BISTRO FILIPINO: Chef Lau's Filipino Cuisine

BISTRO FILIPINO: Chef Lau's Filipino Cuisine

Our prize for winning the blog contest of Nuffnang and Colgate® Sensitive Pro-Relief™ is two seats each to an intimate dinner at Bistro Filipino with Chef Lau. 

Who said that Filipino food needs to be boring? Look how innovative Chef Lau is! I super duper love each of the five-course meal that Chef Lau served us.

For starters we had an appetizer course:

Lumpiang Ubod Cones with Frozen Spicy Vinegar

Bistro Filipino's best selling Lumpia plus smoked etag pork, ubod, and spicy vinegar granite P288.00. Super like this! It reminds me of the home-cooked meal that our Mama serves to us when she was still alive. Chef Lau's created a cone-shaped Lumpia that taste very Pinoy served in a shot glass. Complete with suka dip.

 

Followed by a soup course:

Adobo Mushroom Cappuccino 

Their best selling signature soup plus garlic cream foam and adobo mushroom sauté P198.00. This taste so good I finished the whole bowl in a flash.

 

Salad Course:

3 Kinds of Mangoes Seasonal organic greens and vegetables plus kasuy crusted kesong puti, ripe mango, green mango, dried mango, and mango bagoong vinaigrette P 268.00. Very fresh and delicious!!
 
Main Course:

Experience Classic Filipino Beef dishes like never before with Kitayama Wagyu from Bukidnon.

Sinigang Slow cooked Wagyu Short Ribs plus rich sinigang sauce, steamed organic vegetables, gabi puff, roasted tomatoes, and onions P398.00. I simply love how tender the beef is. And I super love the gabi cake underneath. Four thumbs up for this!

 

Dessert was prepared by Chef Lau's lovely wife Chef Jackie:

Banana Q Tart Caramelized bananas and jackfruit ice cream made intoxicatingly delish with rhum flambé P198.00.
 
I so love this dessert!! Super sarap!! What with the langka and banana cue. You are very talented Chef Jackie!

Upon entering Bistro Filipino, you will be welcomed by this capiz chandelier! Very Filipino indeed!

Super cute capiz shell ceiling light.

The lighting and chandelier inside Bistro Filipino reminds me of the "The Phantom of the Opera" play.

Romantic wall lighting. 

The restaurant is highly recommended for its delicious and innovative Filipino food. Bistro Filipino has a romantic feel, very intimate, clean and has very prompt waiters.

All these magical experience will not be possible if not for Colgate® Sensitive Pro-Relief™

Thank you Nuffnang Philippines, Colgate, Chef Lau and Chef Jackie for the chance to dine at Bistro Filipino and for giving us the best seat in the house!

Chef Laudico's Bistro Filipino The Fort
G/F Net 2 Bldg, 3rd Ave Fort Bonifacio, Taguig (02) 856-0634

FREE ADMISSION: Korean Film Festival

Be enchanted with the romantic-comedy SPELLBOUND.

Jo-goo, a street magician (Lee Min-ki), notices a miserable looking girl, Yu-ri (Son Ye-jin), in the audience during one of his performances, and she winds up being the inspiration for his

“Horror magic show.” The show became a runaway success almost overnight and Jo-goo in turn, is now a successful stage magician with a model girlfriend. Yu-ri acquired an 'unwanted' ability to see the dead ever since she survived a high school automobile accident. She not only sees dead people, but these 'dead people' also appear in her life on a regular basis. Yu-ri eventually ended up leading a solitary life, even her family fled the country and left her behind. Yu-ri and Jo goo starts to develop feelings for each other. And though Jo-goo is sometimes scared, he loves Yu-ri enough to overcome his fear.

Catch more Korean Films on Sept.18-23 at SM Cinema Megamall, Sept.26-30 at SM Cinema Baguio and Oct.3-7 at SM Cinema Cebu.

Catch "Late Blossom" at the Korean Film Festival

The film follows the lives of two couples who live in the same neighborhood.
Kim Man-Suk (Lee Soon-Jae) delivers milk on a motorbike at dawn. He curses a lot, but actually has a warm heart.

