Gel Jose

Green space musings at Paradizoo Theme Farm in Mendez, Cavite

Life in the city can feel somewhat stifling: modern life enables you to do so much but most of them require you to be sedentary, cocooned in air-conditioned rooms with your eyes glued to device screens, or traversing the drab concrete jungle. Sometimes, we just crave for a bit of green space, areas with verdant life that refreshes the mind, body and soul. Several studies have already cited the health and social benefits of green spaces, which include stress reduction, enhanced mood and improved social interactions. Just outside the metro in Mendez, Cavite, one can find Paradizoo, one of Zoomanity Group‘s theme parks. Here you can find green spaces in abundance, with 12-hectares of land that offers a combination of Paradize and Zoo that makes each visit uniquely relaxing and entertaining.

Inside the park, your eyes are treated to wide expanses of greenery with attractions such as: Vegetable Garden. Paradizoo employs best faming practices, particularly in vermiculture, bokashi soil, hydrophonics and composting, to produce fresh and organic vegetables. Flower Garden. Horticulturists and lovers of decorative plants will love the sheer variety of colors and shapes of flowers to be found here.

Meditation Garden. A quiet and peaceful place where one can relax and reflect, this is a boon to busy professionals who want to unload themselves from the cares of city life for a while.

Families will also welcome the opportunity to enjoy some time playing in the great outdoors with activities such as: Archery Attack. An instructor will teach you the proper way to aim at and hit targets, which you can later use when doing mock battles with your companions.

Farm Frenzy. Meet and cuddle up (and let out your inner Disney Princess, hehehe!) as you meet new animal friends like rabbits, hamsters, birds, goats and other critters.

Plant Me Home. Want to take a bit of the greenery home with you? In this area, you can select flowers and vegetables from garden plots that you can buy and bring home.

Fun Z Bubble. Roll across the fields with the kids in this fun and exhilarating activity.

And when you’re parched or famished from all the exercise and outdoor activities, drop by the Paradizoo Cafe for some well-deserved snacking. You can also check out the cool souvenirs that you can buy and bring home with you.

As much as I love the city, it’s sometimes important to take a break from it for a while and get some respite in amidst the sunshine and greenery. Afterwards, I feel like I’m ready to face life in the city again, refreshed and re-energized. Paradizoo is located along the Mendez-Tagaytay Road in Mendez, Cavite, open daily from 8am to 5pm. To commute going there, ride a bus to Tagaytay City or at Olivarez terminal. Afterwards, then ride any jeepney or bus to Mendez and inform the driver to drop you off to Maglabe Drive. Lastly, take a trycicle ride to Paradizoo. Rates:

Adult: Php199
Child (3 feet to 4 feet): Php149
Children below 3 feet free of charge

Book your eco-farm journey by emailing zoomanityonline@gmail.com or by calling +63 046 4131244 | +63 966 1938965. Know more about Paradizoo and other Zoomanity’s attractions at zoomanity.com.ph. Here’s a tip: you can get discounted ticketsto Paradizoo Theme Farm by signing up for a free YOGO customer account and booking via the YOGO PH app (download now on Google Play or the App Store). You can also book your tickets via Klook Disclosure: Together with fellow bloggers, I was invited by the Zoomanity Group to tour and experience the attractions at the Paradizoo Theme Farm. The tour was sponsored by the company and was not paid for by the attendees including myself.

Rico’s Lechon to open largest branch in Tiendesitas on October 26

Lechon is firmly ingrained in Filipino celebrations; serving these delectable roasted pigs in a party adds to the specialness of the occasion.

While there are notable lechon restaurants in Metro Manila, the lechon of the Queen City of the South holds a certain cachet. Known for its crispy golden red skin and tender flavorful meat, Cebu’s lechon is enjoyed without the need for a lechon sauce.

One of the most famous names in Cebu lechon is Rico’s Lechon. For over 20 years, it has set the bar for this specialty in taste and quality, and proudly claims that its lechon is #DaBestGyud!

This is why I’m excited that Rico’s Lechon has crossed over from Cebu to Manila with the opening of branches in Glorietta, Makati, in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig and, on October 26, in Tiendesitas, Pasig City.

The biggest branch of Rico’s Lechon, it can seat 230 people in its sprawling dining area and 7 function rooms named after Cebu locations. It also has a separate takeout section for patrons who want to enjoy their lechon at home. Anticipating the demand for its tasty lechon, its roasting pit can accommodate twenty roasted pigs.

