OTC Alternatives: Milk and Tea's

This is your run down of over-the-counter alternatives of your favorite Milk and Tea drinks around the metro.

I have been a fan of milk based drinks because it adds creaminess and sweetness without adding too much sugar. 

Mine Shine Milk Tea

I love this milk tea! My boyfriend Jai suggested I try this and it surely didn’t disappoint. It tasted creamy and sweet but still has a hint of brewed tea. This drink doesn’t have pearls (yam) in it, it tastes as if it has. Cost: P40.00 per 600 ml bottle. Available at 7-eleven 

You can compare this to Cha Dao Tea Place’ Assam Tea which is a mixture black tea, black sugar and milk. Cost: P65.00 (Large) , P75.00 (XL) plus add P10.00 for sinkers. Check out Cha Dao's facebook page for more info. 

C2 Milky Tea

I’ve been scouting groceries for the past few days to buy this. I saw a commercial about it and was curious of how it tasted. Finally I bought one from Robinsons Supermarket (Galleria) yesterday, only 2 bottles were left on the shelf- it’s either saleable or short on stock. So this morning I had this along with my pancake and sausages, my last breakfast before new year. I was really happy because it’s the kind of milk tea I like. Creamy but tasted like brewed black tea. 

Cost: P10.50 per 230ml bottle. Spotted at Robinsons Supermarket

My pre-2012 special breakfast

3. Milk Shake by Pokka *coming soon

Advantage of OTC: More affordable, can be refrigerated, can be stocked.

Downside of OTC: High content of sugar which is fattening unlike those Tea places where you have the option to control the sugar levels and add sinkers to complement your drink.

MUNCH MONSTER raid: PG-13

  

After shopping for a dress for our friend’s wedding, I invited Kubs to have dinner at PG-13 (Pinoy Grill-13) in Greenfield District (formerly Edsa Central). From SM Megamall we walked towards EDSA Shangri-la Mall until we reached PG-13.

I suggested the place practically because it serves affordable meals and has a live band to entertain diners.

 

Kubs ordered their Paboritong Pinoy Grilled Liempo (P169.00/order)which is an unlimited rice meal served with sinigang soup and one regular drink included. Kubs added P15.00 or P20.00 for drink upsize.

  

She liked her meal and said that she’d invite her boyfriend and dad to try PG-13.

I opted for something lighter so I ordered their Budbod Pork Tapa Rice Topping (P59.00/order) served with garlic rice and sinigang soup. This is my all-time tipid meal choice from PG-13 and asked for their house water.

An added bonus which is applicable to all meals is free refills of soup- their soup is really tastes good.

It was really fun to meet up with Kubs again after a couple of months and we were even more excited for the wedding of our friend Papa Bear Nina Calso.

Bite Cost: P60.00 – P180.00/person

Munch Worthy: Yup

Walker repeat: All the time!

To view PG-13's Menu click here: PG-13 Menu

MUNCH MONSTER raid: Adrian Miguels Snacks To Go!

This was one of Jai’s Christmas Gifts bought from our good friend Ian.

1 box (15pcs) - P260.00

This Carrot Cupcake with cream cheese on top is literally one of those desserts that melts-in-your-mouth! I loved it so much that I had to hide from everyone so that no one would eat it except me. Selfish me :P 

I love the fact that Jai gave me this treat as a surprise. Just what I need after a long tiring day.

Another dessert is a chocolate cupcake, a gift to us from Ian and as expected it was delicious. I have to start watching my weight soon! 

You should also try their bestsellers Sylvannas and Banana Crunch, totally worth every peso!

Bite Cost: P200.00 and up/order
Munch Worthy: Yes, definitely! Try their sylvannas
Walker repeat: Yes


Visit their Facebook Page for more info: Adrian Miguel's Snacks To Go

Travel: Early Christmas @ Fontana Leisure Park

*Fontana Leisure Park only accommodates members and its dependents. 
Visit their website for more info: FONTANA

I’d love to talk about our celebration but the main star aside from the birth of Christ is the food and gifts.

