My Review: Watami Japanese Restaurant

My family and I first dined here during my birthday last 2014, and we haven’t stopped coming back since then. I’ve brought my friends here too, and they also loved it! 
This is actually my personal favorite:

Chicken and Egg
  

   
 

   
    
 
Watami is a japanese restaurant in Shangri-la Plaza mall in Mandaluyong. The place is perfect for casual dinners and even for special ones. Their rice bowls are good: chicken and egg, pepper beef rice, beef with rice, and the list just goes on and on! 
Try visiting their branches in SM Mall of Asia, Glorietta, and of course, in Shangri-la! Have fun!

Xoxo,

@thecouchpatatas

My Review: Vikings Luxury Buffet Megamall

It has taken us some time before we’ve finally decided to try eating here in Vikings. To be honest, the only thing that I hear whenever my friends talk about vikings is that it’s expensive! Haha! Actually it really is a bit pricey but compared to those in hotels, it is cheaper definitely. Anyway, here’s my review of this restaurant. 

We ate here to celebrate my sister’s birthday, since birthdays are perfect occasions to really PIG OUT! 

In vikings, if there is a celebrant among the guests, that person is actually free of charge. If the celebrant would celebrate on the day itself, he/she must be accompanied by at least 1 paying adult. If  he/she would dine within his/her birth months,  the celebrant should also be accompanied but with a minimum of four (4) paying adults. Here are their rates per person:

(This is in the Megamall branch only; each branch differs from each other. Each rate also differs depending if you’d dine on a weekday or a weekend)

   

Actually, me and my family are huge SAMBOKOJIN Fans; but we’ve decided to try vikings for a change. 

It is recommended to have a reservation ahead of time since walk-in customers don’t really get to choose where they could sit. On our part, we were able to reserve ahead of time but we forgot to choose where we would sit. This brings me to my observation that the tables here in vikings are relatively small. For a group of 7 adults and 1 child, our table is noticeably narrow. 

There are a lot of choices to choose from here in vikings. And what separates this from sambokojin perhaps is the fact that the price of the food includes the drinks already. 

Here are my pics:

 

Carbs!!! 

    
Salad Station  

Dessert       

okay, this is amazing ! The make-your-own-pizza area! Awesome!

  

Nachos!

  

You can actually ask for hot and cold beverages here! 

   
 

   
 
They also have a grilling station here in vikings, with lots of choices as well. However, unlike in Sambokojin where you grill your own food, the chefs here would prepare the food for you and you can just have the grilled food delivered to your assigned table.

So basically that’s it! The food here is yummy, but a bit overwhelming for there are a lot that you can choose from! So I’d say, take your time! Savor the food! And Enjoy the experience!
Xoxo,

@thecouchpatatas

Manila Ocean Park

I have already been to Manila Ocean Park for three times already. The first time was in 2010 with my family, the second one was with my friends, and the third one was just lasts June 7 with my family again. My six year old nephew has been fascinated with sea creatures lately and so he decided to just go here.
If you live in a tropical country like ours here on the Philippines, going out during the summer months may not be an entirely good idea at all. The months of April, May and early days of June are just scorchingly hot! We have experienced this on that day, and it was just unbelievable! So anyway here’s my post!
I, being the family’s head of the “booking department” as they say, had always been in charge in arranging my family’s trip every single time. It was actually my idea to go to Manila Ocean Park since i am pretty sure that my nephew would apprciate it now that he’s five as compared to when he was just one year old! Haha! 
I have stumbled upon this deal of Manila Ocean Park tickets in METRODEAL ( metrodeal is a site that offers deals here in the Philippines which are almost less than half of their original price ), and have decided to avail them. I got the deal for P499 (which is valid from February 2015 to February 2016) via credit card transaction. And it is actually easy! Upon validation of payment, metrodeal would send the voucher to your metrodeal account (so I suppose you have to really make one..also for easy retrieval), and you just have to print the vouchers individually (one voucher per person), and present it upon arrival at Manila Ocean Park. 
The package that we availed of was the DEEP SEA RUSH PACKAGE. This gives you access to FIVE ATTRACTIONS inside the park:
The Sharks and Sting Ray Dry Encounter

The Jellyfish Exhibit

The Oceanarium

The Sea Lion Show

The Symphony Evening Show
Being mostly adults with the only goal of making a 5-year-old experience under water without actually going under it, this package is more suitable for us! Haha! Besides, we are not huge fans of humid places, and we easily get tired haha! But there are other packages than this one, and it includes access to more facilities inside the park! 

HERE ARE MY PICTURES:

  
  
(We had Lunch at Makan Makan Asian Food Village located at the second floor of MOP. They offer great and affordable food in here, plus it’s the only restaurant that was not crowded when we were there)
I have to remind you guys also that MOP offers scheduled performances, so you have to manage your time while in there so thay you can go to each and every attractions. 
   