One day when he goes up a slope, he meets Ms. Song (Yun So-Jeong) - a lonely woman who works hards by collecting and selling scrap paper. Man-Suk feels something special toward Ms. Song.

Jang Kun-Bong (Song Jae-Ho) works in a parking lot. Jang Kun-Bong has a wife (Kim Soo-Mi) who suffers from alzheimer's. He works from dawn until late at night. After work he comes home and takes care of his wife.

Cinema 9, SM Megamall: Sept.20 (4:30pm), Sept.22 (12:00pm)
Cinema 2, SM Baguio: Sept.28 (10:00am)
Cinema 3, SM Cebu: October 5 (8:00pm)

 

Catch the heart-warming film BUNT at the Korean Film Festival

Filling the cups of classmates with a kettle is the only work the 11-year-old Dong-ku, who is mentally retarded, can do in his school life. However, even this small connection w

ith the outside world breaks as one day a new water purifier replaces the kettle in his classroom. Disappointed by losing his only hope to survive in a regular school, he finds that every freshman in the junior baseball team is required to supply drinking water to other members with a kettle. Though Dong-ku knows nothing about baseball, he decides to join the team while his father, Jin-kyu, is struggling to save his kid’s only shelter, their chicken bar.

SM Cinema Megamall: September 18, 21 and 23
SM Cinema Baguio: September 27
SM Cinema Cebu: October 5 and 7

FREE DRINKS AND ENTRANCE: Joint Mercato Centrale And 7th High Promo

FREE DRINKS AND ENTRANCE: Joint Mercato Centrale And 7th High Promo

  

Good News Foodies! MERCATO CENTRALE AND 7TH HIGH BRING YOU TO NEW FOODIE HEIGHTS!

 

Your favorite Bonifacio Global City, Taguig hangouts – Mercato Centrale, the premiere night food market in the city and 7th High, the boutique nightspot and events venue that sets the bar for luxury in Manila’s nightlife industry are teaming up for a delicious partnership!

Starting Sept. 28, 2012 for every PHP 500.00 purchase of food and drinks at Mercato Centrale night market, marketgoers can get a free entrance pass to Seventh High along with free drinks! On top of that, the best dressed male and female who visit Mercato during the weekend will get a PHP 500.00 rebate card applicable on a minimum purchase of PHP 1,000.00 on drinks.  Both offers are applicable for market goers eighteen years old and above.

 

Enjoy a foodie trip at Mercato Centrale before dancing the night away at Seventh High! Mercato Centrale is at the corner for 34^th street and 8^th avenue and is open every Friday and Saturday 10pm-3am and Seventh High is along 7^th avenue and is open Tuesdays to Saturdays.

For more details, please check www.mercatocentrale.ph, www.midnightmercato.com and www.7thhigh.com or www.facebook.com/mercatocentrale and www.facebook.com/7thHIGH. Follow @mercatocentrale and @7thHIGH on Twitter.

BENCH UNIVERSE

BENCH UNIVERSE

MERALCO: It's time to MOVE Philippines

MERALCO: It's time to MOVE Philippines

Have you heard about the MOVE? 

MOVE  means MeralcO Virtual Engine.

MERALCO recently held a bloggers' night entitled Meralco MOVE App-date. Martin sent me this cute invitation:

Thank you Martin!

By the way, Meralco won an award recently from the People Management Association of the Philippines as 2012 Employer of the Year. Congratulations to Meralco management!

The event was done to familiarized the bloggers with the MeralcO Virtual Engine services.

 

Meralco's six different services in one App are compose of the following:

Meralco's OFFICE DIRECTORY App, finding the nearest Meralco office is so easy! from Metro Manila to nearby provinces. One can find the complete contact details of each Meralco offices yes, be it the address, phone numbers or email address . This partcular sevice is so cool!

Meralco's APPLIANCE CALCULATOR App let you know the operating cost of each of your home appliances and how much it contributes to your monthly electric bill in seconds.

Meralco's BAYAD CENTER DIRECTORY App makes looking for the nearest Bayad Center where you can most conveniently pay for your pending Meralco bill as easy as counting 1 2 3!