Last weekend, Rico’s Lechon held a pre-opening event for its Tiendesitas branch called Daghan Salamat, Manila, wherein they invited guests who registered online. I, together with a few foodie friends, were among those chosen to attend this exciting event.

Here, we were treated to a generous buffet of various Rico’s Lechon offerings which include: Lechon Sisig Rice, Bam-I, Laing, Inihaw na Liempo, Tokwa’t Baboy, Lechon Shanghai, Ginisang Monggo, Beef Tripe Kare Kare and, for dessert, Maja Kalabasa and Yema Buchi.

Of course the star of the show is the lechon which was served to us in two variants: regular and spicy. It crispy skin had a satisfying crackle when bitten into and the meat had a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Both variants are saltier that the lechon I’m used to so I recommend pairing these with plain rice instead of the Lechon Sisig Rice that I chose.

Other highlights of the meal include the kare kare which had a thick peanut sauce and tender beef tripe pieces, and the dessert which were novel variations of classic Pinoy favorites.

This Rico’s Lechon outlet is located at the First Level, Building B, Ortigas East, Tiendesitas, Pasig City. For inquries, call +63 917 8950000, +63 2 2349954, or +63 2 2349944.

Currently, other Metro Manila outlets of Rico’s Lechon can be found at:

Roofdeck, Glorietta 1, Glorietta Complex, Ayala Center, Makati
The Fort Strip, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Disclaimer: The food mentioned here were served as part of the free buffet pre-opening treat of Rico’s Lechon and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Chocoholics’ Dream: Dreamcake Chocolatta by Kitycups

Tin can chocolate cakes, or more commonly called chocolate dream cakes, have definitely gone viral, with more and more suppliers poppin’ up in retail outlets and online.

Chocolate dream cakes are a delectable treat: a dream come true for chocolate lovers because of its several layers of chocolate goodness, from the moist chocolate cake base, the creamy chocolate ganache, the rich chocolate fudge covered by a thin shard of chocolate and sprinkled with cocoa powder.

Being a chocoholic myself, I got intrigued when I first heard about this sweet treat and I’ve been trying it out whenever I can.

When I checked out Meals.ph and saw the Dreamcake Chocolatta by Kitycups, I knew I just had to try it.

I used the Meals.ph app to contact Kitycups owner Kristine Rodriguez. This homebaker’s base of operations is in Las Pinas which is quite a long way from my home in Pasig, but fortunately her products (which also include Nama Chocolates, Premium Beef Tapa and Gourmet Tuyo) can be shipped to anywhere in Metro Manila.

Coincidentally, she was attending a trade fair in SM Megamall at that time so she thought of shipping the item from there.

She accepts payment via BPI so all I had to do was transfer the money using the BPI app and prepare Php100 in cash for the delivery via Lalamove.

In an hour or so, my Dreamcake Chocolatta arrived and it’s every bit as decadent and chocolatey as I imagined!

At only Php350 for a 6-inch x 2-inch cake, it’s already good for three people so it’s quite a bargain.

My kids and I enjoyed it with dollops of vanilla ice cream for a really delectable dessert.

Aside from the Dreamcake Chocolatta, I appreciate Kitycups for being so accommodating, and for trying to find a way to lessen shipping costs for me.

Check out Kitycups’ Kristine Rodriguez’ profile and more intel on Meals.ph and its sellers on this blog post.

To order Kitycups’ products, visit her profile on:

Meals.ph: https://market.meals.ph/en/kitycups
Instagram: http://instagram.com/kitycups
Facebook: Instagram: http://facebook.com/kitycups

BLK 513 opens new branch in Glorietta

Just when I thought that froyo is already old news, here comes BLK 513 with something that makes it more than the usual. BLK 513’s dark skim frozen yogurt is defined by two key ingredients: Greek yogurt and activated charcoal.

Greek yogurt is known to be thicker and creamier, contain half the carbohydrates but more protein than regular yogurt. It also provides 20% of one’s daily calcium requirement. It has a distinctly tangier and less sweet taste than regular yogurt as well.

Activated charcoal, on the other hand, is world’s oldest and most trusted detoxifying agent. It promotes healthy digestion and cleansing, reduces high cholesterol and contains anti-aging properties.

