Songdowon Korean BBQ Restaurant 송도원 Quezon City Branch in Manila!

The hunt for Korean restaurants in Manila is ongoing before my big trip to Korea this month! This time, we tried Songdowon Premium Korean BBQ in Quezon City. I was intrigued by this restaurant due to the extensive menu and beef options. I was so excited that I forgot to take our picture while eating haha. We had lunch here on a Wednesday and everyone thought it was worth going back to again and the service we received was excellent. Their main branch is in Pasay and we were told that the one cooking there is a Korean.

Date Night at Alishan and Dean & Deluca Scout Rallos!

Some weekdays are for office days then date night right after! We just went to Alishan and Dean & Deluca Scout Rallos in Quezon City! I was actually on official business to claim my first 2021 prize hehe. Alishan Philippines had a giveaway on Instagram and I won! Alishan Taiwan is part of the Dean & Deluca group - this I learned when they were supposed to open beside each other in Greenhills.

Manila Food Trips: Silantro at UP Town, Slappy Cakes at SM Aura and Alley at The Grove Rockwell!

All restaurants and malls in Manila I frequent are closed for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday... And so, in this period where eating at home is the only clear option for me, I choose to look back on my latest food trips in Manila (so I don't feel as if I have nowhere to go this lenten break) haha. Check out Silantro at UP Town, Slappy Cakes' new menu offerings and this Alley restaurant at The Grove Rockwell =)

 

Four Seasons Hotpot City by Vikings Buffet Lunch and Dinner Offerings in Manila and Quezon City!

During a rainy day like this, all I want is a steaming bowl of soup - even better when the soup base is already there and I get to put in what I want until I surrender from food coma! Haha. Whatever the season or occasion, the newly opened Four Seasons Hotpot City at Manhattan Parkview in Cubao might be a good choice because they have both the hotpot and buffet part with unlimited drinks included in the rates already. The spread is international and they also have a taste of Pinoy desserts for your guests. I'm here to give you a tour because I love going around before I choose in a buffet hehe. I've discovered some that I don't see in usual buffets and hotpot selections and I actually love the thought that went into providing kiddie dining sets here. 

 

What's New: Manila Food Trips with Italian, Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese Inspirations!

I'd like to let you in on these short Manila foodie adventures with J recently. The first one we had for breakfast after my workout one day in Greenhills, the second one for a late night dinner also in San Juan and the last for a dessert night out with fellow couples in Quezon City. And all three coincidentally have promos at the moment. ;)

 

New Discoveries in Manila - Costa Coffee, Lazy Boy Fort Cinema Club and Uke Box Music Caffe!

Movies, hang-out, food and music in Manila - these things I've been doing more of lately with J. Many thanks to Rado Watches for the invite to the Mission Impossible screening. They have this new premiere cinema club for Rado Swiss Watches patrons! I got to appreciate the comforts of an all-theater lazy boy experience at the BGC Cinemas. They carry the Tissot watches in the film as well, BTW. ;)

ASEAN Training Talk on Blogging about Organic Agriculture and the New ATI Learning and Discovery Center in Quezon City!

One of the most fun and self-learning experiences I've had so far this year was speaking for fellow Asians at the Agricultural Training Institute of the Philippine Department of Agriculture. This particular training was conducted here as part of the agreement and participation of the Philippines with the ASEAN. It's surreal and the opportunities keep evolving - what all that travel blogging has taken me so far. I would like to take this opportunity to thank ATI for my organic journeys around the Philippines. My life was truly changed from that moment you introduced traveling to farms to me. For a bite of that experience here in Manila, let me just tell you guys that they've just opened the ATI Learning and Discovery (LeAD) Center for students and the public at their compound in Quezon City. Some of the farms and farmers we went to are featured there and there are dioramas related to Philippine agriculture and dissemination of agri information in the country.

 

Food Trips in Metro Manila - Caution Hot! in QC, Hoolala Korean Chicken in Ortigas, Ilustrado in Intramuros, SingSarap Chicken and Bob's Korean Burger at Robinsons Pioneer

This is a compilation of random food trips I had with J in a short span of time LOL. We went to Quezon City, Pasig, Manila and scouted near his Galleon office in Mandaluyong for simple filling meals and to try some restaurants (like the first 2) that we haven't tried before. There are some improvement areas but when you're too thrilled with just being able to see your partner for more time than usual, you tend to choose to notice the good stuff around you and enjoy those little precious moments you have. One particular restaurant reminds me of an amusing conversation about wishbones haha. Let me just take you on a food trip around Metro Manila right now while I reminisce and reconnect with my writing muse =)

Quezon City Food Trip - An Epic Organic Food Cuckoo Diet and Mad Hatter Night at Van Gogh is Bipolar in Maginhawa Street with a Reader!

