We waited for almost 2months just for this dinner! We booked the 6pm slot but waited more than an hour to eat (there were a lot of guests).
Taste - 4/5 Food were okay - we ordered shrimp pasta, sandwich and sisig.
For coffee, I had butterscotch which was so sweet. I can't even tell if there's really coffee, hence, I'm giving it a 3/5 rating while my friend wasn't satisfied with her matcha drink too.
Ambiance - 3.5/5 I find the place so crowded that I can hear the other table's topics as well.
However, the Manila Cathedral as backdrop or 'view' at night, gave off a solemn vibe, with bell chiming from time to time. The lights too was relaxing and we felt sleepy 😅
Price - 3.5/5 The ambiance is one of the things that you paid for and the food prices were reasonable.
Due to pandemic, the cafes implements the following guidelines before you're allowed to order:
1. Sanitize your hand 2. Fill out the contact tracing form via online or paper 3. A staff will scan your body temperature
Physical distancing is also implemented, making the cafe less crowded than usual. I actually like it better than before since I find the situation conducive for thinking alone or 'Me' time.
TIM HORTONS (Makati)
I'm out for an errand and it was too hot outside, so I ordered an iced latte with sandwich and fries.
This is the very 1st time that I had coffee outside home while the city is still in quarantine status (GCQ).
FRENCH BAKER (SM North)
It took a bit of time to find a place for a quick snack and coffee. Back then, few cafes are open for dine-in.
Not happy with the danish bread.
COFFEE BEAN and TEA LEAF (SM North)
Usual order: Hot Double Chocolate Latte
It was a good thing that we came around 3pm since seats were limited due to the implemented physical distancing.
BO'S COFFEE (SM North)
A local coffeeshop, originated from Cebu, uses homegrown coffee.
Usual order: Hot Latte
We also ordered a slice each of cheesecake and carrotcake.
STARBUCKS (Trinoma)
A famous international coffeechain with a lot of branches all over the Philippines.
Usual order: White Mocha Americano (thanks to my friend for introducing this to me) and Soy Latte (I had tried it first during 1 of my travels)
My order at that time: Pumpkin Spiced Latte
It tasted like real pumpkin with coffee and had an aftertaste. It was very sweet.
I've also added two milktea shops for your reference.
TIGER SUGAR (Glorietta)
I ordered brown sugar boba just to satisfy my craving for milktea.
Our first 'commercialized' milktea while the city is still in quarantine (MGCQ).
COCO (Glorietta)
Once in a while I crave for milktea, so at that time, I bought one from Coco.
I got 1 order of 2 ladies, zero % sugar.
ALSO -
Have you tried cola with caffeine? I bought this at a supermarket, with hopes that it tasted good.
We actually planned to visit a bee farm but the place was fully booked, hence, we end up trying Yellow Bird Cafe x Kitchen for brunch.
Here's a quick summary of our trip!
Yellow Bird Cafe x Kitchen
Book a table prior visit 'coz the place can only accomodate few guests(?).
We had sandwich, pasta and shanghai. We didn't order any from their specialty menu.
Pasta and shanghai tasted okay too.
Tried coffee (macadamia nut) and cold drinks as well.
Taste: 3.5/5 Food tastes not that wow but its okay. I do have expectations when it comes to coffee since I always want my coffee strong. The coffee I ordered tastes more of milk.
Ambiance: 4/5 I was expecting an overlooking view but failed (I thought there is since social media photos showed a view or maybe if we went to the 2nd floor).
The cafe is inside a subdivision.
But credits to the gentle and relaxing interior of the cafe. The staff were accomodating too.
Price: 4/5 Affordable but I cannot say value for money since food tastes average.
Upper Sumulong Pasalubong Lane Mangga, Suman, Kasuy - we bought suman and kasuy!
Kasuy were sold in adobo and plain flavors, per kilo or per 'takal.' I recommend adobo flavored kasuy! Once you start eating, you won't stop 😁
The vendor also offers free taste, so please ensure your hands are sanitized before taking a piece since you will get a piece directly from the container.
Casa Santa Museum Merry Christmas! 🎄
I totally agree! Everyday is Christmas here at Casa Santa 🎄
I recommend this museum for Santa loving people and kid at heart! The house is full of different types of Santa and decorations.
