A SECRET NO MORE...

As most true-blue foodies know, Amici di Don Bosco on Arnaiz Street in Makati, is the famed Italian restaurant formerly run by Salesian priests that serves great gelato and authentic Italian dishes. Now being managed by the former owners of Red Ribbon, Amici boasts of a modern look and streamlined menu. What lingers however, are the casual cafeteria-like atmosphere, the generosity of servings, and the authenticity of time-honored recipes.

My buddies and I ordered two pasta dishes in red and white sauces. Our Spaghetti Red Vongole e Gamberetti pasta was literally heaven with large freshly sautéed prawns, silky-soft scallops, and Manila clams still in their shells.The Spaghetti Ala Carbonara had a generous amount of cream sauce and bacon bits, and the pasta, perfectly al dente to the bite.A few calories shy from our carb overload requirement, our party of five also had the Pizza Tutta Carne, a meatlover's delight, loaded with Italian sausage, ham and pepperoni.The perfect ending to our Italian meal was Amici's famed gelato. I had two servings, yes TWO--a scoop each of blueberry and sans rival. Both flavors were rich and creamy, with sprinklings of fruit and nut, and subtle yet concentrated shots of flavor.Total peso power per person? Better purchase car insurance online, because cost is a traffic-stopping P 140.00 each! And with the variety of choices on the Amici menu, there's always some thing new (and cheap enough) to try each visit. Hopefully, that opportunity will turn up again soon.

Amici
1299 Don Bosco School Arnaiz Ave.
Makati City
T +632.8872458
F +632.8189306
Open Sundays to Saturdays, 7:00 am to 11:00 pm

LOVE AT FIRST BITE

A view of the sunset, a makeshift canopy with throw pillows and bamboo blinds, dinner by candlelight and this....
What sweeter way to celebrate Valentine's Day? :)

Featuring Hershey's Chocolate Chip - "love the chip", Oreo Cookie Heart - "it's chocolate times 3!", Powdered Chocolate Heart - "for the half hearted", Sprinkled Heart - "sprinkle some love", Hershey's Dark Chocolate Heart - "a heart with a dark side", Chocolate Curl Heart - "indulge in chocolate curls", Krispy Kreme presents a "heartier" way to celebrate Valentine's Day.

WHEN TWO BECOME ONE

No burglar alarm sounded when someone stole my purse from my office cubicle two years ago. Since then, I have gotten creative in the hiding places of my valuables. My purse also found an ally in this...This Old Navy Convertible clutch is a great way to accent your outfit, and is completely affordable at only $12.50. Aside from being cute, it truly is convertible -- if you're sick of holding the clutch, you can unfold it and hold it by the handle.

I took mine for a "test drive" during lunch today.

Ready...

Get set...

Go!

A TALE OF TWO PASTRIES

What is Napoleones? Let me count the ways.

It is a square-shaped of custard-filled puff pastry topped with white sugar glaze. The description sounds rather plain and simple but believe me, the experience of biting into these heaven-sent goodies is anything but plain nor simple.

During my two-day stay in Bacolod, I was amused at how the names of commercial establishments were usually proper nouns in the possessive state--i.e. Bob's, Bongbong's, Virgie's, Aida's, and what have you.

The napoleon retailers were no exception. And I was fortunate enough to experience two... I must say, the sugar plantations in Bacolod City (hectares and hectares of them that it would probably send those Amerisave reps knocking on Negrense doors) were really put to good use with these wonderful pastry delights. (A quick footnote: For matters surrounding mortgage loan rates and home mortgage loans online, Amerisave can help you comprehend the issues better through Amerisave's company profile here at Jobs Businessweek.)

The Roli's variant is puffy, with a generous amount of glazed sugar on the outside, and creamy custard on the inside. Cost per piece is P11.25, and P135.00 for a dozen.
The Pendy's version, on the other hand, is less "voluminous", but is not lacking at all in taste, creaminess, nor sweetness. Each Pendy's pastry costs P11.00, and P110.00 for a box of ten.I personally prefer the Pendy's variety, primarily because it is less sweet--with its sugar glaze, thinner and finer. The filling, while not as tasty compared to the Roli's version, was much creamier, the perfect complement to the delicate pastry shell.