   (Inside the Jellyfish Exhibit)
  
( Sharks and Ray Dry ecounter )

   
       ( Inside the Oceanarium ) 

  
( Buhay na Karagatan. This is actually a huge tube where you can sit and watch the different sea creatures swim at your back and above your head. It was so hot though, and there were so many people that day, so I wasn’t able to take lots of pictures! Oh and another thing too is that you won’t get to enjoy taking much photos of yourselves while inside the Oceanarium because it is too dark; and let’s face it, we are all fans of GOOD LIGHTING. Haha! But if you have a high-performance camera that can take good photos with low lighting, then you’re good to go! Lucky you!) 
  
( The Sea Lion Show. It has two scheduled performances that day: 11am and 3pm. We went to the 3pm show, and it was outside, and it was sooooo Hot! But it was entertaining though )
We did not watch the Symphony evening show anymore because we were just too drained already and my family said that it was just “lights and sounds” haha! During the first time we were here in 2010, we did not watch it as well for it was raining, and when I was here with my friends, I had to go home early. But I believe it has to be something more. Haha! 
So that’s it! Feel free to look for you own deals, and also look at their website for our promos! Get your own dose of #vitaminsea ( that’s a thing now, right? Haha!) Enjoy!

Xoxo,

@thecouchpatatas
Follow me on IG: @thecouchpatatas

 

Lotte World: Seoul Korea

I have already been to Seoul Korea for three times already; and everytime we are here, we always tend to go to the same places (we’re weird, I know). One of the places that we usually go to is in Lotte World. Being a kid-at-heart, theme parks have always been a part of our itinerary, more so now that I have a nephew and a niece. We travel together everytime, and we are always composed of a group of 6 adults, and one child. 

Lotte World is situated in Seoul. It can easily be accessed either through a cab or the subway. The flag rate recently (2014) has escalated as compared to when we were here in 2011 and 2012, so we’ve decided to just ride the train (and let’s face it, it feels more “korean” taking the subway).

Lotte World is located in Sincheon-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea. 

It is made up of two main sections, the outdoor park and the indoor park. When we were here for the first two times, we only stayed in the indoor park and I don’t know the reason why haha!

 There is also a direct line through the subway going to lotte world so it is really convenient. Plus, commuting is Seoul is a Breeze because all the subways are interconnected; you just have to be careful not to enter or exit in the wrong line. If you’ll ride the subway, just find:

Jamsil Station (Seoul Subway Line 2 & 8), Exit 4.

So anyways, is open all-year round. Its hours of operation on weekdays (Monday to Thursday) is 9:30 a.m. to 10p.m., while on weekends (Friday to Sunday)the hours of operation are from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
The  admission rates when we were here last april 2014 are the following:
ADULTS: (18 years and over) 

= 44,000Won 

TEENAGERS (13-17years), 

= 38,000 Won

CHILDREN  (3-12years), and 

= 34,000 Won

BABIES (12months to 2years)  

= 11,000 Won 

Late Admission tickets are also being offered by Lotte World starting 4pm, which is approximately 75% off. We availed this for we came in late and since only my 5 year old nephew would be riding on the attractions, it is more worth it  haha!
Here are my pics from the trip:

 

Trevi Fountain inside Lotte World

  
  

the outside theme park: “magic island”

            

they also have a parade scheduled at 2:30 pm and 7:00 pm

  

     For more information, visit their website:

http://global.lotteworld.com/main.asp

Regina Rica Rosari: Rizal’s hidden sanctuary

Being a Rizaleño by birth, I can’t tell you just how much pride I have of my home province. You see, I live in Angono, Rizal; it is actually the third town that you will reach if you are coming from the pasig area. My friends would usually say that I live very far, and I would consistently answer: “hindi ah! 30 minutes away nga lang ako from ortigas”, which is true, actually! You see, Rizal is a very good location because in here, you get to have a laid-back-town-vibes without having to feel much away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

There are many places that you can go to in Rizal. In my hometown, Angono (the Art Capital of the Philippines) for one, has its own attractions that draw tourist very often. But I’ll post about that soon. In this post, I will share with you a place that you can go to if you just want to meditate and clear your mind, without travelling that far: 

The Regina Rosarii Institute for Contemplation in Asia in Tanay, Rizal (better known as Regina RICA)

Not far from Angono is Tanay, Rizal. In just about an hour or less (if you have your own car), you can reach this town. You will just pass by the towns of: Binangonan, Cardona, Morong, and Baras..then voila! You’re in Tanay already. So if you’re coming from Ortigas you’ll have about 2 hours to get there. 

