review Archives - Between Bites - Bites of Food, Travel and Lifestyle

A Weekend Escape at Art-Enthused U Hotels

June 10, 2019 by Janey

My eyes flickered as I felt that the day was calling out to me. I had such a long, deep slumber that a quiet part of me didn’t want to move just yet but the adventurer in me wanted to explore more of the many hidden gems of Poblacion. My body started expanding as I stretched like a cat on the comfortable bed.

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It is how any other weekend is supposed to be. Except I’m billeted at the first art hotel in Poblacion, Makati – U Hotels. U Hotels Makati celebrates both culture and comfort as they bring together the luxuries of staying in a modern hotel, and the artistry of talented local artists, which mimics the vibrant street scene that Poblacion is known for.

Relaxed, peaceful and an escape from your usual day to day, U Hotels Manila stands fairly new in the hotel scene, but in the short span of time it has opened its doors to city dwellers looking for a respite and art-filled nest, it has brought in countless of reviews from satisfied clientele that keep rating them high on Tripadvisor.

The U Story

The U in U Hotels Makati also stands for the last names of the inspired minds behind this hotel destination. Alfredo Yu was a fixture in the hotel industry for several years. Together with his wife Elena, they ventured into purchasing real estate with the dream of building their own chain. Their children, Carter and Alex, shared the same aspirations and would later come up with a thriving budget hotel in the city of Manila. Fast forward to 2017, the siblings found themselves wanting to build another hotel, but this time they decided, it has to be something uncommon. Their objective was to draw travelers not just for the friendly accommodation rates, but more for the differentiator – which only U Hotels can offer.

The entrance to U Hotels, literally welcomes you with a greeting. The façade in the lobby shows the word “Welcome” in different languages – an idea suggested by one of the owners’ kids. Artist and calligrapher Avin Del Rosario, combined these greetings with illustrations of paper planes, as U Hotels welcomes varying clients, some local, but most are travelers from different parts of the world.

This same vibe reverberates in all corners of the lobby, with comfortable sofas, chairs, benches and tables that are available for guests to use for meetings or simply hanging out. Free flowing coffees and cookies accompany your fast internet connection provided by the hotel.

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The comforting vibe continues upon stepping into my room. The room is fully equipped with accommodation necessities like a mini-bar, safety lock, business table, LCD TV, and luggage rack. I took notice of the carefully added details in the room.

Don’t rush into the morning but instead wake up to a peaceful setting. I headed to the ground floor where U Hotels offers a hearty breakfast together with your stay. The selections are made up of both traditional Filipino favorites, as well as other cuisines. This spread can be found daily at the lobby lounge. For the rest of the day, you can order from a menu of heirloom dishes that the hotel carefully curated for you to enjoy.

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The Penthouse 8747

September 19, 2016 by Janey

After the dinner at Naxional, we grabbed a few drinks to relax and unwind. I was bringing them to Bank Bar in BGC, which is my favorite hideout of recent, but they had a private event. We ended up going to the second one I had in mind, which was The Penthouse 8747.

Related Post:

Naxional South American Diner

The Penthouse 8747 offers you a scenic view of Makati’s skyline. It’s not such a big club that it gets overcrowded. Its whole area is huge enough to have good spacing in between tables with plush couches with everything still well within eyesight. It gives that slightly intimate ambience as the area looks manageable versus other bars or clubs. The interior is mainly in black with trimmings of gold, giving off a Gatsby grandeur.

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1 Comment Filed Under: Bars | Night Life Tagged With: 2016, address, bars night life, Blog, cocktails, direction, drinks, Makati, menu, parking, review, The Penthouse 8747

Refresh with Oishi Great Lakes

September 1, 2015 by Janey

Oishi Great Lakes offers wholesome refreshment that goes well with meals, especially snack time. This new ready-to-drink juice are made with 100% natural juice that comes from the finest fruits and vegetables fused together to quench your thirst. No need to worry about artificial coloring, flavoring and sweeteners. It’s the refreshing way to add fruits and vegetables into your diet!

Crown Asia: 20 Years of Secured and Quality Real Estate Investment

July 17, 2015 by Janey

People long to be home. Home is where the heart is. You are truly home when you love where you have built a home filled with love and comfort living.

