Fish Fillet with Garlic is MY FAVORITE dish :)

I will sure have a Super Birthday at Super Bowl.

P.S. My birthday is NOT in April but I appreciate the correct spelling of my name. :)

SB Planner Giveaway

2012-04-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

Although this doesn't count as FOOD entry (well, almost), I think having a planner (for the year) when 3 months already passed is just fine. I had Witty World Save the Day planner in 2011 and HOPED they will produce another this year. Unfortunately, they didn't. And I wasn't able to search for other planners or it's too late since most were out of stock already. And also, I wasn't able to collect SB stickers and in short, I don't have a planner this year!

Last week, I went to National Bookstore to buy boards for the upcoming medical mission and saw this planner I wanted. I thought it's weird to sell or restock them in April. Who would buy it right? When I reached the cashier, I saw two girls who bought the planner. One guy with them asked the question in my mind, "Bakit pa kayo bibili ng planner eh April na?" One of the girls answered, "It's not just the planner, it's a collection". And she was right.

Since Starbucks had this planner, my mom was able to get one (or two) almost every year. The first one se got was still the bulky and thick one. And every year I thought it's just a waste since I am not used to using a planner. But I realized, it's still a collection. So, having this planner will complete my mom's "collection" whether or not she considers it as one.

If you STILL want this year's planner you can join Trips and Travel's Starbucks Planner Giveaway!

Checkout their site and follow them! :)

Red Mango: The Best Place on Earth

2012-04-08T22:12:00.001-07:00

This post will be more of a story than a review of Red Mango.

When Filipinos became more health conscious, frozen yogurt suddenly became a hit. With lesser calories and more benefit especially with your digestion, one can easily consider having frozen yogurt than ice cream to beat the heat.

You can have as much as you want without being guilty of the extra pounds you'll gain. But yogurts are sour and may have an aftertaste most people won't like. But not me. I love having yogurts because of it's taste.

J and I decided to try every yogurt shop we can and compare them. And nothing beats Red Mango. J introduced this to me when we were having our internship at the National Center for Mental Health and we passed by Megamall all the time. We used to order two small original yogurts with two toppings each. One small bowl will cost you Php 80.00 and 2 toppings will be additional Php 30.00. J always have Mochi Balls and Blueberry or Mango while I ALWAYS have Blueberry and Mango. At first I didn't like Mochi Balls, they're too chewy and hard for me. Then Red Mango never had Mochi Balls EVER! J was disappointed of course. But they replaced it with Mochi (not balls) which is like the old Mochi Balls only softer and sweeter. I learned to love Mochi. Also we realized that ordering family-sized yogurt will be cheaper and having more toppings will also cost less. I can't exactly remember the price but it's like Php 300-350 for three yogurt towers and 4 toppings. The staff are also great! They will offer you their best toppings for the day and will be very accommodating. It makes your Red Mango experience very comfortable.

This is their MOA branch. I think this is the biggest they have.

But Megamall branch is more packed.

And the Greenbelt branch is the coolest!

This is the family size bowl with 4 toppings: choco chips, mango, blueberry.

You can order with one topping (Php 20.00), two toppings (Php 30.00), or three toppings (Php 40.00)

but we got FOUR because of the kind server who suggested and gave us some tips hahaha I love her!

Banana Almond Waffle

They also have heart-shaped waffles which I love not just because it's heart-shaped but also because it tastes great! It really goes well with the yogurt. We first had this waffle last November 26, 2011. It was J's birthday and they gave us FREE WAFFLES (I don't exactly know why since they didn't know it was J's birthday). Since then I craved for this waffle and I really love it. They also have other flavors like Blueberry and Green Tea.

Every time I feel sad or depressed I feel an urge to go to this place. Red Mango is not just some ordinary yogurt shop, it's a whole experience in itself.

Experience Red Mango at Trinoma, Megamall, Greenbelt, or MOA.

Here's to more of you RM :))

Stackers Burger Cafe

2012-04-08T11:20:00.002-07:00

Since we're fond of eating burgers and I accidentally left my wallet when we went to Eastwood as you can read here,we ended up having Stackers Burgers. The place looked nice and cozy. Although there were available tables inside we opted to stay outside where, of course, smokers usually eat.