So basically, when treating yourself to BLK 513’s dark skim froyo, you’re also giving yourself a health boost.

Together with other foodies, I was invited to attend the grand opening of BLK 513’s newest branch in Glorietta 1.

Here, you have the option to have your froyo to-go or to enjoy it at leisure in the store’s seating area. It even has interesting modern decor that can serve as backdrops for your froyo foodie shots. 🙂

During the event, I sampled BLK 513’s Dark Skim Cup (Php189) with butter bars, mangoes and peaches, and its decadent new sauce: Gold Milk. Made from Valrhona Blond Chocolate, it has a rich buttery caramel flavor. It hardened over the frozen yogurt and cracks when bitten into, giving the dessert a nice blend of textures from the hardened sauce, the succulent fruit bits, the fudgy butter bars and the creamy froyo.

I was accompanied by my daughter #Exhibit A who got herself a dark skim froyo in a cup with brownie bits, strawberries and mangoes, and also drizzled with Gold Milk.

Later on, I stepped even more into the dark side by getting BLK 513’s Dark Skim Cone (Php150), this time in a dark chocolate cone, topped with brownie bits and drizzled with a dark chocolate sauce.

It certainly looks like froyo has been revitalized. And decadently dark times are ahead… 🙂

Aside from its frozen yogurt treats, BLK 513 also retails packed items such as:

Daily Nuts (Php325). Carefully mixed pecans, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, dried blueberries and raisins.
Handmade Valrhona Granola (Php450). Oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon 23% dark chocolate and maple sauce
Matcha Macadamia Granola (Php350). Matcha green team, macadamia, Pepitas Natural Unrefined Sugar, maple sauce and white chocolate chips.
Raw Chocolate Truffles (Php330). Chocolate with peanut butter, matcha and coconut flavors.

https://flic.kr/p/2baHWgQ

This BLK 513 branch is located at Second Floor, Glorietta 1, Ayala Center, Glorietta Complex, Makati City, open daily from 9am to 10pm.

Other branches are found at:

Second Floor, Building A, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City (open daily from 10am to 10pm)
Level 2, S Maison, Conrad Manila, Seaside Boulevard Corner Coral Way, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City (open daily from 10am to 10pm)
Second Floor, Main Building, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City (open daily from 10am to 10pm)
Bonifacio High Street, 7th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City (open daily from 10.30am to 10.30pm)
Second Floor, Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City (open daily from 11am to 10pm)
Food Street, Upper Ground Floor, SM Southmall, Almanza, Las Piñas City (open daily from 10am to 9pm)
Ground Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City (open Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 9pm and Fridays to Sundays from 10am to 10pm)
Ground Level, Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, A. Bonifacio Avenue, Balintawak, Quezon City (open daily 10am to 10pm)

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.

Fans of Japanese entertainment treated to exciting line-up of shows on GEM this October

GEM, the home of great Japanese entertainment in the Philippines, brings an exciting line up of the best Japanese drama and variety shows this month.

Weakest Beast

Weakest Beast stars Yui Aragaki as Akira Shinkai and Ryuhei Matsuda as Kosei Nemoto in their fourth collaboration as an on-screen couple. Written by Akiko Nogi, the show follows the story of Akira Shinkai who wants to be free to be herself and lose her perfect-girl image, and of the cynical, street-smart ladies’ man she meets, Kosei Nemoto. Guarded strangers to each other, they need to learn to let their feelings lead the way.

Matsuda, who is best known for his role of Japanese gangster in the sequel of The Raid, called Berandal, is expanding his acting portfolio by adding romance to his genres. “This role is going to be fun and I am looking forward to it. It would be great if there were twists to the fabric of relationships between men and women. I hope to portray the role of Kosei Nemoto based on my intuitive feelings of the character; a character that will speak whatever that comes to his mind,” said Matsuda.

Aragaki, on the other hand, is excited to be working with Matsuda again after a long time. “It has been 11 years since Matsuda and I last starred together in a movie; I am elated to work with him again and it is a treasured opportunity for me. Back then, I was still a high school kid. This time, I will do my best to showcase a different set of acting skills and not to be a burden to him,” said Aragaki.

Weakest Beast airs every Saturday at 7.30pm, same week as Japan.

