Out Of The House

Wishing you a Merry Cremas, plus Christmas parties galore!

December 26, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 2 Comments

For the first time in a long time, I made an effort to go to each and every Christmas party I was invited to. Not that there were so many, but it’s just remarkable how I managed to drag my butt out of the house past my usual bedtime more than once. It’s also a big deal that I stayed longer than I usually do at all of the parties I went to. Haha, yes, you now have an idea of how truly lazy I can be.

Today, the day after Christmas, I’m feeling the effects of my late nights. I have a slight headache, I’m lazy, my body hurts a little, and I don’t want to do anything but sit in bed and eat junk food. I figured that I should at least blog, though, because my writing queue really does get longer by the day. So, I’m gonna tell you how my Christmas went, and then you guys tell me about yours in the comments, okay?

My first party of the season was our Secret Book Club holiday get together. I love this group. I always tell my family that I couldn’t be happier about having found people who are the same kind of book nerd that I am. I enjoyed our kwentuhan so much that I ended up staying with the last batch of girls til almost 2 AM! The highlight of that evening for me was the exchange gift, where we picked books of authors that meant something to us to give away.

As luck would have it, Mish pulled my name out of the bag, and I picked Joei! Hanggang book club, #ABCLove parin. Hehe. I’m so excited that I already have a book to open 2015 with. From what Mish shared, it sounds like the perfect new year book, too, so double yay!

Love, love, love hanging out with these two!

A few nights after that, we went to my annual high school girlfriends’ Christmas dinner. I love that we make a real effort to block off a December date for our group each year. What started out as a simple dinner get together has become an important yearly tradition for us, and is now filled with extra fun thanks to our children. I love this group of girls that I grew up with. Ours is the kind of friendship that just picks up where we left off, no matter how long it’s been since we last saw each other.

Friends through thick and thin! Missing one, but hopefully we’ll be complete soon.

Believe it or not, we braved the crazy holiday traffic the next day to spend time with a few of my favorite mommy blogger friends at Eastwood. My friend Sab, and her team over at The Asian Food Channel and The Food Network invited some members of Mommy Bloggers Philippines to come to the Alaska Merry Cremas Festival, and I was excited to be there. It isn’t often that I get to go to blogger events, and each time I do I have the best time chatting with my mommy friends.

I don’t have that many photos, but I was glad to have spent the day with Moomy Musings‘ Glaiza, and Homeschooler Kib‘s mommy Donna. I finally got to meet my online chika buddy, Roxy aka Mr. Jacob’s Mom, too. Sulit na sulit ang pag luwas! It was also funny that I ran into my other #ABCLove, Jane, at the Alaska event. We rarely get to see each other, and when we finally did, it was so far away from Alabang. Lol.

Donna and I, our little boys, and the cupcakes I liked the most out of all the sweet treats at the event.

The next Christmas dinner we went to was our batch PA party on the last day of school. The little guy and I went together, and he was a million times more excited about it than I was because the venue just happened to be the ultimate play house. One of my co-parents has a really decked out back yard, complete with play area for kids that features a huge trampoline. We were among the last to leave, and even then it was a struggle getting the kids to say goodbye to each other and to their play house.

Our last get-together with friends was with MrC’s high school barkada. I don’t usually come with him to their parties because they start well after dinner and end really late. I was smart this year though. I decided to take a nap after dinner, right when the kiddo went to bed, and I asked the husbandry to wake me up when it was time to go. It worked, I was up and about until close to 4 AM! We woke up at nearly noon the day after, though, but it was worth it. I had a nice time hanging out with our old batch mates, and it was really nice going out with MrC.

Christmas Eve was spent at home, as it always has been over the years. This time, though, there were a lot more of us, with my siblings’ partners joining in on the fun, too. For dinner, we ordered the most amazing turkey from Gourmets Palate by the family of Bamba Bistro’s super chef, Tina Legarda. SO, SO, SO GOOD. If you guys are ever in need of a turkey, order from them. You won’t regret it! Call 0917-5294208 or 0917-5286693 for inquiries.

TURKEY! Good enough for 10, with lots and lots of leftovers!

