Sunday, September 29, 2013

Sunday Treats No. 20

Ebi Tempura Maki - Php175.00

~o~o~o~

Kimono Ken 
Unit H, Bluewave Macapagal
Macapagal Avenue, Pasay City
Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel.: (632) 832-8851

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Cheesy Teppan Risotto at Pepper Lunch

My heart skipped a beat when I saw this particular ad on my Facebook wall.


So later that day, I found myself lining up at Pepper Lunch having second (third, fourth and so on) thoughts which one between the Chicken & Prawn or Salmon & Prawn I liked more.

What we ordered

Salmon & Prawn - Php287.00

After finishing a cup of their Spicy Tuna Shake Shake Salad (Php99.00), I moved on to the main reason why I chose to have dinner at Pepper Lunch in the first place. And why not, the photo of the mozzarella stretching from the hot plate left me salivating for a good few minutes! The sauce was on a separate container so you can limit just how creamy you want it to be -- I like my food swimming in cream/sauce by the way. For an introductory price of Php287.00, I think it's a steal with loads of Salmon which I love the most.

Shimofuri Pepper Steak - Php598.00

DB's Shimofuri Pepper Steak was quite disappointing as we were served with what seemed like a frozen steak straight to the pan that really tasted bad. Hope they can do something about thawing or storing the steak properly so we can get a great deal with the price we have to pay for it.


There was a time that I became obsessed with Pepper Lunch's Beef Pepper Rice that we had to line up in their Rockwell branch for a time or two. Now that they added the Cheesy Teppan Risotto on the menu and my love affair with their Spicy Tuna Shake Shake Salad was rekindled, I think we'll be seeing each other more often again.

Is dinner tomorrow night okay with you?

~o~o~o~

Pepper Lunch
2nd floor Entertainment mall
South Veranda, SM Mall of Asia
Pasay City, Philippines

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Sunday Treats No. 19

Tori Karaage - Php200.00

~o~o~o~

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
2/L Entertainment Mall
SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City
Metro Manila, Philippines

Monday, September 16, 2013

Calypso Grand Hotel, Hanoi VN

"Fantastic!"
"Amazing stay!"
"Excellent service!"

Those were only some of the comments I've read about Calypso Grand Hotel. Since our tickets were booked a long time ago, I had enough time to prepare for our trip in Hanoi City and made proper arrangements before our flight. After days and days of discussion and comparison of rates, DB and I opted to get the Luxury Package from Calypso at Usd299 per person.

Luxury Package Life Experience inclusions:
  • 3 nights in Calypso Grand Hotel deluxe room
  • 2 days / 1 night on-board Bhaya Cruise (all meals and transfers included)
  • Round trip airport transfers
  • 4 hours walking tour around Hanoi Old Quarter

A luxury boutique hotel in the heart of the Old Quarter, Calypso Grand Hotel has been our home away from home in Vietnam. Since Cebu Pacific's flight arrives in Hanoi a little past midnight, it was a relief that the hotel offers free transfers from the airport.

After traveling for an hour, our driver halted in front of Calypso Grand amidst rows of hotels and restaurants. A staff immediately welcomed us as we stepped out of the car and insisted on carrying our luggage. The lobby was impressive with its simple yet tasteful design.





Check-in was a breeze! Before I can finish taking photos of the lobby, the staff already handed us the key card and told us that our room was ready. Little did we know that we were upgraded from a Deluxe Room to one of their Family Suites with Balcony. What a lovely surprise!




The king-sized bed was so comfortable that it was so hard to get up in the morning! If not for the delicious breakfast, I bet we would be seeing the outside of the room by noon time already. As for the see-through bathroom, don't fret because you can roll down the blinds for privacy sake.


Most hotels usually offer free LAN internet or wireless connection if you're lucky but if memory serves me right, this is the first time we have our own computer in the room! Even DB cannot believe that the hotel will set-up a computer for guests' use when I first showed him the photo of the room prior to the trip. And yes, the internet connection was fast.


The bathroom was big and very clean. Housekeeping made sure that we never run out of supplies because they've been constantly replenishing it every chance they get.




Everyday for four days in Calypso, sweet and delicious complimentary fruits await our return from touring around the city. The photos cannot give justice as to how big these grapes were!





I would like to commend the wonderful staff of Calypso Grand Hotel for the warm welcome and hospitality they extended to DB and I during our stay in Hanoi City. Going the extra mile to arrange our Halong Bay Cruise and all other requests were heartwarming and not to be forgotten.

Most people I know would prefer to stay in a 5-star hotel for its popularity and consistent service but after years of traveling, I would rather choose the more personalized service that most boutique hotels offer at reasonable rates. So if you're going to Hanoi anytime soon, do yourself a favor and book a room at Calypso Grand Hotel for the ultimate travel experience.

