Parvati

Parvati is a quaint restaurant/cakes and pastries shop at Trinoma, which didn't make a big impact on me the first time I tried their food. Recently, however, I find myself craving for Parvati's Taco Salad and Carbonara more often! The taco salad is exactly what you would expect tacos to taste served with more greens, and the carbonara isn't too different from the ones I've tasted before. The Bacon Chowder is creamy and comforting as it should be, and my favorite apple honey juice is well, apple juice mixed with honey. 

In essence, the dishes on their own taste fairly good, but serve it in a cozy corner with relaxing music and perfect restaurant lighting, and voila! I am one satisfied customer. The service is noteworthy, given that they don't even bill you for service charge. Affordable and satisfying, indeed. 

Now, time for some photos to drool over...

Start your meal with the creamy bacon chowder

Work your way into this gorgeous taco salad

Enjoy a mouthful of creamy carbonara

Alternating bites

For dessert, try these divine custaroon poppers

We all deserve a happy ending.

It's More Fun in the Philippines: Batanes

I am feeling a bit nostalgic today because tomorrow is the first day of classes in UP and I am left without any classes to study in advance for nor friends and field trips to look forward to. Thus, I opened my laptop and browsed through some photos. Now, I'd like to share with you one of the best field trips I've had in college. I went on a filed trip to Batanes last March 2011 with my classmates from the UP Asian Institute of Tourism. Batanes, the northernmost province in the Philippines, is what they call heaven on Earth with its lush landscapes and unspoiled environment. Our trip there made me realize how heavily endowed the Philippines is of natural beauty. The breathtaking scenery, the kind people (Batanes is practically crime-free!), and the good food, all make up for a fun and relaxing getaway. I'll let the photos do most of the talking from here. 

Fields in Basco makes one want to belt out The Sound of Music tunes!

Valugan Beach

Lying on grass: one of life's simple pleasures

Marlboro Country

One cannot help but snap photos of every astonishing sight

Fundacion Pacita sits on a hill in Basco

Fundaction Pacita was once the studio of artist, Pacita Abad. It was rebuilt into a lodge, with each room resembling a gallery. It is now the premier accommodation establishment in Batanes, with exclusivity and comfort unparalleled by other inns and lodges there.

Staiway leading to a better view of the ocean

I love this photo of my friends

The wind is strong and cold, but you can ditch your thick jackets for an experience you won't get in the city!

Visit the famous lighthouse in Basco and go for a stroll on the beach (Sorry, I forgot what the name of this beach is).

The typical food choices in Batanes include fish, carabao meat, yellow rice, seaweed soup, and of course,  veggies! 

This is how you get around the mountains. It's more fun on the top load! 

We also visited the famous honesty coffee shop. It was not manned by anyone, there are just rules on the walls and a price list on the table.

Would you dare to steal with this plastered in front of you?

The children of the villagers are timid and polite.

A tourist-y shot before leaving the traditional stone houses

I wish I could go back there with my family. Have you visited Batanes or any similar place, too? Share your travel experiences or leave a link to your blog! :)

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. :)