Singapore-lah Day 1

Before I went to the land of chicken rice, I only had shopping plans on my mind. I had no idea I was going to enjoy the other sights and activities Singapore has to offer. I already can't wait to go back to this amazing country (and make a beeline for Orchard Road and Universal Studios).

Mitch, Maan, Ryan and I felt like we had to take a bus from the airport going to the hotel to truly travel backpacker style. We had no idea buses follow the one-way rule and we found ourselves circling Penang Road and Orchard before we finally arrived at Bugis. It was worth the long ride, though. The scenery (ehem, shopping malls) was amazing. It took all of my willpower not to leave my suitcase and bags on the bus and run to the nearest mall. Err.

We found an awesome hawker place a few steps away from our hotel near Bugis Village. After a quick lunch of authentic Hainanese, we set out to finally see some sights. First up on our jam-packed itinerary: Singapore Zoo and Night Safari!

We took a bus going there because we missed the shuttle along Orchard Road. We took two buses, actually. Here's me posing like a geek in front of this sign while waiting for the second bus to take us to the zoo. "Every Singaporean Son" on National Geographic, anyone?

wearing Chatuchak market sheer top, Black Sheep shorts, Fitflops, Aldo necklace, Longchamp Le Pliage

Yay! Tickets for foouh please! We got a great 3-in-1 package that already includes tickets for the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, and Singapore Flyer.

I've always wanted to see a giraffe since my last time was when I was in kindergarten for our Manila Zoo field trip. Other animals I got a huge kick out of seeing  at the zoo were the white tigers, penguins, kangaroos, cheetahs, lions, rhinoceros, meerkats, orangutans and flamingos. Tadah!

After a quick merienda and Ben & Jerry's (I love how they have Ben & Jerry's everywhere here!) we headed off to the Night Safari. You have to ride in a guided tram and it's pitch black the whole time. You can't use your flash when taking pictures to avoid startling the animals so I had no good pictures from the ride except when we were pasaway during the trail walks and had to use flash coz it was sooooo dark and scary. During the tram ride, there are no fences between you and the animals so you had to be quiet or else. The trail walks were also scary since they just built walking trails inside the forest and if you were really clumsy and absent-minded you were bound to get lost. There were also bats and squirrels everywhere so yeah, I screamed a lot.

Something you shouldn't miss at the Night Safari: the Creatures of the Night show! All the animals were trained and my favorite part was the white wolf. Dedicated kung dedicated sa pag awooo! I hope when I return here I'll get to see Sheba and Inuka, their polar bears!

To the land of chicken rice!

I'm leaving for Singapore in a few days (in less than 48 hours, actually) and I'm too excited about shopping to think about anything else. I have proudly restrained myself from shopping at Topshop this weekend despite the ongoing 50% off sale so I'm hoping against all the shopping gods that it's cheaper to buy clothes at Topshop Singapore.Wish me luck.

Also, I can't wait to try authentic Hainanese Chicken. We are, after all, headed to the land of chicken rice and hawkers so I'm already anticipating one big cheat week. Gash. We also finally got to try Wee Nam Kee at Ayala Triangle Gardens, which seemed fitting so I can at least compare it to the SG counterpart. The hype has already died down so we were able to eat there last Friday night without a reservation. My friends and I ordered the Hainanese Chicken for 4, half steamed and half roasted, plus fried rice good enough for our group of three.

The chicken was huge enough for all of us. I particularly loved the ginger, soy sauce, and chili sauces you can mix and match to your taste. It tasted weird at first because I'm not fond of ginger but it eventually grew on me. The chicken by itself was great, but the ginger concoction really made it perfect. 

Ambiance-wise, Wee Nam Kee has that casual elegance vibe plus the service is great. We didn't wait too long for them to serve our food. The place was full of yuppies and stressed-out Makati people that made me wish they also served beers and cocktails to liven up the place.

 wearing Kamiseta top, H&M skirt, vintage flats

Ayala Triangle never gets old. There's something about dining inside a park that's too relaxing.  I wish I have the time to bring the dogs back for brunch, like we did before with Chuck and Pepper at Bon Chon. Or maybe I'm just not used to seeing wide-open green spaces here in Manila. I wish they'll do the same for our remaining "parks". Luneta, maybe? I haven't been there yet (ever) and would love to visit it one day. The joggers at Ayala Triangle can be pretty annoying, though. I was shoved at least twice when I was walking along the grass. I wish management would set-up a joggers trail to avoid one too many joggers all vying for space. They can also do with more dessert places. Banapple's perpetually fully booked and I'm not an Amici gelato fan, except for their sansrival gelato which is nooom. Cupcakes or a decent cake shop, yes?

