Photo above from this site

    

“A party without cake is just a meeting”. Well, Julia Child has laid it out perfectly, and who am I to argue with that, right? As with all the party I attended, from birthdays, weddings, christening, Christmas parties, bridal shower and the list goes on, a cake is always a must. So for those of you who are planning a party or would just want to turn their next meeting into a party; make it extra special and sweeter with Now Baking. Now Baking is local startup business offering personalized cakes and goodies to cater your party needs. This shop is very close to my heart and our go-to place for our parties, aside from that it is owned by my sister, Now Baking cakes are always a delight on your taste buds.

Each cake is handcrafted to your personal request at an affordable price. Check out the photos below for samples of personalized cakes made with love.

 

For all of you mommies and dear readers, who would want their families celebration to be extra special, visit its page at http://www.facebook.com/nowbakingph or message my sister at 0932 652 5300. By the way, she is also offering a Baking 101 workshop this March, check out this post for more details.

 Have a sweeter life!

Love

~A

Food Advendtures: GASTRO PARK

Last Friday, Momo and I sneak in a little date night at Gastro Park at Kapitolyo, Pasig City. I've been wanting to dine here since I was pregnant and finally find the time to do so. Yay!

You will be instantly amuse at the entrance of Gastro Park because of (1) the swing that they intentionally put there for picture taking purposes and (2) the flower/grass and abstract walls that are very instagrammable! Being a park and considering the weather here in the Philippines, you would think dining here would be inconvenient, well they proved me otherwise. The place is well ventilated, i didn't actually feel that I was in an open area the whole time I was eating. Forgot to get a whole picture of the place, sorry I was too excited to order food and am really starving. Will ensure to take a photo when I go back.

So we tried out four food stalls:

1. JAPBOX

     

     They offer Japanese inspired rice toppings, maki and other Japanese side dishes at a pretty affordable price. I tried their Pork Tonkatsu, it is tasty although it didn't taste like Japanese. Considering the taste and the serving, it is quite affordable.

 

 

  

2. The MASALA BAR

         They offer deliciously curated Indian cuisine. If you love spicy food, this is a place for you. We ordered the Beef Masala Curry with pita bread and pico de gallo. I really love the mix of spice on the beef, it's like your taste bud is fully satisfied at first bite but you still want more. What I did not like is that there was too much oil on the pita bread. I have yet to try their other meals, can't wait!

 3. TOKYO TEMPURA

           It was a little late for us when we found out that they are offering unlimited shrimp tempura for only PHP199 if you avail of their rice for PHP50. You are reading it right PHP249 for an unlimited tempura!!! Since I'm allergic to shrimp, I just tried their other very unique product, BACON FRIES!!! For only PHP100, you can have four large strips of crispy bacon fries dipped in special jalapeno sauce. Hmmmm... yum!

Happy customer here! I know I said four stalls but I forgot where we bought that Juice in a Fish Bowl drink.

So many reasons to come back, maybe next time will bring Little N! <3 p="">

How's your Friday night going so far? Hope you're having a blast! Gonna join my family's slumber party. 'Til the next one!

Love

~A

Food Adventures: YAYOI TEISHOKU RESTAURANT

 

Japanese food always has a special place in my heart, how not to love ramen, sushi, maki, teppanyaki, miso soup, gohan (yes, I love their rice) and so many more! I was really happy that more and more Japanese restaurants were opening up near our area. This particular restaurant that we try a few weeks ago was Yayoi Teishoku Restaurant. Teishoku is a type of Japanese set meal, where all of the dishes in the course are served together as a set. Teishoku dining is based on the ichiju-issai (or “one soup, one side”) traditional meals offered at Zen temples, which included a main, soup, rice, and pickles (definition from www.gurunavi.com).  

I tried the Teriyaki Salmon Teishoku, the set menu consist of miso soup, tamago, pickled raddish, mixed greens with special salad dressing and gohan. There was nothing special on th miso soup, tamago and pickled, just the usual taste. I love the special salad dressing, forgot to ask what it's called sorry. For the Salmon Teriyaki, it is perfectly cooked for my preference. I love how light the teriyaki sauce, it's not overpowering so you can really taste the flavor of the salmon.

Momo tried the Teriyaki Chicken Teishoku, they have the same sides. Of course, I have a bite and it was very tender. They use the same teriyaki sauce, too.