Ninosan

Featuring Kazunari Ninomiya of popular Japanese boyband ARASHI, NINOSAN first premiered on Nippon TV in April 2013 starting out as a short ‘experimental’ program. It has since morphed into a talk show, a quiz show, a game show, an animal act, or food program, with Nino working with different directors to produce different segments every week. In his role as host, Nino brings his point of view and guides the audience through different topics with his witty comments.

NINOSAN airs every Friday at 8.30pm.

Cops ‘N Robbers

Novice detective, Tsutomu Madarame, grows disillusioned with his job in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department that investigates thefts until legendary master thief, Kemuri Garasu (Smoky Crow), starts meddling with Madarame at every opportunity and even helps him solve cases.

Cops’n Robbers airs every Wednesday at 9pm, same week as Japan.

Way Too Kawaii!

The golden boy of a large publishing company, Yoshitaka Niimi, is unexpectedly transferred from a literary editorial department to Pipin, a Harajuku-style fashion magazine. A resentful Niimi soon realizes that the job is not simple and superficial after witnessing the professionalism of the various hardworking people who create kawaii culture. He decides to be professional about his work and begins to understand the passion that fuels the job and its people.

Way Too Kawaii! airs every Monday at 9.00pm, same week as Japan.

TOKYO alien BROS.

In the year 2020, a creature from outer space appears before white-haired university student, Fuyunosuke. Realizing that this creature is his brother, he names him Natsutaro, to fit into his surroundings of Tokyo. The alien brothers are on a surveillance mission to find out if their species could survive on another planet. While on Earth, the brothers must learn about humans and the only way is to interact with them.

TOKYO alien BROS. airs every Monday at 9.35pm.

GEM is the glittering jewel of Japanese entertainment. A joint venture between Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks and Nippon Television Network Corporation, GEM enjoys access to exclusive Japanese content from Nippon TV. The channel features first-run and exclusive dramas, comedies and variety entertainment shows from Japan, which include selected prime-time dramas airing same time and within the same week of their broadcast in Japan.

Catch the shows on GEM on SKYcable ch 116.

Show details and images provided by GEM 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.

Discover great food by great cooks at Meals.ph

With our busy schedules and so many responsibilities, preparing something good for a family meal or a gathering can be quite a challenge. Don’t you sometimes wish that you could just have someone to do all the marinating, basting, slow-cooking, grilling and baking for you? This will leave you so much time to do all the other stuff you need to do but still assures you and your near-and-dears a great meal.

Food delivery services recently started becoming popular as it connects us busy working moms to restaurants from which we can order food to be delivered to our homes.

But sometimes, we crave for food that only good artisanal home cooks can give.

Enter Meals.ph.

Meals.ph is the brainchild of young entrepreneur Macky Sy who envisioned creating a platform that helps people find great home-cooked meals near us as well as help home cooks earn a little extra by selling their meals online.

Through the website, you can navigate the tabs to find vendors for specialty meals (according to cuisine), meal plans (with options for per-day and per-week orders), catering for events (party trays), desserts, ready-to-cook/eat meals, as well as sauces, side dishes and snacks. You can also just use the search bar to find a specific dish you’re looking for.

When you’ve selected your dish, click “Order” to initiate the order process, wait for the vendor to acknowledge, then settle with the vendor regarding the terms for payment and fulfillment of your order.

Note, though, that these terms vary from vendor to vendor, and the availability of dishes varies from area to area.

If you find yourself too loaded with tasks and would like to leave the cooking to someone else, why not check out some of Meals.ph’s vendor partners. Especially with the holidays coming, get yourself to enjoying more time relaxing and having fun with family and friends, and maybe help support some of these budding entrepreneurs as well.

Kitycups

The person behind Kitycups is part-time accountant/financial advisor Kristine Rodriguez. She started by baking simple cookies and eventually grew a business out of her hobby. Her venture specializes in cakes and sweets and she hopes to establish a factory for her food business someday.

On a side note, I recently treated myself and the kids to one of her Dreamcake Chocolattas and we loved it! Watch out for it among my future posts. 🙂

Nikita’s Pastries

Niki Alfaro, on the other hand, works full-time on her business, Nikita’s Pastries, while taking care of her mom who has a heart condition. This home baker decided to put up a home-based business that will give her the time and flexibility to be available to her parents while providing her with an independent income. She dreams of one day opening her own restaurant or bringing her business with her to the US. Check out her cheesecake cups; those are her specialty.

