Achi's 27th Birthday

For my sister's extended birthday celebration, my family and relatives gathered at our favorite restaurant, Bigby's Cafe. I have always loved the ambiance of this restaurant. I always feel like I've traveled halfway across the world every time I finish dining here.

Happy 27th Birthday Ach! 

Missy Bon Bon

Today is my sister's 27th birthday. It has always been my family's tradition to attend mass early in the morning at the Xavier University Chapel whenever one of us is celebrating his/her birthday. After mass, we would then eat breakfast together either at McDonald's or Pancake House. We have been going to the same restaurant and fastfood chain for the past decade. This year, we decided to have breakfast at Missy Bon Bon, a breadshop and gelato cafe, which likewise offers a wide variety of breakfast meals. 

Entering the cozy, pastel-colored interiors of Missy Bon Bon feels like a breath of fresh air. The yummy selection of breads and pastries on the bread gallery caught my eye instantly.

My sister and I shared this ginormous serving of eggs benedict and hashbrown with fresh fruits. We all loved their freshly squeezed juice as well.

You can check out Missy Bon Bon at Limketkai Center, Cagayan de Oro City.

Relief Efforts for Sendong

It's been a week since the devastating Typhoon Sendong hit Cagayan de Oro. I haven't seen my hometown this bad. These are just some of the photos I took as we passed by the once glorious Marcos Bridge. Now, there's murky water everywhere.

Near the area of Macasandig, many of the houses are in topsy turvy positions after the typhoon.

This was once the site of a big subdivision. Not a single house was spared by Sendong.

Bigby's Cafe and its sister companies were among the first to respond in the relief operations. Thank you to all the generous donors!

Christmas Eve 2011

Last year, I celebrated Christmas in Paris, France while the rest of my family were vacationing in Seoul, Korea. I had a great time in the City of Lights with a bunch of friends, but I still think Christmas is more meaningful when spent with your own family. This year, we all vowed to celebrate Christmas together in our new home in Cagayan de Oro. 

We did the traditional opening of gifts on Christmas eve after attending mass in our parish church.

My siblings and I excitedly opened our presents from friends and relatives.

We fooled around while opening our presents. 

Before we called it a night, we had our traditional Noche Buena. The pancit / sotanghon is always present during this particular occasion because my parents believe it symbolizes long life. We also popped open a bottle of wine and toasted the night away!

Countryside Steakhouse

There is only one excellent and highly recognized steakhouse in Cagayan de Oro and it's none other than Countryside Steakhouse. My family is rarely complete in get-togethers because we live in different cities, but when we do see each other, we love bonding over good food. 

Every December when we are all back in our hometown, we never miss eating at Countryside Steakhouse located at Rosario Arcade, Limketkai Center, Cagayan de Oro City.

Lending a Hand for Sendong

Ever since we came home in Cagayan de Oro, my siblings and I have been actively helping out in the relief efforts for the victims of Typhoon Sendong. We usually have a garage sale every December to make some money out from our old clothes and shoes, but this year, we opted to donate everything for the victims of the typhoon. We packed assorted clothes in individual plastics and delivered them to Bigby's Cafe's office because they are spearheading some relief efforts. 

My uncle also organized relief operations in one of our neighboring bodegas so my siblings and I lent a helping hand.

We packed over 2,000 bags consisiting of assorted things like slippers, blankets, medicines, soaps and a lot more. Christmas has never been this meaningful.

Cebu: Island Paradise

My AIESEC friends and I headed to the island paradise of Cebu for a much needed R&R. The trip also served as a mini-despedida to our Czech friend, Jana, who's going back to Czech Republic before Christmas. We rented a boat in Mactan and went island hopping the entire day.

We bought chips, drinks and the latest lechon sensation in Cebu, the Zubuchon. 

Girls just wanna have fun!

December Photoblog

*** Random Post Box in Bergamo, Italy ***

Yakimix

After my dad and I attended mass today, we went to Podium Mall to eat lunch at Yakimix. My friends have long been raving about this eat-all-you-can smokeless grill restaurant so I dragged my dad here.

