The House of Queens

Sutra

2012-02-02T07:00:00.001+08:00

Bonifacio High Street has a newly opened section. It features a fountain with multi-colored lights. It actually has new restaurants which includes Sutra and Aria. Sutra was referred to us by one of our friends and they said that they enjoyed it and we will most probably enjoy it too. They were right.

Let's Start with the Bread. This was awesome. We had to ask for a second basket because we finished the first serving really quickly.

The centerpiece features a carnation in a fish-bowl. I like the overall decor .

Chili-Oil dip. This is similar to Felix - a restaurant in Greenbelt. I remember liking Felix's bread too.

Earth Dumpling - This is steamed Spinach and Shitake Dumpling. We love this.

Another great dish - Duck Confit Croquettes

The Field dumpling - steamed chicken - is not our favorite. It was ok but not great.

Arugula, Prosciutto, Spinach - all the ingredients in this salad are exquisite. You may find it odd to have spicy vinaigrette dressing - but it really works.

Sutra Salad - I love the dressing - Cilantro Plum Sauce

For everything that we ordered - we paid 2,000 pesos. We will definitely come back to try their main dishes. I'm definitely happy to discover a new great restaurant in the city.

Olio's Washroom

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000+08:00

I've written about Olio previously. It's a great Italian restaurant in Cebu. Today I write about a peculiar washroom that I've only seen in Olio. I think it's a great design however - I think it should come with instructions since it took me some time before I figured out how to use it.

Restrooms are located upstairs. You would have to up this curved/spiral staircase.

Upon landing at the second floor - you will see this and if you're like me, you would think that it's art work.

Only upon closer inspection would you realize that it's the wash area. It's a beautiful design - but as I said earlier - it should come with a user manual. It took me a while to find a pedal at the foot of this contraption that works like the drinking fountain pedals. Step on it and water comes out.

You'll see that you can actually see part of the kitchen downstairs because the wash area is made of frosted glass.

Hobbes and Landes - January Pet of the Month

2012-01-31T07:00:00.002+08:00

My picture kissing Mr. Monkey won the first place in Hobbes and Landes' - January pet of the month contest. We missed the actual announcement during the January walk your pet event - but we got the following e-mail from Hobbes and Landes.

Midori and her Ribbon

Picture from the Hobbes and Landes Fan Page

Hi Lord,

Congratulations!

We would like to inform you that Midori, your dog’s photo entry at Hobbes and Landes January Pet of the Month contest was chosen to be the 1^st place to won the title. We have announce the grand winner yesterday during our “Walk your Pet” event.

Midori, as the 1^st place winner won Royal Canin package and a ribbon. Kindly claim your price at Hobbes and Landes Bonifacio High Street and look for Marissa or Cesar.

Thank you for joining!

Hobbes and Landes

BTW - I didn't bag the actual pet of the month title. It was won by Skye - the Jack Russel Terrier.

I got a Canon Powershot SX220 HS

2012-01-30T07:00:00.002+08:00

I just bought the Canon Powershot SX220 HS. It's a point and shoot camera but it has manual controls ( as in manual settings for Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO, White Balance and even Manual Focus ). Moreover - it can zoom 14 x. According to reviews I read, that's equivalent to 28 to 392 mm.

Canon is endorsed by Papa Piolo.

I wasn't planning on getting a new camera. My original plan was to get myself a 55 to 210 E-mount end for my Sony Nex-5. I've been in a number of occasions lately where I could not take the pictures that I wanted to take because I was too far away from my subject. This was when I was at the Sinulog festival - taking pictures from the grand stand and the other one was during the Chinese New Year celebration at Mandarin Oriental. What worked to my advantage during that time is the fact that I can manually focus the NEX-5 so I was able to crop the pictures at a later stage so I can see the faces of my subjects. I digress - what I wanted to say was I wanted to get a new tele-zoom lens but they were not available. The Sony stores could not tell me when it was going to be available. Please take note that my alternative was to buy the 18 to 200 mm E-mount lens - which was 50,000 pesos. I am not yet ready to make that hefty investment on a camera lens. The 55 to 210 lens would just cost me 19,000 pesos.

Original Photo of SONY NEX 5

Cropped Photo - Uploaded to my Blog Entry

Since I wasn't able to get the lens I want - I started browsing for other camera products. What caught my attention was the Powershot SX220. I told the store clerk I was going to come back as I was going to do a quick research on the camera. From what I read - it got good reviews and the features that I need worked, zoom and manual control.

