Jalapeño Cantina Mexicana- Food Street Ortigas Home Depot

We decided to visit Jalapeño one last time before the year 2011 ends. Just located along the Food Street in Ortigas Home Depot, it has been a favorite hangout place of some Mexican food lovers in the area.

Upon entering, a distinct smell of Mexican cuisine welcome us. We were guided to the second floor where some Mexican pictures are framed on the wall and a map of Mexico could also be found.

A casual Mexican pub was characterized by the use of wooden chairs, brown and yellow hues, and the dimmed lights effect. 

The Noel Discovery Bazaar Experience- Dec 9-18 at the PICC

I'm back! I've missed blogging about our food adventures lately because of the Noel Discovery Bazaar at the PICC.
For 10 straight days and nights, I have been hands on manning our booth in the said bazaar.

It was really tiring and I must say exhausting too. I've never felt this tired in my life. Seriously. Never in my college life did I felt this exhausted.

Everyday, I must wake up early to check if the supplies and our products are all set. We must arrive before 11am since the bazaar starts to open for public at 11am.

We joined the Noel Bazaar as a food concessionaire selling Quezon products such as Pancit Habhab, Uraro, Banana chips etc.. We also sold some siomai and wintermelon tea. It was hard at first especially since I don't have any experience in doing this kind of stuff. But as days pass by, I got the hang of it eventually. Still, it was really tiring. At this moment, I'm thinking that never again will  I join bazaars as a food concessionaire. As I always say "Lugi pa ako sa pagod." and "Mahirap talaga kumita ng pera. "

This is just a quick post about what I was up to for the past 10 days as I still need to do some documentations about the bazaar.

I think I'll be able to blog again regularly next year since we will be in Cebu and Bohol this Christmas season.

For now, I'm looking forward to more hours of sleep and some ways to relax.. a spa perhaps. :)

See you! :)

A Starbucks Christmas Blend and Tumbler Giveaway Winner

I love online contests that are not complicated to do. Normally, I would join contests that involves liking a page and commenting on a post. 

Last month, I joined The Peach Kitchen's Starbucks Christmas Blend and Tumbler Giveaway. Her mechanics were easy to do and follow. I tried my luck and surprisingly, I won the giveaway. 

Of all the 43 entries who joined, my name topped the list via Random.org.

I was so happy when I got an email from The Peach Kitchen telling me that I won. I sent my details immediately to her and got even happier when I learned that a coupon for a complimentary beverage is included inside the tumbler. Double yay! :)

And here it is.. A pack of Starbucks Christmas Blend and a Starbucks Christmas Tumbler.

Crave Burger- Good Burger. Good Place. Good Times @ Congressional Ave.

After trying out O'Railey's Cafe offerings, we also got to try Crave Burger since it is managed by the same owner. Crave Burger is just beside O'Railey's giving customers more choices when dining.  People having coffee at O'Railey's could grab some burgers from Crave while diners from Crave could also have some cup of coffee or milk tea from O' Railey's. 

Bienvenidos! Alba- Restaurante Español since 1952

We would always pass by Alba in going to Tomas Morato but we never really tried eating there. One reason is that I'm not really into Spanish cuisine and a Spanish buffet is something I think I would not enjoy. I also thought that I would not be able to eat a P765 worth of pure spanish cusine.

But when Deal grocer came up with a buffet deal from Alba for only P425, I immediately purchased one. I was supposed to get 2 but when I tried purchasing another one, it was sold out already.

Luckily, I was able to get another 2 vouchers from someone selling hers online for the same price.

We invited my brother to join us the night of our reservation.

The place had dimmed lighting and ancestral interiors. Think of the Spanish Era and Intramuros.. It was like dining in Jose Rizal's house.

We were served with a bowl of Onion Soup before heading to the buffet tables.

O' Railey's Cafe- Good Things Start With A Cup of Coffee

I received an email from Sumi of The Purple Doll inviting me to join her and other bloggers to try out O'Railey's Cafe in Congressional Ave. Quezon City. I was not yet sure if I could go so I got her number and was able to confirm my attendance on the day itself. I was on my way when Sumi texted that she can no longer go due to an emergency. We'll still see each other next time Sumi. Hope you are ok :)

Kay of Life is Kulayful texted me instead and gave me the address where we are supposed to meet. I arrived around 2:45pm at O'Railey's but they were not yet there so I took some photos first.

Sweet Nothings: Jigsaw #2 - The Yellow Brick Road

Sweet Nothings would be a title post for things D and I do other than Eating, Restaurant Hopping, Foodtrips and other things related to food.

I've mentioned in my post before that D and I have been addicted to Jigsaw puzzles. In fact, we just bought another 1000-piece from Greenhills yesterday. It was a glow in the dark puzzle which we thought was already a bargain for its price of P300. Most 1000-piece puzzles we find in malls are prices at P800-P1000. I am so excited to share the puzzle we bought since it was like the first puzzle we made called the Tricycle Kiss.This one is better since it was glow in the dark.

But, I want to blog about that when we have finally completed the puzzle.

So this post will be about our 2nd completed puzzle called The Yellow Brick Road. This time, an additional 50 pieces were added to our first completed project.

Gelatissimo-The Real Taste of Italia @ Greenbelt 5

After our heavy lunch in John and Yoko, we went straight to Gelatissimo to have dessert. I received a Buy 1 Get 1 flyer from Gelatissimo since I subscribed in their mailing list and all I have to do is print the flyer out and present it to their staff. 

The promo is still running until January 8, 2012 so start printing this flyer now. :) 

John and Yoko- Cosmopolitan Japanese @ Greenbelt 5

After a tiring but fun run at SM Mall of Asia, we went home to clean ourselves up and prepare for a lunch at John and Yoko in Greenbelt 5.