No matter how much time we spend on the road, at work or elsewhere, home is where we should feel safe, secure, at ease, and relaxed. There are several options when purchasing a residential property. You can opt to live in a traditional single-family home, a condo unit, a townhouse or a duplex building with two to four units. Have you thought of your homeownership goals?

Last April 9, 2015, Crown Asia’s MidRise Building Group unveiled at The Blue Leaf Pavilion its two newest condominium developments, Presidio Heights in Sucat, Muntinlupa and The Courtyard Pacific Residences in Taguig City.

Launched in 1995, Crown Asia comes from the same management and proprietary group as the country’s largest homebuilder, Vista Land. We all know Vista Land’s expertise in building designed homes for rising professionals and young families. They have evolved to birthing mid-rise buildings within burgeoning areas in the South, Taguig and Tagaytay.

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“Crown Asia has a three-pronged approach as far as residential housing is concerned. We have three product lines: mid-rise buildings, high-rise buildings, and inner city house and lot projects. We have a wide array of projects to meet different lifestyles.

On our 20th year in the real estate industry, as a major key player, we willcontinue to be the driving force in providing winning real estate investments with our unique and world-class projects that have high appreciation value, lease back opportunity and will help in boosting economic growth with our 60-hectare exclusive, master planned community at Lakefront and newly launched mid-rise buildings: Presidio Heights at Sucat, Muntinlupa, the Courtyard at Pacific Residences in Taguig, and Pine Suites at Philippines’ leisure capital, Tagaytay. These are three ambitious projects by Crown Asia as we celebrate our 20th year in the business,” Crown Asia COO Sheila Kristine Sarinas said.

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Presidio Heights

Presidio Heights located on a sprawling 7-hectare land area will be within the area of Vista Land’s Lakefront, an exclusive 60-hectare community that is primed for investment having multiple commercial developments, office spaces and geared to building BPO centers and technology hubs. Snuggled beside the scenic and calming Laguna de Bay, this huge development caters to every lifestyle need and diverse socio-economic brackets. While Lakefront offers affordable housing options from house and lot to mid-rise buildings and high rise properties, Presidio Heights boasts of residential and mixed-use structures comprising of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units designed for single young professionals and entrepreneurs and / or young families.

Presidio offers luxurious amenities from a bi-level clubhouse that lodges a function hall, club room, fitness center and gym to an amenity area with children’s playground and a free-form pool surrounded by palm trees. The best part of it is, it has a barbecue pit!!! What better way to enjoy the outdoors than lounge and have a great barbecue party with your friends or family.

Catch the tranquil view of peaceful Laguna Lake and breathe in the sight of the vast Sierra Mountains which all add to the charming and serene appeal of Presidio. Overall, Presidio Heights offer a recuperative environment where homeowners can rightly feel at home, relaxed and secured with a well-guarded community, mingle with the neighborhood or power-up again. Certainly, this is a country club experience.

REFRESH Your Home with SM Home’s TABLEWARE SALE

May 20, 2015 by Janey

Jane Austen once said, “There’s nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” Being a mother is not yet part of my life’s resume at this time (although I wish it were) but I’ve been aiming to be a homemaker for many years now practicing it at home and filling in the shoes of my mom, organizing things, furniture, space, schedules, budget, etc and preparing dinners whenever I can. I have an appreciation for art and design and cooking even at a young age, but more than practical and lovely home interiors, part of my goal is to build an atmosphere of beauty, love, peace and security within our personal space… that includes our personal time with loved ones during meal times.

In 2010, I shared with you a little home project I delved on in revamping our living room. It took maybe 3 months to take a trip to different furniture stores all over the city, 2^nd hand stores, measure and canvass sofas, console tables, etc. and budget everything. We all strive to have a kind of atmosphere that can promote shared joys and conversations which hopefully leads to moments to glorify God… and further strengthening of relationships.

There are different styles to pick but I say no need to be glamorous, just practical. It’s good to always center on the idea of COMFORT, even on the dinner table. Shabby-chic style is a good start if you want light, airy, stylish and you’re riding on a tight budget. Shabby-chic design has become extremely popular in tableware or dining room as well. You have to find light or white colors or shades of cream, pearl, dove gray, ivory, and pastel colors. Kitchenware is often made of tin or clay or some wood. Table décor can be adorned with seashells, candles or flowers.

