HINA-HANA-P KITA

It's been awhile since my officemates and I have been back to Little Tokyo, that little Japanese village that is home to some of the most interesting and authentic Japanese cafes. Since we were, yet again, in the mood for some takoyaki, having our lunch date (on two consecutive days, in fact) at Hana was top choice.

And yet again, temporarily forgot our resolve to get on that best diet pill. Take a peek at what we ate...Hana
Inner Courtyard, Little Tokyo
Pasong Tamo, Makati City
T: +632.3393855

MY PLAYGROUND

While majority of netizens are strutting their stuff at FB's Farmtown and Pet Society, I have been doing some "building" of my own too...
The room planners found online, like those found in houseplansandmore.com have kept me glued to my PC, playing around with luxury house plans morning, noon and night. And while it may not be as rewarding as harvest time at Farm Town, or the golden s**t at Pet Society, seeing our house plans "concretized" diagram after diagram, is pure heaven! And maybe, if I get this city home project over and done with, I would keep myself busy with the PC yet again, this time, to work on cottage house plans which we would like to own someday.

Hindi ako excited. Hindi talaga.

LAST SUMMER SPLURGE

Hear ye, hear ye--Smithsonians et al!

While many dread the end of the summer given that it will usher in another year of readings, lectures, and assignments, I for one, look forward to it because of the many, many exciting bargains one can avail of. It doesn't matter if it is in one of the most posh boutiques in the city, or at a makeshift outlet armed with a portable credit card machine--I simply live for end-of-the-season sales.

Shopaholics unite!

TOODLES!

This coming Fathers' Day, I am contemplating on purchasing a basic life insurance package for the Haligi (believe it or not--HE.DOES.NOT.HAVE.ONE). This I thought of, after stumbling upon wholesaleinsurance.net which offers simple, easy-to-understand term life insurance quotes online.

On the other hand, if that does not push through, I just might get him a photo of the Haligilet for his new office rendered like this...

So cute eh?

Toodles
8" x 11", Acrylic on Paper @ 950
10" x 14", Acrylic on Acrylic Paper @ P1,200
14" x 18", Acrylic on Canvas Panel @ P2,000
Prices apply for kids 6 years old and below

COOSOME SHOESOME

What to do when you've got too many shoes? Take them for a spin. Literally...I first spotted this nifty gizmo over at Ikea. Imagine my delight when I discovered that this shoe storage solution is actually available in the Philippines! With twenty expandable pockets big enough to store 30 pairs of shoes, this ultimate shoerack is heavent-sent. Best of all, the Rakku shoe wheel comes with elastic bands which stores pairs and pairs snugly in place.

This ingeniously designed mobile storage comes in white, pink, silver and black, doing away with those design and color scheme woes. Oh yes, the colors of this elliptical treasure are flexible enough to blend with any kind of interior or flooring--be it be parquet, marble, granite, or even porcelain tile.

So kiss those storage and color palette concerns goodbye! Go loco for Rakku!

Rakku Shoe Wheel
P4,800.00/piece
W: http://barriosingko.multiply.com/
E: singko@yahoo.com

UBOD NG SARAP NA UBOD

This Sunday, I got my much-awaited fix of Yan Ching Fresh Lumpia at the Legaspi Sunday Market. As in previous weekends, our family enjoyed our bazaar fix, having been able to hear Sunday mass and gobble down our favorite bazaar specialties at the Legaspi outdoor dining sets, all in one go.

To the uninitiated, fresh lumpia is the uncooked variety of its equivalent--the Chinese spring roll. And I tell you THIS version, rocks!

The ingredients are all fresh--a generous mix of beansprouts, ubod (young heart of palm tres), carrots, some lettuce, chopped garlic and peanuts, (I think) some brown sugar and a hint of cilantro.
The fun is in the experience of having it prepared right before your eyes, before being wrapped in the signature Yan Ching cellophane.

Top it with the secret semi-sweet and spicy thick sauce and voila--a fresh and healthy snack all for only P40.00!
Yan Ching Lumpia
Available on Sundays at the Legaspi Sunday Market
T: +632.7236240

YIHAA FOR IKEA

A quick trip to S&R this weekend made me realize that they actually have an interesting line-up of IKEA items. I found these interesting chairs among a host of other stuff that may soon be welcome additions to our new home...
So aside from the Pinas-based IKEA resellers, I will definitely keep S&R in mind come our July move.

Rooms 101
Enrique St. Palanan, Makati City
(632) 833.5590
rooms101.multiply.com

New Manila 23
23A Calvary Hills St., Rolling Hills, 9th Street, New Manila, Quezon City
(632) 774.1780
newmanila23.multiply.com

Ikeaph
120 Kamias Road, Quezon City
(63920) 9276514
ikeaph.multiply.com

HOLY COW!