Since we celebrated out of town we opted to bring and buy food rather than prepare it from scratch, easier and convenient. With limited options available we settled for 1. Jollibee’s Christmas Bucket (1 order: 8pcs. Chicken, 4 spaghetti and 4 Go Large drinks), palabok and 4 orders of 2pcs. Burger Steak, nothing spectacular about Jollibee’s food but their branch in Clark, Pampanga stood out because of its spaceship like design (as per my sister). My niece, Anton, even asked me to take a picture. So here it is…

Other food items: 

2. Aysee Sisig (bilao) – P450.00 (Good for 20 persons)

• Best if eaten HOT. This is the famous sisig of Pasig. Located at Brgy. Oranbo Pasig beside Cityland Condominiums and Vimana Verde, near the Philippine Sports Complex (formerly ULTRA).

3. Ate Maribel’s Chocolate Cake – P350.00/ round cake (big), P250.00 (small)

• Moist Chocolate Cake – worth the extra pounds (pm for orders :D) 

4. Danish Cookies – c/o Kayla (gift of a friend) – good, nothing special about it.

 

5. Lechon Kawali – c/o Amus – ordinary tasting, could’ve deep-fried better

6. Dinuguan (homemade by Amus) – I’m not a fan of dinuguan therefore I don’t eat it but my siblings and nieces loves this dish so I guess it deserves a two thumbs up.

Over-all our celebration even though short, satisfied us gastronomically. :D 

Frost Bite: DEC Cold Drinks

Refreshments from a Chinese deli shop after a late lunch/ early dinner meal from Luk Yuen.

I remember my mom used to buy grocery items from DEC (from the old virramall) and she would often buy refreshments after. It was quite popular then too. I later found out through the Internet that DEC means Diao Eng Chai. :D

We were thinking of Happy Lemon as an option but seeing the long lines and hefty price I insisted that we try DEC's Jelly Fruit Drinks. 

My drink on the left: Taro. Jai's drink: Melon

Jai's verdict on his Melon drink: Too sweet. Not really a fan of it. 

My verdict on my Taro drink: Tastes good enough but Quickly's Taro Ice is better. 

DEC is affordable but not comparable to Happy Lemon’s creative drinks and different concoctions. 

Total Bill: Melon Drink- P50 + Taro- P50 = P100.00 (i forgot the exact price but it won't exceed more than P65/drink). 


Bite Cost: P65/person (vat inclusive)
Munch Worthy: Yes 
Walker repeat: Maybe

Frost Bite: Bee vs. Frosty

COLD TREATS 

Strolling in Landmark and Greenbelt is not an easy thing to do. Both tired, irritated with huge crowds, blistered feet (my feet) and Jai’s aching knee we headed off to Jollibee for a quick snack.

Jai ordered one Strawberry Sundae as I placed checkered bandages on my feet.

I’m not a fan of strawberries unlike Jai who likes that kind of stuff (coming from Baguio and all :P)  

Anyway, I tried his Strawberry Sundae and it tasted quite good and for only P25.00 it seems like a decent treat.

On the way home, I decided to try Wendy’s Vanilla Frosty and I loved it! I wouldn’t mind spending P38.00 for a small cup although I think Mad Marks' Madagascar Homemade Vanilla Bean with walnuts remains unbeatable. 

Food Bill: P25.00 Jollibee Strawberry Sundae + P38.00 Small Wendy's Vanilla Frosty = P63.00

Bite Cost: Less than P50.00 

Munch Worthy: Yes

Walker Repeat: Yes

Happy Thoughts: All about Advertising

canned soda

Wriiten above: Remember to get enough fluids each day. Did you know that the minimum recommended fluid intake for effective hydration is 11 cups for women and 16 for men? Enjoy this drink - it is a good place yo start. 

Notice anything? The part where they encourage and convince consumers that drinking soda contributes to better hydration. Although the facts about hydration are true I still see this as false advertising. Misleading consumers that sodas are considered good hydrators when in fact they're not. Soft-drinks/Sodas are listed as one of the weak hydrators in beverages. It contains caffeine and high sugar levels that in turn makes us more dehydrated. Written below is an article I read over the internet: 

Soft drinks often have a high caffeine base, a diuretic, which makes a body lose water before it has time to make its way into the intracellular environment. The other problem comes from the high sugar content of most sodas. The body has a hard time properly metabolizing refined sugar. To correct the reaction to this, the body has to surrender water from the extra cellular fluid. Because that makes a person thirsty, a vicious circle is created, as the thirst is being maintained by the very beverage that is drink with the intention of getting rid of it- Source: care2

These are minor details that we don't pay attention to everyday. What's your take on this advertisement? Leave a comment below and let's have a fun discussion. :D 

Happy Thoughts: Spell Me!

