Agave Mexican Cantina and The Unplanned Movie

I can't believe this. Every time me and Tapioca wanna watch a movie together we always ended up with a movie which isn't planned. We wanted to watch Star Trek but it's no longer showing in Eastwood because of the new movies. We decided to watch the movie Up (though we would really want to watch this in 3D) but they've only got the worse seats. Our only choice then was The Time Traveler's Wife.

I was expecting to watch movies like these with my girlfriends but amazingly Tapioca agreed to watch it with me. While he was buying our tickets I bought us a large bucket of fries to share from NYFD. They've got a new flavor which I haven't tried before.

...bacon onion tomato, something new to me so I gave it a try

Uh-oh. Did not like it. I don't know but it's a mayo base dip with hints of onion and bacon. I should have just stuck with ketchup instead.




Tapioca returned with our tickets and we're just in time for the last full show. Those who didn't know it's base from a book of the same title starring Eric Bana as Henry, the time traveler and Rachel McAdams as Clare, the time traveler's wife. It's a sci-fi/love story where the main character travels in time randomly and he never knows when he will disappear only to reappear at a different time without any clothes on. Because of that he learned how to steal just so he can get some coverings for himself. Then he fell for a girl though he knows it's going to be difficult because of his constant unpredictable time travel. It's complicated I know but as all love stories out there goes, the message is still love conquers all.


The film was quite long and I got really hungry. Tapioca was in the mood for some Mexican food so we went to Agave Mexican Cantina


After my bad experience at a Mexican resto in Boracay, I was not sure of what to order. So to be on the safe side I ordered this another braces-friendly dish . . .

Filete de Pescado...

Pan-seared cream dory topped with Salsa Fresca. Served with lime-cilantro rice. The fish was perfectly cooked and it's soft and juicy. I'm not really sure about the fresca salsa though. Kinda bland to me. I mean cream dory fish is bland so I think it should be complimented with salsa that is full of flavors. And then the lime-cilantro rice is so-so. Yeah there are hints of butter and cilantro but my palate wasn't approving so I wasn't able to finish it.

...Steak Enchilada

This is what Tapioca had. I wasn't able to try it and he never really raved about it so I guess it's not that bad but not that good. Just okay. He had San Mig Lights and I had the following...

House Margarita...

Mango Mojito...

...Pirates Cooler

Out of the three cocktails, the one that stood out was the pirates cooler. Aside from the strong kick after taking your first sip, the flavors that lingers in my mouth were the cranberry juice and the melon liquer. I mean I haven't tried any cocktails with melon liqeur and it was really good. Though I may say cocktails here are expensive. Oh well, the place is located in Eastwood so what do you expect.


After all the booze and cocktails and talks, we realized it's morning already and Agave was calling for last order. At 4am we went to McCafe to get some coffee. He had expresso double shots and I had cappuccino. Lookey, lookey here....

...nicey, effort debah?

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The French Baker - My Bit of Paris!

Before meeting up with Bam for some business opportunities(?), I got so hungry and my feet led me to one of my fave casual dining with its new look in Megamall. I think I've been craving for pasta lately so I didn't think twice on what to order.


I found a nice spot to eat alone and while surveying the new look of French Baker, I noticed this LCD screen. . .




I was really curious so I took a closer look. . .





Okay, so it showed all the orders being process. All the items ordered by the customers are shown on the screen with the exact time when the order was placed. Then the top portion which were in yellow are orders being cook and will be served in next. As you can see the queue was pretty long and it took some time until I see my order turned yellow on the screen.


The long wait could have been bearable if I had somebody to chat with but nevertheless my order came anyway without me noticing....

...creamy seafood pasta

Paired with this...

lemon iced tea...

The past dish could have been perfect if they have freshly ground pepper... but they didn't have any. Still, it's a great meal as always and never did I get tired of going to Frech Baker, my bit of Paris!

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Cafe Bola

It took us some time to get a place where we can eat after the Lady Gaga concert. Good thing Cafe Bola is just around Araneta Coliseum and the crowd was almost gone. We had our very late dinner at quarter to twelve midnight. Got so little time to eat and chat cos the resto will be closing soon and we were sleepy as well.


We just ordered some pasta dishes and a dessert we can share.


Vanjee's choice ...

...penne in garlic-olive oil + tuna + summer vegetables

A healthy option and it's really good. Downside, serving size was small and not worth the price. Vanjee can do this dish and probably much much better tasting.

Jellybean's choice ...

...penne + baby crab fat + fish roe + asparagus

Originally, they use spaghetti for this dish but I opted for penne. Again, serving size is small. I could get a better deal with Tsoko Nut for the same dish and at half the price. The only thing I liked about this dish was the asparagus. They were chopped really small so I can enjoy its crunchiness without worrying about my braces.

