Sebastian's Limited Edition Frozen Yakult (Fro-Ya)

Sebastian's released a Limited Edition, until supplies last, Frozen Yakult or Fro-Ya, as they coined it, the other day. Riding on with the Fro-Yo (Frozen Yogurt) craze among Filipinos, and introducing a twist to it, is really brilliant of this ice cream parlor.

Yakult, a Japanese probiotic milk-like product made by fermenting a mixture of skimmed milk with a special strain of the bacterium Lactobacillus casei Shirota, is a popular drink ever since I was a kid. It brings back memories when you eat the Fro-Ya.


An alternative, and my personal favorite in Sebastian's is their Choco-Chip Cookie Dough. The photo on the right is their Chocoholics Anonymous, or their super chocolate treat for choco-lovers :)

Scramble in Megamall Food Court

I was introduced by my best fried to Scramble, a popular street food found in the Philippines. I really didn't know what it was until I saw it, and tasted it. It's made of "sweetened shaved ice served in a paper or plastic cup, drizzled with milk and chocolate syrup, and eaten with a wooden popsicle stick." This time, we didn't eat it from the streets, we found the popular treat in SM Megamall.

The smallest cup costs Php 10, medium costs Php 14, while the large one costs Php 17. You may add additional toppings (chocolate sprinkles, candy sprinkles, powdered milk, tapioca balls or sago, or mallows) for Php 3 each. I love how the taste mixes with all that's in it. For something cheap and yummy, I would go for this dessert anytime! :)

Photo-op! Enjoying every mouthful of the Scramble :P

3rd at Don Henricos Mall of Asia

After a very long time, maybe 7-8 years, we have tried Don Henricos again. This time it was in Mall of Asia; and this time, it wasn't as good as I remembered from before. But in any case, we ordered Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (Php 175), Bacon Cheeseburger pizza 10" (Php 270), and Chili Garlic Shrimp pasta to share (Php 260). The meal was really filling. We didn't finish everything so we had to take out the leftovers. :P

When did you last have Don Henricos? What's your favorite dish in Don-Hen(ricos)? :)

Liberal Party swears in 25 new Congressmen, makes 70 strong

The Liberal Party (LP) swore in twenty-five (25) new members last night at the famous Balay in Cubao, making the party of incoming president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III the “dominant majority party" with 70 Congressman at the start of the 15th Congress this July.

Leading the group are third termers Florencio Miraflores (Aklan) and Rodolfo Valencia (Oriental Mindoro), second termers Pangalian Balindong (Lanao del Sur), Amado Bagatsing (Manila), Joaquin Nava (Guimaras), Arturo Robes (San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan), Herminia Roman (Bataan), Marcelino Teodoro (Marikina), and Joseph Violago (Nueva Ecija)

Meanwhile, to complete the list are neophytes Sergio Apostol (Leyte), Maria Carmen Apsay (Compostella Valley), Maria Jocelyn Bernos (Abra), Jose Carlos Cari (Leyte), Maximo Dalog (Mountain Province), Rogelio Espina (Biliran), Ben Evardone (Eastern Samar), Salvio Fortuno (Camarines Sur), Mylene Garcia (Davao City), Paolo Javier (Antique), Rene Relampagos (Bohol), Jesus Sacdalan (North Cotabato), Andres Salvacion (Leyte), Mel Sarmiento (Samar), Eric Owen Singson (Ilocos Sur), and Jerry Trenas (Iloilo).

Liberal Party officials led by its Chairman, Senator-elect Franklin Drilon, Vice-Chairman Quezon City Mayor, Congressman-elect Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte, and Secretary-General, Congressman-elect Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya


Party Spokesperson Chito Gascon said that they are focusing on strengthening their ranks in the incoming 15th Congress to support the bid of Quezon City Congressman-elect Sonny Belmonte for House Speaker. He sees that between today and after the inauguration of President-elect Noynoy Aquino, more Congressmen will join the Liberal Party.

Most of the defectors are neophyte Congressmen of the House of Representatives belonging to the administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD of outgoing President and incoming Congresswoman of Pampanga Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Both Senator Franklin Drilon and Congressman Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte are vying for the top spots in Congress, Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.

It has been reported that Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan and Senator Manny Villar are also eying the Senate Presidency, while Representatives Edcel Lagman and Danilo Suarez are still on for the Speakership.

Congressmen-elect Miro Quimbo and Marci Teodoro of Marikina with Congressman-elect and soon to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte of Quezon City.

