BROTZEIT OPENS AT EDSA SHANGRILA MALL

One of my best friends in High School, Thomas, was a German national. His father was an expat, and his mother was a home maker, and they settled in and made the Philippines, Cebu in particular, their second home. During my High School days, it was usually me that was doing the hosting of sleepovers, but there were a couple of times that I crashed at Thomas' house after a night of.. umm.. As much as I would love to say "hard partying with some hot chicks", it was more like "A super cool night of Dungeons and Dragons".

Something I always looked forward to, was breakfast in Thomas' house. Thomas' mother, always made sure that despite the fact they were living in a country so different from their birthplace in so many ways, their original culture would not be forgotten by her son. And she did so in simple ways - one was their food.

Sure, after hanging out with us, Thomas got the hang of eating rice with every meal, but at home, when his mom would prepare breakfast, It would be the good old fashioned German way. I was treated to an array of sliced sausages that I had never tried before, different types of breads, and a whole slew of cheeses to choose from, all served up on wooden boards. That was a mere glimpse of how amazing German Cuisine could be, but ever since then, their food kept me enthralled.

There aren't very many German restaurants to choose from here, so hearing about Brotzeit German Beir Bar & Restaurant opening in Manila brought music to my ears.

(Cue in "99 Luft Balloons" here.. Sorry that's the only German song I can think of right now).

HOTEL HOTSPOTS: RESTO-GO-ROUND AT INTERCONTINENTAL MANILA!

              Dining at a hotel has an air of exclusivity. If you tell someone you're going to have dinner at a hotel, and more often than not, their response will be "Sosyal!". And of course, it's totally warranted. Even the thought of a few hours of parking at a hotel would make one consider a trip to the ATM before pulling your car out. 

          But what if I told you that you could enjoy a sumptuous feast at not one, not two, but THREE first class restaurants in a luxurious hotel, without having to stop by the blood bank to earn some extra cash? 

           Have you heard of Intercontinental Manila's Resto-Go-Round?

HOTEL HOTSPOTS: DIMSUM ALL YOU CAN AT LI LI IN HYATT HOTEL & CASINO MANILA

           In case the 24 entries weren't enough to clue you in, i'm going to go on the record now and say that I LOVE Chinese food. If you ask me one of my all time favorite restaurants, I'd easily tell you that it's Harbor City in Cebu.. A simple restaurant known for its Dimsum. 

           I'm always on the look out for amazing places to get some Siomai, Steamed Spareribs and Spring Rolls. So when I got the chanceto try the Dimsum Eat All You Can of Li Li at Hyatt Hotel and Casino, I knew that was one opportunity I couldn't miss. 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Baby Rain's simple gift to her mommy on Mother's day :) 

Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing mothers out there! 

As they say.. 

"The Hardest Job In The World, Is also the Best Job in the World" 

Funny Story... Baby Rain doesn't recognize herself as the Baby in the last picture so she throws a fit everytime she sees it, because she gets jealous of the thought of Rina hugging another baby hehe

SMOKING HOT BarBQ: GLOBAL FILIPINO CUISINE AT GREENBELT 3!

             I'll admit that i'm not the biggest fan of Filipino Food. Whenever we go to a Pinoy resto, my default order is Inihaw na Liempo (Grilled Pork Belly) and i'm good to go! But I had an eerie feeling that Smokin' Hot BBQ, the new Filipino restaurant by The Bistro Group, would be definitely something worth checking out.

       Going to Smoking Hot BBQ was a little bit bittersweet for me because it meant having to finally come to terms with the closing of fish and co.'s Greenbelt Branch.. A personal favorite of mine. Imagine how I felt.. The restaurant that serves the best fish and chips in town is being replaced by another whose cuisine i'm not too fond of. Hurts, right? 

         Nevertheless I decided to put my faith in Chef Josh Boutwood, and trust that he would do amazing things with Filipino Food.

       And boy, was I right.

CUPCAKES BY SONJA AT GLORIETTA!

      "A red velvet cupcake?".

      Those were exactly my thoughts when a friend of mine, Zee, mentioned about this tiny wonderful cupcake shop in Serendra sometime in 2006. Until now, due to my lack of knowledge in anything culinary, I still don't know what flavor / ingredient red velvet really is. Aaaanyway, I'm getting off track. This shop was probably the daintiest shop I have ever seen at that time. It was just so pretty that I felt so ugly in it! And it wasn't just the shop that was pretty. It was their cupcakes too! I know I took photos during my first visit but I can't remember where I put them. I'm sure it's long gone :( Sniff...

This was the first shop I have ever been in that exclusively sold cupcakes, and the Red Velvet Vixen was the first ever Red Velvet treat I devoured. So just like the rest of Manila, I was hooked! Cupcakes by Sonja was amazing! The taste you get from each bite is truly a pleasure in the mouth! (Confession: I thought this whole time it was pronounced "Sonya" hehehehe *blush*) As for the price, at first I found it a bit steep but after tasting the cupcakes, it all started to make sense.

THE MITSUYADO SEI-MEN GC WINNER IS....

               I'm so sorry for the long wait! Been busy with work and stuff.. but fear not, the two winners of the GC's form Mitsuyado Sei-men shall be announced NOW! 

NO CLOWNING AROUND AT PAGLIACCI, AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FOOD - RINAZ

It has been years since I last stepped my foot inside the Podium. I don’t even remember the restaurants that I have tried there. I think there was just one and I don’t even remember the name. It was only until a few days ago when I came back to have dinner with blogger friends that I realized how many establishments were there already, and how much I have been missing, particularly a little Italian cuisine heaven called Pagliacci.

SOMETHING SPECIAL BREWING AT BO'S COFFEE! - BY Rina's Rainbow

"Let's meet at (insert coffee shop name)"

        "Let's hang out naman and have coffee at (insert coffee shop name)"

                            "Craving for Caramel Macchiato"


          These are the usual phrases we use nowadays when meeting up with friends or even holding client meetings. And I am guilty as charged. As I mentioned in my previous post, hanging out at a coffee shop is perfect because it has the perfect "chill" ambiance, complete with cozy couches, yummy pastries, and good coffee. It's the perfect me-time venue for me where I can write. Away from the chaotic (but happy) life of a SAHM. And as we all know, the default coffee shops are those that are owned by international companies. 

          Now, I'm not a coffee expert. And not that there's anything wrong with supporting international coffee shops. I am one of those people who enjoy the casual Starbucks Frap and or her Coffee Bean and Teal Leaf White Chocolate Dream Ice Blended Drink (That's a mouthful!). But one thing I realized when I attended this event in Glorietta, is that we should ALSO support our country's coffee industry.

          It is comforting to know that Bo's Coffee (a coffee shop that originated in Cebu), is joining a cause to promote the Philippine coffee industry! 

PIZZA HEAVEN AT NOLITA BONIFACIO HIGH STREET

     Time and time again, I often repeat my frustration with the culinary wonder known as "Pizza". I love those glorious oven baked pies, but more often than not, it triggers my hyper acidity,and the results aren't pleasant. As much as I would love to be able to indulge in a stunning, thin crust pizza, topped with a double helping of mozzarella cheese and bacon, ham, and pepperoni, I would never do so at the expense of possibly having a brown baby boy in the middle of an important meeting. 

     Which is why It took me so long to visit Nolita. 

     A couple of months ago, as I made plans to meet up with my college friends, I suggested to my friends that we check out Nolita, thinking that I could taste one of their pizzas and realize that it wasn't something I would crave for, and my tummy would not be in jeopardy. Basically get the whole thing over with.

    As my teeth dug into my pizza, the first thing that came into my mind was, "Uh-oh".