FOODIE THOUGHTS: Figaro @ Gateway Mall

I was just at the office, doing my job, when I was called by the security guard because someone was looking for me outside our office. I was puzzled because I was not expecting anyone, so I went out and I saw two women who introduced themselves to me and their product andI could not get out so I listened. 

To make the long story short, they were able to persuade me to buy their card. It would give me a lot of privileges and some freebies at Figaro. All for a price of P399. 

I bought it.

This has an expiry date, by the way. So before that date approaches, I have to maximize my 'new' card. So I went to the nearest Figaro and decided to give it a try. The coupons were a mass of choices and I made my decisions.

get discounts and freebies with this card

TUSCAN CHICKEN & PESTO PASTA - The serving is just right, not too big but not too small also. I loved the sauce on the chicken because its very garlick-y and I loved it. The chicken was very tender and the pesto pasta complimented the dish. Plus some salad on the side provided me my green leafy veggies. And this dish came with a regular-sized iced tea.

GARLIC & CHEESE PIZZA - uhm, just alright. It came a bit too crispy and hard for my pizza taste but well, my brother was able to finish it all off. 

DORY PROVENCAL - The cream dory fish was so soft and I loved it too. I gave this dish to my brother but of course, I had to taste it. I forgot the name of the pasta but it was okay, not great, but good. Served with salad and drinks too.

What can I say? For my first time using the card, I paid for everything for just P200!! It's quite a steal! 2 full meals and 1 free cute pizza., why not. 

Now, im thinking how to use it on my second visit to maximize again the card use. I found a winner. 

18th Travel Tour Expo 2011 @ SMX

To travel OR to travel? That is the question that does not need to be thought about for the answer is a sound YES! Life is short, might as well make the most out of it and experience what the rest of the world, or our country, has to offer.

When I read about this expo, I was so excited. Imagine, the whole wide expanse of SMX filled with booths that offers their own travel escapes. Since there is plenty of them, prices would be jaw-droppingly low. And I was right. Airlines, hotels, resorts, countries, cruises..name it, the expo has got it. I got so many flyers and brochures that it was a lil bit heavy to carry already. Throngs of people are still coming in despite the time being 4pm already. My friend and I came in at this time hoping that the volume of people has lessened out but we were dead wrong. But oh well, we're already there, we just braved the pack and went in our own way.

All the agencies, tourism representatives of each place has placed  a lot of effort into their booths. Below are photos of what I am talking about...

Looking for a safari package? They got it here.

Experience India...a dream within grasp

Our local Higantes..a sight to behold

Next stop..but save money first! LOL

A wonderland of information about fascinating places to visit

Sadly, I was not able to book anything because I don't want to rush but I got a huge pile of flyers that contains a lot of info that I need to book those well-needed vacays. Now, I just need to save to make it happen. That's the challenge. :)

Yey! It's the Manila Kinder Zoo!

I love zoos! It awakens the wonders of a child in me. It reminds me of childhood memories..going to the zoo with your parents..stories and descriptions of each wonderful creatures.

It's just so sad that at the Manila Zoo, they are having a hard time maintaining the welfare of the animals. Well, who can blame them, it takes a lot of money to take care of every living creature there. And not to mention, I guess, some of the budget goes to corruption. Sad really. But enough of that, I want to share my photos from before when I went to Manila Zoo's Kinder Zoo (redundant eh?).

It's nice that they have a separate area for smaller sizes of animals that children can touch and pet them without the big scare of being hurt by the bigger animals. Even I, a grown-up, fully appreciates this facility. What a joy!

Here are the only photos that I got saved in my hard drive...

So heavy! and the skin is so tough but he is cute looking here :)

Christmas colors are the theme of these two birdies

Such a spoiled pot-bellied piggie! But the caretakers mentioned that this pig  was a commercial model so I guess he can definitely afford being spoiled rotten..coz he works hard for the money! :)

Who's the faster of them both, the peacock or the tortoise? 

Pretty fascinating creatures, right? With those beautiful colors and looks, you can't get afraid of them. Visit them at the zoo now! :)

MOVIES: Unknown (Liam Neeson,Diane Kruger, January Jones)

Last night, after almost 4 long months, I was able to watch a movie again. At last! At Eastwood Cinema with my college buddies Makr and Joy. The movie? UNKNOWN starring Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger.

Eversince watching Taken which stars Liam Neeson as well, I have been some sort of a fan. I have probably watched it for more than 5x already in a span of a year. Loved it really.

Now for his newest film, I can say that it has a bit of that Taken action stunts and throws. Well, I loved it before so I still like it now. Nothing very extraordinary on the storyline but this is good entertainment. It takes your mind off your present concerns.

