TRUE DETECTIVE will return for its eight-episode third season same time as the U.S. on Monday, January 14 at 10am, with a same day encore at 10pm, exclusively on HBO GO and HBO. New episodes will premiere subsequent Mondays at the same time.
TRUE DETECTIVE is anthology series in which police investigations unearth the personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within and outside the law. The cast of the critically acclaimed first and second seasons include Matthew McConaughy, Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Rachel McAdams, Michelle Monaghan, Taylor Kitsch and Vince Vaughn.
The new season tells the story of a macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks, and a mystery that deepens over decades and plays out in three separate time periods. Academy Award® winner Mahershala Ali stars as Wayne Hays, a state police detective from Northwest Arkansas. Carmen Ejogo and Stephen Dorff also star. Created by Nic Pizzolatto.
Catch the series every Monday at 10am starting January 14 on HBO (SKYcable ch 54 SD | 168 HD). It will also be available for online viewing on HBO GO, HBO’s video streaming service that enables users to watch HBO’s channels live and HBO original productions and more on demand. In the Philippines, it is exclusively available to SKY subscribers.
Show details and image provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
On a night when I needed to let off some steam, I hied over to the Starbucks outlet at the Imperial Place Suite building along the Tomas Morato Extension, some walking distance from my workplace.
Armed with the 12 Beverage stars on my mobile phone’s Starbucks App which entitles me to a free handcrafted beverage, I set about looking for my drink for the night.
I decided on one of Stabucks’ new flavors – the Caramel Cinnamon Cookie Frappuccino. It is a rich conconction of espresso enhanced by a decadent caramel sauce and spicy hints of cinnamon, topped with frothy whipped cream and sprinkled with lightly spiced cookie crumbs.
And since I couldn’t resist, I asked the barista to add some coffee jelly into the drink.
The drink is a like a taste of the much-anticipated holiday season in my mouth – a cold beverage combined with a sweet dessert treat that warms my tummy and my heart, helping me set aside my frustrations of the day.
Starbucks’ Caramel Cinnamon Cookie flavor is also available in hot and iced formats.
This Starbucks outlet is located at the Ground Floor, Imperial Place Suite, Tomas Morato Extension, Quezon City. Other branches nearby can be found at:
ELJCC Building, Mother Ignacia Avenue
At the corner of Mother Ignacia Avenue and Eugenio Lopez Drive
Sunnymede IT Center, Quezon Avenue
Along Timog Avenue
Victoria Towers, Timog Avenue
Eton Centris Walk, Quezon Avenue
Hemady Square, at the corner of Dona Hemady Street and E. Rodriguez Avenue
Chocolate Dream Cakes have grown in popularity these last few months.
And no wonder: these cakes are what true-blue chocolate lovers’ dreams are made of. It’s basically layer upon layer of chocolate goodness – from its moist chocolate cake base, to its decadently rich and smooth chocolate fudge topped by a thin shard of chocolate sprinkled with cocoa powder. Plus, it comes in a nifty tin canister which adds to the novelty of experience.
Last week, I chanced upon a Metrodeal offer that offers a 6.5-inch round Chocolate Dream Cake for only Php399 (50% off from its regular price of Php800) from Sweet Kiss. I lost no time in buying a voucher, already envisioning myself sharing this sweet treat with my kiddies who are also chocolate fanatics. (I guess we know where they got that trait from.
Sweet Kiss is a gourmet bakery which is blessedly a short distance from my office. It specializes cakes, pastries and anything sweet, with the goal of making these top-notch baked goods and sweets more accessible and more affordable, despite using the best and freshest ingredients possible. Its offerings are mainly available for pick up from its store but can also be delivered via courier.
I picked up my Chocolate Dream Cake on my way home from work. Fortunately, I called the store two days to reserve my cake and it was ready, chilled and waiting for me when I got to the store.
I was glad to discover that the cake held up well during the hour-long drive home.
