10.28.2010

Guess the Celebrity Chef

So I have a new toy for the kitchen... a chopping board signed with amour by ze rockstar chef of the hour, whom I had the pleasure of chatting up with amidst a little bit of dining drama.
Guess Who??? Have you seen this mugshot before?
(Hint: Top Chef Masters AND Iron Chef Alumnus)

10.23.2010

HK Stopover: Yum Cha at Luk Yu

I had a few hours to kill during my layover in Hong Kong Airport to LAX. After running an errand for my mom, I decided to do the the next best thing in HK aside from shop.
Traditional Yum Cha at one of Hong Kong's Top 10 Best Restaurants!
To "Yum Cha" is to go to a teahouse for some dim sum.

10.20.2010

Tengu's Steak & Sushi Rolls

Excited for my mini-trip to Los Angeles tomorrow, and one on my ToT-Eats list is some very eclectic sushi rolls which LA sushi places are pretty inventive with.
Last time I was in LA, I was able to try a few rolls plus some really well executed Japanese steak at Tengu, named after the Japanese god of mischief.

10.19.2010

Kinder Krazy

 Only because it's rainy and I'm hormonal... I really want some KINDER products! Namely, Kinder Bueno ( hazelnut creme-filled wafers dipped in milk chocolate), Kinder Cioccolato (little chocolate bars with white milk chocolate in the middle), and... Nutella & Go!

10.18.2010

Xiao Long Bao 101 at Din Tai Fung

Aahh.. the makings of a good xiao long bao are simple. Delicate dumpling wrapper, lots of soup, and a lot of bamboo steamers on a table. For Xiao Long Bao fanatics, there's one restaurant that claims fame for this soupy dumpling.
Din Tai Fung
The New York Times hailed it as the 10 best restaurants in the world in 1993. The Michelin Guide rated the chain's Tsim Sha Tsui location with 1 Michelin Star. Specializing in the Chinese soup dumpling, Din Tai Fung first started in Taiwan in 1958 as an oil company and became famous in 1980 when founder, Yang Bingyi, and his wife decided to make these soup dumplings to survive drastic business conditions. Now, there are Din Tai Fung restaurants all over Asia, and even in the United States

Awed and Odd at Aubergine

Let's say you're on a date, and towards the end of the night all you could think of is dessert and how good it would be right at that moment when all you want to do is impress someone. When the platter arrives, you take one look at the (above) dessert, another look at your date, and you realize... you have no idea what the heck that is! Ok, that isn't really the case, but I thought it a bit amusing to begin with that dessert platter because it's just plain whimsical. That's my Amuse Bouche for this post.
 A few nights ago I was on my way to dinner and was blindsided towards Aubergine. Blindsided because this was not the intended restaurant for the evening, but apparently I didn't get the memo on the location change. No complaints, I love Aubergine; It's the perfect date place if you want to impress a lady. Beware if that lady happens to be ToT, she knows how to burn a hole in your pocket.

10.17.2010

Spasso's Italian Specials

Did I really finish this entire platter of Lamb Chops? Better yet, where can you get this big serving of lamb for P850 ($19)?
Spasso Italian Tapas & Enoteca
Twice already, I've had the chance to dine at Spasso, an Italian wine & tapas bar that also serves up Italian fare for the hungry ones. It was one of those "where is it?" places, so I relished the thought of finding yet another under-the-radar eatery to try in the Metro.

10.16.2010

SereniTea: The Sequel

I can't help it. Now I'm hooked on SereniTea... After last week's SereniTea search, I asked Mr. S to take me back again (after hitting the gym, AGAIN) to get my SereniTea fix.

10.15.2010

Umami Burger is Umami-Yummy

Going to Cali in a few days, and excited to visit one of my favorite stores which used to be behind my Santa Monica apartment.
 Well, I'm going to shop the Fred Segal sale, but also to grab a bite at Umami Burger!

EuroCruise 2010: Carpets &The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul

Gooood Morning Istanbul!
After a long day of trekking Istanbul's delectable sights and spices, I woke up to a breakfast of fresh cherries from Turkey. Super sweet, and readily accessible at our ship's Buffet line.
Day 2 in Istanbul isn't as long as the entire day... but it did involve a lot of walking... and shopping. Clearly, ToT is NOT a morning person.

10.14.2010

Trip or Treats on Tumblr

Trip or Treats is now on Tumblr! Follow me for up to the minute pics that might not get posted on ToT, and other mini-things from my travels & my tummy.

10.13.2010

EuroCruise 2010: Istanbul's Spice Bazaar is Spicyyy

Next stop in the Istanbul tour is every Filipino's wet dream: Shopping! For spices, that is.
Located at Cami Meydani Sok, it's close to the exterior walls of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia Museum. It's one of the must-visit places in Istanbul. Why?
It's the hub for exotic spices and other ethnic culinary delights.

10.12.2010

EuroCruise 2010: Food Finding in Istanbul

Back in Istanbul after visiting all the important mosques and palaces in the Old City, which is both an Asian and European city. After all the sight-seeing, everyone was a bit hungry, but didn't have the luxury of time to sit down for a proper lunch. I was on the hunt for the next best thing that Istanbul is known for:
Kebab!