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Liberal Party swears in 25 new Congressmen, makes 70 strong is my post in Blogwatch yesterday :)

Best New York Cheesecake in Manila

DOME Cafe's New York Cheesecake is synonymous to food orgasm! Their version of the cake is the best tasting one I've had thus far. Suffice to say, it's a fresh and flavorful take at this simple variety of cheesecakes and fair enough, they did it justice!

FOUR WORDS TO SUM THE EXPERIENCE UP: MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH

President Noynoy Aquino and Vice-President Jojo Binay's Inauguration Ceremonies

President-elect Benigno S. Aquino III and Vice-President-elect Jejomar C. Binay will take their oath of office on June 30, 2010, at the Quirino Grandstand. Here's the schedule of the events next Wednesday.

• 09:00 AM Dignitaries and Guests Begin Arriving at Quirino Grandstand.
• 09:45 AM Departure of President-elect Benigno S. Aquino III from his residence at Times Street, Quezon City, for Malacañan Palace. 
• 10:00 AM Expected arrival of the Vice President-elect at the Quirino Grandstand 
• 10:35 AM Arrival of the President-elect at Malacañan Palace. 
• 10:40 AM Departure of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and President-elect Benigno S. Aquino III from Malacañan Palace. 
• 10:45 AM Arrival of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and President-elect Benigno S. Aquino III at the Quirino Grandstand. 
• 10:50 AM Honors for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. 
• 10:55 AM Departure of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. President-elect Aquino and Vice President Elect Binay to be accompanied to the ceremonial platform by the Inaugural Committee. 
• 11:00 AM Start of the Inaugural Ceremonies Proper: 

National Anthem, to be sung by Charice Pempengco and the Madrigal Singers, music by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Ecumenical Invocation. 

Inaugural Song, “Bagong Pilipinas,” music and lyrics by Ogie Alcasid and Noel Cabangon. To be performed by Ogie Alcasid, Regine Velasquez, Jim Paredes, Gary Valenciano, Jed Madela, Mae Paner, Noel Cabangon, Christian Bautista, Kundirana and the Madrigal Singers, music by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. 

• 11:35 AM Reading by the President of the Senate of the Proclamation by the Congress of the Philippines announcing the results of the elections in the Philippines.  
• 11:45 AM Administration of the Oath of Office to the Honorable Jejomar C. Binay, Vice President-elect of the Philippines, by Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales. 
• 12:00 Noon Administration of the Oath of Office to the Honorable Benigno S. Aquino III, President-elect of the Philippines, by Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales. 

Inaugural Address by His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III, President of the Philippines. 

Panata sa Pagbabago. This is the innovation in the 2010 inaugural ceremonies. It is meant to respond to the President’s inaugural address by volunteers and the public at large pledging their support and participation in the democratic governance of the nation. 

Conclusion of the Inaugural Ceremonies: Recessional and departure of the President of the Philippines for Malacañan Palace.

• 01:15 PM Working Lunch in Kalayaan Hall. Ritual of the climbing of the stairs, Malacañan Palace.
• 02:30 PM Induction into office of the Cabinet and various officials by the President of the Philippines, Rizal Hall, Malacañan Palace.
• 03:30 PM First Cabinet Meeting of the President of the Philippines, Aguinaldo State Dining Room, Malacañan Palace.
• 04:00 PM Street Program, Quezon Memorial Circle begins.
• 06:00 PM Inaugural Reception, Reception and Rizal Halls, Malacañan Palace.
• 07:30 PM Toast to the Foreign Delegations and the Diplmatic Corps by the President of the Philippines, brief remarks.
• 08:00 PM Personal time for the President.
• 09:00 PM Departure of the President of the Philippines from Malacañan Palace to attend the Inaugural Concert.
• 09:20 PM Inaugural Concert, Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City.

You may want to visit MLQ3's blog to see the schedule with complete historical facts and trivia on the Presidential Inauguration and activities. He's part of the Inaugural Committee, as its spokesperson.

Starbucks Lemon Hibiscus and Lemon Green Tea Blended Drinks

Starbucks recently launched their newest blended tea drinks - the Lemon Hibiscus and the Lemon Green Tea. As I am currently in the process of turning my best friend into a foodie, I brought him to Starbucks last week to try the new flavors.

