Friday, September 25, 2015

Bugis Singaporean (New Location!)

I havent blogged for such a kong time now, Thank God for long weekends, now I have time to write about a restaurant that I recently discovered. I have been to Singapore a few years back, and I loved the country so much that eating their cuisine during my visit makes me want to go back. 
Shrimp cake (P35) each stick comes with two cakes, it tastes like your usual siomai though. 
Satay rice (P85) love this rice, it had a nice hint of spiciness perfect for the ala carte ulam you can order.
Fried Chicken. The sauce was quite salty but when paired with rice, it blends well together already. I also like the crisp skin it has.
Laksa rice (P135) i paired this with the Laksa I ordered. Laksa on Laksa it is!
Laksa (P205) Best Laksa in Manila! But wait there's a bonus, you get two rounds of soup refill! Slurp your way!

Bugis is the same restaurant as the Chomp Chomp restaurant you see near your schools. I heard that they'll be opening next year in UST! But since its still a year from now, visit their new lovation first in Banaue since its bigger, cleaner, and pretty much better than their previous branch. They'll be openning tomorrow, September 26! See you there!

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Tenka Shabu-shabu (Glorietta)

I was quite hesitant in posting this since I was not able to take ample amount of photos to do justice for the meal that we had in Tenka. But my family has dined here for several times already without me #dormerproblems and my brother-in-law couldn't stop talking about his visits here, so i got excites when I finally was able to convince my mother to eat here.
Buffet of appetizers such as Kimchi, cucumbers, mushrooms, and Kani Salad. The Kani salad was the balance I needed in my shabu-shabu.
Every person gets to choose one ala carte (sashimi, maki, tempura, gyoza) for their meal. I choose the Salmon sashimi which was fresh! The tempura was good perfectly cooked.
The base soup. We choose Satay and Japanese Pork Knee soup. I personally like the Satay better since the pork knee soup was a little bit too bland. Tip: put some peanut butter on your satay!
So here's the part I no longer was able to take photos due to some reasons like 1. I'm so hungry 2. The plates came one by one 3. The plates were placed too far away from me and I was cramped in the middle. So to make up for it, I took photos of the menu!! What I like about Tenka's unli shabu-shabu is their wide array of meats (pork, chicken, beef, lamb), vegetables, noodles, seafood (oysters, shrimps) and much more! I ordered several plates thinking that the serving are small. Boy I was wrong, the serving size was more than the pictures on the menu. So I ended up returning some of the plates I ordered. Tip: get the crab roe balls and mozarella balls!
Of course, no meal is finished without desserts. What I love from their ice cream selection is that they offer different flavors like Green tea and Pistachio. They also serve fresh fruits and some made desserts like fruit cocktails and cheesecake. The cheesecake was good since its not your usual cream cheese-cheesecakes in ordinary buffets. I even had the manager get me another plate even after the buffet closed already! Says something about their service, right? 

Visit Tenka in Glorietta. Take the escalator near Heaven and Eggs.


Friday, August 21, 2015

Jeepney (Maginhawa St)

Few days before my classes started, I tagged along with my cousin to pick my niece from her dorm which was located a minute away from Maginhawa! That trip made me jealous that UST has no Maginhawa street to eat our way at. 
My cousin have always wanted to dine at Jeepney but since line queues were too long they opt to eat else where. I guess i'm their lucky charm since we're able to get a seat in just a few minutes. Hehehe
They had 'Sungka' for us to play with while waiting for our food. My mother with her game face on!
Pinakbet (P130). The serving was big. But what I liked the most was that the veggies were crunchy to eat.
Pork Sisig (P190). Good but not the best sisig for me since I like mine crispy and spicy. 
Boodle fight "Ayala" (P780) good for 2-4pax includes 4 cups of plain/bagoong/garlic rice, inihaw na Liempo, crispy shrimps, inihaw na Bangus, ensaladang talong with BLT, and ice tea.

The boodle fight set is actually sufficient for a group of four hungry people. Filipino food always tastes the same for me so its the quality of the ingredients and technique that will matter the most. The liempo was soft and juicy, the crispy shrimps can be eaten whole, and the Bangus had no 'lasang lupa' feels. 

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Hole in the Wall: Bad bird, Posporo, and Scout's Honor

Ever since Century City Mall opened its doors, everyone went crazy for Hole in the Wall. Its an upscale food court that serves different cuisines from Filipino, Chinese, Latin, to Middle Eastern. Hole in the Wall is not only about the good food but also the ambiance is very homey with its wooden ornaments. Instragram-able indeed! 

On to the food, my first stop was Bad Bird's Corn and coleslaw plate (P330 + service charge). This is probably the most famous establishment and it is rated as one of the top restaurants in the Metro now. They take pride with their umami-licious fried chicken which was very tender. The salad was normal but the corn was unique because they added Kewpie, Cheese, and Bonito flakes that made it taste like Japanese food. Their chicken also comes in safe, spicy and chemical. I got the spicy, and it was not as hot I expected. I wonder how the chemical would taste like though. 
Posporo Rice Plate (P260 + service charge). Posporo is a fusion of Filipino and Latin American food. I guess this is a first, right? I tried it, and it did not disappoint. I choose their bestseller meat Sarsi Adobo Carnitas. I picked it because it was marinated with orange juice, cinnamon, and Sarsi Rootbeer which really intrigued me. The platter includes Kesong Puti ensalada, baked bens, and onion Atsara. Definitely a must try!
Another popular establishment is Scout's Honor, where you can make your own cookie. I got their premium cookie Nutella (P90+service charge). I personally think that their cookies are overrated since I was not impressed at all. Maybe i'll try to craft my own next time, and I will let you know if I change my mind about this place.

