Showing posts with label makati. Show all posts
Showing posts with label makati. Show all posts

Friday, August 10, 2012

Korean Food Love

My husband and I have always gone to Japanese restaurant if we want to  dine out. Ever since he came back from his trip to Korea, he has been wanting to share with me his gastronomical experience.

We then looked for the "best" korean restaurant. We read from Awesome Planet website that there are 3 restos at Burgos, Makati. It is tucked away from those girly bars lining the streets of the red district. It is carinderia style and waiting for your food is like waiting for your mum to cook your food. I wouldnt say it's homey, but it's a very straight forward korean food place.

We first tried going to Min Sok as the rain was pouring hard and the first parking spot we saw was in front of them. (I'll try to blog about our food trip there some other time). That was my first korean food resto and I thought, "ok, maybe i'll get used to this taste".

A week later I asked husband if we could try the other restaurant just in front of Min Sok, the Manna Korean Garden. We ordered the same dishes we had from the other resto. Of course I wanted to compare!

My husband is trying to help me watch my diet and prevented me to eat-all-you-can Yakimix anymore, so this grilling thing works for me as substitute.

Here are the beef and pork belly bacon yummy yummy for grilling. Those are the side dishes served with the meat. There's tofu, been sprout, potatoes, sauce, kimchi! That miso soup (lower right) is free and savory.

My husband said, this is how you eat it. Wrap everything in cabbages and lettuce.



Bibimbap.
Bibimbap. I have a yummy fascination for the content of this clay bowl. We ordered pork and beef to grill, so we thought we'll have this bowl for our rice. I know "where's the rice? where's the rice?". It is beneath the teared nori, bean sprout,beef, carrot and egg. I like it for the surprise salty taste on every 2 or 3 bites. Once served to you, you have to stir it quick or the rice will get crusty. (albeit my dad will like the "tutong").


Kimbap.
Kimbap. We did not order for this, but it looked yummy so it stayed.  This is like a japanese california maki but serve with soy sauce and chili pepper. I asked for wasabi, and the waiter gave me a tube that looks like old and the wasabi is dark, brownish green. Skipped the wasabi.


I have also included a snippet of the menu. You can see the price of what we ordered, just to give you an idea.


The restaurant interior is not pretentious and intimidating. You're greeted with a sweet Korean smiles (I think they're the owners). I took it as a sign that we will have a pleasant dining, authentic Korean dining experience. My husband said, the food here is closer to the ones he had in Korea. I'll take his comment as a good thing. I sometimes judge a dining place with the free soup they serve. The miso soup was really good! The Bibimbap bowl, I scraped it till none. My palate lately wanted rest from the usual meal I have. Eating here is like resetting my palate and letting it know that there are other  flavors to discover and enjoy.

Manna Korean Garden
5650 Don Pedro Street, Poblacion, Makati City
+632 897 6799
Accepts credit card.

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Thursday, February 16, 2012

Kien's 7th Birthday - Preparation Week 3-6 of 6

The night before Kien's birthday we transported every props we can to my husband's office building, where the event will take place. I got busy with work and didn't have time to post weekly. Instead I'm updating you in one go.
Party Favors and Table Decorations
3rd Week. We completed our trip to Divisoria to buy items for out games and lootbags. We decided that the lootbags will only have candies in them and no toys anymore.

I asked Kien if the girls will like creepy creatures. She said yes. I also added candy ponytails and rubber bands. I'm sure the mommies will like it. This morning in Kien's school, I saw some a girl wearing our give away.

Game Prizes. The toys were wrapped and color coded. The purple are for boys and the striped oranges for the girls.
 4th Week. I still needed something for the boys to wear so it's not going to be very princessy for them. So I tried looking for tutorials on how to do a pirate hat.
Pirate Hat Prototype 1. I found this suggestion from youtube, but didnt work because the head wont fit and it used half of my cartolina.

Pirate Hat Prototype 2. This one's easier to make. I decided I'm going to cut out my own hat and put studs in it. I made 16 hats out of 4 cartolinas. This project cost me P100.00
Loot Bag. I've been obsessing on finding the right purplish bag. I know a little bit of photoshop and made this instead. The final design has a bigger rococo detail on top. This is made out of lilac colored bondpaper, you can buy for P30.00. Made 10 of these.

5th Week. Nothing much happened on the fifth week. The tower for the castle needed shingles and that was it for that week. 

My husband fashioned this from scrap boxes. I wanted fish scales shingles so he made me do the shingles.


6th Week. I promised myself that everything will be complete on the 5th week, until I remembered the games!  This is the week when I will follow up my cake, food, tables and chairs for the kids, and face painting.


Games. Pin the Pirate. We have extra cartolina, and my husband draws. Combine both, cost free props!

The cupcakes at red ribbon cost P450.00 for 6 cupcakes. I want 24 cup cakes. cant spend that much, so we baked. The only expensive ingredient was the Goya chocolate I used.

Excuse the graffiti on the wall. Those were sprayed paint the week before this event by Vynil on Vynil. They're work of art!

