HAVE A CUP OF BASS WITH GEAR4'S EXPRESSO SPEAKER

Care for a cup of expresso? But it contains booming music instead of coffee!

        It was only recently when I appreciated Bluetooth speakers. We were able to try one during our first wireless portable speaker review (here) and we were in awe on how you can play loud music wirelessly with music from your phone. It was a little bigger than this one, so I thought the sounds of this cute speaker would just be okay.... 

Boy was I wrong! 

GEAR4's Espresso packs quite a punch with it's surprisingly amazing bass!

YABU'S MENCHI KATSU WITH BABE FOR FOOD!

          Friends, meet the lovely Justinne, also known as the Blogger from Cebu, "Babe For Food". I "Cyber-met" Justinne in 2012 when I was searching the net for restaurants to visit in Cebu, and came across her blog. I really felt it was a great read, because it was insightful and fun at the same time. I sent her a comment on her blog page, asking for recommendations on restaurants to visit, and her reply would have put Looloo to shame.

        Since then, our friendship consisted of Facebook messages, Instagram comments, and Tweets. We would often tag one another in facebook posts, particularly when it comes to food that we feel that other would enjoy. 

        It wasn't until December of 2013 that we finally got to meet each other face to face for the very first time, when some of my blogger friends and I visited Movenpick Cebu. Since she was such an amazing hostess when we were there in Cebu, I told her that when she goes to Manila, I would take her to some of my favorite dining spots. 

        On top of that list? 

         Yabu: The House of Katsu.

BANZAI! A GREAT AUTHENTIC JAPANESE BUFFET!

BANZAAAAAAI!!!!!!

        Welcome to a world of authentic Japanese buffet! If you like Japanese cuisine as much as I do and if you're around the Mall of Asia area, then you'd definitely want to try dining here with your family. It's this huge buffet restaurant located at SM Mall of Asia By The Bay with a seating capacity of 500. It is the biggest Japanese buffet in the Philippines. And it's called Banzai, The Great Teppanyaki Theater!

CRYSTAL JADE DINING IN: WEEKEND DIMSUM BUFFET!

        We got a lot of drooling comments from this photo above. Truly, the Weekend Dim Sum Buffet of Crystal Jade Dining IN at Bonifacio High Street Central is sensational! And for the price of just P688++ with free flowing iced tea, how can you go wrong? Not to mention it is deeeee-licious!

NANBANTEI OF TOKYO UNIQUE YAKITORIS AND NEW COCKTAIL DRINKS

       Nanbantei of Tokyo is not your usual Japanese restaurant because it specializes in Yakitori. Apparently, in Japan, employees / businessmen often visited Yakitori-ya places (yakitori stands or restaurants) to relax and de-stress after a long day of work. And Nanbantei of Tokyo had been one of those famous Yakitor-ya in Japan. It has been in Bonifacio High Street and Greenbelt for quite sometime now, and I almost feel ashamed to admit that I haven't been there yet. 

         So, while Richie was off at the land of the free, I was told that they were unveiling some new unique Yakitori's and cocktail drinks.. I thought it was the perfect time to finally pay Nanbantei of Tokyo a visit! 

TRIPLE-O's BY WHITE SPOT NOW IN MANILA!

        I haven't been to Canada, not even for a short while. So honestly I wasn't familiar with Triple - O's By White Spot, which is Canada's very first drive-in restaurant. But guess what? Triple - O's by White Spot are are known there to make legendary burgers. I checked out their official website in Canada and I got really excited (see for yourself here). The good news is, THEY'RE NOW HERE IN MANILA! 

MAGNUM CAFE'S NEW DESSERT: THE ROGUE MAGNUM!

        Back at The Magnum Cafe for the launch of a new beautiful new dessert by non other than Chef Miko Aspiras! The Rogue Magnum! Branded by the only literary luxury magazine in the Philippines, ROGUE MAGAZINE! And as expected, the plating was fabulous!!!

FOOD TRIPPING WITH THE CHEVROLET SPARK!!!

　　It has been a while since I last went on a food trip to hidden places with hole-in-the-wall restaurants and frankly, I have been wanting to do it for a long time. As good as the new restaurants are in the Metro nowadays, we thought it would be fun and interesting to go on a food trip featuring hole-in-the-wall restaurants that have been serving amazing Chinese food for generations.. And what better place to do this kind of food trip than go to Binondo! 

　　

         Luckily, my partner in eating crime, Richard of Tales from the Tummy, and his wife Irene, know their way around Binondo even with their eyes closed....

RECESS BY CHEF CHRIS: MY FAVORITE SUBJECT!

          Since he opened "My Kitchen" in the Manila area a few years back, the name of Chef Chris Locher has been synonymous with incredible food. Although I must admit that I had not yet been able to visit it yet, it was most definitely in my Bucket List of places to try. 

          I had heard that Chef Chris had opened a new concept restaurant in the more accessible Makati area called "Recess" (Incidentally, my favorite subject in school, and the only one in which I had perfect attendance), I knew my title of "Food Blogger" was at stake if I didn't go out of my way and visit it right away. Especially when I found out that the menu was comprised of Chef Chris's take on "Comfort Food".

  

WINE AND DINE AT CAVIAR RESTAURANT

        Need a posh place to propose? I think Caviar would be the perfect place! Very elegant (though not in a don't-breathe-you-might-break-something kind of atmosphere), elegant table settings with wine glasses and the like. Not to mention the glass wine cellar filled with a variety of good wines that will greet you as you come in. Caviar Restaurant in Alabang is the place to go to in the south if you want to dine in an intimate setting away from the busy life in the Metro.