CieLJ Cravings: The Original Hawaiian Bar-B-Que Tagaytay

I can't get a good review about the food at Punta Fuego, so to make sure that I will at least have one good meal on my birthday I've scouted for some restaurant options in Tagaytay with a few requirements 

> I wanted it to be on the way so that it will be easy for us to spot, 

> A bit commercial, so that we don't need to reserve in advance and have the option to be flexible with the time, and 

> have great, consistent reviews to save us from disappointment

The original Hawaiian Barbecue immediately became part of the list because of it's location which is just along the highway. The rave reviews in various blog sites just made me even more curious and I took note of the best sellers. 

CieLJ Cravings: Vanilla Cupcake Bakery

Passing by this cute and newly opened Vanilla Cupcake Bakery you will easily fall in love with the decor. The drapes, the Daphne chairs, the cozy sofas and of course the line-up of cupcakes to be served on a cute white saucer along with a wooden fork. You can almost hear the place screaming "Instagram me!"

Alas, the pleasant experience for the eyes, becomes a stressful game for the mind. Despite the long display of yummy treats at the Vanilla Cupcake Bakery in Glorietta -- wrongly labeled cupcakes if I may add, there's no one to assist you on what you are supposed to do. Apparently the cashier is on the side, you are expected to tell her your order, pay and step aside. There's no clear menu aside from the cupcakes, I was so unsure on what I can order, I can't see any coffee list and the girl didn't up-sell any drinks so I assumed there was none. 

What's next? 

You'll have to wait for your name to be called, a good 5 minutes if you are lucky. We were unlucky, they totally forgot our order! 

CieLJ Cravings: Quiznos

I went through a sandwich phase, and I craved for subs almost every other day to the extent that I meet up with LJ at Glorietta late at night to get my Subway fix since their store is open until 1am. 

I was excited when Quiznos opened a branch along Bonifacio High Street, as this means I can get subs without going to Makati anymore. 

CieLJ Cravings: PF Chang's

Wrapping up our engagement shoot at 6pm, with the sun setting behind us, our day was nowhere near over. We still had to drive to Cubao to drop-off Loi and Julius, return the dresses and props to the condo, drive the car to Laguna, and then commute back to Manila. As we left the condo to start heading for my parent's house, I realized I haven't eaten anything and was basically running on coffee and coke since 9am. We decided to head for P.F. Chang's China Bistro in ATC. It was the perfect place to have our impromptu date night and reminisce about the fun day we've had. 

P.F. Chang's classy interior is perfect for dinner dates, but cozy enough for family celebrations. 

CieLJ Cravings: Vikings, Marikina

Eating at Vikings Luxury Buffet was a dreaaaam... LoL! My dad got to eat here even before I did and super inggit!!! 

It was a good thing that Vikings in SM Marikina recently opened and they offered some promos. We immediately grabbed it! 

Alou was celebrating her birthday so she ended up eating for free. But even without that treat, since we liked and shared the Vikings Marikina Facebook page, we could get 20% off! yey! To make it even more fun, Alou treated us! so double yey!!! 

Some of the choices were great, some were ok, some can be classified as a 'miss.' It all depends on your taste. The good thing about eating at Viking is the variety. If you don't like a particular cuisine, then just skip it, and you still have dozens more options to try.

As for me, I started with some Japanese food... 

CieLJ Cravings: Kusina ng Gerrys

Wedding preparation also means paperwork, lots of it! For us, that meant a lot of trips back to Olongapo, LJ's hometown. To make the trip a bit worth it, we dropped by the Harbor Point mall to try something new. I was attracted to Kusina ni Gerry's because of the combo meals. So, instead of ordering my fave viands separately, I can just order them as part of the combo, yey!

CieLJ Cravings: Bar-B-King is Luuurv!

Have you tried eating at the Bar-B-King yet? no?! you should! 

With our frequent trips to Megamall, we've actually strolled past this resto many times but never really considered eating here before. That day, however, we were feeling a little adventurous (or perhaps "lazy is the right word, no?) we decided to just not think about it and walked inside the first restaurant we saw that offered rice and meat. 

We were so happy we did! 

Grilled Angus Belly Beef, Php 165

CieLJ Cravings: Cue Modern BBQ

We recently tried the Cue Modern BBQ located along Bonifacio High Street. 

The place was well decorated, with interesting accents. My eyes couldn't stop admiring the details, from the ceiling to the walls, and the simple table decor. 

Have a Happy Hapa Dog Day!

I love being from the South, just the right balance of probinsya and city-ness. The trendiest things in Manila are accessible via the malls in Alabang or the outlet stores in Sta Rosa, sans the big crowd. We had lunch recently at Alabang Town Center and I was so happy to see some popular restaurants have already started to set up shop in the new wing.  

For this trip, we tried Hapa Dog. I’ve read about this in clickthecity but gave up on the idea that I will be able to eat there since it’s in some location that I know I can never visit at a whim. 

Happy Bundle, Happy CieLJ!

We know this treat is good for 4 people, but we EAT like 4 people, so just the same, we welcome McDonalds Happy Bundle!

There are 2 Happy Bundles available

Happy Bundle A (Php495)

Laugh and Play Combo

ONE

Started the weekend with a prayer,

dropped by the Holy Family Chapel in Eastwood

TWO

Availed of the Subway Everyday Value – Subway Melt Sandwich

Drinks courtesy of the ever reliable 7-11

THREE 

Just like any comic fanatic in the world,

Wedding Duties: Food Tasting

We’ve been consistently invited to attend the Hizon’s food tasting event since the 2nd quarter of 2012 but never had the chance to go. It was either because it’s going to be in some far off place or we simply can’t fit it in the schedule. 

Last Sunday was the best chance for us since they will be hosting it in Pergola, an events venue just in front of the World Trade Center, which was hosting a bridal fair we planned to attend. I confirmed with Crenz, our sales exec, that we will be able to attend this time and expect us in the afternoon.  

Merienda night

I had to be in Makati last week, and as always, my cousin and I grabbed the opportunity to catch up para dumaldal to the max. She will be our prettiest MOH (maid of honor), and we decided that this meeting will be dedicated to wedding planning, specifically, for the entourage gowns. Seryoso na!

Well we didn't really got to the planning part, nor talk much about the wedding, not even to discuss her own gown! haha! I guess that's just really how we both roll, bahala na couz!

Even our food for that evening was bahala na, I initially wanted to go to Mom and Tina's, and she also suggested Bistro Ravioli, then we started walking to Greenbelt to check out more options. I then blurted out that I want comfort food as I'm not having the best day, so we landed at Razon's with the purpose of getting some some halo-halo. It ended up that they also have some arroz caldo, perfect! 

Halo-Halo - Php 90

Razon's bestseller!

This proves that the simplest combo works

macapuno + saba + shaved ice.

topped with leche flan and milk = yum!