Foodie Friday: Chicken & Beer (BGC vs. Alabang)

I'm a fan of Korean dramas (and of course, the variety show "Running Man") and since I used to be an ESL tutor, I have been exposed to Korean culture (somewhat) and their food. Even though I don't eat beef or pork, there are still a lot of Korean food that I absolutely love (ddeokbokki, anyone?). I have also noticed that in some Korean drama series, one of the comfort food of choice is chicken and beer and I've been so curious ever since.

Imagine my delight when I heard about the Chicken & Beer restaurant here in the Philippines! I practically begged my food buddy (a.k.a fiancé) to try it out with me. Naturally, him being a guy and not really much for watching Korean dramas (except when I'm watching them with him around), he didn't really see what the big deal was. It was just chicken... and beer.

So drag him to the nearest branch (which was at Bonifacio Global City) I did and we regret NOTHING! Okay, so the place is quite easy to miss since it's sort of tucked in a corner, but it's there beside a bank, I think (I'm sorry, my memory is a bit crap). The ambiance of the place was pretty laid back and very welcoming and the staff were accommodating.

We ordered one of my favorites which was Ddeokbokki and tried out the Paris chicken. The Ddeokbokki was superb and although it was spicy, it wasn't pure tabasco-flavour kind of spicy and the sauce was quite thick and really delicious. The Paris chicken was tender and cooked perfectly. I had an apple flavoured beer to go with the food while my boyfriend opted for the Red Horse. 

Since we were so satisfied with our first visit, we decided to bring my brother along the next time we went there, this time at the Alabang (Molito) branch. The place was smaller compared to the BGC branch, but still laidback and actually a bit whimsical. However, the staff was not as accommodating since it was hard to get their attention; they were all just doing their own thing. One of them even kept on going outside to use his phone.

For some reason, their food, at least the ddeokbokki didn't taste as good as the one at the BGC branch. It tasted like tabasco sauce was just poured all over the whole thing and ta-da! ddeokbokki! My boyfriend tried their spicy chicken this time and mentioned that the Paris chicken we had before at the BGC branch was more spicy than the spicy chicken he just ordered which is a bit weird if you think about it. My brother, on the other hand, ordered Cream Chicken Pasta which I got to taste, but I really can't comment on how it was since he had loaded it with tabasco before I even had a chance to ask him for a bite. The U-dong I ordered was actually good and I did enjoy it so that's one upside to the whole thing.

Overall, I would say it's better if you get your Chicken & Beer fix at the Bonifacio Global City branch. The ambiance is great and the servers are at your beck and call whereas the servers in in the Alabang area weren't so accommodating (at least the time we were there). Next time, I'll try the Chicken & Beer located at A. Venue Makati.

If you have also tried Chicken & Beer, do let me know about your experience and if you have restaurant recommendations, share them on the comment box as well! After all, I'm always on the lookout for good food.


P.S. For those confused about the beer I ordered, we went there last year so I wasn't pregnant then.

The Lazy Girl's Guide to Staying Stylish during Summer

So I was sick for the past week and my eyes were bloodshot for 3 days straight (it's getting better now) and it was just crazy that I haven't been able to update the blog. I have yet to try and actually schedule more posts. Anyway, here's a post from way back that I did which I just edited a bit that I think is relevant what with summer already in our midst (if you're in the Philippines, that is) and I am starting to feel the HEAT.

I don't know about you, but the summer heat usually makes me feel sluggish and getting dressed becomes a chore I don't even want to think about, much less do (Yes, I get so lazy to the point where I sometimes parade around my apartment almost naked). What happens is that I sometimes end up going out of the house wearing whatever I grab first from my brother's closet and the end result is more often than not homely... and a few times cringe-worthy.

Since I have a blog to maintain AND I really want to make more of an effort to look good all the time, I pushed myself to try and achieve looking very presentable whenever I go out. Below are just some of the effective ways I've found to looking totally put-together with minimal effort that I think girls who have found themselves in the same predicament will find helpful. 

1. Wear it on Your Face... or Hair

So you really don't feel like making an effort to dress up or maybe most of your nice clothes are in the laundry, that's okay. You can wear a basic tee and a pair of shorts and still be able to play up your look with makeup! No, I'm not advising you to pile on products on your face. A tinted moisturizer or BB Cream and a swipe of bright colored lipstick will do the trick. It would be a plus if you combine it with an easy, but pretty hairstyle. Nowadays, you can find tons of pretty hairstyle tutorials on the internet (Pinterest or Youtube, anyone?).

