All posts by Heart2Heart

Yanagi at Midas Hotel

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So happy to be back at Midas Hotel.  I am always looking forward to viewing this display of Hermes boxes which apparently are the boxes of the Hermes bags and accessories of the owner of the hotel 🙂  Yanagi (3) Beautiful flowers 🙂Yanagi (8)Which apparently are all the doing of Erwin Dona who is in charge of making sure the hotel is in proper image and identity 🙂  Thank you Erwin for making our visit so wonderful and memorableYanagi (6)That was not it! There is more!!  By the lobby is the 2702 Lounge with more of the Hermes boxesYanagi (2)Serving the best tea 🙂  Yanagi (7)Love this display as well nearby the lounge.  Take note of the adobe walls which were kept from the old Hyatt Hotel.  Midas Hotel is the old Hyatt Hotel which they renovated Yanagi (9)They even encased the walls to make sure they are preserved 🙂Yanagi (5)Here is another view of the wall from the lobby. I love the mix of old and contemporaryYanagi (1) Going up to the 2nd floor is Yanagi the Japanese restaurant and part of the Casino.  I only go to the eating part of course 🙂Yanagi at Midas Hotel (2)

Maybe the ones who used to go to Tempura Misono back then at Hyatt will know Albert who was a very good manager, but now there is Don 🙂  Look for him when you are thereYanagi at Midas Hotel (16)

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We had a taste of the bestsellers and more!!  Much more that we were so full 🙂  but now as I am writing this, I am craving to go back!!!Yanagi at Midas Hotel (6)

Love love Aburi Sushi!!!  Lapu lapu, Tuna, Samlon, Hamachi and Unagi – YUM!!!!  Yanagi at Midas Hotel (5)

Amazing Tempura Maki!!!  This is a whole prawn from head to tail!!!  YUM!!!Yanagi at Midas Hotel (8)

 Kaki Papaya Yaki – very popular and a unique dish served here – super Yummy!!!  There are oysters in there 🙂Yanagi at Midas Hotel (9)

Ebi Tamago Sauce – Yum everything Yum!Yanagi at Midas Hotel (13)

Suzuki Miso Yaki – YUM!!!!  I won’t stop saying Yum! 🙂Yanagi at Midas Hotel (10)

Ebi Tempura – YUM! 🙂Yanagi at Midas Hotel (11)

Kaminabe -YUM and it is very healthyYanagi at Midas Hotel (14)

Maguro peppered steak – fresh tuna with black pepper – I love this tremendously and the beauty of it is for those who are health conscious and like beef – this is a great alternative!!!!  SUPER YUM!Yanagi at Midas Hotel (12)

 4 scoops of super yum japanese flavours of ice cream!!! Red bean, Black bean sesame, green tea and wasabi ice cream all homemade in the restaurant.  I ate all of that!!!!!  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO ORDER AND EAT ALL!!! 🙂Yanagi at Midas Hotel (15)

 Looking forward to coming back!! I love Yanagi!Yanagi at Midas Hotel (1)

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Rogue Dishes for Rogue 2015 Appetite Issue

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ROGUE MAGAZINE CREATES ITS OWN BURGER, COOKIE, AND COCKTAILS THIS MAY

In celebration of Rogues 2015 Appetite Issue, now on its 8th successive edition, the magazine partnered with six of today’s fastest-rising establishments to create dishes that best represent what Rogue stands for, each invention an embodiment of ambition, daring, and quality.

Rogue Dishes for Rogue 2015 Appetite Issue (7)From 8Cuts Burger Blends we have the Rogue Pighead burger, named after the breaded brick of pigs head terrine crowning the dishs other fixings: pickled red onions and feta cheese over one beef patty, lying in a bed of 8Cuts signature Sauce No. 3. From Tony Boy Escalantes Balay Dako, a newcomer to the Antonio’s Group, master mixologists Enzo Lim and Kath Eckstein-Cornista introduce us to The Rogue Cocktail Flight, an interpretation of the Rogue character as a series of cocktails each with their own brand of class. And from Churreria La Lola we are given a heightened interpretation of a much-loved merienda staple: the Rogue Xuxo, a churro overflowing with sweet Manchego cream and wrapped with strips of prosciutto, topped with chives and crisped sweet onions.

