Sushi Dito, Klasikos & Il Forno : Triple Dining Experience In One Roof
By ketchupthelatest - December 02, 2013
It's less than a month before Christmas, and it's a great reason to be excited for a lot of things the holiday season brings. Of course, the top of mind is GOOD FOOD! We only want the best for this special occasion, good thing Italianni's has made it easier for foodies out there who love to savor delicious and authentic Italian cuisine in the metro.
Italianni's has concocted two special Christmas meal sets called Merry Bundles di Toscano for its diners, perfect for groups of 2-3 persons. These are: The Pollo Arrosta Bundle and the Farmer's Bundle
Italianni's has concocted two special Christmas meal sets called Merry Bundles di Toscano for its diners, perfect for groups of 2-3 persons. These are: The Pollo Arrosta Bundle and the Farmer's Bundle
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| Farmer's Bundle (Php 1,245) consists of: |
Herb Roasted Spring Chicken
Baby Back Ribs
choice of Aglio Olio Spaghetti or Spaghetti Pomodoro
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| The Pollo Arrosta Bundle (Php 1,195) |
| consists of: |
Roasted Chicken on Provencal Sauce
Insalata Rucola
choice of Aglio Olio Spaghetti or Spaghetti Pomodoro
Hygiene Kits Campaign for Yolanda Victims
By ketchupthelatest - November 18, 2013
We have seen the wrath of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). The devastation it caused has affected not only a few cities and houses in the Philippines but the majority of the Visayas region where the death counts has now reached thousands and number of families affected now millions.
A conscious effort is now spearheaded by the Davao Bloggers Society and Filipino Bloggers Forum to join the relief operations by raising a total of P100,000.00 to finance and produce 1,000 hygiene packs for the victims. Each kit which amounts to PHP100 or USD2.50 will contain toiletries and other essential goods for a week's use of one person. Hygiene kits were chosen to be donated as this is something that is not yet prioritized by many donors.
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| Vikings: The largest luxury buffet restaurant in the country today is now open in Davao
New restaurants have been opening in Davao in the recent months, but I have never encountered such hype and excitement for a new buffet restaurant such as Vikings' even weeks before it actually opened its doors last September. Luckily, I was given a complimentary dinner for four which allowed me to bring my family last week. All the questions in my head were answered as I came in by their entrance door.
Firstly, I have to say that the modern Filipino interior design of the restaurant was simply elegant. With a quick glance of the food all over the place, you'd literally be floored just by looking at their wide selection of their dishes, beverages and desserts. It was like a huge buffet treat being prepared for all Davaoeno foodies.
Located inside the SM Lanang Premier, just fronting the Fountain Court, they have a large capacity to accommodate 500 guests at a time. Being the first branch outside Metro Manila, this says a lot about Davao as a growing hub for business and tourism.
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| These sugary (good news! they are not overly sweet) cronuts go best with Go Nuts' Vietnamese coffee |
I've been hearing a lot about cronuts in the past few weeks, and I see people are going gaga over this latest pastry craze. I am quite intrigued and was wondering how it is different with the conventional donuts. Good thing I was able to sample Go Nuts version of the cronuts during a food tasting last week.
Cronut first became popular in New York early this year and is described as a sugary heaven giving you the goodness of both worlds, hence the description, "half donut, half croissant". It is baked from laminated dough as a croissant with decadent cream filling, fried to perfection as a donut then topped with fruit toppings. Viola! We now have the cronut!
- It's time to have a satisfying lunch at TGIF!
- Four new delectable dishes have been added to the menu for only P295.
- The Weekday Specials is available from Monday to Thursday at 11am to 3pm only at Friday's Abreeza Branch. It is located at Level 1 Abreeza Ayala Mall, Davao City
- Here are four of TGI Friday's must-eat weekly dishes to tickle your cravings:
While everyone raves about loving the coffee from Starbucks, it is wonderful to know that they serve delectable sandwiches, too. They also regularly change their menu to serve and delight their customers with something new.
Each of the sandwich variants has a distinctive flavor which I could say I have never tried anywhere else. I specially love the different kinds of bread they use, a single bite will tell you that its baked to perfection with high-quality ingredients.