My kids were excited to see it and we indulged ourselves with this decadent dessert after our dinner.
The Metrodeal offer is still available. I get the feeling I will be buying another voucher soon.
Sweet Kiss is located at 60-A Scout Limbaga Street, Bgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City.
For inquiries and to reserve your Chocolate Dream Cake, call +63 2 5136600, +63 916 3479958 or +63 928 1431999.
This October, a fresh and unusual side of tourist destination Hong Kong unfolds with KIX original production Extreme Ends.
In this new four-episode reality series, Asian celebrities and their pals experience the diverse aspects of Hong Kong.
Representing the Philippines, actor and sports enthusiast Enchong Dee explores the extreme highs and lows of Asia’s World City. His adventures include playing his first virtual reality game and zip lining. He even compares notes with his friend actress Ria Atayde who explores the opposite ends of Hong Kong’s attractions.
Extreme Ends premieres on KIX (SKYcable ch 63 SD | 242 HD) on October 17 at 9.30pm. It may also be streamed online as it airs on SKY On Demand.
KIX is the ultimate destination for action entertainment in Asia. KIX offers action fans a high-octane blend of programs including sports, blockbuster action movies, hit action series and cutting-edge reality shows.
SKY On Demand is the video streaming service available to SKYcable subscribers that lets them watch their favorite channels live or on demand, anytime, anywhere and on any device.
To use SKY On Demand, register at skyondemand.com.ph and watch this show and more using your computer’s browser or by downloading the SKY On Demand app from the Google Playstore or the Apple App Store.
Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.
I decided to treat a dear friend from the office to lunch at Kandle Cafe for her birthday.
Why?
Because a) it’s been years since I last ate there; b) I remember the place to be very Instagrammable and my friend and I are both IGers; and c) it’s reasonably near our office which means we can get back from our lunch break on time.
Kandle Cafe initially made a name for itself with its coffee brews and blends, given that the owners, siblings Khryss, Don King, Leslie and Eli Ong (from a play on whose names came the resto’s moniker – KANDLE), were all passionate about coffee culture.
The place is also marked by a design aesthetic that combines warm and homey interiors with nature’s beauty outside.
Along the pathway leading to the dining area, for example, abound plants and water feature installations. The steady sound of trickling water and the sight of verdant growths did have a calming effect on my work-frazzled nerves. Wood and metal furniture add a modern touch to the al fresco setting.
Inside, the sprawling space is lit with warm lighting, showcasing the fun and quirky collection of bric-a-bracs and whimsical accents.
This place is designed to be memorable, and to be a setting for great memories.
For our memorable birthday lunch, we ordered:
Chilean Mussel Pasta (Php380). Chilean mussels sauteed in a garlic and white wine sauce served on top of al dente tagliatelle and topped with grated parmesan.
Pork Tonkatsu (Php350). Tender pork loin stuffed with cheese, breaded and deep-fried to a golden brown, served with house-made teriyaki sauce, sesame cabbage salad and blue rice (yep, the color comes from the edible flower they serve it with).
For dessert, we indulged in a moist and heavenly Carrot Bar (Php100), a Lava Cookie (Php55) and a Maple Cookie with Bacon (Php80).
While the food items were definitely a sight to behold, there were hits and misses upon eating them. I think that the pork tonkatsu may be better accompanied by the sweet and peppery tonkatsu sauce rather than a teriyaki sauce which does not bring out as much of the pork’s flavor as I would like. The lava cookie, on the other hand, was lacking the rich chocolatey taste and gooey texture that I’ve come to expect.
That said, we loved the interplay of textures and flavors in the Chilean Mussel Pasta and the moist and richly sweet Carrot Bar.
The servers were also attentive and knowledgeable about their offerings, citing features or ingredients that make their dishes unique as they are serving them.
I definitely wouldn’t mind returning here for a nice and relaxed coffee break so I could try out the resto’s celebrated brews and more of its pastries.
