CYMA

So, I've always wanted to dine into this restaurant that I've passed by so many times but never had the chance nor the courage to go in until the day when my friend and I was on waiting lists on another restaurant adjacent to it. FINALLY -  I went in to the Greek place I've been wanting to explore - CYMA.

Seeing Greek everywhere nah kind of reminded me of a Turkish menu.

I forgot the name of this salad but it had walnuts and it was just so good tasting.

Sizzling four cheese - something like that. For this, it is so important to eat the cheese with the bread while it is hot so that it'll melt. This kind of cheese easily gets cold thus, it returns to its subtle nature after a few minutes and it doesn't jives well with the bread.

Beef Pasta. Behold the pasta that's consists of huge round noodles, it made me think, I was eating "PANCIT MALABON" but nah, it's part of it's nature and I have to admit, the beef was just overwhelming tender and good. And the twist is that, they didn't use ground beef but the beef with the bones. 

Lamb Kebab! Among all the kebabs, I've tasted LAMB is a personal favourite. The meat is just different from the rest and their special yogurt is not bad.

Flaming Mango. Well, it was flaming when it was served and the staff screams "OPA" out loud when you order this. Really interesting. The taste?.. so so.

Greek Coffee. Espresso but not too strong. 

All in all, it was satisfying. The orders we had were to share, so it was better than having individual fixes. Greek and Turkish is almost the same and I really have to admit, that this kind of food makes me smile because the spices and blends of flavours makes me soul happy :) I will definitely be coming back.

CYMA is located at the lower ground floor of the Ayala Terraces Cebu.

Some photos with my loves.

Mabel and Kathy

With Monica

Me and my boyfriend at the back :)))

Modern China Restaurant

When in Manila, I always crave for some good tasting seafoods and I've got a personal favourite restaurant at the heart of Glorietta - Modern China Restaurant. I can't remember the exact year that we first dined in there but I can tell you, the experience is always fantastic. My favourite of them all is their lobster. Huge ones and whatever way it is cooked - it is grand. Their Chinese chef probably remembers our faces because we're the only ones who orders bulks orders without having to think of the price - I'm just lucky. 

Here are a photos of what we had last time. The lobster that they have in stock were small but it did well on my cravings. I'm used to getting the huge ones which looks like fiesta platter :D

'em lobsters :)

This is "lechon" with jelly fish. And yeah! I indulged on those white thing, thinking 'twas noodles but no - at the end of our feast - the waiter told me those were jelly fish and I suddenly wanted to cry.

Mushrooms overload. Apart from seafoods - I adore mushrooms :)

Grabs. My parents personal favourite - cooked in any way and they'll love you like a love song. I'm allergic to this as well as shrimps but I do eat tiny portions sometimes but it gets itchy all over, so I always eat with caution :)

And of course, my ultimate love - Lobsters with some serious noodles :D But I finished almost all of it :D 

'Twas a good meal from a restaurant that I will forever consider a second kitchen but they're expensive but have to say the price is right for the servings and service :) If you noticed, we usually eat out at Chinese restaurant, well, my family is pure Filipino but my parents are fond of Chinese cooking and because of that I've developed a since of appreciation for other none traditional Chinese sets :) The restaurant is located at the lower level of Glorietta 4, just on the right side of the mall entrance. It is beside/ below Bench Fix/Skin :) Try them out on your next food trip. 

Cafe Maxims

My parents and I decided to spend a weekend at Manila, specifically at Resorts World Manila which happens to be my current favourite place in Luzon ('cos it reminded me of the Venetian in Macau). Had always passed by Cafe Maxims but never dined until during this trip.

We dined on a Saturday and they have this band playing some Christmas cheers and must I say, they're fine at it - a tiny orchestra :)

Their menu is consists of entrée that are commonly found in hotels but have to take a photo of this because the price of that pot of tea is disturbing :D It's vintage as per the lady who assisted us and it's just 7 grams of tea for that price. They also have this lists of coffee that's insane expensive but then again - this is Maxims and by that, I think most of their clients are high profile individuals who can readily afford to spend such price brackets :)

This is Chicken Carbonara and have to say, the sauce is nuts delish! There weren't much spices on it but its creaminess was heaven and the way the chicken was cooked was really fantastico! The serving kind of reminded me of my friend Eunice who served us with the same presentation when she made Bolognese for us back home.