Meralco's POWER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE App provides brown out/ regular maintenance schedule ahead of time. Regular maintenance is needed to ensure reliable electricity.

Meralco's E-MERALCO BILL App let you view your latest bill even when you're on the go. 

Meralco's BRIGHT IDEAS App gives you valuable tips on how to use and save on electricity. Did you know that you could save money by simply pulling the plug when you go out of your house? And you get better illumination at a lesser wattage when you use Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL). If you want to learn more download the six Meralco Apps now! This is 100% Free.

Meralco's power ranger in a dance number. They're awesome! Just like each Meralco service application that they represent.

 The author with Meralco Office Directory ranger.

 

Aside from the music, food and dance number, there was also a game. Since there were six (6) Meralco services in one (1) application we were also divided into six. Yes, folks, each group is composed of six (6) person. We had a game that was similar to speed-dating, each member of the group sat on a table opposite a Meralco power ranger. We were given a minute to get to know one service among the six (6) services in one (1) app that can help consumer to have a round-the-clock access to Meralco's services through any smart phone or tablet. Then we were given a questionnaire where we jot down our answers within sixty seconds.

Each member of the winning team brought home a Samsung Galaxy Tab. Congratulations everyone! I am so happy for you Jo, Mark, Rain, Janese, Lloyd and Dan!

For more information about Meralco six (6) services in one (1)apps, please go to http://www.meralco.com.ph/index.html or visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/meralco

Chinoy TV launches business reality TV show

Good News Entrepinoys! Chinoy TV launches business reality TV show

CHInoypreneur is an advocacy project of Chinoy TV in cooperation with Philippine Franchise Association (PFA), Go Negosyo, Mansmith and Fielders and the Alliance of Filipino-Chinese Students (AFICS) wherein the primary aim is the promotion of entrepreneurship among the youth and to help improve the current state of Chinoy owned businesses by educating them with different tools, technologies and strategies in the fields of leadership, marketing, finance, information technology, human resources and etc. that would enable them to compete with the bigger and more established companies.  CHInoypreneur is also a movement which aims to foster unity among the Chinoy community in different industries.

 

To kick-off CHInoypreneur 2012, CHInoypreneur Day which is co-presented by Multiply.com was held last September 1 in Binondo Manila. It was a one-day business event that gathered the most influential business experts in the country today. The business gurus who shared their knowledge and insights were Samie Lim for franchising, Josiah Go for marketing, Randell Tiongson for finance, Paulo Tibig for basics of entrepeneurship and Michaelangelo Lobrin for positive mindset.

CHInoypreneur Challenge 2012 is a business reality show that will be participated by college students from De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, Philippine Cultural College, Chang Kai Shek College, University of the Philippines, and University of Asia and the Pacific. The show aims to provide a training venue that would allow them to sharpen their entrepreneurial skills by providing them real life business experiences.

Chinoypreneur will air in Chinoy TV on Net 25 starting this coming October.

 

“CHInoy TV” is the only Filipino Chinese television show that features Chinese heritage and how it harmonizes with the Filipino culture. It is committed to promote both cultures by featuring Filipino-Chinese lifestyle to its viewers and it is the only show that caters directly to the Filipino-Chinese community.

The show features about successful Chinese personalities, establishments, fashion, travel, entertainment and other happenings surrounding the Filipino-Chinese community.  Chinoy TV airs every Sunday 1030am with replays on Tuesday 11pm and Saturday 1030am.

TRAVEL TIPS: Earn while you Travel

Earn while you Travel

One of the best ways to maintain a healthy financial forecast, when travelling, is to work while you explore the globe. Working holidays are continuing to increase in popularity, as many holidaymakers lack the funds to travel endlessly and aren’t prepared to shorten their holiday and be restricted by a firm budget. If you’re looking to travel the world, but are interested in earning while you experience some of the best destinations in the world, check out our great tips for working holiday goers.