Christmas day is always busy for us, with lunch at one Lola’s house and dinner in the other’s. All in all it has been a full and fun holiday season for our family. I’m so happy I had the chance to catch up with old and new friends, to spend time with my boys, and to enjoy lazy days and lots of food with my relatives.

Happy holidays from our family to yours!

Okay, your turn to make me kwento. Tell me about your Christmas. I really hope that yours was merry, too. 🙂

A Weekend of Happy Experiences at F1 Hotel Manila

October 28, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 4 Comments

My ABC Loves and I just cannot get enough of each other, as you will notice from my recent blog posts. We just love hanging out so much, that whenever we get the chance to we just go for it. Such was the case when Jane invited the boys and I to spend the weekend at F1 Hotel Manila in BGC together with her family, Joei and Timmy, and a bunch of other bloggers. This was a special invite from the Bossman of KTG, Spanky Enriquez, whom I was looking forward to meeting.

We drove to BGC after a football morning in Alabang, together with Joei who hitched a ride with us. Jane and Boss Spanky welcomed us when we arrived at F1, and we were given our itinerary for the weekend. I was excited to see that my mommy blogger friend, Jackie was spending the weekend at the hotel, too, with her beautiful family.

Let the staycation begin! Thank you for having us this weekend, #F1HotelManila! I love the cutie detail you put into our itinerary 🙂

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Oct 10, 2014 at 11:39pm PDT

Our weekend started off with a short Halloween program with games and giveaways for the kids. There were snacks, refreshments and coffee, too, and the boys happily munched away. Football leaves us all hungry, so we were super looking forward to the yummy food we were going to indulge in during our staycation.

The kiddo really liked the Green Lantern and Hulk cookies!

Next on our itinerary was lunch at the hotel’s F All Day Dining, where we were given a sneak peek at their Christmas buffet. I’ll be writing about our breakfast, lunch and dinner at F1 in a separate post though, so suspense muna.

First order of business, #lunch! The desserts here are really yummers. #F1HotelManila #FAllDayDining #LunchBuffet #FoodTrip #InstaFood #InstaBusog #Latergram A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Oct 10, 2014 at 11:47pm PDT

Full and sleepy after lunch, we were ready to head to our room. When we walked in and I saw the sofa bed set up in the living room, I got so excited because I knew right away that MrC and I would have our own room for the night! After 8 years of the 3 of us sharing a room, it felt so nice to have a room to call our own, even just for a night.

MrC was happy about having our own room, too!

Truth be told, it felt a little weird, too, not being able to see what the kiddo was doing on his own bed and what he was watching on his own TV. We also stayed with him until he fell asleep, then we moved to our bed after. Hello, separation anxiety! I know for sure that the little boy had fun with our setup, too, though.

I also know that MrC really liked the Batcave-ish color scheme of our room and bathroom

Two beds, two airconditioners, two TV sets, wired and wireless internet connectivity, and a big writing desk. All these made me very happy with our room. I also noticed that there were a lot of power outlets, and that’s something I appreciate. We always seem to have so many gadgets that need to be charged all at the same time, and I’m happy we were able to plug everything in all at the same time. The whole suite was super spacious, and that was such a welcome change from our usual cramped and cluttered room. Plus, there was a Quezo de Bola Cheesecake waiting for us inside! Oh my gosh, way to make me happy!

Missing my usual photobomber in my requisite hotel mirror selfie

Our room was a Fort Suite (PHP 13,100 per night). This room can accommodate a maximum of 2 adults and 2 kids, and includes breakfast. Here’s a tip from our friendly hotel housekeeping guy – when booking, ask for a corner room because these are generally bigger than the middle rooms, with no added cost. Other room types available at F1 Hotel are the City Suite Room (PHP 10,700 per night) and the Deluxe Room (PHP 9,500 per night).