FoodAllMighty

When Cristina Bustos is not at her job, working as a supervisor in a BPO company, she occupies her time with cooking but she hopes to go full-time on her side business someday. Her FoodAllMighty party trays, particularly the baked lasagna, are a boon to those who are assigned to bring viands for the office potluck or the clan get-together.

Shoreline Barbecue

Men seem to have a special relationship with grilling and artist, entrepreneur and doggy daddy John Muyargas revels in this. Having worked his way up from waiter to chef in an Italian-American resto in Dallas, Texas, he brings Tex-Mex flavors to his local customers through his Shoreline Barbecue trays. His immediate plans involve steadily growing his business and sharing the love.

Migu Migu

Carlos Cabigao pulled himself up from the multiple challenges that his family encountered and set out building a business. He first started with baking until a friend suggested he try making spreads using flavored butter. His White Truffle Butter is a definite must-try.

With so many great cooks ready and willing to prepare gorgeous and delightful food for us, and with a service like Meals.ph that connects us to the best among them, it just make sense to free ourselves from the stress of holiday cooking.

Check them out at Meals.ph!

You’ll be also glad to know that Meals.ph already has a mobile app. Download it from the App Store or Google Play, check it out, and tell Macky what you think. 🙂

4 Things I love about the New SKY On Demand Box

When I joined the company over a decade ago, SKY has just introduced digital cable TV. For almost all of its subscribers, cable TV means a coaxial cable is connected directly to one’s TV. Since the signal is analog, the TV reception is sometimes grainy and, compared to today, the channels available were limited.

Fast forward to today, and digital TV is the norm. It is now common to see set-top boxes attached to the TVs; these process the digital from the cable and produce clearer pictures on the screen. And because the channel capacity on the digital network has expanded, more channels and shows are available, some are even in high definition.

Coinciding with the technological developments in cable TV is the growth of over-the-top or what we sometimes call video-on-demand streaming services. Online services such as Youtube and Netflix expand our content choices in ways unimaginable ten years ago. However, these are mostly viewed using mobile devices (and therefore in smaller screens), and oftentimes can’t be enjoyed by more than one person at a time.

Enter the new SKY on Demand Box.

I’ve been excited about this new product development since I first heard about it and I’ve been anticipating its launch for some time now.

So please allow me to sing a few of my praises for the new SKY on Demand Box. 🙂

It lets you watch cable TV channels, Netflix and Youtube, all in one device.

Since the new SKY on Demand Box can connect to the internet and includes Netflix and Youtube among its launch apps, your TV viewing choices now cover all of your favorite cable channels, all the shows and movies available on Netflix in your area and all the clips uploaded on Youtube.

Want to catch the premiere of a new episode of Asian horror anthology Folklore on HBO? Check! Want to binge-watch the much-raved-about Outlander series on Netflix? Check! Want to learn makeup application from an online tutorial on Youtube? Check!

It basically turns your TV into a smart TV, helping you get more of the shows you love.

It lets you catch up on the shows you missed.

Couldn’t make it home in time to catch a show as it airs? Or is someone else hogging the TV when your favorite show comes on?

No worries: if the show is one of the titles available on SKY on Demand, you can watch the latest three episodes using the SKY on Demand app, which is included among the box’s launch apps.

Or you can also set your box to record the show even when you’re not at home as the box has a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) function. And guess what: even while someone else is watching another show on the TV, the SKY on Demand Box is recording the show you’re not watching so you can view it at your leisure. No need to fight with hubby or the kids over the remote, yeah?

It comes with a companion app that extends the box’s functionalities even further.

By downloading its companion app (available on the App Store and Google Play) you can use your phone as your TV’s remote control, privately listen to the audio of the show you’re watching using your phone’s headset (no need to settle for almost-mute audio levels just because someone in the room is studying or sleeping), or watch cable channels on your phone.

It’s now available in Metro Manila.

New subscribers of the One SKY Unli Fiber Broadband + HD Cable TV plans only need to pay a one-time installation fee of Php1,999. New subscribers of selected SKYcable plans, on the other hand, need to pay a one-time installation fee of Php2,999.

Existing SKY subscribers can call the Customer Service hotline +63 2 381 0000 or visit any of the SKYzones or SKY offices in the metro.

