once again @ INYO

I am a big fan of houses turned into cozy restaurants. Two years ago, I surprised Jp on his birthday when I brought him to this house in Katipunan area. That was my first time to experience INYO Cuisine too. It was just the two of us there at that time which made the whole thing more special and intimate for his birthday. I guess INYO is that popular already.The place was packed when we went last Saturday. From sweethearts to old lovers and families, they were there and you'll happy oohhs and ahhss for every bit they made. The restaurant is something that you'll love over and over again. The place is perfect and the food is even better :)


I've encouraged my family, relatives and friends to try the place and i'm happy to hear that they loved the place too :) If there's one thing that I can freely give out to friends, I think that would be a perfect dining experience. No, no.. not a treat! Rather, an experience that they can always look back to and smile about :) Yes, most of my relatives and friends would call me up and ask for suggestions on where to eat for so many important ocassions. I'm happy that I get to share good experiences with them by being part of the special events in their lives :)

Last Saturday, Jp & I went to Inyo Cuisine with our cousins. We had another perfect meal for our dinner. The husbands we're so tired from our badminton game that afternoon so with no hesitation they ordered the US Hanging Tender Steak (yeah this was literally super tender!). We tried their asparagus soup which was just right. Nina and I had pasta. Pesto Cream & Grilled Chicken for me and Nina tried the Pasta Alle Congolle. Both good and the servings were really big. This is another fun fun Saturday night for the four of us :)

For dining at Inyo Cuisine, you can check out details here :)

Sunday is Jp's Day

...because he's been a good friend & daddy-yo to my Kyle, the man definitely deserves a treat! :) We ate lunch at TenderBob's Promenade to celebrate Father's Day. To make up for our frustrating OUTback experience, TenderBob's is the answer! The two boys were excited since Friday!

My Family on Father's Day. Couldn't ask for anything more. :)

Our usual TenderBob's favorite: ceasar salad (dressing is perfect), potato skin wedges (yummy!), ribeye hungry steak/well done (for the boys!) and I tried this new dish: the Countrystyle chicken with gravy. My mother in law ordered salpicao and onion soup which was superb too!The servings were very generous.Our damage was cheaper than what we spent in Outback but definitely this is what you call "an ultimate dining experience". :)
Time for surprises! My Kyle prepared a greeting card for daddy Jp. He locked himself in his room in the morning when Jp was asking him to freshen up and prepare for our lunch already. The little boy pala is preparing something for him. The letter actually is more of "thank you" than the happy father's day greeting. I guess he is really THANKFUL more than anything else :)

We bought him local chocolates for his sweet tooth and baon at work. We sure promised not to eat it. Hahaha! :D

Kyle watched hubby play basketball late afternoon after our mass while I prepared thai dinner at home. Surprise! Surprise :)

We are trying very very hard not to overeat. Instead of having the Thai bagoog rice buffet style, I served it plated :) We had pandan chicken on the side too! And yeah, tita Bic baked chocolate cake for Jp also. Ended the night with wine and salami at Poncho's house.



Happy Father's day again babe! Truly life is more meaningful with you. I know my Kyle is very happy and thankful to have you in our lives as much as I do. We are both grateful. God never fails to bless us with so many wonderful things and you are one His greatest blessing to us. The missing piece that perfectly fits! :)

Dessert Nirvana

Two Fridays ago, I was invited to a media event in Rockwell that featured The Cake Club, a dessert buffet launched by Diamond Hotel. I am self-confessed BIG on desserts and cakes! Life is definitely sweet and this sure proves it! Enjoy the photos :)


I wasn't able to try all of 'em , IT WAS A LOT! I picked the ones recommended by the banquet sales. My personal favorites are the French Macarons (chocolate and salted caramel flavors), Supermoist Chocolate Cake (Diamond Hotel's signature cake! classic!) and the Baked Cheesecake. All three are in the 2nd row of the photos. They had very good presentations that made each one of the desserts more interesting & intriguing. Dessert + Buffet = Super guilty! Waaah!