Yes, I am starting my day with cake. Who cares? I’m on #staycation! Loving the #QuezoDeBola #Cheesecake surprise from @f1hotelmanila in our room. 🙂 #F1HotelManila #familyfun #sundayfunday

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Oct 10, 2014 at 4:35pm PDT

MrC and I signed up for massages, but unfortunately I fell asleep before my schedule so I missed out on what would have been the first massage of my life. The husbandry was able to get one, though, and judging by how soundly he slept, it looks like it was a relaxing massage. We actually spent most of our staycation in the room because it was a rainy weekend and the weather was perfect for snuggling and being lazy. And because we got to do just that, the boys and I were happy with our F1 Hotel experience.

If you’re planning to visit F1 Hotel, you may want to avail of their Thrills and Treats promo which runs from October 27 til November 2, and already includes 2 tickets to their Marvel Madness Halloween Party happening on November 1. Sounds like something fun to do with the family!

THANK YOU so very much, Mr. Tony Co and Pau of F1 Hotel for taking care of the boys and I during our visit. Thank you also, Spanky and Jane, for inviting us over for the weekend. We really appreciate it! 🙂

F1 Hotel Manila
32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City
+632 928.9888 / +632 908.7888
inquiry@f1hotelsandresorts.com
www.f1hotelmanila.com
facebook.com/f1hotelmanila
Instagram @F1Hotelmanila

Enjoying My Little Mommy Luxuries at Crimson Hotel Alabang

October 10, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 9 Comments

I’ve been dealing with a lot of domestic drama lately because our helper has been very un-helpful. I won’t get into details because just thinking about her makes me angry. She did something unacceptable again today, and this really made me wish that I could escape to one more staycation this weekend. But alas, we are going to be mostly home over the next couple of days, and so I will write about a past staycation instead to make myself feel better.

I love the look of Crimson Hotel’s reception desk

I love staying at hotels for one simple reason – I get to feel like a donya for 24 hours. I know that it sounds bratty, but it’s true. I have this list of mommy luxuries that I like to indulge in, and an overnight stay at a good hotel automatically gives me at least 5 of those things. Let me explain by showing you which of these indulgences I got to enjoy during our recent staycation at Crimson Hotel in Filinvest, Alabang.

A nice, clean, spacious space all to ourselves

As you know, we live in a really full house. As in, full of people and full of stuff. Our room is bursting at the seams with all of our things, and we even have stuff stored in the living room and outside the house. I get to leave all that clutter behind when we stay at a hotel. I know it doesn’t solve the clutter problem, but at least for a couple of days, we actually have our own space that is clean and quiet.

I especially loved this makeup mirror, and that it was placed in front of the window. Natural light FTW!

Long, uninterrupted (well, mostly) showers

Because the boys and I share a bathroom, we have this unspoken rule that we should leave the door unlocked in case someone needs to do something in there while we’re using it. Fortunately, ours is a big enough bathroom that we can all use it at the same time. One can shower while another uses the toilet, and the third person uses the sink. It works for us, especially on rushed mornings, but oh man do I miss my bathroom privacy. At Crimson, I got to indulge in a couple of long showers and other quiet moments in the super spacious bathroom. Oh what a treat!

This is what the boys look like while I take photos around the room

Drinks. Including alcoholic ones.

Just lounging around and enjoying the sorta view

We were given access to the Executive Lounge at Crimson during our stay. There, the boys and I happily cooled off with glasses of juice and cans of soda. I was hoping to stay there all the way through happy hour, but we were told that they don’t allow children to stay once they start serving alcoholic drinks. We had to forego the beer and cocktail buffet because there was no one who could watch the kiddo for us, and also because MrC and I didn’t feel right about leaving him somewhere so that we could drink. Yes, it was the responsible thing to do. Lol. I had a mojito with dinner instead. And speaking of dinner…

A delicious dinner that I didn’t have to prepare myself, complete with dessert!

Yes, I had all of these (and more) for dinner

And it was a Mexican dinner, too! One of my favorite cuisines! I wrote about our Sabores de Mexico dinner experience a couple of weeks ago, and you can check it out here.

The ultimate cold air conditioning + comfy bed + fluffy pillow + thick blanket combo

If I had my way, my bed would be as lush as a hotel bed. Maybe someday, we can invest in a fluffy bed. (Hint, hint, MrC!)