Taste-wise, I believe the sushis and makis at Yakimix are not at par with the ones at Omakase. As for their main course, the taste was just so-so too. Moreover, the desserts were a big disappointment. The dry-looking cakes were merely from Goldilocks. They didn't even bother to change the serving plate to make the desserts appear a bit more sophisticated. But as the saying goes, we get what we pay for. For a Php 599 buffet lunch, I can't rant so much. Haha!

Yakimix is located at the 5/F of Podium Mall, ADB Avenue, Pasig City.

Parmigiano Pizzeria Ristorante.

My dad and I had dinner at Resorts World Manila today. I showed him around the mall and nearby hotels because it's his first time. For dinner, we had a hard time deciding where to eat. We ended up eating at Parmigiano Pizzeria Ristorante. 

We ordered Fruittura Di Calamari, Pasta Alla Bolognese and Funghi Pizza. They were quite pricey, but nevertheless, everything was good.

Christmas at Resorts World Manila

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, 

everything is softer and more beautiful.

~ Norman Vincent Peale ~

La Cocina de Tita Moning

Last night, my sister and I redeemed one of her discounted restaurant vouchers at the elegant La Cocina de Tita Moning located near Malacanang Palace. The restaurant takes pride in offering fine dining in an ancestral home. Upon arriving, we were escorted to their patio area and offered a glass of homemade lemon grass iced tea plus their signature warm queso de bola toasts.

A few minutes later, we were led to the main entrance of the Legarda ancestral mansion, the former home of Alejandro Legarda and Ramona Hernandez (Tita Moning).

One of the staff gave us an informative tour of the mansion. She first showed us the Library of Alejandro Legarda Sr. where we saw lots of hardbound books.

This was the clinic of Dr. Legarda. His x-ray machine and other medical tools are still intact. I also saw his vintage physician's bag. 

We learned from the staff that Dr. Alejandro used to be a member of the Camera Club of the Philippines. His old cameras were well displayed in one of the rooms in the mansion. Some vintage kitchenwares were also displayed on the hallway.

These are the stairs leading to the second floor of the mansion. I adore the black and white picture frames hanging on the walls.

Since Christmas is just around the corner, the landing area on the second floor was decorated with Christmas lights and a Christmas tree. Meanwhile, the cozy living room on the second floor reminded me so much of the old Spanish era homes.

Connected to the living room is the study area of the late Alejandro Legarda. 

The former homeowner's antique radio equipements were displayed on the second floor as well. 

These are part of the Legarda's antique collection.

After touring the rooms in the mansion, we were finally led to the main dining area. As claimed by their staff, dinner at La Cocina de Tita Moning is indeed one great experience. Our table was elegantly set complete with rose petals and a candle. The chinaware provided was also out of the ordinary. 

Our server for the night was garbed in old school maid's uniform. We were given a bell to use when we want to call our server to bring in our next food. How sosyal.

Overall, the food was great although the servings were small! One of our appetizers was Gambas Al Ajillo. The Paella Valenciana was one of our main course along with Lengua and Fresh Ubod. The Caramelized Saba Bananas and Fresh Fruits were served among the desserts.

Midas Hotel

Midas Hotel is one of the newest boutique hotels in Metro Manila. I love the floor-to-ceiling silver metal panels in the lobby filled with multiple Hermes boxes. Indeed, this reflects the grandeur and sophistication of this former Hyatt Regency Hotel.

We enjoyed the sumptuous lunch buffet at the hotel. Thanks to the vouchers we got from Deal Dozen, we snagged a huge discount.

Midas Hotel is located at 2702 Roxas Boulevard Pasay City.

Huckle Berry Pancake

Before heading to the airport this morning, I had breakfast at Missy Bon Bon together with my parents. I ordered the Huckle Berry Pancake with fresh fruits and freshly squeezed juice. What a great way to start my day!

Coron Gateway Hotel

While on vacation a couple of days ago, we stayed in Coron Gateway Hotel and Suites, said to be the first boutique luxury hotel in Coron, Palawan. The location is very ideal for those who want to go island hopping because the docking area of the boats is just a stone's throw away from the hotel.

We stayed in the spacious Junior Double Suite complete with carpeted floors and a spacious bathroom with shower and tub. I love the cozy feel of the entire room!