Trekking in Heels

Experienced:  Aerosoles

I've been following a friend's blog for several months already.  His work is so candid and "in your face", funny, vivid and could just get me out from the occasional slumps that I get in.  Suffice it to say the he has inspired me to keep on writing in my own blog and it's a real compliment to have him follow my blog, ugh!  So several days back, I read his latest post and there it was, another contest wherein the price is a Starbuck's 2011 planner and he decided to throw in a bottle of Jose Cuervo tequila.  My eye was on the planner since I got the 2010 planner last year but alas, I not only gained the planner but a few pounds as well after drinking those Christmas drinks, fraps, and what have you.  So I labored religiously to find the right answers to the questions in order to win.

Lately I have been "down with luck" regarding party raffle draws.  I couldn't even win a Cetaphil Restoraderm body moisturizer, huhuhu.  So I gave this raffle a try.  And what did you know?  I managed to get all the right answers and posted it and voila!  The prize is mine, all mine (insert evil laugh), without the extra pounds.

So I set up the date and time to meet up with my friend to claim my prize.  I was not fated to drive my car today since I happen to incur a flat tire from God knows where (unfortunately I have an inkling) which was not noted by yours truly yesterday.  I had my dad drive me to work and so I had to find my own ride in the afternoon.  Lucky as I am, no taxi was in sight at 5pm.  I had to get to Cakewalker's Cafe so I did some trekking in my Aerosoles.

I walked 4-5 blocks in these but my feet didn't hurt at all.  Worth every peso I spent and I got this on on sale at Rustan's.

Maybe I should try this on the treadmill?

Anyway, I got where I wanted to be and claimed my prize from The Lead Character in just 15 minutes wearing this baby!

Gluttonous (S)Iam

Tasted:  Siam

One day, our family just headed over to Ayala Center Cebu Terraces for a thanksgiving meal care of my aunt in the US.  It was her birthday but since we couldn't be present at her shindig, dinner at Siam was on her.

So taking advantage of this treat, we ordered whatever took our fancy.  For starters, we opted for the Tom Yum soup.  We had to tone down its spiciness for our mom's sake.

Tom Yum

 It's not our first time at Siam but still we usually prefer to order our favorites. So to sample other food fares, we tried the sampler.

Spring rolls, beef, pandan chicken and breaded pork

 Then came the all time favorite, paying no heed to hypertension...the bagoong rice!

From the photo above, you could get a preview of another dish that we ordered, their version of the crispy pata.  I have mixed reviews on this though since I've tasted this thrice.  Twice it came out too moist for my taste.  Pinoy crispy pata tastes much better.

This one has seen better days

 Up next is the phad thai.  This could be the more authentic version that we have in Cebu but I still go for Lemon Grass's version.  This one is too sweet for my taste.

Sweet

 Lastly to put a cap to our appetites, we ordered their version of the halo-halo. The first time I had this one, I was amazed at how fine the ice was and the beans tasted good, considering that this ingredient is the least of my favorites to grace the halo-halo. Also, they have a mystery fruit in it, the pear perhaps.

 

The verdict:  All in all, compliments for not being greasy.  Having a really moist crispy pata is an acquired taste.  Regarding the phad thai, I would go for Lemon Grass's version.  As for the Tom Yum, it deserves all the sweat it can get out of you.  Ambiance wise, it's good and meant for groups, so get your friends to chow with you.

Fudge: I Heard, I Went, and I Tasted

Tasted:  Fudge at AS Fortuna St., Banilad

courtesy of OpenRice.com

I first heard of this cafe-resto from a classmate in med school, April G.  She went out one time with a bunch of friends and posted it on her Facebook account.  So I was quite intrigued, seeing that the place was cozy and they really had a good time.  So I asked her for the location and her feedback, which were both good.

It took quite some time before I decided to give it a try since I live in one of the south districts of the city whereas Banilad is going up north.  Since my boyfriend was in town, he suggested that we eat at somewhere we haven't tried.  Now a few days back, my bestfriend was in town and he said that his younger bro mentioned Fudge.  So our fate was sealed, we were to dine at Fudge on a Saturday night.

Surprisingly, there were already a handful of patrons in the establishment, and I could tell that most of them were not newbies.  About half of the patrons were photo enthusiasts below 21 years of age with their SLR cameras, converging to show their latest shots.  Anyhow, the late 20's patrons were usually couples out for dinner, who also wanted to try Fudge.

CMC (Cucumber, Melon, Calamansi)

 So we started our order with this drink, the CMC.  It stands for cucumber, melon, calamansi.  Well, I might be wrong with what the "M" stands for since I'm about 2 weeks late in posting this one.  I couldn't really taste the melon, but then there's some lemon in this drink and cucumber is the main ingredient in this one.  It tastes herb-y, pulpy, and slushy at the same time but it tastes good nonetheless.  Not too sweet and not too sour, and reminiscent of the citrus and herb drink from The Lemongrass.  The table also comes with complementary garlic bread (sorry no photo, but they do have one in the Fudge Facebook account).  The loaf is similar to the one served in Grand Majestic for the patatim.  The garlic is served on the side, a complete head that is.  It has a buttery consistency so you just spread it on the loaf.  I had some apprehension at first, seeing that it was a complete head of garlic.  But it did taste great and not overpowering or salty at all.

Chicken Cordonbleu

This is what my partner ordered for himself.  It looks like your regular chicken cordonbleu but the surprise comes when you start getting a portion of it on your fork.  It's crispy on the outside but not dry at all.  They have some sort of a secret sauce or marinade that oozes out once you stick your knife in but it tastes real good.  It's the best cordonbleu that I have tasted to date.  Kudos to the chef!

Z something... (my bad)

And this is what I had, it started with a letter Z.  Too hard for me to remember but it was quite long.  It's pork tenderloin in a creamy sauce with mushrooms and hash browns on the side.  The hash browns were really good, the pork really tender and the cream was not overpowering and did not leave any aftertaste.  Their entrees don't usually come with rice so you have to order it as an add-on.  They also serve pasta, they have a wide array of cakes and pastries, and most of all, they have an all-day breakfast.  I didn't have any space for dessert so I decided to skip it and try some the next time I drop by.

Price wise, it's within Bigby's range and less, and anybody can find something for themselves be it chicken, beef, veggies, pork, pasta and sandwiches.  So I definitely recommend this place for your dates, family meals, and a place for your downtime.  They also have free wifi connection for customers.  So tucker in to your heart's content.