Holy Week 2013 Guide (Updated)

What are you doing this weekend?  For those staying in Manila for Holy Week, here’s a list of mall schedules as well as restaurants that are open on Maundy Thursday and/or Good Friday.

MALL SCHEDULES

Alabang Town Center
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat & Sun:  10:00am to 10:00pm

Bonifacio High Street
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat & Sun:  11am to 9pm

Eastwood Mall
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat: 11:00 am to 11:00pm
Sun: 10:00 am to 10:00pm

Glorietta
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Sun: 10:00am to 9:00pm

Greenbelt
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat: 11:00am to 10:00pm
Sun: 11:00am to 9:00pm

Greenhills Shopping Center
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat: 12nn to 9:00pm
Sun: 10:00am to 8:00pm

Landmark Makati
-Department Store
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat: 10:00am to 8:30pm
Sun: 10:00am to 9:00pm
-Supermarket & Food Center
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat & Sun: 8:30am to 9:30pm

Lucky China Town Mall
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat & Sun: 10:00am to 10:00pm

Market! Market!
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Sun: 10:00am to 9:00pm

Newport Mall
Friday: closed
Thursday & Sat: 12nn to 12
Sun: 10:00am to 12:00mn

Powerplant Mall
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat: 12:00nn to 10:00pm
Sun: 10:00am to 9:00pm

Robinsons Galleria
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat & Sun: 10:00am to 10:00pm

Serendra
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat & Sun: 11:00am to 11:00pm

SM Megamall
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat & Sun: 10:00am to 10:00pm

SM Mall Of Asia
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat & Sun: 10:00am to 10:00pm

The Podium
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat & Sun: 10:00am to 10:00pm

Tiendesitas
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat & Sun; 11:00am to 10:00pm

Trinoma
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat & Sun: 10:00am to 10:00pm

Shangri-la Plaza
Thursday & Friday: closed
Sat & Sun: 11:00am to 11:00pm

RESTAURANTS OPEN ON MAUNDY THURSDAY / GOOD FRIDAY:

Old Swiss Inn, G/F Somerset Olympia Bldg., Makati Ave. corner Sto. Tomas St., TELEPHONE (632) 818.8251 and 818.0098 – open 24 hours on Thursday and Friday

Chili’s, 26 Missouri Street, Greenhills, San Juan, TELEPHONE (632) 727.2959 – open on Thursday and Friday

TGI Friday’s, Robinsons Galleria & Bonifacio High Street – open on Thursday and Friday

Jamba Juice, Bonifacio High Street Central, 7th Ave. cor. 29th Ave., Fort Bonifacio, Taguig – open on Thursday and Friday

Nanbantei of Tokyo, Bonifacio High Street Central, 7th Ave., Fort Bonifacio, Taguig – open on Thursday

Nolita, Bonifacio High Street Central, 7th Ave. cor. 29th St., Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, TELEPHONE (632) 547.8861 – open on Thursday and Friday

2nd’s, Bonifacio High Street 9th Avenue Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City, TELEPHONE (632) 846.5293 – open on Thursday and Friday

Telephone Number: 846-5293 and 846-5286

Pancake House (selected branches) – open on Thursday and Friday

Yellow Cab (selected branches) – open on Thursday and Friday 

Starbucks (selected branches) – open on Thursday and Friday

My family and I are planning to take it easy and just go to Church, have a picnic in the park, and celebrate with an Easter party on Sunday.  Now’s also a good time to hit the hotels… maybe sushi at Inagiku or halo-halo at the Peninsula lobby?  Hotel spas are probably open too, so if you’re in need of a massage you know where to go.

Have a peaceful Easter weekend everyone!

Online Shopping at Taste Central

Have you tried shopping at Taste Central? 

Taste Central is an online store of well-curated items ranging from shoes and accessories, to home decor, and food.  I’ve been planning to order a thing or two from their website, so I was excited when they sent me shopping credits just last week.  They were really sweet about it, too!  Thank you Nicky M. of Taste Central! XX

Here are the things I bought with my credits:

Uji-Matcha Green Tea Kitkat, P120 (box of 3)

Taste Central regularly stocks cult favorites such as flavored Kitkats and Trader Joe’s Speculoos cookie butter, but you have to snap them up right away or they’ll be sold out before you know it.  I wanted to hoard more Matcha Green Tea Kitkat, but they only had 2 boxes in stock left.  Think I’ll be stalking Taste Central most Sundays so I can get ahold of more when they restock.  Trust me, these are really addictive!

Cook ‘n Home reversible griddle, P1,425

I also got this nonstick griddle by Cook ‘n Home.  It fits perfectly over a 2-burner stove, for easy stovetop grilling.

Sabatino Tartifu black truffle oil, P850

Truffle oil has become such a trend, but I’m still not tired of it.  I’ll be drizzling this Sabatino Tartufi black truffle oil on everything from soups, to pastas, to potato chips and french fries. Mmm!

Chicco automatic steam sterilizer, P2,000

Taste Central also has a good selection of baby and kids’ items.  I got this minimalist automatic steam sterilizer by Chicco since I’ve been wanting to replace my old one.

Bitbit the Rabbit, P700

Finally, I chose this adorable Bitbit the Rabbit plush toy from Spinkie.  I think Bitbit is the perfect baby toy!  Wouldn’t this be a lovely baby shower or christening gift?  Bitbit comes in a whole variety of colors too.

