Foodtrip! (Part 2 of 2)

DAY 2

My second day in Manila began with breakfast in Pancake House Greenbelt 1 with my IG Teammates.  And instead of ordering my usual Tapa, I thought of how much food we've eaten the day before, and opted for the lighter (but not necessarily healthier) breakfast -- a golden waffle (extra crispy!). I had so much fun catching up with my girls!

After breakfast, I met up with my mom and we went to Glorietta/Greenbelt where we walked around until it was time for lunch.  Mom was craving for Italianni's grilled chicken salad so we decided to eat there.  We did not want to overeat because we know we will be eating throughout the day, so we just decided to have salad, clam chowder, and carbonara with grilled chicken. =) Italianni's always make my day -- from the focaccia down to the last drop of my dalandan drink!

It was already time for the main event: Shopping!  haha!  In my case it was more of window-shopping but I had so much fun nonetheless.  Mom and I spent hours going around the mall.  =) At around 6PM we went to Rockwell because I wanted to check out --the Dunkin' Donuts Cafe.  That Dunkin' Donuts outlet in Rockwell caught my attention when I went in Manila last December because I noticed that customers get a tray and put their own orders on their tray... kumaga self-service! 

We don't have that type of store here in Davao. =p  During my training I found out that DD Cafe is the only one of it's kind in the Philippines because it targets the upper class market here in Pinas.  Everything's different there -- even the flour that they use for their donuts!  Instead of using Yeast Donut Mix (what Dunkin' Donuts donuts are usually made of), they use potato flour for their donuts, making them a bit firmer than the regular donuts.  The donuts are also made bigger, and therefore sold at a higher price (P28 a piece).  I tried the choco web -- we don't have that variety here.  It's filled with chocolate, frosted with vanilla, and it has chocolate on top designed as a web of course.  I really liked it! hahaha =p  Mom tried the cake which was also good, and the iced coffee which for Tita Teng was too sweet =p  I'd love to go back there next time I visit manila! hehe        

We went around the Rockwell until it was already time to close.  So we had no choice but to head home,  remembering to make a slight detour for dinner.   We ate at Mann Yann, another one of mom's favorites in Manila.  We were already tired from a whole day of walking, so I wasn't able to get pictures of the food anymore. hahaha!

DAY 3

The third day was already our last day, so we did not get to do much anymore.  Most of the morning was spent stuffing our tiny hand-carried bags with our purchases, and preparing for our flight later that afternoon.  We had lunch at Razon's in Greenbelt 1.  Tita Teng was from Guagua and she wanted mom to try the pancit, sisig, and of course the halo halo.  I ordered my favorite sizzling bulalo, which came out a bit overcooked, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.  After the hearty meal, we went to Glorietta for last minute shopping and then off to the airport we went.

It was such a fun trip even though I did not get to see my friends much.  I definitely bonded with mom, and tita teng too. I wish we had more time in Manila, I wanted to go to MOA and Trinoma.  Pero ok lang yun, B.B. was waiting for me to come home. =p  Next time ulit!

Foodtrip! (Part 1 of 2)

Like I said in my previous entry, our trip to manila was one big FOODTRIP! =p  Here are the places/restos we visited:

First Stop: Recipes

     I have always loved eating in Recipes.  I found out about this place back when I was in second year college.  I had dinner with a friend and her family in their Megamall branch and I completely love

d the food!  From then on, I ate at the GB branch whenever I can. Back in college, this meant each time my mom was in town. haha! That was the only time I could stay in Makati.  Top Picks 

include: Korean Beef Stew, General's Chicken (also my brother's favorite), Crispy Tadyang, and Crispy Tilapia. =)  My mom's fave gulay there is the gising gising. I don't eat veggies so I don't know if it's good.  Last time we were there, they din't have crispy tilapia available. They had Crispy Bangus instead.  My friend Rica R said the tilapia tasted better than the bangus. =p

 

Greenhills: Home of my favorite taco place

            My mom wanted to buy a new phone, so of course we went to Greenhills.  I never go to Greenhills without eating Juancho Nachos -- my favorite taco place.  I discovered this place approximately 2 years ago with Jal.  It's just a small stall at the foodcourt in Viramall.  I always order the tiny tacos -- taquitos, they call it -- with only the beef, cheese, and their sauce (which I think is ketchup).  I don'

t know what makes their tacos so special to me, but I really like them.  When I went to Greenhills with my entire family arou

nd a year ago, I made them try it and they liked it too.  Since then, we always buy tacos when we go to Greenhills… even when we just had lunch 2 hours ago! Haha