Thanks to my friend Aj for the invite. It was a superb experience to go "ga-ga" over these mouth-watering treats :) Ooops, with window shopping on the side :D

Photo Credit: PR kit from Geisler Mclang. Click to view larger file

I brought home some goodies for my husband and Kyle! :) Truly, "there is no such thing as too much desserts" :) We feasted on the sampler cakes! I'm happy I was able to share with them this sumptuous experience. Jp of course was more happy. The husband's got a sweet tooth more than the wife! :D



Diamond Hotel offers the Dessert Buffet for large groups only. You can call 305-3000 local 8413/8414/8460 or email indulgence@diamondhotel.com.

weekend dates

My husband and I both love and enjoy trying out new restaurants. This is basically the only "luho" that we spend for almost every weekend. We consider this our "alone time". We get to talk about our life together, problems and how to solve them and oh future plans of course. I am always inspired and excited to look for restaurants that are new, cozy and of course serves good food. We've tried INYO Cuisine in Katipunan and it was a unique experience for us. We adore Galileo Enoteca , it offers variety of cheese & cold cuts. Perfect with our favorite Lambrusco wine. went to Bellini's with my highschool friends February this year & I hope experience it with Jp sometime soon.

Me and Jp still go out on dates and it sure feels so good to be "kilig" over and over again even when you're married :D I have a list of few gourmet restaurants that i've been meaning to try with him.

Apartment 1B
One Lafayette Square, 132 Leviste St, Salcedo Village
Tel : 843-40-75

Lemuria , The Winery
#5 Julieta Circle, Horseshoe Village QC
Tel : 843-4075

Cookbook Kitchen
#8 Socorro Fernandez St., Mandaluyong City
Tel : 724-3595 / 381-5935

Barcino Gourmet
2/F City Golf Complex, Julia Vargas Ave. Ortigas
Tel : 636-2963

Moksha
#713 Abad Santos cor Wilson Sts., San Juan
Tel # 723-8314

Uno
#195-C Tomas cor Scout Fuentabella Tomas Morato QC
Tel : 374-0774

Katre
#103 Dr Lazcano St., QC
Tel : 373-4705 / 373-6650

Chateau Verde
#63 Apacible St., UP Campus Diliman QC
Tel : 928-8180/ 927-3035

Greens
#2 Sct. Castor ,South Triangle , Quezon City
Tel: 415-4796/410-2440 /0918-5687649

OUTback

05/25

We had three choices that night. Tender Bobs (which is Kyle's favorite), Chilli's (both hubby & I loves the resto) and Outback (we've tried it years ago when we were still dating). We all agreed to have dinner at Outback Steakhouse, Libis because it is the nearest in our place and yeah Kyle has been suggesting that restaurant for a number times already. I think he tried their burgers once with the Canoys.

We enjoyed the place. The ambiance was ok. Perfect for a Sunday family day. The servers were beautiful and very accommodating. We were also entertained with these coasters placed on the tables.

The menu choices were all expensive. That's actually something that we already know but we thought the servings could be big like that of Fridays, Burgoo or Itallianis.

Now, the sad part is- we were very disappointed and unhappy because the servings are so tiny. We felt so "kawawa" but we couldn't afford to order more because that would be too much of our budget already and we were waiting quite long for our meals to be served. Half an hour or two will be another long wait and we were really hungry.

We settled for what we ordered. The chocolate bread with butter is free. Thanks for that. At least we were able carbo load even before the main course was served. We had my husband's favorite chilli cheese fries, a baby back ribs (so tiny baby!) and the peppered beef tenderloin cut steak.