Roli's Bakeshop
Roli’s Arcade
La Salle Avenue, Bacolod City
T: +6343.433-3257

Other Outlets
• Lopues East Centre, Bacolod City
• Lopues Mandalagan, Bacolod City
• Plaza Mart, Bacolod City
• Building A SM Megamall
• The Block, SM North Edsa

Pendy's Snace Bar and Restaurant
Lacson St., Bacolod City
T: +6343.4334938

OOH LA-LA, CALEA!

Here are top 3 reasons why I'd like to go back to Calea... Calea Pastries
Lourdes Centre II Building
14th Lacson St., Bacolod City
T: +6343.4333143

BOB'S, BOB'S, BABY!

Homey and laid back, Bob's Cafe captures the overall atmosphere of The City of Smiles, perfectly. It is found along the main avenue of the Negros Occidental capital city and is easily accessible to Bacolod City denizens and visitors.

The menu of Bob's boasts of a wide variety of dishes and pastries. Their Sate Babi, burgers, barbecued ribs, mongolian barbecue are just some of the reasons why this resto and pastry shop has stood the test of time.

As I was advised, we ordered the giant cheeseburger, a steal at only P100.00. Looky!

And of course I had the famous Sate Babi which cost me only P95.00--very afforadable, with two pork barbeque sticks, java rice, atsara and the signature peanut sauce. The taste made me remember Manila with fondness, especially those favorite barbecues served at Aristocrat. Kanamit!
There are other dishes and pastries I'd love to try the next time I visit but I guess these finger-lickin good memories will have to do for now.

See you again soon! I am a fan.

TICKLE ME ALMA

This entry is not for the faint-hearted baghag. So please make sure your heart has been subject to the appropriate clinical trials because what you are about to see is heart-stopping indeed.

Eye and arm candy rolled into one. Thump-thump...

PRRRT, FOWL!

There is an abundance of chicken outlets in the City of Smiles. And, at the risk of sounding like a member of the The Keating Public Relations by being really hard sell about it, I can attest that one of the, if not THE ultimate inasal destination is Manokan Country. Located in the reclamation area near the Bacolod Plaza and SM City, there are lines and lines of chicken carenderia-style outlets in this side of town. People flock here for an appetizing meal of chicken inasal paired with rice, drenched in achuete oil. If you're aiming for a total inasal experience, do try the servings of chicken innards like the batikolon, atay, puso, isaw and what-have-you. I love, love, love those chicken booties! Shake em baby, yeah!A must try too is a serving of oysters sold by vendors at the doorstep of Manokan Country. They are big, fresh, and tender, providing worthy pauses to your choice servings of inasal.The secret, they say, is enjoying the meal with one's bare hands, and pairing it with the ultimate sawsawan of toyo, calamansi, siling labuyo and native coconut vinegar. It is truly a culinary experience one should not miss.
So, when in Bacolod, dear readers, do drop by Manokan Country where, as many say, the best Chicken Inasal in the Philippines may be found. And they kid us not.

LAST FEW DAYS!

Marks & Spencer End of Season Sale. Up to 50% off on selected items up to February 6.

Liz Claiborne End of Season Sale up to January 31.

Anne Klein Sale up to January 31.

Guess? Sale on selected items only.

Make Room & More End of Season Sale up to February 8.

L'FISHER, L'WINNER

Lucky for me, my Bacolod trip was company-sponsored. Nonethless, I find that corporate funds were well spent on L'Fisher Hotel.The rooms were clean and decent, and were of the right size and ventilation. All came with complimentary buffet breakfast for two, free wifi service and even free communication assistance from their business center, which allowed us to wire our stories for free, the likes of those shown at thefaxreport.com where you may find the best email fax service review or reviews to suit your requirement.