For the modern sweet tooth looking for something a little stranger, Miguel Vargas of Buckys Counter gives us The Rogue Bucky, a sinful fusion of brownies, fudge, and flourless chocolate cake with a subtle addition of whiskey giving quirk to the sweetness. FromScouts Honor in Century City Mall, pastry chef Miko Aspiras gives us the Rogue Cookie, a dark reimagining of a classic and otherwise light-hearted confection, heaped with wild boars blood crème brulee contained within a dark chocolate shell. And from Sebastians Ice Creams Ian Caradang there is the Rogue Chilly Burger, a means to beat the heat in the form of a breakfast sandwich with snickerdoodle cookies for buns and salted milk, honey ice cream, and white chocolate Cheerios coalescing at its center.Each of the Rogue dishes are available in their select branches from May 14, 2015 onwards, as seen in the magazines 2015 Appetite Issue, now out on newsstands, bookstores, and Zinio.com/Rogue.

THE ROGUE BURGER  Available in all 8Cuts branches

The Pighead burger is a tribute to the diversity of pork and beef and the artistry that comes with nose-to-tail eating. Between two halves of a sesame bun, an 8 Cuts House Blend patty is layered with slivers of pickled red onions, squares of feta cheese, micro greens, and the shops signature Sauce No. 3. Peeking out from above the patty is a brick of pigs head terrinebreaded and fried to a crisp, it is fundamentally scandalous, but rightfully enticing.

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THE ROGUE BUCKY  Available in Buckys Counter, BF Homes

In an almighty trinity comprised of flourless chocolate cake, brownies, and fudge, the Bucky was conceived as an entity of pure sin. Claiming the devil as its master, its Rogue variety fuses fudge with elements of an Old Fashioned cocktail. The creation by Buckys founder Miguel Vargas renders an anti-brownie bolstered with the subtle taste of whiskey, enhanced further with the bright finish of candied orange skins.

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THE ROGUE COCKTAIL FLIGHT  Available in Balay Dako, Tagaytay

Following its induction into Asias Top 50 Restaurants, the Antonios introduces their new restaurant, Balay Dako, this month. To mark its debut, Dakos rooftop Terrazas Bar lines up a limited series of drinks aptly named The Rogues Gallery: a reimagining of Rogue magazine as a quartet of liquid scoundrels, crafted by master mixologist Enzo Lim  and Kath Eckenstein-Cornista. The cocktail flight fuses the best local ingredientsunique on their own yet collectively vibrant in a taste that is distinctly Antonios.

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THE ROGUE COOKIE  Available in Hole in the Wall, Century Mall

Pastry chef Miko Aspirass idea for the Rogue Cookie was born in cold blood. Callous and impassive, the seemingly innocent pastry is heaped with wild boars blood crème brûlée in a dark chocolate shell. Devoured en masse, the clotted custard is thick on the palate, stained elegantly by fractals of its burnt sugar cap.

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THE ROGUE CHILLY BURGER Available in all Sebastians branches

Trust Sebastians Ice Creams Ian Carandang to craft thoughts of classis Sunday morningssun piercing through the blinds, newspaper crosswords at the dining table with a No. 2 pencil at the readyinto an ice cream sandwich. The Rogue Ice Cream Sandwich is a breakfast sandwich of salted milk and honey ice cream with white Cheerio crunch clumps between buttery snickerdoodle cookies.

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THE ROGUE XUXO  Available in Churreria La Lola, SM Aura

Though Manila has always seen the churros and tsokolate combination as a quintessential afternoon treat, the Spanish contingency of the Las Flores group admits to another story. They divulge that drunken nights out end when freshly fried churros early in the morning begin. Hence the Rogue Xuxo, in which the hollowed out barrel of a churro is packed with a stream of thick Manchego cream. Strips of proscuitto are torched around its outer skin before being finished off with chives and crisped sweet onions.