I just hope they added bits of information for each decor or maybe as a group 'coz that will make it more interesting, like where this came from, where they bought it, or any trivia. I hope they hire someone who would actually spend at least 15mins to show the visitors around and discuss a bit about what's displayed.
The entrance fee is 250php/person and it includes just the museum but you may roam around Jardin de Miramar.
Jardin de Miramar is an event place and Casa Santa is located inside. It will be nice to have a small cafe since Jardin itself has a relaxing ambiance.
Do not forget to bring your own water since there's no shop inside and you might get thirsty.
Visit their website for more details if you plan to spend a bit of time here.
Enjoy! Merry 2020 Christmas again!
Cafe Augusta
Last stop, merienda/dinner as we wait for the sunset. We're lucky to get a seat at the viewdeck area.
I've realized that I wasn't able to take a photo or video of the cafe itself since we were all engrossed with the ray of sun, sunset and view 🤣
Taste: 4/5 I like my spicy chicken and rice meal. We like the cold drinks too. It was refreshing. I had cappuccino paired with cheesecake for dessert. I don't like the blueberry cheesecake since it tasted more of cream than cheese. As for coffee - average but I like it better than the macadamia nut I had earlier.
Ambiance: 5/5 That overlooking view of the city (especially at night) and the sunset view in the afternoon is the selling point of this cafe.
We were there at around 3 to 4pm and waited until sunset. You'll see the clip and photos in the short summary video that I did.
It was indeed a nice place to cap off our Antipolo trip!
Better call them for reservation or arrive early to get good seats.
Price: 4/5 Affordable and value for money. Taste of food and amibiance did not disappoint.
Almost every resto that I've been to that allows dine-in service follows 3 simple steps:
1. Sanitize/pass sanitation booth (hands and shoes) 2. Body Temperature check or scan 3. Online form or hardcopy form for contact tracing
In addition, here's a quick video of the food I've/we've ordered including what few restaurants look like inside.
BENCH CAFÉ
Trinoma branch was a bit small, hence, it is understandable that few tables are available for dine-in.
Value for money: BenchTo meals
TRES (SM North)
We had sisig, kare-kare, gambas and shanghai. I can consider it as home-cooked meals.
MAD MARK'S (Glorietta) The place is small hence most of the tables are for solo dine-in.
Nothing goes wrong with a medium-rare signature steak with bootsrap steak sauce.
BLAKE'S WINGS AND STEAKS (SM North)
Must try: Buffalo wings
We also ordered potato fries in truffle oil.
HAWKER CHAN (Glorietta)
Ordered my favorite roasted pork rice! They do have a sanitation booth before you enter.
KATHERINE'S (Vertis North)
First time to try stuffed pork plate and I like that they stuffed pork with veggies.
Usual order: Chicken with waffles
We also ordered spicy cereal fried chicken with rice and puttanesca pasta.
FOOD COURT (Glorietta)
Solo tables only. Ordered from different food stalls.
Other restaurants for lunch or merienda:
Din Tai Fung (Greenbelt) McDonald's (Glorietta) Popeye's (Makati) Burger King (Glorietta) Shakeys (SM North)
For fastfood restaurants:
Restos inside malls will just check the customer's body temperature but the QR code or contact tracing form is provided on the side. Hence, please be responsible to take the initiative to fill out the form and submit even if you already did during the time you entered the mall.
Bonus: A glimpse of Drive-in Theater! I guess it was a parking lot that was converted to an open theater.
Again, as a reminder, make sure to always wear your face mask and face shield when outside.
Sharing with you the snacks, breads, sweets and desserts that I've paired up with coffee these past few weeks while at home.
I'd like to highlight the following shops/merienda for your reference too:
SELF ESPRESSO
Donuts in flavors of blueberry and milky cheese. Next time I'll try other flavors!
I like the bread itself. It's soft and best when warmed. Of course, it is sweet.
NONPROCOOK
Flan de queso is a combination of leche flan and cheese. We ordered a slice of their classic flavor (maybe next time I'll try espresso flavor). They also sell it as a whole if you plan to share the cake.
It tastes closer to a cheesecake instead of leche flan. Its not that sweet too.
SUMAN MORON
Discovered when a friend brought some from her hometown. I forgot if it was her aunt or her mom who cooked the suman.
Since then, I became fond of suman moron and also realized that commercialized version like the one I've bought from bazaar tastes different from the homecooked version.