14 X Zoom

Full Manual Controls

So I bought the camera and I plan to use it as my secondary camera. I like it because it's compact. I also tested the zoom lens - and I was able to get very close-up pictures of the building that is being constructed in front of us.

No Zoom - Pay Attention to the Crane

Full Zoom ( 14x ) - Look at how close that Crane is in this picture

BTW - my brother is getting married this weekend. I'm planning to take pictures during the wedding and the reception. This new camera will come in handy. It's magnification is strong enough for me to take pictures of the couple while I'm seated at the pews and it's small enough to fit my tuxedo's pocket.

Oh before I forget - the camera came with free sunglasses from Lacoste. The price of the camera after carh discount is 18,500 pesos. I think it's the right camera for the right price point.

NOTE: For other picture samples for this camera - please see pictures on this blog post: XO 46. Note that it's a dimly lit restaurant but photos came out properly exposed even without flash.

XO 46 The New Visayan Room

2012-01-29T07:00:00.025+08:00

Filipino food has many different types depending on the region that you live in. Most famous are the kapampangan cooks ( from Central Luzon ) but all around the archipelago, you can find traditional dishes that are unique to that region. For example, the lechon in Cebu is different form the lechon in the Tagalog region. Talk to any Cebuano and they will tell you that their lechon is the best. You don't even need sauce to eat it.

It is therefore fitting for one of the better Filipino restaurants to open it's adjacent room and focus on Visayan dishes. I'm talking about XO 46's New Visayan room. Looking at the menu - not all are from Visayas. For example - Laing is actually from the Bicol region. I would have also wanted to see Balamban liempo which you can also find in Cebu.

Even though the menu is not purely Visayan - the overall experience is still wonderful. Each dish is traditional and yet modern - like it's next door neighbor XO 46 Bistro Filipino.

These are the highlights of our meal.

Complimentary Spicy Kropek

Complimentary Piyaya with Quezo de Bola Spread. I love this. Piyaya is not the sweet kind but still tastes good with the spread.

You can opt to dine at the corner setting.

Overall decor is more modern than the adjacent XO 46 Bistro Filipino

The staff will address you as Senorito and Señorita

Filipiniana Theme for the Staff Uniforms

The best drink to go with Filipino Food - Cold Cerveza San Miguel

I didn't care much for the Pancit Molo. I think it has too much ingredients. I want my Molo to have a lot of Broth

Their Cebu Lechon with Truffle rice is a great combination. I already had Cebu Lechon for lunch but I wanted to try their version. I wasn't disappointed. Warning to the Cebuanos - this is not your grandmother's lechon. It is less seasoned than the ones found in Cebu - but still flavorful in my opinion.

Rabo de Toro Hiligayon ( that's Ox tail for you - also on Truffle Rice )

Mango Mabuhay ( or Mango Jubillee ). It's got cheese cake which makes this more special than the one you usually get from other restaurants

Seard Queson Puti with Laling Bruschetta - You must try this!

For Dessert - I ordered the Champorado Eh. Think of your Champorado turned into Biko. If you are a fan of those two delicacies ( kakanin ) - I strongly suggest you order this for your dessert.

I'm happy to try a new restaurant in our neighborhood. I was telling one of the queens that they should do a better job of promoting their restaurant. I think they get a lot of people from the nearby offices - but I think that a lot of Filipinos ( and even their foreigner guests ) will find this restaurant interesting.

For more information on the restaurant - visit their Facebook page.

Cotton Candy from Salcedo Market

2012-01-28T07:00:00.000+08:00

I grabbed two pints of cotton candy from Salcedo Market. One in blue and one in pink. Both were delicious - but I wish they were fluffier.

I also got two mini bibingka ( rice cake ). I didn't care much for these - they didn't give me niyog ( coconut ) and butter. They were too dry for my taste.

Each of these are worth 25 pesos. That's a good price to satisfy my cravings for sweet treats this weekend.

Cafe de France Cebu

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000+08:00

We were famished when we landed in Cebu. We found Cafe de France which is one of the very few restaurants which were open. It was Sinulog - so a lot of restaurants were either closed or were operating in limited hours.