There are just too many covet-worthy items on Taste Central to buy all at once.  Here are 10 more things on my wishlist:

Crate and Barrel fondue set, P2,865

PhoeNix Home tufted lounge chair, P21,160

Fresh eau de parfum, P4,450

Heima vintage radio lamp, P2,000

Delonghi espresso maker, P12,460

Aerolatte milk frother, P1,500

Fresh Sugar Rose tinted lip treatment, P1,250

Clarison MIA sonic skin cleaning system, P7,950

The Souk Organics Moroccan Argan Oil, P1,500

Mav mirrored bedside table, P9,980

And finally, allow me to end this post by sharing some things I loved about my Taste Central shopping experience:

1. Shopping is quick and easy.
2. Taste Central delivers within Manila in 3 days or less.  I got my order the very next day!
3. They have new items every Sunday (ala Deal Grocer).
4. They stock cult brands that are not readily available in Manila, such as Fresh, Jo Malone, Clarisonic, Trader Joes, and flavored Kitkat.
5. They carry home items from Heima and Phoenix Home, sometimes at discounted prices.
6. Deal Grocer Platinum members enjoy free shipping.
7. And last but not least, as the official retail partner of Deal Grocer, the Taste Central team really do make their customers feel pampered, from every email and text, to every update of your order and shipping details. 

So whether you’re an online shopping addict or virgin, I’d highly recommend checking out www.TasteCentral.com.

Sign up here and shop na!

www.TasteCentral.com

FACEBOOK PAGE

Photo Credit: Taste Central

Manila Seedling Bank

Have you been to Manila Seedling Bank?  It’s actually not just one place, but a lot of greenhouses clustered together on one property.  You can find it along Edsa, towards QC. 

John and I were there a few weeks ago to buy some plants for our home.  They sell everything from herbs to trees at a lot cheaper than anywhere else we’ve seen around the city. 

Here are more photos from our seedling bank visit.  Enjoy!

Further information and directions to Manila Seedling Bank here.

Chinese New Year 2013

Do you celebrate Chinese New Year?  My family is Chinese, so we definitely observe the holiday every year.  But even if you’re not Chinese, it’s as good an excuse as any to eat and be merry!

It’s tikoy time!

We started with the annual Family Day organized by Jacob’s preschool.  Their theme this year was Chinese New Year/Year of the Snake. 

New year’s eve dinner was at Hai Shin Lou with John’s family, same as last year.  Food is delicious as always, but the restaurant looks more and more rundown each year.  You kind of get the impression that they’re concentrating more catering on these days.

The next day, on Chinese New Year proper, we had a potluck lunch with my family.  Sunday potlucks have been our family tradition for as long as I can remember.

This guy dropped by for a visit.  There was actually a dragon too, but I wasn’t able to get a good shot of it.

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Brasas: Latin American Street Food

Have you been to Podium lately?  It used to be the quietest, emptiest mall ever, but that’s not the case anymore.  Lots of new little restaurants have been opening over the past year, and they’ve also been having regular Bakers’ Fairs and the occasional World Eats event. 

Brasas is one of the little restaurants John and I have been going to.  Service can be spotty with mixed-up or forgotten orders, but you should be OK so long as you keep following up with the waiters.

We usually like munching on a variety of appetizers while waiting for our main course, but be aware that at Brasas, you never really know which will be served first.  These Arepas are corn cakes topped with grilled beef, onions, tomatoes, and Chipotle sauce. 

We’ve also tried the Patacones, deep-fried plantain chips topped with pulled pork, tomatoes, onions, and cheese.  Didn’t really enjoy these as the chips were lacking in crunch.

We always get the Carne Asada fries to share.  Thick-cut french fries topped with grilled beef and Chipotle sauce.  Yum! 

The Grilled Beef Wrap is my favorite main.  It’s packed with grilled beef and vegetables with cheese.  Unlike a burrito, this has no rice in it.  I like to have it with some green salsa that you can order on the side. 

I’ve tried the pork version of this wrap, and all I can is get the beef.

Another good dish to order would be the Grilled Beef Platter, served with rice. John and I are condiment monsters and like to drizzle all our orders with lots of Chipotle sauce. Make sure you get yourseves your own bottle from the condiments bar.

Brasas also serves a variety of drinks that I didn;t get to try, as I really only like drinking water, coffee, and milkshakes.

BRASAS LATIN AMERICAN STREET FOOD, 5/F The Podium, 12 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig, TELEPHONE (632) 570.5559

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Happy Valentine’s Weekend!

For the first time since we got married, John and I decided to skip the whole Valentine’s Day brouhaha and I have to tell you, it is so liberating!  I always felt slightly dismayed at receiving overpriced flowers and felt sad watching them slowly die.  Our Valentine’s dinners were major affairs, where we would dress ourselves up and brave the traffic just to have a nice dinner.  Thing is, I hate dressing up!  And this year I woke up happy, knowing that this time I won’t have to. 

We’ll be celebrating in our own little way — maybe we’ll cook, or get takeout, or eat somewhere dodgy.  I told John I don’t want flowers, just fresh coffee ready and waiting for me the minute I wake up.  Maybe a pint of really good ice cream that I can eat straight from the tub.  Maybe music.  Maybe a love letter.

Photo Credit: The Gruffalo Philippines Facebook Page

Tomorrow, I’m going on a date with my 4 year old, and we’re going to see The Gruffalo with my cousins Patty and May, and Jacob’s cousin Sabrina.  If you haven’t gotten tickets yet, go buy na!  I think they still have a few seats left.

Hope you have a good one!