A Quick Escape

Stop and smell the roses. That's what I've been telling myself. Sure I'm always 'busy' and my mind is always preoccupied with a lot of things. Sometimes I can't think straight or my mind is flying somewhere else when it shouldn't be. I'm guilty of over-thinking, and I end up stressing myself out. So I booked a day to spend more time with my family. I dropped everything and just went out to have a good time. 

We all need these kinds of little breaks to clear our minds, to recharge, to be inspired and appreciate the little things that matter. These moments when you wish that everyday would be like that and you don't want to go back to reality, when everything seemed perfect and you feel like it's all a dream.    

(Had Bulalo at Leslie's and bought snacks at Good Shepherd) -- Good Shepherd now has fruit shakes and other snacks for takeout =)

Location: Tagaytay Highlands

Enjoying the pool to beat the burning weather. =P

As the famous comedian Kevin James said "There's no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box on your lap". (Pizza Quattro Stagioni at Highlands)

One should not miss the beautiful view of Taal. From afar the water looked calm and steady, but you'll see the waves when you get closer - I think it's just like me =P

To make your sight-seeing more relaxing, why not have some good coffee while enjoying the cold breeze? I checked out Filibeans which is located at the back of Leslie's. I tried Kapeng Nakakamocha if I remember it right =)

Bought lots of fruits on our way home. =)

Boohoo end of my quick vacation. =( If you're also into the point of exploding, go and take a break. 

A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking - Earl Wilson. 

If you're just too busy and couldn't spare a day, I hope you could at least have some seconds for laughter because that's already the shortest vacation you'll have =) Enjoy your weekend everyone!!=)

Hermanos

For a quick-fix of your favorite Mexican dishes, drop by Hermanos Taco Shop. They have the best tacos and mouth-watering quesadilla. =P 

I tried one of their platters [left] which includes: 6 pieces Rolled Tacos (P 285) which is made of crunchy taquitos topped with shredded lettuce and made extra rich with cheese sauce and sour cream, pico de gallo, chips and salsa. I'm not a big fan of taquitos because I prefer it thinner. I hope they used tortilla taco shells instead. Also, I think tortilla is more crunchy especially when it's hot,

I loved the12-inch/ 4 slices of Cheese Quesadillas (P 190) - which is a thick chunk of flour quesadilla flooded by melted jack and cheese within served with sour cream, and salsa. It was great with cheese alone but I'll try their other chicken quesadilla next time.

Of course I wouldn't miss their famous Carne Asada Chips (nachos) P 195. Which is #1 at Spot's List of Best nachos. They were very generous with the toppings and I loved it. The beef was also cooked perfectly giving it more flavor.

Lots of salsa for my quesadilla =)

2 thumbs up for a great snack which is actually good for 2.

 Visit Hermanos Taco Shop at at #27 Granada Avenue QC or at their new branch at Molita Mall, Alabang.

Burger Bar

Move over Chili’s I think I may have found a new favorite Burger joint – Burger Bar =P 

I’ve been hearing a lot of good reviews about this place so a friend and I decided to try it. 

I love the hip and cozy interiors. 

As I was deciding which burger to get, I started with their Warm Artichoke and Spinach Dip (P285).
Ok, I have to admit I liked the quality of Chili's tortilla chips more than this but the dip was just too good that I would rate it 4.5/5. 

I had a hard time deciding what to get and I was getting hungry so I got my first choice - The 4-Cheese Chuck Single Patty - parmesan-crusted beef patty blend of chuck and short rib with yellow cheddar, aged gruyere, mozzarella, arugula in a sesame bun (P245) and upsized it to Go Lunch Box Rated GP (with fries and drink) (P330). You could never go wrong with cheese and it sure didn't disappoint me. The bun was also soft and it didn't have 'unnecessary' condiments which sometimes disrupts the taste. It was simple yet it was soo good. I knew I wouldn't be able to finish everything so I saved the other half of my burger =P 

Take a peek inside my cheesy burger.

How they cooked the patty was just perfect! Since there were already 4 different types of cheese in my burger, I couldn’t ask for more.  My drink was a little bit unusual but at the same time refreshing. Imagine a ‘toothpaste drink’ (minty) with the taste of tea at the end.  It's something new and it's not too bad either but it's not one of my favorite drinks =P

I think the prices are quite reasonable considering the quality of their beef and the taste. You can also have your burgers fit to your own perfection as they offer customized burgers. You can choose your own bun, your preferred toppings and the type of beef. You can be your own burger boss =P

Unfortunately I didn’t have room for dessert so I made a vow to come back and try their famous pudding and their other bestsellers. 