During its first event for Davao Bloggers, Starbucks introduced their newest set of 5 lunch sandwiches namely: Bacon and Cheese on Herbed Ciabatta Bread, Roasted Chicken Pesto and Shiitake Mushroom on Flat Bread, Salami and Cheese on Marbled Rye Bread, Spinach Artichoke and Mushroom on Herbed Multi-Grain Bread and Tuna and Cheese on Dark Ciabatta Bread
Each of the sandwich variants has a distinctive flavor which I could say I have never tried anywhere else. I specially love the different kinds of bread they use, a single bite will tell you that its baked to perfection with high-quality ingredients.
Now, it's time for you to get to know these new lunch sandwiches from Starbucks.
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| Bacon and Cheese on Herbed Ciabatta Bread (Php165) Indulge with this rich gooey grilled cheese sandwich that has six type of cheeses: Gruyere, Emmenthal, Provolone, Mozzarella, Feta and Cheddar. It blends with crispy bacon strips and is lightly flavored with creamy pesto sauce on herbed ciabatta bread. You will love this especially on a rainy day. |
The Ultimate Greenwich Blow Out for Davao Bloggers
By ketchupthelatest - September 20, 2013
Greenwich, one of the popular pizza chains in the country goes out of its way to bring mouth-watering pizza delights that not only exceed your expectation but also set a standard of best-tasting and value-for-money pizza and pasta there is.
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| The Ultimate Special Overload Pizza has 13 sumptuous toppings which consist of slices of beef, bacon, pepperoni, and salami; sprinkled with fresh mushrooms, olives, red/green bell pepper, onion and minced garlic |
During our stop, they showed us their latest offering of flavorful Japanese rolls: Volcano, Crazy Maki, Tsuru and Godzilla rolls. Their presentation was so inviting that we couldn't wait to take a bite of these delightful dishes. (Of course, we were that patient to wait for several minutes while co-bloggers took turns to take shots and snaps for our respective blogs)
So here they are, feast your eyes on rolls that are truly Japanese:
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| My plate is feeling Japanese: Crazy Maki, Godzilla, and Tsuru rolls |
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| Volcano Roll : Salmon, spring onions with Japanese mayonnaise (Photo credits to Kulay Potograpiya) |
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| Aren't these not enough to make you drool? |
I instantly felt at home because Mam Bebs serves most of my favorite food and if you have a sweet tooth, you'll sure be in for a treat. You've got to try their famous Apple Pie (one of the best in Davao City), Egg pie, Chocolate Cake, Palabok, Custard Cake and a lot more. They also serve rice meals, the one I tasted was the Double Cooked Adobo meal combo (with rice and soup) and I love it! The best thing about dining here is their very affordable price. A good meal will only cost you less than a hundred bucks! Plus, the place is a WIFI hotspot and it's fully air-conditioned as well. Very good deal, eh?
A Massage Like No Other at Banahaw Heals Spa
By ketchupthelatest - August 25, 2013
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The Country's Famous Massage in CALABARZON now in Davao!
I always delight at the thought of going to a spa for massage. It has become a great source of relaxation and a place where I can just lay and relax for a good 60-90 minutes. See, when your job entails sitting in front of the computer for about ten hours a day or more, and you’re not even sure if you have the proper sitting posture or not, you will soon learn to love the heavenly wonders of a satisfying and relaxing massage.
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| A view of Banahaw Heals Spa - Davao branch entrance door |
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| their relaxing Zen-inspired ambiance |
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| feeling the beat and vibe of The Kaagan Theatre Group's cultural performance |
To celebrate this festive event, Apo View Hotel offers a festive line up of promotions and activities to everyone. A stay in Davao for the Kadayawan is made more memorable if you book 2 night from August 5-18, you will get a gift certificate for a free overnight stay which can be used within 1 month. This enticing offer includes a daily breakfast buffet at the Entree, welcome drinks at the Blue Room plus a complimentary in-room WIFI.
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| Tribal dances |
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| A pose with the Kaagan Theatre Group |
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Filipino Dining At Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta
By ketchupthelatest - August 13, 2013
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Serving selected authentic recipes from the north, south and
anywhere in between the 7107 islands of the Philippines
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When we dine in a Filipino restaurant, we rarely get the full
assortment of recipes we have in our country. The Philippines, being an
archipelago, has a vast definition of Filipino cuisine. Filipinos from
different parts of the country’s cluster of islands have been honing their own
recipes and practicing different variations of a similar dish such as Adobo and Sinigang.
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| Their mean Kalderetang Kambing |
Davao Food Appreciation Tour (DFAT) 2013: Truly A Gastronomic Experience!
