Shoot First Eat Later

Jamba Juice & Slice at Bonifacio High Street

We didn’t have dessert at ‘Cue Modern Barbecue anymore because I wanted to try the much raved about choco yema cupcakes at Slice so that’s where we went to for dessert.

While my friends went straight to Slice I made a quick detour to Jamba Juice next door to use a coupon that was given to me.

My coupon was for a small acai supercharger. It wasn’t my first choice but I really liked the tangy berry flavors of the icy drink. We all shared this cup and everyone liked it too. Slice was nice enough to give us several espresso cups for us to have a shot of acai supercharger each.

acai supercharger P150
Acai Juice Blend, Soymilk, Strawberries, Raspberry Sherbet, Blueberries, Ice, Antioxidant Power Boost

Slice was just across ‘Cue in Bonifacio High Street.

choco yema cupcakes

cupcakes

coco choco loco & brownie walnut

granola

We actually ordered a couple of morning glory muffins made with apples, carrots, walnuts and raisins but I wasn’t fast enough to take a picture before everyone descended upon it and it was gone. Actually next to the choco yema it was my favorite.

muffins

If you’ve been reading my blog regularly you know I’m not a big fan of cupcakes. I’m more of a cookie monster. But these cupcakes were just the bomb and my sweet tooth was very happy. Instead of the usual buttercream or cream cheese frosting which I don’t like these rich, fudgy chocolate cupcakes were topped with dulce de leche. The thick and almost chewy topping was so decadent without being cloyingly sweet. Freakin’ fantastic I tell you.

choco yema cupcake P70

I’m not a fan of anything red velvet because I don’t want to eat so much red food coloring but since it was Tisay’s favorite she ordered a slice. It was quite costly at P240 a slice but she said it was pretty good.

red velvet cake P240

I was so excited to see the cookies and it was my first time to encounter deep dish cookies. Alas it was too sweet for me and not chewy enough. My friends liked it though so after a little nibble I passed it on to them.

chocolate chip deep dish cookie P50

chunky peanut butter deep dish cookie P50

Debbie who came late had the four cheese

quattro formaggio panini with salad P200

I think serving food and drinks in wood planks is a trend now in Manila. This is the third place I’ve seen these bulky wood planks used. All our coffee drinks were served on it along with a small dish of granola which they sell.

Tisay just adored her chocnut coffee. It wasn’t too sweet and the peanut flavor was quite evident. I want to order this next time just without the whipped cream and syrup.

Pinoy chocnut coffee P130

Deb had the latte and I had the regular coffee which was strong and so delicious. We got rid of the wood planks or else it wouldn’t have fit on our table with all the desserts we ordered.

latte P130

coffee P100

I would definitely go back for a choco yema cupcake and a cup of coffee. My idea of a perfect snack or dessert.

Jamba Juice
7th Avenue corner 29th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Monday to Thursday: 7am-11pm
Friday to Sunday: 7am-1am
website
Facebook

Slice
G/F Southeast block, Bonifacio High Street Central,
7th Avenue corner 29th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
telephone.: (02) 5537783
website
Facebook

AC Hotel Carlton Madrid

We decided to book Marriott hotels in Madrid and Barcelona since my cousin Sharon is an elite member and she was able to get us good rates. In Spain Marriott’s hotels are called AC Hotel. Sharon chose the Carlton Madrid property for it’s proximity to the top 3 museums in Madrid which were only a block away.

The lobby/lounge was small but it had free wifi which was the most important thing for us.

The staff in the front desk spoke very fluent English and were quite helpful in referring churches and restaurants. That’s Sharon on the left and Rochelle doing a quick stretch.

When we arrived at around 10:00 am only one room was available and we gave it to Sharon first. She let us take a speedy shower then we rushed to the Prado museum which was opened on Sunday, the day we arrived and closed on Monday. The room was small but very clean.

When we returned in the afternoon Rochelle and I finally went into our room we were ecstatic that it had two beds and it was much bigger than Sha’s room. We later found out this was supposed to be her room since she was an elite member of Marriott and she got upgraded. We did offer to change rooms but she declined since she was all settled in already.