ROSALIE'S UBE HALAYA SUMAN
Next time, I'll choose the original flavor. I have nothing against ube halaya suman but I find it too sweet.
Still, this brand is one of my trusted suman brands usually seen in bazaars.
Tempted to buy donuts or flan de queso? What about suman? 😁
A vibe of history and coffee in one, Manila gives you its very own cafe, KapeTolyo.
Located at the Kartilya ng Katipunan Park, just across Intramuros (pass by the Lagusnilad Underpass), with a mini garden outside, this cafe is the perfect place for hangout after a tiresome walk inside Intramuros or catching up with friends.
KapeTolyo supports local coffee farmers (all blends are homegrown) and on weekends they open the floor for farmers to present their new blend of coffee.
We had Mirabueno Coffee AVPA. It was the coffee that won the AVPA Gourmet Award in Milan, Italy (check this out, coffeelovers!!!)
After taking a sip, I told my friends that we should be drinking it in the morning 🤣
Nevertheless, it was a good cup of coffee over dark chococranberry sweets and a lot of 'kwento' with friends.
Also, the mini garden looks nice at night due to lights. Good thing the rain stopped, giving us the chance to appreciate the surroundings of the cafe.
I wasn't able to check the 'world-class' comfort room that was mentioned in the news. I'll check next time and will let you know if its really world-class👌
Minda-Tienda
The bazaar was closing soon but it didn't stop us from buying ube, kamote, durian and pomelo.
I hope they will visit Manila again or maybe Makati for easy access.
By the way, I was able to sleep at around 4am 😂
That's Mirabueno Coffee AVPA for you if you'll have it after 3pm 🤣
In summary -
KapeTolyo was TAPped for ☕ 💯
Taste - 5/5 for AVPA
I love my coffee strong, hence, first sip of the Mirabueno AVPA made me smile. I'm not sure but no sour aftertaste even if the blend is strong.
Ambiance - 4/5
It was crowded when we visited the cafe (after 3pm), but might be because of peak hours. Thanks to the see-through glass walls, you'll see the nice small park outside that lights up at night.
Unfortunately we weren't seated upstairs to check the view. Maybe next time 👌
Price - 4/5
For me, the price is okay given that menu consists of homegrown specialty coffees such as this award winning AVPA coffee.
My first buffet experience while the city is under General Community Quarantine.
Either we go for shabu-shabu or bbq, and well, you already know our choice - BBQ!
Before entry, our temperatures were checked and seats were observing the physical distancing imposed for health measures.
Here's a quick recap video of our early dinner:
The staff takes your orders and even asks your choices from the buffet bar.
No one is allowed near the buffet bar other than the staff. So whatever you like to eat, you'll have to ask them to get it for you, therefore, the key here is to order as many as you can but make sure you'll finish it. This is to save both your time and the staff's time too.
We did order a lot especially the meat! We first ordered chicken, pork, and beef then succeeding orders were for beef.
I love meat! I forgot how many plates of beef we had but up to the time I got my UCC iced coffee, I still am eating two slices of beef 🤣
I like their sidings too. You have to try calimaki and salmon maki (forgot what its called).
As much as we'd like to stay longer, we had to leave. There is a 90-minute limit per dine-in. This is not part of the quarantine guidelines but rather it is the restaurant's policy.
As reference, here's my list of where I buy grocery, fruits, and medical supplies:
PHARMACY
WATSONS PHARMACY
Most is familiar with this pharmacy brand since you can find it inside a known mall.
Watsons sells almost everything related to beauty and healthcare aside from medications.
This online shop made it easy for me to store over the counter medicines for fever or flu at home.
You can either pick-up the items from the nearest branch or have it delivered at home.
GROCERY
WALTERMART SUPERMARKET
Delivery fee within Makati area is 99php. So far, I like to do my online shopping here because they have most of the items that I need.
What I don't like is I don't have any idea if the item is out-of-stock, hence, expect that there will be few items that won't be crossed out from your list once they dispatched a delivery.
Don't worry since they will refund you if you've paid in advance.
METROMART APP
I've used this app for about 3 to 4 times during ECQ. The delivery fee is around 100php and they also charge a shopping fee depending on the number of items that you need (about 250 to 400php).