Here's a collection of everyday signs, notes, memos etc. I took pictures of it just for fun. It gives a good laugh but quite disappointing, these minor errors seriously reflects the quality of education we are provided with (not all of course). There's still hope and I believe this can be resolved. 


Looking at the bright side, these are instant stress relievers :D

Anyway, here are the photos.... 

must be spelled-out as DEMOLITION

Taken along Annapolis, Greenhills

Oven Toaster? 

Taken at our building elevator- Skyway Twin Towers

Taken at one of the vacant mall tenant spaces in Edsa Central

Watch for additional photos :D These photos were accidentally seen and not falsified. 

Happy Thoughts: Potato (patatas)

While in the grocery one random weekday, Jai saw this heart shaped potato.

I had to have my picture taken with it. I find it interesting to see naturally formed shapes in potatoes and other veggies and fruits. I remember watching Little Lulu (a cartoon) where Lulu and her friends found shaped potato figures of themselves.

Here’s the story from Little Lulu:

Season 2 Episode 20

 Potato Kids: When Lulu and Mrs. Moppet peel potatoes, she finds one that looks exactly like Tubby. When she goes to show it to him, everyone thinks she's trying to harass him. Tubby then gets revenge by finding a potato that looks just like her. Lulu is offended, while Annie finds it hilarious, so Lulu finds a potato that looks just like Annie. Thus breaking the potato war. -grabbed from tv.com

I watched this episode in Grade school and since then I can’t help but be amazed to see naturally formed figures on food, marble floors/walls and even  clouds too (remember UP by Pixar?).

It’s fun to use your imagination anytime, anywhere even when you’re in the toilet: D 

BRAIN FOOD: 10 Potato Facts grabbed from Go Live Life

• Potatoes were first eaten more than 6,000 years ago by indigenous people living in the Andes mountains of Peru.
• The Incas measured time by how long it took for potatoes to cook.
• Religious leaders denounced the potato because it wasn't mentioned in the Bible.
• Potatoes are the world's fourth food staple - after wheat, corn and rice.
• Potatoes are grown in more than 125 countries (even in space - in 1995).
• Every year enough potatoes are grown worldwide to cover a four-lane motorway circling the world six times.
• China is the world's largest potatoe producer.
• Namibians each eat an average of 110 kilograms of potatoes every year - not quite as much as the Germans consume.
• In 1778 Prussia and Austria fought the Potatoe War in which each side tried to starve the other by consuming their potato crop.
• During the Alaskan Klondike gold rush of the 1890's, potatoes were so valued for their vitamin C content that miners traded them for gold.

-The Other Book

Share your potato experience with me on the comment section below :D

MUNCH MONSTER raid: Foodcamp

 

                     

Jai and I met after his football game and even though he's injured he still fulfilled his promise to meet me. We decided to meet at Ministop Kapitolyo, while waiting I bought  Chillz Dark Chocolate (Shake) to satisfy my craving for chocolate. I really liked it and only costs P24.00 (12 oz).

Jai came and we dropped by their house so he can change, I really appreciate Jai’s efforts that day. I know that he’s tired and his knees weren't in the perfect condition but STILL he didn’t mind the discomfort just to see me. Sweet! 

After a quick hug from Mei (his sister’s dog) we were off to Shangri-La Mall. We strolled for a bit and Jai asked me if I wanted to eat dinner already, well being the munch monster between the two of us, I said YES! We were supposed to eat at PG13 (a place we frequent for cheap eats) but we thought trying something new and ended up at Food camp. It’s a new burger joint right in front of our place and since it was a Sunday (November 27) I had to go home before 11:00 pm (rules…bleh) it seemed the best option for me.

We were the only customers that time (around 8 p.m.). It’s a good thing for us and a bad thing for the restaurant. The restaurant can accommodate up to 5 couples inside and 5 more outside (I think). I ordered Fili-cheese steak (P115.00) for myself and Bravo burger (P165.00) for Jai.

