Nintendo Wii

I know, I know this is old news but I still wanna blog about it. We got this 2 years ago as a gift from Mama and Papa R. We're amazed by this gaming console. Instead of the usual joystick, it uses a wireless controller called Wii remote and a nunchuck. It's not your regular game play where you sit, watch and play. It's physically demanding therefore a perfect workout session at home.

. . . unboxing the wii 2 years ago. tagal na!

the black beauty . . .

The console came with two discs. The Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. We get to play tennis, bowling, basketball, rowing, cycling, etc at the comfort of our home. Whenever we have guests at home we let them try it out and aliw na aliw namin sila.

We bought some more games and my faves would be Cooking Mama and Just Dance. Kalokah nga minsan natatalo pa ko ni Tapioca sa Just Dance. Mas magaling daw cya magsayaw LOL!

We wish to buy more games especially the DJ Hero and the Band Hero but we live in a small apartment. We're not sure kung saan ilalagay ang drum set if ever we get one. Hay, lalabas na lang ang new Wii U but di pa rin natutupad yung wish namin.

I know time will come when we can get our hands on those things. For the meantime, we'll enjoy what we have.

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Chicken & Brocolli Pasta

Inspired by B'ley of Blogalag, I tried her recipe to impress Tapioca. The recipe calls for a few ingredients and easy prep. Now this is my kind of cooking. Less prep and cooking time. Perfect for lazy cooks like me.

. . . the ingredients

For the recipe and procedures, check out her blog post here.

the finish product . . .

The pasta was a little overcooked but it was okay. They say taste is subjective and I did get mix reviews about this dish. Tapioca is biased with red sauces so this didn't really work for him. Basta ako, I liked it. It was very light and healthy. I liked that it was a little spicy because of the chili flakes but the basil somehow balances out the flavor. It's good especially if you wanted something new aside from the usual white or red sauce pasta.

Funny how this was supposed to be a surprise for Tapioca but he ended up not liking it. I guess, I have to keep on trying.

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Fave Beverage At The Mo: Smart C+

I'm past my C2 addiction. I used to drink C2 like it's water. When it was first released in the market, C2 actually tasted like water, especially the green tea flavor. Now C2 is sickeningly sweet. Exagged I know. The green tea variety that I never drank before because it was tasteless (like water) - is now the only C2 I can drink.

Anyway, this post is about my new addiction - Smart C+. This drink may not be an iced tea variety but what I really like about it is the refreshing and not overly sweet taste. My favorite is the lemon and next is the pomelo. My least favorite is the orange which I think tasted like watered down orange juice. I also like the fact that it contains vitamin C which is a known antioxidant and good for our body's immune system. So if you're looking for a healthier drink, try Smart C+.

P.S. This is not a sponsored post.

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Tonight's Dinner: Fish & Soup

Tonight's dinner is simple. 

Boneless daing na bangus and creamy vegetable soup. All prepared by Tapioca. 

The soup reminds me of sopas except it didn't have macaroni noodles and chicken. Just chopped cabbage, carrots, celery, ham and cream. 

It was comforting. Perfect for the rainy weather.

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Mann Hann

After tiring ourselves from the wall climbing activity, we decided to go home early. But before going home I asked if we could get some ice cream because I was so bitin from the gelato we had earlier. Too lazy to go back to Serendra, I settled for caramel sundae from Dairy Queen. While waiting in line, Tapioca excused himself. He said he's too tired to be waiting in line and he needed some place to sit down. We spotted some empty seats outside Mann Hann and I told him to wait for me there. When I got my ice cream, I found him nowhere outside Mann Hann. Instead he was sitting inside with a menu on hand. Talaga naman, akala ko uwian na?

Well, when it comes to Chinese food, he will never say no. While waiting for me he suddenly felt the cravings for dimsum. That's why he took the chance with the last table available inside the resto. It looks like most of Mann Hann's patrons do not like to dine outside because it's right next to the hallway, the busiest part of the mall. The restaurant itself was full of diners. It was hard to get the server's attention. No wonder everyone wants to eat inside the resto.

I let Tapioca take care of the food. My only request - hakaw.

. . . house tea

We requested for some hot tea and we were served these cups. Since both of us are tea drinkers one cup is never enough. Asking for a refill was a challenge. Did I tell you it was a busy day at Mann Hann? Yeah jam-packed ang resto. How we wish they gave us a teapot so we can help ourselves.

my caramel sundae from Dairy Queen . . .

. . . first batch of dimsum that arrived on the table 

fried dumplings . . . 

