NYDC

ABBEY: NYDC celebrate the holidays by giving 1 for 1 vouchers for their Christmas meals and ala cartes. We dined at the their branch in Wheelock Place . We opted to order ala cartes compared to other festive entrees as I'm 100% sure that my wife won't be able to finish it. The servings are big. Other meals are for bigger groups. Prices range from 29sgd to 98sgd. I got their Christmas ala carte "Catch of the day". It is halibut fillet with pesto cream. The fish is so flavorful and fresh. Side dishes includes steamed asparagus and carrots and mashed potato. My wife likes the potato because of its creaminess. Each ala carte comes with a Fizzy Drink, which keeps the other diners to look at our table and ask the staff what is our drink, and a slice of Choco/white logcake. Its been a Festive lunch for us :)

WILL: NYDC grants us a 1-for-1 treat for its festive meal sets. Well we do not get their hearty meal for a reason that we cannot finish that serving of 4 :D So we ended up munching up their ala carte meal!

      I ordered their chicken meal. Chicken is nice but there is no something new. What I love with them? The side dishes! The asparagus, the carrots, the pumpkin and most specially their mashed potato! Hail to their mashed potato! As of now, this is the nest mashed potato I ever tried :D Its so smooth, creamy and sometimes tastes like a milk. D@mn good!Their logcakes, OMG! I want it in our fridge! That will be so nice with a tea!

      Thanks NYDC! We will surely go back at their Wheelock branch at Orchard! 

We Love Mosha

ABBEY: Elephants are flocking at Tangs and other places in Singapore. They are not real though. Those are statues painted with different design to commemorate Elephant parade, an exhibition that promotes elephant conservation awareness. The parade was inspired by Mosha, a baby elephant who lost its foot by stepping into a landmine. It was started by father and son, Marc and Mike Spits when they met Mosha in Thailand. The elephant was able to walk again by the help of an artificial leg.

Tangs took part in the parade through social media by conducting a contest; find Mosha on the web. Luckily I got the 3rd price (a 20-cm replica of Mosha and a 50sgd limited edition Tangs card). My wife was one of who has consolation prize(10sgd Tangs card). The replica is beautiful; beautiful enough to keep than to give :) Just this one.

WILL:  As we celebrate the coming of the biggest figurine show that occurred here in singapore, Tangs made a contest to find Mosha who is lost in their website. 
      
Mosha is the elephant who received the first prosthetic foot and the reason for this fund raising activity. 
       
Back to the contest, I think Abbey and I found her thrice and submitted an entry every time we saw her in different place. Hehe. Abbey won the third price and got the very lovable Mosha replica and a $50 gift card. Me?, lucky enough to be picked and got myself a $10 limited gift card. Thanks Tangs for this contest and for bringing in the Elephant Parade. This is a very great chance for us to mingle with them. :)

Logos Hope

ABBEY: We were strolling along Vivo finding a place to dine when we notice a ship on the harbor. We thought that it was Duolos. We went outside and saw her named as Logos Hope. Entrance is free of charge. Like Doulos they travel around the world to give and sell books to impart knowledge. They also conduct counseling regarding relationships and HIV awareness. In here I bought 3 books, 6sgd each, for Left Behind series. I'm halfway for the 12-part collection :) 

The ship has a cafe too. I got hot chocolate for 2sgd. It was served in a BIG cup. Carolers entertain the guests as they enjoy their snacks. I hope I can complete my book if they'll come here again.

WILL:  Have you heard of Doulos? A ship that goes around the world carrying books and was manned by volunteers of different nations. Well, as I know, Doulos had now stopped roaming the oceans and now Logos Hope came to continue what Doulos had started. 
       Logos Hope is bigger than its predecessor. But I am sad because they offer a lesser books. It berth Singapore last year and bound to Cebu after here. 
       Inside, there is a cafe and a museum like partitions for the children to enjoy. Since its holiday season when they arrived here, there are some chorale singing in iCafe table by table. ;) 
Hope to see them again! We enjoyed a lot. Ahmm, I nearly forget their tea tastes so good and their books is way cheaper than the local bookstore, almost 80% off. Hehe. You already got a discount, you also helped charities and volunteers. 

Ajisen Ramen

ABBEY: I thought we had already blogged this restaurant but my wife told me its not. How can we miss to blog this when they served the tastiest chicken wings? :) Yes, their chicken wings taste great. I don't know what herbs or spices they combine but outcome is good. we visited 2 of their branches; The first is when we celebrated our anniversary at Compass Point in Sengkang and the second one is after our free ice skate session at IMM in Jurong East.

