Top 5 Things I'm Loving Now - May 1, 2012

If you’re an avid visitor of spot.ph, an entertainment and lifestyle website, you would be familiar with this format. In fact, I watch out for it every week. It’s a Top 10 list with random things that the writer is loving at the moment. It may be neat gadget, a yummy drink or popsicle find from their nearest 7Eleven or a cool event that’s happening in the metro. It’s as random as can be. That’s the format I’m trying to incorporate in this blog.



So here’s my very first Top 5 Things I’m Loving at the Moment. I really wanted to write about 10 initially. But in order to have more updates, I though I’d resort to 5...for now. ;-)


Number 5: Southern Blend Iced Tea from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

 For their tea of the day, I had the choice between the Southern Blend and Vanilla Ceylon. I was going to get the latter but it’s a good thing that I decided to ask the cashier what the Southern Blend exactly is. The cashier was going to enumerate it. But when he first said the taste of flower petals, I was already sold. I didn’t bother to hear the rest. I love Jasmine tea and Chrysanthemum. This shouldn’t be far off, I thought. Well, it isn’t. The drink is nice and refreshing. Just the right amount of sweetness and it goes down very smoothly. If you’re not a fan of tea because you don’t like the tannin aftertaste, that won’t be a problem for this drink. It’s not too noticeable. If you’ve been to Memphis, this drink is exactly like their Sweet Tea there. Really yummy!


The drink only costs P95 for the regular size. Pair it with the Triple Decker Cheesecake at P135 a slice like I did and you should be off to an indulgent and well-deserved afternoon treat!


Number 4: SM Bonus Liquid Floor Wax




Sorry the bottle looks icky. You can tell it's being used a lot! ;-)

 You probably don’t know this about me. But I’m really OC or anal when it comes to cleaning the house. Naturally, there are particular cleaning products that I lean towards that do the job as it should. Often, I have the mindset that the more expensive it is, the better it cleans. After discovering SM Bonus’ liquid floor wax, I was proven wrong. I always went for Pledge. It does fine but SM Bonus’ liquid wax does it better.


The purchase was an “accident.” Working for BDO, my husband was given Sodexo GCs after Christmas. Our only option for grocery shopping was SM Hypermart. And since SM, for obvious reasons, is loyal to their own SM bonus brand, they wiped out the other competition. That is precisely the reason why they don’t sell brands like Colgate, Pledge, and the like. Needing liquid wax badly at that time for my OC weekend cleaning, I was ‘stuck’ with the SM Bonus brand. And I’m glad I was. The SM Bonus liquid wax really does make the floor so shiny! I could almost see my reflection our wooden floor! It stays shiny longer too than Pledge. I can’t remember the exact price but I’m pretty sure it’s at least P20 cheaper than Pledge?


Number 3: “Decorate: 1000 Professional Ideas Design Ideas for Every Room in Your Home” book



Source: http://www.thetomkatstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/DECORATE-book1.jpg



I’m always fond of going to bookstores when I need to kill time. My recent find is “Decorate” by Holly Becker and Joanna Copestick at the National Bookstore in the PowerPlant Mall. I’m sure this book is available in other stores and branches.


I say that this is one of the things that I’m loving at the moment because the book is truly inspiring! Upon skimming the whole book, it made me want immediately run home and redecorate! The book is loaded with pictures for inspiration and their design sense is almost Ikea-ish. The rooms they feature look lived-in and not like model homes (which often do not have televisions!) I mean, really, do you know anyone who doesn’t have a television or two at home??!?? They feature modern homes that still look homey. There are bits and splashes of colour everywhere and most of all, all the homes have character! These are not intimidating homes though. You can easily be inspired by the pictures to make tiny changes in your home that are inexpensive but will draw a lot of impact.


The book retails at P1,545. Decorate away! ;-)


Number 2: Ink eMagazines at http://www.ink-live.com/

I found out about this website from another blog that I frequent. It was one of the links that he included in his entry to forward us to an article that he wrote. Anyway, I became giddy as I explored the website. What a gem! And it’s all free! All you have to do is register, really.


In a nutshell, this is a website that allows free access to airline magazines. When you fly with Cebu Pacific, they have the Smile magazine right? Well, this is available here – back issues included! To top it all off, other magazines like TimeOut Singapore, Thomas Cook’s Travel, Jetstar, Air Macau, Holland Herald and 45 others! Upon registering, just make sure to click on “Update Profile” on the top right corner, then “Select Magazines” so you can add the magazines that you wish to have access to. Such excellent travel resource! In particular, I love reading those destination blurbs in the Smile magazine near the end. Each domestic and international destination that Cebu Pacific flies to has a little section. The contributor is a local of that place and they talk about their most favorite secret breakfast place, bar, best food recommendation, and the like. This is sooooo helpful if you’re the assigned itinerary creator in your trip like I am. ;-)


Although you can access this as well in any mobile device like your iPad, just a note that you really need a fast connection to access this. Otherwise, it’s easy to get frustrated. I wish that they would allow downloading of their issues straight from the website into the iBook or something. This way, you can access them and read them even when you’re offline or even if your wifi is slow.