This room was on the 6th floor and the free wifi from the lobby didn’t reach us. It did reach Sha’s room on the 1st floor though.

Unbeknownst to Sha we did a dance of joy and there was room for it! We paid the same rate for both rooms.

This were the only toiletries and amenities given by AC Hotels. Not in the picture was the silly golf ball soap that kept rolling around the counter.

Sha’s room had the typical digital safe but out room’s safe required a key from the front desk. On the right is our stash from our flight and lounge of Qatar Airways.

We had the best breakfast in our entire 3 week trip in this hotel. Why? First because it was a buffet, second it came free with the room and third the quality was just darn good. The AC Bar where we had our breakfast was located just off the lobby.

Not your usual breakfast condiments.

bread, croissant, muffins and cookies

My favorite among all the breakfast goodies were these whole wheat pastries specially the palmiers (middle) which seemed to be a Spanish favorite since I saw it in so many pastelerias but this was the only whole wheat version I saw.

I was able to liberate quite a few palmiers straight into my ziploc bag. It provided a great snack for our long drive to San Sebastian. This is one of the reasons why zip top bags are a must-bring when you travel.

quick bread

hard boiled egg, margarine, cereal, jam

Even the bacon had a divine smokey flavor different from the typical American bacon. Even though it wasn’t crispy I liked it more.

Spain’s national dish is good for breakfast or as tapas any time of the day.

tortilla patata / potato tortilla

This was our first taste of Spain’s famous hams.

The Iberico ham was wonderful.

Iberico ham

dried fruits

cheese

I don’t know what the brown squares were on the left.

smoked salmon

fresh fruits

yogurt

orange, peach and pineapple juice

This is what I ate on the first day. I didn’t quite like the veggie pie but I loved all the hams, cheese and dried fig.

On our last day there was churros but only terrible instant hot chocolate.

I loved their coffee and had at least two cups everyday. I still had my plain yogurt with fresh orange slices.

AC Hotel Carlton Madrid
Paseo de la Delicias 26 · Madrid, Madrid 28045 Spain
telephone: 34-91-5397100
website

Lunch at ‘Cue Modern Barbecue

When I go to out of the country I insist on only eating that country’s cuisine. When we went to Spain all we had was Spanish food. Makes sense right? But in Manila I want to eat different kinds of food and it’s a good thing that new restaurants keep opening with new and improved cuisines for Filipinos.

Americans visiting Manila would hardly want to eat barbecue here but expats who miss Southern cooking would do well to visit ‘Cue Modern Barbecue. In my opinion their food is pretty authentic with some dishes amped up a notch higher.

Aside from adding a ‘country’ look to the restaurant I suspect the cowhide in the ceiling is to help with the restaurant’s acoustics but it’s not enough. When the place was full I could hardly hear the conversation in our table.

Thank you ‘Cue for giving your diners free freshly popped spiced popcorn. It doesn’t cost much on your part but we really appreciate and enjoy it.

Some of my friends ordered this gingery grape fruit shake. You can also request them to split and order for two if this big jar of frozen goodness is too much.

grapes n’ ginger fruit shake P190

The soup had plenty of crab but I found it a bit too salty and rich but Tisay who ordered it liked it. It just wasn’t for me.

Charleston she crab soup P260

I always order crab cakes when I’m in the US and until recently you can’t find authentic crab cakes in Manila. The good crab cakes in the US use jumbo lump crab and have minimal fillers.

In Manila our crab are small and the meat is too fine but sweet and you would need lots of whole crab to get a decent amount for crab cakes. As I expected these crab cakes had more fillers than I liked but the taste was quite decent. What made it stand out was the super delicious garlic sauce which we kept and ate with the other dishes.

smoked chili Louisiana crab cake P315

The baby squid was ordinary but it was crunchy and well fried. The only thing amazing was how tiny and tender the squid were. Tiny squid meant more surface for the batter and oil so in essence you’re eating more flour than squid. It tasted better with the garlic sauce instead of the mayonnaise it came with.

crunchy baby squid P265

Adding pieces of steak to the roasted bone marrow was a great idea. It stretched out the goodness and complemented the beef very well as filling for these mini tacos. Don’t forget to add the spicy salsa verde!