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Misono Days at Yanagi

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So happy to discover this Japanese restaurant in Midas hotel!!!  And to relive the old Hyatt Hotel – they now have the Misono Buffet every Friday to Sunday from the old Tempura Misono restaurantMisono Days at Yanagi (2)

Even some of the tables and chairs from the old restaurant were used 🙂  Misono Days at Yanagi (20)

 What a buffet!!! For P 1,400.00 you have a wide variety to choose from – I feel its very worth it!! If you get a deal in Deal Grocer, it is even cheaperMisono Days at Yanagi (42)Yanagi (4)

I took a photo of everything that day so this is more or less what you will get ( of course it changes from time to time )

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Sukiyaki StationMisono Days at Yanagi (28)

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 TeppanyakiMisono Days at Yanagi (12)

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Japanese main dishes on top of the teppanyaki station

Very popular Chicken KaraageMisono Days at Yanagi (32)

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Dessert StationMisono Days at Yanagi (5)

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Giardini del Sole

By | Homes and Interiors | No Comments

 Loved the home of Gabriele and Julie!!  It’s just them that did the interiors and they did it so well!Giardini del Sole (2)

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 Beautiful furniture in Gabriele and Julie’s home – made by Gabriele’s father, Giovanni Boschi. Giardini Del Sole one of the biggest wooden furniture manufacturer in Cebu. You can have your furniture custom made and it will be something you can pass on from generation to generation.  They have of course quite a number of pieces around the houseGiardini del Sole (12)

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Giardini del Sole (7)Love!:-)

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 Beautiful artworks and interiors in Julie’s new home Sandra Fabie Gfeller aand a new artist Archie CayamandaGiardini del Sole (11)

 Lots of artwork around the houseGiardini del Sole (13)

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Lucia the little Princess showing me her room 🙂  The curtains are actually shower curtains from Pottery Barn!  It came out so well! you cannot tell its a shower curtain 🙂Giardini del Sole (15)

Tree of Books 🙂Giardini del Sole (16)

More Giardini del Sole furnitureGiardini del Sole (17)

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And even more- all the wooden furniture is Giardini del SoleGiardini del Sole (20)

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Tried to zoom in on the pillows which I liked that were in the gardenGiardini del Sole (24)

Click below to go to their website

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Youth With a Future – Laksa Night

By | Philippine Star Lifestyle Section | No Comments

Check out the Philippine Star today and read about how the project of Chef Alain Ducasse – Youth with a Future ( together with Enderun and Tuloy Foundation ) Transform street children into world class chefs and give them a bright future ( click on article below to read more )

Transforming street children to world class chefs Philstar May 14 2015Here are the details of the Laksa Night where two nights of fund raising was done with a Laksa Meal by Chef See and Chef Marc and now they are able to send the next 10 scholars to the Youth with a Future Program

So nice to always be part of a great initiative at the same time enjoying a great mealLaksa NightLaksa Night (6)

Friends help friends who do things for a good cause

AC Batchmates supporting Tricia and Youth With a FutureLaksa Night (3)

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Congratulations Chef See and Chef MarcLaksa Night (1)

Auction to add to the fundraiserLaksa Night (8)

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First batch of Youth with a Future Graduates

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 The next ten scholars now undergoing their program at Alain Ducasse Institute together with Tricia Tensuan, Vice President for Admissions and External Relations for EnderunLaksa Night (5)Laksa Night (4)

Brunch by Gabriele and Julie

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So happy to visit the new home of Gabriele and Julie.  They had just moved in a month ago
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The lovely couple both in purple 🙂 Brunch by Gabriele and Julie (7)

What a beautiful home and a beautiful brunch set up in Gabriele and Julie’s.  Super love how she put everything together! Everything she presented today had a story!! I don’t know where to begin! Just too many nice things to share

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We ate so much!!  We could have continued on till lunch! haha!!

