the canDIshhh tales

When I first tried Paradise Dynasty in S Maison in Conrad last 2016 , I was impressed with the quality and taste of the dishes.  But there was a hitch - the distance.  How I wish they opened somewhere nearer me.  It was in 2017 that I learned that they have opened in The Podium mall!  Technically, it's still quite a distance but nevertheless, nearer than the other two branches (S Maison and SM Aura). I have a confession.  There is this one dish that I truly truly TRULY love from Paradise Dynasty - and that's the Boiled Beef in Szechuan Chili Oil.  It's just sad because I can't order this dish when I'm with my family - as I'll be the only one eating it.  My Panget finds it too spicy while the kids obviously won't be able to take it in.  So for the times that we dine in Paradise Dynasty - I would longingly stare at it's image on the menu and secretly utter 'next time' with a heavy sigh. Last week, we were treated to Paradise Dynasty...

I really like Chicken Sopas.  I remember when I was in grade school in ICA, I would run down to the canteen right after the bell rang for recess, so I can buy myself a cup of chicken sopas or arroz caldo.  I remember trying this every so often because I really liked hearty soup during recess.  There were times that the canteen would sell out on the chicken sopas and arroz caldo.  But surprise surprise, the kuya or ate who serve will always give me a smile and offer me a bowl that they've kept for me.  Sweet, noh?  Awwww!! Since I also wanted some Chicken Sopas at home, I would buy the trusty Knorr Chicken or Beef Sopas pack in the supermarket.  This has been a staple in all of my supermarket runs.  I would need to have a few packs in the pantry just in case I had a craving.  It was so easy to make and I felt comforted when I had it.  I would still do this after I got married.  I even introduced my kids to having it because t...

Ever since I was introduced to PayMaya, my shopping and spending has never been the same.  I am able to pay bills, buy load and receive money 24/7.  It was so easy! When they introduced the QR payment, my golly - it became much more convenient!  Even if I didn't have my wallet on me, I would still be able to pay using the app!  I didn't need to take my wallet out!  As we always have our mobile phones on our hands - it was so much easier!  My friends would often wonder why I keep using PayMaya - well, it's because of the ease and convenience. They have deals like my favorite cash back.  At first I was't aware of that promo, and then one time - I made a purchase in Mercury and I received a text message right after I scanned and paid via QR.  The text said that I received a cash back with the amount of 10% of my total purchase!  Well, since then - I would always make it a habit to use my Paymaya and pay via QR code. So, what else can PayMa...

I am not a chocolate person.  It was only when 8 years ago that I started to appreciate chocolates - the brown ones I mean.  I prefer white chocolate, but some say that it's really NOT chocolate per se.  But I started my appreciation with chocolate during a pregnancy craving while I was pregnant with Kailee.  I would eat certain chocolate cakes and drink hot chocolate. I like my chocolate cakes sweet.  I've tried so many 'the best' chocolate cakes but most of them are a bit bitter.  I think it's really me - because a chocolate enthusiast will appreciate the more bitter darker chocolates, am I right?  So I'm the pretend chocolate fan.  Hahaha! I can admit that.  Hihi.. My in laws are chocolate lovers.  They like and appreciate anything chocolate.  So during our usual family dinner, I thought to bring a chocolate cake from somewhere we haven't ordered before.  I saw on Leslie's (shootfirsteatlater) and Jin's (jinlovedtoeat) I...

I grew up with a notion that a Japanese restaurant serves EVERYTHING Japanese food.  There should be sashimi, sushi, tempura, ramen, teppanyaki and etc.  But I realized that when I went to Japan, that it was not the case!  Hahaha.. In Japan, the restaurants are stand alone ones.  A restaurant served only one kind of Japanese dish, for example a restaurant only serves ramen, another restaurant beside it will serve sushi and shashimi, and another will serve tempura.  It was quite a change from what we from the Philippines is used to.  I realized that of course, in our country - a restaurant would want to serve as much fare they can to entice customers to eat a variety. To be honest, when we're in Japan - the kids would ALWAYS ask for ramen.  My Panget and I would always indulge them because they would be eating heartily and fast.  I on the other hand, was already craving for tempura.  But I can't seem to dine in one because Connor is allerg...

A food post is something that makes me do a double to triple take on IG.  It makes me click the IG handle and then browse the feed for more food posts.  And that is what I did, when I saw Animetric's post on Bake with shYUMMY's cupcakes .  They were running a flash contest and I decided to join.  Who would have thought that I'd win?!  Hahaha!! So here are my prizes: Above are the Banana Hydrangea Cupcakes While these are the Chocolate Weave Cupcakes They look so nice right?  Well, they tasted as good!  My favorite has to be the Chocolate Weave Cupcakes.  They're soft, moist and really really good.  I can compare the consistency and texture with my favorite Cafe Mocha cupcake from Everyday Mom's.  Now I have a new option - Bake with shYummy's Choco Weave cupcakes!  Yey, more choices for me! The Banana Hydrangeas are really good too.  I really like that I was able to taste the bananas in it.  And ...

Whenever I am PMS-ing - I eat chips, have salty food (my weakness!) and sweets (cakes & ice cream)  I never knew they were triggers for PMS, hahaha!! This is brought to you by Jeunesse Anion Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS is a bunch of symptoms that even the strongest women would usually face several days before that time of the month. Feeling totally frazzled and waking up with a different kind of fatigue is a reality, a zit on the nose that wasn’t there a night before. And oh, those tender breasts plus the soreness and heaviness. Worst, you can’t stop thinking about that fudgy chocolate cake you saw on Instagram! According to Anne Price, a Certified Holistic Health Coach, an average woman experiences PMS 450 times in her lifetime. While hormones play a part in these biological changes, there’s a way how to manage it by avoiding these foods that are likely to alleviate the symptoms. 1. Trans fats and hydrogenated fats  These are the nutritional bad word...

Shobe started walking at 10.5 months.  Yes, she was that fast.  She crawled just a short while - and then progressed to walking.  Now at almost a year old, she has been walking steadily. I have to be honest.  I wasn't prepared.  We had no footwear available in the house for a 10 month old.  We were clueless.  Kailee was gifted by a pair of soft shoes years ago, and that was what Shobe would use when she walked around the house and outside the house.  But I noticed that it wasn't giving her the right kind of support. It was only last week that I realized that I really needed to get her a good pair of shoes to aid her walking journey.  I had only two brands in mind - Bibi Shoes and Saltwater Sandals.  It was a very good thing that I can find both brands (and Melissa too!) at the Playground Store in Trinoma.  I headed there and decided to buy two pairs of shoes.  One Saltwater Sandals for Shobe to wear everyday and a nice ...