bone marrow & steak tacos P485

This is exactly how I like my baby back ribs, barely glazed with sauce yet smokey, tender but not too soft and the flavor permeated evenly through the meat. It came with two kinds of barbecue sauce and I liked the spicier one.

baby back ribs full slab P1,185

coleslaw P55

For me the best dish during lunch was the charred corned beef belly
hand cut charred corned beef P685

Whoever thought of putting cured and boiled beef belly on the grill was genius! Imagine tender and mildly salty fresh corned beef with a locked in grilled flavor? It was literally corned steak!!! Take a piece of corned steak and slather it with whole grain mustard and creamy horseradish and give you tastebuds an express trip to yummy heaven!

This would also work even better in a sandwich. Hear that ‘Cue?

Their corned beef sandwich was also fab but it would have been so much better with rye bread instead of sourdough and the grilled corned steak above. Until they come out with that you’ll have to be satisfied with this sandwich.

When you’re ready with the corned steak belly on rye you can give me a call okay, ‘Cue? Serve it with whole grain mustard and horseradish and not catsup. Oh sweet potato chips on the side would be perfect too.

Finally a restaurant in Manila that served sweet potato fries! Hey ‘Cue may I suggest a thinner cut of the fries like these since our local sweet potatoes ain’t that sweet?

sliced corned beef belly sandwich P485

I actually ordered this pot pie since I have this strange love for pot pies. This wasn’t bad at all since the flavors of the spicy chicken filling was good but they can improve on the crust which quickly became limp and soggy when I dunked it in the sauce.

chicken chipotle chorizo pot pie P325

I was already beyond full when this tall burger came out but I tried a small piece of the cheese drenched patty. To say I was astounded was putting it mildly. Wow o wow can you say steak? It was awesome and it passed by criteria for a burger having to taste like steak. This was one great burger! It’s going to be a tough choice for my next visit, corned beef or burger.

the house burger P395

You get my two thumbs and two toes up ‘Cue!!!

menu

‘Cue Modern Barbecue
Space NELG 105, Lower Ground Floor Bonifacio High Street Central, Global City, 1630 Taguig
telephone: (63917) 899-2283
Facebook

Madrid-Barajas Airport

We landed in Madrid-Barajas airport more than 24 hours after I left my house in Manila. I should be tired and sleepy but when I saw the jaw dropping airport I was instantly invigorated.

Even the bridge-way from the airplane was beautiful.

I liked the ceiling made of wood slats. It added warmth yet it was very modern. I preferred it much more to the all steel airports of Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand.

I won’t even comment on the airports of the Philippines. Dare I dream to see something even a tenth of this with Philippine Airlines’ future new airport?

No yucky fluorescent lighting here just indirect reflective lights.

There were lots of shopping and dining options.

The huge airport had many buildings and gates that were far so we had to take a train to go claim Rochelle’s luggage.

The cubicles’ doors and partitions were all frosted glass.

You can take the Metro to the city from the airport. We had to meet with my cousin Sharon who arrived from DC and was in another terminal so we took a free bus that dropped passengers to one of five terminals. As I said the airport was huge!!!

Qatar Airways Business Class Lounge @ Doha International Airport

We arrived in Doha for a 3 hour layover before continuing on to Madrid. I liked this break to give us time to stretch our legs and take a break from airplane seats not that we had anything to complain about Qatar Airways’ roomy seat.

I thought 3 hours was a lot of time but deplaning, riding the bus, dropping off passengers at the arrival terminal before we went to the transfer terminal took almost an hour. The distance from where our plane was parked to the transfer terminal seemed farther than the distance of Greenhills to Naia airport (without traffic). I can’t imagine how big the entire Doha International Airport property was.

The building of the transfer terminal was huge too.

We didn’t get to walk around the duty free area but it didn’t look like there was a lot of merchandise.

I think that’s Senator Angara behind Rochelle.

They had facilities catering for all ages even a clinic.

This was the entrance to the business class lounge. The first class lounge was on the other side.

I think this was the biggest lounge I’ve ever been to. There was an entire side that I didn’t even go to.

There were several seating areas but naturally we went to the area nearest the buffet spread.

The washroom was relatively small for such a big lounge. There was usually a line to use the toilet.

