When In Manila and craving for authentic Chinese food, the best place to look is Banawe. As kid, and even occasionally these days, my family would travel from the south to this avenue in Quezon City just so we could have a taste of Chinese cuisine. A particular favorite was Wah Yuen, a restaurant whose specialty is Oysters in XO sauce.   Compared to Oysters Rockefeller, it’s raw counterpart, XO Oysters are cooked to perfection [...]

It has been years since I got myself a belly piercing. You could say that the insatiable urge to put pretty things on my body pushed me to have it done.     (Photo by Camille Rodriguez)   When In Manila, though, it has become such a chore to look for quality belly rings. It’s been 6 years since I got this piercing and I still haven’t found the prefect one. To my dissatisfaction, I [...]

These past few days, temperature has been on record high, When In Manila. Philippine summers has always been known to be the hottest, and this year is no exception. More than ever, it is time to bear the sun with your favorite pair of shades in this tropical weather.         Ray Ban, the official sunglasses of summer 2012, has launched their newest line of limited edition shades. The new Rare Print Collection [...]

Isa Rodriguez and Jason Cruz   With all the environmental issues we’ve been facing, one wonders: When in Manila, how do I play my part in saving the environment?   Our question was answered that night when we found ourselves at Casa Nami, along Jupiter Street, Makati, for the Tribu Sole Initiative Upcycled Footwear Launch.         Cousins Jason and Renan Luengo came up with the brand Tribu in 1995. The result of [...]

NOT JUST FOR YOUR BODY When asked about how she found yoga, Ginger tells us the story of how at 24 and working as a preschool teacher, she was like most people in their twenty somethings– confused and looking for purpose.

…She regales us of tales on how she herself struggled with the poses at first, but as is evident in everything that this young lady has achieved, nothing is impossible with hard work.

  Japanese food has always been a favorite. Time and time again, I always go back to sushi’s and tempura. When In Manila, though, it’s always good to try new things, or even just the old with a twist. This is what brought me to John and Yoko.         It’s been such a delight, for southerners like me, to have all these new restaurants coming to us. After success in their flagship [...]

  I have a thing for nail polish. There are days when I’d switch nail color twice, and days when I’d start work on my own nail art– never mind the dizzying polish fumes, it’s worth it!   Thing is, I like working with my hands. Whether it be for doing my DIY projects or working on my homemade jewelry, I always, always end up chipping my nail polish. Doesn’t matter how careful I am, [...]

It had been a long week of gruelling tasks and responsibilities when my friends and I decided to go out for some fun and a change of scenery When In Manila. We wanted to go somewhere comfortable where we could eat, talk, and grab a beer or two.     It was a little after dinner when we headed off to Draft at the Fort. Having heard a lot of good things about the place, [...]

      Ever since I could remember, I’ve had a love affair with food. What started as bonding with the family has now turned into a full blown passion. I pride myself in being very adventurous with food, I’ve been known to say I will try anything once.   When In Manila, I’m sure it’s very obvious that most Filipinos, like me, are very open when it comes to food. The diverse population in [...]

  When in Manila and looking to explore your senses, my favorite stop would be Nectar Restaurant.         A while back, I had the pleasure of coming to an exhibit in Nectar during their soft open stage (read more here). This was where I learned about Nectar’s concept: how the restaurant is centered around food and wine pairings, aiming to let everyone appreciate the wonders of vino.         Having enjoyed [...]

It’s been a busy month with the coming holidays. With just a few weeks before Christmas, the rushing to and from with preparations and gift hunting, I’m sure everyone’s feeling the stress this season brings, When In Manila.   With everything that’s been happening, I welcomed the one day vacation holiday that was coming my way and decided to spend it by relaxing and pampering myself. It was the Tuesday night before this said non [...]

  As a kid growing up, I was exposed to so many outdoor activities. I still have very fond memories of cold nights spent in sleeping bags, giggling and counting shooting stars.   Time went by, and I grew up into a city dweller. When In Manila, I learned to go out, shop and dine. The only exercise I get is when I walk through Landmark from Glorietta, to get to Greenbelt. The urban jungles [...]

When In Manila, everyone looked forward to 11.11.11, which most considered a holiday, or at the very least, a lucky day.         The metro was abuzz with different activities, but one that stood out most was the much talked about and highly anticipated Lantern Festival. Of course everyone wanted to be there! Anyone who has ever seen Tangled, or saw pictures of this activity online saw how amazing beautiful the lanterns can [...]

  When In Manila, its very easy to get lost in the hustle bustle of the city and the monotonous everyday cycle of the metro. Having spent virtually all my life traipsing around the city, I believe that every now and then we really should let loose and indulge our senses.   Enter Pinwheel Productions, an art PR/events management team. In so many words, Pinwheel’s Patricia Malay explained to me that art need not be [...]

  When In Manila, after 21 years of rocking the Philippines, Razorback gives us Three Minutes Of Glory.      There’s no one who can rock the crowd as hard, When In Manila, as Razorback does. As a staple in the industry, and an icon in the Filipino music scene, Razorback has given us hits like Giyang, Payaso, Ikot ng Mundo, Voodoo, Who Do?, and Wakasan, just to name a few.        5 [...]

  When In Manila and looking for a worthy cause, join MTV EXIT’s fight to end exploitation and human trafficking.      MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and trafficking) is a multi media campaign which aims to raise awareness to the issue of human trafficking. This campaign started in Europe of 2004 and have enlisted help of celebrities such as Lucy Liu, Angelina Jolie, and musicians like Radiohead, The Killlers, Muse and Click Five.   To [...]

  When In Manila, semestral break is one that I’ve been longing for! After weeks of being swamped with work, typing till the wee hours of the morning, I believe it’s time to unwind and relax. Living in the south, and having lived here all my life, I was looking for an activity that wouldn’t entail planning, or driving for hours just to get to do something– a quick fix to my relaxation woes, When [...]

    When In Manila and looking for some good old fashioned Playboy fun, watch out for the next Playboy Philippines event!         After spending hours through Manila’s Friday night traffic, I finally found myself at Elements, Centris. It was here that this years’ Playboy Rock the Rabbit event was held. This was done for the benefit of kidney patients from the Philippine General Hospital and the Quirino Memorial Medical Center.   [...]

    When in Manila and looking for a fun and exciting way to spend time, check out LazerXtreme for a different kind of adventure.   It was the middle of a busy week when I decided to take an afternoon away from all the work and stress. On days like these the boyfriend and I usually head to the nearest mall and eat. The problem always was what to do after we ate. We would end up [...]

  When In Manila, my first encounter with Hainanese Chicken rice was when I was a small girl. Once, at a mall we used to frequent, my dad sat me down at the Food Court and told me we were to have a very, very good meal. The order came and I was disappointed. It was chicken so pale, it looked like it hadn’t been cooked. I cringed at the thought of putting it in [...]