Stella Wood Fired Bistro

I would definitely be coming back to Stella at Bonifacio Global City.  Their sister Chelsea Restaurant has been one of my favorite places to dine so it's not surprising I also appreciated Stella's offerings as a wood fire bistro.

Housemade Real Iced Teas  Passion Fruit and Lemon Ginger Php120 each

Complimentary Roasted Tomato which goes with the bread

Roasted Garlic Mushroom Php 175

 Wood Fired Garlic Mushroom Cream Fettuccine Php 450

 Stella's Porchetta  Php 395

Spanish Chorizo and Garlic Fried Rice Php 95

A lazy afternoon stroll takes me to this laid back place.  Dishes are fresh, well presented, tasted good and yet still pretty affordable.  I highly recommend this place for everyone to try.  Two thumbs up for me.


STELLA 
Garden Level
 Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City

Kanin Club Revisited

Kanin Club

I believe Kanin Club has been in existence for more than 5 years now and been getting rave reviews.  Their original restaurant opened in Laguna and now they have branches in Makati, Alabang and Quezon City.  I ate at their QC branch at UP Technohub and I just looove their take on Filipino food.  My tummy was very satisfied and grateful.

 Crispy Liempo Php 142

 Kare Kare Php 358

 Bagoong Rice Php 149

 The famous Crispy Pork Dinuguan Php 261

Bistek Pinoy Php 187

I need not go into details since numerous reviews and blogs have already been written about this place.  All I can say is that if you haven't been to Kanin Club and love Filipino food,  they are really worth visiting and trying out.  We will absolutely come back soon.

Kanin Club
Quezon City
UP-Ayala Land TechnoHub

IHOP Restaurant .. is it worth the wait?

Saturday afternoon when hubby and I wanted to check out the much awaited and talked about IHOP Restaurant at BGC Taguig.  I was expecting the place to be jam packed and indeed it was.  Families, couples, groups of friends kept arriving.  We had no choice but to wait in line.  And so we waited for about 30 minutes before we got a seat.  

Started 54 yrs ago, IHOP is a very famous restaurant breakfast chain in the US, with over 1500 branches worldwide.  They serve pancakes, french toasts, omelet and also lunch and dinner items.  Now that they have reached Philippine shores, we are all but so excited to taste their world famous pancakes. 

I'm having mixed feelings about this place.  I like the interiors despite being very simple and plain.  Even with the hectic and very busy environment, the servers still manage to be friendly and accommodating.  I kinda don't like that the main dining area is on the 2nd floor, only because for families bringing babies and toddlers, it's a bit of a hassle to drag those bulky strollers up and down the stairs.  First floor has only a few tables.

Now what of the food? The Pancakes did live up to my expectations.  We had the New York Cheesecake (Php 285) flavor and it is really good.  Like what they say.. fluffy and yummy!  Kids will surely enjoy with different Pancake flavors to choose from.  However everything else we ordered were just okay.  Though my hubby liked his Bacon Temptation omelet (Php285) very much, my Hearty Ham and Cheese (Php 245) , was just so-so. The Appetizer Sampler  (Php 425) of onion rings, mozzarella sticks, chicken strips also tasted like your usual.  And the marinara and mustard dipping sauces,  watered down and tasted bland :-( .  Maybe I should have ordered the Steak or Fried Chicken instead.  But anyways, the Pancake itself was worth the trip but for me, not really worth waiting in line. 

Overall, (don't get mad at me IHOP fans) for me, it's a bit overrated.   I might go back if I find myself stranded again in the BGC area, craving for pancakes,  or I might give their other dishes a chance to prove the hype.  But to wait in line again...maybe not.

IHOP is located at:

  W Global Center

corner of 9th and 30th Ave.

   Fort Bonifacio

   Global City, Taguig

Clarisonic Mia

The rave reviews about Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System are just deafening I had to get my hands on this product.  They don't readily sell Clarisonic in the Philippines so I bought this online through Amazon and used Johnny Air's Retail Padala service to get it  shipped here. I've had my Clarisonic Mia for about 6 months now and despite the steep price I am really happy I bought it!

When you have combination oily skin, large pores, blackheads, pigmentation, etc... a really good cleansing regimen is a must, to really get into those pores, wash away impurities and to exfoliate the dullness away.

The Clarisonic Mia, the one I got, is the compact version.  Very easy to use, one button with one speed, comes with a charger and also waterproof! 

After using this for a week or 2, I noticed a huge improvement on my face. 