Funny story, at Crimson the boys decided to have me sleep in the middle. Between the two of them and the blankets, I was sandwiched in warmth! I would wake up every once in a while when it got too hot and wiggle myself out of the blankets. Then when I’d get cold, I’d wake up again and squeeze back in. This went on a few times til morning. I still felt pretty rested, though, thank goodness.

Breakfast and coffee waiting for me when I woke up

Little MrC fixed his own plate, and made a happy face out of his pancakes and French toast

Happiness is waking up to a cup of good coffee and a yummy breakfast. On weekends, MrC sometimes takes care of this for me at home, and for that I am really grateful. That weekend at Crimson, though, was a super treat because their breakfast selections at the hotel are really, really good! I especially loved the cheeses and cold cuts that they served, and their breads too. The cheese ensaymada and the cream filled doughnut were super winners.

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My first (and favorite) plate at any breakfast buffet is filled with bread, cheese and fruit. This was the first of many plates from this morning’s breakfast at Cafe Eight. 7 hours later and I am still burping. The breakfast spread at @crimsonhotel_alabang is officially one of my faves in the south. #SouthEats #CrimsonHotel #FilinvestCityAlabang #BreakfastBuffet #InstaFood

View on Instagram

But wait, there’s more

Aside from my luxury list, there’s still so much more to do at Crimson. They have a really nice gym, which I probably should visit next time, especially after eating all that bread. They also have a really nice pool, which we were sadly unable to try out because it was so windy while we were there. That’s something to come back for next time. That, and happy hour at the Executive Lounge lol. Ah! And I also have to remember to take home some of that ensaymada from the pastry corner next time. So good, promise!

Crimson Hotel's gorgeous pool — Crimson Hotel’s gorgeous pool area

The best part about our Crimson staycation was that the boys and I were there with four of my favorite families – Michelle’s, Jane’s, Joei’s (yes, Joei and Timmy are counted as a family in my book) and Kaye’s. It’s always fun for all of us when they are around, and I love how we are starting to build such fun memories together as a group. Since Little Miss QC was with us that weekend, we were officially ABC+K! Cute, diba?

THANK YOU so very much (again) to our lovely hosts, Twinkle Lacsamana, Karina, and the wonderful staff at Crimson Hotel. The boys and I had the best time and we can’t wait to come back! And super duper thank you, Jane, for arranging this for our little sisterhood. We love you!

CRIMSON HOTEL FILINVEST ALABANG
Entrata Urban Complex,
2609 Civic Drive, Filinvest City,
Alabang 1781 Muntinlupa City
Phone (02) 863 2222
Email info.alabang@crimsonhotel.com
Website http://www.crimsonhotel.com/manila/

Back-To-Back Tagaytay Weekend #FoodTrip Part2: Taal Vista Hotel

September 25, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 10 Comments

Have I told you guys how much I love Taal Vista Hotel ?

A week after our dinner date at QiWellness Living, MrC and I escaped for a quick pre-anniversary lunch at Taal Vista. It was a great time to be there because Chef Fernando Aracama was in the house. He was Cafe Veranda’s guest chef on the first weekend of the hotel’s Culinary Gems: A Festival of Filipino Flavors event.

Chef Fernando Aracama with Taal Vista Hotel's Executive Chef Edwin Santos — Chef Fernando Aracama with Taal Vista Hotel’s Executive Chef, Edwin Santos
Photos courtesy of Taal Vista Hotel

We arrived just in time to catch the opening ceremonies. Instead of the usual ribbon cutting, Chef Aracama and Peggy Angeles of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (and my seatmate at lunch!) broke a clay pot over an arrangement of fruits and vegetables. I’m not sure if this is symbolic, but if it is, it probably means something nice. Lol.

The boys and I had lunch at Cafe Veranda during our weekend staycation at Taal Vista last year. I was excited to see what the hotel’s Executive Chef, Edwin Santos had prepared, and of course how Chef Aracama’s creations would accent the Filipino food buffet.

As always, Chef Edwin did not disappoint. Everything from the hotel’s signature Lumpiang Ubod to the Brazo de Mercedes were so delicious. Chef Aracama’s Ilonggo creations we also extremely good. I couldn’t get enough of how tasty all of his dishes were. I couldn’t get enough of the Beef Adobo sa Tuba and the Sigarilyas Gising Gising Style.

