the canDIshhh tales

I have seen Baby Foot on my friend's IG feeds.  They look really really really interesting.  Well, especially for me - I have my usual foot spa and pedi every two weeks.  The reason why I have it is because one, I'm lazy to cut my own toe nails (sorry, TMI!) and two, my heels are always so dry that it needs to get filed and scrubbed. Late last year, when a friend organized a private sale, I finally jumped and bought myself a Baby Foot pack.  I kept it on my table and looked at it every singe day since buying it.  Kailee was already wondering why I haven't opened the pack.  The real reason was - FEAR .  Yes, looking at the images on the pretty box, well - it looked painful, the peeling I mean.  I guess I've experienced over scrubbing/filing of my heels in the past that my heels felt raw whenever I walked.  I asked friends repeatedly, already bordering to being overly kulit if the process was painful, they answered me with a resoundi...

Friends and food.  That's what happened two days ago when we tried Paradise Dynasty .  I was with mommy bloggers (turned real life friends) and we had such a wonderful time together eating and laughing.  It was as if we planned it as a day off (together), because that two hour break felt like it was a day off.  We laughed, ate a lot of #XiaoLongBao, tried new dishes and enjoyed one another's company. Special thanks to Marj for arranging this - I can't thank you enough because I really enjoyed the taste test with friends. Okay, so Paradise Dynasty.  I honestly knew about this restaurant when I went to Singapore early this year.  It was recommended by a friend, but we never got to try it there.  I was very happy to learn that they've opened a branch here in Manila!  Paradise Dynasty is located at the 2nd level of S Maison, the mall connected with the Conrad Hotel.  We were greeted by warm smiles and led to the main dining area - it had ...

There's a new kid in the neighborhood of San Juan - Sultan Grill! I've been seeing this place on my IG feeds because friends have been flocking here.  Flocking because these friends are not in the same circle.  It got me curious! I received an invite to dine here with mommy friends and I didn't hesitate to say yes.  I mean food + kwentuhan galore?  That sounds like so much fun! Sultan Grill is located along Wilson Street in San Juan.  You'll need to cross P.Guevarra to reach it but just a few meters and you'll see it on your left side.  If you are coming from the other size of Wilson then you'll see it on your right size before you reach P.Guevarra. I am not so much a fan of these wall tiles when I was younger.  I always felt they looked quaint.  But I guess with age, I began to appreciate the look and the design.  Hahaha!  It does remind me so much of the Mediterranean and Persia. Here are the food that was serve...

Power Plant Mall is a place that I'm not very partial to.  I find the mall has very limited choices in shopping and places to eat.  While I have staples, my Panget always tell me to pick a new one. Yesterday, I was honestly surprised when my Panget said that he wanted to go to Power Plant.  We agreed the Friday before that we would just stay home on Sunday (Valentine's Day) because we're expecting it to be crowded everywhere.  We just needed to eat out because our helper was on day-off.  I was honestly expecting a simple lunch at QC Sports.  So his decision to go to Power Plant, well - I was caught off guard. The first thing on my mind was - *where will we have lunch?*  This is a forever question when we're at Power Plant.  As I said before the choices are limited.  When my Panget asked me where I wanted to eat - I only had one answer *Mamou* and he said yes.  I was surprised!  Well, maybe because it's Valentine's that's why he ...

Image grabbed from this site Everyone has them.  In our country, we have an extended family.  So mere friends of our parents, we call them  or refer to them as aunt and uncles.  There doesn't need to a blood relation for us to call them aunt, auntie, uncle, tita or tito. When I was young, I was taught to regard elders with Uncle and Auntie, Tito or Tita, Ahia, Kuya, Ate, Achi.  It was instilled in us that no matter the age - as long as they belong in the same generation - well, we need to call them such. My mom has cousins that are just a few years older than us.  Heck, she has cousins that were only months older than us!  Yet, we call them - Uncle - because they belong to the same generation of my mom.  We were taught to regard them as such and since I was taught that, I practice that.  I grew up with family members saying Achi this Ate this Ahia that Kuya that.  Uncle this Tito this, Auntie that Tita that - I was very familiar...

Oh my gulay, normally I don't want these kinds of shows.  I am not fond of watching military drama because I feel it's too painful to watch.  These soldiers sacrifice a LOT and to be shown in that light?  My heart bleeds for them but I know that they're honored in that way. But a few years ago, I remember watching The Last Resort and liking it.  I was so sad to see it get cancelled.  I really loved the lead - Scott Speedman or *Ben* as I always call him (because he was from Felicity - JJ Abram's show) - the show had perfect pace and it was really entertaining.  I honestly loved it.  But then it got cancelled.  Boo.  Since my Panget knew I enjoyed Last Resort, he then tells me that there's a new show that I might like and it's called The Last Ship - the theme was similar to Last Resort - but I didn't care, so I saw the Pilot and I was glued.  McSteamy was the lead and he looked very different - he didn't seem like a douche (like...