Yes, Eastwood branch is open 24/7 for the graveyard shift crowd

My Cocoa w/ RS&C and Stackers' Iced Tea

We ordered something from their Bestsellers. The waitress recommended their House Burger. We chose something from that line but with some flavor. I ordered Pepper Burger and J got Crunchy Burger. Honestly, I can't tell the difference both look and taste. Also, I did not get the "pepper" part in my burger.

J's Crunchy Burger (Php 168.00 + Php 60 to add Iced Tea and Fries)

My Pepper Burger (Php 168.00 + Php 60 to add Iced Tea and Fries)

Even the waiter wasn't able to tell us the difference between the two burgers aside from their names. The curly, crunchy things in it (in my opinion) shouldn't be there. It tasted like dry instant noodles or corn flakes. The bun wasn't also as good as other burgers we tried. It's just like those burger buns you can buy in your local bakery. The patty was good but nothing special.

Stackers Fries

In all fairness to Stackers fans, I loved their fries! You can tell it's fresh and made out of real potatoes. It goes really well with their Hunt's ketchup hehehe. Also, they have one of the best Iced Tea I ever had. The tea's brewed and with just the right sweetness. The taste resembles that of Wendy's Iced Tea minus the pulp. Thumbs up!

I am actually thinking that the +60 pesos is actually what's worth the food in Stackers and not the burger. BUT if you're just looking for something new and not-so-ordinary burger, try Stackers! Perhaps, we'll try other flavors too. But for now, The Burger Project still is the best! :) sorry.

Bubble Tea - SM North EDSA, The Block

2012-02-24T08:03:00.000-08:00

In search for the best milk tea in town, we came across this at SM North EDSA, The Block: Bubble Tea. This place also offers a number of dishes and cakes. What separates them from the other milk tea shops is, as the name implies, their "bubbles" or the pearls. While most milk tea shops use the large sago, Bubble Tea mixed the large with the small (like the ones you get from taho) sago. However, their drink is a bit pricey considering their tough competition in the market. A medium-sized (but really small in actual) drink costs Php 115.00. It's the first milk tea shop I saw that uses a machine to mix the drink and ice. Most shops do this by hand. The milk tea itself is not too special. The milk overpowers the tea and it's not that sweet, or there's just too much water. The pearls were also too chewy. But the place looks nice and perfect for an evening meeting with a friend.

Bubble Tea is located at SM North EDSA, the Block, ground floor (outside the mall) beside Almon Marina and facing the transportation terminal.

4 Fingers Crispy Chicken - SM North EDSA

2012-02-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

4 Fingers is originally from Singapore and offers Korean-style crispy chicken. What's with the name? Well, one because it was started by four food fanatic friends who developed this "secret" recipe for a perfectly cooked crispy-on-the-outside-juicy-in-the-inside chicken. Second, obviously, chickens have four fingers (according to J haha). It's first and ONLY franchise here in the Philippines is located in SM North EDSA, Main Bldg. It's beside National Bookstore and Papa John's (near Yakimix).

First thing that will make you fall in love with this place will be the interior. It's just superb! I know these photos do not give justice to the place (thus we will come back soon!) and you better see this for yourself. :)

The graffiti walls were painted red, black and white and designed to give an urban subway feel to the place. Each wall has a different design and gives a sense of comfort and even encourage you to use your TWO FINGERS to eat the FOUR FINGERS chicken :) It's very inviting and even the "staff" and the "boss" (these words were written on their black shirt in a silkscreen-stencil style) were very friendly and accommodating. And for the main and best part...the FOOD.

Their cool cup design! :)

(green iced tea and coke - free with meal)

In order to compare with Manang's Chicken as blogged here, we ordered the same one piece chicken meal.

J's one piece soy garlic drumstick with rice (Php 99.00)

My one piece hot drumstick with rice (Php 99.00)

6pcs wings-mixed (Php 189.00)

There are a lot of choices in their menu; there were fries and burgers too. You can also choose your sauce: hot, soy garlic, or mixed (just a combination of the two). If you want your chicken with some spicy kick, better pick hot. It's not that hot really like it's only 3/5 hotness haha :) Their 6pcs wings are the bestsellers. That's why we ordered it ala carte. Good thing we ordered extra chicken since one piece is just bitin for me. If you're hungry (or just have a huge appetite) order the two-piece chicken instead. Their creativity did not stop on the walls, it goes with the food as well :)

They serve their food in these silver tin boxes.