Sigarilyas Gising Gising Style and Chicken Inasal by Chef Aracama
Photos courtesy of Taal Vista Hotel

Sinanglay na Isda en Papillote by Chef Aracama, and the good chef carving his amazing Porchetta Negrense
Photos courtesy of Taal Vista Hotel

I started my meal off with a plate of assorted appetizers. My favorites among everything I got was Chef Aracama’s Malunggay Dip and Pan Tostado, the Salted Egg Brulee, and the Ginataang Langka Triangle.

Plate #2 was loaded with all of the Aracama dishes that I found interesting – Kalkag Fried Rice, Sinanglay na Isda en Papillote, Chicken Inasal, Beef Adobo sa Tuba and the Sigarilyas Gising Gising Style . I would seriously have gone back for a second helping of the exact same plate if I had the space for it in my stomach.

Plate #2 loaded with Chef Aracama’s specialties

Yes, I had a third plate, but it was a small one. I had forgotten to get Porchetta Negrense during my second round at the buffet, so I took a bite off of MrC’s. It was so good that I of course had to go get a few slices for myself. The husbandry had his with the uber delicious vinegar that they were serving that day, while I opted for the lechon sauce. I was expecting the usual lechon liver sauce, but this one had an extra hint of spice and a bite of sourness to it. Oh my golly, so good. I also had some Dinuguan and Puto, a Filipino meryenda favorite that I can never skip, no matter how full I already am.

I wish that I could have eaten some more but I was just about ready to burst. So, it was time to end things with a selection of sweet desserts. Chef Aracama’s Chocnut Ice Cream was the highlight of my sweet treats. I split a Buko Panna Cotta (also by Chef Aracama) with MrC because I just couldn’t finish one whole on my own. It was one of those non-jello-ish panna cottas, so I was happy. And, I couldn’t say no to Chef Edwin’s Frozen Brazo de Mercedes, because it really is superb.

The promise of an amazing cultural show and excellent Pinoy food is a really great excuse to make the trip up to Tagaytay for a special lunch or dinner meal. Chef Aracama’s weekends at Taal Vista Hotel are over, but there are other celebrity guest chefs lined up who will bring their unique interpretations of Filipino cuisine to Cafe Veranda. Here’s the schedule so you can decide which weekend to visit:

Chef Sau del Rosario – September 27 & 28 (That’s this weekend!)
Chef Babes Austria – October 4, 5, 11 & 12
Chef Edwin Santos – October 18, 19, 26 & 26
Chef Bruce Lim – November 1, 2, 8 & 9 (I am definitely planning a visit on one of his weekends)
Chefs Jackie and Rolando Laudico – November 15, 16, 22 & 23

An amazing cultural show and excellent Pinoy food. What more could you ask for?

THANK YOU so very much, Celine Arenillo and Treena Tecson for having me and MrC over at Taal Vista again. We love celebrating anniversaries and birthdays with you guys hehe! Thanks also to my fun to kwento with seatmate, Peggy Angeles for letting me know which dishes I really ought to try. See you guys (hopefully) this Halloween!

The Culinary Gems Festival of Filipino Flavors continues on until November at Taal Vista Hotel’s Cafe Veranda. Saturday lunch and dinner buffet, and Sunday lunch buffet costs PHP1350 nett per person. For inquiries, you may call +632 917-8225.

TAAL VISTA HOTEL
Kilometer 60, Aguinaldo Highway
Tagaytay City, Philippines
www.taalvistahotel.com

Back-To-Back Tagaytay Weekend #FoodTrip Part1: QiWellness Living

September 21, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 55 Comments

When you are married with children, date night is always something to look forward to. Do you guys agree? I totally do. And so when I was asked to join a few blogger friends in an amazing date night at QiWellness Living Tea House + Bath House in Tagaytay, I was beside myself with excitement.