I liked the Lemon Hibiscus more than the Lemon Green Tea, just because it offered a different tang to the drink; but over-all, I would say that the new blended tea drinks are just normal. It's a break from the coffee drinks, but I expected a lot more from Starbucks. Sadly, I didn't get impressed.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Frozen Swirls

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Philippines is now introducing a new way to enjoy their signature Espresso and Ice Blended flavors, swirled together with their premium frozen yogurt. FROZEN SWIRL, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's exclusive line of frozen yogurt is 99% Fat Free, low in calories and cholesterol, and is a good source of protein and calcium. They guarantee that they're the best frozen yogurt you'll ever taste.

I ordered the Classic Vanilla, Caramel Affogato flavor. It was a different twist to what we normally taste in frozen yogurt. It had this kick of espresso, which I liked, but isn't that sure that it goes well with the sourness of the yogurt. The price isn't that affordable compared to other Frozen Yogurts. Nonetheless, I liked it. I have yet to try their other concoctions - I hope it's a lot better.


CBTL's Frozen Swirl is now available at Eastwood Mall, Greenhills Promenade, Four Seasons Salcedo, and The Power Plant Mall

Ravioli at Mall of Asia

There's this new restaurant in the Mall of Asia. While I was walking around the mall some days back, I came across this interesting Ravioli place. As I was intrigued by their dishes, I went in and tried it.

I got the Pizza Frita with Boursin Cheese and the Spinach & Feta Cheese Ravioli in Pesto. I loved the fried dough, and especially the cheese. The ravioli was fresh, but the taste and blend of the spinach and cheese could be improved. It lacked the cheesy flavor, and was overpowered by the greens; nonetheless, it was a hearty meal :)

Ravioli Menu: Antipasti, Ravioli, Chicken & BBQ, Pasta, Brick Oven & Baked Pizzas, Desserts, Coffee, Beverages

Speaker Sonny Belmonte's The Bottomline Interview

Tagaytay's Taal Vista Lodge Buffet Meals

Just recently, we drove a few hours down south to Tagaytay City to try Taal Vista Lodge's dinner buffet meals. For a little more than 800 pesos a person, I think it was expensive for what the International Buffet at that time had to offer. The food wasn't that great. The desserts, even worse. I only liked the Blueberry Pannacotta and the Banana - Jack Fruit concoction. Overall it was okay and, sure, it was very filling. On the contrary, the breathtaking sight and the ambiance was romantic and just perfect for a date.

Here are the food we ate, or at least what I had.


Tagaytay City is one of the destinations people go to for a quick escape from the city life and busy environment of Manila. It's a little bit cooler compared to Manila, because of its altitude compared to the Capital.

Speaker Sonny Belmonte faces Boy Abunda in The Bottomline

Quezon City 4th District Congressman-elect Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte, who is the next Speaker of the House of Representatives in the incoming 15th Congress, will face Boy Abunda and answer the people's questions in The Bottomline, this Saturday, June 19 on ABSCBN. :)

New Starbucks Lemon Green Tea and Lemon Hibiscus

Starbucks Philippines introduces its newest Blended Juice Drinks that will definitely quench your thirst. Two new flavors, the Lemon Green Tea and Lemon Hibiscus are now available at your favorite Starbucks branch. I have yet to try them, but will definitely do soon! :)

Stick House Pistachio with Chocolate and Almonds

Stick House is one of the recent ice cream craze which appeared in the malls. They offer gelato ice cream on a stick! For the base ice cream, you can choose from Premium, Regular or Sorbet Flavors. Under Premium, they have Coffee (Php 80) and Pistachio (Php 80). Under Regular (Php 70), they have Milk Cream, Chocolate and Gianduia and under Sorbet (Php 60), they have Mango and Strawberry.

They also provide toppings for you to customize your dessert treat. They have Almonds, Hazelnuts, or Coffee at Php 25 (Full) and Php 15 (Half), and Pistachio at Php 40 (Full) and Php 25 (Half); and Chocolate Dips: White Chocolate or Milk Chocolate at Php 35 (Full) and Php 20 (Half).

Subic Bay's Hong Kong Dimsum Treat

While you're in Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), you should try out Subic Bay Venezia Hotel's New Feng Huang Restaurant which offers one of the best Hakaw I've ever tasted in the Philippines. From a certain time-frame after lunch and before dinner, the restaurant offers dimsum at a discounted rate, more of less 50% off the original price.