The verdict? This is, by far, the best Korean-style chicken I've had! I am not fond of eating the meaty part of the chicken like the ones you get from chicken breast but 4 fingers chicken's so tender even in those parts I ate all of them (not the bones, of course!). Plus it's budget-friendly. Their green iced tea is also a must-try! :)

It's really fun dining in this place and you just can't help but smile while munching on it's crispiness. :) This will definitely go in my favorite places list :)

Visit their website: http://www.gimme4fingers.com/crispy/main.html

Like their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Gimme4fingers.Philippines

Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/4FCCPhilippines

Nestle Fruit Selection Yogurt

2012-02-23T06:01:00.000-08:00

I've always been a lover of yogurt and almost any dairy product. Normally when my mood's down, I buy the 125-gram Nestle Fruit Selection Yogurt. Although I'm not fond of eating strawberries (fresh, preserved, jam, anything!), I love the real fruit bits in Nestle's yogurt. Either their fruits are just so fresh and yummy or their yogurt just goes well will anything, even things I dislike :) And now that I have a lot on top of me, I really consider buying (and eating) the 500-gram cup (or tub hehe). Not to mention the savings you'll get when you buy the 500 grams instead of 4 small cups. So here's what made my day and made me hum "may yogurt ako na malaki!" on my way home :)

YUMMY! :)

The Happiest Lemon on Earth :)

2012-02-20T04:32:00.000-08:00

Happy Lemon is not just another tea shop. It's a whole new experience in itself! With different drinks to choose from, you can go ga-ga over everything you'll see. It's one of those drinks that will make you crave for more (even if it makes your tummy hurt when you had too much). It's tangy taste is enough to make me go around the metro in search for the best branch of Happy Lemon. Sadly though, I don't have photos from the shops that means "I shall return!" :) Personally, the Eastwood Mall branch is my favorite. It is located on the 4th floor right beside Starbucks, near Red Box (sounds funny hahaha). But this branch is far from me and it's hard to go there without a car. Next choice will be Megamall branch. It recently opened at Megamall Building B. It's across the cinemas and beside Tokyo! Tokyo!. This is (I think) the largest branch so far. Third will be Powerplant branch. It is located near National Bookstore among with the small booths selling clothes and stuff. Lastly, the Trinoma mall. Although this one's the closest to me, I do not find it accommodating so usually I just grab my drink and go somewhere else to stay since most of the time, the tables are full. Plus the noisy environment because it's near a carousel and Power Station.

My point is, no matter how hard it is for me to drink a large cup of Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese (MY PERSONAL ULTIMATE FAVORITE!!!) because I think I am partly lactose-intolerant, I still crave for it and endure the pain afterwards. It is something you will not just want but you will definitely NEED to lighten up everything and make you...oh yeah, HAPPY. This will not be the last time I will write about you, I will never stop craving for you. And I can sacrifice a hundred peso everyday just for you. :)

from Eastwood Mall

Cocoa with RS and C plus Lemon Yakult from Megamall

The Burger Project

2012-02-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

THE BURGER PROJECT is one of the best places to have burgers that will fit your palate! Oh well, because you design/personalize your burger. Yes, you can put or remove anything you like from the Buns, the Patty, the cheese, etc. We went here as part of our Maginhawa food walk last November.

The Burger Project and its next door neighbor Sancho's

First, get one of these order forms in a small clipboard from the counter.

Fill it up with their color pens.

My order: 1pc 100% beef patty with mozzarella, tomatoes and pickles in sesame bun (which comes free)

Janell's order: 1pc 100% Beef patty with cheddar cheese, bacon, pineapple slices and lettuce in sesame bun.

Two two burgers are great! And the variety of cheese and toppings was just amazing! One burger costs around 200-250 (with iced tea which I liked since it's really brewed tea) and it's good for lunch already. It's really worth every centavo. They also have designer burgers which are actually just pre-designed burger if you can't make up your mind from the wide range of choices in the list.

designer burgers

The very inviting counter!