A perfect place to hang-out and give-in to your burger cravings. I give this place a thumbs up! =)

Burger Bar is located at G/F of Greenbelt 2.

Conversation Hearts

Spent Valentine's day with my loved ones. A close friend gave me this cute and sweet treat last Vday.

 

Palmer Conversation Hearts Milk Chocolate Flavored

You can also rearrange them for a short and sweet message =P

Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day. XOXO

Chinese New Year 2013 at Binondo, Manila

It all started last year when a few friends decided to go to Binondo to celebrate Chinese New Year. Then I think it became a tradition. =) We came not just for the festivities but also to indulge in good food. 

1.) First stop is to buy my favorite hopia from Ho-land Bakery. You can also buy there other Chinese delicacies.

Address: 551 Yuchengco St. cor. Carvajal Binondo Manila

2.) We planned to eat lunch at Sincerity Cafe & Restaurant but unfortunately they were open for take-out only so we brought it home instead. Sincerity is known for their fried chicken and it was indeed full of flavor that you no longer need sauce.

Address: 497 Yuchengco St. Binondo Manila

While walking we saw lots of finger food, tikoy and lucky charms.

3.) Another place you shouldn't miss is Po-heng's Lumpia House. For P50.00 you can have a big healthy snack. It's quite hard to locate this place probably because it's hidden. They make the best lumpia with fresh ingredients. They also serve Maki Soup (P55) which is perfect for merienda. I'll try this in my next visit.

Address: Uy Su Bin Bldg.531 Quintin Paredes St., BinondoManila

4.) We had lunch at Awi's Cafe and Restaurant which was featured in one of the episodes of Cityscape (a travel and lifestyle show). We ordered their famous Lomi which was perfect (P130) and coffee spareribs (230) - both good for sharing. Their lechong kawali and chicken with lemon sauce were also great.

Address:  520 E.T. Yuchengco Street, Binondo, City of Manila 

5.) Cafe Mezzanine would be the most famous restaurant in Binondo because it is never empty and because all of the revenues are donated to Binondo Paco Fire Search and Rescue Brigade. It's a good business with a good cause. We had some light snacks -- french fries (P55) and siomai (P60) because we were still full with all the food that we ate from Awi's. We also watched the dragon dance from the second floor window. 

Address: 650 Ongpin corner E.T. Yuchengco Sts., Binondo Manila

6.) I kind of missed some of the goodies from my HK trip last year good thing Binondo has the Mandarin Supermarket where I could buy my favorite juice, canned coffee, biscuits and other favorite Chinese goods. Could you spot the giant lollipop? I'm sure you wouldn't miss it. 

Address: G/F Mandarin Square Bldg. 777 Ongpin St. Binondo Manila

7. My brother who used to work at Binondo told me about Crepe de Chine. He asked me to buy Taco Mexicano (P170) which was so huge and filling. My friends ordered desserts and I tried their Pizza Crepe (P140) which was so cheesy that's why I loved it. Their fresh mango shake was a great fix to end my merienda. The place was quite far from the busy streets of Binondo. It was a perfect place to hang-out and chill and enjoy their cozy swings.

Address: World Trade Exchange Bldg. 215 Juan Luna cor Dasmarinas St. Binondo Manila

I'm not superstitious but there's no harm in buying charms that could bring you luck right? Just in case it would work, I bought a charm bracelet for the year of the Ox for P80. =)

8. Aling Carina, our Chinese friend, used to bring us this famous Shanghai Fried Siopao. Everytime I go to Binondo I always buy this for baon and pasalubong. 

Address: corner of Ongpin St. and Bahama St.

The highlight of the festivities -- Dragondance.

We even saw Ivan Dy with his tour group. 

9-10. This pic was taken last year. I just wanted to share this since we're talking about the great food finds in Binondo. I loved the Kuchay dumplings from Tasty Dumplings and Waiying's hakaw.

Address: Tasty Dumplings - 620 Ongpin St. Binondo Manila

Address: Waiying - 810 Benavidez St. Binondo Manila 

It was again a fun experience with my friends. Every meal was delicious! Can't wait for 2014, probably by that time I would have tried every restaurant in Binondo (I wish!) 

I hope everyone would have a prosperous year ahead! =)