QiWellness Living's Ken, Jeff and Rita with bloggers, Ging, Mish, Jane, Joei, MrsC, Kaity and Helene — QiWellness Living’s Ken, Jeff and Rita with bloggers, Ging, Mish, Jane, Joei, MrsC, Kaity and Helene

After weeks of planning, MrC and I almost didn’t make it to our Tagaytay dinner because the kiddo had a slight fever after football class that day! It’s a good thing that after a long nap, a couple of doses of Biogesic and a long bath, Little MrC was feeling better, and was okay to be left at home with my parents. Phew. It would have been really sad missing the QiWellness Living experience. I mean, you get there and you’re just completely blown away by how gorgeous the place is.

See what I mean?
(These photos belong to QiWellness Living)

We were greeted by a loud gong right when MrC and I entered the red door. I have to admit, nagulat ako. I actually jumped a little coz I wasn’t expecting it. Waiting for us at the receiving area were the the wonderful owners of the place, Ken Tuason and Rita Sanson, who were both so gracious and accommodating the entire evening. Ken explained that QiWellness Living is made up of two main areas – the Bath House and the Tea House.

The Bath House

We took a short tour of the bath house while waiting for the other bloggers to arrive. This area is described as a sanctuary of relaxation, rejuvenation and renewal, bringing effective traditional and holistic healing practices in a modern setting through massages and hydrotherapy. If you are a massage-lover in search of a quick escape, I think you ought to try it here. You can check out the list and prices of their massage services and other treatments here.

To be honest, I have never had a massage in my life. I think, though, that this would be a great place for my first time. I would love to relax in the hot and cold yin yan pools afterwards! It seems like a great way to enjoy the beautiful the view of Taal Volcano.

The Tea House

Isn’t it so very Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon? I super love the ambiance at this place!

In between the top floor receiving area and the bottom floor bath house, you will find QiWellness Living’s Tea House. Here they serve 6-course and 8-course yin yang menus, multi-course degustations that change seasonally over spring, summer, autumn and winter. They also have ala carte items for lunch and dinner, which are served with the soup of the day and a salad. You can also try their dimsum selections in the afternoons. If you wanna check out their menu offerings, click here.

Casual, romantic dinner setup at the Tea House area

I was (of course) really happy that the ABC girls were complete during our quick Tagaytay escape. I knew that MrC would enjoy himself even more with the other husbands around. I feel so lucky to have met these ladies that I click so well with. Our husbands click, and our kids click, too, so it’s always a great time when we’re together.

Alabang Bloggers Clique (level-up *na, dati* Club *lang*) – MrsC, Michelle, Jane and Joei

The 8-course Summer Yin Yang Set Menu

For our dinner date, we were served the 8-course Summer Yin Yang Menu (PHP2,380 + 10% Service Charge, inclusive of VAT) paired with white and red wines. What an absolute treat. Our meal started off with Toasted Mantou. We usually have this with condensed milk on the side for dipping. This time, it came with a pat of butter on the side. I don’t like butter, but I gave it a try anyway. I think that the bread is better off on its own, thankyouverymuch. Everyone else happily ate theirs with the butter, though, so maybe it’s just me.

Toasted Mantou with butter
(As you can see, I hadn’t quite gotten my camera settings right yet at this point)

Our first course was Money Bag of Foie Gras and Green Apple with Chestnut Purée. This was one of my favorites. There were big enough pieces of foie gras in the dumpling that you could actually taste them, but they weren’t too big to the point of being overwhelming. I liked that the dumpling pastry was thick and chewy.

For our second course, we were given Tuna Tartare with Pineapple and Pickled Shallots. I love raw tuna, so of course this was something I enjoyed, too. You get a little bit of sweet and sour when you pop the little ball of tuna into your mouth. And yes, I really popped the entire thing into my mouth. I did chew slowly and savor every flavor in it, though.

My absolute favorite was the third course, Lettuce Soup with Poached Egg and Shiitake Mushroom Dumpling. At first, I found that the soup was on the acidic side. And then I popped open the poached egg, and once the yolk mixed with the soup, everything became really creamy and velvety and rich. The mushroom dumpling was also really yummy, and went very well with the soup.

Next we had one of the prettiest salads I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. Too bad my photo doesn’t do justice to this Endive, Roquefort, Walnut, Roasted Pear Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette. The vinaigrette dressing was on the sweet side, and totally complemented the bitter greens mixed in with lettuce leaves and flower petals.