If you have your own car, you just have to take the manila east road,keep going straight ahead, pass by the towns that I’ve mentioned, and once you get to Tanay, there are many signs that are put up in there so you will definitely not get lost. 

Regina RICA is open everyday except Tuesdays. Visiting time is from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. You have to take note that there is a dress code inside the premises. Girls are not allowed to wear shorts; however,if you still wore shorts, they will provide you with skirts that you can wear on top of your shorts (I knew this because me and my friends were wearing shorts the first time that we went there since it’s summer hehe). Sleeveless clothes are also prohibited for both men and women. Upon arriving you will first be given a short orientation about the place, and then after that, you are free to roam around already.

I was lucky because for the two times that I’ve been here, the place was not too crowded. During holy week, the traffic is just unbelievable! Well, this is because of the fact that Regina RICA has its own set of devotees already. Also, it is also part of many religious pilgrimage in the country, and I believe even in Asia.

So let me now share you the pictures from my two trips combined! Hehe:

   

( The Mary’s Sacred Trail: this leads to the statue of Mama Mary on top of the hill. There’s only one way up and you cannot go down this path; you would have to go down on the other designated path)

  

(The view while going to the top)

( Mama Mary!)

This is the huge statue of Mama Mary on top of the hill. There is actually a prayer room inside her mantle; and you have to remove your shoes if you want to go inside.

  

(This view! Love!)

(My panoramic shot of the place) 

After praying inside the mantle, there is a candle offering area where you can buy candles in different colors; each color representing your different intentions. My friend bought all the colors, by the way. Hehe. Now, in the usual Filipino tradition, you have to say a prayer first before you light your candle.  You can also sign up your loved ones so that they will be prayed for for the rest of their lives. You would just give a donation, and then list down the names of the people you love in the prayer list. 

    

(The Mangrove trail. Each is sponsored by different people. Amazing right?)

  

(Our candles!)

(This is the church inside the Regina RICA. They also celebrate the Holy Mass in here. The Regina RICA Mass Schedules:

 

 ( from http://reginarica.org )

   

(The side view of the chapel)

So there you have it! I hope you got to experience Regina RICA in Tanay by just looking through my pictures! I would really suggest that you go here if you have the time in order to nourish your spirituality. It is indeed a beautiful place; and it is very well-maintained not just because it is new, but because you can feel the sincerity of the people who are working thereat. 

For more info visit their website:

http://reginarica.org

My Snapshots From Seoul: I love SEOUL!

I’ve been to Seoul three times already.  The first time that I went here was Spring 2011, then followed by Spring 2012, and then the the last one was Last Spring 2014. This is the perfect season for me because there is a certain lightness in the mood of everybody around. Winter has just ended. The flowers are beginning to bloom. There are many colors around. And the weather is just so perfect! Here are the shots that I took from my phone:

(  Cherry Blossoms at Everland )  

(Gyeongbokgung Palace)

  

(Seoul Tower at night)  

(Myeongdong Street)

  

  (Myeongdong Cathedral)

  (Gwanghwamun Square)

  (Seoul Tower Observatory)

  ( Lotte World)

  (Dongdaemun at night)

My Fairways and Bluewaters Boracay Experience

It has been my family’s third time staying here in fairways and bluewaters, and I must say that every stay had been such a breeze!

I must admit though that we used to say that going to Boracay is not worth it unless it’s free (sorry, Philippines ha? haha!). However, we were really blessed that one of the perks of my mom’s job is an all-expense paid trip to Boracay every three years (I know! Cool, right?). So since 2007, we have been going here in Fairways and Bluewaters because my mom’s company have bought a share here. 

Being a pre-arranged trip, going to Boracay had always been an ease for us. Our tickets are booked in advance, and our transportation have been arranged ahead of time as well. So let me share you something about our trip.

We left at about 5 in the morning from our house in order to get to the airport on time for our 8am flight. Our house is just 40 minutes away from the airport, but because we had to leave our car at Park ‘n Fly near NAIA 2, we had to leave a bit earlier that usual (I’ll post my review about that later on)

( The Park ‘N Fly Building)

So we were brought by the park ‘n fly van to NAIA 3; and in there, the process had been smooth.

(Our PAL boarding passes)

(One of the perks if you fly PAL?free snacks! Pwede narin di ba? Hehe)

The flight to Kalibo (the one that we chose because we did not like the small airplanes bound for Caticlan) took about an hour to an hour and a half. Others prefer to go to Caticlan because it would only take a short boat ride from there going to Boracay. As for us, it has always been Kalibo.

( arrival at Kalibo airport)

Upon arrival in Kalibo airport, we already have our own driver waiting for us, who is going to take us to the Caticlan welcome center of Fairways and Bluewaters.

