Lola Cafe + Bar in Quezon City

April 19, 2013

Lola Cafe Bar
99 Sct. Lozano St.,
Quezon City
5012620

Happy Mother's Day!

Quezon City never runs out of new restaurants and that's one of the reasons why I love living here. Last month, I tried this new restaurant called Lola Cafe + Bar with my girl friends. We sampled a few dishes, there are some hits and misses. I found out that the restaurant just opened a few months before and maybe it is still finding its identity and flavor. Well, there's always room for improvement.

Garden Salad PhP 280

Romaine, arugula, cucumber, parmesan with candied walnut, feta cheese, fresh tomato and greek vinaigrette

An order of Garden Salad is good for sharing. The vegetable were not wilted and the amount dressing was just right. I also loved the shaved parmesan, candied walnut and feta cheese. These ingredients reminded me of Cyma's Roka Salata.

For our other orders, read after the break...

J.CO opens it's first 24-hour store in Eastwood City

January 31, 2013

J.CO Donuts and Coffee
Ground Floor, Eastwood Mall
Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City

Yesterday, I witnessed the grand opening of the 7th J.CO Donuts and Coffee store in the Philippines. Located at the bustling Eastwood City in Libis, this latest and biggest branch to-date is ready to serve you 24/7.

J.CO Eastwood City outlet

Founder of J.CO Donuts and Coffee, Johnny Adrean, flew in from Jakarta to grace the opening and join the festivities happening inside the newest outlet.

Find out what was in store for all media guests after the break...

Christmas Dinner in Gulliver's of San Francisco in Quezon City

December 21, 2012

Gulliver's of San Francisco in Quezon City
8th floor, Great Eastern Hotel West Wing
1403 Quezon Avenue, Quezon City
3713801 3718282

Hello! First, let me greet you a very Merry Christmas! I have not forgotten you, nor my blog. It's just that I have been very busy for the past couple of days because I am finalizing the itinerary for my year end trip to Osaka, Japan with DH. One more day and we are flying to the Land of the Rising Sun. I am so excited!!! It's going to be another winter holiday!

 table setting in Gulliver's of San Francisco in Quezon City

When my friends and I have finally decided to have our Christmas dinner over at Gulliver's, I called, made a reservation and requested for a table with a view ; p

We arrived on time despite the heavy traffic building along Quezon Ave. - the curse of December. The parking area (3rd to 7th floor) was almost full. We were not really expecting Great Eastern Hotel to be full on the night of December 21, 2012. The day that was marked as "Doomsday". I guess nobody wanted to die with an empty stomach ; )

Updated! Greeka Kouzina in San Juan

October 26, 2012

Greeka Kouzina
285 Units 4 & 5 P. Guevarra St.,
San Juan 1500

Gevi, Cats and I were not able to meet up again until last October. We finally settled for the new restaurant called Greeka Kouzina along P. Guevarra in San Juan. I often passed by and almost always, the restaurant looks full from outside. Parking lot is not a problem as the restaurant's security guard will point you to a secured (gated) vacant lot just right around the corner.

Cats told ordered me to make a reservation, I did but the restaurant won't accept any reservations on weekends. When we arrived at around 6:30 pm, I understand why. The restaurant was already filled with diners. More people were waiting outside, mostly with families in tow. Luckily, the very courteous waiter was able to "squeeze" in a table for two on the second floor.

Greek Caesar Salad PhP 310 with Fried Calamari PhP 170

We were overwhelmed with the huge servings. Had I known that everything here is humongous, I would have advised my friends not to order too much. You can just imagine what our cramped table for two looked like. Well, since our table was only squeezed in beside the table of a father and son tandem, most of our orders were trespassing on their table ; p Talk about going overboard. 

The salad alone can be shared by a group of five girls. It's a guiltless Caesar Salad because the dressing is made from 100% greek yogurt and is absolutely fat-free. You can also enjoy this salad with Baked Chicken for only PhP 140.