 

Amazing Discovery: Amazing Cones

   It had only been two hours since we ate our tacos, but I cannot just help but look for the amazing cones store in Greenhills.  I learned about it from flairinthecity and it certainly caught my attention and left me curious! Determined to sink my teeth into one of those pizza cones, Nins and I scoured through Greenhills to find it.  It was well worth our efforts, because the pizza tasted good and I had fun watching them make it and eating it.  I tried out their Hawaiian pizza (look for the name) and it was yum! My friend Nins tried their pasta cone 

and it was good too.  The pizza cones cost around Php70 each.  They had other amazing products too like ice cream and drinks, but I did not get to try them, except for nins’ sago at gulaman which tasted good too. Check out the amazing cones article that read here.

Amazing Cones

unit V118 ground floor v-mall bldg. greenhills 
shopping center san juan city 
(left side of v-mall main entrance)

http://www.amazingcones.com/

Last stop for the day: Teri-boy

Since Tita Teng is residing in Hawaii, she hadn't eaten at Teriyaki Boy yet.  So, to top off our first day in Manila, Mom decided that we should have our dinner at Teriyaki Boy.  We ate at the Glorietta Branch because that was the closest to the condo.   We ordered the usual: miso soup, tempura, gyoza, and of course the chicken teriyaki.  Nins, who was so still so full, just ordered the salad.  We had difficulty finishing our meal because we were still stuffed from Greenhills.  haha!  

After dinner Nins already dropped us off at the condo.  My feet ached from all the walking.  =p  But that's one of the things I miss about Manila -- being able to do so many things that by the time you get home, you plop down in bed (or in my case, the sofa) and not realize you're too tired to change until you've woken up. haha! In my case,  I fell asleep while I was on the phone with my boyfriend.  I woke up to him nagging me.  He thought I was doing something and was not listening to him. haha!  I found it cute though =p  When I woke up, I only had enough strength in me to explain that I had fallen asleep, get up, take a superquickshower, change clothes, prepare for bed, then I had already gone to slumberland.  What does Manila have in store for me tomorrow? =) How I wonder...

(to be continued...)

Manila, I Keep Coming Back To Manila

Manila had been my home for the past 6 years. Ever since I was in high school, I dreamt of living here -- enjoying the hustle and bustle of this "big city".  I craved for the fast-paced lifestyle and enjoyed living it until the very last nanosecond.  Although I’m very much happy here in Davao, I sometimes miss Manila to bits.  That's why I'm so glad I got to feel the rush again for 3 days. =)

It's my first trip to Manila for the year!  It was sorta spontaneous.  We booked the trip a few weeks back but my mom decided to cancel the trip and take one to Chengdu instead.  Then around 3 days before departing my mom decided to cancel the China trip instead =p So we ended up flying to Manila without any pasalubongs whatsoever.  I only packed three tops and a pair of shorts, keeping in mind that I will just wear what I shop =p 

The trip turned out to be one big foodtrip!  I think that's what I missed the most in Manila =p I wanted to eat all my favorites!  Too bad we only had 3 days there.  If we had more time, I would've gained much more weight. =p  I'll write about the food some other time.  I compiled pictures of some of the restaurants we visited. ;)

Love The Beach

I wasn’t always a beach-lover.  I disliked the heat, the saltwater, and the sea breeze. On top of that, I can’t swim and I'm scared of the fishies. =p All that changed when my team (from my previous job) went to boracay last December 2006. I love bora for its seemingly infinite ways to satiate my hunger – for food, sights, fun, beach activities, and gimmiks! Since then, i visit the beach whenever I can. Even when I was temporarily staying in the states, I basked in the sands of santa monica, Redondo, Orange County, and Malibu.

 

I’ve been living in Davao again for almost 6 months now, and I’ve been seeing it in a whole different light. I’ve come to appreciate the things I’ve trivialized when I was younger. The beach has become my haven. I’ve been to the beach 5 times in the last 4 months. Hahaha! Of course, it helps that my bufra  is a siokoy – haha im kidding! what I meant was he loves the beach as much as I do. =)

 

Going to the beach can be easy and spontaneous here in davao because some beaches are pretty close. Last December, we went to the beach for an early swim (soak in my case) and breakfast before going to work. It was so fun! I am so excited now coz this is my first summer in davao after 6 years. Sun, sand, and sea – here I come!