Cafe de France confused us a bit. There is a popular chain in Manila called Cafe France. When we got inside the cafe - we realized that it was a different chain.

For my meal - I ordered pumpkin soup and Ham and Cheese croissant. They were good. I know where to grab a quick bite the next time I'm back in Cebu.

Whodunnit? Part 2

2012-01-26T07:00:00.005+08:00

Today, the monkey was found in the living room limp and seemingly lifeless.

According to evidence that we got hold of - a picture was taken with the suspect for this incident. Look closely at this picture at the lower right hand corner.

You don't see it? Let me help you out by zooming in.

Do you recognize that shape? It seems like someone has been caught red eared.

Stay tuned for developments into this gripping story in the house of queens.

Marvel Characters on F&H Tees

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000+08:00

Finally! I was able to check out Folded and Hung to grab their limited edition Marvel Comic Tees. I got my Spiderman T-Shirt and my Iron Man V-Neck T-shirt. Can't wait to wear them.

While I was at the F&H shop - I also grabbed three shirts in this year's luck colors: red, orange and purple.

I can't believe that I now have to buy X-large t-shirts? I used to buy T-Shirts from the Teens section. What happened?

Whodunnit?

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000+08:00

There was a crime committed at the House of Queens. Whodunnit?

The suspects

The victim: Pedro

The Prosecutor

Kung Hei Fat Choi

2012-01-23T07:00:00.001+08:00

Today, we welcome the year of the Water Dragon. Kung Hei Fat Choi! Happy New Year!

The dragon leading the prosperity parade.

Master Joseph Chau Kam Shing presiding over the Paai-Shan Ceremony (prosperity and energizing ritual)

Master Joseph Chau blessing the crowd.

He encourages everyone to shout Kung Hei Fat Choi while he blesses them.

We were lucky that we were close to a platform. So we were touched by Master Joseph Chau's blessings for the year.

Since it's the year of the dragon - there were two fire-breathing dragons featured behind the stage.

Mandarin Oriental General Manager Mr. Mark Bradford, Vice President Binay, and Master Joseph Chau dotting the eye of the dragon.

The Lions

Manila's Socialites ( including Ms. Baby Arenas ) were there to celebrate the new year. She was one of those who dotted the eye of the lions.

Tim Yap and Tessa Prieto hosted the event.

Purple Dragon doing the prosperity dance.

Mandarin Oriental has been celebrating the CNY for the past 16 years.

A lot of Chinese ( and Filipinos ) are looking forward to the year of the Dragon. It is said to bring people good luck. This element sign for this year is water - so the luck colors are those which can be seen in fire ( which counteracts water ). For example the colors red and orange are considered lucky for this year.

I was born on the year of the Water Ox. Oxens are known to be steady workers - which makes us very resilient to bad fortune. We can always rely on our hard work to get us through anything.

I wish all of you, my dear readers the best in money, love, and health for this year. Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Midori and Monkey

2012-01-22T07:00:00.001+08:00

It is no secret that I love my Kong Braidz toy. Daddy took some pictures of Monkey and I while we were playing. Let's have some interactive fun with these photos, can you help me caption these photos? You can post your captions in the comment section.

Olio

2012-01-21T07:00:00.001+08:00

Olio is a great Italian restaurant located in Cebu. Our hosts has taken one of the queens in that same restaurant previously and they wanted me to experience their food during this visit. I agree with them, it definitely was a great dining experience.

I love the overall layout of the place. This spiral staircase definitely catches your attention as you enter the restaurant.

Portobello mushroom. Very tasty.

Apple Carpaccio with Melba toast and Gorgonzola. You have to mix them all together and you will find a great symphony of flavors.

They have a great selection of Parma Ham.

The Ceasar salad is made of fresh greens. I think the dressing needs a little bit more seasoning.

Yummy sauce on this Kurobota Pork Chop. Very tender. Although - I think the pork is not as tasty as the real Kurobota pork I tasted in Tokyo.

Olio is located in Banilad Cebu. Contact information is found in their website. Phone number is 032-2382931 to make reservations.

Revisiting Abaca

2012-01-20T07:00:00.002+08:00

Prior to our flight to Cebu we called Abaca to make reservations for dinner on Sunday night. It has been over two years since our first visit. We had a great experience on our first visit - and it seems like we didn't imagine the great food we ordered back then. They were as good as we remembered.