2. Stick to Lightweight Clothing

Lightweight tops and dresses are definite summer must-haves. Seriously. It's even better if the item of clothing is loose or billowy because a. you won't have to struggle trying to get it on you and b. this will give you room to breathe and won't make you sweat profusely because sweating like a pig is just not attractive. No. By the way, I haven't seen a pig sweat yet. Have you? Do share.

3. Wear Shorts... or skirts

Jeans can be uncomfortable especially when you're experiencing the summer heat. Summer in the Philippines can be quite unbearable (to me, personally) and wearing jeans are just too constricting so I opt for shorts instead, plus they're faster to slip into and you'll no doubt have awesome luck finding one with fun details and/or fabrics like lace. Set aside your jeans and bring out your shorts and/or skirts! Let your legs breathe! Don't feel comfortable showing some legs? Then wear lightweight pants or longer skirts. Or you know, maybe your thighs will get slimmer from all the sweating your legs will be doing in those constricting denim jeans.

4. Wear Flattering Flat Sandals

There will be days when even slipping our feet into a pair of heels or sneakers will feel like too much work and flip flops can look kind of shabby (unless you live by the beach). Flat sandals are your best friends during the summer! They can be dressy or laid back without looking too shabby. I also think that flattering flat sandals are great options especially if you want to show off your cute pedicure. 

5. When in Doubt, Accessorize! 

Accessories have the power to transform your look from plain to fabulous. Try wearing a plain shirt and a pair of shorts and you'll look just that. Plain. But if you add say, statement earrings or a cool pair of shades or maybe even a colorful scarf, then you'd look a hell of a lot more interesting. 

photo credit: Mlle Tortue via photopin cc

Foodie Friday: Nadai Fujisoba

I haven't really made any New Year's resolution for this year since I rarely get to stick to it throughout the year, but if I had to make one if only for this blog I guess it would be to post regularly. So to help with that, I thought of doing regular posts and since I love food and am usually out trying "new" (new to me, at least) restaurants, I figured why not do "Foodie Friday" posts? I've actually put up some Foodie Friday posts before I decided to go on a long hiatus and so as not to let them go to waste, never to be read again, I will be re-posting them before putting up posts about the very recent restaurants I've been to. 

First up, we have a restaurant (we tried out last year) that has instantly become a favorite of mine: 

I like noodles and I especially enjoy eating ramen on days I don't feel like cooking or as a "midnight snack" for when I'm at my boyfriend's place, but eating too much of the same thing can get a little boring therefore I try to mix things up a bit by trying out udon and whatever type of noodles are out there. One day, as I was browsing through the net, looking for restaurants or food joints I haven't been to, I came across an article on a newly opened restaurant located at Bonifacio Global City called Nadai Fujisoba. My head just about exploded from the variety of soba/udon available and at reasonable prices (800php to 1,00php budget for 2 people would suffice) too that I knew my boyfriend and I had to try it out. 

We finally got the chance to eat at Nadai Fujisoba last weekend and people were lining up to get a seat. I didn't mind waiting for 15 minutes to get seated because I was pretty sure the food was going to be worth it. I was NOT disappointed. 

Potato Croquette

Ebi Ten Soba

I've tasted cold soba before when I was younger because my mom used to love eating them, but I have long since forgotten the taste and I usually stick to ramen or udon noodles. Let me just say that soba is now my favorite type of noodles. Plus, it's healthier than ramen and udon. If you look at the photos above, you will notice that the middle photo does not have a name to it. That's because I was so caught up in my ebi ten soba that I completely forgot about my boyfriend's dish (or bowl if you would). Also, I don't eat pork or beef. So there's my reason: I forgot the name of my boyfriend's soba. If you know, help me out here, please? 

Hot soba is just perfect with ebi tempura. Or maybe I'm just biased since shrimp is one of my favorite food? But honestly, it was so delicious I couldn't stop stuffing my face and neither did I care how pig-like I probably looked. It's also a good thing we didn't order a lot because one bowl of the ebi ten soba was enough to keep me full and satisfied. 

By the way, the potato croquette was so good that it kind of made me cry inside when I realized it had bits of pork in it and had to give it all to my boyfriend who happily accepted, of course. 

 I wanted to include an OOTD photo here, but my boyfriend/food buddy/forced photographer still needs some work on his "photography skills" soooo I hope this very close representation of what I wore that night would suffice:

5 Valentine's Day Ideas for the Single Gals

photo from: stocksnap.io

Valentine's Day is only a few days away (5 if we're counting) and it is a day people are either excited, worried, or indifferent about. More often than not, those who are single at this time of year feel bitter about this particular holiday and a few, though single, are still excited about it. 