Kandle Cafe is located at 113 Mother Ignacia Avenue, Bgy South Triangle, Quezon City, Sundays to Thursdays, 11am to 11pm and Fridays to Saturdays from 11am to 12mn. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 3724504. Or you can book your table via Zomato like I did. 🙂
Coconut and its various derivatives have long been touted for their contributions to the flavors and health benefits of food prepared with them.
My foray into Kultura Filipino’s “Crafts for a Cause” exhibit where I chanced upon the Coco Dolce stall, however, was the first time I heard about using coconut products in chocolate production.
This unusual feature is in line with the tenets that Coco Dolce producer, The Freefood Co., operate by. Its guiding principles include: better health, helping rural areas develop into sustainable communities, and respect for the planet and its resouces.
Its chocolate bars, therefore, are made from a rich blend of fine cacao beans, low-glycemic coconut sap sugar, virgin coconut oil and vanilla. These ingredients were sourced from Mindanao’s organic coconut farming communities and from local growers of indigenous cacao and nuts across the country. The resulting chocolate products are free from GMOs, harmful processing agents and preservatives and other chemicals that may adversely affect one’s health.
Organic coconut sap sugar, in particular, has a low glycemic index level of 35, making Coco Dolce bars suitable for people who need to manage their sugar intake.
The bars are manufactured by chocolate artisans using the traditional conching method. This involves the heating and mixing of the chocolate’s ingredients over long periods of time. The process helps in developing the chocolate’s flavor through frictional heat, release of volatiles and acids, and oxydation.
I bought two of Coco Dolce’s 45g chocolate bar variants: the Milk Chocolate (whole milk powder added to the other ingredients) and the 65% Dark Chocolate.
The bars hold well without refrigeration yet has a smooth texture upon biting. The chocolate flavor is rich, helped by the non-cloying and milder sweetness of the coco sugar.
Over the holidays, I plan to gift some bars to my titos and titas who are trying to control their sugar intake. Because the holiday season is a time to enjoy good food, right?
There’s much to stress about with today’s busy urban lifestyle.
For working moms like us, juggling our multiple roles and responsibilities at home, at work, and in the community can be harrowing. Meeting expectations from superiors and colleagues at work, seeing to the needs of family members, and serving the communities we are part of do sometimes take their toll.
A chronically stressful lifestyle will have serious effects on both physical and mental health. Manifestations of stressful living range from headaches, stomach upsets and chest pains to lack of motivation, difficulty sleeping and anger or irritability.
Given all the demands on our time and attention, working moms can’t afford to be sidelined by symptoms of stress.
Some well-meaning folk would just give the advice to “keep calm and carry on.” However, that is easier said than done.
I discovered one such silver lining when my sister-in-law gifted me with a bottle Prosource Calming Oil.
In this handy 10ml bottle is a mixture of natural ingredients that include virgin coconut oil, ginger, lavender, eucalyptus and menthol. The bottle’s roll-on mechanism also helps in quickly applying the oil to alleviate discomforts and various effects of stress, such as:
Headaches
Neck, back and joint pains
Muscle pains
Gas pains
Dizziness and motion sickness
Colds and coughs
This calming oil is a boon to me whenever I experience driving anxiety. When I feel the headache and nausea coming when I’m behind the wheel, I rub some calming oil on my temples. The cool, soothing sensation on my skin and the fresh scent help to manage my discomfort, allowing me to successfully reach my destination.
This was also helpful when my little boy got sick; massaging it onto his back and chest helped in quieting his bouts of coughing enough for him to get a good night’s sleep.
Stress may be a part of life, but it need not be life-limiting.
Prosource Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is available in most Watsons and Mercury Drug outlets nationwide. It retails at Php120/tube.
As with most plants, cacao beans, from which chocolate is manufactured, take on the characteristics particular to the region where they were grown and harvested. This is called their terroir.
Cacao beans that have been blended lose their terroir, hence the preference of some chocolatiers for single-origin chocolate products.