Abaca restaurant continues to be one of the best restaurants in the Philippines. They serve Mediterranean dishes. They have a great wine selection ( and I ordered a wonderful tasting Pino Grigiot from New Zealand whose name I can't recall )

Thanks to my Sony NEX-5 - I was now able to capture photos of the food that we ate. We asked the waiter to split most of the dishes so we can order a lot more dishes. I'm not sure when our next visit will be - so we might as well go through as much of the selections as we could. Not pictured here is the Seafood Bisque ( not too salty - which is usually what Seafood Bisque is ). The Spicy Garlic Clams were also wonderful.

Bread Basket

Organic Salad - Balsamic Mustard Dressing

Margherita Flat Bread Pizza

Truffle Larganelle - Crispy Pancetta, poached egg, chive truffle butter

Pecan Tarte with Vanilla Ice cream

Three Flavors Sorbet

I Pigged out in Cebu

2012-01-19T07:00:00.002+08:00

During our visit to Cebu last weekend - I made sure that I visited the restaurants that I wanted to try. In the next couple of days - I will write about Olio and Abaca. Olio and Abaca are wonderful restaurants - but when in Cebu - you would have to make sure that you eat what the Cebuanos are known for - their roasted pork. It has been said - that Cebu's roasted pig is the best pig in the world.

For my Lechon Cebu experience - I went to Zubuchon. This is a relatively new comer in the Cebu Lechon business. If you talk to the locals - they will most probably refer to you to CNT. When we went to Zubuchon - we realized that the people who go there were mostly from Manila. That's not surprising because it's the lechon stall that you will see in the airport. So most Manilenos are familiar with the brand.

Apart from Lechon - we also had Balambam Liempo. They are available around the city. This was also very good. We added it to our lunch fare ( after we watched the Sinulog Parade ). We were famished so having pork and pork didn't seem like pigging out.

After this feast - I was one happy camper. I took a nap - because I was really tired - then woke up and got ready for dinner at Abaca. I'm afraid to check how much weight I gained after this trip.

Cleo Plays with the Mouse on the iPad

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000+08:00

Cleo(patra) is the cat who took care of Daddy while he was away visiting Cebu. I don't like cats - but since he gave Daddy love when I was too far away to give love to him, I guess I can make her an exception ( even her brother Imhotep ). Can I just say I don't understand cats? Why is she playing with the mouse on the iPad? For the record - I like using the iBone --- and I don't think I will ever have any interest in using the iPad.

Blogger's note: A guest post by Midori the Beagle.

Viva Sto. Niño! Pit Senyor!

2012-01-17T07:00:00.002+08:00

The queens just came back to Manila from a quick visit to the city of Cebu to join millions of people who celebrated Sinulog over the weekend. Sinulog is the name of Cebu's festival in honor of its patron - the child Jesus (Sto. Niño). This festival has a great historical significance for the archipelago.

The woman at the center carrying the image represents - Queen Juana. She was the queen of Cebu who was baptized into Christianity.

According to records - the image of the Child Jesus found in Cebu is the oldest Christian relic in the country. It was a gift presented by Ferdinand Magellan to the King and Queen of Cebu when the latter were baptized into Christianity. The King/Sultan of Cebu is named Humabon. He became an ally of Magellan when the latter first landed in what was later going to be called the Philippine Archipelago. Humabon - along with his primary wife - converted to Christianism and changed their name to Carlos ( after the name of Charles V ) and Juana ( after Charles V's mother's name ). On the day of their baptism, Magellan gave the image of the Child Jesus to Queen Juana.

Through the festival - you will see the baptism and the presentation of the gift of the image dramatized in many different ways. Each of the participating group presents their own interpretation of the event - and always features a woman beautifully dressed carrying the Senyor Sto. Niño. This beautiful woman represents the queen Juana. Sinulog activities start on the second week of January and lasts through the third Sunday of January when the parades happen. The parade starts in the morning and lasts through the wee hours of the morning. Presentations are held at the Cebu Sports Complex and the groups continue to parade around the city - where devotees of the Sto Niño, residents, tourists, visitors can all join into the celebration shouting "Viva Sto. Niño! Pit Senyor". For those who live in the Americas - you will most probably think of the celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans and the Carnivale in Brazil as an equivalent.

Giant representations of the image.