Number 1: Golden Euphoria Cake from Maitre Chocolatier

When looking at any restaurant menu, it’s very rare to find the actual food serving looking better than it is in the picture. Especially when it comes to dessert.

Well, Maitre Chocolatier really did impress! Not only is their food better looking than their pictures but the cake that we had was truly amazing! I’m talking about their Golden Euphoria –Ferrero Hazelnut Cake. The name alone begs for high expectations already. And the ohhh the pictures! The actual dessert? Real orgasmic. ;-) Hahaha! The texture mixes smooth and crunchy really well. Chocolate is everywhere in different levels of sweetness and texture. Meant to be savored one tiny though indulgent bite at a time and definitely NOT meant for sharing! Trust me on this or else a fight might ensue! ;-) Hahaha! This one definitely made my list of Top 5 dessert of all time.

A slice of the Golden Euphoria costs P218. I’m trying to remember but I think we had to pay extra for VAT and Service Charge. Maitre Chocolatier is along Jupiter Street Extension in Makati. Coming from Makati Avenue, go to the Jupiter part heading to the MRT. It’s near the Starbuck’s there. Enjoy your orgasm! Oooops, I meant dessert! ;-) LOL

Like Visiting Grandma's House

When you ask people for a list of restaurants that exemplify Filipino cuisine, the places that are repeatedly mentioned include Fely J's, Abe, Sentro, and Cafe Juanita. I've eaten at Fely J's and Abe and enjoyed my meals there each time. I have yet to try Sentro. But as for Cafe Juanita, I finally had a chance to dine there over the weekend. Cafe Juanita also has a branch in Pasig, but we opted to go to the Burgos Circle branch in Taguig. So much has been written about Cafe Juanita in blogs, magazines, and newspapers. It was even recommended in the book, "Manila By Day." They were all rave reviews. Needless to say, we had really high expectations of the place. So in the end, were we disappointed? Read on and find out...;-)

My husband and I were very hungry so we ordered quite a feast. Here's what we had:

Juanita's Caesar Salad (we asked them to hold the croutons) PhP 275

Gambas Ala Jillo PhP 237

Two-Way Pork Adobo Ribs PhP 495

Yang Chow Fried Rice PhP 187

Sticky Toffee Pudding PhP127

And here are my general impressions:

1.) Ambience -- "Kitschy" is the most appropriate adjective to describe the decor and feel of the place. We've got feathers, antiques, embroidered linen, floral everything, and even some Christmas decor (in July!) It seems as if you're just visiting your Grandma's place. There's a ton of knick knacks in such a small place. But you know what? I really liked it. The place has character and the fact that it's like anyone's Grandma's house make it truly endearing. ;-)

2.) The place is a bit small. If you're one who gets claustrophobic, request for a table on the second floor instead. Or a table by the window with a view. We went on a Sunday and there were a number of people there. We sat on the first floor -- the table that's next to the bar and cashier. It wasn't a very good spot because first off, it was a little dark in the area. The place could really use better lighting, altogether. The spaces between other tables and chairs were quite small too. It seemed as if anyone could easily eavesdrop on your conversation.

3.) Service -- The waiters were very attentive. They fill up your glass with water without even requesting it. We didn't have to wait too long for our food too. In fact, I don't think we waited more than five minutes before the first dish arrived. I also appreciated how the food arrived in the type of meal course. For instance, the salad arrived before the main dish and the rice arrived together with our viands. Perfect! The waiters were trained very well! ;-)

4.) Caesar Salad -- Nothing spectacular, really. I think they scrimped on the dressing. The lettuce was nice and crispy though. At PhP 275, I think it was too expensive. The pricing is a bit strange, actually. How can their Caesar Salad be priced higher than their Gambas? If you're dining here, you can definitely skip this one.

5.) Gambas ala Jillo -- This one was served with mushrooms and about 8-10 pcs of shrimps. It was very scrumptious, alright. Definitely something that I would order again. You can tell that the shrimps were fresh and although it burst with flavor, the sauce wasn't overpowering. Two thumbs up! ;-)

6.) Yang Chow Fried Rice -- Ooooh, they were quite generous with the shrimps! And I loved how the fried rice isn't greasy at all. Their Yang Chow is tasty enough that you can eat it on its own and mild enough in flavor that you can eat with a viand too. The only down side is that for all the dishes that we ordered, portions are quite small. Realistically, they're enough to satisfy two people or one person with a hearty appetite!