As you can see the prices are quite steep but its worth it because of three reasons: 1. the food serving is big (really filling) 2. even though they add 12 or 6% service charge- their service was really prompt. my water was refilled instantly. 3. Lastly, and most importantly, the food was gastronomic!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Empowering Women

I believe that we are not in war against society but a battle with ourselves. It is how we act that reflects us as a person and in return is perceived by others. If we show respect to ourselves, then people will respect you back. If you act with dignity, then people will look up to you. If you act with confidence, then people will see you as a stong woman. We are our person.
As the saying goes 'A great hero comes with great allies' (well okay i tweaked it a little bit hehe), even if we start our change within ourselves, we need others to help us.
With that being said, Coca-Cola started its 5by20 campaign where they envision 5 million women to become microentrepreneurs to allow them to provide for the needs and dreams of their family.
The program will provide trainings and resources for women. Help me spread the word by reading more about this campaign here. Dont worry no sign ups to be done.
**The gown was designed and made by my fashion designer sister

By 2020, we will not only see empowered women and their families but a stronger economy too. Well, at least that's what we hope.



Friday, July 31, 2015

What's Inside my Med Bag?




I have received several queries regarding the "Med Bag" since some fraternities and sororities are already selling some merchandise. Of course, buying from them is no hassle but if you want to get the prices cheaper, then grab your friends and go to Bambang. 

Most med bags look like this, so I suggest you use a keychain to make your med bag look unique. It is not mandatory to get this kind of bag, as long as it has a wide mouth then I see no problem in that.
1. Alcohol
During practicals, they leave a big bottle of alcohol on the side table. Always remember to use it before and after every station.
2. Cotton
Use it to clean your instruments or to test for soft touch during the neurological exam (Trigeminal nerve)
3. Snellen's chart
This is used to test for visual acuity. Use the normal Snellen's chart that looks like this. During the practicals, they will ask you to interpret your results, too. Remember that the numerator is the number of meters a normal person can read while the denominator is the meters the patient can read. Oh, don't forget to test one eye at a time, ask your patient to cover one eye when testing the other.

4. Sphygmomanometer
This is a new purchase for me. I used to use a sphygmomanometer with a big cuff which caused me to get a zero in one of my stations since my patient was stick thin. Remember if your cuff is too big, you will underestimate the blood pressure. If its too small, you will overestimate the blood pressure. It is ideal to use a cuff that is 40% of your patient's arm's width and 80% of your patient's arm's circumference. Apply the cuff a few cms above the cubital area and tighten the cuff with two fingers inside.
5. Stethoscope 
I recommend Littmann- the professors prefer this too. I've seen some professors belittle some students because they used a less branded steth. Mean, I know. Get your Steth engraved too to avoid loses. I got mine engraved in Rustan's Makati, relatively cheap, less than P200 for my whole name.
6. Tounge depressor
We almost never used this. Buy a box of sterile tounge depressors and share among your group.
7. 2 short rulers
If possible, cut the edge of your rulers  down to the zero mark. You will be using this to get the patient's jugular pressure.
8. Tuning fork
You'll be using this to do the Rinne and Weber's test to test for hearing. I suggest you use the one below since its easier to use. The one above is hard to use that I literally had bruises just trying to make it work.
9. Thermometer
They are not too strict when it comes to the thermometer. I guess it would be good if you have an ear thermometer as it is faster to yield some results. All practicals are timed.
10. Pen light
I use an Allen and Irving- really good  quality but there is really no need for it. Most of my classmates just make use of their ballpens with light (you know the ones you buy in Divisoria or the banketa)
11. Reflex hammer
Try practicing your reflexes with your partners as it is sometimes hard to elicit.
12. Tape
They also provide this during the practicals.

**the pulse oximeter, otoscope, and opthalmoscope are not needed individually during the second year. At least one per group will suffice.

Goodluck Sophomores!

Thursday, July 30, 2015

One Greenbelt Hotel by Astoria (Makati City)

Blue green and black hues. Padded walls. Metal textures. Astoria hotels never fail my expectations when it comes to their interiors. They are very well thought- very chic and very modern. 
My family has been a member of Astoria for quite some time now. They send us some hotel vouchers from time to time for us to avail. Two weekends ago, we checked-in in their One Greenbelt Hotel branch in Makati for a short staycation which coincidentally coincided with a party I attended at Fairmont Hotel.
We were given two studio units which is a connecting room. The rooms were very simple with brown hues, its equipped with a kitchenette, cable tv, and hot&cold water. Its perfect for vacationers who want to stay right at the heart of Makati. In fact, its only a minute walk away from Greenbelt (Duh, hence the name hehe). 
The only thing I did not like about our room is that we had no windows. With lights off, it seemed like it was always night time (good for those who wants to sleep really loooooooong) but do not fret as we had a very comfortable stay in Astoria. Looking forward for our next staycation this coming September!