There are other salad on the menu. I spy a Watermelon and Lamb salad which I would love to try when I go back. Hopefully, with DH in tow!

Home Improvement: Komodo Teak Wood Garden Set

Remember my Cafe Juanita entry? We ate there that night because we just came from Komodo Artscrafts Inc. in Pioneer St., Mandaluyong where we placed a 50% down payment for a round garden table and four traditional stackable armchair. We have been eyeing their outdoor garden set for quite some time - by that I mean from the moment we acquired our home which was more than 5 years ago ; p 

 Komodo teak wood

It was finally delivered last June 15. I was so excited. If you are a follower on twitter and facebook, you should have already seen a few of the photos that I took of the garden set. 

By the way, I specially requested for the cast-iron like logo to be placed on all the items that we bought. I was told that all the new furniture do not carry them anymore. I gave my best doe-eyed look to Irene who was very accommodating despite the fact that we were there 15 minutes before closing time, she said she will request it from their head office. I am very happy that the logo found its way to my garden set. 

OOTN: Chica Girl in Ensembles

Hello ; p As I am typing this, it's 1 a.m.! DH and I just got back from an awesome wedding of the younger brother of my friend. I want to share a quick post of my knockout outfit tonight hehehe

do I look chica enough for you?

What is chica?

It means "girl" in Spanish. It sometimes connotes a hot chick. The second meaning is what I am aiming for ; p

Can you believe that I pulled this look in less than an hour? I went to Hotel Sofitel in my office attire- white shirt and jeans, then changed into these vavavoom outfit in one of the restrooms of the hotel.

Blouse: Off White Woven Shirt by Ensembles PhP1195
Skirt: Ensembles in Black PhP795
Shoes: Aerosoles PhP3650
Nails: Orly in Sand Castle done in Freyja Day & Nail Spa

I bought the blouse first and then had to return it for exchange of the same item the next day. That was the time I saw the cute skirt that is so me... I just have to buy it ; p

Ensembles well-suited is available in Trinoma 9166183

Day 2: Yoga at 8 a.m. in Anvaya Cove

I woke up the next day hoping for a sunny day! Well, it was not exactly sunny but it did not rain as much as the day before. My friends were able to frolic on the sand, swim in the pool and eat, eat, eat!

 Anvaya Cove Tower Bar and Pool

The pool area is really big. I was not able to count how many swimming pools connected to each other. Even though there were plenty of people swimming, there was room for everybody. 

Can you see the tower bar on the background? We climbed the stairs up to the fifth floor the night before and could see nothing hahaha All those steps for nothing because it was raining. I am sure, on normal days, you can see a lot of stars at night. 

Veda Spa in Anvaya Cove on a gloomy day!

Drenched! That is the best word that I can think of to describe my first day in Anvaya because it was raining the whole day. But my friends and I didn't mind the gloomy weather, after all, we were there to have a relaxing vacation. 

one of the many pools in Anvaya Cove 

Two of my friends and I decided to have a massage after dinner in Veda Spa- the in- center spa facility of Anvaya Cove. We scheduled it around 8:30 pm. We were advised to go to the center fifteen minutes prior to the appointed time to register, change clothing and relax prior to the treatment.

Travelogue: Anvaya Cove Beach & Nature Club Accommodation

My visit: September 17- 18, 2011

Anvaya Cove Beach & Nature Club

Brgy. Mabayo, Morong,

Bataan, Philippines

7939000   

Over a week ago, I was with my friends vacationing in Anvaya Cove- a Members Only resort in Morong, Bataan. I am not one to pass the chance to go this exclusive vacation spot so I went with my friends even without DH ; p

golf cart- transportation

It was pretty gloomy the afternoon we arrive. The rain was nonstop. How terrible, right?! I was glad that the sun showed up the next day.

Golf Cart was our means of transportation to and from our hotel room during our entire stay in Anvaya Cove.

