I recently bought a new phone, a Nokia 6600 Fold. I decided to let my Nokia 6101 retire after 3 and a half years of servitude. Its time to change the phone that I use for my Sun Network. I reserved one unit at CMK Technologies in Roosevelt, Quezon City, this is where we buy our phones all the time. I bought it for Php 13,000.00
This is our out-of-town escapade with my friends this holiday 
season. At first, we were suppose to be five, namely Aileen, Derick, Che, Ethel and Me, our plan is to visit Vigan in Ilocos Sur because we want to experience the old spanish architecture and the heritage it left here in the Philippines. But due to some uncontrollable circumstances, it is me, Ethel and Derick are the one who's available so I decided to visit Pagsanjan instead. We stayed in La Corona de Pagsanjan, one of the best hotel/resort in Pagsanjan. The rate is at Php 3500.00 and that is already a triple bed room. Afforadable huh?
Upon our arrival, we checked-in and rested for awhile inside the cottage. We dressed up to prepare ourselves for a thrilling boatride to Pagsanjan Falls. As we approached the front desk, they informed us that there was a municipal memo from Pagsanjan that the boatride will be only until the first falls since the water level of the river is high. So we decided to postpone the boatride until the next day instead we rested, slept, talked, sound tripped inside our cottage. The next day and still the same scenario, the boatride will be until the first fall only so this means that we will not be able to reach the main falls, which is the world-famous Pagsanjan Falls. We didn't let that ruined our vacation. We still paid for the fee which costs Php 800.00 that includes the life vest rental and the hard hat rental as well. Upon reaching the first falls, you will be stunned by the vendors as they give coke in cans and food to the boatmen "bangkeros" and that costs another Php 200.00 which is for me very expensive but the boatmen deserves it considering the amount of effort they put into bringing us to the falls. Another option is when you pay Php 90.00 per person and ride a raft that will lead you to the falls itself as you experience the water from the falls. A must option for the whole trip. Never miss the on hand experience with the falls. The water is cool, refreshing and very clean.
hrough the steady stream and the rushing rapids as we route to the first falls. I was mesmerized by the scenic beauty that this place unfolded. The river is cold, though murky but still I find it clean. I am amazed at how good the boatmen were as they transverse the river on barefoot kicking rocks that blocks our way and paddled the banca smoothly. It is a good experience to actually visit some places other than beaches and resorts here in the Philippines.
There's already a lot of hotpot restaurants that came to life here in the Philippines but the most delicious hotpot, also known as "Shabu-Shabu" here is in Manila. You are seated in a table with an electric stove in the middle wherein they will put a pot of soup of your choice wait til' it boils. While waiting, you will order the soup ingredients and they will serve it to you raw, yes raw! You will be the one to cook it by placing the ordered ingredients in the soup. Different hotpot restaurants have their own gimmicks that can distinctively make them unique.
I went with Jerwin, my brother, to Banawe today to install my gift and also Chin's gift on his Strada. We realized that it will actually take longer that we expect to install the said head unit and speakers so we decided to have lunch first. We just walked a few blocks along Banawe St. and on its side streets as well until Jerwin spotted a small but nice restaurant. It is Old Chinatown Kopitiam. As we enter the restaurant, we noticed that this place is actually very conceptualized. Its interior is carefully decorated with Chinese latterns, china procelain, and like what the old chinatown uses, simple table and chairs that is made from wood. That alone impresses us already. As we signal for the menu, I noticed that the price of their food is not cheap. The price ranges from 280 to 320 per dish. 
We ordered the Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce, Garlic Cuttlefish and the Drunken Chicken. Upon serving the food, I must say it is yet the most delicious kopitiam that I have tasted here in the Philippines. It is soooooooooooooooooo delicious. Their speciality is the Bah Kut Teh, the famous pork rib soup in Singapore. We are sure gonna go back to this small, humble and very delicious restaurant.
one when they visit this place, to order their famous coffee selection. It is very fragrant, full of flavour and delicious to the taste. No other commercialized cafe and coffee places can ever beat Old Chinatown Kopitiam's coffee.
