French Food at the Nostalgia Lounge Restaurant in Ortigas!

One of the cuisines I have yet to appreciate is French food. There are not a lot of French restaurants that I know of in Manila and France is far away. What comes to mind though are escargot, pate, fois gras, confit, cheese, pastries, macaroons, wine and chocolates! The Nostalia Lounge with French Chef Jerome Cartailler are having a Paris-themed menu until the end of this month. J couldn't get over the appetizers while I delightfully munched on the mains and a bit of dessert ;)

Friday Night Classics at Oakwood Manila's Nostalgia Dining Lounge!

The weeks have been flying by so fast and it feels like I just blinked and it was Friday again. On the one hand, there's this gnawing thought that work is endless and there's this other relief that the rest days are unexpectedly beginning now. I would suggest going to Oakwood Premier Manila's Nostalgia Dining Lounge to check out their Friday Night Classics with a friend or special someone on this kind of day asap (plan out next week this early)! Don't you just want to go back to having a nice dinner out once in a while and dine to your heart's content until closing with soothing music on the background? As usual, for this post, I loved the ambiance, the food, the company, the service and the music here. 

 

Jazzy Sunday American Brunch Buffet at the Oakroom! + Giveaway

What do you do on Sundays? For some of us, it's our only alone time away from our work from Mondays to Saturdays. Is music part of your chillax day? There's a new Sunday lunch buffet concept that combines American food with live jazzy entertainment at the Oakroom until next month only! I happened to try out their buffet last week and I can only say that a combination of lunch + music + good company + travel conversations is a great way to start your Sunday =) It was like a mix of alone time and friends time in one go. Enjoy Oakroom's Jazzy Brunch selection (below) from 12 noon to 3 p.m. every Sunday until November 2014 ;)

Italian Food Festival - The Oakroom Ortigas Italian Buffet Every Saturday at Oakwood Manila!

Ever get that automatic love for something you have just heard about? Yep, that's what happens to me every time I experience something Italian (I haven't been to Italy yet and there must be a good experience in my past that influenced this...)! Add that to a very happy memory during this launch and I ended up being so present to every moment up to the last bite :) I took the opportunity to learn Italian words too because it's included in my language plans after Korean and Spanish hehe. Enjoy Sabato Cena Italiana ("Italian Dinner Saturdays") at Oakroom Ortigas from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. until August 30, 2014!

Oakroom Ortigas Gives a Taste of Korean Food in Manila with Korean Chefs from Oakwood Seoul!

These days, especially after the Wiki Korea Tour, my comfort food preference has gone international haha. I always seem to be craving for the flavors of Korea. Sadly, there are only a few Korean restaus in Manila that I like (good thing most of them are in the Ortigas area hehe). I was super delighted when the invite came from Oakroom! Two Korean chefs from Oakwood Korea are in Manila to cook for Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg guests and Oakroom diners this week :) There's Chef Lee Sangmoo and the Seoul International Food Expo Champion Chef Young Jung Kim from Oakwood Premier COEX Center Seoul. This a la carte offering is good for lunch from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner at Oakroom Bar & Restaurant from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.!

Oakroom at Oakwood Premier Joy-Nostalg Center Celebrates the 4th of July with the All-American Food and Wine Fest - Steaks and Burgers Galore in Manila!

We had just celebrated our Independence Day here in Manila this month. Just a week more, it would be the start of another month and a very big holiday in the US - the 4th of July independence celebration. I had featured Oakroom Restaurant in the past and they've successfully held food festivals for the past year. There's a sampling of different cuisines every time from Chinese to Italian to Indian to the World of Rice. This time around as a tribute to this upcoming holiday in the US, from this month to July 26, it's time for the oh-so-familiar American food, complete with soup, steaks, burgers and dessert with their All American Food and Wine Fest! Read all the way to the end since there's a treat there somewhere for one of my lucky readers =)

Paolo Santos, Jay Durias and OPM Hits in Manila!

The coming of June signals the end of summer in Manila, wedding bells for some, the start of rainy days and the realization that half of the year has already passed. I love the second half of the year because of the many celebrations, film festivals and music events in Manila. Jeff and I spent our 10th year at the Independence Music Fest in Pasig - singing with Paolo Santos, Jay Durias (of South Border) and Freestyle while munching on Pinoy food all in one night. I'm including a list of some of the OPM hits that we sang to below and a short patikim video hehe. FYI, you can come every Wednesday night and do this at Tiendesitas - Paolo Santos plays there every week! 