When I'm out and about the whole day and feel the build-up of air impurities, make up, oil onto my face, just using Clarisonic removes all of that, face feels so much lighter. As a result I noticed my blackheads have lessened and pores appear smaller.  Btw, I use this together with E-tude's Baking Powder Cleansing Foam.  Perfect pair for my skin.  

And because it cleanses the face very well, moisturizers and creams become more easily absorbed.

I highly recommend this product even for those with sensitive and acne prone skin.  Just use whatever cleansing foam, soap or cream suited for your skin type.  
Amazingly worth the price.
Rate 10/10.

Product Review: L'oreal Base Magique Primer

I'm starting off this year with a series of product reviews. I have put this off for quite some time now. And so let's get this rolling...

I got the L'oreal Base Magique Primer a few months ago and have almost forgotten about it.  There are mixed reviews about this product but here's my take on it.

First of all let me say that my frustration when it comes to skin or make up stuff is that with my combination oily skin, it is really a big challenge to find a good make up primer that has good staying power, will keep me looking oil free through out the day or atleast for 6 hours straight without me pulling out the blotting paper or tissue.  I read somewhere this l'oreal base magique primer may be the answer to my prayers.


So based on their website what it is -  transforming smoothing primer which instantly smooths pores and creates an even surface, so that you get a more flawless make-up result that lasts.
The silky, lightweight formula glides onto skin and minimises the look of pores and fine lines to transform your skin surface.


Here's what I think.  First time I used this it reminded me of Clinique's Pore minimizer which I love soooo much but is just pricey.  And so I got very excited being Loreal is a cheaper alternative. 

L'oreal Base Magique Primer has a creamy velvety texture.  A little goes a long way.  I got a small amount, rubbed between my fingers, as the instructions said, and it just glides so smoothly. I placed a small dab on my T-zone area, spreaded the product evenly and it did improve the appearance of my pores. It actually made my face look smoother with a nice matte finish. I like this effect!  I'm ready for my close-up now!

For the staying power... well...sad to say it didn't last as long as I hoped it would be.  After I applied it, did my usual make up routine and went about my errands for the day.  After about 3-4 hrs my face was shiny again :-(. Curse you humid weather! 
Also I didn't fancy the jar.  I hope they use the tube instead to avoid some cream getting stuck under my nail.


This did not give me breakouts though (thankfully) and I really love the smooth feel on my face.  On an ordinary day, I would just use this alone on my face.  With the price of Php945 there may be other primers that will perform equally well with the same price range or higher.  So I would still recommend this for my friends to try.  
Rating is 7/10. ( 10 being the highest)

DIY Himalayan Pink Salt Body Scrub

Using a body scrub is a wonderful way to exfoliate and rejuvenate dull skin.  We are always tempted to buy the expensive ones sold at the mall when in fact we can easily make one ourselves.  Recently I bought Himalayan Pink Salt and found out it's the healthiest salt for your body and great for the skin because of it's rich mineral content that includes over 84 minerals and trace elements.  This salt is considered as the purest form of salt on Earth. The high mineral crystals range in color from sheer white, varying shades of pink, to deep reds, the result of high mineral and iron content.  It is mined from sea salt deposits from ancient sea beds and it does not contain any pollutants and chemicals that are present in today’s sea salt.  

With that being said, Himalayan Pink salt is great for this Body scrub project.  So here it is!

What you need:

• a cupful of Himalayan pink salt
• 3 - 5 drops of your favorite essential oil
• 4 tablespoons of Olive oil or Sweet Almond oil or Virgin Coconut oil
• mixing bowl
• small canning  jars

If the salts are pretty chunky like mine, this needs to be grounded up to make a finer consistency.

In a bowl add the Himalayan salt and 4 tablespoons of your choice of oil ( Sweet Almond, VCO or Olive Oil)  Next add about 3 - 5 drops of essential oil.

Stir well.  Then spoon mixture into your jar.

Use within 2 weeks.

Definitely will make your skin softer and smoother after just one use.

Makes a very nice gift and a great excuse to indulge yourself.  I hope you try this one.  Enjoy!

DIY Christmas Gifts in a Jar!

If you are running out of ideas on what to give this Christmas, here comes another fun project to make - Gifts in a Jar! It's great for everyone, the neighbors, teachers, coworkers, friends and relatives.  They are simply adorable and very easy to make.

After going over many Gifts in a Jar recipes online, here are some of the simplest ideas I found and from here make your own twist on things:

Hot Chocolate in a Jar

Layer the ingredients for homemade cocoa in a jar.  Pack each layer using back of a spoon.
Add your ribbon and a cute tag and voilà you have a simple but stylish gift. 