10.11.2010

Burritoville in Ristras

I love a good burrito...
When I moved from Santa Monica, CA to New York, I was worried I'd miss out on my Mexican fix which is a staple in SoCal. I'm so addicted to Mexican (the good kind) I'll search for it in every nook and cranny.

EuroCruise 2010: Istanbul is an Eyeful

After our sunny stop in Mykonos, Greece, our cruise on the Celebrity Equinox ventured to a different country to visit what is consistently rated as one of the most beautiful and enchanting cities in the world... Rich in history and a unique atmosphere, it will definitely take your breath, and attention span, away.
Catch an eyeful of Istanbul, the original Constantinople.
 From the view on our cruise ship, it felt as exotic as stepping into a spice market, literally because Turkey is a single country situated in two continents. Istanbul is the only city in the world  located on 2 continents. It's the nearest Asian city to Europe, and the nearest European city to Asia.

10.10.2010

Finally... SereniTea!

 
Finally, I was able to travel to Green Hills and try out this milk tea place that's been getting rave reviews from everyone to their mothers! After my Ya Kun Kaya Milk Tea, I wanted a cold version!
Located in a busy side street of Wilson St in San Juan, is Serenitea, supposedly the "Natural Secret For Healthier Life".

10.08.2010

Goodie Giveaway #7: WIN 2 VIP Tickets to the ADAM LAMBERT Glam Nation Concert!

Congratulations Robert Sarte Jr.! Your posts gave the most feedback on the site! I'll be sending you an email with instructions on how to get your 2 VIP Tickets to the Adam Lambert Glam Nation concert tonight!. Cheers!
Here's a last minute GOODIE GIVEAWAY that's just too good to pass up! Too bad I'm in Cebu... or those tickets would be MINE!
Thanks to JB Music, you (yes, YOU!) can get a chance to win 2 VIP tickets to the upcoming Adam Lambert Glam Nation Concert happening this Sunday, 10.10.10!

10.07.2010

Casa Verde's Unbelievable Ribs

Who would've thunk (YES, thunk!) that a 1920s Filipiniana ancestral house in the side streets of Cebu would be home to some mighty and meaty meals at remarkably affordable prices?
And if your tag line is RIBS-ON-THE-GO, you're really asking people to rate your ribs.
Introducing Casa Verde: Homey in the front, Resto in the back.
Casa Verde is popular to local Cebuanos, who are notorious for their good taste coupled with inexpensive dining options. Many people say that if a restaurant can survive in Cebu, it can go on business anywhere else

10.06.2010

Back to 04.18.07: Yoga Nutty

I wanted to resuscitate this old blog post because I'm going back to my Yoga routine. Pray I keep at it, especially with all this Trip or Treating.
Of the numerous blogs I've written, there seems to not be one about my true passion. it isn't a recent one; it's been a part of my life for about 6 years now. I've always wanted to explore its potential but only recently has my fervor overwhelmed me to the point that I capitalized on it and sprung my lazy procrastinating tush to action.
I have a love affair with yoga.
My close friends know I do it, but no one has really seen me "do it" do it. When I recruited my roommate to Equinox, the first thing I said was "we're doing yoga". I took her to Rudy Mettias' Mon/Wed Power Yoga class, and Tamal's Thurs class. She seemed to enjoy it but could not understand how my head could touch the floor while I was hinged from Uttanasana. I invited Tin and Bianca to Light's (yes, a real name) Saturday Power Yoga class and they almost threw rocks at me coz their blood almost clotted while doing the chatarunga... I won't bore with terms that sound yiddish.

EuroCruise 2010: Mad for Mykonos

Back to the beautiful Greek Island of Mykonos, home to blue & white homes, hot sunny beaches, and major midnight beachparties.
If there's another thing Mykonos is most remembered for... it's not wide open spaces like the Chola Town Center.
 
But for the tight and tiny alleys and streetways that zigzag like a labyrinth all around town, albeit stunning with its white and blue exteriors. As the mythical town of Troy, Mykonos is one puzzling map of roads.

10.05.2010

Cebu Lechon Ala Zubuchon

On one of my frequent trips to Cebu, I brought home some very tasty pasalubong conveniently found at the airport. Coming into Cebu, I usually get a healthy breakfast of toast, so going out of Cebu, ToT decided to indulge in a little more cholesterol
 Lechon! 
Some Zubuchon Lechon!

10.01.2010

EuroCruise 2010: Munching on Octopus at Antonini's, Mykonos

Next stop on the EuroCruise lineup is the tourist-favorite Greek island of Mykonos, infamous for its bright Mediterranean sun, endless beach parties, and enigmatic blue & white buildings.
A tiny 33 square miles, Mykonos is one of the smallest islands in the Cyclades group and is inhabited by only 5000 locals, yet gets flocked by over 900,000 visitors a year. Bars, nightclubs, and beaches...  Think Santorini, but not on a mountain. Ahh... ToT Heaven!
As I was walking towards Chora, or center of Mykonos, I spotted a man by the shallow water, literally, spanking a live octopus on the rocks, paralyzing the tentacles and readying it for consumption. Bro and I looked at each other; we knew what we were having for lunch!
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