Davao-based Malagos Agri-Ventures Corporation, for example, produces the award-winning single origin premium Malagos Chocolate. This product line grew out of the resolve of the Malagos company matriarch, Mama Charita Puentespina, to reinvigorate the Davao’s cacao industry which crashed in the 1980s.
Instead of just exporting cacao beans to serve as raw materials for foreign chocolate manufacturers, Mama Charita drove the company’s cacao growing and post-harvest practices, as well as campaigned to make cacao a priority crop in the region.
Today, Malagos Chocolates is an internationally recognized and awarded brand. It is made from high quality cacao beans, grown in the Malagos farm in the foothills of Davao’s Mount Talomo.
The beans are carefully fermented, sun-dried and roasted in temperature controlled roasters, then ground to a fine texture at par with international chocolate standards. These processes are all done without the product ever leaving Davao, making Malagos Chocolates all natural, single origin and tree-to-bar.
I chanced upon Kultura Filipino’s “Crafts for a Cause” exhibit over the weekend and replenished my chocolate stash from the local brands featured there.
I picked the 65% dark chocolate; being the lowest percentage cacao content among the brand’s offerings, I think this variant offers the best balance between sweet and bitter chocolate flavors.
And apparently, I’m not the only one that thinks so. Malagos Chocolate’s 65% Dark Chocolate has won international awards, particularly in Academy of Chocolate’s Tree-to-Bar category in 2017, and in the World Drinking Chocolate Competition organized by the International Chocolate Awards in 2015.
Fancy a bite of this award-winning, single origin dark chocolate treat? Malagos Chocolates are available at SM Kultura Filipino branches in SM Mall of Asia, SM Makati, SM Megamall, SM AURA, SM North EDSA, Taal Vista and Pico Loro.
A new eatery just opened along Alvarado Extension in Manila, giving students of nearby Chiang Kai Shek College, workers of nearby business and residents of Tondo a quick and affordable taste of Taiwanese-style iced tea and fried chicken.
The newly opened first branch of Oh My Chicken is a cozy shop where people who are looking for quick and cheap eats can hie off to and get their fix of fried chicken together with their favorite tea drinks.
Its chicken offerings include:
Oh My Chicken Steak (Php78 for regular | Php128 for large)
Oh My Chicken Popcorn (Php88 for regular | Php118 for large)
Oh My Chicken Leg (Php78 for 1 pc | Php148 for 2 pcs)
Oh My Chicken Wing (Php78 for 1 pc | Php148 for 2 pcs)
The chicken steak and popcorn are available in Original, Ganmei, Chinese Barbecue, Szechuan Spicy and Honey Mayo flavors while the chicken legs and wings are available in Original, Spicy Honey, Szechuan Spicy and Honey Mayo flavors. The skins were crispy and tasty while the chicken meat was quite tender (I was able to cut the chicken steak using a flimsy plastic fork!)
Students also have a special treat: they just need to present their student ID and they can enjoy the Oh My Chicken Wing or the Oh My Chicken Leg plus a cup of rice for only Php98.
Diners can wash down the tasty fried chicken with their choice of tea-based beverages, the sugar content and ice levels of which may be customized by request.
Milk Teas:
Black Sugar Fresh Milk Tea (Php98 for regular | Php108 for large)
Black Sugar Milk Tea (Php88 for regular | Php98 for large)
Black Sugar Green Milk Tea (Php88 for regular | Php98 for large)
Fruit Teas:
Fresh Kiwi Green Tea (Php98)
Home-made Jasmine Tea (Php58)
Home-made Ceylon Tea (Php58)
Calamansi Green Tea (Php68)
Special-made Ice Tea (Php78)
Refreshing Lemonade (Php78)
Calamansi Lemonade (Php68)
The milk teas were brewed from actual tea leaves while the fruit drinks were blended from fresh fruit.
