Last April 20, I attended a bloggers event by Bo’s Coffee at SM North. The staff served us a super sweet combo! A slice of yummy moist chocolate cake with their featured drink this summer, Amaretto Biscotti. It’s blended coffee with biscotti and Amaretto syrup topped with whipped cream, dark chocolate drizzle and crushed biscotti sprinkles! :D I also got to try out their rail mix of fruits and nuts which was a gift including, Bo’s coffee’s new brown mug which retails for 265php.

I still remember the first time I visited one of Bo’s Coffee’s branches. I was with my boyfriend at SM Mall of Asia and it was my 17th birthday. We were looking for a place where we can talk and just chill because there were a lot of people in the mall since it was almost Christmas time (my birthday falls on December 23). I was about to give up after seeing most establishments were jam-packed but tada! I somehow spotted a cozy looking coffee shop which turned out to be Bo’s coffee.

Read on to know more about this local coffee shop!
“It all started with a bean bursting with the life-force of personal passion and entrepreneurial energy. In 1994, Mr. Steve D. Benitez, President and CEO of Bo’s Coffee, dreamt of sharing his coffee experience in the United States and Europe to the local market. June 28, 1996 saw the opening of the first store of Bo’s Coffee at Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu City, Philippines. It has since grown branching out into major urban areas of the Philippines.

Bo’s Coffee now operates 58 outlets strategically located in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Iloilo, Bohol, Tacloban, Tagaytay, Samar and Zamboanga. Bo’s Coffee is known for “just-roasted freshness”—its beans, mostly from Cordillera and Bukidnon, are delivered to its stores soon after roasting so that you can enjoy the distinctively bold, roasted flavour of Bo’s.” - http://www.boscoffee.com/

(Source: hurricanekitty)

Tokyo Cafe is the only Japanese style family restaurant that offers Western dishes with that distinct Japanese touch and prides itself with genuine Japanese hospitality and service here in the Philippines. It boasts of its traditional, unique art of Japanese coffee preparation - the traditional Japanese drip method.

Last week I attended Tokyo Cafe’s bloggers event at SM Mall of Asia, their first branch. Their other branches are in SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, McKinley Piazza, Fort Bonifacio Global City, NAIA 3 Terminal, and Robinsons Cybergate Plaza where they serve Tapsilog breakfast dishes (I’d love to try that soon!). This was only my third time to dine in Tokyo cafe, the first one was with my family and the second one was with friends for my 15th birthday (wow that seems like ages ago ;_;).

Our appetizer: Chicken and Cheese Roll - chicken fillet stuffed with mozarella cheese, rolled in bread crumbs, and deep fried to perfection (P260)

The venue for the event was changed at short notice, we were supposed to be in Megamall, where half of the bloggers were, but the shuttle service got caught up in heavy traffic so we just stayed in MOA. The friendly PR agent who was with us asked us to try Tokyo Cafe’s Japanese Fair and then we may order any meals we prefer! :) The six of us decided to share each meal so everyone will get to taste everything. The ones with the stars are my favorites!

Japanese Fair, our favorite rice toppings in a Ju-Box: Unaju - pan-fried eel fillets topped with caramelize soy sauce over rice (P393) my first time to eat eel!

Kalbi-Ju - thinly sliced beef smothered in original yakiniku sauce with side of fresh garden salad (P241)

Oyako-Ju - sliced chicken braised in signature tempura sauce with onions, and leeks mixed in egg on steamed white rice (P238)

Katsu-Ju - Deep fried breaded pork cutlet flavored with signature tempura sauce, onions, leeks and scrambled egg on steamed rice (P240) ★

Ten-Ju - deep fried shrimp tempura with signature tempura sauce on steamed rice (P238) ★

Other scrumptious meals Creamy Ebiko Pasta - shrimp, karashi ebiko, & cream pasta (P270) ★

Chicken in a Basket (7pcs - P420) - Japanese-style crispy fried chicken served with gravy

Hamburg & Shrimp - twice the goodness with this plateful of juicy burger patties & breaded black tiger prawns (P293) ★

Desserts and Drinks Milk Oreo Smoogee (P130) - crushed oreo cookies loaded in a milkshake

Matcha smoogee (P130) - Japanese green tea shake

New York Cheesecake (P145) - cheesy cake on a graham cracker crust

Tiramisu (P145) - an exquisite blend of coffee liquer in between layers of espresso soaked lady finger and mascarpone cheese I didn’t like this cake at all, it tasted bland and had an icy consistency, probably left frozen longer than it should be

Azuki Parfait (P118) - layers of sweet red azuki beans, vanilla & green tea ice cream topped with whipped cream

Caramel smoogee (P126) - a rich creamy mixture of caramel and espresso based

Banana hazelnut crepe (P125) - banana, hazelnut spread, whipped cream and vanilla ice cream drizzled with choco syrup

Iced Cocoa (P115) - rich cocoa topped with whipped cream

Tokyo Afogard (Ice cream in espresso) - three scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with fresh espresso (P117) ★ this is just heavenly *u*

Thank you so much Tokyo Cafe for the awesome food & service (I was so full I even had to loosen my shorts a little haha), and Richard Mamuyac of AM PR for inviting me! It’s always nice to meet new bloggers, they were all very friendly especially Ms. Dash. They didn’t make me feel left out even though I’m just a pseudo-food blogger. :) Don’t forget to visit Tokyo Cafe’s website and Facebook page for updates.