The staff was helpful and courteous, offering to assist us in any way they can--be it be sourcing our stash of butterscotch, napoleones etc. They were also kind enough to extend our check-out time from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm to allow us more time to pack and freshen up.

Best of all, our hotel's location was very deal--just a stone's throw away the Negros Occidental Multipurpose Activity Center which played host to the 2009 Smart National Amateur Boxing Championships, and more importantly, dessert haven, Calea, which was the perfect complement to our memorable stay in Bacolod.

L'Fisher Hotel
14th Lacson Street, Bacolod City
T +6343.4333731 to 39
F +6343.4330951
E lfisher@globelines.com.ph

LET CHANGE BEGIN WITH YOU

It's time for a seventy-dollar change...

Change will not come if we wait

for some other person or some other time.
We are the ones we've been waiting for.

We are the change that we seek."

- Barack Obama

Looks like the Haligi's gift drive for a Playstation 3 or any of those gaming consoles will have to wait. Orrrr, he can chose to buy that toy and put it in that oBAGma :) Available at http://www.dvf.com.

SAY NO TO CRACK

The weather and my asthma had taken its toll on my lips. I've got windburn! Luckily this kept me company...

Of all the lip balms I've tried, this Parrs Skincare variety seems to have worked best for me. A protective, soothing and odorless lipbalm with SPF15, it works miracles when combined with the moisturizing and healing properties of Manuka honey. Lavettt.

(ALMOST) A SEALED DEAL

The Haligi is now at a career crossroads. After years of practice in the legal profession, he is seriously considering his father's offer to man their family business.

I couldn't blame him. Despite trying to keep "clean" and to keep on doing what is right, he gets frustrated when those around him willingly play the dirty game. What's worse is that those who gamely play with fire, are those who get ahead. Indeed a sorry picture of Philippine politics.

He's been given a month to think over the decision but by the looks of it, it seems like it's in the bag already. Icing on the cake is his father's offer of a new car being dangled over his head. And while at it, he was also promised attractive commission packages. It seems to me that it is already a sealed deal. :)

So with visions of a new set of wheels playing in his head, the Haligi asked me to do a little surfing on the newest car models in the market. Name it, we saw it--from SUVs, AUVS, pick-ups, sedans and sub-sedans, and even the spiffy Vauxhall Insignia and Vauxhall Corsa! The Vauxhalls are pretty interesting find if you ask me--fully loaded with A/C, automatic transmission, alloy wheels, sophisticated sound system, automatic lights and wipers and leather seats! To Haligi's disappointment however (and I bet to my fil's relief), there ain't a Vauxhall dealer in Pinas. Sayang. Hehehe!

But with the volatile pretrol market, we decided to be practical and limited our choices to the non-gas guzzlers. Keep you posted on our choice. :D

ANOTHER AYALA DETOUR

While on Ayala Avenue, after a trip to FF, snacks at BB, or before a visit to KK, maybe you'd like to drop by here...Located at the old Prudential Bank building, now renamed as KPMG Building, Sbarro joins the ranks of the many attractions (aka temptations) found along what used to be the purely commercial district of Ayala Avenue. Now you know why I cannot really see myself splurging on further education at professional schools or online universities. There's just a wide variety of goods, food and servicess worth splurging on.

I haven't been to a Sbarro outlet since God knows when, that renewing ties with my all-time favorites, the Baked Ziti...and the Chicago White Deep Dish Pizza...was pure heaven!

Grab a Sbarro bite, NOW!

Legend:
FF: Fitness First
BB: Bros. Burgers
KK: Krispy Kreme

PLEASANTLY PLUMP

From the makers of that clear lip gloss that turns to your custom shade of delicious pink, now comes this sheer magic gloss which not only turns into your own rosy shade but even plumps your pouters at the same time!
So before the insurance quotes and health plan renewals come in, set aside some moolah for this. The Smashbox O-Plump is now available in Beauty Bar outlets in different malls around the metro for P1,300.00. Small price to pay for the perfect pout.

How I'd like to see that day that the aforementioned term be used to refer to something other than my body. Maybe this'll do the trick. Hehehe...