To make the long story short, Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) was in Berlin together with his wife Liz (January Jones) for a biotechnology summit. Upon arrival at the hotel, he realizes that he forgot his briefcase at the airport so he rides a cab driven by Gina (Diane Kruger) but they encounter an accident while on their way to the airport. Gina saves his life and flees as she is an illegal immigrant at Berlin. Dr. Harris wakes up after a 4-day coma and forgets about snippets of his life. He goes to the hotel to his wife but Liz does not recognize him and instead, another Dr. Martin Harris was with her then the plot thickens. He tries to remember key points to connect but to no avail. He gets help from a a private investigator and looks for Gina for help. His life and Gina's was attempted to be ended by an assassin out to get him thus making him more confused. He confronted his impostor but they both know all the details to his life, for a while there he thought he was crazy. But bits and pieces are coming into place and he finally discovered his purpose and eventually, his real identity, as an assassin, out to get the professor who had something big to share to the world. In the end, he thwarted the evil plans and saved everyone that needs to be saved. Then he and Gina, using his skills in faking passports, to get out of the country and get a new identity and start new lives. By the way, Liz was also a part of the group that planned the eveil deeds. Whew!

This reminded me a lil bit of Triple X that starred Vin Diesel and Asia Argento way back my college days. Bad guy that turned into the good guys. Loved it!

I'm an easy person to please and I liked this 2-hr movie. Not very exceptional but good. I say that this gives a good deal for your money. It's still showing in theaters. :)

FOODIE THOUGHTS: Ravioli@ Robinson's Galleria

I never expected to find a pasta this good at a food court but I did and I was so happy with this discovery. Ravioli offers lots of choices so as a first timer, I asked what the recommendations were and I decided on Shrimp Diablo for P105. 

As it was being cooked, I was entertained just by watching how fast it was being finished. It was prepared in front of me. Like what their tag lie is, it says 'the goodness of fresh pasta' . And fresh it really is. I was their first customer because right after Robinson's Galleria opened for the day, I was inside already and I sprang on to the food court area looking for a reasonably priced first meal. 

Then it is done. My order in my tray and I headed to look for a good spot to enjoy my pasta. The portion was generous and the ingredients were the same. I counted more than 4 shrimps on my plate. And I mentioned that I don't want my pasta very spicy so the flavor was indeed mild only, which was suitable for my palate. I loved what I was eating and for its price, it's worth it. And it also came with a still crisp butter garlic bread that I liked too. I really appreciate this food joint. 

This is located at the heart of the food court so you won't miss it. 

So what's your choice?

You can wait while they cook it for you..but if there's a lot of people in line, just get seated because you might just be blocking them :)

Shrimp Diablo (P105) - generous servings and you can request on the level of spiciness of your pasta.

The verdict? Delicous! In fact, as of press time, I've been here twice already. Hehe. Try it out because you will be happy with it. I'm coming back to taste more of their other pasta dishes. :)

RESTO FACTS:

Food Court Level, Robinson's Galleria

EDSA corner Ortigas Avenue

Ortigas Philippines

  

FOODIE THOUGHTS: Amici @ Megamall

Dessert time is very important for me because after having a greatlunch or dinner, my palate would often look for a sweet ending to a great meal. And that's why, friend and I had our desserts here at Amici / Cara Mia Gelateria.

It was my first time to eat here and I was impressed with the selection of desserts that they had. They had gelato, gelato cakes and regular cakes. We really had a tough time choosing our piece of sweetness to give justice to the rest of our meal that we just ate. We spent around 10minutes just standing and peering over the glass counters to see which one dessert would catch our fancy. 

Sans Rival cake - i really loved it! it's so rich but not too creamy so it made me want to buy another slice but good thing I held myself back..

Mocha San Rival gelato cake - I really love sans rival and this kind rivaled by classic favorite. It melted in my mouth and at the same time, the chewy goodness is still there

Mocha Straciatella - the taste was very strong so I think it made me wide-eyed while at the mall

The verdict? Coming back again, definitely. And the good thing about all these, the prices are all less than P100 a piece. Prices ranges from P65-P95. You can have a quality dessert without needing to spend too much on it. :)

RESTO FACTS:

FOODIE THOUGHTS: Koryo's @ SM North Sky Garden

I found a great find at SM City North Edsa's Sky Garden! 

I always pass by this corner coming from Trinoma to SM North. From the footbridge connecting the 2 malls, this is the first sight that would greet you. This tiny nook that has a legion, of course I'm a wee bit exaggerating, that you would notice right away. Because I'm such a curious cat, I also fell in line and patiently waited for my turn. And when it was time, I was greeted by the sight of cute potato wedges that were cooked until they were looking crispy on the outside but for sure, so soft on the inside. Plus this gooey substance added to it for the flavor. That was the only option that was being sold so I did try it and after my first spoonful, was I so happy to have patiently waited. Good riddance.

Garlic Potato - For me, it's deep-fried perfectly! So great tasting! Small, bite-size pieces that absorbs 

all the flavor of that special sauce.I read somewhere here in the world wide web that the sauce composes 

of mayo, rice vinegar, soy, minced garlic, and sugar. I don't know if that's true because I ain't tried it yet but 

I plan to do so one of these days. 

The verdict? Perfect! I love it everytime I buy. But sadly, from an original price of P55, it is now P65. I guess 

that's how you can measure the popularity of one product, prices go up. And the serving has lessened a 

little bit as well. I hope they can still maintain the original serving size even if they raise the price just a little bit. 

Calling Koryo! 

RESTO FACTS:

Sky Garden, SM City North EDSA, 

Quezon City, Metro Manila