Yabu... Finally!

For years, I wanted to try dining at Yabu. I have no idea why! Weird, right?

Well, I finally did last year.

I knew my kids would love it there because of the fried food on the menu. It's a house of katsu, after all.

The Katsudon looked reeeaaally tempting. I am also into Japanese curry, and there was Katsu curry. But, I chose the Gyudon anyway. I like beef!

And yay for refillable rice, cabbage, fruits and especially miso soup.

The girls enjoyed the Mozzarella Katsu Sticks.  They were also into making the katsu sauce for their chicken katsu.

Rix and I shared the Agedashi Tofu. 

Then, we had delicious dessert at Paper Moon. I just wished there was coffee! 

Dessert at Ice Flower

The Interior of Ice Flower, SM North

The bare concrete look of the floor and walls contrasts sharply with the colorful tables and chairs. The area was big, that four children played hide-and-seek, provided they did not disturb the other customers. I think the mixed furniture style of the place projected an image of fun and playfulness. 

Supposed to be, a small glass-enclosed L-shaped section fronting the restaurant gave people a cool treat with a snow-making machine. Unfortunately, that day, it was not working. :-(

What We Ordered At Ice Flower

Below were the two flavors of Bingsoo the kids chose. Blueberry with cheese and choco Oreo something, with cheese too, since you can get additional cheese for an additional cost. I think. The cheese was delicious. It would not seem to go well with dessert, but it does! For cheese nonlovers though, like my son, it would be better if someone else consumed the cheese.

The ice was so soft that I think they were made from frozen creamy milk. There’s also extra milk that you can pour over the finely shaved milk ice. 

We had bowls of dairy overloaded dessert - milky ice, cheese and for the choco Oreo something, a scoop of ice cream. Definitely not for the lactose intolerant! 

Have you tried Bingsoo or Bingsu? Which one is the correct term? What do you think of it?

Ramen Craving Satisfied

It was a cool evening. Or maybe it was because I just showered. 

Even while I was at Ace Water Spa, ramen was on my mind. Or maybe even before we got to swimming class, I was already craving. I kind of felt like a pregnant woman. Glad my hubby went along with it. Teehee!

TORITON SHOYU (Soy Sauce Base) Php360

If I'm not mistaken, this was my order. The egg was deliciously cooked. The soup was not that tasty, though. It’s as if the meat was burnt because there was a hint of bitterness on it and bled into the soup.

TORITON TAN-TAN MEN (Spicy Ramen) Php380

This was my hubby's order. He likes spicy food, but he wasn't impressed with this. He sprinkled it with lots and lots of chili powder. 

The ordering style here is different than our frequently visited Ajisen. Upon entering, we needed to go to a counter to order and then pay right away, before we get to sit down. There is a chance we could be seated beside a stranger because there were no individual tables. The long table wraps around the sort of open kitchen. Everyone faces the same direction. The kitchen, where they prepare the food, also contains the people who serve. 

I had my ramen, though! Ramen craving satisfied. But, I don't think we'll go back to Ramen Shokudo.

Lunch at Sear via Booky

I have the Booky application on my phone for years and I haven't used it even once. Finally, I had an opportunity when we went out for lunch. Rix asked me what I wanted to eat. I jokingly said steak. I opened the Booky app and searched for Banawe area. An offer from Sear Steak Scullery popped up. 

Good thing I did not need to call for a reservation. I am one of the people who shy away from phone calls. Glad it can be done via text messaging. I was notified of a confirmation from Sear. The reservation was for 12 noon, but we were not kept waiting when we arrived early. Points for that!

It's located on the second floor of 238 Center, Banawe Corner Panalturan Street, Banawe, Quezon City. 

The theme of the restaurant is kind of Western. The staff were wearing cowboy and cowgirl outfits. See the horseshoes and saddle on the wall?

We ordered beef lasagna in white sauce, fish nuggets, and dry-aged ribeye. We actually ordered T-bone steaks, but the server came back and told us that there was no delivery yet.

The beef lasagna was creamy and cheesy. It was a different take without the tomato sauce. The ground beef was a little salty.

The fish nuggets were delicious. the outside was crunchy and inside, the fish inside was nicely flaking. It came with tartar sauce.

The photo below shows the dry-aged ribeye we had. It wasn't served on a sizzling plate, as I expected. It came with a bowl of mushroom soup for each of us, a bread basket with four pieces of bread and a small plate of flavored butter (pimiento, it seemed), a big serving of mashed potatoes, buttered French beans and corn, and two cups of sweet soft-serve ice cream. 