By ketchupthelatest - July 18, 2013
I am happy and privileged to be part of Davao Food Appreciation Tour 2013 , now on its 6th year. More commonly called as DFAT, it has become a much anticipated yearly activity that aims to gather bloggers mostly coming from Davao City to be part of the 'three day event full of food, fun, and friendship'.
It was held last June 14-16 and was participated by 25 awesome bloggers. We had a food blast visiting 13 food establishments and 2 resorts, and without these kind and accommodating sponsors, this special event wouldn't have been possible. And to the organizers, thumbs up to you guys!!! It was really memorable ( and yes, very very gastronomic!)
It was held last June 14-16 and was participated by 25 awesome bloggers. We had a food blast visiting 13 food establishments and 2 resorts, and without these kind and accommodating sponsors, this special event wouldn't have been possible. And to the organizers, thumbs up to you guys!!! It was really memorable ( and yes, very very gastronomic!)
Human Heart Nature's Bug Shield : My Skin's Outdoor Companion
By ketchupthelatest - July 04, 2013
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| my skin's outdoor companion in its new packaging |
Among its line of make-up, baby care and skin care products, my favorite is the Citronella Bug Spray (now called Bug Shield Mosquito Repellent) . It is the one item that I always keep in handy wherever I go. See, I have a feeling that my skin is the type that mosquitos go for. Sounds like a compliment eh? But it's not. Ever since I was a kid, I can remember everytime that I am outside the house playing or simply hanging out with friends, I always noticed that I am the only one being bitten by these pesky insects. Does this mean that my blood is sweeter than theirs? They are sucker for my blood, literally.
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| Receiving compliments from kids are much sweeter, truer. (photo credits to : appreciationadvantage.com) |
I am now back to the grind after a delightfully gastronomic weekend, being part of the Davao Food Appreciation Tour 2013 ( DFAT).
Since it was a Monday (June 17) I was thinking of burning the calories & carbs that I took in during the DFAT and attend the Zumba sessions at Matina Town Square around 6pm right after I logged out from work. But plans are plans and they change sometimes. My 9-year old daughter Mikkie called up from school and told me she's bringing over a classmate named Macy because they're doing a research for their English subject. It was almost 5:30 in the afternoon so I gave in and cancelled my zumba schedule to prepare dinner instead and of course be at home to supervise the girls.
I quickly whipped up a sauteed dish of Baguio beans (green beans) with pork bits plus Sinigang (Filipino soup or stew having a sour and savory flavor which usually comes from tamarind extract or sampalok) . I prepared them the way my family loves them and sprinkled a dash of love, as they say. =)
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| The classic Cecil's Egg Pie |
The heat of the summer has made the ice cream, smoothie and milk tea businesses more thriving these days.
Recently I was brought to a whole new world of my favorite comfort food and was able to sample Davao's first and only maker of artisan ice cream, Sweet Spot. It is called artisan because it is made by skilled crafts persons who produce the ice cream in smaller batches, as needed.
The exciting trivia about Sweet Spot is, it's the first ice cream shop to use crocodile eggs for their ice cream to replace the traditional cream. This makes the consistency more creamier and tastful. As of now they serve two flavors made with crocodile eggs: the Dragonfruit Crocodile Ice Cream and the Buko Pandan Crocodile Ice Cream. You may also enjoy the classic and fruity flavors such as: Mango Mazing, Vanilla, Coffee Rush, Strawberry, Cookies & Cream, Cheezee Cheese, Ube Purple and Buko Pandan.
An Online Mom's First World Happiness: Tethering, Bluetooth and 3g Connection
By ketchupthelatest - May 23, 2013
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| Tethering and charging up at its best |
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| internet signal from Iphone to Macbook, size doesn't matter after all! (ignore the Naruto bookmark, lol, my son's!) |
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| Giving your skin the care it deserves |
Worse, others would leave a trace of dark spots on the cheeks of the user after being exposed under the sun. It's pretty scary when users apply these type of products without proper knowledge on the correct application. Sometimes we tend to skip using sunscreen/or sunblock for skin protection. Other times, we also use the products not really suited for our skin types ; or we use one product that doesn't match the other skin product we also use, hence, the irritation.
Lately, organic and natural skin care products have started to come out in the market. And at this time too, people are beginning to be aware (and educated) that parabens and hydroquinone usually present in shampoos, soaps, skin lighteners and other cleansing products are dangerous chemicals that might cause cancer. This makes the job of nature and skin-friendly beauty companies easier as they go out of their way formulating beauty products sans these harmful chemicals.