1 cup powdered milk

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

This mix will fill a 1-quart jar.  At the back of the tag write "Mix contents in a large bowl and stir in 4 cups boiling water.  Makes 4 - 5 cups of delicious hot choco."

Tip:  Feel free to add other ingredients that will make your hot choco extra unique, just remember you can NOT add liquid items here.  Some examples of items you CAN layer are crushed peppermint candies or a few tsps of cinnamon powder or espresso powder or some white chocolate chips .... go ahead experiment!  I even read a recipe for Spicy Choco drink, this is with cayenne pepper! 

If you are giving this to someone who is cutting on the fat and sugar, by all means substitute the refined sugar with the equivalent splenda granulated or Stevia powder ( a better alternative) and use non fat powder milk. 

DIY Christmas Gift Ideas

It's the season for giving...

And what better way to share the love?  Make your own home made gifts for the holidays! Not only is it practical, it's also quite fun ( esp for the crafty ones - like me!) and that labor of love really gives it a special touch.

I did some research online and did them myself.  Thus I chose these really simple and very easy to make Christmas gifts.  I hope you'll like them. Here they are:

Room and Linen Spray

Linen sprays are a bit of an indulgence but we all love using them.  I use this for rooms, inside closets, in my workspace and even in my car.

Not everyone knows how easy it is to make requiring only very few ingredients.  So let's begin....

Simply gather the following:

1 tsp. essential oil of your choice ( for this project best bet are lavender, chamomile, peppermint)
1/4 cup unflavored vodka
3 1/2 cups distilled water
an empty spray bottle




Use an empty spray bottle or rinse out an old bottle with hot water. In a small bowl, mix essential oil and vodka together. The alcohol works as an emulsifier, allowing the oil and water to mix evenly. Pour the lavender-vodka mix into the spray bottle, add the water, and shake. Make sure to shake well before each use.  Lastly, put your labels for giveaways.

Some Tips:

• For an alcohol-free mixture omit the vodka, but make sure to shake rigorously before spraying, since the oil and water will separate.
• You can combine 2 essential oils that smell great together like Lavender and Chamomile, or Lavender and Lemmon as long as they are in 50:50 ratio total of 1 tsp.  
• There are essential oils not good for pregnant women.  Please read here for detailed list.

Rose Water Face Spritz

Rose water has cleansing, hydrating and anti-aging benefits.  It was believed Cleopatra would douse her face with rose water to keep a flawless complexion.  And the smell is just refreshing especially for our humid hot summer days.

You can use rose water by itself as a toner (astringent) to tighten pores, rejuvenate stressed skin, or to refresh post-workout skin. It is also great as a soothing under eye treatment to get rid of dark eye circles or puffy eyes, and can even be applied on the scalp to reduce inflammation and promote healthy hair growth.  Which makes this a perfect Holiday gift as well.

Simply gather the following:

a dozen fresh roses
a perfume atomizer or spray bottle
a large stock pot 
 distilled water
Cheesecloth or strainer

Start by plucking the petals off all the roses. The more fragrant the roses are the more fragrant the rosewater will be.    Wash the petals thoroughly with distilled water. Place rose petals in a large pot. Pour in distilled water, just enough to cover the rose petals. Put the pot over low fire and heat (do not boil) until the rose petals lose their color. You'll notice that rose oil (essential oil) is skimming over the water surface. This process should take about 1 hour.  Allow the water to cool completely, then strain and collect your pure rose water.  Add 1 tablespoon alcohol such as vodka as preservative and mix well.
Put water in your atomizer or spritzer bottle and put your labels for giveaways.

Some Tips:

• The rose water will keep up to a month with the preservative.
• Store it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
• So if this will be given as a gift, you can make them a few days before giving and put a tag with an expiration date and storage instructions.  If you choose not to put the preservative, it will last about 10 - 14 days, just make sure to store bottle in ref
• Roses need to be very fresh, in full bloom.  Always choose Roses with no pesticides or chemicals .

I hope these ideas will inspire you to start making your own Holiday gifts.  Not only do they save you on money, your friends and family will surely appreciate the effort.

Will be posting more DIY Christmas gift ideas after I experiment on some blends.  Coming up, All natural Body Butters and All natural Body scrub made of Himalayan Pink salts.

Chelsea Market Cafe Podium

I first heard of this restaurant back in 2009 when my hubby was raving about their Pasta Carbonara dish.  One of his foreigner clients brought him there.  He said it's the most delicious Fetuccine Carbonara he had ever tasted.  Chelsea Market Cafe's first branch was at Serendra and even if it was quite far from where we live, I didn't think twice and planned to go there the next chance we got which was a day or two later. :-) Indeed their dishes deserve all the praise.  Since then, Chelsea is our go to place when we find ourselves in Serendra with the urge to splurge.