The Steamed Pork Siomai, Deep Fried Wanton, and the Pan Fried Radish Cake are priced at Php 49 each. The Mixed Bola-bola Congee, Beef Congee, and the Steamed Shrimp Dumplings are priced at Php 79 each. Good food at affordable prices. Try it when you're visiting the place, I'm sure you'll love it! :)

I miss you! Sunburn!

Even though I go home tired from work, I can't help but pause and spend time writing this post. I want the world to know that I miss you. I miss the beach! I want to be reunited with you forever. I want to live on a house by the edge of a cliff, overlooking the sea. Only you and me can and will know. :)

I just want to be on the BEACH! Take me, bring me, kidnap me! :))))

KFC Launches Sweet Escape Photo Contest

Eligibility

• Open to residents of the Philippines aged 10 and above.
• All entries should be original. The photos should contain at least one (1) Krushers cup. They should not contain trademarks owned by or related to companies deemed as competition by KFC.
• KFC reserves the right to delete offensive or obscene entries as well as those that do not follow the rules without prior notice.

Submission of Entries

• All entries, complete with participant information, should be submitted via www.krusherzone.com, from April 17, 2010 to June 30, 2010.
• Photos may be uploaded in any IMAGE format (.jpg, .bmp, .gif, etc) for as long as it is less than 5MB; no color restrictions.
• Participants may send in as many entries as they wish.

Prize at Stake

There will be two rounds of competition. In the first round, photos will be shortlisted by KFC and its promotional agency 3 days after the submission period ends. They will judge the photos based on the following criteria: 50% creativity (how imaginative and resourceful the people in the photo are in recreating another country), 30% originality (how definitive the photo is in its look as well as uniqueness in the choice of location to recreate), and 20% chill meter rating (subjective rating by viewers of the photo online).

After a shortlist of 10 photos is finalized, the second round begins where people get to vote for the photo they like the most. ( All scores go back to zero)

The person who submitted the photo that gets the most votes in the second round wins an all-expense paid trip to a chill zone of his choice, anywhere in the world.

The winner may bring along as many people as he/she may want. However, the spending limit for the chill getaway (consisting of fare and accommodations) is Php 400,000.

Judging of all photo entries will be done by a panel from KFC Philippines. The judges’ decision will be final; no appeals may be made. The contest duration is from April 17, 2010 to June 30, 2010.

Application Period

April 17, 2010 – June 30, 2010

Elimination/Shortlisting of 10 photos

July 1 – 5, 2010

Second Round of Votation

July 5 – July 16, 2010

Awarding of winners

July 23, 2010

KFC Philippines has the right to reproduce, exhibit, publish or use the winning entries (Grand winner and Minor winners) for promotional or publication purposes without remuneration of any kind effective 15 months from the announcement of winners. Non-winning entries will not be used for promotional or publication purposes by KFC Philippines without the permission of the contestant. Due acknowledgment will be given to the contestant every time a photograph is used.


Terms and Conditions

• The winner should have the documents required for travel to his/her country of choice prepared (e.g. passport, VISA, etc.)
• The winner’s chill getaway location should be accessible by commercial travel.
• The winner only gets to go to one country. The spending limit can be maximized by extending the trip or bringing along more people.
• The winner will be notified via phone call or email and registered mail no later than 30 days after the winner has been selected.
• If the winner is below 18 years old, he/she must submit a parental consent letter stating that the parent/guardian allows the winner to travel.
• If the winner is from Visayas or Mindanao and needs to go to Manila to get an international flight, the flight to Manila will be included in the Php 400,000 spending limit.
• Prizes are transferable not convertible to cash.
• Multiple entries are allowed, but a participant may only win once.
• The winner should claim his/her prize at the Ogilvy&Mather Office within 6 months upon receipt of the notification letter; otherwise, the prize will be forfeited in favor of KFC Philippines, upon prior DTI approval.
• All bookings will be made by KFC Philippines. The winner should give KFC a two-week lead-time to book the trip.
• To ensure that the selection process is fair, KFC Philippines, Inc, through its agency Ogilvy&Mather Philippines, will be monitoring the online registration process for the entire duration of the promo.
• All employees of KFC, partner agencies, other promo sponsors, and their relatives up to the 2nd degree of consanguinity and affinity are not qualified to join the said promo.
• Winner should shoulder the cost of transportation to and from the Ogilvy&Mather office when claiming the prize.
• KFC shall not be liable for any losses or damages, which the winner may sustain in availing the prize.
• In case of disputes, the decision of KFC Philippines, Inc., in concurrence with DTI, is deemed final.