You get to choose from a lot of shops listed in the app and do your shopping. Still, the problem here is if the item is not available, they won't be able to provide it.
Restassured that they will return your money if the item is not included in the final check-out.
I stopped using the app since I find the shopper's fee expensive. Everytime I use the app, I console myself that the amount is like going back and forth to the supermarket via TNVS. But still, if it had been me going to the supermarket, I'd be able to do side errands too. Oh well, since it was ECQ back then, I cannot do anything at all.
MEATS, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
JAAM SEAFOODS TRADING The shop is located at Farmer's Cubao.
I've mentioned this shop in one of my blog. We usually try to plan weekly meals so preparation will be easy.
As the name itself, the shop sells wide variants of seafood and our typical list (alternate orders):
They also have chicken, pork and beef under PasaBUY service.
ARVIEN SEAFOODS Shop is also located at Farmer's Cubao.
What I like with this shop is that they also sell vegetables and fruits alongside meat choices.
I switched to the other side because of sashimi ✌
FARM2METRO This shop uses bayong for deliveries. Brings back childhood memories 🙂
This is also my go-to-shop for veggies and fruits.
You can buy any and they have a lot of choices too. The price is also okay and what I really like is that the goods are more fresh vs supermarket ones.
My dilemma is that there were items sold for a half kilo when I needed just 1/4 of it.
If your purchase reached 500php then delivery fee is waived.
RARE FOOD SHOP From meats, seafood, dry goods, vegetarian options, ready to cook food from restaurants and even alcoholic beverages - they have it in store.
Had my chance to shop when delivery fee was waived (if not, I'll be paying Php400+)!
I bought frozen fruits and meat. Sadly, I missed the chance of buying frozen pizza!
If you want breads too, you can just choose from Bake House, Sonya's and few more 'pricey' brands.
Maybe next time I'll get that frozen Kermit pizza 😁
FRESH PRODUCE
Since FRUIT55 closed, I had my fruits delivered from this shop. I also added veggies and meat in my list! Saves a lot of time.
I'm trying to avoid online buying of meat and veggies from supermarkets since I got disappointed whenever I received the items. Hence, the need to look for more online shops that specifically sells fresh fruits, veggies and meat.
Delivery is free too! (I guess depends on your area)
I plan to order from this shop moving forward since I am satisfied with my first transaction (as seen in the video).
FRUIT55
Remember when I said that my dilemma is I cannot consume a kilo? Well, good thing a friend introduced me to this shop!
The shop sells fruits only (now they also sell ube jam and strawberry shake).
My usual items for check out:
Grapes Longgan Kiwi Dragonfruit Mango (min. 500g) Haas Avocado (min. 500g) Pineapple (will never repeat order as I had a hard time preparing!😶)
Previously, the delivery fee is 100php but now it was upped to 150php. They also accept cash payment upon delivery which is a good thing.
[UPDATE: Fruit55 ceased operations and I just found out when my friend told me she can't reached them via messenger.]
I've also tried some shops but since I'm sharing you my usual go-to-shop, I feel that I don't need to add them here to avoid confusion 🙂
If ever you want to ask about it though, feel free to drop a comment.
So far, the advantage of doing online shop vs personally getting the items varies.
For me, I wanted to save time and lessen instances where I am in a crowded place due to COVID-19. However, I just need to be aware of the consequences, such as product out of stock or mishandled items during delivery.
How about you? How's your essential shopping so far?
Pinched myself again as I couldn't believe that I did it! 🙏
It's been years since I've wanted to print my poems in any type of canvas and I'm so glad that I had an opportunity this year.
Should I sell it? (Why not? 👌)
Hmmmmn... if interested, please do not hesitate to drop a message or comment to let me know 🙂
I've made two short poems for 2020 which actually summarizes what I kinda felt this year. I also had one printed for my ever favorite tagline ' For Time Never Waits.'
If you feel that my 2020 poems doesn't suit you, please feel free to let me know so I can pick other pieces from my 'baul,' for your checking!
By the way, few months back, I had a poem printed in postcards too📮
Tote/Pouch details:
Tote bag: Size: 14x16 Selling price: Php195 each
Pouch with handle: Size: 5x7 Selling price: Php95 each
Pouch/Purse without handle: Size: 4x6 Selling price: Php85 each
To be able to go out and/or meet friends seemed to be a privilege since the city is still under General Community Quarantine (be vigilant and follow health related procedures).