How to order

We also got this Sweet Potato Fries (Php 60)

more designer burgers with details

We will see you soon :)

Is Kirsten = Kristen?

2012-02-15T13:31:00.000-08:00

My name is KIRSTEN N. VILLALOBOS, it's K-I-R-S-T-E-N.

However, people often mispronounce or misspell my name as KRISTEN.

When I was younger, I insist on correcting people whenever they mispronounce my name and won't stop until they say it right. But as I grew older, I learn to accept simple mistakes and realized that these mistakes make my name more special :) Recently, I tried to gather "proofs" of my new name haha.

Visitor's ID I wore at the FOOD BAZAAR in World Trade Center

Receipt for Lab exam during enrollment.

My name plate.

This one I got it corrected but the school year is about to end and I still don't have my corrected name plate.

LBC Money Transfer receipt. I actually told the consignee that my name's misspelled so she should also write the misspelled name. One time when I was the consignee and they got my name misspelled, I can't claim the money so I called them to change my name in that LBC branch. Hassle.

This is from my brother's scrapbook project. It says "...my mom took this picture together with my sister KRISTEN." Even my brother got it wrong!

Well, I did some Google-ing and found out that KIRSTEN (which means "anointed, follower of Christ")

used in Scandinavia is the same as KRISTEN when used in Germany.

And they both mean the same thing! Also, I found this survey and laughed.

Photo: http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/suitability_of_Kirsten.html

Looks like it's not much of a big deal after all :)

The V Day

2012-02-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

With two quizzes, 3 laboratory sessions, and lecture, who can feel Valentine's Day???

Since I am craving for Happy Lemon since yesterday, and with the celebrating spirit I have after all the studying, J and I decided to have a little food adventure. Because I won an online contest, she promised to buy me a large Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese as a prize (since the prize from that contest is actually for my mom) so there should be a Happy Lemon branch where we will dine. Nearest to our place is Trinoma. Well, I wanted to go "somewhere else" and one secret dream I have is to see Eastwood. I lived in the South until med school so exploring the North is new to me. Considering J worked IN Eastwood for many months and she hasn't shown me the place YET, she felt somewhat obliged to bring me there, and now is the perfect time! (meaning all exams done, no exam the following day: a very rare opportunity) :)

First, I never knew Valentine's Day will bring SO MUCH TRAFFIC and cost me most of my precious and curfew-bounded time! I almost regret asking J to bring me there. Thanks to my (recent) favorite wedge, I fell okay deep inside (and underneath my feet :D). I researched that Happy Lemon is on the 2nd floor of Eastwood Mall. Whenever I will go somewhere, I research on it. Almost everything about it. Sometimes I even have a sketched map of the place and take note of their "bestsellers".

J practically gave me a quick tour of the place which is very nice and packed since it's almost dinner time. Upon entering the Mall, we found out that Happy Lemon is actually on the 4th floor. And it's beside Starbucks! We originally planned to grab my HL drink and J will get coffee (I don't really know why she has cravings for SB considering she's not even a regular coffee drinker). But because the traffic caused us to arrive later than planned and we're hungry already, we looked for a resto around the place.

Eastwood isn't a cheap place and one more thing, I LEFT MY WALLET!

We went to the Mall Directory and searched a restaurant. Well, here's my thing, I never go somewhere to eat UNPREPARED! I never go in a resto and not have a clue on what they have and how much will it cost me. Never, until today. J, on the other hand, ALWAYS wanted to live in surprises, take in what life will throw you and savor the moment. I can't make her understand that eenie-meenie-my-NEMO isn't enough.