Anyway, I have to head home and pack or else I'm a dead girl! Kiss!

One too many cheat dates

Dinnerinks at Romulo Cafe on a rainy night. Over-ordered again with our vigan samosas, Tito Greg's kare-kare, pork ribs and bagoong rice. I will be forever in love with their Cool as Cucumber mocktail but nothing beats sipping the real mojito version while the boyfriend drinks beers. 

Car broke down on the way, we laughed like fools to cope with the stress.

 wearing Zara bodysuit, Maldita shorts

Chinese food overload at Mien San. Ordered everything from fried dumplings, siopao, to sweet and sour pork, the requisite yang chow, hot and sour soup. I remember staring at the food, wondering how to eat everything in sight. You would think we would be too full from dinner, but we managed to order sweets at Cake2Go.

wearing Terranova polo, Forever 21 skirt

Out of the blue decision to go for a Japanese buffet at Saisaki. I was initially craving Greek food at Cyma and Cafe 1771's organic chicken but the boyfriend was also craving sushis. We gave up after two heaping plates and found ourselves at Chelsea with a very yummy Chocnut Valrhona cake for dessert.

wearing Forever 21 top

Then there are dinners at Charlie's that I can't even keep track of. Sigh. No wonder I gained 4 pounds in two weeks.

Everywhere We Eat: Japanese spots around the Metro

We both love to eat Japanese food, me and Jake. We've tried most of the Japanese places here in Manila and came name a handful of places we have yet to check out. I thought I'd compile a list of the places we like the most starting with our most favorite to least. We have long since scratched Tokyo Tokyo from our Japanese restaurant choices ever since our last meal there last last year--horrendous.

1) Izakaya Kikufuji
We ate here for Jake's birthday lunch with his family and I'm already itching to go back. The place was packed with diners and the food was probably the best I've ever tasted--Japanese wise. You know it's authentic when you're dining with mostly Japanese people.

Kikufuji has that no-fuss, no frills ambiance where they serve you great food with the freshest ingredients. There's a sushi bar/cooking station in the middle of the restaurant and you can watch Japanese chefs preparing dishes and doling out ready-to-serve sashimi and rolls for your eating pleasure. There's an eating area where you can eat while sitting on the floor with mats and that's where I plan to drag Jake when we go here on a date. They even have a smoking area at the back where you can eat, Yakuza-style, while smoking in an air-conditioned room.

I loved everything we ordered, the salmon sashimi salad, crunchy tuna rolls, bacon asparagus wraps, tempura, beef teppanyaki, and yeah just about everything actually.

Location: Little Tokyo compound along Pasong Tamo

2) Shinjuku Ramen House
Right beside Kikufuji is Shinjuku Ramen, another no-frills authentic Japanese restaurant. I've eaten here with Jake's family and can always never finish my food. Jake and I always share orders but the servings are too huge, but yummy nonetheless.

Just like Kikufuji, the diners are mostly Japanese so there's the authentic vibe going on. Jake's dad usually orders a lot of dishes and everything really is too good not to try. I recommend the ramen, Kani salad, tempura, California maki, gyoza, and their rolls.

Location: Little Tokyo compound, Pasong Tamo

3) & 4) John & Yoko and Sumo Sam
Hip, funky vibe? Check. Awesome yummy rolls? Check. I have always loved Marvin Agustin's group of restaurants from John and Yoko to Sumo Sam to Marciano's. John & Yoko does not disappoint when it comes to excellent Japanese food. Jake and I love to eat here when we want to eat rolls and our usual tempura and beef teppanyaki. I also love how they name their servers Paris, Tokyo, Milan, etc.

Sumo Sam is where we love to pig out when we're craving Japanese. My mom usually over orders here and we end up with too much food for everyone. I think it's also convenient that they have set menus for a group of 4-5 people so it's like one huge Japanese boodle. Nom nom!