24 Karat Gold Nails at Cozy Nail Lounge

My visit: August 25, 2011

Cozy Nail Lounge

181 E. Rodriguez  Jr. Avenue, 

Libis Quezon City

7094018

I was invited by Michelle for a pampering day last Thursday. Who am I to say no? I normally don't make any commitments on a Thursday- coding kasi! But for this one time, I made an exception specially since I have been raring to do it for awhile. Ok, even before I left for Hong Kong and that was almost month ago lol 

*now I really feel like a cougar... rawr!

It was an intimate gathering as only four of us were present- Michelle, Angela, Patricia Bermudez and I. Nonetheless, we had fun throughout the afternoon.

I am happy to say that I found the perfect gold color nail polish through Cozy Nail Lounge's wide range of ORLY nail lacquers. I really, really love it! Too bad it is limited edition and I can't find one anywhere else ; (

ORLY Nail Lacquers are Free from Formaldehyde, DBP & Toluene. It is safe to use even for pregnant women.

Reunion at Lugang Cafe in Greenhills!

My visit: August 19, 2011

Lugang Cafe

116 Connecticut St.,

Greenhills, San Juan

7219100   5709011

When my "CareBear" friend, Marilene, invited DH and I over to her son's 1st birthday party a few weeks ago, I saw a lot of familiar faces but didn't quite get the chance to talk to all of them. We agreed to set a date and place for our mini reunion. It took place in Lugang Cafe, Greenhills 2 nights ago. 

my elementary classmates

I am still a bit sleepy as I am typing this entry because I went home at around 12:30am and slept at around 2 am. Talk about getting high from being so happy to see my old friends. Plus, I drank a large cup of WinterMelon Milk Tea  ; p

New find: Dali Restaurante y Bar de Tapas in Quezon City

My visit: July 29, 2011

Dali

40 Eugenio Lopez St., 

South Triangle, Quezon City

9280917

From the same owners of Congo Grill, Dali, a tapas bar, opened its door in the same location a few months ago. Dh and I often passed by this structure. Intrigued by its name and the food it serves, I egged DH to try the restaurant with me but he does not want to. He said the restaurant looks like a drinking bar from outside ; (

gambas con ajillo PhP185

However, in one event that I have attended, a writer from a newspaper mentioned that he just came from another event held in Dali. From that writer, I learned that the restaurant served good Spanish food like paella and tapas. I researched online but found only a few decent reviews. 

I suggested Dali when my college buddies were looking for a place to dine. Soon after, I was checking online for the food prices if it is within our budget. Prices are inexpensive so we decided to give the restaurant a try.

Tapas are small Spanish savory dishes typically served with drinks in bars.

After dinner at Chocolate Fire

My visit: July 21, 2011

Chocolate Fire

A World Full of Pure Creativity

PDCP Building

Corner of Leviste and Rufino Sts.,

Salcedo Village, Makati

8403473   8400808

After having a pretty expensive dinner at Apartment 1B, the super friends walked an entire block or was it two (?) to our next foodie stop, Chocolate Fire. 

fondue for 2 PhP750

The good looking manager assisted us girls in picking out our favorite chocolates. Too bad taking photos of the chocolates on display is not allowed. Don't ask me why, ok?

As my kumare gushed to every chocolate that the "good looking" manager pointed at, we ended up ordering more than we could eat hahaha

We ordered one fondue for starters. The 8 of us shared an order consisting of two warm melted Belgian chocolate- milk and dark, a few match box size chiffon slices, wafer, mallows, bananas and strawberries.

Chronicling our third day in Boracay!

My visit: May 18, 2011

Boracay

On our third and last day, we woke up a bit late. We were supposed to watch the sunrise but we slept like babies haha

back in Jonah's

For the nth time, we bought fresh fruit shakes at Jonah's after having our breakfast in our hotel. It is strategically located a few minutes from where we were staying. 

Original Chori Burger in Boracay since 1988

I have not tasted Boracay's Chori Burger until my recent visit. After having our massage at Nigi-Nigi's Massage Center, we went for a walk and found Merly's BBQ stand along Station 1.