~o~o~o~

Calypso Grand Hotel
27A Cua Dong Street, Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi City, Vietnam
Tel.: (844) 3923-4070
Fax: (844) 3923-4073
Website: www.calypsograndhotel.com         

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Sunday Treats No. 18

French Donut (Chocolate) - Php99.00

~o~o~o~

Cafe France 
2/F Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia
Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel.: (632) 556-0562

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Love Hurts

Like most girls I know, food is our best friend whenever we feel down, depressed or having a bad day. I even have a secret stash (e.g. chocolates, pistachio, macadamia nuts and more chocolates) in my room for occasional need of a pick-me-up.


And since my love was giving me a hard time last Friday, I thought some Japanese food will make me forget my suffering and somehow cheer my spirits up.

What we ordered

Complimentary appetizers

Spicy Tuna Sashimi - Php290.00

I have made it my mission to find the best Spicy Tuna in Manila and so far, Tanabe's version is probably in the 2nd spot as Miyabi's at Pan Pacific still tops my list. The level of spiciness is just enough to bite your tongue but no numbness feeling even after consecutive spoonfuls. As with the freshness of the Tuna, Tanabe never fails to deliver.


Chirashi Sushi - Php680.00

DB had Chirashi Sushi which had slices of Tuna, Ebi (Shrimp), Salmon, Tamago (Egg), Uni (Sea Urchin), Saba (Mackarel), Tako (Octopus), Unagi (Eel) and Ika (Squid). If you're undecided which Sashimi or Sushi to try, I would suggest getting Chirashi as everything is thrown into one plate! No more what if's or "I should have ordered that instead!".


Steak Kaku Bento - Php680.00

Yakimono

Since lunch earlier was extra disappointing, I thought of treating myself with a box of treats. Tanabe's Steak Kaku Bento definitely left me short of breath the moment I laid my eyes on my most prized possession that day. The bento comes with Miso Soup, Salad, Salmon and Tuna Sashimi, Chawanmushi, Yakimono, Tenderloin Steak, Rice and Dessert.

Tuna and Salmon Sashimi

Chawanmushi


I asked the waitress to cook my Tenderloin Steak medium since a hint of pink will mean that the juicy flavor is intact and the steak is not dry. I initially wanted it to be cooked medium rare but DB dismissed the idea because we're not sure of the steak's grade.

Taste and tender wise, the steak was amazing!


Strawberry Ice Cream

The shoes I wore that day gave me so much pain that I had blisters in both feet (I even had to put band-aids to be able to walk straight) but it was too pretty not to wear! #tiisganda

So yes, love hurts. My love affair with shoes that is.


~o~o~o~

Tanabe
Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia
Central Business Park, Bay City
Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel.: (632) 556-0360

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Paris Baguette, Hanoi VN

Our search for DB's most coveted gadget brought us to Trang Tien Plaza, the first high-end shopping center in Hanoi and is located in the corner of Hoan Kiem Lake. The French architecture has become an iconic landmark in the city with six floors of elegantly designed shops carrying brand names like Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Cartier, Dior, Rolex and many more.


Since the restrooms were located on the 5th floor and I was in dire need of one, we passed by several restaurants but one shop really got my attention. So even if we were still full from our late lunch, I dragged DB for us to try it out because there's no way I'm going to let it pass.

Actually, just show me any signage or photo of the Eiffel Tower or the City of Light and I'm sold!


Paris Baguette is an international brand, originally from Korea, serving quality and delicious breads, sandwiches, cakes, desserts and beverages. It took us about 5 minutes drooling by the counter with rows of treats until we finally decided what to order as everything seemed so yummy!

Kiwi & Orange Juice - Vnd80, 000 (Php170.00)


Lemon Ade - Vnd60, 000 (Php130.00)


White Flower Bread - Vnd24, 000 (Php50.00)

It was massive and a steal for its price!

Tuna Avocado Sandwich - Vnd31, 000 (Php65.00)

All our orders were exceptional and definitely worth the calories and effort of walking for about an hour in the rain just to get to Trang Tien Plaza. Paris Baguette may not be the reason why we went to the mall in the first place but we were happy to have discovered it for an afternoon of delectable and unforgettable experience. Hope you find your way to Manila soon!

~o~o~o~

Paris Baguette
Trang Tien Plaza
24 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi City, Vietnam

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Sunday Treats No. 17

Chix and Pasta Combo - Php129.00

~o~o~o~

Subi-Monte Cafe
Centennial Road, Kawit
Cavite, Philippines
Tel.: (6346) 402-3759
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