Delectable Edible #002: Nena's Garden (Pork Sinigang and Sizzling Boneless Bangus)

Nena's Garden is very famous for their catering services, but when they decided to open up restaurants, people now have a taste of their dishes in very affordable prices.

They specialize in home cooked meals and well known Filipino favorites.

We tried out their Arellano Branch just beside Giorgio's Pizzeria and Dior Village. You won't miss it. They have available parking spaces for their customers with wheels unlike most restaurants here in Dagupan.

Ambience: Having a spirit of Christmas this early, was a good decision. A combination of oriental designs with unique Christmas lighted balls is perfect while you're sipping on your broths. One huge problem...

With the temperature here in Dagupan, how in the world could you enjoy your broths if good AC isn't even available? I don't think this yellow electric fan (it's bad enough it's an electric fan, they had to buy one that's in this color) could ventilate all their customers simultaneously. Thank God it was a bit cool when we visited, but still, I saw an AC, better put it to good use.

Food #1: Pork Sinigang



Once again, the perfect taste of broth thanks to some broth cubes giving the instant sour taste. Seriously, no sign of tamarind or camias which is an "instant" giveaway that they've used such cubes. Nonetheless, it tastes great! just pretend it's not MSG-rich and you'll surely enjoy.

This dish contained several delicious half cooked vegetables such as okra, eggplant, Baguio beans, lettuce, and a lot more. A lot better though if the vegetables were well done.

The meat on the other hand was hard as a rock and sadly, because of the broth cubes used, the sour taste of the broth didn't seep into the pork's meat.

Judgment: 3 out of 5 stars

Food #2: Sizzling Boneless Bangus




Bangus is what Dagupan is known for! It's the Eiffel tower of Paris, the pyramids of Egypt, the Britney Spears of Hookerville. Haha just kidding!

The Bangus festival here in Dagupan even has this 100 ways to cook Bangus thing which I believe, this meal is one of its variations.

Okay, I know you could barely see the bangus in the picture, but it's only because it was hidden underneath all those toppings like carrots, celery, mushrooms, and onions.

The sauce is garlic-rich blended into this creamy concentration which goes very well with the vegetables.

The only problem with this meal, is that it's too good you can only have half of it and the rest is just puking!

Judgment: 4 out of 5 stars (serve only half of it or share with someone special then its a 5)



While waiting for the food, we did some camwhoring.
















Over and out!

Reunited and it feels so good!

I can't even remember the last time I've been with my high school friends. All I can remember was a time of bonding spent in a coffee shop here in Dagupan till 11pm, and that was it. The rest was just forgotten by my teeny tiny brain haha.

So anyways, It's kinda fun having to go through all those makeovers don't you think? I could barely recognize my friends with all their new dos and styles. Ayessa is now wearing make-up, Mary has even ventured the world of eyeliners and short bobs, and Jezreel is looking more like a guidance councilor compared to the last time I saw her. As for John, well, same old same old (wink!)

So this is another pictureatti post since I hate putting captions and I've always been a firm believer that pictures should always speak for themselves.

Let's play a little guessing game. In the next picture, all three of us were wearing skinny jeans but can you guess which jeans am I?




And here's a little somethin somethin Ayessa and I did the day before we all met. The pictures were all made for a good laugh and I believe that's just what we got out of it. Some of the images were blurry but it's still worth a giggle.

Till we meet again my friends! It's good that we always know how to pick up where we last took off.

Over and Out!

OMFG!

I can't remember the last time there was a fire in Dagupan as huge as this one.

The site of the fire was apparently in Aling here in Arellano Street right in front of my school. According to reports (a.k.a. rumors of the folks), it was politically motivated since the government of Dagupan has long been trying to evacuate the people in the area. If true, then this is one move a lot of people wouldn't be happy about. If you want the people to evacuate the area then do it in a way where no one gets hurt. Even the boarding house of my ex was burnt, good thing they were able to save their things and they were moving out of the building anyway.

What's next? A City Mall bombing?

Hope not.

Over and Out!

