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

5 Things That I’ve realized at 24

We always read these articles that tell us the things which we must be doing or those of which we should have already done by the time we reach a certain age. I, for one, never believe in doing any of those things. You see, nobody has the right to tell us how to live our life. Besides, stating all these things, more often than not, makes us feel that our life may not be exciting enough; and then that would just be totally wrong. 

So I say:

Live your life the way that you want to and not how other people want you to….

Anyway, so instead of doing that, I’ve come up with a different list. For twenty-four (24) years now, I know that I may have not learned much yet; but I do know that I’ve been able to have a lot of experiences. These experiences taught me a lot of things; and it made me learn a lot and become strong. So here are the things that I’ve learned at 24:

1. The things that seems to be important to you at 12 are not important anymore. (they are not even important AT ALL)

Popularity. Being Cool. Impressing other people. These are the things that appear to be so important to most of us when we are young. At 12 years old, I bet that most of us believe that being popular means being cool; and being cool is totally important. I remember my friends back then were way too excited when it comes to boys.Asking for numbers and calling the boys on the phone (yep, cellphones are not that much of a thing at the time haha) were the things that girls my age were doing back then. But not for me; I just felt like it’s not something that I need to be doing at the time. I mean, I also have crushes before, but it’s only up to that and nothing more. So anyway, fast forward to 12 years later, I’ve realized that these things don’t matter anymore. Being 24 actually gives you a certain kind of serenity and contentment. Popularity? Meh. Being Cool? Double Meh. Impressing other people? Triple Meh. Hahaha

2. Just because others are doing it, doesn’t mean that you have to be doing it.

This goes out to those kids who feel a lot pressured by their peers. Believe me, you can survive high school without having a boyfriend. And you can survive college without doing booze and drugs. You have to realize that being young is the best stage of your life. During these times, you don’t have any responsibility, you have all the energy, and you can make mistakes without having to suffer all the scrutinies. Get experiences. Experience everything. But always limit them to a certain extent.

3. Experience really is the best teacher

Have you ever had that experience which is so bad that you have promised yourself you would never do it again? Think of it like when you have the flu, and then you get to appreciate and miss the feeling when you don’t have it? And then you promise yourself that you’d drink more fluids next time. There would be a lot of instances like that when you are young. But the best part of it? There are still a lot of chances for you to make things right. You have your entire life for it; and you should be grateful for that. Experiences make us better, and it helps us reach our best potential. As we grow old, we would realize that not all things can be learned from books. The best way to learn in life is by actually living and experiencing it.

4. Having a few true friends is better than having many fake ones

When we are young, I’m sure we all wanted to become part of certain cliques. Being part of something actually makes us feel that we belong. Having a lot of friends may be fun; but making sure that they are all true ones is hard. Having lots of friends may mean that a lot of people like you; but underneath it all, it may also be just a form of self-affirmation. That feeling of wanting to be liked, we all experience that in all stages of our lives, and not only while we are young. But as we grow older, we would realize that it’s not about how many people would cheer you on; but about how many people would catch you when you stumble and fall. Personally, I can tell you that I can count my true friends using my fingers and toes. I don’t easily let people in, But I am friendly. 

5. Mom and Dad are always right

I am pretty sure that while we were young, we have this tendency to get annoyed at our parents; we think that the only word that they know is “No”. 

Mom can I join this camping trip? No.

Mom can I buy this? No.

Mom can I sleepover at (friend’s name) house? No.

And the list goes on haha!

Being 24, I must say that I am already kind of independent already. At this stage, I already drive my own car and I get to go home late at night on my own without having my own driver anymore. And that is after 22 long years of being picked up and dropped off from our home to my school. ( yup, until I was already in Law school)

But that doesn’t mean that my mom or my dad would not check up on me anymore. I still have my curfew, and I abide by it. Let’s face it, I am still living with my parents; and it’s their house, so it’s their rules. 

Whenever I think about it, I don’t feel so constricted anymore. Maybe when I was younger, I feel that I was being deprived; but now that I am older, I’ve realized that I did not really miss out on a lot of things. I am even grateful that my mom and dad protected me, without actually making me miss out on what I was supposed to experience when I was younger. Besides, I haven’t been really fond of dark, smelly, and smoky places. Haha! 

So for you young ones, you only have one thing to do: Listen to your parents. 

They definitely know what’s best for you.
I know I still have a lot of realizations to do, but for now, this is what I know, and I hope it would help you too! 

Xoxo,

@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

Wood Nymph Korean Restaurant: Baguio City Philippines

Baguio has always been a sanctuary for me and my family. Coming from Rizal, Baguio used to be so far away; an 8 to 10 hour trip is long is it not? Haha! But that was during the late 90’s and Early 2000’s. Just recently, the travel time from Angono to Baguio is only just 5 hours! Thanks to TPLEX! 
Anyway, my post would be about one of the restaurants that we truly love and where we usually eat whenever we are in Baguio: Wood Nymph
Wood Nymph actually has two branches is Baguio City. The branch that I was only able to dine in was the one in SM Baguio. It’s actually easy to find as there are signs placed inside the mall. 
Being HUGE FANS of Korean Food (and Korea, of course), my family and I usually scout for Korean Restaurants wherever we go to. There is just something about Korean food! Haha! 
Here are some of my #foodshots during our trip:
  

This is LOVE! Our favorite Sweet and Spicy Chicken
  
Seafood stew

 
Korean Japchae! 

  

Dok-bokki (Korean Rice Cake)

If you are fond of Korean food like myself, you would definitely enjoy the food here! Happy Eating!
Xoxo,

@thecouchpatatas

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

8 Cuts Burger Blends: #meatourblend

Before anything else, let me first give you guys a heads-up that when it comes to burgers, I really don’t have anything negative to say.  “Just give me a burger”..that’s my mantra. So anyway, there are lots of newly-opened burger joints here in the PhIlippines. I don’t know if it is a trend or it’s just because of the inherent love of Filipinos for meat. 

One of the popular ones nowadays is 8 cuts burger blends.It is a customize-your-own-burger-burger-joint, and they specialize in different kinds of meat.  Now, I have to be honest that I am really not good in remembering the name of the food that I eat; I am not a picky eater but I know what’s good and what’s not. I have never customized my burger and I don’t think that I can ever do so! Haha! 

So here it is; I will just post the pics of the food that I ordered and then you be the judge hahaha! But I can assure you that this restaurant is worth every peso! 

Here are the pics:

   

  

    

8 cuts burger blends is located at the Third Floor of the SM Mega Fashion Hall in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong. Now, some would say that it is a bit over-priced; but as for me, I think that it is reasonably priced. It is one of those restaurants where you would think that the serving is not that big, but still, you would still end up feeling more than satisfied! Check out their facebook page and zomato page for more details:

8 cuts burger blends on fb

8 cuts burger blends on zomato

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