Dine In: Pino Resto Bar

Hi there!

So it's been more than two months since my last blog post and boy, did I miss writing! I've been really busy with school. The past weeks were mostly just bahay-school-bahay for me. I'd go out with my sister, my cousins or my friends whenever I had the chance, but I haven't done anything or visited any place blog-worthy in the last two months. Yes, my usual boring self got even more boring. Haha.

I took Saturday classes this semester. And for us students, that means staying at home on a Friday night. I feel really sad whenever I look out the window and see an empty parking lot, which means all the neighbors are out enjoying themselves. So to make up for boring Fridays, Ate and I would take a walk along Maginhawa St., which Ramon Bautista proudly refers to as Maginhawa High Street, to look for a new spot where we can have dinner.

Pino Resto Bar isn't along Maginhawa, but it's very close to the famous Eat Street of Quezon City. I've read several reviews of the restaurant online, but I haven't found the time to drop by and eat. I've had lunch in their sister restaurant, Pipino, once back in college. Pipino serves vegan food, I think, so I've never actually bothered to go back.

Ate, on the other hand, has heard about Pino's famous Kare-Kareng Bagnet, so when one of my classes got cancelled, she dragged me there to have dinner. Well, she didn't really have to drag me after promising to foot the bill. Hahaha.

When we got there, the place was just half full but after a few minutes, more people started coming in. It became really packed that I got too shy to take pictures for this post. No worries, the ninja in me was able to take photos of what we ate. Here they are:

Bacon and Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breast. Well, this needs no further explanation. I liked that they put mustard on top of the chicken breasts. It added a different flavor to what seemed like your usual cordon bleu. Aside from the mustard, what set this dish apart was the rice. Yes, the rice! I didn't think the Mango Rice would match the Bacon and Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts, but it did! I imagined a confusing mix of flavors given the bacon, the cheese, and the mango (which was perfectly sweet). Surprisingly, they made a great combination. The serving was quite big for me so I ended up taking half of the meal home. Hooray for take out!

Kare-Kareng Bagnet. Ate ordered this to satisfy her craving. I'm not really a fan of Kare-Kare so I just took small bites out of the three huge slabs of Bagnet. The meat was tender, and you can really taste the peanut butter. Ate loved it, but she also thought the serving was too big. She also ended up taking a portion of the meal home.

After that very heavy meal we had, I'm not sure I have any plans of coming back to Pino very soon. I'll probably let my tummy recover first. Haha.

So there. I hope you enjoyed my spur-of-the-moment adventure. And I also hope I can post more adventures between now and the coming semestral break. Crossing my fingers!


Visit Pino Resto Bar at:
39 Malingap Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PinoRestoBar

Dine In: Ally's All-Day Breakfast Place

I'm not a morning person, and I don't usually do breakfast. I'm used to waking up really late, so late that I can even skip brunch. Haha.

But I love breakfast food. I mean, who doesn't? Breakfast food is something I enjoy having for lunch, afternoon snack or dinner. Think Silog, Pancakes, Waffles. Waah! Just thinking about them makes my mouth water. And that's not good 'cause it's actually almost two o'clock in the morning. I should be sleeping and not thinking about breakfast food in the wee hours of the morning!

For me, breakfast food is one of life's best comfort foods. I think about peanut butter pancakes when I feel like celebrating a small achievement or when I flunked a recitation in school. I order tocilog when I can't think of anything else to eat. Breakfast food is a lifesaver, and I'm the living proof. Haha.

So I was so ecstatic when I saw a new breakfast place while browsing Spot.ph. My eyes twinkled when I found out it was just one tricycle ride away from where I live. Sweet! I spent a few minutes of my precious time going through blogs about the place and thinking about what to order. It was another battle between pancakes and tocilog.

Needless to say, I wasted no time dragging my sister to Ally's All-Day Breakfast Place.

 

I'm not sure why most restaurants choose orange and yellow hues as the main colors for their interiors. Think Pancake House and Jollibee. But I'm glad Ally's decided to jump on the bandwagon. The place gives a really fun, happy and sunny vibe. And I mean that in the most literal sense. See their cute sun overhead light? Lakas maka-good vibes! 

Ally's isn't very big, but for a restaurant that's just starting, I think their space is perfect. It's spacious enough to accommodate, maybe 5 groups in one sitting. And they also have chairs outside where other customers can sit when the inside's full.