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SM Home is currently having its TABLEWARE SALE this coming April 30- May 31, 2015 and would be the perfect time to visit and revisit to canvass and buy tableware without breaking the bank.

Mang Inasal Palabok

February 24, 2015 by Janey

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails, Proverbs 29. Many are the desires in a man’s stomach, but it is the ultimate craving that prevails. At least for my tummy, willpower yields to that one food I’m craving for.

This season, I’ve been yearning for quite a number of pasta dishes. But lately, my taste buds have been looking for that local pancit dish with thin glass-like strands of rice noodles mixed with thick bright orange sauce.

Yes, I’m talking about time-honored goodness of traditional Pinoy favorite, Pancit Palabok. Not that we are easily suggestible but caught this commercial on the tube and piqued my interest to check it out.

The sauce can make or break any pancit. Local pasta dishes rely heavily on its sauce, as it primarily carries all the flavor profile including texture profile from the ingredients of the dish. Of course, us serious foodies or hungry hounds will not settle for a mediocre sauce. Mang Inasal’s palabok rescues us from dry dreary pancit experience with their version that’s rich with taste, shrimp and pork flavors that make it unresisting to our palates. Squeeze a bit of calamansi and that bit of citrus wakes up every bright flavor.

A Complete You with Centrum

November 17, 2014 by Janey

Most people are trapped in the traffic of everyday responsibilities. Some are yoked into building a career aiming to get into top management, while others create their own fate entrepreneurially or talent-based. In the corporate world of a very challenging industry, it is sometimes quite difficult to make time for anything else outside crunching numbers, countless emails and meetings, and closing deals. It is an extra effort to manage a balanced life that includes family, friends, hobbies, traveling and physical activities that help my cardio health.

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I push to find time and the energy to exercise at least 2-3x a week after a busy day at work. Maintaining this food, travel, and lifestyle blog, I wish I could say I eat with abandon but really, I try to watch my food intake as much as I can, trying to curb overeating. Eating frequently doesn’t necessarily equate to good nutrition. In fact, most of us forget the value of nutrition, the basic building block of our overall health.

Eating a balanced diet is vital for good health and our total well-being. Nutritious food provides your body with the energy, protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals it needs for it to live, grow, and function properly.

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Living Out of a Suitcase with GCash AMEX Virtual Pay

August 28, 2014 by Janey

Life in itself is a beautiful adventure but traveling brings more adventure and life to our being. To be moving whether by foot, bicycle, car, train, boat, airplane, sometimes it is best to put down the map and just get wonderfully lost.

Traveling and dancing –the two things I love outside my family, friends and of course, eating. I would gladly live out of a suitcase if it meant I could see the world.

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Since I do travel quite a number of times for work and leisure, suitcase or luggage is essential to me. I’m a bit anal-retentive when it comes to my things and what I least like is when I retrieve my luggage from the baggage carousel and it’s dirty, usually with markings that eerily resemble a shoeprint. I’ve been looking for a luggage cover here in Manila but can’t seem to find one. I was able to finally track a few being sold on Amazon and at Coverlugg.com.

I bought a generic 26-30 large luggage suitcase protector cover in black color even when I was tempted to get the yellow one with a fragile sign but it only came in medium size.

The Blue Leaf and Our Awesome Planet Presents The Big Banquet

May 22, 2014 by Janey

Last May 4, my friend JM and I checked out The Big Banquet event staged at the happening event place, The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion. The Blue Leaf, one of the country’s premier venues for weddings, debuts, and other milestone events, collaborated with the number one Philippine food and travel blog, Our Awesome Planet, to create a one-stop food tasting event like you’ve never seen before.

We’ve seen wedding expos here and there but couples who are getting married have to schedule separate times to have a sit-down tasting trial of caterers around the Metro. Upcoming brides and grooms go to great lengths planning the perfect wedding reception. The Big Banquet take all the frazzle and hassle away by bringing together a curated line-up of the country’s top caterers last May 4, 2014.

Caught Bread-handed at Harina Artisan Bakery Café

May 12, 2014 by Janey

In an urban environment, quite a number of restaurants try to separate itself from the clutter. They go spending top dollar on PR agencies for their launches and mentions in the dailies or glossies. Sometimes many great finds come about through wandering aimlessly, away from the usual commercial spots – or for easier reference, checking out this wonderful website called Between Bites (ahem!). Self-indulgence aside, almost every time, the food just has to speak for itself.