( you’ll see many men holding signs like these in Kalibo haha!)

The land trip going to Kalibo took about 2 hours. It was a snooze-fest, but most of it was amusing because of the sceneries that we got to see! (Ang ganda nga pala talaga ng Pilipinas!)

Welcome Drinks upon arrival at Fairways and Bluewaters members’ welcome center. As you can see, they have lots of golf magazines; well it’s mainly because Fairways is a golf club. Haha! So anyway, from the welcome center, we had a boat ride which took about 15 minutes,across the sea, going to the main island of  Boracay

 (Our boat hahaha!)

   

Upon arrival on the island, we had another van (from fairways) which picked us up. The resort is about 10 minutes away from the Boracay port as it is located in Station 1. Btw, station 1 in Boracay houses the big resorts; it is also quite peaceful there as compared to stations 2 and 3.

( Fairways finally! Take note: we arrived at the resort at around 12:30pm..so all in all, we had a 5-hour trip; including transfers and all)

In the members area, you will be given free drinks again..unending free drinks, I must say haha! Since our room was already prepared, it did not take us too long to check-in into the resort. 

Fairways is a huge resort, so there is a roaming van inside the resort which can take you around the premises; and there is a scheduled trip every hour going to D*Mall in station 2, which is about 10 minutes away. Back in 2007 and 2010, we can call a van anytime from our villa; however they changed the set-up recently. 

( Our Villa)

We were assigned with three rooms located in the same villa, but they are not connected. One room was for my mom and dad (the biggest room) and then the other room for my brother, my sister-in-law, and their son, and the last room was assigned to my sister and I. It was so fun! Haha!

These are the pics of my mom and dad’s suite. It has a kitchen,a dining area, a living room, a walk-in closet, and two bathrooms. 

Our room has the same bed, however it has no living room, etc. But even if we did not have those, we still had the same view for four days:

(Stunning, right?)

So going back, fairways has its own beach, it has its own pool (back in 2007 and 2010, there was only one, but recently they opened 2 more), it has its own golf course as i’ve said, it also has its own activities area such as the zipline, zorb ball, and segway. So basically there would be no more reason for you to go out and force yourself in the crowded areas of Boracay (although that’s the point of going right? Haha!), because everything that you can possibly think of in order to relax are already here in Fairways and Bluewater! 

( their own beach)

( the pool. Although this is the old one; we did not get to swim in the new ones because they were a bit crowded)

(The Maris Spa)

Oh and have I mentioned that they also have their own chapel inside a cave? It still looked just as amazing as the last time we were here

So that’s it! I hope you also got to experience fairways even by just looking at the pics. So far, I’ve heard that fairways are already accepting non-member accommodations as well. There are even deals available online already. So if you want to experience Boracay in the most fancy way possible, consider booking here now! It’s summer! 

For more info visit their website here:

http://www.fairwaysandbluewater.com.ph

Someday

Someday, BELIEVE that there would be someone out there who would like you and your ENTIRETY. You would not need to guess, assume, and wonder if he’s the ONE; because he would like you so much that he would be willing to take the RISK to let you know just that. God may have led you to believe that certain people who came into your life were the one, but the truth is He was only letting you feel and realize that just because you like someone and that someone likes you back doesn’t mean that he would be the one that God has planned for you to be with. Have you been hurt? Have you felt pain? That’s only because God is telling you that the one he has prepared for you will NEVER EVER BREAK YOUR HEART. That person would understand how precious your heart is, and that he would be very lucky once you open it for him. He would appreciate your uniqueness, your individuality, and the fact that you are a bit crazy. He would appreciate the fact that you may not be the most beautiful girl in the world, but for him you are more than enough. He would be proud to have you in his life because he knows that you are one-of-a-kind. You would never be jealous, because he would never give you any reason to. You would never feel insecure, because he would assure you everyday just how amazing you are. He would love each and every person in your life, because he knows how much it would mean to you. Your love would NEVER be PERFECT, you would have shortcomings, and conflicts; but at the end of the day, you would both fight to make it work because you know that your LOVE is ONE-IN-A-MILLION.  So be patient, and just believe that your story would be so EPIC that it would be WORTH SHARING WITH THE WORLD AND would be WORTH WAITING FOR.

— I know that this kind of Love may be too Idealistic and Unreal; it may not even exist. But I do believe that someday it would happen for me. God is making me wait because he wants to be sure that I am whole and complete before I open my heart to someone. He knows that I cannot handle heartaches so He is also preparing my someone to be the best that he can possibly be so that he would never ever break my heart.  He is making me realize that I don’t need someone to complete me because the one He would give me is a better whole which would complement another better whole.