...the bola flan

Yet another disappointment. Vanjee chose this one cause she was craving for some leche flan. But then, there's something wrong with the consistency of the flan. Personally, I didn't like it and let Vanj finished the whole thing.


This was a not so good first impression at Cafe Bola considering that we were really tired and hungry and we simply picked those with (!) and (♥) on the menu because they said these were must try! and good for the ♥. Oh well. Now I'm having second thoughts if this place deserve a second chance.

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Cocktail Night at Mag:net Cafe

RX 93.1 turned a year older and we were excited to party. Last year I won 2 tickets for their party in White Ave. This time they're not giving away any tickets. You just have to bring your self and party all you want.


Turned out Hephaestion wasn't in the mood to party hard so instead we went to our usual bar in Bonifacio High Street called Magnet Cafe. It's actually our place for cocktails and indie music.


Entrance fee will get you free drinks of your choice. That night our options were San Mig light and rum Coke. Oh well, it's cocktail night so we chose the latter.

...Jim Beam with coke? Not sure if they really use Jim Beam here. Its probably just the glass.

Check out their bar....

coolness...

We always hang out here and watched bartenders as they prepare our cocktails


And came the 2nd cocktails for the night...

...daiquiri and weng weng

I wanted to get a mojito but they didn't have mint leaves so I opted for daiquiri. Hephaestion on the other hand wanted to get drunk and chose a long drink - weng weng.


And our pulutan....

sizzling squid...

This was a bad choice. Squids were actually soft yet gummy. Not good for my braces. So we got my fave pulutan at the mo... hotdogs. They don't have hotdogs here but they got sizzling sausage. That will be fine for me. Sorry, forgot to take the photo of the sausage though.


Then came our 3rd cocktails. Jellybean chose appletini and Hephaestion? Another round of weng weng yay! He's loving it!!!!

...appletini for jellybean

And for the finale.... beer below zero. Been seeing lots of establishments selling these beers. We told the bartender to serve us each a bottle of freezing San Mig light. We kinda like to think it as slushie beer. Cool, huh? But when we got our beers its really reaally cold but no ice like those in slushies. Talk about disappointment. But anyway, we still enjoyed the beer cos its really really cold that no bubles forming up after you take your first drink. Will surely be on the look out for more of these beer below zero and try the slushies one. Come with us?

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Butter Diner

Going out with Tapioca means leaving my comfort zone just so we can spend some time together. Whether an early morning breakfast or a late night dinner, doesn't really matter. Either way, it's an opportunity for me to try new flavors and at the same time a stress reliever.


For two years, my week always started at 12 o'clock in the afternoon. Having said that I just realized how I completely miss having breakfast. For two years breakfast for me means a piece of bread or toast and a cup of tea latte. Having said that you would have guess I am not a morning person. I always sleep late therefore I wake up late and most often no time for breakfast.


Tapioca loves breakfast so much. In fact he can have breakfast for lunch or dinner. And one of his fave brekky place is Butter Diner. He always wanted for us to go there but being a not so morning person as myself its very difficult.


Unexpectedly, a miracle happened. One day Tapioca and I found ourselves on Butter Diner for some brunch.

...cream of mushroom soup with garlic toast

This is not my first time at Butter Diner. I was on my way home after working graveyard shift then when I craved for some mushroom soup. That's how my feet led me to Butter Diner. I can still remember how good it tasted. If you're the kind who likes instant mushroom soup (which I do) you will like this one even better. It tasted like that of instant soup but the after taste is different. Their mushroom soup tasted like its home cooked with bits of mushrooms here and there.

fish and chips with salad on the side...

Tapioca ordered this one. I tried it but for me the best fish and chips are from Fish & Co. This one is just okay.

...french toast, bacon and scrambled egg

An all time favorite American breakfast. Too bad I can't eat bacon nowadays because of my braces. I remember eating one and I almost die. Until I get rid of my braces, bacon is going to be on my list of "foods that i missed". Oh by the way, did you notice that pink ice cream looking on the side? Actually, it's not an ice cream but a stawberry flavored whipped butter. Yeah right, that's the pride of Butter Diner. Their wide selection of whipped butter in different flavors. You maybe wondering what it tasted like. Well, its not that bad. It's butter only with a hint of stawberry. But the purist in me still want my butter as it is.

cheese omelet with french toast...

Now, this is a people-with-braces-friendly meal. Very simple just egg and cheese. Check out the color of the egg. It's light yellow and that means its not overly done. Just the way I like it.