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 Love bougainvillaBrunch by Gabriele and Julie (1)

 Fresh jams from Shangri-la Mactan Cebu from the mango trees in the island. Beautiful silver frog servers with Mother of Pearl from Julie’s friendBrunch by Gabriele and Julie (18)

 Cheese 🙂Brunch by Gabriele and Julie (19)

 I was so happy to see the beautiful marble stands of my friend Rachelle Wenger in Julie’s breakfast buffet.  The delicious fresh breads are all from Shangrila Hotel ( ofcourse )Brunch by Gabriele and Julie (20)

 I had a little of everything on this spread!! SO YUMMY!!!Brunch by Gabriele and Julie (5)

 Crispy chorizo! YUMMY!!! Brunch by Gabriele and Julie (9)

  Fried Tawilis from the friend of Julie in the Saturday Market. YUMMY!!!Brunch by Gabriele and Julie (10)

 Quinoa!!! YUM!!!  Brunch by Gabriele and Julie (11)

 Lamp posts in the dining room 🙂 and by the coffee and dessert set upBrunch by Gabriele and Julie (6)

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  Pecan Pie from Calea ( Bacolod) which James ate a lot of!!! DELICIOUS!!Brunch by Gabriele and Julie (15)

 Finally I got to try the famous Calea chocolate cake from Bacolod! Julie brought it back from her cousin, Ging dela Rama, who owns Calea when she went to Bacolod last weekend. She froze it so the filling is frozen but it’s still good. Imagining it’s even more yummy when it’s fresh. Gabriele says the top is the killer and I love tops and fillings 🙂 Calea Balay Quince – 034.4358413
Calea Robinson’s Place 034.4413835
Calea Ayala – 034.7031453Brunch by Gabriele and Julie (23)

  TWG tea 🙂 The best 🙂Brunch by Gabriele and Julie (25)

  So happy to finally meet the little princess of Gabriele and Julie. I only see her cute photos in instagram and finally meet her – Lucia. At first she was hiding she really didn’t want to show her face but after awhile we were friends.

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I love her curly hair which she has not cut ever since she was born – so that’s three years. Julie puts Argan oil on Lucia’s hair so it doesn’t dry up and she’s just so super adorablebrunch at julies

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She joined us for brunch too and had her own set up!!  Take note of the iPad with stand 🙂Brunch by Gabriele and Julie (22)

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Obviously a home with lots of children or maybe just one spoiled little Princess 🙂  Many toys in the gardenBrunch by Gabriele and Julie (13)

Elbert’s Sandwiches

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Since we were in the area, we had to try out Elbert Cuenca’s new Sandwich place in Commerce Centre  Elbert’s Sandwiches
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Everything freshly grilled on the spot 🙂Elbert's Sandwiches (9)

Good idea 🙂Elbert's Sandwiches (8)

The lunch gang from Neil’s Kitchen back together again for dinner plus Ned, Janet and Josh from BF HomesElbert's Sandwiches (22)

Milkshakes at Elbert’s Sandwiches are made with the best quality ingredients.  But don’t expect them to be the thick kind of milkshake – it’s light and yummy!! made with Holly’s Fresh milk  Elbert's Sandwiches (3)

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Fresh strawberry 😉
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Angus BurgersElbert's Sandwiches (14)

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 Chef Adrian’s Burger Specials 🙂 Umami Burger – lettuce, Cambozola, shitake, onions, black truffle mayonnaise.  Wow that Black truffle mayonnaise should be an extra! so you can order it with any burger!! 🙂Elbert's Sandwiches (11)

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Southwest Grilled ChickenElbert's Sandwiches (16)

Mushroom MeltElbert's Sandwiches (18)

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Classic American CheesesteakElbert's Sandwiches (13)

You can ask them to cut it already for you 🙂Elbert's Sandwiches (20)

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Telephone #:  (02) 519 5943

SWAROVSKI UNVEILS A MODERN 2015

By | What's New at Rustan's | No Comments

Addressing multifaceted women, Swarovski unveils a selection infused with a contemporary and modern feel, broad enough to find the perfect gift for any style. Swarovski’s Creative Director, Nathalie Colin states “with this collection we want to bring a touch of sparkle to all themothers in the world.  We have created modern designs favoring soft pastel shades and delicate pave work”

Composed of easy-to-wear pieces suiting all kind of occasions and looks, Swarovski’s selection is inspired by early spring flowers. As seen on muse Miranda Kerr, “Christie” pendant shows craftsmanship and refinement with full cut crystals in gradation of pink and mauve, surrounded by crystal pave, in a fine-jewelry spirit. “Christie” theme comprises several necklacesthat can be worn in different lengths to create a cool and on-trend layering effect, and some earjackets that instantly inject a fashion twist to a silhouette.