The Oakroom of Manila Oakwood Hotel Launches The World of Rice Toppings!

The Oakroom, located at Manila's Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila in Ortigas, just brought back The World of Rice Toppings this year! Let Resident Chef Jerome Cartailler and his crew take you on a journey through a sampling of rice dishes from around the world - one each from the Philippines, China, Thailand, Italy, Spain, Hawaii, Japan, Vietnam, India, Korea and Iran. This is an a la carte menu so you can try a country or two for a meal then come back for others until May 31, 2013 =) I was given a sampling of the sampling below (actual sizes of the dishes are way bigger) so I got to try out the Philippines, Spain and Hawaii. Hehe. I'm sure that this will be a hit, especially here, since we just LOVE rice.

Oakroom Restaurant Pasig, Indian Food Festival in Manila!

Craving for something different this week? Check out this Indian Food Festival happening in Manila from today until March 1, 2013 (next Friday) at Oakroom! Let me give you a sampling below and if you want more, maybe you'll give spice-y world of Indian cuisine a chance. My spotlight today is again with this restaurant because it has made it into my Favorite Guiltless Date Places in Manila list. As I've said before in that post:

Eating different cuisines in Manila is a great way to experience a slice of life in different parts of the world. Read all about my previous Oakroom review here.

A Thanksgiving Dinner with the US Potato Board and the USDA + An All Potato Experience For You!

I was excited to join the Thanksgiving dinner in Manila, hosted by the US Potato Board Philippines (USPB) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). It's something I look forward to now ever since I've been introduced to the same Thanksgiving experience, um, last year haha. It's an evening filled with potatoes from appetizers to dessert and a private dinner once again with dishes prepared by Chef Myrna Segismundo! This year, Chef Robby Goco of the famed Greek restaurant chain Cyma gave us a taste of Potato Martinis to boot! I was also able to bring home something for two of my readers so that you can have a gourmet potato experience yourself at home =)

Play the MoonCake Festival Dice Game in Mid-Autumn Manila!

It's that time of the year again for a gathering of the Chinoys - that is, Chinese living in the Philippines. Every 15th of August in the Chinese calendar, they gather around for the annual Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节 (ZhongQiuJie). It's also known as the Mooncake Festival because the pastries they give away called mooncakes are sold only at this time of the year. According to myth, the festival commemorates the story about an immortal husband (on earth) and his wife (on the moon) who were separated and are only reunited at this time of the year. The most popular story about the mooncake was when the rebels of the Mongol rule hid a note urging the non-Mongol Chinese to attack against the government and succeeded in overthrowing the enemy and established of the Ming Dynasty. The moon is also at its brightest, fullest and most beautiful form during this celebration.

I look forward to this celebration every year. The Chinese in the Philippines have a very unique tradition during the month of the festival - a Mid-Autumn Mooncake dice game (or Bua Diong Chiu in Hokkien) that has been passed from generation to generation. When I was young and still a student, I also took this as a learning opportunity. It's actually a dying tradition in a sense that not a lot of people are clear about the rules, how to go about it and how to organize a gathering for this dice game. It's pretty simple really and I want to show you how it's done to carry on this fun tradition. I believe even non-Chinoys will enjoy this game.

My Dream Marathon - The Bull Runner Marathon in Nuvali!

March 20, 2011 (Sunday)

Today was a day where impossible dreams came true in NUVALI. Hundreds of first-time marathoners finished a 42K race. Who in their right minds would do that, right?

Maybe I can make my dreams come true after this.

Cine Europa Film Festival 2012 Schedule, Free Movies All Day Long! Now in Manila, Cebu, CDO, Davao, Baguio and Iloilo!

I can't believe it's been almost two years since I did that Cine Europa 13 5-day marathon! This year's Cine Europa 15 2012 kicks off today in Manila! The Cine Europa 15 Film Festival will be held in Manila (Luzon) until September 16, 2012 then in Cebu (Visayas) from September 21 to September 24, 2012 and in Cagayan de Oro (Mindanao) from September 27 to 30, 2012! But wait, Cinema Europa 15 will also be shown in Davao (Mindanao) from October 4 to 7, 2012, Baguio (Luzon) from October 11 to 14, 2012 and Iloilo (Visayas) from October 18 to 21, 2012!!! This year's lineup includes 21 films from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom!

SMB 7107 Celebrations Website Launched!

More and more Filipino companies are joining the bandwagon to promote the wonders of the Philippines either in cooperation with the Department of Tourism or in their own little way. Let me tell you about the latest travel event happening online: the San Miguel Beer 7107 Celebrations website!