...blueberry pancakes

I like my pancakes to be really fluffy but this one was not what I'm expecting it to be. Though Tapioca loves it because of its crusty edges, I'd say it's not that bad. Still, would prefer it to be fluffier. This time they put a chocolate flavored whipped butter.

strawberry-banana milk shake...

Super thick milkshake. Lurved it!

Our server that day did not use any pen or paper to take note of our orders. With all the food we ordered, it's amazing how he was able to got them all and didn't miss a thing. Impressive. Dining experience was very satisfactory. Service was fast, our food still hot when served and best of all good value for money. We ordered a lot but we did not end up with holes in our pockets.


To cap off our brunch, I got this choco moist cake from Shopwise which Thirdy's Mom has been raving about for weeks. I told myself I should give it a try right away. And here it is. Artwork courtesy of Hephaestion.

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The Lady Gaga Experience

When I saw her name on top of the charts, I was like "Gaga who?". Now look who's making waves in the POP industry.


Anyway, we were excited when we heard she's visiting Manila for a one-night concert only. But when we saw the ticket prices we were like "Is that for real?". It's uber expensive. Still, somehow Vanjee was able to encourage me to watch it. Yeah her turn for convincing me. After our lunch at Little Tokyo, we headed to SM to buy our tickets. And man oh man, the fact that tickets were very expensive, still they were selling like pancakes.


We've seen the edgy way she performed before. From the out-of-this-world outfits to the crazy make ups and hair dos and the props and the dance steps. Whoa! We were so looking forward to the Lady Gaga experience. I had never seen Araneta Coliseun so fully packed even way up to the bleachers. Its was amazing.


Vanj and I never bothered to watch nor listen to the opening act so don't ask me who they were. Sure enough we didn't have to wait long to see her. When Lady Gaga's face flashed on all the screens inside Araneta Coliseum, the crowd went wild with all the shrieks and scream of excitement. By the time she stepped onstage to open the set with Paparazzi everyone got even wilder. It felt like her concert was turned into a full-blown house party. Every one's up on their feet dancing and singing with her.


She definitely wowed the crowd with her gaga performance. She's a total performer not only in singing but dancing as well. Not to forget her eccentric outfits. Vanj and I can't help but be awed with her outfits and props. Can't remember how many times she changed costumes. It was a lot. And I mean a LOT!!! My favorite was the bubble dress. Yes, they're bubbles and it looked like she's naked. Also, her glass piano was present at the concert. Thought the piano was pink but heck its just the pink lighting that made it look like pink.


Lady Gaga proved how gaga she really was with all the stints and witty talks in between songs. On stage you will see her arranging the hem lines of her panty. She's so not embarrassed about it. She also tried lifting up her legs over the keys of the piano as she played the acoustic version of Poker Face. Very impressive. It showed how good she is playing the piano with her hands and with her feet as well. Hehe.


In between songs, Lady Gaga told stories about her Pinoy best friend, growing up penniless but pretending to be rich and famous in New York, and shooting down a reporter who ask if she was a hermaphrodite. Did you know what her answer was? She said "Yes I do and it’s much bigger than yours." LOL. She also confessed crying 6 times throughout the show. We were confused and wondered why she cried. But after the show, we heard about what she twitted and figured. This is what it said on her twit: " just headlined my first arena ALONE, after opening for years. thank you manila, never forget u. luv my fans so much, u r the reason im here.”"


Her concert was a sure hit and her electrifying performance surely blown her fans and audience away! Sold-out and just an hour long concert. Super bitin. Oh well, it's her first concert. I guess we can expect more when she makes new songs and more albums in the future.

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Choto Stop and Shinjuku at Little Tokyo

Way back in my high school days, I always passed by Little Tokyo on my way to school. I though it was just some place where people from Japan goes to. Just like Chinatown in Ongpin. Nothing really hit my fancy. Oh well, back then I'm more interested in pop culture (Hanson brothers and the likes) than anything else. But now, it's like all the foodie bloggers know that place existed.


First time I set foot here was the day I accompanied Tapioca to a bank near Greenbelt. Since Little Tokyo was just a few blocks away, I convinced him to check out the place. The first store that made us all smiley was Shinjuku Ramen House. We've been craving for ramen but too bad I have a shift that day so we just ordered take outs from Choto Stop.


Choto stop is a mini grocery selling Japanese goods. If you're a fan of everything Japanese this place is for you. Prices are expensive. Of course they're imported. Take a look at these photos...

...cup noodles selection

sorry, dunno what these are but hey they look so interesting...

...more more Japanese goodies

And our take outs...

...beef cubes steak bento box

We just love how soft and tender the beef cubes are. Not to mention very very tasty.