The mediumly done beef was soft and tasty, even without the A1 and Worcestershire sauces. There were bits of fat, but mostly not. 

When we were almost finished eating, I received a text message from Booky. I could get a free dessert when I answer the survey. I did. But, we didn't claim it anymore because we were full. We even took home some fish nuggets for the kids to try.

It was a unique experience. Booky allowed us to explore new places in the neighborhood that we haven't tried yet. We chose Sear because it was one of the two restaurants that offered Php300 off the bill, provided it reached a thousand.

Did you use Booky? How was your experience with it?

What Makes a Good Seafood Restaurant?

Do you have a taste for seafood? If this is the case, you will need to decide where you are going to do your dining. Every town has a variety of seafood restaurants to choose from. However, the quality of the food that you will find at these places will vary greatly. Therefore, you should never assume that all of the places that serve seafood will provide you the same quality of food. This is why you should really take the time to research a place to eat if you are serious about finding the highest quality seafood in your area. Here are the things you should look for.

1. Where has the chef worked in the past?

You should check out the level of experience that the chef has. This will give you some idea about how much skill the chef has. You need to find a seafood restaurant that has a master chef who has been working full-time for at least five years. You should also pay very close attention to the specific restaurants the chef has been employed by in the past.

2. You should look closely at the menu of the restaurant to make sure they serve what you want.

Not all seafood places will serve the same dishes. You will also find that some similar dishes are prepared differently depending on the restaurant. The way they are prepared will often depend on what part of the country the restaurant is located in. For example, seafood restaurants in Allen TX might serve their dishes with spicy sauce. Most restaurants will have their menus listed on their websites. Take a look at this so you do not waste your time going to a place that does not serve what you want.

3. Does the seafood restaurant offer frequent specials?

It's always nice to find a seafood restaurant where you can save some money and get a good meal at the same time. Therefore, you should take a look to find out which seafood restaurants offer specials on a regular basis. You can save a great deal of money if you choose to eat your meals at the right time.

4. What sort of reviews has the restaurant received?

Read some online reviews of the seafood places in your area. You will be able to get an idea about the quality of the food they serve.

Dulcelin Gourmet's Frozen Mango Torte

We just came from breakfast at Poach. The mommies I was with suggested passing by Dulcelin, a residence-looking place where the order is placed with an assistant. Then, after payment, she will go in to retrieve it. I haven't tried their cakes yet, so I bought a Frozen Mango Torte, a specialty, they said. It was a cake for no occasion.

Behold! The box. A sturdy one to stand the freezer environment.

Whipped cream peaks!

The sweet whipped cream complemented the sour mangoes.

The torte was nutty and chewy.

As with frozen cakes, the challenge was cutting it right after taking it out of the freezer.

I deem it pricey at P750. What do you think?
​

Cym Marzan       about.me/ceemee

Breakfast at #CoffeeProject with Fellow Moms

The first time I went out with fellow K1 moms this school year, we trooped to the Coffee Project. It's a newly opened garden-inspired café in Quezon City.

We were greeted with flowers. 

You may wonder. "What does coffee have to do with flowers?" 

Well, I read that people use coffee grounds to fertilize their soil for plants and flowers.

We took the table right at the top of this staircase.

You would think that we have walked into a flower store when surveying this area.

We were there at past eight in the morning and we were almost the only ones around.

There were lots of knick-knacks on the nooks & crannies. I wondered whether the staff would be able to dust all of them.

The interestingly busy hallway/seating area going to the washroom. Too bad I didn't have enough time to pore through the decorated text and the words on the post-its. 

Each of us ordered the Continental Breakfast. We thought that this choice offers more value for money, although it's still pricey at Php250. It didn't even have coffee.

I was excited about the waffles, though. I love waffles! The syrup, jam and butter looked too little.

We were a bit disappointed with the service, considering there were not many customers. 

The coffee and water took a while to arrive. The server even asked us if we want the food and coffee to be served at the same time.

Therefore, I ordered a cup of Vietnamese Latte that came with a delicious cookie. The coffee was on the sweet side, yet, that's how I like mine.

I bought home a large cookie with sticky marshmallow and a (leaking) cookie cup + milk. It's my first time to try a cookie cup. Yum!

Does Coffee Project interest you?

A Dinner At Quezon Restaurant

It's always great to meet up with really close friends and talk over dinner. It's even more wonderful if the food is delicious.