I end up clicking Jap OK! since, (1) it's Japanese and (2) it's OK. hahaha. I saw one of its branches in Star Mall across Shang EDSA and thought it may be covered by the money in my Angry Birds coin purse (how embarrassing!). As we walked towards the other side of Eastwood, we came across some restos I am familiar with but I know we can't afford (heart-breaking!). And then we saw Stackers Burger and Cafe. I heard it from a friend and she said it's the best burger. Luckily my Angry Birds coin purse has enough money to buy us a meal for two (hallelujah!). Will write about the food and experience in Stackers soon. After eating, we stroll some more and found out MORE food selections and MORE affordable places to eat inside Eastwood. Also, we found some food haul: Frugurt and Spamu. As crazy as their names, it's a crazy discovery for me too. :D

There were more ~~unfortunate~~ things that happened after that but will not bother me anymore because I had the most tiring, nerve-wracking, embarrassing and reflecting food adventure ever. It's definitely a V Day: my Victorious Day! :D

Sancho's Churreria Manila: The Best Churros

2012-02-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

Searching for the best Churros in town? Well, better try Sancho's Churreria Manila.

This is part of our food walk last November. Sancho's is (I think) our 4th stop already and we're so full by that time. But we can never miss their famous churros. We only ordered for this but they also have appetizers, main course (beef/pork/chicken/fish), pasta, and other desserts in the menu. The old couple next to our table even ordered for a full course with a bottle of wine which was served by the kind waiter :).

The place is small and cozy. It has the homey feel you're looking for when you just want to relax and have hot choco. And speaking of choco, their choco dip is the best! It goes well with their perfectly-cooked crunchy churro. I just wished I had more space in my tummy for more of their churro. Anyway, I promised myself to visit this again when we crave (again) for the BEST BURGERS, their next door neighbor: The Burger Project. :)

Note: I heard the people behind Sancho's were formerly employed in Dulcinea which also offers great tasting churro. Even if it's true, well, they outdid Dulcinea's churros anyway! :)

The Chocolate Kiss Cafe - UPD

2012-01-29T22:52:00.000-08:00

During J's birthday she wanted to have some food walk.

We searched for places around QC and The Chocolate Kiss came up.

We got there at around 8am so we had our breakfast.

Filipino Favorites: Longanisa (Php 170)

J ordered Longanisa which (according to the menu) came from Vigan, Ilocos Sur. I've been seen Vigan and had their longanisa but it's far from this one. It's tough and rubbery. J didn't finish it.

It's just like an over-priced longsilog.

Coffee

Coffee served in cup with cracks and it's just like Nescafe 3-in-1 instant coffee.

I think I paid Php 50-60 for this.

Filipino Favorite: Beef Tapa (Php 170)

I ordered this and just like the over-priced longsilog, it's just an over-priced tapsilog.

Nothing fancy, no reason to order this again.

The cafe's interior is very nice. This piece is made from twigs and branches painted

white and decorated with Christmas lights. Very interesting.

Devil's Food Cake

I thought the Cafe will regain its pride with their famous (according to my friends from UPD) Devil's Food Cake. It again failed me. I really can't understand why many people loved this cake. Yes, the white part was nice, fluffy and sweet but the cake itself is dry and it breaks easily. Since it's still early, this is the only cake available that time. Sad.

The servers with their "Serving the Good Stuff" shirts were nice and friendly. The place looks nice and warm too but the food, the reason above all this, was a disappointment. Sorry for Chokis fans. :(

What mommy wants...

2012-01-29T22:01:00.000-08:00

To encourage me to use make-up and be kikay, mommy gave me this:

MAC Lipstick Fast Play (Amplified)

Her bribe might work though :)

Dahil mahal ko ang Pilipinas

2012-01-29T21:51:00.000-08:00

Midterms = Tonsilitis

2012-01-29T21:48:00.000-08:00

Say hello to J's pasalubong for the week :)

Chips Ahoy!

Sari-Sari Chocolate!

These are only half of them, the other half caused my irritating throat right now.

And yes, Cadburry! :)

There are only a handful of things J and I both love, one of which is, of course, chocolates. As far as I can remember, we can't let the week pass without buying chocolates, or any sweets. I practically NEED them to give me ATPs for studying (weh?). And since it's the MIDTERM WEEK, which entails a lot of studying (kuno) I needed a lot of chocolates. And it's a bad idea because it's only Monday (and just one exam done) and my tonsils are warning me already. My throat's itchy and dry that I can't concentrate on answering the exam. I might try to drink more water and less sugar (huhu).