Delectable Edible #001: City de Luxe (Sinigang na Baboy and Halo-halo)

This is my first delectable edible post so I hope I somehow could be of help to my hometown's best picks. I don't get paid for creating a review on this restaurant or any of my future entries just to let you guys know, so all these reviews are as real as it could get. No sugar coating, no plastics whatsoever!

My baby and I have been dining at City de luxe (downtown branch. there's another one in Tapuac) for quite some time now and we always seem to come back for their tasty dishes.

City de Luxe has one of the finest taste in home-cooked meals but somehow lacks in giving this spirit with their serving. The ambiance of the place alone feels 2 out of 5 stars since they could certainly do better with the arrangement.

Anyways...

For starters we ordered something out of the usual buttered chicken (to be reviewed next time) and tried their Sinigang na Baboy.

The sour sampalok definitely invites your tongue to indulge in the warmth of the soup till you're ready for the pork and the vegetables. The vegetables were all cooked perfectly, some were half-cooked while others were well done, just the way they were suppose to.

This dish would have been the perfect sinigang, but sadly, I'd only give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The part of the pig used was not suited for the dish. Usually, the tummy part (haha, I'm not familiar with the specific terms) best suits the dish. I don't know why they chose to do otherwise.




After binging on the main course, we went to dessert! Halo-halo anyone?

Halo-halo is one of Philippines' original dessert. Several variations have been made and City de luxe's offer is your typical serving. With that said, I don't recommend this at all! Save yourself!





Just by looking at the serving glass, you just know it's bad! That is a drinking glass, not a halo-halo glass! Shame shame shame!

Next big mistake, ICE! Every Filipino knows crushed ice comes with this treat, but once again, de Luxe has failed us. They used the kind of ice that was like chiseled or hammered into small pieces resulting to a melted cold treat. They should be imprisoned by now if this was a crime! (okay, I may have overreacted on that one)

The ingredients are not up to par as well. In fact, I don't even want to individually point out the wrong ones so I'll just end it here.

Final judgment on the halo-halo: 0 out of 5 stars

I'll be back for their chicken dishes though, you simply could not go there and not order it!

Over and Out!

Just for giggles...

My head is still floating after staying up for more than 21 hours just so I could finish our case study. I'm too lazy to create a long entry right now so I'll just post a random thought.

I was viewing my friendster (which still turns out to be unproductive) when I saw this funny picture of my friend Alron, imitating KC Concepcion's Sony ad.

Looks like he's having a lot of fun while doing it (not to mention killer denim) so I'm planning to start something like it.

Hmm, a contest perhaps?




Gay people of the Philippines! Lads and Lasses! Do an instant imitation of an advertisement in the background (like the picture above) and you could stand to win... (an Ipod? Xbox? PSPs? Cellphone?) drum roll please...

***Php500.00!!!***

Hey, for a snapshot, 500 bucks is a lot! Plus you get to be recognized (harhar).

Contest ends December 2007! Join now! (I'm begging you!)

[if this contest does not end up as a success, the prize will be donated to the Missionaries of Charity]


Over and Out!

Karaoke once again, Color me hair, Faux Armani

Me and my baby wanted to splurge on ourselves since our money always seems to go on food and karaoke. We've been planning to get our coif done and finally, we had the time to do it together.

This entry is sooooo gonna be filled with pictures I just know it...

First we went to the City Mall to do the never-go-anywhere-without-doing-it, KARAOKE!









Then we were off to the salon where my baby has been getting his hair dyed. It was a house/canteen/walk-in salon.

Whenever I get my hair done I just love how long it takes for services to be finished, it gives me the feeling that time is being spent to achieve a fabuleux outcome.








After about 3 and a half hours of killing our roots, I was officially Mr. Chocolate head and my baby is Mr. Carrot Top! harhar (kidding!)

My baby has been complaining lately of his stressed eyes so we went to an optometrist to buy brand new eyewear for UV protection a.k.a. his computer. He looks silly in this geeky apparatus, don't you think?

And last but not the least, as if we haven't splurged enough, we saw faux Armani sunglasses and we just have to get the last two pairs that were on the stand.
Hello Giorgio? We could use the real deal here, just send it over. Thanks!








