Kamirori Cafe

Kamirori Japanese Cafe is comparable to any other Japanese fast food restaurant around the metro. Being located in Katipunan, where there aren't a lot of food establishments offering Jap dishes, sets it apart. It's located in the Petron Gas Station in Katipunan, third floor. 

The facade. Photo from their FB page

Gyudon for P145

Tendon (2 Shrimp Tempura and deep fried veggies over rice)  for P140

The food is delicious and affordable, and the service is great. I recently discovered this place thanks to a friend, and I think I'll be coming back soon!

Manila Foodista right here!

I have been recently invited by my friend Thea to join their food blog. I've added the Manila Foodistas website on my tabs, so do give it a visit. You'll find a wide variety of yummy and affordable cuisine, even those from outside the Philippines. Thanks, Tiff and Thea! I have yet to meet the other bloggers, but I have already posted my first blog contribution. Unsurprisingly, I couldn't help but rave about my favorite resto in Metro Manila first - Chili's! Check out what I had to say here! :)

Four this Week (2): My all-time favorite TV series

1. GREY'S ANATOMY

I've grown up with Meredith, Derek, Izzy, Alex, Christina, Burke, Bailey, George, and their patients in Seattle Grace Hospital. I've been hooked since season 1, and after their eight season, newcomers from Mercy West Hospital have joined the family, while some have left. Every season has the right mix of gore, romance, action, and tear - jerking drama! There are only a few episodes that didn't leave me in tears. If you want to take a break from cheesy love stories and indecisive women falling for vampires, werewolves, or geeks, try immersing yourself in the lives of these surgeons. Learn about diseases, be amused by their love affairs, and let your tears fall with each heartbreaking goodbye. I can't wait for season 9!

2. MODERN FAMILY

Three families dealing with each other's quirks, how could that not be entertaining? It's not a typical comedy TV series because it's sort of a documentary, which means there's no background music and you are free to laugh at any point sans the canned laughter. I absolutely love Phil and Gloria! Season 3 is over, Cameron is noticeably tan and Lilly has grown up. Looking forward to season 4!

3. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

Five friends together in every awkward, funny, depressing, romantic situation. The whole point of the series is recounting events that led Ted to the love of his life. I always thought it would be Robin, but I see she's better off with Barney. I absolutely love Lilly and Marshall too. Funny and romantic, witty and touching, HIMYM is a feel-good series you'd love to watch any day.

4.PUSHING DAISIES

This series was unfortunately cancelled a few years ago, but it's still among the best series I've spent countless nights watching over and over. Ned is a pie maker who can turn the dead to life and back to death by just touching them. The catch is, if he lets someone live for more than one minute, someone else dies. Charlotte is one person he's kept alive, but therefore cannot touch again, or else she'll die. Their sweet and quirky love story revolves around solving insanely strange crimes together with Emerson and Olive. I wish they'd revive this series soon!

Dining at Amorsolo

I visited my mother earlier this week at her office in PICC. We ate lunch at the Amorsolo restaurant in the second floor. The menu didn't have much variety to it, mostly Filipino food (lumpia, bangus, crispy pata, etc.), but they also have pasta and tempura. I couldn't chew properly yet since I just had a tooth removed, so I went for the chicken even though the crispy pata sounded so appetizing! My mom ordered lumpia and squid. Here are some photos of the yummy concoctions we ordered:

Lumpia

Deep-fried squid. They're not hard to chew at all. I enjoyed munching on the tentacles!

Garlic Chicken Steak

Happy girls we were that day. 

PNP Clearance Whats and Hows

I just got my PNP Clearance at Camp Crame today, as required by the company I'm applying for. Prior to my adventure today, I tried looking for blogs about the process and requirements needed, but I couldn't find any! Apparently, the PNP Clearance, especially the one from the Camp Crame branch, isn't a requirement in most companies. So for those people who are searching for elusive information on PNP Clearance procedures, this one's for you! 

WHAT TO BRING:

- A photocopy of your Community Tax Certificate (CTC), also known as Residence Certificate or Cedula from your Barangay Hall. I got mine at our Barangay Hall for P5.50 since I'm still unemployed. If you are employed, though, the amount is computed based on your salary. 

- Php 80.00 for the clearance fee

- Pen

- Patience and vigilance 

HOW TO GET GET THERE:
- My dad drove me there, so I can't really give exact directions, but you're taking the train, you can walk to Camp Crame from SANTOLAN station.

WHAT TO DO:

The steps are simple! 4 Windows, 4 steps:

- Window 1: Tell the person what the PNP Clearance is for (ex. local employment) and get the application form. Fill out the questions in the form. The "Community Tax Certificate" blank is asking for the CTC number found on the upper right portion of your CTC.