Yesterday, I tried getting my fasting blood glucose level. Well, I know I should be more careful since diabetes (and hypertension) runs in the family (both sides). That puts me in high risk of developing such lifestyle diseases. So I used my daddy's kit and got my blood glucose level, which is *drumroll* 5.5 mmol/L. Considering my age, it's quite high. The normal range is between 3-5.8 mmol/L and I'm in borderline already. It's like everything flashed back right before my eyes and I told myself "Okay, at least now you can SHOW your daddy what you're always telling him: DIET and EXERCISE". I'm still not sure. But if I wanted to be an effecting health care provider, I should be healthy first, right? If ever I get close to my goal this year, it'll be such an accomplishment. But before that, I need a lot of motivation and prayers! :) So for motivation...

Sorry I forgot you back in Taguig. I hope to see you soon. :)

J almost got mad that I forgot these hahaha

Back to studying.

California Maki - Tokyo! Tokyo!

2012-01-26T11:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, I just crave for this: California Maki from Tokyo! Tokyo!

California Maki (Php45/4pcs; Php 85/8pcs)

With the upcoming Midterm week and everyday exams, I can't afford to go far to have a descent meal. Luckily, there's a Tokyo! Tokyo! branch in Victory Mall which is just about 5-minute walk away from my dorm. This also satisfies my sudden Japanese-food-urge. Maybe I'll try having them delivered next time :)

Gong Cha Milk Tea

2012-01-26T11:04:00.000-08:00

Large Milk Tea with Pearl Jelly (Php 95)

With the milk tea craze nowadays, a lot of milk tea shops are opening everywhere. There's one along SM North Sky Dome: Gong Cha. The place is really really small. You can't fit 8 people inside to order all at the same time. Though there are chairs and tables outside, they're full most of the time. So I just took one for take out. I ordered Milk Tea with Pearl Jelly. It comes in two sizes (medium and large). You can also choose the sugar level from 0% (no sugar), 50% (half), 75% (less), to 100% (full). There are also a lot of flavors but I chose the basic.

I wasn't really impressed. Or maybe half sugar level was too low for me. I didn't get the "taste" I'm looking for. But if you wanted to have a sip of some real tea flavor, this drink works well. Also, if you're the kind of drinker who always gets an extra scoop of pearl in your drink, this will be your bet. About 1/4 of the cup's filled with black pearls. Normally I ate all the pearls before finishing my drink but this time, the pearls were present until the last sip. Overall, it's not the best but also not the worst. Moonleaf and Happy Lemon still top Gong Cha. Or maybe, I will try other flavors like my favorite: Caramel. :)

Manang's Chicken - SM North (Annex)

2012-01-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

Originally, J and I planned to have a Marina breakfast buffet at SM North EDSA but we failed to wake up early. Luckily, our prof dismissed us early so I decided to have lunch at Manang's Chicken in SM North - Annex. I've been hearing a lot about Manang's Chicken. The first branch I (accidentally) saw was in Ortigas but I was there to check out Subspace. I was very excited to have Manang's branch near my place. As far as I can remember it opened last October 2011. So here...

We went there at around 4:00 pm and the place was empty. There's one staff offering free taste to passers-by and even though we'll dine there anyway, we took some of it. It was actually good (for a fried chicken). The place was very inviting and I love the colors. The servers were very nice too.

The empty chairs

Sign says "This way to tasty chicken"

Since J always gets her orders wrong (or pick the wrong ones) I ordered for both of us. I chose 1pc cut meal with original sauce plus lemonade for her and 1pc cut meal with mild spicy sauce and iced tea for me. You can choose from 3 sauces: original, mild spicy and extra spicy. Also, since their potato chips were very tempting (and I am hungry), I ordered a large one with creamy cheese dip.

1pc cut with original sauce with lemonade (Php 104.00)

1pc cut with mild spicy sauce plus iced tea (Php 104.00)

Honestly, I should have ordered the extra spicy sauce because I can't get a hint of chili in my chicken. But it was really tasty. You don't need gravy to go with it. It also has sesame seeds on it. The chicken may look dry at first but it was juicy inside. I bet they should get Chowking's Chinese-Style Chicken's promise of "crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside" because Manang's Chicken was way better than Chowking's.