WILL: This is such a great restaurant. I really love noodles and it can be my staple food forever. Haha. Ajisen offers variety of noodles and i really fell in love on all of them. Haha! Visit their IMM and Compasspoint branch then linger in also on the best fried chicken we have tasted. :) 

       

More power to Ajisen. Their price ranges from $8 up. :) 

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

ABBEY: Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law pulled it again. They have a good chemistry as the two detectives that solved the case against Dr. Moriarty. They played their characters well. Action, comedy, mystery, great effects - satisfaction to the viewers. Sherlock seemed to have trouble in his monologue because the villain also "joins" in his mind. Bravo, Mr. Holmes!

WILL: I love SH not only in big screen but also on books. Fond of reading this kind of stories. Well, sherlock Holmes is the greatest investigator/detective the fiction world that can tell. 
      This second movie... this is more wackier haha. 9/10. Thanks a lot SweetHoneyDeals for the movie voucher. ;) 

JCube Free Ice Skates

ABBEY: I'm excited when Wilma told me that we will be having free ice skate sessions. I want to learn to skate be it in line, ice or roller skates. IMM mall in Jurong East conducted free 30-min sessions a week before Christmas. All sessions were fully booked. Good thing that the one we had is reserved as we won an online contest.

My blog should not be that long. I was not able to skate. No shoes fits my feet. I became their photographer. All I can do is listen to the instructor and watch them glide in the ice. The session ended with group photo. 

WILL: We are still on vacation when I and Abbey received an invitation from JCube about the free ice skates with tutorial for 30mins. 
     It was more than a decade since my last slide on iced floor. Hehe. If my memory serves me right, Marbogs Sayson is my last partner in that event. Haha. 
     December 18 at IMM, my knees and guts were tested. Shocks, I know how to stand but it took me 20 minutes to glide. Haha!
We are excited on the opening of JCube, it homed a Olympic sized ice skating rink. We will be there for sure and I am expecting that they have size 13 of shoes for my hubby ;) 

TriNoma - Ayala 360

ABBEY: Beside SM North EDSA, we hang out to this mall during our vacation since this is close to Wilma's place. The mall resembles like that of Glorietta as this is owned by Ayala Land also. 

In here we bought our grocery, clothes and other stuffs. We met also our friends; had dinner and then coffee. The mall caters a wide range of restaurants like Gerry's grill, Abe, Itallianis, Mango Bistro, etc. Boutiques, drugstore, supermarket, arcade, and fast food chains are there also. Flea markets are at the center of each hallway. On the center most part of the mall is the events centre. Fashion shows, mini concerts and BIG sales are conducted on it.

WILL:  For me trinoma is better than SM North, I am more comfortable here. Not that crowded and here I really love the stores. 

       The structure and the sights is like you are somehow in Greenbelt. ;) Comfort rooms really give comfort haha. Very clean and there are parts that is so serene. Their cinemas is so clean and superb sounds they have. 

       Landmark offers dome cheaper and quality clothes. Some fruits and groceries that I am looking for is also here. Love Trinoma. I hope they will house Shakey's also. ;)

Country Style

ABBEY: Wilma and I both reminisced the breakfasts and snacks that we had when we saw their branch at SM Marilao. She introduced me to Country Style in Salcedo, Makati . A doughnut or sandwich costs less than 50php. I like their breakfast sandwiches and Triple Choco Boom. Perfect match for my chocolate doughnut is coffee. We grabbed a dozen of Triple Choco Boom for both our families and they like it too.

WILL:  This cafe gave us so many memories. At their Salcedo branch, Abbey and I do our morning date. Haha! 
       Triple choco boom is my favorite. Dough, toppings and fillings are all chocolate flavored. But do not get me wrong, it is not that too sweet! I am so addicted at their bagel ham and cheese. Great alternative and cheaper than krispy kreme. Hehe. 

BonChon Philippines - Trinoma Branch

ABBEY: My wife's niece, Ynnah, is on the hype of Korean fever. We had a day with the kids and asked them where should we eat our snack. 

Ynnah replied readily "At Bon Chon". I had no idea what it was. Wilma told me that its a Korean fast-food chain. A 1-piece chicken meal costs more than 100php but reasonable. 

The chicken is covered with delicious sauce. I don't know what its made of but it tastes great. The texture is firm but soft and juicy. I assume that they enjoyed it too as I didn't heard any violent reaction from them.