The dumplings were a total waste of money and calories. It was oily and tasteless. Did not like it and we never finished it :-(

. . . siomai

jellybean's order -  hakaw . . . 

This was cheap but pretty good.

. . .  shrimp rolls

Tapioca and I both agreed that this was the winning dish. Shrimps with century egg and tofu wrapped in egg rolls. Super yummy and tasty. We would go back to Mann Hann just for the shrimp rolls. And it's affordable, too.

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Camp Sandugo's Indoor Wall Climbing

This is what came into mind when I refuse to be stuck at home on our special day.

. . . camp sandugo's indoor wall climbing

I missed wall climbing. I used to do wall climbing back in the days when Pinnacle Gym was still open in Eastwood City. The reason I'd signed up for a membership was because of the wall climbing facility and the aerobics classes and boxing classes and the sauna and the jacuzzi and the steam bath and the spa and the projector TV and DVD with La-Z-Boy. San ka pa? Ang dami ko na-mention hahaha! Actually, it's just the wall climbing facility that really sold me into getting a membership. The rest, added perks na lang. Ang daming perks!

Never tried wall climbing in Market Market and Tapioca was up for the challenge so here we are for some fun-filled, physically exhausting and thrilling activity. Camp Sandugo's indoor wall climbing boasts of a 44 feet high wall - the highest in Metro Manila with 6 levels of difficulty.

The walk from Serendra to the 5th level of Market Market was the only warm up we did. We were so excited to climb we put on our gears right away.

First up on the wall, Tapioca.

Believe it or not, he managed to climb up the first level. Exhausted but still smiling after his very first wall climbing experience.

Next was Jellybean.

It was an easy climb. First level, eh. We did a couple more climbs before moving on to the next level.

jellybean on 2nd level . . .

This was me on the 2nd level. A few feet away from the top, I almost gave up. Second level pa lang pero mejo mahirap na. Not to mention ngalay na both my arms and legs. Tapioca never tried the 2nd level. Pagod na rin. And his weight was not helping, too. He definitely needs to lose weight and practice some more. But of course, I give him props for trying this out. Imagine this wall is inside the mall and super dami tao nananonood but carry bells - wala syang paki. Go lang ng go. I love you baby!!! Must diet na para we can climb more walls (mala- Spiderman lang ang peg) in the future:-)

Ending this post with a video.

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Gelatissimo Cafe

After the disappointing lunch at Mary Grace Cafe, Tapioca and I were on search for a dessert place. Tapioca particularly wanted to have some gelato and I knew a place near Market Market that sells cheap but good gelato. While walking around the Serendra area we noticed this tiny cafe packed with customers. Turns out it was a gelato place. Just what Tapioca wanted.

The store has two chest freezers. We thought each chest showcased the same flavors but when we checked out the second freezer, there's even more flavors to choose from!

This is just one section of the freezer chest I'm talking about. The variety of flavors they offer were mind blowing. From the regular flavors like vanilla, chocolate and mango to exotic like passion fruit, guava, coconut, etc. It was awesome. Aside from gelato, the cafe offers coffee, sundaes and shakes. Yeah, I did not get my wish to have cheesecake from Cafe Mary Grace but I got my dose of cheesecake here. And my oh my, they have three different cheesecake flavors! I had a hard time choosing. In the end, I bought the forest berry cheesecake while Tapioca had his favorite Snickers chocolate.

. . . snickers gelato in cone 

Their gelato was a bit pricey but I'd say worth it. A serving of their smallest cup was full to the brim. As in siksik sa laman! What I love even more was the smooth and super dense texture similar to luxury brand ice creams. It's not too sweet and heavy that I feel like having more.

 my forest berry cheesecake - in gelato form!!!

This is one of the best gelato I've tried so far. Will definitely be back and try out other flavors.

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Cafe Mary Grace - Revisited

On the last minute, our supposed plan to stay at home and rest changed again. We got bored. And the thought of staying at home doing the same things we always do every weekend didn't feel right. Not on our special day. We needed to do something productive.

I was thinking of a good 'ol comfort food from Cafe Mary Grace. I wanted Tapioca to try out their pasta so we can replicate them at home. He's taste bud is so awesome he can tell even the smallest hint of spice or herbs in the dish. Soon enough we found ourselves at their tiny cafe in Serendra.

 . . . home made wild raspberry iced tea

We love homemade iced teas and a glass would never be enough so we ordered a pitcher to share. This was sweet and tangy.

toasted bread with cheddar cheese, tomatoes and capers . . .

 Tapioca loved the fresh bread. He always appreciates good bread. The dip was just okay.

