My Travel Themed Cupcakes by GQ Cakes

Flashback Friday post featuring the travel themed cupcakes made by my friend Meegay of GQ Cakes , because I have been craving for cupcakes lately :)

Cutie Cupcakes :)

The Neighboring Apartment 1B

My new office is just near Apartment 1B in Leviste St., Makati. This is the reason why I can easily grab my favorites! 

Beef Burger with Cheddar Cheese and Bacon

Baked Samosas

Chocolate Flourless Cake

Food Thoughts:

http://www.apartment1b.com/

Apartment 1B Salcedo
G/F One Layafette Square
Leviste corner Sedeno St
Salcedo Village
Makati

Apartment 1B Rockwell
G/F One Rockwell East
Rockwell, Makati

Instant Pix : Fujifilm Instax Mini

Jz fave me a sleek instant camera for our anniversary and I am loving it!

 

Urban Toughts: 
- The Fujifilm Instax Mini Piano black is available in any Fujifilm store
- The camera film comes in 10s and 20s  in plain or different designs

Celebrating Corregidor

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Corregidor Photo by Jz Rojo

I have always been curious to seeing Corregidor to the point that it has reached my 30 before 30 list.  :P

It was probably caused by a change of plan of our junior high field trip which was supposedly a trip to the island. As a child, my mom would tell me that my maternal granddad fought against the Japanese and Corregidor was one of the places where they was sent for battle. Hence, my curiosity of this island.

Finally, I did not have to wait for my 29^th year to go to this island :P I chanced upon a Deal Grocer voucher for a Sun Cruises tour for only around 1500php. I bought two tickets for me and Jz as a post Valentine date <3 In return, he treated me for an overnight stay in Midas Hotel in time for our trip so that we would not have to wake up THAT early for the trip :D

Battery Way

Travel Thoughts:

- Check www.corregidorphilippines.com for more details on the island tour offered by Sun Cruises
- Optional Malinta Tunnel Light and Sound tour is also available at  150 php per pax.
- The ferry leaves at exactly 8am. Tourists should be at the port 30mins before.

Inside Malinta Tunnel


 

Holy Week and Easter 2013 in Baguio

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Ridgewood Residences

We wanted to spend a meaningful Holy Week Trip with Dad and the boyfie.  As early as January, I have scouted for our possible accommodation in the City of Pines. We always go to Baguio eversince I was a kid. But, this is the first time we chose to spend Holy Week in the city.

I chanced upon Ridgewood Residence in the internet. I always hear of the name and see it in advertisements  but have not gotten the chance to stay there. I excitedly booked the hotel since the reviews in Tripadvisor is good and the location is far from Session Rd, which is what we exactly wanted. 

Ridgewood at Night

We wanted a more serene  place to stay this time since our purpose is to have a meaningful stay and to have VisitaIglesia as well which our family still practice.

I can say that we are all more than satisfied with the place. Our favorite is their cozy lobby and restaurant with the ambience of a log cabin as expected for the type of weather that the city has.

More than that, it was the excellent customer service given by the hotel staff – from the way they handle the booking and booking adjustments, the way that the food servers in the restaurant attend to our requests, and the front desk who attended to our additional queries.

Our favorite breakfast spot

As for our trip, we also opted to take advantage of the fresh produce offered by the city. We did a side trip to La Trinidad to buy some organic veggies and of course strawberries which my men enjoyed JIn time for Easter, we are trying to change our lifestyle a bit by “baby steps” of choosing fresh and organic produce than artificial and unnatural goods more often.

Due to heavy traffic, we had the chance to visit only Pink Sisters and Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto (in which my second name was derived as my parents prayed for me here J). But it was worth it as we had a solemn Way of the Cross.

We also dropped by Good Shepherd and queued for an hour! It was worth it knowing that for sure a percentage of the products we buy go to a fund for students being sent to school by the convent.

Travel Thoughts:

- Ridgewood Hotel is located at Julian Felipe St. near The Mansion. 
- 2,800php per Standard Room [max of 3pax]

Pre Valentine Date at Relish

Baked Salmon. The Best. 

Relish At Ponte : Yuppies' fave

Since I am back to being a Makati girl [from my corporate person perspective :p], I am more curious to explore and re-visit old and new interesting restaurants around Makati. Good thing, I have decided to purchase vouchers to try the food that one of Makati restaurants can offer. I am talking about Relish at Ponte. 