MENTOS IN REVERSE

Crunchy and chewy inside... Soft and fluffy outside...
The Lemon Torte. Bow.

Classic Confections
2nd Floor Greenbelt 5
Makati City
Tel No.: +632.7467996

HOW DO I LOOK? (07)

My first, and hopefully, not my last for this year. Still feeling under the weather, I decided to keep it clean and simple (and as always, boring). The bod, of course, ain't mine although I hope and wish for the day I go back to my old form--probably if and when I finally agree to take those diet pills--whenever that'll be.

This is what I call my DRA (doktora) look. Hehehe!

SAY IT WITH FLOWERS

Because even Louis Vuitton does it...
The new LV collection costs about US1,500 (around P60,000), almost equivalent to a year's tuition fee at any of those online universities.

Now available at LV Greenbelt 4.

SWISH FOR MY SWISH

Thousand Cranes is a "quasi-new" Shabu-Shabu place over at the second level of Greenbelt 3. The place is cozy and clean and littered with paper crane ornaments, thus its name. “Shabu-Shabu” is a Japanese delicacy which actually means swish-swish, because you "swish" the ingredients--your choice of meat, chicken, seafood or veggies, or a combo of your liking, on soup stock which simmers to a boil right before your eyes using sophisticated table-top burners.For our party of four and a half, we ordered two sets of seafood and beef (had pork overload during the holidays). Bowls of Japanes rice were the perfect complement to our soupy meal.There is indeed a lot of room for creativity here because you're free to mix and match the wide array of veggies and meats to your liking. The secret, they say, is in the soup too, a choice between adding the chilly garlicky sauce (a lot similar to the Pinoy alamang) or the mix of ginger, chives and red chilis.
Patience is a virtue when eating the shabu-shabu meal because it can take anywhere between an hour or so much more. But I didn't really mind because it gave me more time to spend my 35th birthday meal with the ones I love.While I haven't been to a whole lot of Shabu-Shabu places in the metropolis (I've been to three I think, including one in Binondo), I'd have to say that my birthday meal at Thousand Cranes was a satisfactory one. The peso range was quite reasonable given that soup refills were unlimited, plus the quality of the ingredients was fresh and superior. Service could've afforded a few more smiles though, but the poker faces of the crew weren't really that bad to dampen my birthday spirit.

But whatever the price may be, nothing beats hot soup on a chilly night, especially when taken with the ones you hold dear.

Thousand Cranes
2nd Floor, Greenbelt 3
Ayala Center, Makati
Tel. Nos. +632.7298640 / +632.7298641
Email thousandcranesgb3@yahoo.com

MELTZ WITH YOU

Stumbled upon while Facebook stalking (har! har!) and browsing through mba programs posted online.Flour tortilla. Melted cheese. Corn kernels. Kfc chicken. I WANT.

NOT SO TREVI-AL

Louis Vuitton has finally got it right with this bag. - Damier canvas, smooth leather trimmings and red microfiber lining
- Golden brass pieces
- Zippered closure
- Internal patch pocket and cell phone compartment
- Hand-held or carried on the shoulder
- Rounded leather handles
- Adjustable and removable leather strap
- Base studs for extra protection

With the ability to switch from a shoulder bag to a handbag, plus a zippered top which provides security and of course, peace of mind, the Trevi is certainly functional. It's cute and funky too, with the pleat adding volume while balancing both form and flair.

In addition to all these noteworthy attributes, the price isn't too overwhelming either. No need to shudder in disbelief. Just let Visa, Mastercard or those cash loans do their magic. Hehehe!

Do note that the bag comes in two sizes--PM and GM. As in my usual bag preferences, I'd go for the GM since I have this nasty habit of throwing everything into my bag. Kulang na lang spare tire ng sasakyan namin. Hehehe :) So I really couldn't agree more with Jen and Meeya on their preference for the Louis Vuitton Damier Trevi. And it seems, my Haligi, thought the same.
Happy birthday to me! :)

SPECTACULAR SPECTACLES

Now that the Yuletide trimmings have been put away, chill in the air is waning, and the days are getting longer than nights, it signals the impending return of one of only the few seasons in Pinas--summer!