We had 2 vouchers of 1k worth of food and drinks that needs to be used before November ends so we decided to use them after the run.

I love the fusion of red and purple colors inside the place especially the latter color which was the evident theme of John and Yoko. The chairs were also painted in purple with some pictures of different Japanese warriors and princesses. 

HSBC Anniversary Fun Run 2011- SM Mall of Asia Grounds

Last Saturday was an action packed day. We had to wake up early for the Hsbc run at the SM Mall of Asia grounds.

We arrived around 5:30am and the sky was still dark but most of the runners were already there warming themselves up. 

Gun start for the 10km run was at 5:45am while the race category which we joined (5km) started at 5:50am. 

We ran, jogged and walked our way from the starting point to the finish line. 

Chatime-Good Tea, Good Time in Banawe

After a heavy dinner in Causeway in Banawe..

It's Chatime!

Driscoll's Strawberries

Just received one pack of Driscoll's Fresh Strawberries from D's parents. My eyes lit up when I saw the sizes of the strawberries! They were really huge and different from the strawberries we usually buy in Baguio or supermarkets here. These were like the perfect strawberries- big, red and fresh, free from bumps. 

I could smell the fragrant aroma of the strawberries upon opening the container.

And the taste?

It was sweet and juicy. No need for sugar, salt, cream or milk.

Thank You D and Family!! :)

Causeway Seafood Restaurant- Banawe

Causeway in Banawe has always been our go-to place for a late night family dinner every Sunday. Not only because they serve great food, but also because they have this P45 dimsum promo from 9pm til 12 midnight.

We arrived earlier than the usual time last Sunday so we ordered some from the A la Carte menu first.

We got their 2 Kinds of Eggs w/ Polunchay which I believe is still the best among all that I've tried.

Little Store On the Hill- Little Baguio, San Juan

I have know Little Store in San Juan before but I have never gotten to enter the place. All I know was that it was a little store that offers delicacies and other packed goodies.

Last Sunday, my parents said that we will be going there for a quick snack. My mother mentioned that they serve fresh lumpia which is what they are know for.

I was a little surprised that they have a small dining area inside the store.

Articles from newspapers and magazine were framed and posted on the walls.

Thai Dara- Revisited

Once again, we visited Thai Dara for dinner using our P300 voucher from Ensogo.

The place was surprisingly empty on a Friday night so we got ourselves a seat without calling for reservations.

We got to take pictures of the whole place freely since there were no other diners inside. 

Their Wall of Fame :)

Another Wall where you can write comments and messages

Photo Wall

Sweet Nothings: Jigsaw #1 - Tricycle Kiss

Sweet Nothings would be a title post for things that D and I do other than Eating, Restaurant Hopping, Foodtrips and other things related to food. :)

We've been addicted to Jigsaw Puzzles recently and our first accomplished puzzle is a 500-piece jigsaw called Tricycle Kiss.

It is a black and white vintage photo of two kids on a bike kissing :)

Aren't they cute??

北京樓 Peking Garden- Home of the Best Peking Duck :)

My mom's best friend from Canada recently visited the Philippines and so we had our lunch at Peking Garden last Sunday to treat her.

We were served the usual wanton chips which we had to ask the waiter to refill four times. It was so addicting! :)

Pancake House 'Southern Flavors'- Maple Chicken and Crispy Waffle

Pancake House has always been our go-to place for our waffle cravings. I love how crispy and big their waffles are.

I could just eat their plain waffles with maple syrup even without the fruit toppings. It's just as good.

They have this set of meals called 'Southern Flavors' which has been our favorite ever since we tried their Maple Chicken and Crispy Waffle.

Now, every time we dine at Pancake House for a quick snack, ordering it is a must because it got everything we want: Crispy Waffle, Chicken and Salad.

Should I say more? 

Golden Bay Fresh Seafood Restaurant- Macapagal Ave. Pasay

Golden Bay is the seafood restaurant with a colorful facade of LED lights along Macapagal Ave. in Pasay. 

I've been there three times and I must say that the restaurant is really grand and exquisite. The interiors exude elegance with its fine golden accents and spacious dining area. They also have flat screen TVs that are hung on the walls for some customer entertainment. 

We had our dinner here with my family and D last Friday night using 3 ensogo vouchers I purchased. We had to split tables since there is a maximum of 2 vouchers per table policy.


Each voucher includes a glass of Iced Tea which was served together with the complimentary appetizers.

S&R Membership Shopping- Food Finds

My family loves going to supermarkets and grocery stores. It's their favorite "mall". 

We often go to supermarkets every Sunday. Sometimes, we even go two supermarkets in one day.

Their favorite? 

S&R is a members-only supermarket with a warehouse concept just like Costco and Sam's in the US. 

They offer mostly imported products and some local products by bulk.

With 5 locations in Congressional, Aseana-Baclaran, Bonifacio Global City, Alabang and Cebu, we always frequent the former 2 branches. 

S&R offers competitive prices for their imported products. They also hold sale events wherein the place gets really crowded and people would actually fall in line for half a day or more. Seriously. 

My mom went there the last time around 6:30am and they ran out of pushcarts already. She has to wait for a few minutes before she could enter the place.

Moving on, I love going to S&R because of their food. :) Who doesn't?

We love their Chicken Caesar Salad (P129) which has a huge serving that's already good for 2-3 people. But for me, I could finish a whole bowl for myself. :)

And of course, who would not want a slice of their pizza?

Pepperoni Pizza Slice (P99)

Their pizza slices were really big, you may even ask them to slice your pizza into two for sharing.

Their Bottomless Soda could also be ordered at a reasonable price of P39.

Not a soda drinker? They also have Iced Tea and Orange Juice. :)