Deep in White Plain’s neighborhood is a bakery-café that serves lunch, dinner and all-day breakfast menu. Inside it is airy and spacious, designed to be homey, relaxed and casual, with pale wooden display providing a gallery-like backdrop of its tasteful assortment of breads. Harina Artisan Bakery Café opened in November 2013 but the owners have been occupying the space as Monsee’s prior to Harina.

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Both brands are visible in the signage, with Harina fronting as its retail arm / café operations powered by Monsee’s, which focuses on the institutional business of supplying bread and pastries for airlines, hotels and other restaurants.

At Harina, products are created with labor of love. The baking is done the traditional way, without shortcuts and chemical additives. Without additives used, the flavors of each ingredient are fully developed.

The breads are hand rolled. Breads are baked in small batches rather than on a vast assembly line. A dedicated corner serves as their open baking area, allowing customers to see how some of their products are freshly made.

On the Table

Harina’s Bloomin’ Bread (for sharing) P320

Crusty pull-apart Italian loaf filled with basil puree and an assortment of melted cheese. Served with a dip of balsamic vinegar & extra-virgin olive oil

Initially hesitant to order this, all doubts left me when I pulled apart a piece of the bread, dipped and took a bite. It had a beautiful crusty exterior yet inside, new pillowy levels that have alternating flavors of light basil and cheese. It’s possibly the best bread you could eat on its own or repeatedly dunk in a balsamic-olive oil dip with the sweet acidity interplaying delightfully with the basil and cheese.

I could always sacrifice my low-carb diet for Harina’s Bloomin’ Bread. This round Italian pull-apart bread is nice to share with a group.

Grilled Watermelon

Outside their regular menu, Harina recently came out with a healthier menu addendum which would be perfect for those who want to lower their cholesterol level as a lifestyle choice or just fit in that skimpy bikini for a beach getaway.

It smelled wonderful, a block of watermelon have grill marks formed on its edges. Cutting into it and taking a bite of the crisp piece of watermelon saturated with sweet juice was like eating the Angus ribeye of fruits. Fortunately, it’s 92% water so my clothes still fit fine. Caramelized parts give that slightly smoky flavor, enhanced by the cheese and repressed by the minty bitterness of the arugula. The garnish of alfalfa and chopped walnuts adds speckles of taste and crunch.

This is the perfect summer dish that’s savory, light and refreshing.

Adobo Pulled Pork P265

Pulled pork adobo with fried kesong puti, lettuce and tomato on baguette

The Adobo Pulled Pork had brilliant and intense flavors broken by the mildness of the fried kesong puti, fresh crisp lettuce and sweet tomato.

The Beetle: An Icon is Back

April 23, 2014 by Janey

Baby you can drive my car, beep beep’m beep beep yeah. Of course, you would want to drive my car if I’m driving The People’s Car from Volkswagen! Built as one of the most successful cars of all time, people from all generations and cultures were drawn to it. Looking back at its beginning, it symbolized the democratization of mobility with 21.5 million cars sold since its first production in 1939 to 1997.

Nicknamed according to precisely what it looked like, a beetle, it is one of the first rear-engined cars longest running in a single design platform. In 1998, a New Beetle arrived and brought with it Beetle Mania. The Final Edition completed the New Beetle series in 2010 that had sold more than one million cars. And now, looking forward, the future of the most famous car in the world begins now, in a completely new generation.

Today, the third generation of the Volkswagen icon is officially back: The one and only Beetle. The new Beetle displays impressive sports appeal – primarily in its extended bonnet, sharply swept-back windscreen and a longer wheelbase.

Follow Lazada on WeChat and Grab Android Tablets for P999

March 26, 2014 by Janey

By now, you have probably downloaded the WeChat app for FREE on Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Symbian and Windows operating systems. If you haven’t caught wind of the latest, the country’s leading social mobile app, WeChat, announced an exclusive surprise for its users in time to ring in the 2^nd anniversary sale of Lazada Philippines on March 26, 2014. As the country’s number one online shopping site, Lazada Philippines wishes to thank its customers for supporting their platform offering a wide array of products—from consumer electronics and fashion pieces to home and living must-owns.