WILL: This restaurant is making a buzz not just in Manila but also in other countries. This is one of the famous restaurant from South Korea and I am really shocked that my niece do not know anything about this. Hehe. 

      Ecstatic she is, we headed here for lunch. They ordered chicken rice, for me I have the chicken burger and abbey got the beef bulgogi. 

     Superb! There is something in their chicken and sauce that is so tasty! No wonder that they are now the talk of the town. 

This is located at TriNoma, just along at Max's. Battle of the chickens ayt? Haha. 

Nice Hotel

ABBEY: Since high school we were aware of these as motorist hotels lined-up along EDSA and at the back of our alma mater. We stayed here after our Tagaytay trip since its too late for us to go home. I'm glad that I'm with my wife when I went here. 

Unfortunately the room that were assigned to us is not that nice. There's a small gap between the bottom of the aircon and the wall so we heard all the noise of vehicles from the outside. The shower drain seems to have clog. A plus for the hotel is their beautiful lobby and half-price rate since the branch near SM North EDSA just opened.

WILL: After Tagaytay, we arrived Manila just about midnight I think. Haha! I lost track of time since I am sleeping. 
As we agreed by John, we were alighted at Nice Hotel near SM North. This is a new hotel here and they offers 50%off. We availed 12hours and paid for not more than 600Php. 
      The room is too small as well as the bathroom. Since it was located just beside the EDSA highway, the vehicles' noise is disturbing. I am on the verge of calling the reception to request them to change the room. The blanket is too thin and the bed is too hard to be comfortable. 
      They have this tactic to call, I think they do this to every occupied room, to ask if they want food for breakfast. 
I hope for a higher standard on every room. 

Chic-Boy Chicken at Baboy Lechon

ABBEY: Chic-boy took a lot of heat last mid-December. Our experience there is good. We went there for dinner after a spa. we had pork liempo and chicken along with an order of adobong kangkong. Both the pork and chicken are flavorful. They complement well with hot rice. The soup came late but that doesn't make it any less delicious. 

Total bill is less than 2kphp for 4 pax. By the way eating here will make you full but not a "chickboy" :)

WILL: After a massage, Den and John drove us to Chic-Boy. This is located at west avenue. Awesome. The place has dim light that makes it cozy. 

      The food? OMG! Delicious and yet affordable. Oh, they also offered a sashimi. :) 

Mont Albo Massage Hut

ABBEY: John and Denise gave us this spa session as wedding gift. The spa is in the basement of University Hotel inside UP Diliman. The treatment is 750php (an hour of body massage and scrub) plus the ventosa add-on for less than 100php. Its very relaxing. That was the first time I had ventosa. Circle marks were at my back for a week. It was a rejuvenating experience for me and my wife.

WILL: When I am at Malaysia, John told me to have a massage that uses glasses. Haha! Ventosa it is! So Right there and then, I agreed and as our vacation comes near, I keep on asking Den about it. Siguro nakulitan, haha, she told me that it will be her treat for us. Hehe. Thanks Den and John, you have a kind heart! 
Actually they do not treat us for massage only, that session goes along with body scrub, massage and the "lamig-sucker" ... the ventosa. 
      The session last for almost 2 hours. The massage is great. The ventosa? Very good experience. 
      Almost all were a nice impression until... I am at their dresser putting some make-up, of course I will turn-on the lights, them one of the masseur came clicking the lights off. Weird isn't?  Kailangan lagi patay ang ilaw? The oil left a strong scent on our clothes. 
     This is located at downstairs of UP Hotel. Again! Thanks John, Denise and Janise! We really do love you guys! 

Jollibee Chickenjoy

ABBEY: There are couple of attempts for the Pinoys in Singapore to make fried chicken to taste and look like from Jollibee but none of them came close enough to the original. We never fail to visit one of its branches to indulge in that crispy-liciuos and juicy-licious treat. Matched with hot rice and saucy gravy it's a meal fit for a king :) As their tagline says "Pinaka-na, the best pa"

WILL:  This is one of the things we're usually taking it for granted when we were there in Philippines. If you are in other place pala, you will miss the crunchiness and juiciness of this Jollibee's pride. 
       Foreign fast foods tried to conquer the best chicken title but nothing beats this. Hehe. For only not more than Php80 you can get one of this with rice and drinks. 
       Jollibee is a must to visit and taste once you arrived at the Philippines. Babalik-balikan! 