Should I still Save Money if I’m Planning on Working

Even if you are considering working full time whilst overseas, you should always save as much money as possible. Once you have left your home country, you must be prepared for any unexpected occurrences that may require a great deal of money. Having an adequate amount of savings will allow you to rest at ease, knowing that you are covered while you travel. When organizing your holiday, try to remember that you will be paying for everyday living expenses such as accommodation, transportation and food, along with fun holiday activities such as sightseeing ventures and tours.

Teaching Jobs

Teaching jobs are incredibly popular for travellers, as they often provide a regular source of income, particularly for people who are looking to spend an extended amount of time in one particular country. Asian countries are most well-known for having international teaching jobs available, with most positions offering a contract of approximately 20 hours per week.

Casual & Backpacking Work

If you’re looking to travel amongst various destinations, never staying in one city for more than a few weeks, you will be more suited to a transient job, popular amongst backpackers. Various casual jobs are available for travellers, including fruit picking, barrister work, bartending, waitressing and cleaning jobs.

Where Can I Find Work

There are a number of options available to travellers who are in search of work. If you’re staying at a backpacker hostel, talk to your reception staff or enquire about a notice board. Fellow backpackers are also a great source for finding out about job opportunities, as they are often in similar areas of work.

If you like to be prepared, you always have the option of sourcing work before you depart. A number of job agencies offer careers aboard, providing you with a guaranteed position upon arrival in your chosen country. Career opportunities can vary greatly, ranging from teaching positions and bar tending jobs to fruit picking and ski lift operators.

If you’re savings just aren’t bringing you to your travels as quickly as you’d like, consider a working holiday. Earning while you travel provides a great opportunity to see the far corners of the world, without being out of pocket and accumulating unnecessary debt.

Author Bio

Tara Blair writes for many leading news sites and blogs about personal finance and travel. She says that if you have multiple debts before you begin travelling, you should seek professional advice for debt consolidation solutions Tara says having a single repayment makes managing your debt much easier while you are traveling.

Let's Move & Let's Love

Let's Move & Let's Love

One move and an act of love that I commit myself to do before the year ends is to visit "Gift of Love" again in Naga City.

When I was still in college, my friends and I usually visit the kids at the Gift of Love orphanage in Naga. Gift of love is a children’s shelter under the care of the Missionaries of Charity. Founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the sisters care for abandoned children, sick children, the mentally ill, ex-prostitutes, lepers, AIDS victims, refugees, the aged, and convalescent. A friend even entered their congregation and studied to be a nun and we even visited her at Gift of Love.

Unlike other kids during our time, I rarely go to disco or gimmicks, I usually hang out with my friends in church, seminary or the orphanage. We also go to different depressed community in Naga during Sundays to help maintain a clean environment in the barangay. And give Christmas cheers to the kids in the area.

We spent Sunday morning, sweeping and cleaning barangay public health offices. We also help remove rocks, grass and other dirt in the barangay premises. I was a catechist and a Campus Ministry at the same time, so it was not easy for a college kid like me to schedule a visit to the Gift of love. Aside from the gift of love which we frequent, we also do Christmas cheers in depressed areas in Naga like in Mabulo, where, each one of us adopt one kid per family, then feed, bath, buy toys for them for a day. Yes, only for a day because we're only college kids back then.

I still remember, one day when we visited the orphanage, our hearts got broken into pieces because there was a tiny baby the size of a cola bottle, that was left at the door of the orphanage :-( 

He was so fragile. Very tiny baby. My friends and I are not allowed to carry him because he was under medication and has a Intravenous Solution attached to his fragile body.

Some of us shed tears, we can't help it. It was heart wrenching. It definitely leaves a lump in one’s throat.

After that visit, we got so busy with school and other activities. I was never able to keep track what happened to that little angel. Many years had passed by already but the image of his fragile body was forever etched in my memory. If I will be presented with an opportunity I would really like to visit the Gift of love and once again give some cheers to the children.

I am still recovering from my ailment but today, I resolved to visit the Gift of Love orphanage before the year ends. 

Come with me to Gift of Love if you like...

Let's Move..


Let's Love...

Let's spread some cheer!

Source of Gift of Love pix: motorcycle phil.