Qatar Airways Business Class Lounge at Doha International Airport-015

But there was a nice shower facility inside.

We liked the tea area a lot and it helped that it was manned by a friendly and very beautiful Filipina who could join a beauty contest and win.

Qatar Airways Business Class Lounge at Doha International Airport-016

Qatar Airways Business Class Lounge at Doha International Airport-017

buffet

There was only one Middle Eastern entree and that’s the only one I got.

hot entrees

I asked a waiter if they had more Middle Eastern bread but there was only one kind.

We sat right next to the dessert table. Strategic huh?

baklava and kanafeh pastries

We took some dried apricots and dates. They were so good!!!

Rochelle and I went tea crazy and tried almost all the varieties they had – Italian almond tea, Moroccan mint green tea, rose hip hibiscus tea and ginger tea. Our favorite was the Italian almond tea which was so fragrant.

These were my plates of food. The lamb korma was absolutely fantastic. The lamb pieces were very tender and the yogurt sauce was so tasty I mopped all traces of it with my bread.

Rochelle clued me in on the seafood thermidor which came out after I took pictures. It’s not much to look at but it was also yummy.

The brownie and cheesecake were just average. I didn’t even finish it.

The Arabic desserts on the other hand were spectacular. On the left is baklava – phyllo dough filled with pistachios in syrup. On the right is a similar pastry but with pistachios & date paste in the filling. Both were very crispy and not too sweet unlike other baklavas I’ve tried in Manila. I wanted to get some more but they never refilled it. If you happen to go to this lounge don’t forget to eat these two pastries and take some home for me!

baklava and kanafeh pastries

Two hours went by so fast. I wouldn’t mind getting stuck in this lounge a little longer.

La Crêperie

Rochelle and I recently played hooky on a weekday and watched a movie who’s title I’d rather not mention. While the movie was regrettable our lunch after was not.

One of our very last meals in Paris was at a crêperie. We stuffed our faces with a wonderful dessert crêpe. Luckily you can get good crêpes in Manila too. And one of the places I like is La Crêperie. The first time I ate at La Crêperie I had a dessert crêpe. This time I wanted a savory crêpe and hopefully still have room for dessert too.

savory crêpe menu

I’ve just realized Rochelle is Ms. Soup. She just has to have soup at every meal! The onion soup passed her taste specially with the thick layer of gooey cheese.

French onion soup

We were supposed to share the compléte crépe but she was full from the heavy soup so I ended up eating most of the crépe which I didn’t mind at all. The crépe was filled with ham, mushroom, Emmental and Gruyére cheeses and mustard and topped with a poached egg. It was really good! I just loved the tangy mustard combined with the cheeses. I barely noticed the ham and mushroom. The crépe itself was firm yet soft and buttery. Together with the side salad it was indeed a complete meal. Darn no more room for dessert!

compléte crépe P265

La Crêperie
The Veranda, Level 2
Robinson’s Galleria
EDSA corner Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City 1100

Qatar Airways Business Class (Manila to Doha to Madrid)

Since very few airlines go to Madrid from Manila direct we chose the best airline with the cheapest business class seats and that’s Qatar Airways. The entire flight including a stop over a Doha took about 23 hours that’s why business class was the only way to go.

Our journey started in the lounge at Naia terminal 1. Qatar Airways used Delta’s lounge.

Not much food choices.

The arroz caldo didn’t look as good as the one served in Philippine Airlines’ lounge.

I did enjoy the mixed nuts and peas.

Qatar (Delta) Lounge in Manila Airport-008

Qatar (Delta) Lounge in Manila Airport-007

That’s all the baggage I had for 3 weeks in Europe. My Nomadic shoulder bag had lots of velcro closure and zippers and it was theft-proof in my experience. There was so many hidden compartments that I couldn’t find my wallet at times. It was also big enough for my camera, water bottle, scarf and hat.

Look at my black tote bag. It’s half empty but by the time I left the airplane in Madrid it was stuffed full with pajamas, amenity kits, chocolates and cookies.

We chose the middle set of seats since Rochelle and I both wanted aisle seats. Senator Angara and his wife sat in front of us all the way to Madrid. He was such a nice and friendly fellow.