Boon Tong Kee Philippines

March 20, 2014 by Janey

The first time I tried Boon Tong Kee was in Singapore sometime 2010. It started as a small chicken rice stall in Singapore’s Chinatown in 1979 and since then has grown into an international franchise with branches in the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia. There are 7 successful branches in Singapore but the branch I dined at is their first full-service restaurant at Balestier Road, which opened as far back as 1983.

Take a Right to Main Street, Tuscany McKinley Hill

March 17, 2014 by Janey

A partially impromptu dinner saw me finally visiting the Tuscany restaurant strip at McKinley Hill, Fort. I wasn’t planning to eat since I was on an after-6 diet but I had a long day at work, I deserved a release.

I walked through the narrow path where all the restaurants are lined up – some are branches of restaurants I’ve visited before, others are totally new to me. The evening had a cool crisp breeze and the many trees around add to the relaxing climate –and to my appetite. I was debating between the ramen place, Wursty Wursty and ended up at Main Street.

RAP Steaks and Cakes

March 14, 2014 by Janey

A couple of weeks ago, I accompanied a friend to dinner but since I was on my after-6 diet (no, I wasn’t) and it was successful for 4 straight days (no, it wasn’t), I didn’t eat anything (no, I did). I was just there to make sure somebody who’s been skipping meals would eat and to raise the level of conversation – readers, you know I’m saying this with a mocking tone.

I could not add any scale of intelligence in any dialogue… unless you feed me Chef Ariel’s Unsalted Butter Poached Langoustine with Foie Gras, then I could probably narrate the logic why Pi is an irrational number and a mathematical constant always equaling to 3.1416, which is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. See, it has that effect.

Before I further yap and try to fool you with the amount of aptitude I have, we stumbled upon Rap, unassuming and without much expectation. Long story short, I tried a piece of the steak that was ordered just to get a taste and I was pleasantly surprised.

I restrained myself from ordering my own plate and distracted myself with the conversation. Fudge, it didn’t work. That juicy greasy bite haunted me for days and I started craving.

WeChat 5.2: Taking Up the Ante for Social Scenes with 6 New Features

March 6, 2014 by Janey

Have you tried downloading WeChat? WeChat is an all-in-one app that enables users to add friends with several innovative features. They have innovated ways for people to connect, communicate and share. It’s been a whirlwind start to 2014 with all that’s been happening from music festivals to food fairs to sporting events to pop-up markets and of course, my walk with Christ.

As more of these are about to come our way, you can count on WeChat’s 5.2 upgrade for Android and iOS to match your energy for these affairs, as it is boosted with new features that will help you breeze through your activities while you’re on the go.

These new features empowers WeChat users by bringing together messaging, social communication and gaming in one seamless, interactive experience, with comprehensive privacy and security settings that can be tailored as needed – in a fun and dynamic way!

7107 International Music Festival, Spectacular Now

February 26, 2014 by Janey

We missed Dau by a split hesitation whether to take it or not. He knew he read it in the driving directions and location map in the Survival Guide but asked the sleepless lady on the passenger seat to verify with a nod, but received head-shaking instead and a know-it-all answer that SCTEX will somehow lead to Clark. Of course, she is wrong since there were no rice fields and a small bridge. We took the next one, Mabalacat, and finally found our way to Global Logistics City in Clark Pampanga without any hitches.

Arrived 430ish at the venue just in time to catch a little bit of Up Dharma Down, who closed their set with Tadhana. Found a sweet spot with the rest of his crew and pitched our humble camp. The cool weather was just perfect, like everything about this music fest was aligned with the stars, a light breeze and the sun setting slowly.

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus opened with Face Down and I wanted to run away to the middle of the moving crowd and just get lost –“get pushed around, fall to the ground.” “Well, I tell you my friend one day this world is gonna end…” I squeezed in and jumped in between mats like a little mousy to make my way to the front-mid part but the big man trailed behind and before we could make our way to the crowd, the song ended. Retreated back to camp.

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Kendrick Lamar and Empire of the Sun got the massive crowd’s energy going all the way until the stage was set for Red Hot Chili Peppers. RHCP unlocked their set list with Can’t Stop.