Real Yoga

ABBEY: I was hesitant to attend our first yoga session. I know I'll have a hard time on that day. We were scheduled for a Yoga Stretch in the morning. The place is at Centerpoint mall near Somerset MRT station. Once in the room we saw our sessionmates getting warmed up. I have no idea what'll I do so I waited for our instructor, Master Manoj. 

Yoga mat, face and bath towel were provided for the session. Water is free but bring your own bottle. I admit it, first time of yoga for me is difficult. But is also fulfilling as I put myself to strive hard to do the activity. We had to cancel our next session since our bodies still ache from the stretch. I hope I can continue to do yoga in the future.

WILL:  Ahm, I do yoga way back in Philippines. Almost every saturday I perspire doing this at home but when I got here, hmmm, I feel so lazy to do it. So sad! 
       Then groupon offered a Yoga voucher for $15 for 4 60-minute session, I really asked Abbey, oh wrong choice of word, I forced him to accompany me haha. Do we bought to vouchers. 
After Philippine vacation I hurriedly booked for a stretch yoga at 7:45. OMG after a year of not doing any yoga position, I can do the positions but nit fully stretched. 
       I do not sweat a lot because the room is quite cool but hey that afternoon I really feel that all my muscles were aching that even laughing makes my tummy hurt a lot! Oh, I wanna do Yoga more. I miss that pain. Haha. 
       Real Yoga can be found at Orchard Road few steps away from Somerset MRT station. The studio, mat, towels, shower room is very clean. If you want to try yoga, here will be a great start! Anyways, thanks to Manoj. :) 

My Week with Marilyn

ABBEY: I never knew Marilyn this much after watching the movie. All the while, for me, she's the blond sexy girl in white dress and has very red lips that appears in black and white films, magazines, movie posters etc. 

I must not forget about the prominent mole. The movie is about creating a movie starring Marilyn. It showed how the way she acts inside and outside the sets and why she is acting like that. She was hailed wherever she goes and people flock to see her or have an autograph signed. But just like other celebrities she's struggling to live her life that's full of pressure and fame.

WILL: Marilyn is an American actress, singer, model, and the sex symbol for 1950's. I knew her name but not her works and this my week Marilyn is a nice venture to let the younger people who is Ms. Marilyn Monroe.

      My Week with Marilyn is based on a true story of man who fell in love with Ms. Monroe. This movie has no special effects and I think Michelle Williams portrays the role perfectly. ;) 9/10.

      Thanks to Golden Village Pictures! 

Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken

ABBEY: For both instances that we visited this place it was almost the end of our vacation. This is located in SM Annex beside Wendy's hamburgers. "Ola, Señor, Señora!" that will be the greeting you will hear upon entering the restaurant. 

An order of chicken dish starts from 150php. You can top it up with 50php to have unlimited soup and drink. The price is reasonable as the serving is big; big enough for big guy like me :) 

WILL: This not our first time here, we tasted this Peri-Peri, hmmmm, I think it was 2008, long long time ago. Ha! We never do blogging when we are dating and I am not into taking pictures. Actually I do not have facebook back then. i am just a loyal subscriber of friendster. Haha. Enough with reminiscing. Haha!
We re-visited their SM North branch. This Peri-Peri gave a good impression on out first visit and never failed to impress us again on our second visit. 
      The chicken cut is still big! OMG! How can I eat all those meat. Haha! 

RSM Lutong Bahay

ABBEY: This restaurant is one of the diners that lines up around the lake Taal. It means that they also have a viewing deck in which you can take snaps of the Taal volcano. We went to Leslie's the last time so we decided for something new. 

RSM also has bulalo in their menu. The breeze is so cold that when they serve the dish it came in a food warmer to keep the soup hot. My wife likes the bone marrow. We also had crispy tawilis and pata. Total bill is 4700php. While having dinner a quartet can play and sing songs for you. Good place, good food, and good friends.

WILL: This is one of the place that you can get the Bulalo, last time we ate at Leslie's. 
      Reminiscing out first visit of out barkada here while Abbey is taking shots of the magnificent Taal Volcano. At the back of tge restaurant thwy have this great view of Taal, nice idea for a wedding, hmmm actually they are offering such service for a low cost. 
     As usual we splurged in for Bulalo, Crispy Pata, and Tawilis. Everything is great! So many food but we are full. Haha! Imagine the great feeling of sipping a hot soup on a very cold and windy place. Hehe. Crispy Pata is just like ordinary. The Tawilis? Not bad but not so good. 
     For drinks I and baby ordered for a black gulaman. Napakatamis! All in all we have a great time and spend almost 5k for a group of 10 people. Hehe. 
Sa uulitin! 