I looked forward to this day, as this is my first time meeting friends after the quarantine announcement last March and it has been years since I've been to Binondo.
To add, I can't even remember the exact time when we've last seen each other.
Anyway, here's a quick summary of our get together around some areas in Manila:
Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz (Binondo Church)
As I am the first who arrived at our meeting place, I went inside the church and prayed first.
Alcohol is provided for sanitation and your body temperature should be scanned before providing your details in the logbook.
The Great Buddha
Only few restaurants are open for dine-in. We are lucky that this restaurant is open. It is located near the church, second floor of UBE building.
We ordered a few dishes in the hopes of checking other dimsum places after.
EngBeeTin
Within the same UBE building, this branch is on the 1st/ground floor. We bought few hopia and mochi too.
Ying Ying Teahouse
They are open but accepts takeaway orders only. We thought of buying frozen dimsums at first, but end up not buying since they sell it per kilo.
William A. Jones Memorial Bridge
Built in 1916, designed by Juan M. Arellano, the bridge connects Binondo to Intramuros, making travel and business related aspects easier and faster.
The original bridge was destroyed during WWII.
References: CulturEd Philippines and lougopal
Manila Central Post Office
Also designed by Juan Arellano along with Ralph Doane and Tomás Mapúa. It was completed in 1926 in the neoclassical style.
It was located near Jones Bridge and Pasig river for convenience (c/o Daniel Burnham).
Reference: Arielle Abrigo
Intramúros
Also known as 'walled city' was built in 1571 under Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, where Raha Soliman resided.
Back then, only Spaniards can live within the walled city except for Filipino workers. Later on, Intramuros became Manila.
Reference: CulturEd Philippines
Lagusnilad Underpass
The underpass connects Intramuros to Manila City Hall and was renovated and re-opened last 24 Aug 2020.
Thomasian architect Juanito Malaga, alumni John Benedict Fallorina, Sean Patrick Ortiz and Leon Centeno Tuazon, helped in redesigning the underpass.
I now assume that the bookstore that we saw was actually the known 'Books from Underground.'
The artworks were really nice and was said to be in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Gerilya Artist Collectice, inspired by the works of Carlos 'Botong' Francisco.
Reference: UST website
We plan to go back in Intramuros once we are sure that museums are open.
To cut it short, REBEL wellness app saved me from being idle after the gym stopped offering online workout classes.
I was hesitant at first since I prefer live streamed classes (so I can freely ask questions or voice out my concerns and get the answer right away) over pre-recorded ones.
I am not an expert. I do this for body strength conditioning.
Hmmn, the app is free in iOS and Android which is great! Saves money! Although I know there were probably a lot of workout apps out there, I still chose REBEL because I feel that I can relate to it given that it's a Filipino brand in a sense.
I started on the last week of September and recorded few sessions so I can share with you my experience (Current program: REBEL15 - worth your 15mins! 💪)
The app itself:
I did not experience any issue during registration, however, I've noticed that there were few reviews saying that they had trouble doing so. You can just ask REBEL for assistance via email.
Once you logged into the app, you'll see the category tabs on Sweat, Eat and Care. These covers workouts, food/mealplans but I'm not sure if Care section meant for mental health or maybe overall health.
Of the three, the Sweat and Eat section contained several workout classes and meal suggestion to choose from, respectively.
You'll probably waste a bit of time checking what to try, so I suggest that beforehand, think of what you wanted to do first (i.e. yoga, abs workout, etc).
As for me, since I still consider myself as a beginner (despite having been coached for almost a year prior temporary gym closure), I chose my workout program from the beginners section (which by the way was suggested by REBEL after I left a review).
Hence in the next two weeks, my schedule was TThSun for the 5-Day HIIT THE BEAT Program by Hans Braga.
Here's a compilation video of the sessions I've attended:
Also, I did Abs & Booty workout by Kiana Henares on day 3 of week 2 instead of repeating a HIIT class.
In addition, I tried a 5-minute meditation session by Nick Daez because I wanted to just relax. I do this now and then.
5 - minute Meditation Session
And since some of the classes do not include a warm-up/cooldown time, I once did a Beginner's Morning Flow by Jo Villablanca for a nice body stretch. After that, I figured that maybe Yoga isn't for me afterall. I got dizzy after 🤣
Then the Full Body Dumbbell Toning class by Cam Lagmay which I plan to repeat soon. I like this class coz I feel that my arms lacked exercise (as seen in the HIIT class that I did 😂).