The bottom compartment was just perfect for my shoulder bag and tote bag.

So many buttons for all kinds of adjustments for the seat and leg rest.

My favorite of all the nooks and crannies of my seat was the recessed water compartment under the arm rest. It wasn’t a chiller though. I even put my eyeglasses inside while I slept.

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh-005

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh-018

Beside my seat cushion was the headphone plug and usb charger.

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh-006

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh - usb charging

I usually bring my own battery powered noise cancelling headphone but this trip I didn’t need to use it since these headphones were provided. It wasn’t as effective as my battery operated headphones but it was good enough. Although my ears were sore after wearing these heavy over the ear headphones. Mine were in-ear buds.

We were given a set of pajamas on both legs of our flight. I went back to Manila with 4 sets of pajamas!

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh - pajama

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh - pajama-001

It was amusing but the flight attendant gave me pajama set sized xl and this is how it looked like. The pants were even bigger. It turned out they only had small and xl on stock so I got the small and used the pants which fit fine albeit a bit short. I really liked the drawstring pants which had pockets. Thankfully the rest of my flights I was able to get medium sized jammies.

Add two sets each of these amenities and you will understand how my black tote bag got so stuffed. I just couldn’t bear to leave these behind when I could give them away back home.

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh- extras

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh- extras-001

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh- ladies amenities kit

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh- ladies amenities kit-001

Their quilt was one of the nicest I’ve ever used. One side was the usual scratchy wool while the other side was soft and silky. It was quite heavy and kept us warm throughout the flight.

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh- bathroom-001

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh- bathroom

Unlike other airlines their toothbrush was of really good quality. The one I took with me I used for my entire 3 week trip. One less thing to bring in your toiletry bag.

The lotion and cologne were Molton Brown. I took some wet wipes (on the right) and they proved handy during my trip specially when I ate messy gelato in Rome.

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh- bathroom-003

Qatar Airways Business Class Mnl-Doh- bathroom-004

We skipped snacks in lieu of sleep.

indulgence menu

dinner menu

For our preflight drink I had the lemon mint which was soooooo syrupy sweet I didn’t drink it. Rochelle had the laban which was a yogurt drink. It was much better but it was served lukewarm which I didn’t care for.

lemon mint drink & laban

Overall the meals on board wasn’t very impressive. I much prefer the food on Philippine Airlines long haul business class. But the service was first class. I couldn’t ask more from the super friendly and attentive flight attendants who took care of every request I had. There were several Filipino flight attendants on both flights.

fresh vegetable spring roll

bread

Rochelle and I enjoyed the mezze specially the hummus.

classic arabic mezze

seafood cocktail (citrus marinated squid, creole salmon)

My beef tenderloin was overcooked but was still edible. The sauce was delicious though.

grilled beef tenderloin with black pepper sauce & roasted garlic boulangerie potatoes & ratatouille

Rochelle’s Filipino style chicken dish was made with a combination of dark and white meat. I found the coconut flavor too mild but she liked it.

pinatisang manok (chicken cooked in fish sauce and coconut milk)

The choices for dessert was quite disappointing since there was nothing chocolate but the bread pudding we both chose was quite good. They did serve Godiva chocolates and shortbread cookies with our coffee. Those went into my black tote bag too. 😀

apple & raisin pudding with vanilla cinnamon sauce

Their coffee wasn’t very good but an extra shot of espresso made it better.

MEALS FROM DOHA TO MADRID

indulgence menu

This leg of the trip we tried their snacks. I wasn’t really hungry so I just chose the cheese platter which had a good selection of cheese. Specially good was the fig jam and the savory herb crispy ‘vessel’ it was in.

cheese plate of matured cheddar, fourme d’ambert & brie le maubert

How can I not have cookies with my Japanese roast green tea?

chocolate chip cookies

Of all our meals on Qatar Airways the most memorable was Rochelle’s lamb barley soup. It was unbelievably delicious with bits of lamb too. If only I had room in my tummy I would have ordered one too. I kept hoping they would serve it again on our return flight but luck wasn’t on my side. To this day Rochelle and I think of this soup.