In terms of prices of the set menu, they are a bit price-y compared to other bento/teishoku meals. For the serving, I find it filling enough for a lunch. The restaurant is well-lighted, but not too spacious, I was struggling to fit in my son's things on the couch.

Try it out for yourself, currently they only have one restaurant which is in SM Megamall.

Love

~A

The "Tuan Tuan" Experience

My family and I love Chinese food, every time we dine out, we always end up eating at a Chinese restaurant. I think we find more comfort eating Chinese over Filipino food. Haha! So in celebration of my birthday and my sister's (yes, we have the same birthday), I suggested that we try Tuan Tuan Chinese Brasserie, since we haven't dine in there. And boy, oh boy, it did not fail me! I am one happy customer!

Here are some of the food we ordered and my personal verdict:

1. Crispy Barbecued Pork Snow Buns

    Just remembering the feeling when I bit that crisp, sweet and milky bun, then comes the barbecued pork that complements perfectly the sweet bun makes me want to go to the nearest Tuan Tuan restaurant. It's totally worth it for its price!

Crispy Barbecued Pork Snow Buns (Php128 for 3 pcs.)

2. Cantonese Seafood Pan Fried Noodles

    

    I personally do not love crispy fried noodles, but this makes me think otherwise. Tuan Tuan's version of crispy noodle is subtle as compared to those crispy noodles I've tried before. There's not much going on, so the taste of the ingredients do not overpower each other rather complements them. Again they did not only achieve the balance in taste, there is balance in texture too, that soft shrimp and crispy noodles work perfectly together.

Cantonese Seafood Pan Fried Noodles Php298

3. US Premium Beef Rib Curry
   
    Trying to recall the feeling I had when I taste this beef curry makes my mouth water. Unlike the other curry I've tried, Tuan Tuan's version has just the right blend of flavor. It will make you want to ask for more!

4. Honey Garlic Spareribs

   This dish is perfect for a sweet tooth like me who wants something sweet and savory for their meal. Tuan Tuan really is an expert in balancing the flavor in a dish. With this one, the sweet and savory are complementing; while the texture of the pork is crispy and juicy on the bite. Oohhh want some of this for lunch!

What are you waiting for? Head on to the nearest Tuan Tuan restaurant and have an awesome lunch!

Here are some of my family's photos as proof of our delightful experience.

Love
~A

The Spectrum Birthday Buffet Experience at Raffles Hotel

If you're planning to treat your family to a buffet this weekend, I suggest you try out the Spectrum, Raffles Hotel. Two weeks ago, in celebration of Nanay's (my mother-in-law) birthday, we had a delightful fancy lunch at Spectrum. I was very lucky to have the same birth month with Nanay, I got to tag along with her buffet treat in a fancy hotel and got this delectable chocolate mouse cake oozing with exciting and delicious toppings. 

Aside from getting a treat for my birthday, here are the reasons why Spectrum buffet is a must try:

1. Ambience

    Did I mention it's fancy? Haha. Sorry to be redundant, but I really fell in love with their interior decorations, like those thousand crystals of chandelier below. I must say, every part of their lobby and lounge are instagramable. I am so inlove on how they turn their lounge into a little library with those bookshelves!!! Aside from the hotel lounge, the Spectrum offers a very spacious area for eating. I love how the relaxing the ambience is on the restaurant. With the spacious are, the restaurant is very family friendly even for kids, we were a party of thirteen and we felt at ease in our stay there.

 

This photo got 100+ likes in my instagram account, it's a first for me! haha

2. Food

    Spectrum offers an international dining experience, cuisines ranging from Filipino, Chinese, European, Middle Eastern and Japanese. I didn't get to try every dish, but those that I tried makes me gastronomically happy.  Their selection of desserts are something to look forward to, from cupcakes, cakes, rice cakes, chocolates, ice cream, yogurt... ahh, my sweet tooth is very satisfied indeed! After all those eating, you would want some hot tea or coffee, well the good thing is it's part of what you paid for!

 

3. Service
    They have an outstanding service, their staff are very attentive to our needs!

 

4. Promos

    They offer big discounts for big groups like ours.  

 

Happy customers! <3 p="">

Considering all the above, I really think that it's totally worth a try! Let me know how it goes with you. Enjoy!

Love

~A