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With its intense brilliance, “Stardust” bracelet is an eye-catcher now also offered in soft shades, to be worn alone for a subtle addition of sparkle, or stacked to make a glamorous statement. For astylish alternative Stardust can be stacked with a watch, and the elegant and contemporary “Aila”is a perfect fit for that.  With delicate proportions, ”Vittore” ring features a classic and simple aesthetic, while “Celestin” bangles feature clean and graphic interpretation of pearls, available in 3different metal color platings.

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With a variety of designs all featuring Swarovski’s know-how and distinctive DNA, Swarovski’s 2015

 Swarovski delivers a diverse portfolio of unmatched quality, craftsmanship, and creativity that goes beyond the manufacturing of crystal. Founded in 1895 in Austria, Swarovski designs, manufactures and marketshigh-quality crystals, genuine gemstones, created stones and finished products such as jewelry,accessories, and lighting. In addition, Swarovski Crystal Worlds was established as a unique venuededicated to showcasing artistic interpretations of crystal. Swarovski Entertainment collaborates withestablished industry partners and exceptional talent to produce international feature films, and the Swarovski Foundation supports creativity and culture, promotes wellbeing and conserves natural resources. Now runby the fifth generation of family members, Swarovski Crystal Business has a global reach withapproximately 2,480 stores in around 170 countries, has more than 24,000 employees and a revenue ofabout 2.33 billion euros in 2013. Together with its sister companies Swarovski Optik (optical devices) andTyrolit (abrasives), Swarovski Crystal Business forms the Swarovski Group. In 2013, the Group generated a revenue of about 3.02 billion euros and employed more than 30,000 people.

Lunch at Neil’s kitchen

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So happy to be back a Neil’s Kitchen to finally have a proper meal 🙂 The last time we were here we just had dessert

Previous entry:  Neil’s Kitchen  March 16,  2015Lunch at Neil's kitchen (2)

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As long as the Chef and owner is there, he has to have a photo! 🙂  This time in the kitchen cooking 🙂    Chef Neil Ramos.  He was a Rustan’s Young VIP model and was a commercial model as well, I think Close up 🙂Lunch at Neil's kitchen (4)

Short menu yet we wanted to try all! 🙂Lunch at Neil's kitchen (5)

Beach House Nachos GRANDE of course 🙂 LOVE!Lunch at Neil's kitchen (6)

Tokwa’t Baboy! YUM!Lunch at Neil's kitchen (11)

Paella Negra with CalamaresLunch at Neil's kitchen (12)

Crab Cake Torta with Aligui PastaLunch at Neil's kitchen (7)

Bagoong Paella with Kare KareLunch at Neil's kitchen (8)

Sinigang Paella with Grilled Pork Belly
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 BLT Bacon, Longganisa and Tocino with Garlic Rice – YUM!Lunch at Neil's kitchen (10)

 Love the pink pitcher 🙂Lunch at Neil's kitchen (13)

Our first love at Neil’s Kitchen were the desserts – they made us want to come back! So we ordered them all again haha!!

Turon de Napoleone – My favourite among all.  And this time it had more filling!! YIPEE!!!Lunch at Neil's kitchen (14)

 It deserves a second shot 🙂Lunch at Neil's kitchen (16)

Fried Suman, Mangga and Chocnut.  Missing the photo of the other dessert – just check out the previous entry at

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Lunch at Neil's kitchen (1)The last time we were here, I was wondering what that yellow hole was on the wall of the bookstore.  Then when I found out what it was for, I made sure we made use of it haha!!

 fathers bookstore neils kitchen photo frameSo happy to be with the Alabangers ( haha!! ) Jinggoy and Fia, Paolo and Trina 🙂  Love them allfathers bookstore neils kitchen frameneils kitchen contact info

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