Tagaytay City

ABBEY: I went to this place a couple of times but during our vacation we went here for their famous bulalo and to get the shot of Taal lake. With iur racer friend, John, we were in Tagaytay after an hour and a half. 


It's almost twilight so after table reservation we pose for our snaps with the lake. The volcano is magnificent; the water's so calm; and the breeze is cool. As the night sets in we became busy to fill our hunger with hot bulalo. After the dinner we went for coffee. We didn't left Tagaytay without buying buko pie and espasol. The trip is fun and enjoyable. :)

WILL: Due to its altitude and breezy weather, Tagaytay City is the little Baguio of the South. Only 1-2 hours drive from Manila, this city has the smallest and active volcano of the world. 
Stunning view from afar, Taal was surrounded by water, the Taal Lake. Hehe. 
      This is very famous for weddings, some short trips and their alley of restaurant offering Bulalo. You can also see everywhere the famous Collete's Buko Pie. 
      We hope, everything in here will be preserved most importantly the life of Taal Lake which gives living for many. 
Hope to see Tagaytay again for the nth time. Haha! 

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

ABBEY: Wow, another M.I. movie. I want to watch this to see the gadgets used in the film. Tom Cruise nailed it again as Ethan for the mission to be successful. My feet and hands became sweaty as he climbed Burj Khalifa. What amazed me the most is the BMW car. I've seen the replica of it displayed in Suntec Convention Center before the movie was shown in theaters. I thought I can only see that model of car in racing games. That was great. Just as the other M.I. movies the plot is simple but the effects are great.

WILL:  When the woman lit the light, ha!, all memories keep pouring. Me and my dad is a avid fan of this series. Those were the days. Omg! I miss him. 

       Ok, enough for going back, Mission Impossible is a great movie. A blockbuster indeed. Impossible for ordinary people but possible for agents with a great expertise and right gadgets. 

9/10. This is my kind of movie. 

Seoul Garden

ABBEY: We got this 1 for 1 voucher from their Facebook fanpage. The contest is to name the different hot pots offered by Seoul Garden. Luckily we have been chosen as the winners. 

We tried to dine in their branch at Clementi Mall but it was full and the next available seat will be after an hour. We got the spot at Harbourfront Centre. I had bulgogi beef bibim bap. The dish is served in a bowl; hot rice is topped with soft flavorful beef. It was delicious. A dish starts at 15sgd. Next time we'll try their hot pot.

WILL: Well, I can say that Abbey is such a loco for Korean cuisine and because of it, we are still hunting for a great korean restaurant that will satisfy his cavings. ;)
      I am not fond of Korean foods, maybe I am not introduced to those kind of foods on my early age. Ha! And another reason, I do not like their kimchi.
      But here I am, dined at Seoul Garden. We won a 1-for-1 voucher and I ordered a chicken bimbim bap. Sarap! Shocks! Their chicken is so tender and the sticky rice goes well with it. The complimentary kimchi do not have this stench that I used to smell then I ate all it up. Ha! 
     Next time, we will try their buffet, hope this time, we will not wait for more than a hour. 

Amazing Race Season 19

ABBEY: This is another exciting season for the Amazing Race. I rooted for the snowboarders, who placed first on 6 six legs, but they had a hard time in Panama. You can never tell who will win on each leg unless Phil will check them in; even stepping first on the mat is not a guarantee. 

Another interesting pair is the grandparents, Bill and Cathi. At their age they managed to climb a rock wall, put a bed in their shoulders and carry it for a couple of kilometers, and run as hard as they could to keep up with other teams. It's an achievement. 

And as for the winners of the season, Ernie and Cindy, congratulations. This couple almost became the first place on certain legs but ran out of steam before the pit stop. Good thing that on the finals, they had kept their pace and reached the stop first and won the million dollars. Great season indeed!

WILL: I am rooting for the snowboarders, Andy & Tommy. They are very incredible, the luck is almost always on their side... until elimination for the final three. 
      The control freak, Cindy and Ernie won this season the million dollars. Even they are not my favorite, they really are a cute couple. They managed to laugh and be cool on different and unexpected situations.
      I also give credit to Bill and Cathi. They are wonderful oldies. They gave us a great show and proved that age doesn't matter to those challenges. They have this wisdom, patience and great will to finish the legs of every race. 
      Looking forward to Season 20! More power to Amazing Race!