Oh, it has been more than a month with REBEL, and overall, I like the app as everything is in there (from workout to meal suggestions to care [SOON]).
Also, it is a plus that I don't need to doublecheck the credibility of REBEL team since I believe that the founders won't dupe us, right? 😄
Anyway, as with all other apps, if there's yang, ofcourse there's yin too. Let me make a summary of what I can think of as of the moment.
Positive:
1. The app is FREE
2. Wide selection of workout classes
3. 'Eat' section available to cater vegetarian and healthy meals
4. Care section (coming soon)
5. Meditation sessions available
6. Look after your body and Nutrition topics to check on
7. You can do workout challenges
8. It is ad free (as of the moment and I hope it stays that way)
9. REBEL team responds to feedbacks and provides assistance (I hope it won't change)
10. Beginners are welcome
Negative:
1. You need internet to access the app and classes
2. Pre-recorded means the trainer won't be able to answer your questions real time and it also means they cannot correct your form
3. Possibility of app to crash at times (it did but not most of the time)
4. Not all classes includes warm-up or cooldown time
5. If you're more of a 'gym equipment' user for very intense workouts then this won't probably going to help you that much (unless REBEL adds more classes that uses those in the future)
7. Possibility of being injured (i.e. sprain or fall) if your form is not right
I guess that's all for now! 🙃
As for suggestions, I think it would be nice if there's a section for warm-up/cooldown sessions too (I feel lucky that I still remember some of what my coach taught us, otherwise, my bodyaches won't go away 🤣).
EAT section - hoping that they will also provide list of ingredient substitutes when prepping meals 🙂
Are you up to challenge yourselves now?
#rebeltogether 💪
Update 2023: a lot of new classes offered but you need to subscribe aka pay 😂.
For coffee, I'll try any bread or dessert! That's how fond I am of coffee ☕.
I'd even recommend to friends if I like it and would ask them too for any suggestions. So if you have any shops in mind, leave a comment and let me know please 🙂
Here's the list in no particular order: HERRAN BAKERY
Back in ECQ months, most of my orders were from this bakeshop. The price is affordable too and the varieties of bread ranges from simple pandesal to cakes and the likes.
My typical order (alternate): Cream loaf Wholewheat loaf Hi fiber loaf Honey wheat with oats loaf Mochi bread Hopia diced Pianono Chocolate Crinkles Mooncake Egg pie Cream puff
Of all, I like their mochi bread 😁
BAIT LEHEM, HOUSE OF BREAD
Ordered once from this shop (recommended by a friend) and enjoyed pita with hummus.
Here's what we ordered: Hummus Pita Rugelach Bourekas Baklava
We like bourekas because of the filling. Great when warmed too while rugelach became hard when toasted.
Baklava tastes okay as well.
JENNIFER ESTACIO'S
Recommended by a friend. We ordered pork floss and ensaymada and we do like her ensaymada.
We just hope they'll sell in 3's in the future. Hmmmn, pork floss tasted okay too but I find the floss itself a bit dry.
CKITCHENRY'S
Prior lockdown, my sister and I managed to visit this shop. We actually dined there as well. It was a nice experience since they offer coffee too.
As takeaway, we bought mochibread for breakfast the next day.
Mochi tasted good but we find it pricey. Still, glad we had the opportunity to try.
BOULANGERIE22
We were craving for cakes but no store delivers in our area. So we tried this shop and got a banana cake.
Of all the breads we bought, we like Hokkaido Milk Rolls.
The breads were pricey too, hence, we didn't plan a repeat order.
PANADERYA (TINAPAY NI NANAY)
My latest 'go-to' bread shop. A friend also recommended this shop.
My orders: Pandesal Cheese roll Ube cheese pandesal
I'm very satisfied with all my orders and was so glad that the price isn't too much as compared to others.
Generous amount of cheese and ube halaya inside the bread. Best when warmed.
As for pandesal, I was amazed that there's not much air when you bite. Fluffy and crunchy from the toaster!
They also have suki program where you get 12pcs of cheeseroll or pandecoco after buying 8 times.