PS. Tokyo Cafe’s recent promo, Tokyo Thrift is perfect for those on a budget. At 100php you can enjoy a different meal each day that’s delicious and filling for a reasonable price. Planning a Christmas party? It doesn’t have to be too expensive nor does it have to be too tight. Celebrate your parties bento style this year. They are open for bulk orders (minimum of 24). Check out the official poster here and here for more info.

(Source: hurricanekitty)

My sister and I attended VMV Hypoallergenics’ Skin Soiree at their skin research center in 117 C. Palanca St., Legazpi Village, Makati yesterday. Visitors were treated to a free makeover, discounts up to 50% off on products and services, free scrumptious snacks, first look on their VMVery Holiday Gifts Set and *drum roll* a tube of Ooh-La-Lash volumizing mascara worth 1,000 php which we got for free just by signing on the guestbook. :)

Having our makeovers done:

We were greeted by Pam (marketing coordinator) who was very friendly and accommodating. She asked us how we found out about the event, I told her I read about it at projectvanity.com a.k.a. the only beauty blog I religiously read. The make-up artist who did the makeovers was friendly too, she even complimented my outfit and said it reminded her of Una Rosa’s recent collection (she’s a fan, I think). Well, what a coincidence, my sister used to work for Una Rosa as junior designer. They were pretty surprised when they found out because they thought we were just about the same age. Sure I can pass off as 16 but here’s my 26 year old sister often mistaken as an 18 year old. Can’t. Beat. That. -_-

cookies for the guests!

Anyway, here’s a little info about the brand: VMV has been around since 1979, making them one of the first hypoallergenic cosmeceuticals, and the first dermatologist-dermatopathologist skin care brand. All their products contain the least amount or zero cosmetic allergens and are validated hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, preservative-free, non-comedogenic, usage, patch, in vitro, in vivo, + clinically tested. In short, it’s the holy grail for people with sensitive skin! :D

My face still breaks out from time to time even though I’m already taking medication, it’s probably because of the cosmetics I use. I’ve been ingredient-wary for quite a while now (yes, I’m one of those people who actually read the ingredients list. I know… how geeky right? But it does pay off!) but it’s just so hard to find good products that don’t contain harsh ingredients. I’ll definitely be back here or in their other branches once my stash needs restocking and I’ve saved enough allowance to splurge. Thank you so much VMV, we had fun at the soiree and we’re looking forward to the next one! :)

Lunch at New Bombay afterwards :) Saffron rice

Chicken Tikka Masala

YUM! :>

(Source: hurricanekitty)

Last Tuesday, the boyfriend and I watched Kung Fu Panda 2. We were supposed to watch Hangover 2 but apparently, it’s not being shown in SM Cinemas because it’s R-18. It didn’t bother me that much since I haven’t watched its prequel but Kev was pretty disappointed so we decided to watch another movie instead.

While we were falling in line at the ticket booth deciding what to watch, he suggested Insidious but I said “no, it’s horrible!! I’ve read reviews about it in the internet” (don’t take my word for it though). I suggested X-Men: First Class instead because I remembered the times I used to play Capcom vs Marvel in PS 1 when I was a litol girl *nostalgic* (raise your hand if you played that game too) but he insisted we watch Kung Fu Panda 2 and I just stared at him. Kung Fu Panda 2, r u srs?

And then he showed his puppy doggy eyes and said “but it’s cute…” :( and I was like awww okay we’ll watch that. He assured me that it’s funny and that I’ll love it. And as it turns out… I did!! :3 I haven’t watched Kung Fu Panda 1 so I didn’t know what the story was all about but after watching part 2, I guess it’s safe to say that it is undeniably an adorable movie plus, the graphics are awesome! And very different from the crappy gray blob I’ve been doing in Maya at my 3D animation class lol.

But before that, we ate first at Nanos (A Piece of Italy in the City). You probably haven’t heard of this fast food yet because their newly opened branch in SM Manila is their first one here in the metro! :) It was our second time to dine there. I ordered a slice of Nano Italiano pizza a.k.a. the huge ass pizza (as Kev and I would like to call it) for 149 php. It’s bigger than your usual, the photo above doesn’t do its actual size any justice and it’s really yummy too.

Actually, I wasn’t able to finish it so I had it wrapped and ate it while watching the movie. The boyfriend ordered a slice of white pizza for 85 php (photo above), which he later regretted because it tasted bland, and a plate of Ziti with garlic bread for 136 php (photo below), which I think was served rather small compared with the Nano Italiano pizza but it tasted pretty good.

