Manila, Sept 2011

I was very excited when we were initially planning this September trip. This was going to be my longest vacation for the year but things turned out differently.

It was really with mixed emotions when I left for Manila that day. I really wanted to just rebook my flight and leave on Monday instead of a Friday night. I spent the whole day at Orchard till really late, went home, took a quick shower and left for the airport.

The budget terminal was mirroring my mood, I was still chatting with a friend and didn't immediately notice how quiet the waiting area was.





My apprehensions were put to rest when I finally arrived, there's really no place like it.



My brother picked me up and we went to McDonald's for wifi and breakfast. This is the same branch that we go to late at night when I was still working to satisfy our sundae cravings.





I asked my sister if she wants any chocolate but she said that we have more than enough at home.



My uncle also ordered Chinese and lechon for lunch. I'm reminded of how delicious Yang Chow is.





I spent the whole day just at home, catching up with my family. I was actually glad I went back home.

Indonesian Food Festival

My friends all know how much I like Oakwood so when an opportunity came for me to try out their ongoing promotion, the Indonesian Food Festival at the Oakroom, it was too good to just pass up.



They flew in Oakwood Jakarta's Executive Chef, Deden Suherman so this is a great chance for us Filipinos to try authentic Indonesian dishes without having to travel there.



I sometimes wonder why their cuisine hasn't been embraced as much as their other Asian counterparts when their dishes are very similar to ours. Back in Singapore, the Indonesian food stall that opened up recently has been our daily lunch choice.

Admittedly, while Satay is probably their most well known dish, I am not a fan. Give me the peanut sauce but leave the satay behind. I had the Tahu Asi (Stuffed Tofu) for my appetizer. Being a tofu fan, I loved this.



For the main course, I had the Rendang Daging (Beef Rendang) and as with any rendang the spice level had to be toned down a little. The beef was very tender and very flavorful. If my aunt was here, she would be very happy cause she would no longer be limited to preparing rendang out of a ready-made mix. I also particularly loved the baby potatoes, anything baby potatoes and I'm happy.



We also had the Soto Ayam, it's chicken in clear broth. This is my friend's lunch staple back home and is very tasty and light.



The Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles) which is similar to pancit canton, sadly, I never got to try. I was too full and I had to leave room for dessert.



For my sweet tooth, I had the Es Cendol (rice flour and jackfruit with coconut milk).



I also had the chance to meet the Executive Chef who was very gracious and humble. A very big thank you to Oakwood for the wonderful dinner and an authentic Indonesian experience right here in Manila. Now it's time for me to hit the gym before heading to the beach.



This special promotion is happening only until the 21st so do give it a try.

Skinny Pizza

Ronald, a good friend, introduced me to Skinny Pizza and I have to say it was love at first bite.



First off, I love their interiors. I love it so much that I didn't take a lot of photos but as you can see from the photo below, it's fun and there's a wall dedicated to pop culture.





The menu is also well thought of.





Their pizzas are very unique because the crust is very thin and crunchy. The ingredients are also very fresh and healthy so there's no guilt feeling even if you finish one whole pizza all to yourself.

The first pizza that I tried was the most interesting, Squid Ink Pizza with a black crust. Sadly, I didn't take a photo. The others below were also very nice except for the last one, it was curry flavored and didn't sit too well with me.

Meatball Napolitana


Wild Truffle Mushroom Pizza


English Breakfast


Ginger Butter Chicken


The pièce de résistance for me are their truffle fries. It looks plain but it sure packs a punch.



The other side dishes we tried were the seared brie cheese and the harissa prawns. An order of one side dish is about $6 - $7, if you order three, you get all at only $15.





If you're not yet full, do check out their dessert menu.

I forgot the names but I love tangy desserts so this first one is my favorite. The banana bread is all to simple so you can do away with it.







Here are our customary group photos:

Batam Trip (2 of 2)

After our whole day tour, we all crashed and took a quick nap. I really wanted to just sleep the rest of the day off but another part of me is saying that we have to maximize our short time there. I woke them all up and we headed to the nearest mall, Megamall. It was a 5 minute ride and cost us only SGD 4 to rent the hotel shuttle.

There really wasn't much to see, the mall was just full of unknown stores so we decided to just have dinner.



My and Em-J's dinner of salted fish rice, two orders of chicken and two pearl drinks cost us only SGD 10. How very affordable.









We all had fun, I don't know what we were talking about but I just love the photo below.



We then headed back to the hotel as the mall was closing and checked out the hotel facilities.



We had a dimsum breakfast the next morning at the hotel restaurant and then headed to the gym and the pool.





We checked out and then headed back to the mall to have lunch at Marrybrown while waiting to depart. Good thing that the ferry terminal is directly connected to Megamall.





True that there really wasn't much to see at Batam but we all had a great time. Let me tweak the famous quote a bit, It's not the destination that's important, it's the company you're with.

Back to Blogging

The past couple of weeks have been difficult. I have been feeling quite lazy to update this blog or do anything else for that matter but I feel that two weeks is more than enough for moping.