Merly's BBQ Boracay The Best Longga & Chori Burger Since 1988

Ok, it's not Merly in the photo but my friend Gevi hehe Would you believe this is our cheapest dinner to date? We only paid PhP25 each haha

Breakfast at Jonah's & late lunch at Cyma

My visit: May 16, 2010

Jonah's Fruit Shake & Snack Bar

Station 1

Boracay Island

Jonah's is one of the most established restaurants in Boracay. It is open 24 hours everyday of the week and always full of diners.  Naturally, for first timers like Gevi, she has to visit the place for a taste of Boracay's famous fresh fruit shake! 

high tide at Jonah's 

When we talk about vacation, food will not be far behind. On our first day, we totally splurged on food. Starting with our breakfast at Jonah's. *totally trying to sound like Breakfast at Tiffany's haha

Traveling Air Philippines style!

Manila -Boracay

Departure: May 16, 2011

Time: 6:00am

Air Philippines 2P 0035 (NAIA Terminal 3)

Boracay-Manila 

Departure: May18, 2011

Time: 3:40pm

Airphilippines 2P 0076 (Caticlan Airport)

Distance: 189 miles

Duration: 1 hour

Just like my Taipei trip with DH last December, my Boracay trip was also booked just a few days before our departure date. 11 days to be exact! 

I have to thank my friend, Gevi, who booked both our plane tickets and hotel stay. She directly booked with Air Philippines through their website and booked our 2 nights stay through Agoda. She is such a pro at booking last minute that I could have sworn she is used to doing it but no, she just did it for me. My schedule for the past few months is quite erratic so I am all for unplanned trip which more frequently than not pushes through. But that's just in my case!

our Air Philippines De Havilland Dash 8 turbo propeller plane

It was stated in the email that we got from Air Philippines that we have to arrive 2 hours before the departure time. My initial reaction was "Really?! even for domestic flight!" When I arrived at the airport at 4am, I now know the reason why people were required to be there two hours earlier before flight schedule. The lines were really long. It sucks! I was there before Gevi did so she didn't have to go to the end of the line. Lucky girl! 

Things to remember before going to the airport for domestic flight only:

1. Be at the airport 2 hours before the scheduled departure time
2. Bring a valid Identification Card (driver's license, passport or any government issued ID)
3. Bring the credit card used in online transaction to be presented upon check in
4. If the passenger is not the credit card owner, a photocopy of the credit card used for online transaction and a copy of valid ID of the credit card owner should be presented. 
5. If boarding from NAIA, bring PhP200 for terminal fee

Failure to do numbers 2, 3 & 4 may result in denied boarding on the plane or maybe advised to purchase new tickets.

El Centro Fruit Shakes in Boracay

This is our second fruit shake in a day. The first one was in Jonah's Fruit Shake which costs twice as much as El Centro's fruit shake. 

 El Centro's Avocado fruit shake PhP50

El Centro is found right smack in the middle of Station 2. I terribly needed this fruit shake. After walking the whole stretch of all 3 stations, I am so out of energy to even lift a finger!

Celebrating Birthday Pinoy Henyo Style 2011

The celebration lasted for a month! I am finally down to my last post about my birthday party. For a change, this year Cherie and I celebrated our birthdays in her new home. Yey!

posing with our birthday cake

All the while we thought most of our friends couldn't make it. Some texted in that they already have a schedule for the night and some even complained how far the venue was. You know who you are ; p But the most important thing is that everybody turned up that night! 

When in Boracay get a henna tattoo!

So you have seen our braided hair, it's now time to show off some skin. No, not what you are thinking ; p It's our first day, we have to have an ink to feel the vibe of the island of Boracay haha

Gevi and her butterfly & a rose tattoo

Gevi decided to have her tattoo a little below her shoulders. Since the design is not in the center, the tattoo artist didn't trace the design anymore. He drew directly on her skin.