Oh My Chicken is located at Alvarado Extension Corner Padre Algue Street, Tondo, Manila.
Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a foodie meet-up held here. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.
Check out my reviews of other milk tea establishments:
Degustation is the careful and deliberate tasting of various food with an eye towards appreciation of the science and artistry that goes into their preparation as well as their effect to the senses.
To mark its 29th anniversary, Ilustrado Restaurant introduces an 8-course degustation menu which will be available to its patrons throughout the month of October.
The menu was conceptualized by Ilustrado Restaurant’s Chef de Patron Bernice Pimentel, inspired by, of all things, a classic Pinoy song.
“My almost three year old nephew is in a “bahay kubo” sing-song stage and I can say that the vegetables in the song followed me everywhere making its way into our degustation menu.” shares Chef Bernice.
The influence of “bahay kubo” is apparent in the menu’s deliberate use of homegrown ingredients and incorporating them into continental dishes.
In fact, Chef Bernice’s plan for the restaurant’s own farm to table concept is already in the works. Among these initiatives are a partnership with Luntian Farms and growing the edible flowers that serve as garnishes for her dishes right at home.
Together with fellow foodies and food bloggers, I was able to sample this innovative degustation menu, which is priced at Php1,250 (plus 10% service charge). The menu included items that may also be availed of ala carte, such as:
Kangkong Pesto Brioche served with Boursin Cheese. The freshly baked brioche is amazingly light and fluffy, wonderfully accented by the herby cream cheese.
Kesong Puti Croquettes at Lato (Php175+). These are croquettes made with local white cheese, sea grapes (or locally called lato, which gives a burst of flavor from the sea with each bite), baby mesclun and Salsa Verde Aoili.
Oyster Laing Rockefeller (Php195+). Seafood dish made of Aklan oyster topped by the classic Bicolano laing made of coconut, chili and dried taro, with added parmigiano reggiano, lemon juice and panko. These add a rich creaminess and a spicy kick to the oyster.
Sayote Egg Drop Soup (Php125+). Chayote soup with a quail egg dropped in for added richness that warms the tummy, served with crunchy crostini.
Burong Mangga Sorbet. Pureed green mango churned and cooled into a sorbet to cleanse the palate in preparation for the main dishes.
BBQ Pulled Pork Tostadas (Php215+). Tender slow-cooked pork marinated in Pinoy-style barbecue sauce, served with refried mungo beans, papaya slaw on top of fried tortillas.
Sea Bass Sinantol (Php350+). Buttery Chilean sea bass fillet pan-seared then oven-broiled and served with fried rice sauteed in the Bicolano dish sinantol, as well as arugula.
Egg Pie Brulee (Php175+). Bruleed egg tart with dots of rose creme chantilly, slices of fresh strawberry, green grapes, and ripe mango. Accompanied by edible flowers, this dessert provides a sweet ending to the meal.
The degustation menu modernizes and localizes the continental viands it includes. It brings somewhat-forgotten local produce such as lato, sayote and santol back to the forefront of modern Philippine cuisine. The portions are well-calculated such that diners are able to appreciate each dish in its entirety but are not overwhelmed by flavor or quantity.
In keeping with a degustation’s aim to satisfy as many of the senses as possible, the menu features visually appealing and colorful food presentation, appetizing herby, fruity and earthy smells, and interesting interplays of various textures and flavors with each dish served.
This wonderful menu is best enjoyed inside Ilustrado Restaurant’s well-appointed premises. The converted Spanish era seminary, its aged wood furniture and antique bric-a-bracs all give the resto an old world appeal.
But do hurry: this delectable degustation menu will only be available within October.
Ilustrado is located at 5440 General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila, open daily from 11.30am to 2.30pm and from 6pm to 9pm. For queries and reservations, call +63 2 5273674 or +63 939 9206822, or email catering@ilustradorestaurant.com.ph. For more details and updates, check out Ilustrado Restaurant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.
Jellybeans in the City 