Somewhere in the heart of Quezon City is a cozy little resto, which IHMO, serves some of the most affordable and great-tasting steaks of the metropolis. Cow King, that no-frills steak place along Sct. Ybardolaza offers an interesting line-up of beef and sizzling dishes at recession-friendly prices.This little nook is usually packed during lunch and dinner, especially on Sundays, since it is a stone's throw away from the Sacred Heart Parish. The interiors, which now include a fully air-conditioned area, has a cozy/homey feel to it, with interesting ornaments like indoor and outdoor lighting, and accentuated by recurring elements of the trademark (hopefully not mad) cow :DThe outlet is owned and operated by the same people behind the ever popular and inexpensive Steak Joint in Greenhills, and still boasts of the winning combination of quality and affordability.Menu consists of sizzling steaks in various cuts (we usually go for the Porterhouse which is large enough to feed two!)...other beef dishes like the Crispy Tadyang... Salpicao...plus a host of sizzling treats including kangkong! A fitting close to this carnivore's delight is their dessert line-up that is both easy on the heart and the pocket. Must-tries are the apple turons...and their own version of the coffee jelly.Lest you forget--it's Chow King WITHOUT the H :)

Cow King
A: No. 230 Sct. Ybardolaza
T: +632.4162555

OH BROTHER!

Today, enjoy 50% off on your favorite Brothers Burger from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm at the following branches, for dine in and pick-up orders only:

• ORTIGAS (636-5723 / 637-7509 / 637-3986)

  PASONG TAMO (894-4364 / 894-4367)

  ALABANG (771-0820 / 771-0821 / 771-0822)

  BAGUIO (074-446-5702 / 049-446-5703)

  TOMAS MORATO (375-1111 / 372-0111 / 372-0202)

  CONVERGYS (751-1307)

  BF PARANAQUE (659-2182)

  MALATE (666-3817)

  SM MEGAMALL (634-0798)

  CEBU (032-345-8964)

  MAGALLANES (854-3701 / 854-9180)

  HOBBIES OF ASIA (556-1261 / 556-1274)

  TELUS ARANETA Center New Store)

  STA. ROSA ( 049 5440450-51)

  GREENHILLS (705 1802)

  CAPITOL HILLS ( 9314011 /932 3840)

Menu available at: http://www.brothersburger.com.ph/menu-burgers.html

Happy eating!

FOR THE SWEETEST MOM

Swiped this off the Krispy Kreme direct e-mailer. Worth a share...

For your sweetest mom, here are 5 Things That You Can Do for Mom for Under Five Hundred:
1. Treat her to a relaxing 2-hour home massage. Rates range from Php 200 - 250 an hour.
2. Create your own unique Chocolate Doughnut Cake, perfect as a gift for your mom with budding pastry chefs under her wing-enroll them for the Junior Chocolate Chef Certificate Course, for only Php 499.
3. Browse through second-hand bookshops to find a copy of A Cup of Comfort Devotional for Mothersfor less than five hundred bucks--the perfect inspirational handbook for mothers.
4. Give her a non-traditional Mother's Day gift. Learn to create amChocolate Doughnut Bouquet for Mom by joining the Krispy Kreme Junior Chocolate Chef Certificate Course, under Master Baking Teacher Vicky Veloso-Barrera. Call Wanda De Guzman at 840-3694 or email info@chocolatekarnival.com
5. And for the sweetest mom, treat her to the new Apple Cheescake doughnuts of Krispy Kreme for Php 365 a dozen. That's a lot more affordable, practical and SWEET than dinner at Stratosphere hotel or any hotel for that matter.

JUST DO IT

Drat, all the Pacquiao shirts are out of stock. We were hoping to score addtional ones for all the other fathers in our family but lo and behold, the tees sold like pancakes right after Pacman scored another victory.

And with Mothers' Day just around the corner, could Fathers' day be far behind? We're hoping that our search for extra Pacquiao shirts won't require us to go on respective Vegas vacations. Every Nike piece we yearn for, we are hoping to score here...

KITAKITS!!!

HERE'S SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU SMILE

this smile...What: SALE SALE SALE! up to 50% off on your favorite Sanuk sandals!
When: May 15 (mall hours til 12mn) to May 17, 2009
Where: Robinsons Place Manila (2/F Midtown Wing)

I WANNA BE TAGGED

With this...Interested to know more about what I am talking about? Click here.

ALL ABOUT MOM

This first week of May, the Power Plant pays tribute to the angels of the home--MOMS! With Mother’s Day is just around the corner, what better way to celebrate this special occasion than to go on an ultimate shopping spree with our dearest Moms! On MAY 1-3, Power Plant Mall will celebrate this occasion with the URBAN MOM’S BAZAAR at the Rockwell Tent. The Urban Mom's Bazaar, one of the most awaited trade show exhibits of the Power Plant, will once again feature over 90 participating shops with a unique finds--women’s fashion, accessories, beauty, home items like table covers and table top displays and other knick-knacks.

From May 9 to 10, Rockwell then brings you Expo Mom, a discovery expo for moms and their families...Once again, the weekend will be packed with activities, shopping and other surprises! So what are you waiting for? Save those Rockwell Tent dates to treat your Mom and yourself to these one-of a-kind shopping events!

For more info, please contact:
T: +632.8981702
W: http://expomom.wordpress.com/