I loved the fast food’s stylish interior, too bad I don’t have any photos of it shown. Anyway, Nanos is located in the lower ground, near Food Court. One thing I noticed though, the staff kept on staring at us for some reason… and yes, it did freak me out a bit. I suddenly remembered all those stories I heard about restaurants serving human flesh gaah. D:

Btw, I also dropped by Etude House since it was the last day of their grand sale; 20% off on all products! :> Here’s my mini haul… will blog about them soon. ;)

(Source: hurricanekitty)

Last April 8 (I knooow, this post is long overdue! D:), I invited my friends Biboy and Kat to go to the Flux exhibit at school where artworks by graduating MMA students were displayed. It was their first time to actually go inside the SDA building since they’re from different schools. Yes, outsiders were allowed to go in and that’s like a once in a blue moon thing in CSB. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to blog about and invite you guys to the SDA Annuale 2011 D: *oopsy* let me make it up to you! I have a small surprise at the end of this post. ;)

But wait, what is the SDA Annuale anyway? The Annuale is the first degree show of the School of Design & Arts (SDA) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. The two-week show is a multi-sensory display of the collection of best student works and projects from the 13 programs of the SDA. It will feature theatrical performances, multi-media presentations, music festivals, film and animation screenings, exhibit displays and installations, and fashion shows. The Annuale opens on March 30 and will run up to April 13. - CSB’S Facebook page

I’m happy to say that I was able to participate and become a part of the SDA Annuale 2011, although just a tini wini part of it. :3 I modeled for a friend’s photography exhibit at the 11th floor. To the person who asked this, I still don’t have copies of the photos yet so Kat and I just posed beside it (photo above) and mimicked my face haha. An ukil I made out of rubber foam for my Philippine Art and Design class + my huge, about 2-3 feet tall, self portrait, oil painting for my Color Rendering class were put on display at the 5th floor. I haven’t brought the canvass home yet (how am I supposed to bring that in the LRT?!) and I don’t have a photo of it. But thanks to the SDA talent for making a video which you can view here (it’s on 0:05-0:07) and for blogging about the Not Your Usual Portraits Exhibit organized by Sir Padilla here.



So there, I know my works aren’t really that awesome. I didn’t even know that they’d be included in the Annuale until, to my surprise, I saw them displayed already. Seeing them made me promise to myself that I’d put more effort and reserve more time doing art/school stuff. But there were really a lot of beautiful artworks (wala talagang sinabi yung akin haha) made by my schoolmates in different mediums, digital or traditional, paintings, sketches, photographs, clothes, furniture, videos etc. I wish you were there to see it for yourself. It was definitely a fresh break from the boring, white walls of SDA we see everyday. Thanks to the Annuale, Benildeans were able to display their artworks around the building for everyone to see and show their skills and talents as artists.

After the Flux exhibit we had dinner at the newly opened Persia Grill at UM with Nikita (who changed her hairstyle again… unicorn!). We ordered kebabs yum~ and went home afterwards. :) So the “surprise” I have for you guys is not really that big of a deal but if you’d like to watch Wrangler’s show at the Philippine Fashion Week on May 13, 6:30 pm please email me your full name and blog url (if you don’t have a blog, just attach a photo of you wearing your most stylish outfit) at co.jesrhel@ymail.com. Due to limited seats, not everyone will get invites, sorry. :( Looking forward to see you there! ;) (thank you so much :> to my friend Sam for this, btw)

Guess who? I bet you thought I was her :))





Dinner buffet with the fambam at Crowne Plaza hotel last night. :) We weren’t complete though, just me, my mom and my 2 sisters, Jade and Jolina. The food was great, I kept on taking photos of the desserts because they look cute. I was so stuffed when we got home *sigh* if I keep this going I have to say goodbye to bodycon dresses forever. Yes, I’m not fat but since I don’t workout, I’m starting to have little tummy flabs which I really rather have in my boobs. :))



my litol sister, Jolina who’s getting taller every single day. We’re almost of the same height!





My sisters and I still terribly miss our old dog, Tuti who passed away last December. She finally visited me (in a dream) a few nights ago. I woke up crying and couldn’t stop. :(

Starbucks, Taft | 11/27/10

Starbucks date with Nads a few weeks ago. I’m still collecting stickers for the Starbucks planner giveaway contest. Hurry, join now! :)

PS. if you didn’t receive any tweet from me (check http://twitter.com/#replies) that means I didn’t receive your email.



Yesterday, I went birthday dress shopping at Forever 21 (talk about affordable pretty clothes!) with Kev. Finally got to buy some stuff there. :D Yep, it was my first time because I always get discouraged by the crowd, so I end up leaving immediately. But it wasn’t so bad after all, the cashier and dressing room lines move so quickly. I guess their opening day just traumatized me haha! They should open more branches soon. :) By the way, sorry for the lack of updates. I wish I’ll get my blogging mojo back on our Christmas break which is on the 25th pa, ahh… how I love CSB’s school calendar *sarcasm*. Anyway, I’m totally excited for my 18th birthday celebration on the 21st with friends and the 23rd with my family! I hope everyone I invited will get to attend. :3