I went to Fisher Mall one evening with one guy friend and two gal pals. While looking at the restaurants, we saw a freshly opened one called Quezon, a Filipino - Spanish buffet. Since it was new, the walls were very white and clean. There was a sharp contrast with the black of the furniture and decor. It's design was very contemporary, with a pretty chandelier to add shine and elegance.

I guess we were famished because the only photo I took was this.

It struck me as classy and we loved the high ceiling with sparkling chandeliers. 

Honestly, I didn't know where to start; not from the appetizers of:

vegetable salad

macaroni salad

potato salad

fried lumpiang ubod (yummy!)

garlic mushrooms

There were three kinds of sisig: pork, chicken and bangus (milkfish).  There was spicy lechon, bagnet, angus beef tapa, roasted chicken on the carving station.

Filipino dishes that tempt were dinakdakan, callos, bulalo steak (this was delicious!), kare-kare, pinakbet, ginataang langka. They also have pancit canton and longganisa pasta (too salty for me).

I especially love the soft serve ice cream which tasted like the popular Filipino hot chocolate drink. There were also other Filipino desserts that tickled our tastebuds.

Click here for the price, or check out the Quezon Buffet Restaurant facebook page.

#Starbucks Spinach Lasagna

Of all the pasta and pizza choices in Sbarro, I find myself gravitating to its Spinach Lasagna. Maybe it's an attempt to eat healthy food while nomming on cheesy pasta!

That's why, I cannot help but order the Spinach Lasagna in Starbucks one morning. I paired it with Dark Mocha Frappuccino, a regular for me when there's no new flavor to try.

The lasagna was calling to me. But, I wish there were more gooey cheese and tomato sauce. I guess that's why it's a bit lacking in flavor. In Sbarro, extra meat sauce could be added for a few pesos. Maybe that option could be great. The way the pasta was cooked and the amount of spinach were good though.

Would I order it again? If a craving for pasta would hit me, why not?

Anniversary @ Midas

Aside from my birthday month, I also look forward to October. It is our anniversary month. I love that my hubby wanted to celebrate it with me. 2015 was our ninth year of marriage. It fell on a Thursday and we had dinner. I was excited to wear my new dress I bought from Zalora. Here's my OOTD taken by the hubby using his phone.

Dress: Zalora | Shoes: H2Ocean | Bag: MFTote201 by mymomfriday | Watch: FitBit

There was a discount coupon from Deal Grocer for Midas Cafe at Midas Hotel and Casino that I snapped up. It was located in Manila and that's where we went.

Having King Midas in mind, I expected the hotel to be gilded, shiny and shimmering. The lighted wall in the photo above seemed promising.

Well, it was different from what I was looking forward to. We were seated at an area with lots of green that I felt like I was in a forest. While the nature-lover in me was happy, I felt like the interior design was disconnected from the name Midas. At least for me!

While I was getting food in one section of the buffet, the wind from the A/C was so strong my skirt was blown upwards. Good thing I had shorts on! I felt like Marilyn Monroe! Haha! It was so weird!

We were not yet finished with the main course when a staff brought this out together with a greeting. We were not informed, but the gesture was appreciated.

The food was alright. I am not sure if we will return, though. There are a lot of hotel restaurants to try in the Metro. Anniversary is a great excuse to sample various food selections. :-)

Sharing: Chocolate Lover's Travel Guide

Love chocolates? Love to travel? Sharing with you where to buy which chocolate. Yum!

You can also find more infographics at Visualistan.

Get your Cold Layers on this summer!

It IS still summer right? Just the other day, huge drops of rain fell from the clouds, and caused the heated pavement to sizzle, I'm sure. Even with the typhoon forecast, the sun unabashedly shone super bright, casting sharp shadows everywhere. We still have an excuse to indulge on cold and sweet food.

That's what I did one evening. I went to Cold Layers in Fisher Mall and paid 120Php for this summer treat.

It is a cup of Horlicks flavored ice ribbons. Horlicks sounded familiar, but I really cannot remember drinking that malted milk drink. Can you?

It's amazing how the flavored ice could be so light, so fluffy yet so creamy. The flavor wasn't that bold or strong, though.

It was a bit messy to eat as the ice separated easily, sending the Horlicks powder on top crumbling down.

I was glad it had chocolate syrup or else it would be too boring.

It made for a filling dessert!

There were other enticing flavors too. Plus, Cold Layers serves rice meals and pasta.

Would you give this a try? 

The Breakfast Club

I really could not be a food blogger. This experience was sooo last year!