- Window 2: Submit the form and pay Php 80.00. They will give you a receipt for your payment.

- Window 3: Show them your receipt and they will take a photo of you. Smile! They will give you back your receipt after taking the photo.

- Window 4: Wait for your name to be called and claim your clearance here. Success!

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

- 20-30 Minutes. 

Voila! I hope this helps! :)

Four this Week (1): My top 4 iPhone apps

Nope, I did not just make a typographical error. I am starting a weekly blog about top four of the things I like. Watch out cause here comes the first one! 

New apps are released everyday. Some are entertaining at first, but get boring after a while. Who's still playing Temple Run and Draw Something? Some have become must-haves, that I did not bother to include them in my countdown anymore. To name a few, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, iBooks, and Skype are apps that I dare not even think of deleting.

These four iPhone apps are my go-to apps nowadays. Check them out! 

1. FLIPBOARD

Also available on iPad

Where do I even begin with Flipboard? It's basically everything you want to see and read from different publications, blogs, and even social networking sites. You can literally flip from one news article, to your Facebook newsfeed, Instagram account, or Twitter timeline. You can choose which type of content you want to see when you open your Flipboard account. Travel, sports, photography, fashion, you name it! The welcome page seems very apt, don't you think?

2. BOGGLE
Also available on iPad

Bored somewhere without internet? Boggle is a great game way to kill time while keeping your brain busy. Shake the letters, and find as much words as you can in three minutes. Enjoy! 

3.  XN VIEW PHOTO FX
Also available on iPad

Give those instagram filters a break, and try XnView Photo's wide range of choices for image enhancement, effects, and filters. I absolutely love the light leak effects and the color filters. Endless possibilities await your blah photos. Try it! 

My photo with 4 different effects altogether! Cooleo. 

4. VOXER

This app eliminates the need to pay for calls and texts to your friends! With internet connection, you can easily leave them messages. So what, right? Well, there's more. You can also leave them audio messages and photos! Think Skype, but you don't necessarily have to be online at the same time. He/she can see your chat messages and audio recording once he/she goes online. It !also simple and easy to use!

One word of caution, though: be careful with the information you share with your friends on this app, because I have experienced a stranger joining my one-on-one conversation. Creepy! Other than that, I love this app.

Thoughts? Leave a comment and follow my blog for my weekly top 4! 

Lechon Macau Battle

MANN HANN VS. NORTH PARK

It's crunch time!

Yesterday, I met with my friends for dinner at North Park, Trinoma. We've recently graduated last April, and we just wanted to have a grown-up dinner, which is just an excuse for gossiping and talking about the infamous job hunt phenomenon. I ordered the Lechon Macau with fried rice for P238.00, and I was excited to compare it with the best Lechon Macau I've had so far, which is in Mann Hann.  

Unfortunately, the meat lacked juiciness and flavor, and the rice was too oily. Good thing there was free hot tea! What really saved this meal for me was the crunch. Haha! I am a fan of anything deep-fried and crunchy :)) It was acceptable, but still not topping my number one choice for deep fried pork belly.

North Park's Lechon Macau over fried rice

This is a photo of Mann Hann's Lechon Macau, also served with rice for almost the same price - P208.00. I don't know how they do it, but even if you order this for takeout and drive home, it would still be crunchy. I also like other dishes there, but this is our staple order, and also seems to be a staple order for the other diners. Two thumbs up! 

Mann Hann's Lechon Macau with rice. Photo from Foodspotting.com

By the way, here's a photo of me and my friends! Two people from our barkada couldn't make it, so there ought to be another dinner soon. :)

I collect erasers

I have been collecting erasers with interesting designs for two years now, and my collection has grown tremendously since I bought my first pizza eraser. I have erasers in the shape of food, utensils, bottles, toys, gadgets, weapons, cars, planes, cartoon characters, animals, shoes, bags, flowers, sporting goods, office supplies, sea creatures, and many more! 

Aside from buying these adorable erasers, I also ask my family and friends to give them to me as gifts. Now I have erasers from Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Canada, Thailand, Hong Kong, and of course, the Philippines. 

I'd like to share some of the erasers from my collection! :) Resist the urge to pinch, hug, or lick your screen.

Fast Food

Japanese Food from Japan

Caramel candies from Korea

Sweets from Japan

Lunchbox given by my best friend

Peanut family given by my boyfriend :')

 Bowling and Golf

Tulips - my favorite flower!