herb scented barley in lamb broth

Can you believe skinny Rochelle’s appetite? She had this chicken sandwich after her soup. The chicken was dry and disappointing but she still ate it.

oregano chicken breast in toasted herb focaccia

It seemed like we were eating every two hours!!!

breakfast menu

I tell you Rochelle has a bottomless pit. I don’t know how she was able to drink this thick smoothie.

strawberry, honey & yoghurt smoothie

Their bread selection wasn’t very good. Only the non flaky croissant was passable.

breakfast bakery basket

The fruits were sweet but the panna cotta was hard and tasted terrible.

fresh fruits with vanilla panna cotta

My cheese omelette was soft and quite good. The veal patty was very lean and dry but the flavor was good.

cheddar cheese omelette with wilted spinach & veal patty

Rochelle’s french toast wasn’t very good. The bread was dry and wasn’t soaked in egg long enough.

vanilla french toast with orange coulis

She also chose veal patties for her side dish.

veal with onion patties

For those who are interested you can see the extensive wine list on both flight here.

You can see the pictures of the Qatar Airways’ amazing business class lounge in Doha here.

Our experience in Qatar Airways business class was simply amazing despite the average food. I loved our seats, the entertainment system (although there wasn’t too many new movies) and specially the excellent service by the capable flight crew. I will definitely take Qatar again on my next trip to Europe.

European Vacation 2012 series start here

Nic’s Gourmet Desserts

I’ve passed by Nic’s Gourmet Desserts on A. Mabini several times but I never went in for fear of discovering some delicious creations that I don’t really need to be eating. But when I saw Lori’s feature on her blog I couldn’t resist checking it out myself.

They also served breakfast, sandwiches and pasta as well as their delectable desserts. It’s a good place for lunch with the girls or even business meetings.

owner Rina Go

I tried all these bottled dip-n-toss which are good for pasta sauce or eaten with their highly addictive parmesan wheat crisps. I loved it all but I bought a bottle of smoked milkfish tomato basil. I probably shouldn’t confess I finished almost an entire bottle for my dinner with those wheat crisps. The spicy blend of tomatoes and basil with the milkfish was just divine.

tomato basil smoked milkfish P250

There are a lot of free samples in the store.

Think Wheat Thins but much thinner and with a subtle Parmesan flavor. I snacked on these wheat crisps like they were potato chips. Yummmm!!!

Parmesan wheat crisps P295

After my mini snack of savory samples I moved on to the sweet samples. I felt like I was in a bazaar with all these samples. Isn’t their display gorgeous?

They had many, many cakes to choose from.

I’m a sucker for texture so I chose two meringue based desserts. If you like fruit and whipped cream then the peach walnut pie is for you. The meringue layer studded with walnuts remained crunchy and a perfect base for the peach slices. I liked that the volume of whipped cream didn’t overshadow the meringue which is the star of this dessert.

peach walnut pie P145

I like fruit but I LOVE dark chocolate so I’m sure you’ve guessed which I enjoyed more. I’m always on the look out for good sans rival and it’s safe to say I’ve found the best chocolate sans rival. The meringue layers were CRUNCHY and the dark chocolate buttercream had the right amount of sweetness and a rich chocolate flavor. The addition of ground dark Toblerone sealed it’s fate as swoon worthy.

dark Toblerone sans rival P145

Last Sunday Vivian and I were invited to our friend Jenny’s house for her birthday dinner celebration. Vivian texted me where she can buy a cake. I quickly suggested Nic’s dark toblerone sans rival for a purely selfish reason that I wanted to eat it again and I know Jenny loves sans rival too.

Take a look at the picture below and compare it to the one above. I suspect the one Vivian bought was not fresh and has probably been sitting in the freezer for a while. It wasn’t crunchy at all but to my relief and surprise all my friends still loved it. If they only tried the one I had above then they will definitely be knocked off their feet.

If you will buy dark Toblerone sans rival I suggest you remember the picture above and choose wisely.

dark Toblerone sans rival P1,300

One day I will try their ready to eat take out meals.