Location: Greenbelt 5, Shangri-la Plaza

5) Saisaki

Too many yummy eat-all-you-can Japanese food! We only made it to two plates each before we gave up. I'll let the pictures tell the story.

Location: EDSA Connecticut


6) Omakase

Ahhh, Omakase. I love their rolls but the Jakester hates to eat here ever since our less than stellar experience at Omakase Greenhills. The beef was too dry and the rolls were so-so. The only thing I loved about Omakase was their deep-fried salmon rolls. Oh, and the fact that they have a branch at Ayala Triangle Gardens. That's enough reason to convince me to eat there again. Jake and I got a huge kick out of their waiting lounge, though. Very Zen.

Location: Greenhills Connecticut Carpark Building

Great. Now I'm all hungry and I'm starting to crave for some salmon sashimi. Rawr.

Something sweet and mushy for the boy I love

For being there for me when I'm at my lowest, for listening to me rant so I can let it all out. For being my shopping buddy, my best friend, for being the only person I trust with my life. For holding my hand through everything and everywhere--traveling to new places, when I feel like crying, when I'm feeling like a kid in a huge crowd. It's the small things, when I reach out automatically and my hand finds yours even without looking. For being there with me to try new places, for breaking our diets together. For knowing exactly what to say amidst my mindless chatter, for knowing when to shut me up and how to get me to start talking. For never failing to make me laugh or dissolve into fits of giggles when things start getting too serious. And for being the only person I can enjoy comfortable silences or sarcastic arguments with. For being there to support me and to guide me in my decisions. For not letting me revolve my life around you, knowing there's more to us when we can live for days without seeing each other. For going along with my mood swings, for rolling your eyes at me when I'm being too shallow and for putting on a straight face when I'm being too serious. For being the only person I know I can share all my secrets with, however shallow or deep, because I know you will never judge me. For loving rainy beach trips with me, for taking care of me when I'm too out of it to function. For making me feel like a kid in our early twenties, and for helping me appreciate myself when I'm all out of self-worth. For saying yes when I plan trips and dates on a whim, for knowing when to say no when I'm pushing things too far and for letting me bribe you with beers when you know I'd still want to do it anyway. For having the energy and patience to put up with me for four and a half years with a smile on your face.

I love you Jakester, always and forever.

Why dress down when you can dress up?

Thank you, Topshop, for giving me more reasons to salivate over your clothes. I'm THIS CLOSE to breaking my no-shopping-before-SG rule I imposed on myself. Rawr.

No. 1 on the SG shopping list: Pull & Bear

Me, I rarely get butterflies in my tummy over a short film. However, Pull & Bear's SS11 video campaign has reduced me to a speechless little girl--this is totally my peg for my own music video! You know the daydreams you map out in your head when it's just you and your iPod, pretending you're starring in a video somewhere? No? Well, I have a lot of those because I am a loser. And it just so happens that this video has perfectly captured everything I wanted it to be--dreamy, flirty, involving hot boys (no, just  Jake) and summer. Just the other day, I was listening to Pure Shores on repeat dreaming about me and Jake zooming across Boracay's quaint little town on a motorcycle on our way to Puka Beach and Baling Hai and then playing on our own beach.Yes, I am a loser.

Anyway, enough about my weirdness. This is the very reason why I'm itching to go to Singapore already. They have Pull & Bear over there! Shame really, it's owned by the same company as Zara and they can't be bothered to open a branch here in Manila. Anyhoots, prepare for awesomeness:

Photos from Pull & Bear

What made your heart race today? Swedish Summer by Topshop

I've been blogging too much about food lately that I have forgotten why I started this blog in the first place--to muse about clothes that I want to buy and dream about the things that I would like to have. So, in the spirit of my beloved blog, let's go back to basics.

I went inside Topshop yesterday and fell in love with all the scalloped tank tops and dreamy gauzy dresses on display. I would like to think that I have been a good, thrifty girl lately since I have managed not to shop for weeks now (errrr, yes--I think). I'm saving my hard-earned moolah for our Singapore trip and that's where I plan to let out my inner Becky Bloomwood, I shall let her romp out and about Orchard Road and Bugis.