Those balloons on the floor have been popped by my cute son when I came back to the venue. I love those pompoms too! (those were salvaged from 2 different events)

Castle. The bar B-Side who lent us their chairs and tables have high tables too. That is where we stapled the castle walls. Thank you B-Side!



 The Happy Guests.


We are so grateful to a lot of people have helped and lent us their personal and business stuff just so Kien can have this one happy party. I want to list them all!


Lola Shirley and Lola Baby - For watching over Kimbo while all the Ate's were busy helping with the prep. Also for the extra food you prepared.
Lolo Chris - Photo Booth
Tita Pet - For Hosting the Party
Tita Pet's Friend - For the purple mantles
Tsang - for bringing chicken
Te Willette - For the Chaffing and plates
Rae & Steph - for the Pompoms and great ideas
Malinao & Jimenez Family for helping clean up all the mess we made that day.
Kim - the father of my kids. For spoiling us at this party. Kien had everything she wanted, even her face on the tarpaulin :)

***







Monday, January 9, 2012

Kien's 7th Birthday - The Preparation Week 1 of 6

Kien's 7th birthday is 6 weeks from now.  I had no idea how to get things started.  All I know is that I want some pompoms that Daphne Paez had on her daughter's party  Fancy Nancy themed party. (That's a book Kien reads). I read Ms. Paez blog about the party & ordered a cake. But that was it.

Look at the pompoms on top!
Rae's party setting is fabuloso!
Luckily, I met the mother of Kien's classmate, Rae.  Rae hosted her daughter's 6th birthday.  We live in the same building with small units, yet she managed to make the party minimal & fabulously decorated.

She moved the furnitures to the bedrooms. Rented chairs and tables. Gave activities to kids. Gave me ideas and pompoms!!!

If I can make that work in my house I'll be able to save cash on the venue. That was my thought. 

Jumpstart
Ok. Ok. So my mind kept rolling from then on. How do I move things around in my house? Sure I can do this...Until ideas came to mind. How about use that huge vacant space in front of my husband's office? Business partners said YES! How about the chairs and tables from that night club/bar, they're close during daytime. YES! How about table clothes? Got an angel for a sponsor. YES!

The List
Martha Stewart in her website said, 6 weeks of preparation. Mine is not in her order, but I will try to do what I can in 6 weeks.

The list. 1st draft.
Of course I made a list. 6 pages.  I have a doodle of where the chairs and tables are gonna go, castle, pompoms. A list of guests (limited as in school classmates). A list of games, food, activities, prizes.

DIY's
I'm telling you, I'm very lucky.  One of our friends (Ms. Stephanie SY, also my husband's business partners) have volunteered to do the decorations.  Well she said, she likes DIY projects, doesnt actually do them, but will look for people to do the job. Sounds fine! I like it!

The DIY idea is not just about saving on cash, but also putting in that extra special love on this birthday project. Those first 4 birthdays that I hosted for my daughter I remember every single detail because I cooked, I researched, I worked my heart out for. The 5th & 6th, it was so simple, it was in school. All I can remember is I ordered from Jollibee and Red Ribbon bakeshop.

You know how you've been given so many ideas, you read too and research. Then suddenly you get this pumped to work on the project with enthusiasm with ideas of your own. Here's some of mine...
Princess Hats
Invitation Card for Boys. Look at the Pirate!


Invitation Card For Girls
It says Pirates & Princesses.
I had the courage to do all those because my daughter is right by my side to approve or reject anything I'm working on. That invitation card has been revised 3 times!  Thank you for the WWWs and thank you for friends!

There will be no clown or magicians planned to the party. The sorbetero has been scrapped too. The face painting is a definite. Our friend Steph have so many fun activities thought of. Hopscotch and whiteboards. Castle cutouts made from cardboards. I CANT WAIT!!!!  These are the things that I'm very much on board with because it says fun but not gastos. It's like having a party planner only better.






Friday, October 21, 2011

Yakimix Experience

I tried to make reservation thrice on Yakimix Greenbelt 3 but failed to come. They have very strict rules! You can only reserve thru phone if you will call before 4pm and dine by 6pm , and you need to be atleast 4 people.

Today I read reviews that it's gonna be worth the wait when you reserve. To feed my palate's curiousity, I went there before 6pm to reserve "walk-in". Was waiting for a table and waiting for my husband to come.

After an hour and half we had our table! Here's my take of the whole dining experience..

1. Buffet price Php 600.00
2. Dishes, a mix of Japanese, Korean, Chinese.
3. I love that we can grill on our very own table. I like the peppered beef the most.
4. Ok. This is my plate. This is how the "MALINAO" eats buffet. I had about 3 full plates.
5. Dessert was very good too! They had papaya, dragon fruit, pineapple. There were mini squares of cake. Yum yum i'm sure but I'm watching my figure.(haha! Did I mention 3 plates already?)

Husband asked if I will be coming back to Yakimix, I replied a quick "No". Well I think what I really meant was, I will do it twice a year. It's a hefty serving of salmon and tuna sashimi, grilled shrimp and beef! They even have sukiyaki soup. Also Sinigang (i really wonder why).

We have a favorite Japanese restaurant and we spent the same amount of cash. But Yakimix won in the quantity level!
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