To inquire about the new SKY on Demand Box, call the SKY Telesales hotline +63 2 4180000 or visit mysky.com.ph/sodbox.

Novel churrasco dining experience at Chateaubriand, Roxas Boulevard

Being a certified carnevore, I jumped at the chance to dine at the Chateaubriand Premium Steak Restaurant, braving last night’s rainy weather and the perennial traffic from Quezon City to Pasay.

I’m used to eating steaks and grilled meats in a more casual, even American West-style setting, so setting foot on Chateaubriand’s walkway and stepping into its posh dining area was quite a novelty. Nope, no cowboy hats adorn the walls nor down-home-type bric-a-bracs lie about. Instead, opulent white chairs and tables are artfully arranged on the restaurant’s elegant marble floors.

The focal point of the sprawling dining area may be the tastefully presented buffet spread. This buffet is pretty extensive with over a hundred items, catering to almost any preference as it includes:

a classic salad station
“Create Your Ceasar Salad”
authentic Brazilian dishes
Continental cuisine
imported cheeses
fresh fruits
a chocolate fountain
international breads
various types of pastries and desserts

However, as the restaurant’s PR representative Mikaela Mutuc tells it, the all the inclusions in the buffet actually are intended to serve as sides to grilled meats that the restaurant serves.

Well, true enough, the meats do take center stage and how!

The meats are all premium cuts, most of which are sourced from various countries, grilled and served churrasco style. By flipping the medallions on your table, you signal the churrasco boys to bring their grilled meats and other grilled items in skewers straight from the churrascaria to your table and cut off a generous and juicy slice for you right before your eyes. These include:

Picanha (signature Brazilian rump cap) – the real star of the show, IMHO!
Alcatra (top sirloin seasoned with a rich soy glaze)
Garlic Steak (sirloin marinated with garlic and fresh herbs)
Linguica (classic pork sausage basted with garlic butter
Frango (chicken quarters marinated with lemon rosemary)
Presunto (tender ham leg with pineapple glaze)
Milho Assado (baby corn roasted with garlic butter)
Abacaxi (pineapple with cinnamon and brown sugar)
Caramelized Banana (bananas with cinnamon and brown sugar)
Roasted Mixed Vegetables

More grilled treats may be added to the dinner menu such as:

Chuleta (rib eye with mesquite crust)
Fraldinha (choice flank steak marinated in Brazilian spices)
Lombo (pork loin with a delicate herb marinade)
Carneira (boneless lamb leg with a minted oil rub) – another winner for me!
Bacon-wrapped chicken breast with peri-peri marinade)
Pescado (grilled marlin or tuna)

To add even more flavor to your meats, you can dip or slather them (up to you, really :-)) with any or all of these three sauces:

Chimichurri
Salsa Rojo
Chateau Steak Sauce

Note: Other sauces and dips are available at the buffet but these are the essential ones.

You can wash down your meal with any or all of the three juices available: Honey Orange, Four Seasons and Strawberry Iced Tea.

The service staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the resto’s offerings. The churrasco boys, in particular, even give diners tips on how to better enjoy their selections and gamely display their grilled meats for food photos. They are also quick to assist requests and queries.

Feasting on churrasco at the pre-Grand Opening rates below is actually a steal:

weekdays dinner: Php2,000 (Php1,600 within October 2018 at 20% discount) + 10% service charge
weekend lunch: Php2,000 (Php999 within October 2018 at 50% discount) +10% service charge
weekend dinner: P2,200 + 10% service charge

If you want some spirits to go with your meats, you can get some by the glass at Php300 per glass or treat yourself to Chateaubriand’s wine buffet at Php599 + 10% service charge. Other alcoholic beverages and cocktails are also available.

Birthday celebrants also get to eat for free on the day of their birthday as long as they are accompanied by a full-paying adult, or on any other day of their birth month as long as they are accompanied by four full-paying adults.

While the churrasco-style dining may have casual roots, Chateaubriand’s opulent surroundings and top-rate service staff make it a fine dining experience.

Chateaubriand is located at Unit 105 Sunset View Towers, 110 William Street corner 2230 Roxas Boulevard, Brgy. 13 Zone 4 District 1, Pasay City. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 821 2031 or +63 905 1403748.

Need some tips to maximize your eat-all-you-can experience? Read my buffet survival guide.