“The world I love

The tears I drop

To be part of

The wave can’t stop

Ever wonder if it’s all for you

The world I love

The trains I hop

To be part of

The wave can’t stop

Come and tell me when it’s time to”

Bayani Brew

February 21, 2014 by Janey

We’ve been seeing Bayani Brew under the beverage section of many restaurant menus. Bayani Brew traces its origins from the native formulations introduced by the mothers of the Gawad Kalinga community in the GK Enchanted Farm.

It advocates the use of indigenous ingredients such as lemongrass, pandan and sweet potato tops which are the main ingredients of “Bayani Brew Classic” and “Bayani Brew Purple Leaf.” Bayani Brew Classic’s shelf life is 3 months from the production date at room temperature while Bayani Brew Purple Leaf’s shelf life is 1 month from the production date at room temperature. Retail price is at P45.

Bayani Brew was inspired by the nation-building movement of Gawad Kalinga, which set up the GK Enchanted Farm pilot site in Bulacan as a village university, social tourism destination and incubator of social enterprises. They have transformed a once-abandoned, barren wasteland into fields of abundance. It’s great because it kills that poverty-mentality and inspires the rest of the community and other communities to be entrepreneurial.

Mangetsu

February 20, 2014 by Janey

A gravitational force always pulls me to Mangetsu, even if I never get thrilled driving to Makati. I discovered Mangetsu near the same time they relocated their restaurant along Jupiter Street sometime late 2011 or early 2012 and have been harboring a heavy crush (almost love) with the restaurant since then. It’s amazing that with the amount of excitement I have for this Japanese restaurant, this is the first time I’m writing about them.

Contrary to their old place at Mile Long compound, Mangetsu now boasts of modern interiors with subdued lighting, rich woodwork, and Japanese elements that decorate the comfortable dining room. Menu is extensive where regulars of sushi, sashimi and cooked Japanese delicacies are present but it also offers an inventive stroke in the other dishes they serve that are thoughtfully created and plated.

The kitchen is headed by a Japanese chef whose expertise is in “Ryotei,” a traditional Japanese way of exclusive dining –whatever that means. Mangetsu imports handcrafted secret seasonings made in Japan and last September, I could not contain my hidden desire knowing too well how those will translate to actual grub.

On the Table

Marinated Sashimi with Wasabi Sea Urchin Sauce P390

Sashimi marinated in light soy piggybacking some sea urchin that leaves a slight hint of wasabi. The sashimi screams freshness while the sea urchin wraps the tongue with some cool velvety brininess. This starter can whisk me away to a private island and I’ll go willingly.

Karaage Fried Chicken Thighs P380

I weakly frowned when my dinner partner ordered this since it doesn’t excite me much and only few can do it very well. My moping turns into a smile since Mangetsu’s karaage is crispy on the outside but retains moistness inside and is garnished with fried rice cracker on the side that I can nibble on for days like chips. It’s served with 3 kinds of salt: pepper, green tea and chili flakes to keep monotony at bay.

Tofu Cheese Gratin P290

I tried to stay cool when this was brought out but my fidgeting self conveyed the tension. I locked eyes with the Tofu Cheese Gratin, in fact the only order I was truly, madly and deeply interested in. It is tofu gratin, simple enough, fairly bathing in white sauce, smothered with cheese that’s scorched on top yet stretches gooey-wee! like in Pizza commercials.

You know how broken-hearted girls sit and sulk with a tub of ice cream? I picture myself by the window with an iron-cast pan, hot yet hugging it against my chest, looking far away, and drowning myself with spoon after spoon of the tofu cheese gratin.

Take Out Your Gunz Dash with WeChat 5.1

February 20, 2014 by Janey

I may not look it now but I was quite the tomboy growing up, playing on the street Pinoy games, playing basketball with my HS kuyas and yakus, wearing low-waist jeans, among others. Later part of college, I was able to relive that side when I learned how to play Counterstrike.

I’m very competitive with games and try to learn every trick in the trade. Even when I was young, I played a mean game of Mario Brothers and finished all levels until Mario, Luigi and / or Yoshi have their tongues out in exhaustion. I never fancied Hello Kitty, Little Twin Stars or Barbie.

Anyone born during the 80s and onwards can attest to how gaming is huge in all of us. The sheer pressure and pleasure that come from these games have amped up our adrenaline level for years.