WHEN IN MANILA and still undecided whether you want to go to a Japanese restaurant or go with Western dishes, then MA MAISON is the perfect place for you!     Ma Maison offers a rustic homey ambiance – it feels like you’re dining at grandma’s house :)     We couldn’t help but adore the chandelier and cute “Tiffany” lamps!     Crunchy bread sticks! Yay for hungry tummies.   Escargots (Php 385) [...]

  When in Manila, finding a place to cool down during the summer would be of the utmost essence. But what can you do if you want to mingle with your friends or bond with your family without lounging around at home while eating popsicles and without spending a hundred pesos per baby scoop of ice cream? Visit Swensen’s Eastwood – that’s what! And the best part? It’s air-conditioned. Double win to beat the summer [...]

   Food Bazaar Manila: Yummy EATS 2012!   When In Manila, time for another food tripping event to end your summer! Join one of the biggest food bazaars in Manila this coming May 26, Saturday, at the Rockwell Tent! This is going to be a different kind of food bazaar wherein the booth owners will personally interact with the guests as they go around the bazaar, and there will also be cooking demos. Exciting games [...]

WHEN IN MANILA and looking for the perfect venue to treat your supermom to a wonderful Mother’s Day dinner, have a fun-tastic evening at LULU Restaurant and indulge yourselves with LuLu’s magnificent Mother’s Day Menu. As a bonus, mom gets to dine for free and gets a gift from Clinique for every family of four or more who’s availing the special menu :)     LULU Restaurant G/F Joya Building, Joya DriveRockwell, Makati Tel. (02) [...]

Adarna Food and Culture      When in Manila and curious about authentic Filipino cuisine being served around the archipelago but have no time to board a plane and travel the islands,  the Adarna Food and Culture is definitely the place to be!   I’ve been raving about Adarna Food and Culture ever since  last year when I finally got the chance to experience it and now I am truly honored to have this opportunity in [...]

  When In Manila and you’re feeling a little under the weather, there’s a place that can surely turn any frown upside down (plus, it’s a sure shot place to impress your date).    I’ve been eyeing this interesting, quaint place in Maginhawa for quite some time now and when the perfect occasion came to date, off we go to visit Van Gogh is Bipolar (VGIB).    Van Gogh is Bipolar is Jetro Rafael’s abode-slash-happy restaurant. Just like [...]

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 [...]

  CCA Podium Market Cafe weekend classes are like QTV’s “Secrets of the Masters” – only they’re actual, real-time, and hands-on.   What can you do inside a mall on a weekend When it’s summer In Manila?   Well, you could bond with your loved ones. Shop, wine, and dine. Watch a movie or two. Window shop and escape the intense heat outside while you’re at it. Or, you could learn from the best culinary and [...]

  WHEN IN MANILA and looking for a place to hang out with your friends, I suggest you go to COVA Tapas Y Sangria bar – the newest chill-out tapas place conveniently located at Jupiter St., Makati.     Isn’t this place amazing? No, you’re not inside a whale’s mouth nor in a cave :p   The awesome tapas bar was conceptualized by the young owners themselves – Patrick Hesse and Tatyana Guevara, with Luigi [...]

  With branches originating from Tokyo (40 years old), Singapore, Shanghai, HongKong and Makati (14 years), Nanbantei of Tokyo now opens its doors in Bonifacio High Street Central in Taguig.       WHEN IN MANILA and craving for roasted bite-size pieces of meat or veggies, let Nanbantei of Tokyo give you that yummy yakitori fix.     The interior reminds me of Sushi Kushi Toyo, a Japanese restaurant in Lake Forest, Illinois that also [...]

Taza De Oro – “The Authentic Chinese Cuisine”   WHEN IN MANILA, particularly in Greenhills, San Juan, let your family experience an authentic Chinese cuisine at Taza de Oro Food Garden. This is where you will find old style Chinese food that we used to know from childhood memories.   Chicken Corn Soup – kids love it! So flavorful and meaty.   Hot and Sour Soup     Having Taza De Oro’s hot and sour [...]

  WHEN IN MANILA and not quite sure if you want to eat French, Italian or Spanish, then just go to Cuisinier Bistro in Quezon City. This lovely restaurant serves French-Mediterranean cuisine that will surely make you smile.       The interior and façade of Cuisinier Bistro might make you think that the price of the food is steep, but hey, you’ll be really surprised that the foods are very reasonably priced, especially with [...]

Razon’s of Guagua Serves the Best Halo-halo and Kapampangan Food in Metro Manila           What’s better than beating the summer heat by eating the famous halo-halo at Razon’s of Guagua? What else but trying out their authentic Kapampangan dishes! With more than thirty branches around Metro Manila, Razon’s of Guagua is the fastest rising Kapampangan food chain in the Philippine history!     The birthplace of Razon’s of Guagua      It [...]

Jollibee Floats         When In Manila, there are some decisions that will be too tough for just one person to answer. Thankfully, you have friends who can help you when you need it.   Recently, I was invited for a taste test of the newest Jollibee solution for the summer, something to help you beat the heat. It’s the new Jollibee Floats!     Chico, Saab and Vince at Jollibee. Photo by [...]

Yellow Cab Pizza Co. introduces their special Summer Fleet Package!   I recently discovered that Yellow Cab Pizza Co. has got yet another mouthwatering treat for us this summer which I believe we never should miss when in Manila!   Introducing the Summer Fleet Package brought to us by Yellow Cab Pizza Co!         One hot summer afternoon, my friends and I had this huge craving for good old freshly baked pizza! [...]

  Il Piccino Trattoria – a quaint house in San Juan serving home-cooked Italian dishes       “Set in 1925, Il Piccino Trattoria is the ancestral home of the Limkako-Mejia family. Although the house has undergone several restorations, its entirety is still as it was when a Spaniard by the name of Primitivo Jason built the house.”        “It is filled not only with antique fixtures and furniture, shiny wooden plank floors, wide [...]

Cucina Rusticana – a hidden treasure in the heart of Makati     Located at the corner of Akle St. and Kamagong St. in Makati lies a one month old casual rustic restaurant that serves authentic Italian dishes, leaving guests in awe.       It was a hot day when we arrived at Cucina Rusticana but the restaurant’s special drinks were refreshingly good! Watch out for the summer special drink that Cucina Rusticana’s preparing [...]

    Are you ready for another visual experience?     When in Manila, its impossible to resist chocolate creations such as Dipped Fresh US Strawberries :           …delectable chocolate & peppermint cakes :         …cake blobs & rum cake…         …and a whole lot more!         Yum!   This one of a kind chocolate haven is also called Chocolate Fire, located [...]

  PF Chang’s in Manila Pesco-Vegetarian Menu PF Chang’s in Manila     When in Manila, one thing you are sure to notice during Lent is that the people here take it very seriously – and I do now, too. However, I normally just stick to the traditional “I gave up meat” promise.   So, if you gave up meat for Lent this year, too; have already been a pesco-vegetarian for a while – or a [...]

Krispy Kreme Alabang welcomes you!     Baked Creations at Krispy Kreme Alabang     When In Manila, a bite of donuts with matching coffee would complete one’s afternoon. Of all donut brands out there, Krispy Kreme would surely be on top of the mind. Who would not forget the sugar rush one could get with a bite? Most “southerners” or those who live south of Metro Manila is that there is no Krispy Kreme branch [...]