I've been single for most of my life; in fact, I had only started celebrating Valentine's Day with a special someone last year (for the curious, yes, my fiancé is my first boyfriend). However, my being single did not deter me from getting excited about Valentine's Day and from wanting to celebrate. I have to be honest though, there were numerous times wherein I wasn't able to celebrate it as I'd really have liked; nevertheless, Valentine's Day still made me happy. 

So with all that said, I want to offer you, readers, some ideas on how you can still celebrate Valentine's Day or as I used to call it, "Single Awareness Day": 

1. Gather All Your Single Friends and Paint the Town Red 

If you don't feel like spending V-Day by yourself, then call all your single friends up and celebrate with them. You can either go on a nice dinner in town, watch a movie (I'm particularly dying to see the movie, "How to be Single"), and afterwards maybe party in a bar/club. You can even end the night with a sleepover party. 

2. Join A Singles Party or a Speed Dating Event 

This is for those who have not yet given up on the idea that "someday their prince will come" and aren't at all uncomfortable with being the one to seek them out. Who knows? You might meet your next love at one of these events. 

3. Stay In, Stock Up on All Your Favorite Food, and Netflix and Chill... By Yourself 

... Or with your single friends, if you prefer. I used to do this most Valentine's Day simply because I'm a broke ass gal. Although instead of having friends over, I had my dogs (4 of them) and we (or I) would binge watch cheesy, romantic movies on my laptop while stuffing my face with chips and chugging down sipping on alcoholic beverage. I had the best time doing this. Like I said, you can always turn this into a potluck slumber party and gather all your friends up in your house, wearing the prettiest or silliest pjs and watch each of your most favorite romantic movies or whatever movie floats your boat or maybe just catch up with each other while playing card games and sipping on wine. 

4. Host an Anti-Valentine's Day Party 

If you're really not into the whole Valentine's Day thing and actually detest the holiday, you can make like Jessica Biel in the movie "Valentine's Day" and host an Anti-Valentine's Day party yourself complete with a big ass heart piñata you can smash to your heart's content. Aaand here's a site to help you organize that Anti-Valentine's Day party. Enjoy! 

5. Pamper Yourself

Show yourself some love and treat yourself to a spa day! If you want nothing more than to relax this Valentine's Day, then what better way to spend it than at the spa. You have the option of either booking a spa appointment for the day only or even better, go on a spa retreat! 

And if all else fails? You can always sleep the day away. 

An Exciting 2016!

photo from: stocksnap.io

As you may have noticed, I haven’t posted anything all throughout the month of January. It doesn’t mean I hadn’t had an exciting start to a new year because I actually did. In fact, I had two very exciting things happen to me: one, a month before the new year and the second, a day or two before new year’s eve. I just thought I wouldn’t post anything about them on the month of January when everything was still a little overwhelming and shaky, and I wanted to be a hundred percent sure of what’s currently going on in my life. 

Also, I thought you guys would’ve by then been tired of all the “New Year, New You” and “New Year’s Resolutions” posts that I am guessing have been rampant especially throughout the month of January. I guess what I’m saying is, I just wanted all the excitement to settle down a bit, you know?  

Now that it has, I just want to grab this opportunity to share with my readers my exciting news (I haven’t even announced these big news on my Facebook account because I thought it was so special I couldn’t bear to share it immediately with anyone except really close friends and family).

I am currently pregnant with my first baby! I actually never thought I’d be a mom except during my younger years wherein I really wanted to be a young mom (no, not teen mom. Just young mom). Back then I didn’t really know what I was talking about, but now that I am definitely of age and very much in love with my partner, I can truly say that this pregnancy is a wish come true (for both of us, of course). 

And I’m engaged! It was sweet, funny, and quite unromantic the way my fiancé proposed to me, but I think I’ll keep that story to myself… for now. We have been planning to get married(well, he was. It wasn’t really part of my plan though I DO love him tremendously) ever since the first couple of months of our relationship (he said after 3 years into our relationship he was going to propose, but decided to do it a year early hehe). 

photo from: stocksnap.io

So those are my two most exciting news for this year and now that you guys know, don’t be surprised if I suddenly start sprinkling this blog with some baby/parenting or married life/household posts. Don’t worry, it will still remain a beauty, style, AND lifestyle blog. I do want to be “yummy mummy” after all.