Just wanted to share to you my 2009 Starbucks Planner. I got this at Starbucks Eastwood City. That is the nearest to my work place. I am happy that I was able to complete the stickers on my own. This means that I drank more coffee and I spent more right now hahahaha! For you to be able to get yourself a planner, you must complete 16 stickers, 8 of which is their holiday beverage (Praline Mocha, Dark Cherry Mocha and Toffee Nut) and another 8 are its regular beverages. The sticker collecting starts November 04, 2008 and ends on January 06, 2009. This is Starbucks way of anticipating the coming Holiday Season. If you enter any branch of Starbucks, you will definitely feel the spirit of Christmas. Thanks to Starbucks. 
Christmas is always a time for reunions, parties, get-togethers, dinners and meet-ups. This is a time to share new stories with old friends or share old stories with new friends. Marvin, Polo, Jason and I decided to have our Christmas dinner at Felix Restaurant located in Greenbelt 5. Felix is owned by Florabel, Richard Gomez, Lucy Torres and Ben Chan. It serves delicious fusion Filipino cuisine. There is also a significant and unique name for each dish. It is a remarkable restaurant because the food is exquisitely delicious, the place is jam-packed and the ambience is really nice. Just imagine at 9:30pm people are still willing to be placed in the waiting list just to be able to dine in this restaurant.
What we ordered are 4 dishes served in the center so each one of us can taste different dishes. We were all happy and fulfilled because it is really delicious. First, we ordered a mixed seafood wrap in a thin wrapper. The texture of the wrapper is almost paper-like. We indulged ourselves at the chicken with cheese and tomato on top, proceeded to the crispy pork, also known locally as the "lechon kawali" and for the finale, we dug to the short rib.
No one can go wrong with Café Ysabel’s Chateaubriand steak and Crepes Suzette. The chateaubriand steak was made famous by Mario’s steak house and later on adopted by other fine dining restaurants. It is served sliced and then placed all on a bed of mixed vegetables with buttered pasta. The sauce is made up of a milder steak sauce (A1) and béarnaise. This is a must-try here in Café Ysabel.
The perfect temperature of the steak when served to the customer should be at 145 degrees Fahrenheit according to the waiter in this restaurant. This is where this delicious steak house got its name. This is a new steak house located along Tomas Morato Avenue in Quezon City in the vicinity of the newly opened Il Terrazas. This is near ABS-CBN network.
n town. We have lots of good Chinese, Japanese, Italian, American, Native restaurants but we can’t pinpoint a good steak house. There is Mario’s, Melo’s, Highlands Steakhouse, Alfredo’s but these are old steak houses already. I was surprised that there is a new kid in town that serves delicious, mouth-watering, juicy and tender steak. There are also different sauces that will compliment your steak experience here in 145 degrees Fahrenheit. They don’t drown their steak with spices, just a simple rub of salt and pepper and then grilled into perfection. Upon slicing, you will see how tender and fragrant the meat is. Upon eating, you will salivate as the real flavor of the meat will take you to heaven.
he greens are crisp, the dressing isn’t overpowering, the crutons aren’t drowned in oil. The chicken is tender, juicy and very flavorful.
What is Kids Musical?
Now, you are again wondering why I am saying its a small world after all? Because the owner of this restaurant is not only the wedding dress maker of Achie Jen but also the "barkada" of my brother in Xavier School. It's really a small world isn't it? Well, this time we were given an on the house pumpkin pie. Where else can you see and buy a pumpkin pie? Well, you can find it here in Capricciosa. Upon tasting this pie, I must admit, it is very foreign to my tastebuds. Pumpkin pies are famous in the United States and Europe but never in the Philippines but nonetheless no matter how foreign it is, it is still baked deliciously and tasty.
Achie Jen invited me to try out the new Italian restaurant located along Connecticut St., San Juan. It is called Capricciosa. This is their 2nd branch, the first branch is located in Greenbelt 3. The soft opening special of Capricciosa is to give 20% off discount on all food and beverage order during November 15 to 30, 2008. Haley, the wedding dress maker of Ach Jen, informed her so she invited me to try this out. Being an Italian cuisine lover, I immediately said yes... who can say no to good food.