CONSUELO'S
My go-to banana cake shop! They also sell pastillas, brazo de mercedez, cookies and cakes.
You won't regret buying from this shop because everything tastes good!
Although they are located in Cavite, you can still place an order since they had partnered with a delivery service to make it possible.
JUST KITCHEN MNL'S
Missing pineapple cake of Taiwan? Fret not for this shop offers pineapple cake that tastes like the ones from Taiwan!
I like how the pineapple filling isn't too sweet and too sour! Best with coffee or tea 👌
We also ordered dark chocolate cookies. This one is best with ☕. Real goodness of chocolate chunks that I end up eating a cookie in one go!
FORTUNE BAKESHOP (photo not included)
Bought loaf bread and hopia. It's your typical breadshop!
PAN DE MANILA (photo not included)
Aside from breads, I bought 3in1 coffee and hot chocolate drink too.
They also sell palaman and spreads like cocojam and peanutbutter.
This bakery is known for its pandesal, so if you want a 'safe' option, this is one of the bakeshops you can be assured that breads are affordable and good.
BREAD FOR EVERY JUAN (photo not included)
Ordered once from this bakery too. Price is reasonable as well.
We like their ensaymada but I don't recommend their pork floss.
Since quarantine began, 99% of the time we're just at home and there will be days that you don't want to spend extra time in food preparation.
Hence, the solution is to buy ready-to-cook meals/food!
Sharing few of the shops we've discovered:
Bernardo's Homemade Products
Ordered embotido and pork tocino.
I wasn't sure what to expect on pork tocino given that it was homemade. Anyway, I like that it wasn't that sweet and had no preservatives so I feel that its leaning to eating 'healthy' 😁
I just hope they'll remove the pork skin as I find it hard to chew. 😅
IMANG TELANG'S LUMPIANG PINOY
Would you believe that a pack contained more than 12pieces (I think) for the price of less than 70php (can't remember the exact price)?
If you want shanghai for snack or add on ulam then try this brand! Although the taste is average, it was still like the pinoy style shanghai.
MEAT MARKET BY HOLLY FARMS
This online shop is one of my go-to-shop during quarantine. My typical check-out items comprised of (alternating from these):
The issue we encounter for Chooksies was how to fry it properly. I guess it takes a lot of oil and patience, otherwise, it will look crispy on the outside but still uncooked inside. Not sure why the inside remained uncooked even if it was thawed properly.
ELEANORE MARIANO'S SHOP
Aside from crispy pata, I also bought tempura and chicken longganisa.
Haven't cooked longganisa yet, but I like their shrimp tempura.
10 pcs. for 150php, so I bought 20! 🤤 I just hope they'll use bigger size shrimps soon.
FRANCO'S BED AND BREAKFAST
Bacon goodness you shouldn't miss!!!
Right amount of fat and won't turn like crimped paper after frying.
Best when crispy!
QUALISTEAK SHOP
Planning for a samgyupsal lunch or dinner?
You may want to check this shop for their flavored beef and pork samgyupsal meat.
We end up favoring unflavored beef, since we had a hard time cooking the marinated portion.
They also sell kimchi.
Anyway, other ready-to-cook meals were bought from online supermarkets.
Seven (7) months of quarantine and I've lost count on how many times we had pasta, sinigang, adobo or fried food meals.
Hence, as an alternative, we always look for something new to try.
Here's the list (in no particular order):
JAAM SEAFOODS TRAIDNG
The seafood they sell are always fresh.
Usual order: sashimi set, salmon steak and tuna steak
Yes, you read that right! If we want a seafood week, we order fishes from this shop and even tried their ready to eat japanese food.
So far, I've tried gyoza and calimaki. Most of time its the sashimi set 🤤 that gets in the list 😁
RACKUZ HOME OF BEST CRISPY PATA & CRISPY ULO
Maybe next time we'll try the crispy pata.
For now, I had pork sisig and buttered shrimp.
Not that a fan of mayonnaise, but sisig tasted good.
Good thing that shrimps were medium in size and not small ones.
AMELIA GOURMET TUYO (via FRANCO'S BED & BREAKFAST)
We were craving for tuyo and a friend sells them so we ordered a few with a plan to resell (uhm, yeah, reselling didn't really happen 😅)
Anyway, I end up adding more chili powder 'coz I really want it to be more spicy.