Ramen Beef Burger - just have to try this out. It was really interesting but I have to admit - it was complicated to eat 'cos you'll basically end up mixing the crisp ramen with those burger toppings creating a stir fried noodle meal but I think I'm imagining too much. There's probably a right way of eating this but my dad and I decided to put the ramen aside and just eat the burger patty which was perfectly cooked :)

It was a good experience. I wouldn't suggest their coffee orders cos the taste is just so so, I still think Radisson Blu has the best Cafe Mocha ever :) The price is hotel standard price, so don't expect to pay less if you order less. They also offer coffee sets (like for meals, you'll have coffee and some macaroons  and biscuits and stuff).

Front Gate Burger Cebu

More than a month of MIA. Now, I'm back to post some clogged up blogs. Let's start of with a recent dine in from last month at a burger joint in Banawa Cebu beside Rustan's Supermarket - Front Gate Burger.

The interior had the retro vibe and I have to admit that I really like the huge portraits on the wall. If given a chance to open up my own tiny coffee shop, I'll have the same vibe. I just didn't like the fact that, they didn't have they're own restroom inside the store. But overall, it was neat.

We had a feast! But we just ordered the basic enticing entrée on the menu. Bacon Cheese Burger as preferred by my friend Monica and some fries and a mashed potato.

 

Their cris cut fries were definitely good.

Bacon Cheese Burger. I've dined into different burger joints and had feasted on grilled burgers from known hotels - must say their burger is almost there but there's something missing on it. The cheese was perfect though a little watery and the bacon was crisply cooked. I just didn't find their patty to be that amazing. I still find Jollibee's Cheesy Bacon Burger to be the bomb, as well as TGIF's True Bleu Burger and Shangri-la's grilled burger. But what I'm tryna say is that each one of us has different taste buds :)

The mashed potato that needed to get more life :) I think, it lacked milk for more taste and some dash of black pepper wouldn't hurt :)

All in all, it was fine. Not really my cup of burger vibe but they're almost there. Price, is average. Ranged from 120php up and they also served veggie burgers and there are tons of other list on the menu.

Pepperoni Egg Basket

A few days ago, a typhoon hit our country and today, another one is on it's way. And not just an ordinary one but a super typhoon, which they say is as strong as KATRINA that hit the US. We're all keeping a positive vibe on here though deep inside we're a little scared but I'm certain we're all going to be alright. 

Now, on a lighter note. I'm tryna find ways to cook using the resources we have at home. Just in case, our gas supply goes off (cos obviously, I forgot when we bought it :D). So, I decided to experiment on eggs, pepperoni and the microwave and woohlaah!

Using a microwaveable bowl, BEAT 2 eggs

ADD a DASHED of black pepper and minced garlic

ADD thinly sliced tomatoes and onions

ADD grated cheese

ADD pepperoni

COOK in microwave oven for 3 minutes

TOP with spring onions, dried coriander and parsley

Finish product :) Must admit, it was pretty AWESOME for an experiment. The egg tasted good and it was just perfect. OIL FREE and really yum!

The Smurfs 2

One of my many favourite movies. I just love Katy Perry's voice and I always love the plot of the stories. It's always refreshing to see a movie where humans and animation interacts smoothly.

10 out of 10.

Chocolatier Cebu

Had been passing this cafe for a very long time and I was always curious about their menu and the food  but never really had the chance to dine in until last Sunday when I decided to make a bold choice of going in with my mother. And surprisingly, they seem pretty normal :D

Their menu, to which I obviously went straight to cocktails and boy oh boy oh boy - look at those choices. I'm damn sure, it's chocolate with liquors - oops! It is indeed :)

It's just a small place. Kind of reminds me of a hotel lobby somewhere in Davao :) They also sell Merci Chocolates and other known brands :) But we opted to try some of the chef's special :)

Chocolate Euphoria (if I remember the name correctly) - is HEAVEN! The crushed bottom is made from Ferrero Rocher and it's just amazing. It kind of melts in the mouth as you munch on it and it's just too mouth watering as I'm remembering it now.

Linguine in Pesto with Crusted Chicken - I am in love with the chicken's coating. The pasta? Not so much. I think the sauce was too blunt - I can't even taste the pesto in it but it was surprising to see nuts on top of it. So, I love the chicken but not the pasta.

White omelette - It's crepe like omelette with white cheese and everything that's supposed to be in an omelette. I am amaze by the mixture of flavour but I eventually won't be indulging on it again 'cos I'm obviously not a fan of white chocolates :D

Sausage chocolate sandwich - the sausage was fine as well as the presentation but I don't seem to jive with the idea of nutella on my hungarian sausage :D 

The view - your view when you dine there :)

Overall, it was a good experience. Food wise - it was OK. I mean, some people may love chocolates on their dishes but not me. I still think that sweets belongs to desserts but it was interesting to try something new. 