Situated on a quiet road in Quezon City, The Breakfast Club provided a peaceful ambience for enjoying a delicious breakfast. The interior of the place was simple yet elegant.

That morning, I had blood work done and was on a fast. My tummy growled in anticipation of the food.

My hubby ordered this beef tapa which was quite sweet.

For our youngest child, this pair of pancakes. No, the coffee was mine, for props. They served her milk in the end. Hubby took a bite of the Hungarian sausage and I ate the rest. It's a bit pricey because of the sausage.

I loved this very cheesy omelette!

I also like that they serve lemon water, and that the staff were friendly.

Food Experiment #12

I haven't been posting my food experiments for a long, super long time. Although I have still been trying different recipes, I didn't think of writing about them anymore. Well, I thought of writing about my latest food experiment because I wanted to share the site where I got it from. 

I love potatoes and am always keeping my eyes open for easy potato recipes. Well, for me, easy is what I look for in recipes, next to the availability of ingredients locally, when it's from an American website. 

I have always wanted to try making shepherd's pie. But, I didn't have the proper oven before, the one with the degrees. What do you call that? Anyway, thanks to my mom I now have one, even if it's small. Next time I will bake cupcakes for my kids. I hope!

I used ground beef, so, technically this is a cottage pie. Would you believe, I was the only one who consumed this dish? My hubby doesn't like potatoes and the children just were not interested. Well, except for the eldest who plucked cheese from the top. Yes, I added cheese just so the top would brown. In my opinion, there was too much butter. I would definitely reduce the butter and maybe add mushrooms next time.

So, here's the link to the recipe: www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_shepherds_pie/

Dates

Who knew that Chinese dates could be so addicting? Well, my hubby is Chinese and I really miss the dates we used to have before we got married and had children. But, that is not what I'm talking about here.

I was referring to this.

My mom gave me a pack of these sweet delicacies and I think I finished it all in just two days. I ate around 4 pieces in one sitting. I just couldn't stop! It was so weird. It's also great that they were seedless.

Trust my mom to have many kinds of Chinese sweet, salty and even sour fruit preserves to share with me.

U.P. Town Center Day

It was Sunday and that means it's bike day. My hubby and I started riding our bikes in February almost every Sunday morning. We went to U.P. Diliman and joined the other bikers & the joggers. After maybe 3 times around the oval, I suggested that we bike to look for U.P. Town Center. Yikes! I was actually nervous about the idea of biking on an actual road. But, I really wanted to see the new place. So, off we went! 

The street outside U.P. had lots of ups and downs that normally couldn't be felt when riding a car. But, on a bike, wow! I had to fight in maintaining my balance while pedaling upwards with all my might until we reached the end of the street. We then turned right on Katipunan Avenue and started down the road for a while before Rix stopped to ask for directions. Turned out, we were going in the opposite direction. Uh-oh! We had to cross the wide street with fast on-coming cars to make a U-turn. Twice! 

Imagine my relief when we finally reached U.P. Town Center. Too bad J. Co wasn't open yet. We just rested and had breakfast at Family Mart. I felt quite tired and my knees were kind of like jelly. Rix understood my predicament, so after the food was finished, he biked back to U.P. to get the car. Yes, I waited for him there. Pathetic, I know!

I walked my folding bike around to explore the place. I waited for him afterwards so we could go home.

That afternoon, we were deciding where to go to get donuts and have dinner. We promised the kids we would take them out if they had their naps. And they did! Guess where we ended up?

At U.P. Town Center again! It was swarming with people when it was bare that morning. Nary a parking space was available so we opted for valet. Dinnertime found us at Dulcelin Gourmet. Of course, I wasn't able to take food pictures (frustrated food blogger)! Ella asked for dessert after the meal and cannot wait to head outside to buy.

Donuts for dessert! I fell in line for almost forever and was a bit sad to see that some flavors were out of stock. Is it always like that in J. Co? This was my first time to try this brand. We always buy KK. 

On the way out, I felt tempted to buy a striped shirt from Cotton On. But, with three kids in tow? I pushed the idea out of my mind.

So, that's how our Sunday went. We visited U.P. Town Center twice in one day. Have you been there? What did you think of it?

ABC's Of Me!

Already thirty years on earth and I am still learning so much about myself. There are a few discoveries I found regarding my likes and dislikes in the context of wife-hood and mommy-hood. I know these will change in a few years, but for now, I'm living in these moments. I am sharing these in voiceBoks' ABC's Of Me! I am new in this parenting community but hopefully, I could gain friends and insights as a parent.