I think I have two free days after my friends and I wrap up our sightseeing and tour. I'm a bit excited that Jake's also going to be there with his family almost on the same dates, it's only fitting that my shopping buddy and I will get to shop together on vacation. I can't wait to see if our shopping chemistry here in Manila will translate to Singapore. We know each other too well, my boyfriend and I.

Photo from Topshop.com

Maginhawa St. Chronicles: Design your own burger at The BRGR Project

I found out about the BRGR Project when Tita Sipin, Jake's mom, emailed me an article from Our Awesome Planet. We're burger lovers--mostly Jake, I was just recently converted, so we've been wanting to check it out for the longest time. Also, I'm currently on a mission to try all the restaurants along Maginhawa Street. I shall be dragging Jake or any willing companion with me every week to check out something new.

We cruised up and down Maginhawa Street to check out potential restaurants to try on our next visit. I've already tried Friuli Trattoria and Al Fahkr with  my mom and lola so I want to check out Kiss the Cook with Jake next. We've already been to Goodburgers at Greenhills one too many times so we'll let that pass. I'm mildly curious about Gayuma ni Maria, ditto for Spazzio, Umbul Satu Cuisine, Delish, and Sancho Churreria. Must be nice to live in that street, there are so many cool restaurants to check out within walking distance.

After annoying Jake for a bit when I made him go all the way to V. Luna, we went back to Maginhawa and found a parking spot in front of The Burger Project. We went in and felt like idiots for a few minutes since the waitresses did not bother to explain the process to us. Heck, we were the only ones there they could have been more helpful. Oh wait, it's already detailed in a helpful step by step procedure but it would have been nice if they gave us recommendations for our choices. They give you a form which you have to fill up, kind of like a multiple-choice exam, so you can choose your meat, bread, toppings, sauce, side dishes, and drinks. I got a huge kick out of the collection of colored pens you can use, since I'm shallow like that.

After handing over our forms and paying for our food, Jake went outside for his requisite yosi before eating and I checked out our surroundings. Right beside BRGR is Sancho Churreria. I peeked inside for a bit and saw pastries. We were already planning to eat at Wicked Kitchen for dessert so I didn't nag Jake to check the place out. Big mistake. Jake's mom showed me an article about Maginhawa street when we went to his house that day and I found out it's run by ex-Dulcinea chefs so apparently, their pastries are delish. Must try it next time!

We went inside and only noticed that they already had pre-designed burgers you can order. Hmmm. No regrets, though. It was fun choosing everything for myself. Bleu Buffalo sounds yummy.

We both got 1/3 lbs Angus beef burgers which were huge. However, we will always be partial to Charlie's so no, still not the best burger ever. I got mine with gruyere cheese, tomatoes, and caramelized onions, Jake got his with gruyere cheese, bacon, and pickles. For the price, the burgers were juicy and huge and the toppings were generous.

We also ordered a basket of fries and buffalo wings to go with our burgers but we sat there for 15  minutes before we found out they forgot to cook our side orders. Jake was already fuming by that time so we went ahead and ate our burgers, trying not to let the crappy service ruin our appetite for lunch. Our fries and wings arrived and I must say, the wings were yummy. We're also quite picky with buffalo wings and while The BRGR Project's take is on the sloppy, saucy side, we loved the taste. It was a bit messy to eat the wings, though, so I wasn't able to take pictures up close--I love my camera too much to get buffalo wings sauce all over it. We were back to our happy mood by the time we finished the wings and hightailed it out of there, I still couldn't resist giving the servers an evil glare. 

The verdict? If it weren't for the crappy service, we would have had a great time at BRGR. The food was good, although a bit pricey when you think about it (they charge per topping, per type of bread, per sauce--the works) so if you want to enjoy your burger with loads of toppings, expect to pay a bit more than you would if you ate at some other burger joint. The wings were a pleasant yummy surprise, especially since it looked like it came from a ready-to-cook pack when they served it. It's definitely a huge plus that you can design your own burger. 

I can't wait for our Maginhawa Street date part two! We also made a side trip at Bookay Ukay since I wanted to buy new books. I was in geek heaven!

How to get to Maginhawa Street: From Quezon City elliptical road, turn right at Maharlika Street then turn left then another right at Rodic's, that's the start of Maginhawa Street. Or from V. Luna, just go straight 'til you see Maginhawa and the row of restaurants. You won't miss it.