I think that, one should dine there if, they're only to munch on beverages and cakes. They have cake choices that are just mouthwatering and they also cater to cake orders for special occasions. Price? Just average. Not too expensive, not too cheap. 

They're located at the lower level of the Ayala Terraces Cebu beside Healthy Options. They offer free wifi and it's a good place to have meetings and small talks with your lovers or friends :)

And oh, I forgot to take photos of our drinks. I had their signature chocolate smoothie like drink but didn't really love it that much. But they have other choices which I'm sure has that rock star taste :)

Chicken Carbonara in Red Sauce

Ingredients

Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 diced bacon

1 cup diced chicken breast

1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, green peas, corn)

1 cup fresh tomatoes (diced)

1 cup grated cheese

1 cup milk (regular, skimmed - any will do)

1 can (751g or 10LB) tomato and herbs sauce (del monte)

Dash of black pepper

Dash of basil

Dash of oregano

Dash of parsley

Dash of coriander 

Dash of Tabasco hot sauce 

Pasta 

2 cups water 

1 tbsp oil (regular oil)

Dash of salt

Dash of thyme

Garnish (optional)

Parmesan cheese 

Tarragon

Cucumber 

Olives (pitted)

1. Heat olive oil - add garlic and onions - dash of black pepper, basil and oregano. Sautée.

2. When onions are slightly soft - add chicken and bacon. Sautée for 5 minutes. Add mixed vegetables. Mix and let it cook. 

3. When chicken is white - add cheese and milk. Simmer for 5 minutes. 

4. Add dash of tabasco hot sauce and pour in tomatoes. Mix. Pour in tomato sauce. Mix and simmer for 5 minutes as seen on the photo below.

5. Add in parsley and coriander.

Pasta 

1. Bring two cups of water to boil. Add regular oil and dash of salt. 

2. Once water is boiled. Add pasta and simmer for 10 minutes with regular stirring.

3. Once pasta is cook - drain and add a dash of thyme. Mix and let it cool.

Finish product 

I love pasta and I'm proud to say that it's one of my specialty - be it beef, chicken or seafoods - you can count that I make the yummiest one :)

Also, it's my first time to use cucumber as garnish and surprisingly it blended well with the sauce and pasta. And must you wonder why I'm using the twisted pasta - I prefer this over the regular ones. It's easier to dress up and present :) 

PS for boiling the pasta - I suggest that you make it to 2 tbsp of oil instead of just one to make it more flexible after draining :)

Moisturiser Overload

I am a sucker for body lotions and moisturisers. I think I've started using them at the age of 9. My favourite back then was Johnson&Johnson's silky lotion. It had that wonderful smelling and vibrant feel to the skin. And up until today, it's been a hobby to use it in the morning after shower and in the evening before going to sleep.

Am I vain? Yes! I am because I want a smooth skin. It's like what my mother always tells me, it doesn't matter if your fat and ugly as long as you have a soft skin then that's all that matters and I'd like to believe that I do have that. I'm not flawless - I've got scars on my belly which I got because I'm overweight (it just came out of nowhere and became worst when I tried applying some organic palmer cream on it - so). 

But what really tighten my love for moisturisers was when my first boyfriend told me that my skin was glowing in the dark when we spent the night together. He was like out of the blue said it and that kind of got stuck in my head and since then I've decided to religiously ensure that I get enough moisturiser on my skin :D Buuyaaah! 

Anyhow, enough of the crappy talking. So here are a few of my favourite brands to date.

*Genes Vitamin E Creme 

I use this to lighten the marks on my belly but lately decided to use it for the entire body twice a week before going to bed. It has a petroleum jelly kind of effect in the morning and almost the same texture - so it's a bit sticky. 

*Greescape Organic Shea Butter

Wonderful smooth silky effect on the skin after every use. Just started using it last Sunday and I like it - I just don't like the weird old people like smell :D Got this from beauty bar. I think what makes this really special is that it's organic, so lesser chemical components that are harmful to the body :)

*Yves Rocher Body Lotion in Olive

My favourite lotion by far! It rocks and it gives you that glow 24 hours. And it feels so light to the skin. It's basically absorbed asap then the smooth silky feel comes out. A MUST :)

*Dove Cream Oil Moisturiser

AMAZING! It is love! For a cheaper retail price, you're totally getting the kick for your money and benefits for your skin. Leaves your skin glowing and smooth :)