The real deal was the All Natural Potato Chips!

Large Potato Chips (Php 49)
+ add Php 7 for dip (choose between Creamy Cheese and Garlic Mayo)

You just have to try it! The large one's good for two already. The chips have that homemade crunch and the best part is, the skin's still on! It's not too thin to break easily nor too thick to be soggy. It's the kind of chips you can bite with a crunch and chew. The creamy cheese dip was nothing special, it tastes just like the creamy cheese dip from Stackers Burgers. But for sour cream fans, the garlic mayo dip is to die for! It was addictive. One cup of dip is not enough for our large chips so I got the garlic mayo too. Even J who's not a fan of garlic loved the dip.

Now I know why my friends loves Manang's Chicken. If you crave for a tasty-not-so-ordinary-fried-chicken, go to Manang's Chicken, UG/F Annex, SM North EDSA (beside Big Better Burgers and Savemore).

Revival

2012-01-26T09:11:00.001-08:00

I've been checking out Tumblr and forgot I have this account since last year. I might as well post here instead. :D

My SEMBREAK Countdown!!!

2011-10-13T07:24:00.001-07:00

MySpace-Countdowns

All is NEW

2011-10-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

I heard from my mom that when she has a new "calling" or mission she buys a new Bible. It's like starting over. So, since I'm bidding farewell to First Semester of my First Year in Med School, I might as well start fresh by creating this blogsite. I might start writing more serious topics and (might) not advice anon anymore. Will adopt previous posts from other sites, soon.

~ K

Sleepless

2011-10-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

I am awake for more than 24 hours now and I still can't go to sleep. Normally, when I wanted to sleep, I'll lie flat on my stomach, breathe deep, my muscles relax, and my mind will wander off to dreamland. But since this is the SEMESTRAL EXAM WEEK (One week of exams where the coverage will be from Day 1 until the most recent lecture), I think I succeeded in composing myself to MORE sleepless nights and longer reading hours, to the extent that I cannot sleep anymore.

Monday and Tuesday exams will kill you - Gross Anatomy and Physiology. I study Anatomy during the weekend and after the exam (since we don't have regular class during exam week - which means I have the whole Monday afternoon for Physiology). I intentionally avoided using the internet until Wednesday since I knew that my reading hours will lessen - or maybe not since reading blogs and on-line news is still reading, right? :) So after torturing myself until Tuesday, my Wednesdays exams should be a lot lighter, but because of the internet and the preconditioned system I have, I failed to sleep. Although I manage to read most of the coverage and I think I did well in the exams, I find it hard to stay awake on the hour of the exam! My mind was so busy (and having its own business) that I even forgot the 4th level in Maslow's Hierarchy of Need! (Shame!) I knew it was Self - E____ and I knew very well that this isn't a hard one but I failed to remember Self - Esteem!!!!

Oh well, since I don't have to embrace bad vibes, I moved along and thought I pretty much answered the questions that were in the given readings. My FCM exam, which includes calculations, made me relax a bit since only Math can make me sane right now. Only, I was half-way the exam when I remembered I HAVE A CALCULATOR! All along I was computing manually, maybe because my mind works so fast, it got very excited and just jumped into writing the solutions right away. Oh well, I felt like there should be MORE computations and LESS definitions (of which I'm not very good at) and I know my classmates will kill me for saying that hahahaha!

Two more days...two more very long days before semestral break. I can't wait to watch T.V., surf the net (without being time-conscious), and yes, sleep. I miss my family too since I haven't been home for two weeks already (last week because of the typhoon, and this week I wanted to study).

I admit I was never this kind of student before. I do not study during exams because I believe(d) that they are meant to TEST whether you learn or not. So I study during the class. Sadly though, very few hours will be allotted for lecture (in comparison with the bulk of the topics that should be covered). So, mostly, students will do their independent readings. I never do that back in college. But I should, now. And I felt like I've never exerted this much effort to learn EVER! And I appreciate myself more.

I learned that you shouldn't wait for someone else to tell you how good you are, or wish you luck. You do it to yourself. And I think I am on that stage in Maslow's Hierarchy that I forgot! Self-Esteem. I will never, ever forget you again. Promise.