They have a small counter where their truffles, cupcakes and pancake sprinkles are displayed. And yes! Before I forget, Ally's is one of the few breakfast places where you can make your own pancake. Their pancakes are cheaper than the competition, so you won't have to worry about having three to four layers in one go and breaking the bank. They have a pancake/waffle step-by-step form you can fill up, and they'll do the rest of the cooking for you. Their pancake-making steps are as easy as one, two, three. You can even name your own creation. Cool, right?

I love their centerpiece! I had to stop myself from taking the small flowers home. Ate and I used them as props for our selfies (which won't be shown here, don't worry). And their placemats can greet you good morning in any language. Imagine a placemat saying "Magandang umaga po" any time of the day. Haha.

Ate wanted to try their bestselling Classic Beef Tapa, but it wasn't available. Talk about bestselling. Haha. So she ordered what she thought was the next best thing - Adobo Flakes! She found it a bit too sour, but I thought it was perfect. I love sour dishes so it suited my palate. I didn't have to add vinegar. And the egg came with two yolks. How cute. Haha. The dish came with a glass of iced tea, so it was pretty much a winner. Ate was nabitin so she went for an extra order of bacon strips. I was too hungry I forgot to take a photo. Sorry.

I was really craving for pancakes, but I was scared to make my own, so I got myself Ally's Signature Crunchy Chocolate Pancakes. It's three classic pancakes with Nutella spread, rice crispies, whipped cream and classic syrup. It had me at Nutella. Haha. The pancakes were soft and moist, and Ally's served them hot from the pan. Yum! That moment, I felt sorry for everyone who doesn't love chocolate. Haha. It also came with a glass of iced tea, so I had to forgo the soda.

I think Ally's is one of the best breakfast places I've been to. It has that quiet and homey feel that makes you want to go back and order another set of pancakes. Haha. Next time I visit, I'll probably try their truffles, or their waffles, or their pastas, or their french toasts. Waah! There's so much more to experience at Ally's. I wish I have five stomachs to fit all the food I plan to eat.

Good job, Ally's! Brace yourself 'cause I'm coming back for more. That's for sure! :)


Visit Ally's All-Day Breakfast Place at:
50 Malingap Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
Mobile number: 0906.444.3878
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AllysAllDay

Artsy Fartsy: Baywalk Buddies

I've never been a spontaneous kind of person. I'm more of a plan-everything-then-go type. But I didn't have anything to do earlier tonight. So I grabbed a notebook and a pen and started to doodle. After a few minutes, I found myself rummaging through my "pencil pouch" (it's way bigger than your ordinary pencil case)  for crayons. My doodle magically turned into this drawing. Yes, I know I'm a bit artistically challenged and it's not exactly Picasso praise-worthy. But hey, a drawing's a drawing.

In case you're having a hard time figuring out what the drawing is, it's a picture of a guy and a girl watching the Manila Bay sunset together. I realized that I've been living in this city for a couple of years already, but I've never actually seen the Manila Bay sunset. It sounds cheesy, but I'd like to see it one day. Doesn't matter if there's a guy in the picture. The only reason why I drew a couple is because I couldn't draw just one person. I have no idea how to, without the figure looking like a bowling pin. Haha.

Here's to more pen and paper adventures! :)

Backpacking: Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte (Part 2)

Hello again, friends! It's been a while since my last post. I didn't have any blog-worthy adventures until last weekend.

I spent more than half of my summer planning a trip to Ilocos with my relatives. Yes, you read that right - Ilocos! I fell in love with the north too much, I just had to go back. Haha!

Since I was the only one who's already been to Vigan and Laoag, I took it upon myself to do all the planning. And it was nerve-wracking, I tell you. I had to book a hotel, rent a van, reserve bus seats and budget the expenses. I used to love travelling when all I did was tag along. Haha. But the weird part was, I loved every minute of it. I even found packing the best part of the trip.

I patterned our trip after my Ilocos adventure with my friends from law school. We left Manila Friday night, arrived in Vigan early Saturday morning, spent most of Saturday going around Vigan, left for Laoag, checked in to our hotel, spent Sunday morning swimming in Pagudpud, toured the rest of Ilocos Norte Sunday afternoon, took a bus back to Manila that same night, and arrived in Manila Monday morning. Whew!

Calle Crisologo at dawn is a sight to behold.

We took the same bus, but checked into a different hotel - Mira de Polaris Hotel. For a cheap hotel, it was very nice ha. The staff was very accommodating. The rooms were clean and spotless. I also managed to rent the same van and enlist the services of the same driver - Kuya Mario! Visit Ilocos Travel if you want to rent a van or go sand boarding. The owner, Ms. Marie, is the sweetest! She gave in to my every request and even prepared our itinerary. Haha.