So what better way to greet the return of all things sunny and bright than with the hottest shades of the season. Unlike hair and clothing trends however, spectacle and sunglass trends seldom undergo any major flux. The past few years really saw only the re-emergence of oversized sunglasses and we won't expect any major change this year either. So read on to find out which styles of sunglasses you should be wearing in 2009.

Ray-ban Wayfarers

The Ray-ban Wayfarer is not yet ready to die out. With major fashion influencers like Kate Moss still wearing theirs, the vintage Ray-ban trend will continue into 2009.

Thick, Plastic Frames

70s inspired glasses will be prominent amongst sunglasses trends for 2009. Those thick, plastic frames will be one the year's key looks.

That "librarian look" will continue to be fab this year, where you can wear yours (pinhole glasses or otherwise) as a spectacles and not just sunglasses. And while at it, why not try the latest pinhole eyeglasses which are known to cure myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, astigmatism, computer vision syndrome or cataracts and so much more. Selecting the right pair of pinhole glasses is crucial if you want your pair to have both form and function. So be sure to choose those retro glasses from a period that is still trendy and in fashion.

Round 'John Lennon' Sunglasses

While originally popularized by John Lennon for guys, this trend is only for women. So be cautious. Sorry Juan, no can do.

Oversized Sunglasses

At some point, oversized socialite sunglasses will go out of fashion, but not yet in 2009. If you're willing to invest, think Emporio Armani, de la Renta, and Christian Dior who have all designed squared off versions of the look.

Tortoise Shell

Exotic materials have found their way into the sunglasses trend. And while you won't be sporting real tortoise shell this year, you'll find the faux variety to be a popular element.

Aviators

Yes, they are still so in! What's even better is that the overall styling has hardly changed at all.

Gradient Lens

We've seen this look in many catwalks. A Gucci gradient would be great to achieve the look of the season.

Same old. Same old. So fret not, those pairs you have are still very much in style.

DEBENHAMS, DA REPEAT!

Until the 7th of February 2009, shoppers will be in for great deals on all items. A unique mix of exclusive brands and third-party labels, Debenhams boasts of quality lines covering womenswear, menswear, health and beauty, accessories, lingerie and childrenswear. So be ready to strut out them credit cards and even those fast cash payday loans for the last hurrah of the (post) Yuletide season.

Enjoy up to 50 percent off from any of the Debenhams outlets:

Level 2, TriNoma

Tel. Nos. +632.9015651 / +632.9015653

Level 3, Shangri-La Plaza Mall

Tel. Nos. +632.6329802 / +632.6387160

Level 3, Rustan's Makati

Tel. No.s +632.814.4774 / +632.8181783

Happy shopping!

FLOATING ISLAND FAVES

Call me weird but I really love going to Makati Med's Floating Island. If at all, the only things I really dread about a visit to the resto are the circumstances surrounding trips to the MMC--a medical test or check-up, a visit to a confined loved one, or even our own confinement.

There is no doubt that FI's Adobo Rice has won over our hearts, but anything and everything on the menu is a real treat. The place charges a premium though, being the only food outlet in the hospital complex--aside from the cafeteria, which by the way, serves good food as well. But the loyal patrons (the place is packed with a healthy mix of doctors and visitors almost every hour) do not seem to mind.

On our visit today for my son's medical check-up (which, thank God was free and required no health insurance quotes), aside from our Adobo Rice favorite, we also had the Lomi and as per the Haligilet's request, the Crispy Chicken Skins. Kamusta naman ang cholesterolll?!?! All winners, nonetheless!If dining at a hospital resto doesn't sit well with you, do consider take out. Believe me it is worth the trip, and the sprinkling of hospital germs. Hehe!

What's your Floating Island favorite?

Floating Island
2nd Flr, Makati Medical Center Annex
No. 2 Amorsolo Street Legaspi Village
Makati City
Tel: +632.8161462