Nic’s menu

Nic’s Gourmet Desserts
172 A. Mabini St., Brgy. Addition Hills, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Philippines
telephone: 715-5831 / 708-3277 / 571-1818
Monday – Sunday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
website
Facebook

European Vacation 2012

I’m starting a series of blog posts on my recent 3 week trip to Europe. It’s going to be a long and ongoing series since I want to share all the places I’ve stayed in, ate at and seen in Spain, Italy and Paris. I hope this series will help anyone planning a trip to Europe. For those who couldn’t care less about Europe don’t worry I will still be posting about Manila restaurants and other places in between. You will find the links to all Europe posts on a special page on the sidebar for easy access.

The first and last time I went to Europe was when I graduated from college a zillion years ago and my parents gifted me with a 2 week trip to Europe.

My dad had this smart idea of joining a tour in Hong Kong since it was cheaper. He just didn’t think how I would feel about the entire tour being conducted in Cantonese! You bet I didn’t understand a thing the tour guide said. Despite the language barrier I enjoyed the time with my tour mates who made me the group’s mascot since I was the youngest.

Hong Kong tour group

It was a frenetic bus trip that had us driving for hours from one country to another. I knew I didn’t want a repeat of that so me and my traveling companions, Rochelle and my cousin Sharon who’s based in the USA, chose the places we wanted to go to and spent an average of 3 days per place. It still wasn’t enough but it gave us a good overview of the cities and gave us an idea where we want to go back to.

80’s poofy hair 😀

Our three week trip began in Madrid then to Barcelona and San Sebastian. Next stop was Florence and Rome and the last stop was Paris.

Planning for the trip took a lot of research and planning. We bought most of the museum and tour tickets online weeks before our trip. I also did a lot of research on how to pack light for traveling to Europe.

I’m the last person in the world who can pack light. It was hard but I managed to fit everything I needed for 3 weeks in Europe in one standard 22″ hand carry. I brought even more stuff to my recent 4 day trip to Boracay!

I followed the most common rules for packing light. (Summer edition)
1. Pack enough for one week. That means whether your trip is for one week or one month you will need the same amount of clothing.
2. Be prepared to hand wash your clothes. Bring light weight clothes and those that dry quick. That means avoid bringing 100% cotton clothes which take longer to dry and wrinkle more. I actually tested all my clothes by washing and drying them in the bathroom.
3. You will do some shopping so wear your new clothes. This was so true for me.
4. Bring scarves and accessories to complement your clothes.
5. Plan your clothes around a certain color. Mine was blue, black, gray and khaki.
6. Strategize with your travel mate so you can share toothpaste, soap, shampoo and other stuff. In our case we shared laundry soap and our beloved and invaluable clothesline.
7. I left my bulky camera and lenses at home and just brought a small point and shoot, Canon S100. Limit all the gadgets you will bring but don’t forget to bring all the chargers and cables and put them in your hand carry.
8. Rick Steves said Europeans don’t wear shorts in summer so don’t wear shorts so you won’t stand out as a tourist. Big mistake!!! Everyone was wearing shorts!! Tourists AND Europeans. I wish I brought shorts!!! Whether I wear shorts or not I will still look like a tourist anyway.

First list all the clothes you want to bring and weed it out until you have enough for a week. I limited myself to 3 pairs of pants, 1 of which I will wear and 6 shirts, 1 set sleep wear and a windbreaker in case it rains. I didn’t bring an umbrella. I didn’t bring my iPad but brought my Macbook Air which was so useful for backing up pictures and even doing my blog in my downtime.

If you noticed the make-up in the roll up bag above this is what’s inside. (The iPhone is just there for size perspective.) The pink aluminum tin is actually a mints tin. It was enough for a variety of eyeliner, eyeshadows and a universal shade of blush. The brush set is from Bobbi Brown.

You know those free make-up samples you get with a purchase of cosmetics worth a certain amount? I de-potted those and put magnetic tape behind it and then stuck it to the tin case. I have a bigger case that has a lot of these small pots and I can just change colors in the travel tin depending on my mood. (The dents on the eyeshadow came from when I dropped this tin.)

I only brought 2 pairs of shoes. I wore one and packed the other one. I was initially going to bring more stylish shoes but at the last minute I was diagnosed as having flat feet so I had to rush out one day before my trip to buy running shoes with high arches. Ugly but it saved my feet from more pain.

