Cafe Via Mare.

Lunch time at Via Mare Cafe in Shangri-La Plaza with my former bosses at Edsa Shangri-La Manila. We always have "family" lunch at least once a month to catch up on what's new and still the same with our lives. It is nice that we get to that still.

Spicy Tuyo (dried fish) Flakes w/ Scrambled Egg and Garlic Rice.

Now, this sounds like a typical breakfast food for us Filipinos but we (yes, all 3 of us) ordered the same meal, we were craving for it for lunch and thank heavens Via Mare offers "Pinoy Breakfast" meals all day! I remember my Dad loved this food.

Anyhoo, I am all thumbs up for this one and I also love their Bibingka, Goto (Porridge?), Sago't Gulaman and basically all other Filipino food that they offer. All very affordable and delicious and what's even nicer is that the place looks so classy that sometimes people are surprised with how much the foods really are. Needless to say, the ambience is quiet and very cozy. But they are not limited Filipino dishes. They also have a few American and other Asian food. Their prices range from P120-P500.

You can visit their outlets in Powerplant Mall, Shangri-La Plaza, Greenbelt 3, Mall of Asia, Promenade Greenhills, Serendra or you can go over their website for more details: VIA MARE.

Fedhz' Homemade Polvoron.

Yes, I have a sweet tooth. So I'm thankful to one of my very good friend I have met online, Fedhz for shipping me her homemade Polvoron and by homemade I mean she made all by herself. The first time I was able to taste it was when we had a she-bloggers day a month or two ago and it was so good that I craved for it for days. I told her about it and she was super nice to ship me a pack!

I LOVE! *thumbs up to Fedhz!*

P.S. I'm really thinking about Polvoron right now. It's like I can feel its texture and taste it on my buds. I scream!

Thank you, thank you lots Fedhz!! Hug! Seriously, your Polvoron is good!

Pizza Hut.

I miss eating Pizza Hut's pizza:

3 boxes of Family-sized Pizza Hut pizza.

My 20th birthday celebration with friends.

We look like we are having a pizza eating contest in the last 2 photos but I love it nonetheless. I miss my college friends and I miss Pizza Hut. I wonder when I will be able to dine out again. Like really eat out. The past month, I have been under "house arrest" (my term for: I don't have money to go out) ergo, no chance on having to indulge on my favorite foods and/or try new ones and I am badly craving for a food adventure.

I actually made a list already of food/restaurants to try out when I get the chance plus another list of old favorites to give in to. Being under house arrest I am only able to eat homemade food (don't get me wrong, they're good too & I will be posting my favorite homemade one of these days) and cookies and chips. ;)

Will update soon!!

Quaker Oats' Oatmeal Cookie.

Lately, I have been munching on Quaker Oats' Oatmeal Cookies every single day since I ate them all up 2 days ago. This is my way of trying to lessen, if not totally avoid eating chips and other "unhealthy" snacks.

This cookie is not bad. In fact, it tastes so good that it is now included on my top cookie list. ;) I bought a pack of 6 (2 of each flavors) just to try it out. They all taste good and almost the same but my favorite would have to be Apple and Cinnamon then Raisins then Honey Nuts. When I do food shopping, I don't normally check on the Nutritional Facts or the Ingredients but I think these cookies are a better option with 1/3 less fat than Mrs. Fields, Chips Ahoy! or Oreo which by the way are my favorite cookies.

Quaker Oats Oatmeal Cookie: Raisins, Apple and Cinnamon, Honey Nuts.

These cookies are available in individual packs and packs of 6 in grocery stores for P10-P11 and P50-P60. A little pricey compared to the other cookies but it's worth the price. Besides, I noticed "healthy" foods are most of the time pricier.

photo from: PinoyExchange

I would have used my own photo but it's too crappy. (sorry for the term)

I miss Japanese Food.

I miss Japanese food:

1. Maki

2. Tempura

3. Spicy Tuna Roll

4. Sashimi

5. Gyudon

6. Fried Tofu

My usual maki-eating self at Teriyaki Boy.

from these restaurants:

1. Sumo Sam

2. Sakura

3. Senju

4. Red Kimono

5. Teriyaki Boy

Okay. Enough said.

Am I the only one who enjoys and/or misses Japanese cuisine? I hope not. ;)

Foods to stock up.

As some of you may have heard, our country has experienced a terrible typhoon last weekend (I posted all about it in my personal blog) and there is another one coming in a few days. We did not expect the worst outcome and we were caught off guard and unprepared with what hit us. Nobody expected non-stop hard rain the whole, nobody expected chest-high flood in less than 6 hours, nobody expected floodwater to enter their homes, nobody expected their cars to "swim", nobody foresaw that they will need to evacuate on their roofs with nothing to eat and be rescued days after and nobody anticipated their last day on Earth drowning.

So now that those victims of the typhoon are in several different evacuation centers and some still stuck in their flooded homes and we are now expecting a typhoon to hit us once again, everybody is preparing well and early. The number one survival guideline: STOCK UP FOOD AND DRINKS GOOD FOR 3 DAYS.

Here are the basic food to stock up in case of calamities like this:

Instant Noodles

Biscuits/Crackers

Spread (peanut butter, mayo, etc.)

Bread

Water

Canned Goods (sardines, tuna, corned beef, etc.)

It is very important for everybody to be prepared all the time. These foods are all ready to eat and easy to eat if I may say so. Other than food and water, it is also advisable to prepare a "survival kit" just in case things got worse and you have to evacuate. It won't be easy packing up or looking for essentials when our brain is on panic mode. It is important that you have some clothes, toiletries and other necessities packed up. Candles, lighter, flashlights, batteries, battery operated radios will also be handy during this situation.

No, I haven't stocked up and prepared yet. Yes, we are going to buy and do all of the above-mentioned.