So, since I've been there already, I served us our pseudo-tour guide. I took them to places I've already been to, but added a few stops on the way. We visited a pottery-making establishment where they allowed us to try our hand at pottery. But we found the mold sticky so we just posed for pictures. Arte lang. Haha. We also went to a placemat-weaving place where they taught us how to "manually" weave placemats and blankets. I took videos which I've tried countless times to upload, but it refuses to work. Don't know why. Sad because I actually took the videos with the intention of posting them here for all the world to see. Oh well. I guess pictures'll have to do.

Unlike last time, I was able to go to Pagudpud. Finally! My cousins and I went swimming for two hours in the Boracay of the North. I actually forgot to apply sunblock on my shoulders so now I'm nursing a major sunburn.

Sun, sand and sea in one photo. I've never seen clearer water before.

And I finally have a decent photo of the Bangui Windmills. Haha. Last time I was there, it was already past five o'clock in the afternoon. I wasn't able to take good pictures 'cause it was already too dark.

This statue is the latest addition to the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. It's Ang Biag ni Lam-ang. If you look it up, it's an Ilocano legend/ epic poem about an extraordinary being who battled a huge fish. But if you ask me, it looks more like a crocodile than a fish.

This last photo was taken at the top of Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this view. I kept wishing I could put the view in a box and bring it with me back to Manila. 

Ilocos is simply breathtaking. No words can describe how blessed the Ilocanos are to have such beautiful scenic spots. Makes you believe in God's greatness even more.

I can keep coming back to Ilocos. Never mind the seven-hour bus ride. Somebody from Ilocos adopt me, please.

From Musings to Adventures

Hey there!

In case you haven't noticed (if you're one of the few people who regularly visit my blog site), I changed my blog description from "musings of a damsel under stress" to "adventures of a damsel under stress". I just think my posts here are too shallow to be considered musings. My posts usually talk about new food finds, restaurants, books, films, and travel. They can hardly be considered musings. Yes, I've posted twice or thrice about my personal issues, but believe me, I thought about the decision to do so a thousand times before I hit the publish button. So tonight I've made another decision. From now on, I'm going to write about my "real" musings on my other blog. I've stashed it in a very private location so no amount of guessing will get you there. Ha!

Like other [strange] people, I keep a lot of blogs, and by a lot I mean more than two. I find that weird myself. I mean, who keeps three or four blogs?!

I have that may blog sites 'cause I do a lot of writing and I have a lot of target audience - varying target audience. This blog, for example, is free for everyone to read. My other blog is a Tumblr blog where I usually just reblog other people's posts. My last blog is my "personal" blog. Most of my posts there are private, and yes, that's the secretly hidden blog site you'll never find!

Counting the number of blog sites I have made me realize how much I love to write. I'm talkative in cyberspace! I can go on talking and talking here without even noticing that I haven't made any sense, like now. Haha.

I used to think about using my blogging skills to earn money, but every time I try, I back out. I love writing so much that I was afraid if I use it to earn money, I won't love it as much any more. I didn't want writing or blogging to be a chore. I didn't want to be forced into writing. I wanted to write just because. Plus, I wasn't very confident about my writing skills.

But two weeks ago, something inside me pushed me to give it a try. Just one go. I figured, if it works out, then I'll have extra income. If it doesn't, then I can go back to loving writing the way I used to. Surprise surprise! It worked out!

Last week, I got a job as part-time online article writer. To date, I've finished a couple of articles and so far, I haven't received any violent reactions and degrading comments from my boss. Haha. The better news is: I didn't fall out of love with writing. I became even more in love with it. I get to practice my writing skills everyday. It's just like blogging, only more frequently. And I'm even doing that other thing I love: research! Wow! I'm so blessed to be able to practice my two loves at the same time!

Hopefully, by the time school starts again, I've already gotten used to this new job of mine. Wish me luck!

And, a word of advice: if you're thinking about giving something or any thing a go, just give in. You never know how things are going to go. Best case scenario: you get what you want. Worst case scenario: you lose but you've gained the experience. Just my two cents.

So... Does this blog post count as a musing or as an adventure? Do I keep this post here or do I move it to my other site? Hahaha.

Dine In: Cool Beans Cafe

Most people spend Friday night partying, dining out, or doing just about anything to welcome the weekend with a bang. I am most people, I think. Haha. There just seems to be something wrong with staying at home on a Friday night. Well, I'm in my mid-twenties so you'll have to understand. For the record, I'm way past partying so that leaves you with dining out and doing-just-about-anything-to-welcome-the-weekend. Haha.