ELEANORE MARIANO'S CRISPY PATA
Another friend sells crispy pata (cooked by her mom) that is good for 2 to 3 pax at an affordable price! No kidding!
The meat falls off the bone and you can just re-fry the left overs the next day.
I recently bought her pre-cooked beef tapa and yes, if you're on a diet, I guess beef tapa shouldn't be in your list 🤭
BUT, I'm not on a diet so why don’t you send your portion to me✌
fresh from the fridge 🤣
SCHOOL TTEOKBOKKI
We ordered spicy tteokbokki, mandu and odeng. I like the tteokbokki sauce so much that we put more odeng bought from another shop 😁
Same goes with odeng soup!
BELLYCIOSO
Orders: Buttered Pork Belly and Spicy Adobong Leeg ng Manok
Prepare a lot of rice for you'll be able to eat a lot!
Pork belly meat is so tender that it melts in your mouth while the spicy adobo lives up to its name - SPICY 🙂
NON PRO COOK
Ordered one tub of Mechado and regretted why I didn't order another one. I can actually eat one tub in one sitting!
Sarsa tasted so good that it reminded me of my grandma's cooking! The meat (beef) is tender and easy to chew. I like that it’s spicy too.
GREENERY KITCHEN
(Not in the video 'coz I forgot to take photos)
If you're looking for affordable vegan meals then this kitchen got you covered.
I ordered nilaga, lechon paksiw, bistek and vegchon kawali.
You wouldn't be able to distinguish if meat is real or it’s a meat substitute since it tastes like real meat! Except for the fat part of vegchon kawali. It was squishy so at some point I know I'm actually eating a meat substitute.
Anyway, ordered once ‘coz we just wanted to try if its good ❤
I never attended the Yoga classes held at the gym BUT look at me now! I willingly attended a virtual class organized by the company's socials committee.
I signed up 'coz it has been months since I had a proper body stretch (other than the very short cool down session I had whenever I attend an online workout class).
Our Yoga teacher's name is Sheila. She started the session with a quick introduction on yoga.
Chair Yoga
Overall, it was a nice experience.
I didn't know that you can still stretch your body without lying down a mat and doing what seemed like difficult poses for me. Although I had a hard time doing the postures, I think I might attend a class like this again in the future.
I also hesitated a bit since the class is virtual and I know how unsafe it is to do it without proper guidance.
It was nice that beginners like me were taken into consideration. Sheila knows how to guide us even if she cannot see us (knowing that virtual interface have limitations too).
In between session, she mentioned that nothing is permanent in the world. Thanks for the reminder!
(By the way, I've attended two more online Yoga classes from different teachers and can now confirm that Yoga isn't for me 🤣 I get dizzy after each class. So far, I like chair yoga the most.)
I normally would throw these words to my family, relatives or friends (varying degrees of closeness), and sometimes I just feel that I need to automatically said those words or reciprocate the same.
Until quarantine happened and is still happening.
If before, I'd utter these words in different ways - sometimes with partial emotion or with less enthusiasm. Now, I mean every word whenever I say it. I make sure that I am honest with how I feel too.
I respond based on what I trully feel.
I remember years ago that I rarely say I miss you, not because I dont miss the person but I feel that when I say I miss you, it should be time appropriate too, like we haven't seen each other for months.
Until I've gotten used to saying it often - regardless if I feel it or was just half feeling it. Probably because I hear it a lot. It kind of became one of those office greetings, to be exact.
I guess, forced isolation reminded me when to say the words properly again.
Especially -
I love you.
When you hear this from me, know that I mean it (so much).
The degree might also vary, but remember that I never say these words easily.
The sunlight that came passing through the window curtains woke me up.
In an instant, I feel refreshed and smiled.
I did light stretches while still on bed and lazily got up, open the windows and looked at the sky.
Minutes later, I prepared breakfast, toasted bread and hit the coffeemaker on.
After sometime, I sat beside the window, a bit absentminded.
My thoughts were chaotic as usual - from simple to critical thinking then to overthinking. I sipped my coffee and ate silently while I let my mind wander off to somewhere...
I looked outside and my eyes just leisurely took everything in, deep breaths and a small heavy sigh escaped my lips.
I reached again for my cup of coffee and slowly took a sip again. I closed my eyes for a bit, and for a minute, I somehow felt your warmth and presence.