I'd had thoughts of wanting to be a tourist guide or have my own travel agency when I started this blog but put those plans aside because I had a different and crazy idea from the norm. Maybe I'm not exposed much, but I only ever saw my idea coming to life somewhat like those of what Daniel Gray of SeoulEats.com and Sachiko-san (of Japan) do. I never thought I could pull it off with a lot of help and fun haha. One fine day, a reader from the US said that he was coming here and plans for a day out started spiralling from there. I dragged J and my friend D out for a no-exact-plan Manila tour with Jordan and Jeremy hihi. We ended up having a wonderful food trip in Quezon City - showing them our childhood favorites, college snacks, partying (without the alcohol), just chillin' out and crossing out some stuff from their must-try list. We let them in our kind of Manila local experience and showed them the perks & quirks that came with having us as friends (that they just met) =D For private Manila tours like these, please don't hesitate to contact me through the form LOL.

Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, an Interesting Find in Quezon City!

A few weeks ago, I heard about the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City. I was thrilled by the thought that there is a place like this near the QC Circle. I later found out that it used to be a go-to place for families living near the area. Today, it's an alternative to the La Mesa Ecopark and popular among photography enthusiasts. Inside there's the PAWB-Wildlife Rescue Center that serves as a temporary refuge for donated, rescued, abandoned and confiscated animals for quarantine and rehabilitation. Those deemed fit enough will be released back into their natural habitats while those unfit and exotic animals are put in the mini-zoo in the name of academics, scientific research and awareness. Honestly, I had mixed feelings with this short day trip. It's an amazing experience yet a bit heartbreaking. This is one of those times when I spent a bit more time with my camera as a tool to tell my story. Of course, you'll get the full experience when you go there yourself...

  

Japanese-Inspired iSuites, Newest Boutique Hotel in Quezon City!

I was recently invited to the opening of the newest boutique hotel in Quezon City. Japanese-inspired and run by a very young student entrepreneur Mika Singson Mendoza, iSuites is conveniently located just a few minutes walk from Gateway Mall, Shopwise Supermarket, the LRT Araneta-Cubao Station, Bus Terminals to the provinces and the Smart Araneta Coliseum. You can choose from 12 different room types in iSuites (scroll down below for a lot of pictures) and all rooms have free WiFi access (wee!), air-conditioned, free breakfast (yey!), cable TV, hot and cold shower, safety deposit box and minibar. There is also an elevator, security, the Tatami restaurant, covered parking downstairs and complimentary pickup to and from the Partas Cubao Terminal to iSuites. The only thing I would want more for iSuites is more lights in the rooms. I like the big rooms very much, particularly the Sake and Geta rooms, and it is perfect for groups of friends and up to a family of 8 (cheaper and with kitchens and living rooms too) while the small ones are good for both short and long-stays (rates may get cheaper)!

Favorite Guiltless Restaurant Picks In Manila / Also Top Guiltless Date Places in Manila

Eating different cuisines in Manila is a great way to experience a slice of life in different parts of the world. I am not an expert in differentiating which one is more authentic because you would have to have a good palate, a good memory and a thick wallet to do that. I do, however, have my own list of favorite restaurants in Manila that serve different cuisines. If you ever decide to try them out, you will be able to get a taste of my food preferences and how restaurateurs perceive either their own food or an adaptation of another cuisine through their restaurants. Sometimes, they even try to provide the same ambiance, culture, language and service of the country they are representing. Oftentimes, everything suits your taste that you end up assuming that this must be what I would be served when I go to that country. Note: Some restaurants here adjust their recipes to satisfy the Filipino senses.

As for this blog post, favorites are favorites. It's so hard to rank them and there is no need because they have different cuisines. Only my favorite locations are listed and I've included restaurants opened by locals (even those with no particular cuisine). We are not going to discuss the price because premium ingredients are generally expensive and restaurants are supposed to make some business (if you don't like to eat at home and make it yourself). If you eat in one of my favorite restaurants and you don't like the food I marked with Y, it just means that we have different tastes. I rest my case. This post will appear again once in a while with new additions (new restaurants and pictures) so stay tuned! I will search the metro and pickle my brain for some more.

Volunteer Kythe Foundation Philippines

I missed the annual Mooncake Dice Games scheduled this year. I’ve been doing all sorts of activities related to blogging, attending events and going on trips included, and time just really flew by. I’m pausing today to shine the light on some “travel” experiences in Manila through a series of short posts. This is one of them.

Play With Clay at the Cubao Expo!

I learned a lot of interesting techniques from the experts about playing with clay thanks to the public mini workshop held during the 2nd Annual Philippine Polymer Clay Festival this year. I guess the most obvious learning was that if someone was creative enough and do variations of the basics that I have listed below, it could turn into a real business. 

I believe you can only move on and be on your way to make pieces as beautiful and complex as this if you've mastered the basics.

purpleluggage.multiply.com

Cubao Expo Clay Fest

I was a Play-Doh girl. I was obviously curious about the annual Philippine Polymer Clay Festival organized by The Bead Lady in Cubao Expo.

Creative entrepreneurs generously showcased their works of art. Clay is no longer just for the kids now.