I'm not a foodie and I'm not adventurous when it comes to trying out new cuisines, but I do love to dine out. My sister and I love to spend Friday or Saturday nights trying out hole-in-the-walls or just hanging out. Last Friday was no different.

During one of our strolls along Maginhawa, we spotted a newly opened cafe which really caught our eye. Cool Beans Cafe is the newest addition to the ever-growing Maginhawa restaurant family. The best thing about Cool Beans is that their customers can borrow their books while they're eating or having coffee. Really cool, right?

By the way, you'll have to excuse my photos. They were taken during one of those rare times when I was caught unprepared. I didn't bring my camera so I had no choice but to use my Blackberry.

 

I once dreamt of owning a business like this one, but I guess someone already beat me to it. Haha. This is place is my ultimate dream hangout. I would like to commend and offer my heartfelt gratitude to the owner for coming up with Cool Beans and combining my two loves: eating and reading. 

Their book selection is quite commendable. They have everything from Archie comics to biographies to popular novels. Aside from the selection of books, I also like the way they've set up the place. I like its interiors 'cause it gives you a homey feeling. It's really conducive to reading. They have wooden chairs and tables for people who only come there to eat. Those who'll only want to read can sit anywhere on the two sets of couches. 

Ate and I went there hoping to do both, but given it was a Friday and the place was almost packed, we had no choice but to sit on the wooden chairs. And just when I was really looking forward to lounging on the couch. Haha. Anyway, here's what we ordered:

Iced Tea and Iced Chocolate. They may look the same, but trust me, they're not. The one on the forefront is my iced tea and the other one is Ate's iced chocolate. My tea was a bit sour for my taste, but it was ice cold. If you want a sweeter one, you can add syrup for twenty pesos (I think). Ate's chocolate tasted like your regular iced Milo. 

Pan Grilled Chicken Fillet. When I saw their serving of this dish, my eyes instantly popped out. See how big that cup of rice is? It was impossible for me to finish it all up! The fillet was okay, though it was a bit bland for my taste. Health conscious people, on the other hand, will definitely give it two thumbs up.

Vigan Longganisa Penne. I liked Ate's pasta better. The red sauce was made with Vigan Longganisa, but we were hardly able to taste the longganisa on the pasta. It tasted like regular ground meat. The penne was cooked al dente, and the herbed foccacia was good.

The place is still on soft opening, so I guess they're still trying to get everything right. The food prices aren't all that bad. But I do hope they add more choices to the menu. So far, they have two pasta dishes, sandwiches and paninis, frappucinos, and a few rice meals. All in all, I think the place is worth going back to. Three out of five stars.

Visit Cool Beans Cafe at:
67-A Maginhawa Street, UP Village, Quezon City
Mobile number: 0917.706.4711
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/coolbeansph

Kitchen Battle: Calamansi Loaf

I confess. I have no use in the kitchen. With the exception of eggs and canned and instant foods, I don't know how to cook anything. I'd love to enroll in a cooking class, but my frugal self just won't allow me to. Let's face it - cooking classes may just as well be as expensive as film classes.

There. Now that you know I can't cook to save my life, I'm gonna share with you a little something I achieved over the weekend. I baked! *confetti*

Okay. I know it's not as big as learning how to cook, but hey, it's one step closer.

And this time I call it an achievement 'cause I didn't use ready-mixed ingredients! *more confetti*. Haha.

Mama is frustrated by the fact that I can't cook - even more frustrated than me. Haha. That's why she lets me hang around in the kitchen and poke my nose into her or our angel's cooking. Last Saturday, just because she had something to attend to, she let me do the baking all by myself.

I've heard about Real Coffee's Calamansi Muffins but I've never actually tasted them. And when I saw a recipe on PEPPER.PH, I knew I found my first ever serious baking project.

And before you react violently, yes, I didn't bake muffins. I didn't have a muffin pan handy so I had to improvise. The only baking pans we had were the ones good for making brownies or a loaf. I chose the loaf. It was, after all, only an experiment.

I had to make a few more changes to the recipe. You must be wondering why the color isn't exactly similar to the one found on PEPPER.PH. Well, it's 'cause I used coco sugar instead of the usual. Papa is a diabetic so he's not allowed to have too much sweets. I didn't want him to miss all the fun so I had to use his sugar. Also, instead of the required oven temperature, I baked the loaf in preheated 170 degrees Celsius oven for 30 minutes.

Mama and Ate said it was good but I could do better with more calamansi. And the next time I bake these, I'm gonna make sure there's a muffin pan somewhere.

So, how's that for a first-timer? :)