We definitely enjoyed the festivities. Everyone was in a great mood and ready to celebrate. I have posted pictures in yesterday's post on Sinulog 2012. Here are some more photos - this time showcasing the man of the hour - Senyor Sto. Nino.

Image of the Holy Child Jesus ( or Sto. Niño)

Another Queen Juana - this time in Red.

Sto. Nino float.

The Child Jesus in another float.

The men and women dress up in formal Filipino attire - Baro at Saya for women and Barong for Men

Floats come in many forms - this time with Dolphins.

Sinulog 2012

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000+08:00

It was our first time to be in Cebu for Sinulog. We had so much fun. These photos present highlights of our first Sinulog experience.

The Egyptian House of Queens

2012-01-15T07:00:00.000+08:00

Daddy is in Cebu to join the celebration of the feast of Sto. Niño. While he is in Cebu he's staying at a friend's house. That household has its own furry babies. Daddy sent us their picture. Char Siew and I were shocked to see Daddy fraternizing with felines.

In this house lives Cleopatra and Imhotep. I'm a bit concerned that Daddy falls in love with these cats and ends up "catnapping" them to be part of the house of queens.

Cheat Day

2012-01-14T07:00:00.000+08:00

Don't tell my trainer. I declared an unofficial cheat day. I pigged out and now - I want to throw up. Nope - I'm not bulimic. I just have a hard time controlling what I eat - I grew up thin - and not caring what I eat and I didn't gain weight. Now that I'm getting close to the big 4-0 ... it seems like every inch of pasty I consume gets deposited around my belly.

Blackrapid SnapR Camera Bag

2012-01-13T07:00:00.001+08:00

I bought a camera bag last Christmas. It's not just a regular camera bag - it's actually a 3-in-1 camera bag.

I own a camera cover for my NEX-5. When I'm using my camera - and the cover has to come-off - it becomes a problem for me because I don't know where to keep the cover.

With the SnapR - you can quickly grab the camera out of the bag and it's still hooked to the bag - which means you don't have to worry about the bag and the camera.

The bag also has two pockets on its sides. This is handy for Mobile phones or other camera accessories ( e.g. remote shutter release ).

Apart from being a bag - you have the option of removing the strap from the bag and snapping those two ends together and you end up with a camera-sling ( sans the bag ).

The bag also comes with a wrist strap - in case you prefer having that instead of the sling or the bag. Personally - I like the camera around my neck. This option might be handy for point and shoot cameras.

The only concern I have with the bag is that the strap screws into the tripod socket. I found that when the camera is just dangling from the sling - sometimes - the screw gets undone. So I have to constantly check if the screw is tight enough.

For a video of how the bag works - go to their website and checkout a cool demo.

Tokyo Tokyo Burger

2012-01-12T07:00:00.002+08:00

I tried the Tokyo Tokyo burger. It tasted like the Jollibee champ.

Comfort Room

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000+08:00

Filipinos call restrooms - comfort rooms. To be honest - I don't know how that started because the tagalog word for rest room does not translate to English word for comfort. Palikuran - is the Tagalog word - and it roughly translates to a place at the back ( which is where it used to be found in the Nipa hut - the pre-spanish colonial house of the Filipinos.

So if you find yourself in our country - and you need to look for the restroom - ask for the CR (Comfort Room).

Mary Grace in Vintage Camera

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000+08:00

While having dinner at Mary Grace - I got my iPhone camera working and took some shots using the embedded camera of the Path app. I think the Diana filter works really well with the overall look of Mary Grace.

Serenitea

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000+08:00

I wanted to go to HappyLemon at Powerplant mall. The queue was too long - so we decided to check out Serenitea at Jupiter. I was a bit confused with the names of the tea ( e.g. Hokkaido, Osaka, Black Dragon ). We had to ask the tea ladies what they were so we can understand what kind of tea blend we are ordering.

I ordered Sesame Roasted with Egg Pudding and Read Beans. I also asked to have 50% sweetness. When I tasted the tea - the Sesame Roast, Egg Pudding and Red Beans were delicious; however I should have asked for mild sweetness.

The next day - we wanted to have milk tea again. This time - I asked for Black Dragon with Pana Cotta. Black Dragon has a strong roasted taste - which I like. I also asked for 25% sweetness. I think that my sweetness preference is between 25% and 50%.

I think I'm becoming a milk tea addict. Now I understand why business is booming for the operators of these milk tea brands.