Whenever we're in Hong Kong, it has always been Chinese food or ramen.  That's it.  No one eats steaks, burgers or western food.  This time around, my friend Cubie told us that she will take us to lunch at this brunch place near her flat.  She told us to meet her at a restaurant called Brunch Place and that it's along Leighton Road in Causeway Bay. So I take out my Google Maps and research.  It was in a familiar territory or at least it looked nearby as I saw the famous Times Square.  But Google Maps took us on the longer route - we were clueless so we relied on it and it was okay.  We still to there right? The place looked really nice, very *home-ish* and Western.  I mean, I don't usually see a place like this whenever we go to Hong Kong!  So this place is really different.  The crowd too was mostly Westerners so it was very different.  Service too was a bit nicer - they were very accommodating to Cubie's requests.  I know...

Last year, I saw an IG post of Jin of a lasagna that she ordered.  My MIL and BIL asked me to order a pasta dish for our New Year's Eve dinner,  and I asked them if they wanted lasagna.   I was so glad they said yes because I really wanted to try Nathaniel's lasagna. The transaction was very easy.  I sent him a text message and called him right after and that was that.  I asked him first if he could still accommodate my order since it was kind of last minute, I ordered it just before Christmas.  He said yes, and I was so relieved!  Had he said no, I would need to look for another home cook!  Hahha.. So on December 31 - I drove to his place in New Manila and it was Nathaniel himself that handed me my tray of lasagna.  I put it in the passenger side of the car and the aroma was pure torture!  It smelled soooooooo good!  I really had to control myself - no joke.  I kept taking peeks and opening the foil cover.  You w...

I haven't had this bad of a crush since seeing Matt Bomer/Neal Caffrey on TV while I was pregnant with Kailee.  I was obsessed with seeing Neal Caffrey on TV - I would watch over and over again the Pilot of White Collar and I would have this silly grin on my face while I saw it.  Ask my Panget he can attest to that! Before Neal Caffrey - I was crushing Seth Cohen from the OC.  I'm sure you'd ask why - well, he's cute and awkward and geeky.  Hahaha!  I don't know, I can't explain it - but he was sort of my perfect guy on TV.  My next TV crush was Chuck Bartowski - again, geeky and awkward and FUNNY!  But then their shows were and I had nothing to look forward to.  And so when I saw Matt Bomer (I remembered him as Bryce Larkin from Chuck) it was TV love at first sight. I first saw Grant Gustin/Barry Allen in an episode of Arrow.  I knew from the moment he spoke, that I was going to like him (and his character).  He had this funny...

I honestly had no idea, I mean *no idea* what Rita's Italian Ice was.  I googled it and what I read intrigued me on what the product was about.  Last week, during the soft opening - I go to try what Italian Ice was. (Left to Right) Blendini, Misto Shake, Gelati and Blueberry Ice I met Ted, the operations manager of Rita's Italian Ice - Philippines and Jamie - Rita's Italian Ice manager for franchise.  I am one who likes to ask questions - so, yes - I berated them both - especially Ted - and he was impressive!  He had an answer for every question that I threw at him.  He knew his product well.  Thank you Ted and Jamie for indulging me!  Haha.. So, what is Italian Ice?  Italian is a frozen dessert made with fruit juices and flavorings.  Imagine a snowcone - but instead of putting concentrates on shaved ice, - the ice and concentrate is mixed together via the same process of ice cream, sans the *cream*.  It comes out smoother ...

Last year, I saw tweets of friends mentioning Mama Lou's - an Italian kitchen in the South.  It got me curious, so I followed them on Twitter.  I've been hearing how good their food was and I was so interested to try it.  Unfortunately -we're located on opposite sides of the Metro.  It was quite difficult for me to travel to the south and Mama Lou's doesn't deliver to QC. And so for months, I just contented myself with seeing tweet, and images on Instagram.  I even had a twitter conversation with Mama Lou's of how much I wanted to try their place out.  They kept telling me to visit - but I never found the time.  Then a few weeks ago - I was invited to go to Tagaytay - I gathered that on the way back - I just HAD to visit Mama Lou's.  And so I sent them a message on Twitter and FB of my intended visit to their Aguirre branch.  My doctor friends have told me that if I had the chance - to visit their BF Aguirre branch since it was more hom...