Cozy Korean-themed chill-out sesh at Cafe I’m Here, Tomas Morato

I’ve been wanting to check out Cafe I’m Here ever since it opened. I’ve mostly heard a lot about its Korean-themed aesthetics, it’s decadent desserts and how relaxing it was to stay here.

Together with another adventuresome coworker, I traversed across Timog Avenue to CTTM Square where this cafe is located for lunch.

Upon entering, I was impressed by the sheer size of the place. It had two levels of seating areas that hug the There were pod-like spaces where you can sit in relative quiet and privacy while enjoying your cup of coffee, typing on your laptop or working on a project with a small group. Despite the space occupied by its fun and youthful decor (gigantic teddy bears and tents where introverts can hole up in), it still seemed like a viable co-working or remote working space.

Better yet, it is a place where my friend and I can simply chill in and dish about the goings-on in our lives.

For our lunch, my companion and I split an order each of Pasta Bolognese (Php210) and Garlic Cheese Bread (Php170). This is such a fantastic pairing! The garlicky cheese bread served as a nice complement to the meat- and tomato-based pasta.

And simply because I can (and #IDoWhatIWant), I finished off a lovely Caramel Bread (Php150) for dessert. It was basically more of that soft fluffy bread topped with whipped cream and slathered all over with rich gooey caramel sauce. I did offer some to my companion but she’s not as into sweets as I am. (Well, more for me!)

Yep, this lunch was basically a carbs-upon-carbs chill-out session with my fried but, as a wise person once said, “Don’t count the calories. Make the calories count!”

I look forward to coming back here to leisurely enjoy a mug of the resto’s cafe mocha and a plate of chocolate bread.

Cafe I’m Here is located at Third Floor, CTTM Square, Sacred Heart, Quezon City (at the roundabout where Tomas Morato intersects with Timog Avenue). It is open daily from 10am to 3am. For inquiries, call +63 917 3633529 or +63 905 5073517.

Mix and Match Lunch Set at Half Saints, Tomas Morato

For me, the office lunch break is a sacred hour. In this precious spot of time, I can take a break from the pencil-pushing, number-crunching and many of the stresses I take on in the course of my job. When I have lunch with a coworkers, it also presents me with an opportunity to chat and get to know them, discover shared interests or vent on common frustrations.

This is why going out for lunch is especially important to me. Having a packed lunch from home to eat at the office pantry or buying one to-go from the office foodcourt may be more efficient and economical, but does not provide me with a change of scenery that helps in keeping my stress levels down.

However, lunches out are not exactly budget-friendly.

Fortunately, nearby restaurant Half Saints offers DIY Lunch Sets wherein diners can mix and match options for rice and viand, all for Php165.

It’s such a no frills yet fun way to decide on what you’re having for lunch.

A friend and I dropped by on our lunch break and got for ourselves:

Black Squid Rice + Bacon Slab and Egg

Pink Salmon Rice + Shrimp Skewer

Since I had some money left over, I decided to indulge myself with a Paprika Cheese Tart (Php70).

Our boss asked us to get her lunch to-go so we opted for Black Squid Rice + Japanese Fried Chicken Bites that we took back to office.

The food choices do embody Half Saints concept of providing comfort food with a twist, influenced by owners Christine Roque, Trina Roque, Tricia Roque, Tanya Mesina and Joana Arciaga’s Filipino roots merging with their exposure to other cultures. The ingredients and dishes are familiar but are melded together in novel ways (and prettily plated too!), producing flavors and textures that do excite one’s senses when the dishes are laid down on the table.

Furthermore, through its advocacy, Half Saints also supports local businesses by sourcing its ingredients from local food and farmer cooperatives.

The food took some time to get to us (the waiter even got one of the orders wrong), though, so we busied ourselves by poring over some of the books artfully displayed in the store. The resto has a minimalist feel to it – and no wonder, its interior design was inspired by coffee shops in Tokyo. It proved to be a cozy and quiet place to hang out in.

I think this place would also be a nice after-office refuge. I can picture myself with a mug of Half Saints’ freshly brewed coffee and a pastry, just chillin’ after a day’s work.

Half Saints is located at the Ground Floor, Ignacia Place, Mother Ignacia Corner Sergeant Esguerra Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City, open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11.30am to 10pm. For reservations, call +63 935 9330512. Or you can book your table via Zomato like I did.