 . . . caesar sald

We never fail to order this salad whenever we're eating out. Mary Grace's version looks kinda sad in the photo but  what lacks on the appearance compensates for the taste. Though I'd say we've tried much better Caesar salad elsewhere.

smoked salmon and cream . . .

. . . spanish sardines and olives pasta 

I let Tapioca order our drinks and the starters but I chose our pasta dishes. I had the salmon and cream while Tapioca had the Spanish sardines and olives pasta. 

My gosh, saltiness was reigning on both pasta dishes and I thought it was just normal. I mean smoked salmon was supposed to be salty right? So there goes Tapioca complaining on his first bite while I, on the other hand only realized this halfway through. 

The saltiness was extreme. It's not just the sauce itself but we're guessing they put too much salt in the water they used to cook the pasta and it carried on to our dishes. The iced tea was not helping at all so we asked for water which took forever to arrive. The place was pretty jam-packed so we understood all the delay. 

But seriously, I thought of returning the pasta and complained. But then again  I have heard so many bad stories about customers returning their food. I'm afraid their kitchen staff would think we're hard-to-pleased customers and they might play with our food. I didn't want to imagine anymore!

Tapioca and I were very hungry. It was our first meal of the day at three in the afternoon. Despite the uber saltiness we managed to finish the pasta but our mouths were as dry as hell! Tapioca was very mad and swore never to return. 

I pleaded to him to let me get their cheesecake which I missed so much. He was very disappointed and refused to order dessert. I felt bad because I was the one who dragged him here in the first place. Tapioca was in a rush to leave the cafe. He said we can get dessert elsewhere and get rid of the nasty salty taste in our mouth.

My friends and I had a wonderful experience the last time we dined here and it was unfortunate Tapioca didn't get the same experience. I love Mary Grace Cafe especially their pasta dishes but they let me down. Sigh. I still wanted to give them one last chance and decide if it's good-bye or not.

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The Kebab Factory

It was night time already and we're still stuck in Megamall so we decided to have dinner before going home. Tapioca and I had some difficulty finding a place to eat. Not that we didn't have any options. Actually, there's so many restaurants to choose from. So many it's  hard to choose just one place to go to. 

After some deliberation, Tapioca suggested we dine at some place we've never eaten before. Just like The Kebab Factory. 

Honestly, I'm not a fan of kebabs and it was the least of the food I wanted to eat. Never in my entire life did I crave for it. But Tapioca, who's always curious about hummus, insisted we give it a try. Since I'm not craving for anything anyway, I had no choice but to go with the flow.

. . . strawberry lassi and iced tea 

Tapioca had brewed iced tea while I had the strawberry lassi. Lassi is a popular Indian beverage which is yogurt-based. This is not the first time I've tried lassi and I can say I did like this version with a fruity twist from the strawberry. It's very refreshing. Perfect palette cleanser for all the spices incorporated on the dishes we've ordered.

 

hummus with pita bread. . .

Made from mashed chickpeas with olive oil, lemon juice and other spices. I love chickpeas and we liked this dip so much. The pita bread that came with it was never enough so we ordered some more.  

. . . veggie-meat kebab

I'm not sure what went to Tapioca's head when he ordered this. We both didn't like it and regretted ordering one. Trying hard kasi magpaka-healthy. Hahahaha!

shish kebab and beef kebab . . .

The shish kebab and beef kebab were opposite of the veggie meat.  Tender, juicy and full of those Indian flavors . . in a good way. I say this because there's a bad Indian spice that I don't like which is curry or anything amoy or lasang bumbay wehehehe! 

We assembled the kebab into sandwiches. More likely a shawarma sandwich by wrapping it all up in pita with some of the garlic and spicy sauces they provided. We did not order rice anymore. We're quite surprised we got stuffed already and there was still some more meat left.

Overall, Tapioca liked this place very much. There's a big chance we will go back. As for moi, my verdict is: okay lang. Di ko pa rin type. LOL!

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Café 1771

We've been meaning to set up another special day soon and this one place we're considering to be part of. This place has some serious interiors. Looking at the photos online makes me drool in envy. So there you go, I drool not just for food but for designer-worthy photos of well decorated homes. I wish our house would look as nice and homey and beautiful as this restaurant someday.

Cafe 1771 is divided into three dining areas namely Whimsy, The Lounge and Wine Bar. I wanted to dine in The Lounge however it was reserved for someone's party so we settled in The Whimsy.

 . . . popcorn and freshly brewed iced tea

The popcorn was complimentary. I always love freshly brewed iced tea and it was nice that they served it in a really tall glass.

caesar salad . . .