7.) Two-Way Pork Adobo -- The main thing that this dish has going for it is the fact that the meat is very very tender. It melts in your mouth and you can cut it in smaller portions without the use of a knife! All you'll need to do is just poke it with your fork and there goes the smaller portions! ;-) It's the most tender Adobo that I've ever had in my life. But sad to say, it wasn't the best-tasting adobo I've ever had in my life though. I think my mother-in-law's Adobo is better. And in terms of flavor, I think even my Adobo could compete?!?? ;-) I think what the Adobo needs is more garlic. We need more of that zing. The flavor is too mild.

8.) Sticky Toffee Pudding -- I'm only going to say this once and you better listen well. Do not, I repeat do NOT leave Cafe Juanita without ordering this dessert! ;-) Oh my. I think I'm in love! ;-) It's a simple equation: Moist pudding + warm and sticky toffee + cold Vanilla ice cream = pure heaven! I loved the mixture between hot and cold. The pudding wasn't too sweet but when you bring them all together in your mouth -- all the flavors and textures -- WOW! Just a suggestion. If you're dining at Cafe Juanita with somebody else, don't bother offering to share it. No matter how full you get, you WILL be able to finish a whole serving on your own. Tell your friend to order his own! ;-) Hahaha!

In a word, I would describe Cafe Juanita as very homey. Their food has that homecooked "feel." Everything, it seems, is cooked with simple ingredients but done quite well. We were there on a Sunday afternoon. And it was just like we were visiting Grandma's house and feasting on Grandma's cooking. The true definition of "Comfort Food." Definitely an experience that we will revisit in the very very near future! ;-)

Note: I only used a camera phone to take the pictures. Sorry they're dark and blurry. Check out these other links for pictures of the location and their menu

OUR AWESOME PLANET

FOODIE BUDGET TRAVELER

CAFE JUANITA

Unit WS-2 Burgos Circle

Forbestown Center, Fort Bonifacio

Taguig City

For Reservations: 403-1952

Finding the Puto Bumbong of my Dreams! ;-)

As you can probably already tell from the title of this post, puto bumbong is my most favorite Filipino dessert ever! I don't think it's because of the fact that it's a dessert associated with Christmas and therefore, have to wait in anticipation all year before I can have it. It's not that. It's because it's just soooo damn good! I like how the butter/margarine, muscovado sugar, and grated fresh coconut go so well with the soft and gooey sweetness of the puto bumbong itself. It's just heavenly! ;-)

Being a big fan of puto bumbong, naturally, I've had them in so many different places. I've tasted the food court-type puto bumbong, from a stall near the churches I went to after Christmas mass, to the fancy type in restaurants, and finally, even the ones that you can find in public markets. Out of all these, the one that impressed me the most is one that Jojo's sister, Del, buys us from Sta. Clara de Montefalco after Sunday masses during the Christmas season. This church is in Pasay City -- near the intersection of Pasay Road and Burgos Street. She gets them for the outstanding price of....20 pesos!!! And that comes with two long pieces of puto bumbong and all the accompaniment that goes with it.

I didn't think the puto bumbong there could possibly be outdone since it's really already very very good! It's smooth and with just with the right amount of gooey sweetness as it is. Well, you know what? It has been outdone and I'll tell you exactly where I found THE best puto bumbong in Metro Manila!

The answer? It's at Benny's at Rustan's Makati. It's across Glorietta 5 and right in front of Rustan's grocery store. One order comes with fine muscovado sugar, freshly grated coconut, and 2 pieces of the smoothest, chewiest, and yummiest puto bumbong ever!!! Most puto bumbong sellers use margarine as a topping but the puto bumbong at Benny's is a little more sinful and 'decadent.' They use butter! Woohoo! ;-) Combine all of these perfect little details and there you have it -- a perfect Puto Bumbong by my standards! ;-)

The price is a little steep in comparison to those sold near churches or inside public markets. One order at Benny's costs 60 pesos. Yes, that's 200% more than the usual but trust me when I say it's oh-so-worth it! ;-)

If you order it for take-out, it only costs 60 pesos. But if you choose to sit down and eat the puto bumbong inside Benny's, you'll have to pay additional for service charge. It's not a lot. For one order, you'll end up having to pay 66 pesos just like I did. It's still not bad.

I'm not sure if they'll be offering puto bumbong all year or it's only available for the holiday season. Either way, hurry on in and try out my most favorite puto bumbong in the metro. And if still, you find one that can outdo this one, PLEASE leave me a note and let me know where. Frankly, I don't think the puto bumbong at Benny's can be outdone. But this is one time when I would really like to be proven wrong...;-)