Good thing, I have something to be happy about. My lemonade is huge to fill me in! :D

Our bill below:( This is by far the only "not-so-worth-it" restaurant that we've tried for so many months now. Most of our dine -outs are pre-planned and I usually research before going. This is one of the few that I did not. Oh well, lessons learned. Paying close to 3k is not so worth it for a "not-so-generous" dinner serving. The three of us just honestly went home disappointed.
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE
Libis, Quezon City
634-3801

TAJ OF TAGAYTAY

Late Post
01/13

My relatives from Canada came home for vacation just in time for our wedding. Our time was very limited because there were family gatherings & invitations left and right.Apart from my wedding preparations, me and fiance (now my husband) had to entertain visitors from the US who were all home for our special day.
I wanted to make their visit a memorable one but since I don't have that much time to do so, I made the most out of what I can offer them best :) I asked them to spend one night at the Cuna resthouse in Tagaytay. I felt bad I couldn't stay with them at that time because that was actually 2 days prior to my wedding date. It could've been a very great time for us to bond.

My husband & I planned to treat them for an early dinner some place in Tagaytay. While my aunts and uncles went to visit a friend in Lian, Batangas.. we went to try out this very intriguing restaurant situated at the boundary of Tagaytay & Alfonso.

This is TAJ OF TAGAYTAY. If you are coming from Tagaytay proper, you'll see it on your left before reaching Batangas exit. Oh, you'll see banners along the highway so i'm sure you won't miss it :P

The place is so perfect. It's overlooking taal lake.
An ambiance that completed our sunset dinner :) The menu is not so complicated.Price is affordable:)

All of us tried their huge shawarma, refreshing melon shake,
and my favorite .. samosa -average,I still prefer Arya's :D

I so love the interiors of the place! Very cozy!:)


1st row(l-r): karen, jp, mico
2nd row (l-r): ate chris, me,nichole

Taj of Tagaytay
Indian. Mediterranean. Asian Fusion
Tel# +63 916 936 4219, +63 927 711 4247

cupcake craze

My friend Tricia ,who is currently based in Ilocos came to visit Manila last weekend. We watched Avenue Q play Sat afternoon then we went to Serendra @ The Fort for Tricia to see the place & try out Sonja's. She's been craving for it when she came across a number of blogs about these cupcake craze...

This tiny restaurant gets really packed.. the cupcakes are a bit expensive (around Php80/pc) actually but I read in one of Sonja's interviews that she uses imported French Brand ingredients and that is the reason why her cupcakes are a little pricey.. Hmmm, tasted it finally! And the verdict? good enough for a once in a while treat.:)

Months of ym messages and were finally here! :)

(7/22) with my high school friends, Tricia & Naomi outside Serendra.. :)

Must loved. Perfect for my afternoon tea. Tricia found the cupcakes too sweet but they were just perfect for my type of dessert :)

It was my first time to try Sonja's also. Too bad Jp & Kyle wasn't with me at that time :( I'm sure the boys will love the cupcakes also! I plan to go back with them soon :) This is one of the rare times that I went to try out a new restaurant or food without Jp. We go together most of the time because this is one hobby that we enjoy doing together.

Naomi & Tricia tried Chelsea for early dinner but I was a a bit unhappy about their service. Duo & Portico pa din talaga ang the best! :D Nevertheless, I am happy for this very quick but productive & memorable get together! :)

Sonja's is located at SERENDRA, Fort Global City.

my boys enjoying Toytown Shopping :)

Weekends are very special to me because I get to spend time with my family. Like what I usually label my posts : weekends are NO ORDINARY DAY for me.

RED KIMONO





























(above photo) me & fiance with my mom, tita mao (jp's mom) & my brother mico. Dinner night before tita mao's trip for US. We will miss you Mader! :)

Dinner at Red Kimono, a Japanese restaurant in Silvercity (they have a branch at The Fort also!) The food is really good. They have this eat-all-you-can promo @ Php485/head. Super sulit because the menu is really good. The gyoza, spicy teka maki, yakitori & japanese beef fried rice are really yummy!

Jp & I are planning to bring his cousins next weekend :)

Friday Gateway

Dinner @ Superbowl Gateway, Ever-loved DQ, Fully Booked (09/14/07)

another Galileo Enoteca Experience

falling in love over & over :)

GALILEO ENOTECA
Calbayog corner Malinao Streets
Mandaluyong City Philippines
Tel. Nos.: 719-1038, 534-4633, 532-0482
www.galileoenoteca.com