Over and Out!

True

Here's a video of me and my baby having a great time with what we do best... KARAOKE! (pronounced as ka-ri-yow-kee)

Enjoy!



Over and Out!

to shop or to online shop?... to faux snake or skinny jeans?...

to shop or to online shop?...

I have always enjoyed shopping or just simply window shopping! The thrill of finding your next big purchase is probably like Carrie Bradshaw's addiction to Manolo's. Besides, for an anorexic-looking stud like me, shopping is my only exercise so I guess it helps.

But having the time to go to the mall is now a luxury I can't seem to afford even if the mall is just a block away from home. Usually after coming home from school or the hospital, all I can do is just lay flat on my bed right after a meal or sip. The next thing you know, it's 1 in the morning and your social life is on the edge of being terminated.

I have recently been trying to get myself to purchase something on ebay and try the online shopping thing. But I have always been hesitant to do so mainly because of the credibility of the sellers. Are they for real? Does the positive feedbacks enough justification of their trustworthiness? Consider these questions paranoid but I think they are but normal if you want the best value for your money.

The best thing to do in this kind of situation is to weigh out the pro's and con's of each side.

Pros for Shopping:
1. You get to see the product personally and try them on
2. A wide choice of size and color availability
3. A 24-hour ASSURED return of the product in case of damage
4. The entire mall is at your reach in finding what you want in case one botique doesn't have it

Cons for shopping:
1. Price of the product may be higher with all the taxes included
2. You have to deal with those irritating sales people suggesting that you'd buy their most expensive item

Pros for online shopping: (not only on ebay)
1. The world is your mall! You have access to designer apparels outside your area, or country!
2. You can get discounts by buying tons of items in one purchase

Cons for online shopping:
1. You don't get to try the outfit on
2. Due to varying size differences per brand, what you purchase might not be what you expected
3. The quality of the products and credibility of sellers may not be up to par

Hmm, with that said, I therefore conclude that shopping in general is exciting! May it be in a mall, tiangge, or in the comfort of your own room or cubicle, the joy of having a great reward for your hard-earned money is simply priceless. See you on ebay! (wink!)

to faux snake or skinny jeans?...

After my ME vs. ME debate about wether or not to shop or to online shop, I've looked at some of the hot buys on ebay and this is where I landed. The most difficult choice between a pair of jeans bombarded me.

First we have a faux snake number. I've always wanted to wear something faux. Faux fur, faux croc, faux snake, without ending up as a faux pas. Lucky me, I found one on ebay. I think this will get through a hot summer day when I would go out just to buy something in the grocery store, rent some movies, or just to flaunt the snake...period! In short, the kind of jeans my boyfriend would never ever be seen with me if I was sporting it.

Price: $6

The next are skinny jeans from Whoop which I totally dig the dark shade and a dash of fades with a unique back design which is essential I believe in choosing the perfect skinny jeans. I've worn skinny jeans once and I enjoyed the weird stares from head to toe, the laughs and chuckles from left to right. Amazing how judgemental and narrow-minded people could be.




Price: $18

For a brand I've never heard of, this might be too much. But I wanna know what you guys think.

*I'll be posting entries regarding clothing, dining, and travel soon! Be in the know on what's hot only in Dagupan, courtesy of yours truly, VILORIA-GAMBOA.

Over and Out!

Scent, Oops! He did it again...

Scent...

While surfing youtube yesterday, I typed in Christina Aguilera just to see what's new with my all-time favorite performer. To my surprise, several videos of her new commercial showcasing her new fragrance! Take a look! Watch for the effect when she spritz herself, PERFECTION!



Lovely, isn't it?

Oops! He did it again...

I had been holding myself back from saying something about one of my classmates' rant about me and my blockmates but I think I've strained myself for too long and I just have to say it out loud.

Meet Mr. Interesting.

It's his second time around in the college life after graduating from an engineering course so safe to say, he's a lot older compared to the rest of the guys in our class.