                                                                    FILI-CHEESESTEAK

BRAVO BURGER

       

I was a bit disappointed with my order, it’s like they used cheap cheese and low class bread. I had high expectations because of the great reviews I read over the internet. It doesn’t taste as good as it looks. Sorry but it didn’t satisfy my taste at all. On the other hand, I loved Jai’s Bravo burger! Juicy beef patty, I took bites off his burger and it was delectable plus it included fries already. Jai even said that he liked it better than Charlie’s; he’s excited to try their Angus and Wagyu Burger next time. I recommend this place for juicy and reasonably priced burgers but when it comes to cheese steaks, you’re better off with Philly’s Cheesesteak at Ortigas, Home Depot.

Total food cost: Fili-Cheesesteak P115.00 + Bravo Burger (Single Patty) w/fries P165.00 = P280.00. No service charge and all food items are vat inclusive. 

Walker Map: From MRT Crossing

1.  Ride a jeep bound to Pasig Palengke – Fare: P8.00/person

2. Ask the driver to drop you off at Oranbo overpass; you’ll see a Baliwag Lechon Manok kiosk and BDO across the street.

1.      3.Take the overpass going to BDO.

1.      4. Go to the tricycle terminal and ask the driver to drop you off at Mini Stop Oranbo near Skyway Twin Towers. Fare: P14.00/special trip or 2pax

5. Food Camp is located right on the opposite street of Mini Stop.

From SM Megamall or Galleria

1.  Go to the FX Terminal

2. Ride a FX bound for Pasig Palengke, Pineda, Canley make sure to tell the driver beforehand where to drop you off. P22.00/fixed rate (SM) ; P25.00/fixed rate (ROBINSONS)

3. Ask the driver to drop you off at Mini Stop Oranbo (near Tides Bar)

4. Food Camp is located right on the opposite street of Mini Stop.

Bite Cost: P150.00/person

Munch Worthy: Yes

Walker repeat: Yup!For juicy burgers and due to Jai’s insistent demand  ;D


For more information call: 576-3998
Foodcamp Delivers! Call 212-1212
Website: Foodcamp
Facebook: Foodcamp
Located at G/F LPI Center, 324 Captain Henry Javier St. Oranbo Pasig City

MUNCH MONSTER raid: Luk Yuen

Finally revisiting Luk Yuen and now dinning! Jai and I chose Mey Lin over Luk Yuen before due to our limited budget, we were already seated browsing the menu and my fickle mindedness lead us to walking out and eating at Mey Lin. But now, thanks to my ever cute boyfriend who finally made the decision to eat there. 

Here’s our Luk Yuen experience, last Sunday, December 4, I asked Jai to accompany me to Greenhills to look for business attire clothes. We haven’t eaten lunch and after about 2 hours of strolling we were both hungry. Jai was craving for Chinese food especially fried rice; we decided to go Chinese and had five options, Mann Hann, Le Ching, Eat Well, North Park or Luk Yuen. Our first choice was North Park but didn’t know where it was, second was Eat Well although we didn’t have enough money, we were down with three options and finally after countless deliberations we went with Luk Yuen and redeem ourselves because of our walk out drama before :)

The restaurant is spacious and the colors have a welcoming feel to it. We didn’t receive any greetings or welcoming remarks unlike in other restaurants, no one even assisted us, we did the initiative of looking for a vacant seat. We were trying to call the attention of the waiters numerous times but they just ignored us (irritating and disrespectful).  We decided to move to another seat to be more visible and be attended to, also there were parts of the restaurant that was not well ventilated. After transferring, finally a waiter approached us and gave us the menu.

I did the courtesy of letting Jai choose. He ordered Fried Rice with Chicken & Salted Fish (P180.00) and the Dumplings in Hot Chili – 8 pieces (P160.00) plus our all time favorite drink -2 glasses of house water haha

Fried Rice with Chicken & Salted Fish

We’ve had better. When it comes to fried rice, our Little Asia experience is yet to be beaten. Plus, the version of North Park is way superior! Serving wise, we were a bit disappointed, we were expecting a bit more.

Dumplings in Hot Chili

More like Dumplings in Soy Sauce with bits of chili. Jai was unsatisfied with this dish. He didn’t taste any hint of spice and had to add more chili just to make it spicy. I tasted a faint hint of spice but was not satisfied with it. The dumplings were okay, though we’d still go for Eat Well’s hakaw.