I told Vanjee my discovery and knowing her who's into Japanese cuisine because of Japanese drama series, she delightfully agreed to go to Shinjuku with me.

California maki...

...Gyoza

Manten ramen...

We enjoyed everything that we ordered except for the gyoza. Nothing really special. The ramen was really good though I would want my ramen with clear broth. I'm not a fan of mayo but despite the mayo on top of the maki I still enjoyed it. Probably one of the best maki I've ever tasted.


On my first and second visit, it always ended happily because of this...

...vanilla waffle ice cream

Yummy waffle ice cream. I like how creamy the ice cream inside and it has the right amount of sweetness. The waffle complimented the ice cream nicely. It doesn't break when you take a bite so it's not messy to eat. By the way, its a Lotte product. And I thought Lotte products were from Korea. Haha.

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Surprise, Surprise....

He asked if I wanted something from Megamall.

He asked whether I want some pasta from Sbarro or chicken from El Pollo Loco.

Not sure which one I like so my reply was 'just surprise me'


Indeed I am....

...miso soup

shrimp tempura...

...sprouted beans

tuna sashimi...

...mixed seafoods furai

Japanese Bento Box from Rai Rai Ken

And of course, a meal will not be complete without a dessert...

...blueberry cheesecake from Sugarhouse

To you . . .

. . . you know who you are


Thanks ! ! !

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Isdaan in Gerona Tarlac

I've been getting disappointed on planning to go some places but not going anywhere. Months and months of staying at home made my feet itch. Good thing my office mate Mark reminded me of this place in Tarlac. Vanjee and I passed this place from our trip to Vigan. I remember seeing those gorgeous Buddha structures along the high way. It's like you're in Thailand. Mark knows the place very well and I didn't think twice of going there even just for a day. Tarlac is a good choice for a day trip since its just a few hours away from Manila.


On the night of our trip it was raining hard. But the deal is rain or shine we are going. The next day it's still raining. I texted Mark and he said the sun was shining brightly in Tarlac. Okay, that's good news. But the bad news is the heavy traffic not to mention very few public utility vehicles passing by that morning. Tapioca and I was suppose to meet in Cubao at 7am but at that time I was still waiting for buses. After waiting for some time I was able to get into a bus. The usual 15-minute travel time to get to the nearest MRT station took me almost an hour. Finally I made it in Cubao at 9pm.



We headed straight to Five Star bus terminal and boarded the bus going to Dagupan City. The trip going to Gerona, Tarlac took approximately 3hrs. We arrive at 12:45pm just in time for lunch.



When you see this sign, you know you're in Gerona where Isdaan is located. Outside you would think Isdaan is a resort and not a restaurant because the place is huge. Some parts are still under construction.




First thing that greeted us were the koi fishes. Lots and lots of koi and tilapia all over the place . As we go further, I almost forgot I was hungry. I mean the place has so many photo ops here and there and I can't help but click my camera away. Oh yeah, I'm using my phone camera for the first time so you know how excited I was. And then we finally see this...

...happy, happy, joy, joy ^____^

Coolness. There's a lot more of that around Isdaan but that Buddha in the picture is the grandest of them all.

another one here...

...chased by the dinosaur

wooden pathway...

We took some more pictures until we get tired and settled at one of the huts. Did I mention that Isdaan is a floating restaurant? The water around the floating huts is around 6-9 feet deep (Yikes, mas mataas pa sa akin).

Isdaan is a Barrio Fiesta sister company so expect Filipino dishes. They also serve Japanese dishes like sashimi and tempura. Prices are reasonable, good for sharing. Here's what we ordered...

...sinigang na hipon

inihaw na liempo...

...pinakbet ilocano style

grilled tuna with butter sauce...

...fresh watermelon juice

mango juice for Kit...

The sinigang has the right amount of sourness on it and the shrimps are cooked perfectly. We loved the liempo because it was soft and very tender. I'm not sure what's the difference with the ilocano style pinakbet and the regular pinakbet I know of but what I'm sure of is I enjoyed the pinakbet because the veggies were not over cooked and its not malansa. The grilled tuna on the other hand was just okay. I liked the grilled tuna we had in Boracay better than this one. Probably the tuna wasn't fresh. Since the weather was hot I wanted to drink something refreshing like melon juice but not available that time so we had watermelon juice instead.


While eating, these guys serenaded us. Minimum tip is 20 pesos.

After eating, we went to the infamous Tacsiyapo wall and tried to smash some plates and cups.

...tacsiyapo wall

the san kilo bridge...

We tried coaxing Tapioca to cross the san kilo bridge so we can get 1 kilo of tilapia for free but he just wouldn't do it. I know I am very bad with balancing but maybe next time I might try it. And that means I'm definitely going back here.

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