Baby Showers, Baby Gifts and Baby Dragons

Chances are, this year is going to be filled with a lot of baby showers. Have you heard of the fuzz about babies being born during the Year of the Dragon? This is the year of the Baby Dragons and it doesn't come around again for another 12 years. If you have a Dragon Male Child, soon-to-be married Chinese couples would want him to roll on their matrimonial bed and sleep on it before the wedding. A red envelope awaits the child and that, ladies and gentlemen, is just a glimpse of what good fortune and strong power that those born under the sign wields. This coming Chinese New Year marks the start of the year of the Water Dragon. Click here for the difference in traits between Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth Dragons. I just found out for fun that I am a Wood Ox and this site says all sorts of stuff about me that I can relate with. Hehe. Check the Chinese calendar though for the Chinese New Year on your year of birth if you want to look for your Chinese horoscope sign.

On another note, I'd like to say best wishes to a dear friend and sister Kit. This tribute post is about the coolest baby shower I attended ever in my life and for the year. I was with an awesome set of friends and what transpired that night was something that I will keep close to my heart. If the task of organizing a simple and successful baby shower falls onto your lap, don't fret. I do intend to help you out a little through this post. If you are looking for baby shower gifts or baby gifts or baby shower party food, there is also something in this post for you.

A Postal Heritage Tour to Remember, A Closer Look at the Manila Central Post Office and the Metropolitan Theater!

From the era of snail mails, I remember getting excited whenever I'd go to my mom's office and going for every envelope I could find on her table. While she worked and talked about how I could help out in the office, I would get busy sorting and cutting the stamps out of the envelopes, place them in cold water and wait for the remaining paper at the back of the stamps to come right off. Sometimes, I would find a pile she had already picked out for me for my collection. I suddenly recalled this special bonding moment after spending half a day exploring Old Manila.

A few months ago, I came across an open invitation for a Free Philippine Postal Heritage Tour by the Filipinas Stamp Collector's Club. I remember thinking that it was my chance to appraise the real value of the stamps I bought last year for P20 a set. I couldn't find the stamps at the last minute and decided to just set out on another adventure. What I got instead was a rekindled appreciation for the things that I have long forgotten and never really paid much attention to while growing up.

Foodie Adventure at Mercato Centrale & Midnight Mercato

The foodie in me just came out of the closet. Imagine Banchetto and Legaspi Sunday Market in the quiet but hip side of town on weekends, from Friday to Sunday. Both the new weekend lifestyle market and the night foodie market promise gastronomic adventures for food lovers out there in Manila.

Getting Close to the Sparks, the Pyromusical Competition in Manila Bay!

February 12, 2011 (Saturday)

Closeup is a major sponsor for this year's Pyromusical Competition at the Manila Bay (with a very appropriate tagline I must say). Getting close to the sparks is definitely an experience to remember. Just get ready to flash that smile =D

Ready for Balloons, Sparks, Music and Love!

February 11, 2011 (Friday)

There are 2 main events in the Philippines that happen simultaneously on a Saturday before Valentine’s Day, at least from my personal experience last year and this year.  I remember because it was quite hard to choose one over the other so we chose to go to both last year – February 13, 2010. It was not a good choice since one was in Clark, Pampanga while the other was in Manila. It was my first Hot Air Balloon Fiesta and the 1^st ever Pyromusical Competition in the Philippines. I wasn’t blogging then so I was quite oblivious to what was really happening except those that caught my attention. Last year was a purely visual experience and I was content to watch balloons and sparks in the sky. I was determined to make this year a different experience for both.

Manila '10 - 3 Ways to Participate In The Amazing Race

The Amazing Race Asia grand prize money is $100,000. If you become one of the teams in this race, you can win more (non-cash prizes like trips) depending on the pitstop. You also get to travel and see the world hurriedly but you will take all these experience with you PLUS bragging rights. The Amazing Race Asia has been airing since 2006 exclusively on AXN. You should be outgoing and adventurous and hand in a very convincing 3-minute audition video with your partner. There will be preliminary section rounds before the actual race. You will be off-radar from your family and friends for about a month or so for the race. And if you get eliminated early in the race, you can't go home just yet (you have to stay with the producers until the race is over).

Lani became more famous when she joined as 
Team Philippines in The Amazing Race Asia Season 4!

Do you know what I'm getting at? Are you willing to do anything to travel or to have this great experience?