Total food cost: Fried Rice P180 + Dumplings P160 + Tip P10.00 = P350.00. The restaurant has no service charge (I don’t think they should) and all menu items are vat inclusive.

 Revisiting Luk Yuen? Maybe in the future, we’d explore other Chinese restaurants first as of now. This was not a total hit for us.

Walker Map: From Robinsons Galleria 

1. From Robinsons Galleria Mall, take a jeep going to Greenhills Shopping Center.
2. Go to V-Mall (former Virramall) and walk towards the chapel, from there you’ll see Luk Yuen restaurant.

Bite Cost: P150.00/person

Munch Worthy: Not really, explore other Chinese restos

Walker repeat: Maybe, will try their noodles and congee

Located at Unimart Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Ave. San Juan City

Website:Luk Yuen

Facebook: Luk Yuen

Operating Hours:

Sunday - Thursday: 10:00 am – 8:30 pm

Friday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm  

MUNCH MONSTER raid: Cafe Lidia

Bonifacio Day food tipid trip! Taking advantage of the holiday Jai invited me to eat lunch at Café Lidia. Although it was far from our place, we were drawn to it by good reviews from different blog sites.

We arrived past 1:00 pm and were surprised to see the restaurant almost full. We didn’t make any reservations but luckily we got a table. Jai insisted that I choose whatever pizza I wan, I was supposed to order the Margherita (tomato and basil pizza) but Jai already tried it before with his friends so to be fair I wanted Jai to try another flavor. 

I ordered the Trio Formaggi (three cheese pizza), plus their famous buffalo wings for P160.00 (around 5-6pcs.)

We were very happy our pizza, 12 inches for P215.00 and it did not disappoint! Being a cheese lover I added extra parmesan cheese on top. The thin crust with a generous amount of three kinds of cheeses deserves a two thumbs up! It made our lunch date extra yummy and cheesier! I told Jai that it’s similar to Pizza Hut’s Ultimate Cheese Pizza but Jai disagreed, he liked Ultimate Cheese better (a little biased here: Ultimate Cheese is his ultimate favorite). Well I guess you can’t completely compare the two because Ultimate Cheese obviously has more kinds of cheeses and has a thicker crust.


Another pleaser was the Buffalo wings, it was flavorful and cooked just right, you can taste the crispiness of the chicken covered with a sweet marinade with a slight hint of chili.  We were kind of expecting it to be spicier like the common Buffalo wings in other restaurants but nevertheless it was worth the try but our number 1 choice for Buffalo wings is STILL Don Henricos :D

proof that we were really FULL!

We thought of ordering cake or ice cream for dessert but we were already full. Other food items I’d like to try are Mozzarella Sticks, Lasagna and Almond Sansrival, while Jai’s picks are Nachos, Pasta ala Lidia and Grilled Pork Belly. 

I recommend this restaurant for those who love Italian food but wouldn’t want to spend over P500.00. Food menu items are reasonably priced and doesn't comprise the quality of food. Waiters and Waitresses are very accommodating and it would be nice to give them a tip. (P.S. No service charge) 


Total food cost: Trio Formaggi Pizza- P215.00 + Buffalo wings (good for 2)- P160.00 + 2 glasses of water (free) + Tip-P20.00 = P395.00


Walker Map: From MRT Shaw
1. Ride a jeep bound to Pasig Palengke, tell the driver to drop you off Jollibee, Rotonda. 
2. Cross the street going to 7/11. Fare: P8.00/person
3. From 7/11 cross the street going to Youth Jam.
4. Ride a jeep bound for Marikina Palengke, tell the driver to drop you off in front of Cafe Lidia at Calderon St. Fare: P13.00/person

Bite Cost: 150.00/person, P500.00/for 2
Munch Worthy: Yes 

Walker repeat: will go back for their pizza 

happy customer

Affordable Italian cuisine under P500.00 at Cafe Lidia
Located at 64 Calderon St. Calumpang, Markina Heights
Facebook Page:  Cafe Lidia

Operating Hours: 
Sunday: 3:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Monday to Saturday: 10:00 am - 11:30 pm