All my shirts and sleepwear went into an packing organizer. In hindsight I wish I brought more colors instead of 2 black shirts. I rolled everything to avoid creasing.

First layer in my luggage were the pants, jacket (didn’t use it), eco bag (which I never used), hat (got a lot use in sunny Europe). Not in the picture is my foldable Vapur water bottle which I brought with me everyday.

Next layer was my shirts and roll up bag with hanger which contained everything I needed in the bathroom. I bought this bag in SM for about P350 only. It was really useful.

Next was my folded up Samsonite duffle bag.

This 1 lb. duffle bag is my secret weapon whenever I travel. It folds up to small square and can carry more than 50 lbs. of stuff. All of our shopping went into this bag which I checked in on our flight back to Manila. This way we didn’t have to pay for any overweight.

Samsonite Tote-A-Ton

My laptop fit in the outside pocket of my luggage. It was the perfect place to store it since I could pull it out easily for security checks. I didn’t check in any luggage. All I had was this small luggage plus another tote bag since I was allowed two hand carry pieces in Qatar Airways. Rochelle had a bigger luggage and I had to put my overpacked toiletry bag in it as well as some shopping I did along the way. How can I not shop in Europe?

Hope this helps those who pack everything but the kitchen sink. I used to pack a lot of “just in case I need it” things but I realized I can buy anything I ‘may’ need. Just don’t forget to bring all your medication and supplements and pack them in your hand carry. Those you can’t buy without a prescription.

Dinner at Napa Restaurant & Bar

Rochelle and Chris wanted to see my cousin Angie since she was a gracious host to us when we went to Taipei two years ago. We were thinking of a restaurant that was kid friendly and at the same time something new. Warren suggested Napa Restaurant & Bar in Quezon City.

Napa and 8 Spices Thai Restaurant shared the same house converted into a restaurant which is so common in this area.

They did a pretty good job with the renovation,

Napa Restaurant & Bar menu (click to enlarge)

We did our best and ordered kid friendly food. The chicken wings weren’t spicy at all so that’s good for the kids. I hated that it was cooked in margarine and the taste was so overpowering. The kids didn’t mind it though.

buffalo wings P210

I didn’t like the beef either. It was too salty and all I could taste was strong Knorr seasoning and a heavy dose of worcestershire sauce.

salpicado P295

Rochelle’s margarita looked impressive but lacked alcohol and her 11 year old son took advantage of the fact.

margarita P120

The pasta wasn’t al dente but again the kids didn’t have discriminating tastes and enjoyed it.

carbonara P250

The nachos with sweet Italian sausage was just average. The cheese sauce wasn’t very cheesy but overall it wasn’t bad. This was what I enjoyed most which wasn’t a surprise since I love nachos even mediocre ones.

nachos supreme P250

Warren ordered a couple of dishes from the Thai restaurant next door. The pomelo salad was too sweet, not from the fruit but from too much sugar added to the coconut milk. This was the first pomelo salad I’ve ever had that contained coconut milk. Needless to say it wasn’t to my liking.

pomelo salad P305

The fish cake was quite good. I really liked the sweet and spicy sauce topped with crunchy garlic.

Thai fish cake P335

Angie and Daniel

The panizza was crisp and was ok. Sorry but ok is the best I can give it.

hi-protein panizza P550

If they can make the panizza crisp why was their pizza ‘makunat’ or borderline chewy? Too bad since the crust was thin and the toppings were quite good.

cinco formaggi & pepperoni pizza P420

The lava cake took about 20 minutes to come out. I wish they told us that earlier. At least it was worth the wait. It was hot off the oven and a delight to eat. The thick dark chocolate filling was scrumptious. I think they should change the brand of ice cream. It was yucky.

lava cake P190

The two boys had trouble communicating. One spoke only Mandarin while the other had only basic Mandarin knowledge. But they eventually bonded over a cellphone game.

Our dinner was a steal for 6 adults and 2 kids but I don’t think I’ll be back anytime soon.

After dinner Paulo wanted to show Daniel his sugar glider.

Napa Restaurant & Bar
12 Scout Borromeo Street, South Triangle, Quezon City, Philippines
telephone: 414-8272
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