Endive, Roquefort, Walnut, Roasted Pear Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

After the salad, the first of the main dishes started arriving. The Pan-Seared Sake-Marinated Scallops with Avocado Purée, Radish and Ebiko was really good, to the point that I wanted more. Ging sat next to me at dinner, and her husband is allergic to shellfish so she got to eat his share. Lucky girl hehe!

Dish #6 (and yes, we were counting them down as they were being served) was Pacific Black Cod on Buckwheat Noodles with Orange-Teriyaki Glaze. I like fish, so I liked this. The cod was perfectly cooked, flaky not chewy. The noodles were nice, too. This was sort of like a very sophisticated Chinese pancit.

They obviously saved the best for last where the main dishes of this degustation were concerned. Our 7th course was a Striploin of Wagyu with Sichuan Pepper, Spatzle, Snow Peas and Truffle-Beef Jus. Spatzle isn’t at all something you would expect to find in a Chinese dish, so this was a pleasant surprise.

Striploin of Wagyu with Sichuan Pepper, Spatzle, Snow Peas and Truffle-Beef Jus

And finally, my favorite part in any meal – dessert. We were served a bow of Cardamon Custard, Strawberry Sorbet, Crumble and Soil. I love how Chef Jeff Ramirez did his fusion of flavors and textures in every dish. Everything’s so exciting, and this dessert was no exception. The sorbet was a little tart, the custard a little sweet, and the crumble and soil added a bit of crunch in every bite. It was a great way to end an excellent meal.

THANK YOU so very much, Ken, Rita and Jeff for inviting us over, and for treating us all to an amazing dinner. QiWellness Living is so beautiful! MrC and I really enjoyed dinner, and we look forward to coming back for our first-ever couples massage and a dimsum-filled afternoon. Thanks also to the amazing staff who took care of us, accommodated all of our requests, and answered of our questions while taking us around the bath house and tea house.

The owners and staff of QiWellness Living

Qiwellness Living
Aguinaldo Highway, Brgy. Maharlika East
Tagaytay City, Philippines
#/pages/Qiwellness-Living/306850776152706

For TEA HOUSE inquiries or reservations call +63917-5226969 or email teahouse@qiwellnessliving.ph. The Tea House is open from Wednesdays to Sundays 11:30AM to 2:30PM for lunch, 2:00PM to 6:00PM for dimsum selections, and 6:30PM to 10:00PM for dinner. Last order for the 6 and 8 course set menu is at 12:30PM for lunch and 8:00PM for dinner. Mondays and Tuesdays are available for group bookings and functions only.

For BATH HOUSE inquiries or reservations call +63917-5226969 or email bathhouse@qiwellnessliving.ph. The Bath House is open from Tuesdays to Sundays. Operating hours are from 1:00PM to 10:00PM. Last call is at 8:30PM. Special bookings for Mondays and Tuesdays, and morning bookings from 10:00AM may be arranged upon special request.

Overnight accommodations may also be arranged at the GUEST HOUSE. The package includes welcome cocktails, use of bathhouse facilities, reflexology for 2, Silk signature massage for 2, and traditional Chinese congee and dimsum breakfast for 2. Check-in time is at 2:00PM, and check-out time is at 12:00NN. The overnight package is for 2 persons only, and costs PHP15,800.

Building Baon Memories with Oreo and The Bento Mommas

September 14, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 23 Comments

I was one of those kids who always packed lunch. My mom has always been an advocate of healthy, hearty, home cooking, and that meant that we had freshly made meals all the time growing up. My brother and I have fond memories about our packed lunches and our old school Tupperware food keepers. We remember days when our old manang started taking care of our lunch meals, and we would have fried chicken every day for a week. Then chicken balls every day on the next week. And spaghetti the week after that. No matter what the ulam was, it was great not having to worry about what we had to eat at school.

I think that my happy childhood memories play a huge part in my desire to pack baon for my kid (and for MrC) every day. They are also why I love attending these bento workshops. I already know that I’m doing my meal planning right, and I feel happy knowing that the kiddo and his classmates (he likes to share) enjoyed the meal I packed for him for the day. I now really want to learn how to make packed lunches fun for Little MrC, hence the bento attempts. All this despite my artistic handicap lol.