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| Best seller and must try: Cocoa With Rock Salt and Cheese |
Happy Lemon, a unique tea cafe which originally started in Hongkong, has over 200 outlets in 30 cities worldwide. They are known for their refreshing and creative ways of serving milk tea, and blending the best flavors of coffee, tea leaves, cocoa and lemon. And the best thing of all, their beverages contain no preservatives, just pure in taste and awesome milk tea goodness.
Their first branch in Davao (13th in the Philippines) is in The Peak at the Gaisano Mall, and was inaugurated last February. It was graced by its owners, led by PBA basketball star, Chris Tiu and his partners (who were by the way, his schoolmates in Xavier University and Ateneo)
Last April, they opened two more branches at SM Lanang Premier and SM City Annex so people from south and north will now have easy access to their stores. This makes a total of 19 stores in the country and still counting!
It was a busy day at work, my co-workers and I were wrecking our heads out to answer support tickets from clients. To say that we needed some breath of fresh air was an understatement.
As if he was hearing our pleas, our good natured boss blurted out the sweetest magic words we ever heard that day. I can tell that my boss was just appreciative of our team effort in delivering satisfactory customer service to his clients. He offered free pizza for that day if we finished all the support tickets before we logged out of work.
FREE PIZZA. This repeatedly rang on my head all throughout the day as I rummaged through the bunch of tickets/emails of about a hundred.
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| Cheeseburger Pizza |
FREE PIZZA. This repeatedly rang on my head all throughout the day as I rummaged through the bunch of tickets/emails of about a hundred.
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| Gelato Mania: pure Italian gelato goodness |
Recently, I am introduced to a whole new world of gelato. For the basics, all I knew was that, gelato is the Italian version of ice cream. And while I've seen gelato shops opening here in Davao but I never really had the chance to have a taste until I got an invite from my fellow blogger Sarah for the opening of Gelato Mania Davao last February.
From there, I learned first hand that gelato is more healthier than the usual ice cream because it contains less fat (10-12%). It is less foamy too, as it has little or no air at all. I have to say that the flavor is richer and much intense because they use fresh dairy and fruit ingredients readily available in the city. The rest of the ingredients (including the gelato equipment) are sourced out directly from Italy.
From there, I learned first hand that gelato is more healthier than the usual ice cream because it contains less fat (10-12%). It is less foamy too, as it has little or no air at all. I have to say that the flavor is richer and much intense because they use fresh dairy and fruit ingredients readily available in the city. The rest of the ingredients (including the gelato equipment) are sourced out directly from Italy.
Gelato Mania Davao is co-owned by Chef Francesco Pentaxiani and Cesare Brescia. Chef Francisco is a gelato maker and studied in Carpigiani Gelato Univeristy in Italy, known as the best gelato school worldwide. They both aim to share to the people of Davao City the same tasty and authentic flavor of gelato from Italy.
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| Chef Francisco showing how gelato is made fresh everyday |
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| Shows off the finish product, my favorite gelato flavor, Pistachio! |
Haven't you noticed that while everything is going high-tech and automatic; and consumer products lure us to having things instant, people are having this inner calling to go back to the basics? I, for one, am beginning to appreciate the benefits of healthy living. I also try to use products which are organic and made of natural ingredients. Being natural means that the components used to make them are not harsh to the skin and the environment.
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| The Godiva LicoWhite Skin Care Products: Definitely a must-try! |
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| Lachi's Key Lime Pie : Something new for the sugar foodies!! |
I am an egg pie/egg tart foodie. I was a able to sample, eat ( and gobble!) egg pies from different pastry shops here in Davao. But I am not going to talk about it today, it's about its equally mouth-watering but distinctively delightful cousin, the Key Lime Pie. Sounds a bit sour, eh? Actually, I have never tasted lemon pies so this is something new to me.
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| Reunited with the wedge! |
I am barely five feet tall. Of course I would often say that I'm 5 feet when asked casually, knowing that 4'11'' is just an inch away from 5 ft anyways. (And, my grade school Math teacher used to say I can round off numbers, you know).
Aside from the experience of wearing high heeled shoes during rare events such as proms and my very own wedding, I only got to wear them longer than a year when Havaianas wedges were popular years ago. We partied ways because hubby says it looks weird on me and he's kinda not trusting the way I walk. He says I walk so carelessly, not looking straight to where I am headed, and I could stumble and hurt myself any minute just by looking at me. From then on I shied away from heeled shoes. Besides, I love flats. They are comfy and carefree like that.