After some years they have grown in number and last night hubby and I were at their Podium branch having a late dinner.  

 Bottomless Iced Tea 

 Truffled Green Pea and House-made Mushroom Ravioli  Php280 ++
Not everyone may be a fan of this one.  The truffle oil can be overpowering and masks the subtle flavor of the green peas.

Johnny Air Cargo Retail Padala

I read about Johnny Air Cargo's Retail Padala Service a few months ago and I was quite shocked to find out they have had this service for a number of years now.  Why the heck didn't I know about this sooner? Good thing someone blogged about it.  Now ordering online  is as easy as 1-2-3.

So after some thought I decided to try this out.  

First visit their website Johnny Air and follow the instructions which are simple and easy to understand.

Here it is, the how-to process:

SHIP A PACKAGE

Our service consists of shipping from the United States to any of our offices in the Philippines. When you buy online, we will only charge you the shipping rates from our office in Woodside, New York to any of our offices in the Philippines.  When you order online, please indicate the following when they ask for your shipping info:

Shipping Addresses

New York: Retail Padala / “your name”      69-04 Roosevelt Ave.  Woodside, NY 11377-2934	San Francisco:  Harry Jules Banzon/”your name” 55 Saint Francis Square Daly City, CA 94015 Telephone : (650) 991-7080
New Jersey (1)Retail Padala / “your name” 627 Summit Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07306	Los Angeles Rommel Villafranca/”your name” 153 South Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90004 Telephone : (213) 386-7080

     

After you order, kindly send me an email to let me know that you are expecting a package. This way, we will be able to send you your package without any delays. From experience, it takes about 5 to 8 days for your order to
reach our office in Woodside and 5 to 7 days from Woodside to Manila. When your package arrives in Manila, our branch there will call you to let you know that it is ready for pick up.Shipment fees will be due upon pick up of your package.

If you are still unsure, you can always call any of their branches or visit them and have one of their friendly staff personnel explain the process.

So what I did was basically this:

• Ordered the stuff I wanted online via Amazon.com 
• At the check out portion of Amazon.com, under SHIPPING Address, I used Johnny Air's New York office address.   Also before the address I placed the name of the contact person Analyn ( this I learned after reading blogs and forums which makes tracking and shipping easier)

                      Analyn /  "my name"
                      Johnny Air Retail Padala
                      69-04 Roosevelt Ave. 
                      Woodside, NY 11377-2934   

• Then I sent an email to Analyn Diego, with my personal details and told her of my orders.  I also mentioned that I wanted them picked up at their SM Megamall branch.
• Just to be sure I also called their Headofc in Makati and gave same details.
• At this point you have to monitor and track your package/s.  When I saw online that the packages have been delivered to NY ( which took only 2 days), I emailed Analyn with the tracking #s and confirmed if the packages are with them. She sent me back an email confirmation the next day.  
• Then wait for items to be shipped from New York to Manila.  
• Nov 23 was when I placed my order on Amazon.com, my package arrived at the Megamall branch on Dec. 4 after lunch.  I was informed via email by their Megamall br.

The stuff I ordered

I paid Johnny Air Php 1372 for the shipping and handling of my package.  It's a great service.  They are efficient and the staff is helpful.  Shopping online from US is now easy breezy!

For more details please visit their website or call any of their branches.

Beeswax : Waxing and Nail care from Nature

I was glad to discover BEESWAX Waxing and Nail care salon few days ago while I was doing my  grocery shopping at SM Hypermart in Pasig.  

                                         

This salon uses vegan and organic products to service their waxing and nail care of their customers.

Holiday Bazaars Part 4 @ Christkindlmarket

Christkindlmarket Manila, is inspired by the original Christkindlmarket in Nuremberg Germany.  The goal is to feature European traditions and goods to promote awareness and interest among Filipinos. 

If you are a lover of anything and everything sweet, Christkindlmarket is the place to be.  For an entrance fee of Php200, you can experience the unique taste of world class products that surely will send you to a different level of sugar high. 

Let the pictures speak for themselves.

Holiday Bazaars Part 3 @ Noel Bazaar (WTC)

The Noel Bazaar is one of those most anticipated Bazaars in the Metro every Holiday season.  Not only do they have so many booths featuring the best gift and personal items, Noel Bazaar continues to share their blessings to charity like the GMA Kapuso Foundation, the Bantayog ng mga Bayani and Associate Missionaries of Assumption Foundations, and the Sts. Peter & John Church and Noel P. Gozon Memorial Clinic.  