I was super excited when the SoMoms graciously invited me to a #BetterMe session a few of weeks ago. This one was a bento workshop with my favorite Bento Mommas , sponsored by Oreo . I really enjoyed our Alabang #Crafternoon Bento class, and I was looking forward to learning how to make new lunch and snack box designs. I was also eager to pack baon boxes with Oreo. Both my boys love it when I include these yummy cookies in their lunchboxes.

I was just thinking about how packing lunch brings back fond childhood memories when Oreo’s Brand Manager, Princess Pacanuayan started speaking at the workshop. Funny, because I have childhood memories with her! Our parents used to be in the same Rotary Club, and our families would attend functions and activities together. We even went camping at the Pacanuayans’ farm or resort when we were little. I can’t believe I remember that! It was such a long time ago (20 years or so), and I don’t think I’d seen her since then. Her presence triggered this crazy nostalgia in me and sort of brought me back to being a kid. When she said that the cream inside an Oreo cookie symbolized the kid in each of us, I knew exactly what she meant.

Getting Started

For bento making, you need healthy lunchbox fillers, bento tools and an endless supply of creativity. During the workshop, we were given lots of ingredients to work with. There was rice and bread, some fried chicken for the lunch box, sandwich spread for the snack box, and different vegetables and fruits to fill up our food keepers. We also had lots and lots of Oreos to pack (to and snack on while packing hehe). And, as with every workshop by the Bento Mommas, we were given a few basic tools in our kits that we could start with.

Teddy Bear Charaben Lunch Box

We first made a rice box with a mixed white and brown rice bear. This type of design is called a charaben, short for character bento. It looks complicated, but it’s really easy to put together. You start by molding brown rice into a ball. Next, make a smaller ball out of white rice for the snout. Then, make two small brown rice balls for ears. Cut face details out of nori using using scissors or a handy dandy puncher, and stick them onto the bear. If your rice is super sticky, they will adhere on their own without any problem. If you need some sort of glue, you can use mayonnaise. Finally, fill up all remaining space inside your box with a nice viand (in this case, fried chicken), some vegetables, plus fruits and Oreo cookies for dessert. Tada, you’re done!

How to make a rice bear charaben. See my checkerboard carved apple?

Penguin Charaben Snack Box

Remember I said earlier that you need an endless supply of creativity when bento making? Well, my supply isn’t endless, and it looks like I ran out after the rice box. We were challenged to create different animal charabens for our snack boxes, still featuring Oreo as the special ingredient, of course. I ended up with a penguin design. I don’t think that my penguin looks like a penguin, though! You be the judge.

The body of my penguin is made of chocolate bread filled with Cheez Whiz Milky Delight. The face is made out of flattened white bread. My penguin’s wings are halved Oreos, and the beak and feet are heart-shaped candy sprinkles. This was easy to assemble, but I don’t think I was able to make good use of the featured ingredient. To make up for it, I added more cookies into the box. Lol. As snack box fillers, I had grapes on food picks and another apple slice, this time carved with stripes.

The boys and I ate the snack box I made when we got home that afternoon. The little guy thought everything was yummy, of course. We also split the rice box for dinner. Just being able to share those bento boxes with each other made for a fun memory for the three of us.

I believe that each lunch box I pack is worth waking up before dawn for. I love that the boys get excited over my banana notes (thanks for teaching me how to do this, Kaye). There are days when the first thing that the kiddo says when I pick him up from school is, “Mommy my baon was so good”. It also makes me really happy when I receive SMS messages from MrC in the middle of the day saying how much he enjoyed his lunch. Makes the early morning effort super worth it.

Love notes on bananas. “Write” on them lightly with a toothpick, and the words darken as the skin oxidizes. Like magic!

Thank you SO MUCH to the SoMoms, the Bento Mommas, and of course, Oreo, for having me. I’m glad I now have new bento tricks up my sleeve. I’m all set to start building more baon memories for Big and Little MrC.