After getting to know him a bit, he came "out" to me which really wasn't much of a surprise anymore after one of my blockmates told me prior to our conversation. Blah! Blah! Blah! Moving on...

One time I invited him to go out together with my boyfriend but said he couldn't make it so it was fine. It wasn't that big a deal since it's not like we're going to a huge party or anything so I just cancelled.

Then came his turn to invite us on a karaoke afternoon splurge and this time, I was the one not available to join due to personal reasons a.k.a. spending time with my boyfriend. Their plan pursued but without Irish and I so I thought it was fine with him. BTW, the invite was actually sent to most of our classmates.

Days after, I saw his shoutout box at Friendster ranting on how BORING our block is. So I thought to myself, how shallow of a reason for him to label us as boring individuals just by not being on his karaoke splurge?

STRIKE ONE!

A new shoutout months after a quiet classmate-to-classmate relationship except during times of paying him for the Autoloads, there was a new rant once again still referring to us as BORING! Oh and may I add, this time around, he stated how he wouldn't miss us.

STRIKE TWO!

Come to think of it, I really don't know why I keep on visiting his profile. I think it has something to do with the fact that I'm waiting for the next big scandal. Coz you know how fabulous it is to discover skeletons from people you least expect to have bull?

Well anyhoo, appaled, taken aback, and shocked with the new shoutout he posted, I still kept quiet. No one seems to be caring anyway since I don't hear from anyone in our class having an opinion about it, I felt it was the better choice.

When I checked in the next day, to my surprise, the latter part of the shoutout was changed and in it was an apology for posting the former.

SAY WHAT? Say no more...

To me, being liked by everyone is no everyday challenge. I don't spend time thinking what it is in me that people don't like. I quote Samantha from Sex and the City, "Honey, if I care about what everyone thinks of me, I'll never leave the house."

Don't get me wrong, I love Mr. Interesting. But sweety, if you're gonna call us boring coz that's how you find us, stand up for it. Live it! Don't let anyone mold who you are just because they reacted to your belief. Always remember that just because what you think isn't accepted by many, doesn't mean you have to go with what they believe is true.

Despite how we've been labeled already, I still wanna prove him wrong.

I know how interesting our block is! We have singers, dancers, photographers, artists, and a whole lot more to be proud of. Just open your heart a bit more. Spontaneity might be slapping you in the face and you don't even know it.

Select a song? Anyone?

Over and Out!

A brand new blog site!

A brand new blog site for a brand new start!!!

My baby and I recently just celebrated our 5th monthsary and together with that comes the success of my examinations for me to pass the first semester.

Everything is going very well and from how I see it, it will definitely get better!

Ok so where do I begin?

I've finally patched things up with Cherry after a month-long argument. Having a fight with her seemed fine at first but I guess in the long run, we could never escape the fact that bumping into each other is inevitable. We talked about things and made our points so that next time, rest assured, it won't happen again.

Next. While on vacation for a week, I've decided to sharpen my skills in designing clothes again. I could barely remember the last time I sketched something. I saved a dozen pictures where I can base models just so I would know better how to draw them in different positions such as walking, standing still, or doing some high fashion editorials. My "collection" a.k.a. drafts is far from complete. I haven't drawn half of my goal quantity but no hurry here, it's not like I'm on a deadline or anything.

I've also decided to try designing shoes, bags, and eyewear. Hope they turn out great.

Next. I'm planning on throwing away my first purchased equipments in cutting hair since they are starting to rip and rust. Though I'm just a freelancer, I won't risk my clients' safety. With or without a license, I plan on doing things professionally.

Next. (I've noticed all the things I'm doing right now were the ones I've been interested in a couple of years ago...) Anyway, Now that I'm back online since we recently subscribed for a broadband connection, you'd be expecting more from me when it comes to blogs and all that jazz. I miss blogging, I mean ranting, about celebrities, dishing out dirts about certain people harhar, Just Kidding!

So anyhow, that would be all for now, my official blogging would start on the next entry.

I love you my baby! (he's asleep right now in our bed, snoring... zzzZZzzZz)

Over and Out!