So a few days ago my friend and I decided to go to Noel Bazaar @ the World Trade Center to check out what's new and hopefully buy items for our long Christmas list.

Holiday Bazaars Part 2 @ BLUE MARKET

Saturday morning, me and my eldest went to Blue Market at Ateneo de Manila, a special fund raising weekend bazaar featuring booths that will delight any shopaholic and also food lovers out there.  Here are some pictures I took of the event.

A lot of Organic produce sold here.

 I love their Lemongrass drink.  Very refreshing during this very hot day!

 Food food glorious food!

More choices!!

Calling all meat lovers!

Paseo Uno

It's been a long time since we visited Paseo Uno.  Few years back hubby got the Membership for Mandarin Oriental which offers a lot of food vouchers with big discounts, freebies and accommodation discounts to all Mandarin Oriental Hotels worldwide.  We spent a good number of weekend getaways at the Mandarin and dinner at Paseo Uno was something we enjoyed.  ( We had vouchers for free dinners or 30% Off for members )We didn't renew the membership when it expired after a year because we got the one of Hotel Intercontinental instead to give it a try.  ( mainly also because Intercon has a bigger swimming pool which was also newly renovated ).

Anyways, we went back to Paseo Uno a few nights ago when we got stuck in Makati after our son's Foundation Program held at RCBC Plaza which lasted from 4pm - 9pm.  Famished and looking for a familiar place to eat, we decided to come back to Paseo Uno.

Awarded by Asia Tatler Dining as one of the Best Restaurants in 2012

Located at the Ground Flr of Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Paseo Uno gives a modern, sleek, elegant vibe as you enter.

Marks & Spencer Gift Ideas

Marks & Spencer's bath and body products are great gift ideas not only during Holidays but also for other occasions.  Aside from their regular scents Lavender, Magnolia, Rose, Iris and Lily of the Valley to name a few they have come up with new choices: Peach Almond, Fig & Orange Oil, Lemon Verbana , Cocoa Butter and a lot more.  My personal fave scent is Iris and Lavander.  They have lotions, body butter, talc powder, shower creme and shower gel for each of this scent.  It's a great gift to put together one set of the scent ideal for the person receiving it.

Holiday Bazaars Part 1 @ Eastwood

Yesterday at Eastwood Mall, I came upon a small bazaar of nice gift ideas.  Most of the stalls sell accessories which can be cute gifts for lady friends. 

Affordable trinkets which adds charm to any outfit.  Earrings range from Php100 -  250 depending on design.  Bracelets range from Php200 - 600, Rings for Php 150 - 500 and necklaces depending on length and pendants cost Php 250 - 800.

Kanzhu : Hand Pulled Noodles

A few weeks ago, my sister brought me and my mom to this place along Timog Ave to try their noodle dishes.  My mom was craving for soup at that time so we gave this place a try.

The name itself, Kanzhu is Chinese in origin and hand pulled noodles are a staple in Northern China.  As you enter, you'll notice a very casual ambiance with an open kitchen set-up for customers to view how their famous hand pulled noodles are made.

Mister Kebab

Back then, during my college days, our favorite go to, late night and early morning meal after our bar hops and disco dancing gimiks, ( sometimes tipsy) was and is until now one of my favorite places to eat......Mister Kebab!  

I remember some years ago when they just started, the place was very small with 2 Middle Eastern looking men taking the orders and doing the grilling themselves.  Eating here brings back fond memories. Mister Kebab has come a long way since then.

They used to be located at the corner of West Ave and Quezon Ave, which is now occupied by a new Shakey's resto.  They then moved just a few meters still along West Ave.  The place is now bigger and brighter.  I consider myself lucky for growing up, living near West Ave, about 10 mins away and discovering this place when only a few knew of it's existence.  

Through the years people from everywhere in the Metro come here to have a taste of their delicious Persian dishes.  My favorite, Chelo Kebab and Keema among the long list of other bestseller dishes.  Almost everyone I know have been here to eat and they all share the same opinion of how good the food is!  

The dishes are simple and straightforward.  The classic Double beef Chelo Kebab meal consists of grilled tomatoes, grilled ground beef and rice with butter.  What completes the dish is their white yogurt sauce.  They never fail to make my tummy happy everytime.  Many have tried to copy or imitate the taste of their food but I believe,  NO ONE has ever come close.  You just have to taste it to know what I mean.

Tender Bob's Shangri-la Mall

Tender Bob's is our go to place when my family is craving for that all american comfort food.  We love their bestseller steaks and chicken meals.  I personally like their dips and chowder dishes.  However last week's dining experience was just disappointing for me.