*Victoria's Secret Fragrant Deep Moisturiser and Lotion

Leaves you glowing and smelling oh so good! It actually gets absorbed by your clothes when you change after putting the moisturisers on.  A MUST if you go out on a date or if you decide to cuddle with your lover 

*Yves Rocher Deep Silky Creme in Olive

A creamier version of their Olive lotion. If the lotion had a grand effect then this jar makes everything double. I mean it's obviously twice the moisture :) Also A MUST :) Good rocking effect if used before bed time then the following morning again :)

*Ahava Body Sorbet

Never really heard of it but my mother referred this after her visit to Israel early this year and I must admit - it's FANTASTIC but I'm only using it on weekends because their shop is only in Manila and I can't seem to find an online shop who sells them. It says on the label with dead sea minerals and believe me when I say this - it's not only awesome to the skin but it has that glorious smell that lasts 24 hours. Even when you shower, the water feels like it just slides on your skin :D A MUST :)

By far, these are my current favourites but I'm also fond of J&J specially their milk lotion. The Body Shop also offers good body moisturisers. Aveeno is also good for the skin but I tried using it before and I never really liked it. Instead of making my skin smooth as what the label says - it actually makes my skin dry :) I don't know if this have been of help but I just thought of sharing it to you readers. But remember, it is definitely not with the brand but with your skin type. These moisturisers just enhances the skin that you already have. 

In my younger days, I used to use whitening and tanning lotions to experiment on my skin because there are really times when I look pale and there are also times where I look too dark, so changing and channeling the trends on television was an escape but as  I age, I've to terms with my skin colour and love the skin that I'm with thus the fascination for moisturisers came to life :)

Despicable Me 2

I'm not a minion big time fan - I am a Gru fan :D But have to say, the minions were funny as shiz. For kids and the young at heart movie :) 10 out of 10.

Monte Carlo

Love story feel good and I can't believe but I'll say this - I love Selena on the big screen. Her face and her husky like voice is just perfect. And the movie is fun. I can't seem to imagine anyone having such gazillion numbers of LV luggages which was personalised - AMAZING. 

It's a teeny bopper flick - so men who aren't so into such movies shouldn't watch :p

10 out of 10.

The Croods

Prolly one of the best cartoon movies I've seen this year. Shows a father's love to his family - to the point of sacrificing his own life just to save them. Feel good greatest - no doubt about it :)

10 out of 10.

Revisiting Plantation Bay Resort & Spa

Of all the resorts within Cebu - Plantation Bay Resort and Spa is a personal favourite. What makes it truly special is the spacious vast area that they have. The huge man made lagoon is amazing and the people who works in the resort itself are friendly and good looking people - like seriously - I have been crushing on some of the bellman there :D Shhh...

Anyhow, the other choice that I had as to where I'll be celebrating my birthday was Crimson Resort but looking at the room rates and the facilities they have - Plantation was no doubt the better choice. So, my family and I decided to check in as always on the Lagoon View Room then transferred to their One Bed Suite Lagoon View Room as both rooms were exquisitely fantastic and I invited in some friends and they had the same reaction as I do. 

So, here are a few snaps of our stay and luckily during which days - the Davis Tennis Cup were having their game at the tennis area of the resort. 'Twas New Zealand versus The Philippines and holly crap! Those men blonde men from New Zealand were HOT :D

 View from our room. Although the Lagoon View room is nice this particular building for such room option doesn't really offer the best lagoon floor for swimming :) 

Closed friends that I invited to hang with :) I seriously have to thank Katherine (the girl in red blue stripes) for coming in spite being sick. But this is prolly the only person I know, who still wears her red lipstick even though she's not feeling well :D

Room amenities and view from the one bedroom suite that we transferred into the next day. Our room bookings were mixed up because they were fully book during our stay. Initially, we only booked for an overnight stay but decided later on that we add one more night. Their one bedroom suite is like a family room which can cater up to 5 or 6 persons 'cos it really has a huge space but lagoon wise, I still prefer the rooms near their spa area - the lagoon view rooms there are superbly nice 'cos one you go out of your veranda, you can dip in the water which isn't deep :) And it has a more private vibe :)

The main reason why they were fully booked that week - The 2013 Davis Tennis Cup was happening. Philippines vs. New Zealand and lucky us - guest were allowed to watch for free :D But, just as we decided to finally sit and watch on it's second day of games - mr. rain decided to pour out hard and so, my chances of meeting the love of my life were doomed :))) 

Overall, it was another great experience and a real pleasure to be staying at Plantation Bay Resort and Spa. From crew to linens - I love it all. I love the spacious area and just about everything. It is basically my choice of resort hotel within Cebu. :)