We ordered their special appetizer, it is Smoked Salmon Spring Rolls placed on top of a wonderfully made friend spring roll wrapper. This one is really delicious. Even the fried spring roll wrapper taste exquisitely fabulous. For our entree, Cathy ordered the Shrimp and Spinach Au Gratin. It is served on a hot pan plate. The cheese used was mozerella, whenever you dig into this dish, you can actually smell the aroma of milk and cheese combined. Very delicious indeed. We also ordered the Capricciosa Pizza. Words aren't enough to describe how delicious and fascinating this Italian restaurant is. It is no excuse not to try this out. Budget per person is around Php 500.00
We all know hotpot (shabu-shabu) in a chinese restaurant wherein they will give you all the raw ingredients for your hotpot and you will be the one to cook it in a boiling pan of soup. Another is the korean barberque wherein you will be the one to grill your desired meat or seafood infront of you. And of course there is the ala carte wherein the restaurant will serve you your desired dish, cooked. And let us not forget the Japanese way of serving you raw food. All these style of serving, you incorporate in one and you have the PEPPER LUNCH way of cooking and eating your meal.
-watering dishes, you will also be thrilled on how you will eat and cook your food at the same time. It will be served to you on a sizzling plate and each selection has its own way of cooking. I give this restaurant a two-thumbs up. Truly, the Japanese are very innovative on everything they do.
Hello to all music lovers out there, today marks the formal launch of OZAKI iPod speakers and subwoofers in the Philippine market. It is being distributed by MSI-ECS Phils. Inc. This is new product line of the said company under the consumer division. This is MSI-ECS' answer to the famous Altec Lansing and Edifier.
Ozaki's iPod speaker, better known as its iMini Cute is a 5 in 1 product. It is a docking station for your iPod, it is a speaker, it has a line-in function wherein you can play any other mp3 players, it has a USB function wherein you can transfer files to and fro your iPod without removing it from its dock, it is a clock and an alarm and it is an FM radio as well, it is portable as it is powered through DC and also with 6 AAA's batteries if you want to bring it anywhere. Another of Ozaki's iPod speaker line-up is its iBand Duet, it has all the functions of the iMini Cute except for its portability. The iBand Duet has a max power of 24w and it delivers a crisp and clear treble with a kick of bass. If your find JBL and Bose too expensive, then this is your answer. It gives you the same quality at a lower price.
sattelite speakers and 2 bass (dual-bass) as well. It is the first in the Philippines. Trust me, the sound quality is superb and the bass boost is awesome. I can't feel the "thump" of bass in an Altec or an Edifier but now I can on an Ozaki. I have been on search for a speaker system that would satisfy the crisp and clarity of the sound as well as the heart thumping beat of the bass at a lower price. To my dismay, only Bose reached my standards but the price is really insanely expensive. Ozaki is the answer to my needs.
Ozaki not only gives you the clarity and the crisp of your favorite music but also gives you the heart-thumping, mind-boggling bass you've always been looking for.
So they sing........
The lone fine-dining restaurant along P. Guevarra st. (near Wilson) has stood the test of time, it underwent several changes in our history and yet it still stands proudly serving long-time customers and new alike. This restaurant has always been a favorite hang-out of my mom and a lot of people who lives in the City of San Juan. It is very cozy, the food is great and the service is wonderful. To top it all off, the head waiter,"Mang Cosme" is very close to mom even in the early years when he was still serving Mario's at that time. Our service is what we called "A Deluxe Service".
There are some restaurants that doesn't have to located in the busy areas of metropolis but still gets noticed and gets featured in the papers and in TV Shows. This is because they serve quite remarkable and fascinating dishes. Their ambience is perfect, cozy, warm and very conducive for dinning with relaxation. This is what I call LIFE.... good food and great place.
Let me start with the appetizer, no one can go wrong with their oysters. I am telling you, their oysters is one of the best in town. Fresh oysters that is prepared and baked to perfection. No trace of any "sea" aroma. Their oysters comes in 2 varieties, one is the rockefeller with some fried shrimp roe on top which is crunchy and the other is the Wasabi Oysters. They won't call themselves a fusion restaurant if they don't add a twist to their menu right?