Apple is one of my least favorite fruits.
It's my first time to really get into Breastfeeding. It's been six months and it's still going on. Having the correct information, a breastfriend and support really helps.
I cannot eat Chocolate everyday, I need a break from it, too. Therefore, I am not a chocoholic after all.
I missed having Dogs, but ever since I became a mom, I am kind of scared of the allergy that their dander could cause.
I like soft-boiled and poached Eggs.
I don't fancy eating Fish.
I was addicted to Facebook Games once.
Heaven is very real for me.
It's good to always have Ice cream in the freezer.
Jesus values me so much. He preserves me with His love.
My Kids are fun and make me feel young at heart.
I don't want to sleep Late but I always end up doing so.
Being a Mommy is so darn hard. Glad my children are cute and worth it.
New stuff makes me giddy and excited. I'm sure that goes for most people, adults and kids alike.
I wish I could bake yummy dessert and snacks using the Oven.
I still like Princesses and fairy tales. Like my daughter.
Quality time spent works wonders for my children, they get upset less.
Rest and relaxation are luxuries for a mom.
I don't like Scary movies.
My children telling the Truth is very important to me. As with every parent.
Marriage needs a lot of Understanding.
I hope my parenting could instill Values in my children. C. S. Lewis said: "Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. "
I am happy that my kids love to drink lots of Water. They don't ask for juice or soda.
I have never imagined giving my child a name that starts with the letter X.
I love it when my daughter says "Yummy" when I present to her some snacks.
I don't think I'll ever try Zipline. I think I am less adventurous after having children.

Macaroni Salad

Have you noticed that my last few posts are about food? Well, days at home could be all about preparing food for the children, for my hubby and for me. This is especially true when we don't have any activities like swimming or baseball. I would really make time to just even watch if I get chicago cubs tickets, boston red sox tickets or san francisco giants tickets. It would also be good for the kids to watch sports and witness team play. If Philippines has a site like Ticketamerica.com, I wonder if people with a small budget like me would be able to buy tickets to games. Ticketamerica.com has tickets for the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Redsox and all San Francisco Giants baseball tickets. But, meanwhile, I'll just make macaroni salad, and more.

No, it isn't Christmas yet. And who says macaroni salad should only be made during the holidays?

As a breastfeeding momma, I am constantly hungry. I always look inside the fridge or the cupboard to see what I could have for snack. They say it's best to have frequent small meals so that I won't eat too much for lunch or dinner. My calories are always being used for making milk. No, I'm not making this up. That means, I have an excuse to eat more. :-D

Making savory macaroni salad is easy.
Mix together the following:

• salad macaroni, cooked according to package instructions
• chicken, boiled until cooked, season with salt
• potatoes, cubed and boiled where chicken was boiled, until tender
• raisins
• cheese, cubed
• mayonnaise, I prefer my all-time favorite Lady's Choice sandwich spread with pickle relish

Messy, but yummy

So, whenever my tummy grumbles, I could open the fridge, get the salad bowl out and scoop some macaroni salad into a small bowl. Delicious!

Making Orange Juice

Because I missed my husband, I decided to make fresh orange juice with my 4-year-old.

Huh? What's the connection? Nothing. Teehee! It's just that I have a manual juicer, we have oranges and my daughter loves the fruit. She asked me to do it with her thanks to Special Agent Oso's suggestion in one of the episodes of Three Healthy Steps. These steps are (not verbatim):

1. Ask an adult to slice oranges in half.
2. Squeeze out the juice.
3. Pour into a glass.

A great and simple activity we can do with young kids, making fruit juices lets them experience how these are made. Squeezing exercises their little hands and the orange taste tickles their tastebuds.

Serve and enjoy!

 

Ice Candies

Want some?

Ice candy is the Philippine version of the ice pop.

Why I love them

It's our instant dessert!

A healthy dessert, since it's made of fruits, and fruit juice, sometimes with milk.

The possibilities are endless. Aside from the mango and buco (coconut) pictured, we have made other flavors like calamansi juice, pineapple juice, banana, melon, chocolate, coffee and corn.

Perfect for the summer weather we are experiencing right now.

It isn't super messy to consume since the plastic bag still encase the rest of the "candy". We used 1 3/4"x10" plastic bags.  

Easy to make. Blend together fruits with water or milk. Or just pour in prepared juices into the plastic bags using a funnel.

Great for kids to get them to eat fruits.

Cool off with an ice candy now!