Tapioca's choice. Generous serving of fresh greens. It came in a really huge bowl. Love the fresh and crisp greens and the light dressing. This salad was good.

. . . tomato soup

Soup of the day was Jellybean's choice. When they told me it was tomato soup I had second thoughts of ordering this because I never really like tomato soup. It's like having a main dish instead of an appetizer. But they told me it was cream base so I gave it a try. It was nicely plated. One spoonful and I fell in love. I finally found a tomato soup that I adore. Rich, creamy, not too sour and not too hot.

 Jellybean's main course . . .

Sauteed sea bream with French beans and brunoise of dried mango, garlic and bacon; tomato-anchovy and olive oil dressing with risotto cake. I was thinking of having meat as the main dish but I thought I might not be able to finish it. This was our server's recommendation. 

I love the fresh and crunchy French beans. The risotto cake was quite filling. They gave me 2 big chunks of fish. It was soft and moist but after finishing the first chunk it became boring. I gave the rest to Tapioca.

. . . Tapioca's main course

Handmade ravioli filled with oyster mushroom and ricotta cheese, tossed in extra virgin olive oil and herbs. It looked small in serving but Tapioca said it was very filling. He liked it a lot. After wiping out everything on his plate he declared he was full and refused to order dessert.

Feel at home with the pink high chair. I love  it! So comfy and girly.

And I refused to leave without having dessert. Tapioca agreed to share this . . .

 lemon tart with candied orange peel . . .

This reminded me of lemon pie from the Lemon Pie House in Sagada except this was more sour and tangy. We paired it with some green tea.

It was such a nice dining experience. The food was beautifully plated and tasted good, too. Service was impeccable. Food was served hot but not too hot that you'll burn your tongue. Cold food served on chilled plates. The timing and pacing of the food we ordered was also perfect. After we're done with the appetizers, our main courses arrive then followed by dessert and tea. 

Nanonood siguro sila ng Hell's Kitchen kaya ganun. Lol! I wish to go back and try other dishes and desserts. And hopeful I get to experience dining at The Lounge next time.

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3rd Anniversary

Last September 9, we celebrated our special day. Our 3rd anniversary. Yay!!!! 

Year after year, I realized we never really stick to any plans. We are very fickle minded people. Most of the time I hate it but I figured we like spontaneity better. As always we planned to go out of town to celebrate but one thing led to another. 

A day before the actual date of our anniversary, Tapioca and I went to the mall to buy his dream tennis racket and then some and the whole idea of an out of town trip went out of the window.


It all started (and ended) in El Pueblo, Ortigas.

1. Lunch at Café 1771.

2. Bought Tapioca his dream tennis racket. He was so happy he went nuts.

Babolat Pure Storm GT. Photo from here. 

3. Watched Total Recall.

Photo from here. 

Can I just say Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel were so damn hot! And Colin Farrel must be super duper pogi for them to be fighting over him. Lucky dude!

4. Shopping. Since Tapioca got himself a fancy racket, dapat meron din ako. Megamall was on sale and I had a grand time going window shopping until we went inside Forever21. My gosh, there were so many nice things to buy. I want them all! Of course I can't buy them all. I got so depressed Tapioca had to drag me away from that store. Ending wala ako nabili ni isang piraso :-(

5. Dinner at The Kebab Factory.

6. Nightcap at Sidebar. We already spent the whole day out so we went all out. Todo na toh! From Megamall we went back to El Pueblo and had a couple of drinks (I think I had more!) at Sidebar before going home.

After all those activities we got so exhausted we told ourselves to stay at home the following day and rest. But but but, you know how fickle minded we are so that didn't happen as well. 

On our special day, we went to Market Market for some serious physical activity and to revisit a fave restaurant in Serendra. Will make separate posts on each activity soon.

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Beef, Mung Bean Sprouts and Tofu

I got home one evening to a home-cooked meal made by Tapioca. He did all the grocery shopping, cooking, took all the photos and I got to blog about it. I found it nice that he (took the initiative and) understands the need to take pictures on all our food adventures. I'm such a lucky girl.

The main ingredients:

. . . beef, sukiyaki cut

onions and tofu . . .

. . . mung bean sprouts

the finished product . . .

Tapioca cooked each ingredient separately and then plated it as what you see on the photo above. The taste was a combination of salty and sour like adobo with an Asian twist from the sesame oil (it's one of his fave condiments). This was one of those random cooking experiments Tapioca likes to do in the kitchen. Personally, I thought the recipe needs a little tweaking. Tapioca grabbed some spices and condiments from the pantry, add them to the dish and viola . . . problem solved.

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