Sassy heels

Designer bags

Dinosaurs!

Lucky kitties from Japan

Japanese Dolls from Japan

I hate hearing the alarm clock in the morning

Where I am typing right now

My school service

Peace

I love my collection! Anyone who wants to share theirs? :)

Heya, Zalora!

I went out to get my NBI Clearance and SSS number today. Needless to say, I am utterly exhausted! My mood was lifted instantly when I saw this big Zalora box in our living room! :-)

I was able to use my discount voucher for this purchase (P250 for at least P1500 worth of purchase if you sign up for their newsletter) because last time, I didn't notice the discount voucher blank before checking out! Anyway, here are my fab shoes from Wade. I also bought a top and a belt, but these comfy wedges couldn't help but steal the show. Simple, comfortable, and will totally go with anything I wear! :))

Zalora is continuously adding new products and brands every day! Now, they even sell carpets! This really is a great idea, because they don't even have to come up with actual products themselves. They just provide a venue for these brands to sell their products. I wouldn't be surprised if ukay-ukay (second-hand apparel) items are added to their product offerings. 

Raving about Comfit!

I recently purchased these shoes from Comfit, and I absolutely love them! I was surprised that I am actually a size 7 in Comfit shoes, whereas normally, I wear a size 6. I found out that these shoes are actually measured to fit Filipino women, where the width is wider (from wearing sandals and slippers) and the length is shorter. The name speaks for itself. It is a joy to walk in these babies to the mall, a day out with friends, or even to the office! The right balance of fashion and functionality! :)

Yoko Slip-Ons <3 Photo from the Comfit FB page  

Heidi Flats

What's YOUR favorite pair of Comfit shoes? :D


Visit their FB page for their latest products. They have branches in: 50th Avenue, 3rd floor Robinsons Galleria, 3rd Floor The Block at SM City North EDSA, MA stores North Edsa Annex, Trinoma, Newport and Rockwell Archaeology.

Sonya's Garden: The Art of Doing Nothing

Last month, just before my graduation, my parents and I visited Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay. We've heard varying reviews about the place from friends, so we had to find out for ourselves. Once we got there, the crew, all wearing white, warmly welcomed us and informed us that our room is actually the owner's own private cottage! The place is so warm and welcoming, that I could not help but try out all the beds one by one once we got inside. First thing I noticed is the linen! The beddings, pillowcases, and even curtains, are exquisite! I later found out that Sonya was able to acquire these linen and all the other trinkets from her frequent visits abroad. The smell of lavender was extremely calming that we spent a good one hour just inhaling the fresh air and drinking fresh Dalandan juice, their famous welcome drink!

The entrance to our private cottage. Enchanting isn't it?

The living room

The bedroom

The food they serve is also fresh, healthy, and best of all, refillable so you can ask for as much of any dish. Everyone eats the same thing, and they don't have any other alternatives. For dinner, we had salad, pasta (you can choose from two sauces), a slice of cake, and some sweet potatoes. The waiter taught us that these deserts are meant to be eaten with the mint leaves on each table. Yummy!For breakfast, they give you a choice of Filipino or Continental breakfast. The Filipino breakfast consists of chicken & pork adobo, bangus, omelet, fresh fruits, and creamy hot chocolate. 

Pasta

Salad

The garden is lush and picturesque. They get ingredients straight from the garden. They even have a small organic chicken farm! Walking around, you'd notice that there are cozy benches and daybeds where one can simply relax and enjoy a cup of Tarragon tea while reading a book. I enjoyed taking photos of the beautiful flowers and quaint touches here and there. 

Curious plant called "Bayag ni Pedro"

The scented garden

The scented garden

Met one of Sonya's dogs, Aldo!

With Sonya herself! She was kind enough to give us a quick tour around.

Simple living, however has its down sides as well. During our stay, I did not have access to the Internet, which is fine, but can be quite inconvenient for some. Also, there is no air conditioning in any of the rooms, so during the scorching summer heat, you'd be sweating bullets in your sleep! I also would love to see other selections for the food, because it's the same thing every day for every meal. I'm sure they can come up with something, given all their home-grown ingredients! :)Overall, I'd rate Sonya's Garden 8/10. Definitely a place worth visiting! I enjoyed the food, the incredibly relaxing ambiance, and the smell of flowers everywhere. I can't wait to go back! ♥

• Sonya's Garden is located in 

Barangay Buck Estate, Alfonso, Cavite, Philippines (near the vicinity of Tagaytay City, Philippines) 

• For reservations: call or text +63-9175329097 or +63-9175335140 

• Website: 

http://www.sonyasgarden.com/