..And I did not regret it! Aside from the nice interiors and friendly staff, the dishes we tried was goooooood! It is priced at Php 495

I just knew it - Just from the menu, I knew that their Baked Salmon is deliciously being created in the kitchen!  Haha. I got what I imagined from the menu and more!  How it was cooked was just right and the cheese flavor [with some herbs I think] is just lovely for my taste buds. It comes along with an originally created tartar dip too :D  

Jz tried their Relish Bistro Steak with Herbed Rice priced at Php 595. The taste is at par to the higher-priced steaks we have tried.

For dessert, we tried their Chocolate Cheesecake with Cookie Dough. It is a frozen dessert but as soon as you are halfway to finishing the treat, it tastes better and better!  It is priced at Php 180

Food Thoughts:

- I was hoping to taste the Baked Salmon with their Garlic Mashed Potato but it was not available. You can order some of the house specials along with a free siding options : the mashed potato, side salad, and herbed rice as choices.
- Relish at Ponte, as the name suggests, is located at Ponte Salcedo Bldg, Valero St., Makati City [beside Shakeys Valero and Seattle's Best. From McDonald's Valero and RCBC it is at your left]

GQ Cakes

Vintage Cake sweetly created by Mary Grace Querubin for our birthday girl Ave. Want to know more about GQ cakes? Visit its facebook page : GQ cakes :D

Vintage Cake with White Chocolate and Yema Flavor from GQ cakes

Dazzling Davao

It is my first time to go to Mindanao and we chose to go to one of the Most Progressive cities in the Philippines - Davao City! The Waterfront Insular Hotel became our home for the weekend.

Morning view from our room

Waterfront Lobby at Night with Christmas Decors

Waterfront Deluxe Room

 We immediately noticed the clean streets even the clean markets around the city. And when we say progressive, Davao really is! Aside from having an Ayala Mall - Abreeza and a huge SM Mall - SM Lanang which has an IMAX and is said to be the second largest SM mall next to Mall of Asia,  there are a lot of establishments and hang-out places around the city.

 Since we just wanted a quick chill getaway, we only opted for a city tour. As first stop, we went to Eden Park where we strolled around the hectares of nature lover's haven. We also visited their fishing village and got the chance to tick off our 2012 list of catching a fish and have it cooked.

Have your fish and eat it too :D

Eden Park Entrance

Eden Park - Nature Lover's Haven

  We also had lunch at Jack's Ridge which offers a breathtaking view of Davao City. Food is a bit pricey considering it is already a must for any tourist to drop by the place. But, the food we tried is delicious and worth the price.

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View from Jack's Ridge - Karlo's Gourmet and Coffee

  We had the chance to visit the Japanese tunnel which is very significant for Jz because it was in Davao where his grandfather was harmed by the Japanese during the Japanese war. Entering the tunnel gives you that goosebump-y feeling but knowing the stories while seeing the preserved part of the tunnel is a cool experience. The tunnel was unexpectedly discovered during the1960s when the National Highway of Davao was being built.

Davao's Japanse Tunnel

Travel Thoughts:

- The city governance is strict on implementation. Thus, you will inevitably notice the high police visibility in the area. As a tourist, one must be aware that  "No Smoking" zones in public places/jeepneys are strictly implemented. There are only designated smoking areas.

- Another tourist must-know: Alcoholic beverages are only served until 1am and bars/clubs operate only until 2am. This is strictly implemented as well.

-  Interesting Trivia: Mt Apo is very visible in the city especially if one is headed to Eden Park. However, the highest peak in the country is not really located in Davao exactly but in Cotabato. Most climbers are from Davao though. And the most scenic view is seen in Davao. Our tourist guide also shared that most  mountaineers flock Mt Apo during Holy Week.

- If you happen to stay in Waterfront Hotel, their Caesar Salad is the bomb! You can order for additional or less parmesan and other toppings when you order and their veggies are soo crunchy.

- The best Durians are the ones being sold accros Chinatown entrance. Another interesting fact is that the Chinatown in Davao is one of the largest in a foreign Asian country.

Davao's Chinatown at Night