Food Finds: Childhood Memories and Instant Yan Yan

Why hello there! So nice for you to be back! 

Have you ever wondered what you can buy for 100 pesos and still be full? I have. Usually after work I eat out and be like

What fast food joint or fish ball stand should I eat out today? 

First of all eating fast food or street food on a daily basis is not a healthy option I know that is why usually I eat out when I am near my house because there are a lot more choices here for some reason. 

And one particular place I go to is Mercury Drug - I tend to buy food there since they have a mini grocery. 

And also in my food finds I tend to stray away from the chips and chocolate..well mostly chips because they contain MSG or mono sodium glutamate that retains water in the body thus making us bloated a couple of hours after we eat. Yeah keep eating that instant ramen if you want a bloated face the next day - kidding! 

And also I only give myself 100 pesos allowance to eat. Because I know that even with a 50 peso meal you won't feel full so make it a hundred. 

Here are the items I got. 

I got:

Fortune's Bread sticks for 22 pesos
Yakult Probiotic drink for 40 pesos
Finetti Hazelnut with cocoa spread for 35.75 pesos

The total? 97.75 php! 

I still have 2. 25php change! What a steal right? If you want a receipt check it below. 

I think sufficing the hunger in us doesn't have to cost us being unhealthy. So why don't you share your 100peso food find with me on Instagram!

I will do more of these in the future because of course who doesn't want a steal with food but still keep it healthy? If you are one of those people who don't then..shame on you! haha! kidding!

Thank you and have a great weekend!

Much Love!

xx Alice 

Kit Kat Heaven!!!

Kit Kat is one of those treats that I rarely get exited for since the ones that I've tried when I was your was the regular variant. Nothing really special really - not until I was able to try out two new flavors of Kit Kat!

I tried out Passion fruit and the coveted Green Tea flavor.

These were actually sold to me by my co-worker since her sibling travels a lot. She retails these at about 370PHP per bag of 12 mini pieces. 

Each piece are individually wrapped and contains 2 wafers layered with the selected flavor then covered in the same icing. 

The passion fruit was more of a main stay in the Japanese market according to my cousin, since it has a 'normal' taste - her words not mine. 

So since it was my first time to try it, I was a bit curious with the taste of Kit Kat's passion fruit flavor. When I tasted it, all I could say was ...hmmm? yes.It wasn't a real word but more of an expression. 

The aroma was fruity with a hint of creaminess. The taste was somewhat confuses me since it has a creamy, kind-of citrus zing into it that makes you want to reach out for more. I was taken back with the taste of the passion fruit that I actually liked it the more I tasted it.

Now to the coveted Green tea kit kat. 

I didn't expect much with this because I basically grew up drinking green tea because my mom would get tons of green tea from her Japanese friends, which ends up being in my cup since she says its good for your health.

The moment I opened this piece I braised myself for an outpouring of childhood memories - of my mom running after me to drink my afternoon green tea. The thought of it makes me cringe.

I don't have anything against drinking Japanese green tea, its just that whenever I smell it, it just reminds me of like the smell of grass. I have drank gallons of Japanese green tea which quite honestly made me sick of drinking it, but I think eating it will be fine...right?

The aroma of this is very much like the once I've drank before, but somehow I don't feel tensed eating it. The aroma is not that overwhelming to the mouth which is great.

If you ask me between the two which one I like more?

I would go with Passion fruit. The taste is quite new and its something that you want to have over and over again while the green tea one is just something I was accustomed to thus making it more of like an afternoon delight.

Which one would you prefer?

Make sure to leave your comments below!

Much Love!

Alice

My First Ever Ilocos Emapanada!

I like to travel and try food from the places I have visited, but I have never been to Ilocos ever! I have passed by Ilocos but not really stopped over and try the food. I was really hoping to go there this coming October but something came up and my buddies had to back out.

BUT STILL I was able to find a way to taste the infamous Ilocos Empanada! And it was actually just a jeepney ride away from my house.

I am talking about Farinas Ilocos Empanada!

But FIRST! What is an Empanada...mainly what is an Ilocos Empanada?

Ilocos Empanada is an Ilocano snack make out of green papaya, mongo, egg, and longganisa, enveloped in a crunchy orange-colored crust made out of rice flour with its signiture Ilocos vinegar as its condiment.  

I am part Ilocano thanks to my mother but I was not able to really embrace that side of my culture since I was raised here in Manila. I do know that Ilocanos are great cooks since I grew up mostly with Ilocanos as my housemates they cook delicious meals that not only are yummy to infinity but also healthy.

But yet again most of them did not grow up in Ilocos so I was really torn if these were authentic or not.

According to the owners of Farinas, Almost 90% of the ingredients that they use in their store are directly shipped from Ilocos to ensure the authenticity of the Ilocos empanada. Another thing I noticed is that the vegetables that they use are organic which is really great. They also use an organic munggo which is my first time to see as well.

I was able to try their tapa meal and also the infamous Ilocos Empanada.  

The tapa was specially marinated and the texture of the meat is exceptionally tender which is great because I don't really like to chew that much on my meat. The scent of the meat was really nice which did remind me of the ones I've tasted when I was young but that wasn't as tender as the one from Farinas. 

Now let's dig in to the infamous Empanada shall we? Since it was my first time to try it, I was a little scared because I don't know what to expect, but better dig in than never right? 

I was in a big surprise because at first bite, the taste just exploded in my mouth. It was like meeting a new friend in a way. The mixture of the vegetables and the meat was just right with the crunchy orange wrap. 

Other best sellers of Farinas is their ultimate empanada - why ultimate you ask? Because it has bagnet inside! 

Their store is quite small, but very homey. I remember a similar store I eat to that looks like this when I was in Highschool so this does remind me of my younger years. But even with a small store, they serve delicious food that I think both young and older generations would like. 

Its a must try if you ask me! You can have a taste of Farinas at 56 Visayas Ave, Project 6, Quezon City and also visit their Facebook page for more information. 

Have a safe and Happy Sunday ahead! 

xx Alice 

A Little Piece of Heaven

Sometimes heaven can be found in the little things. 

I do believe this saying. Heaven is a way of thinking for some but for me heaven can be found in the littlest of things that we see. 

Like Hershey's Kisses! 

Since I was younger I have been an avid lover of these. One of my fondest memory of these are when me and my family went to Duty Free one Christmas and I asked her if I could buy one, my mom doesn't really let me handle her wallet but on that faithful day she handed me fifty dollars to spend on what ever I want.

Being the kid that I am I immediately went to the chocolate section and bought myself at least 3 gift bags of these which gave me a chance to spin for a special prize. The special prize I got was another bag full of Hershey's! My mom and dad were quite surprised when I got back and carried quite a heavy load full of chocolates. My brothers were totally jealous but being the loving baby sister that I am I bought them a big bag of Combos.

Going back..

Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate is simply heaven in the taste buds with its slight bitterness but still that mouth watering chocolate sweetness - simply heaven in deed!

My office mate actually offers these for sale for only 250 PHP for one bag which is quite cheaper than those in the market so I ordered two- one for me and one for my mom since she loves these as well.

My rule in life is work hard but enjoy the simple pleasures in life. So having one of these babies is not bad if you ask me. And also dark chocolate is good for you since it has more antioxidants than milk chocolate so having one to two of these every day isn't going to ruin your diet so indulge in a bit.

Have you tried this? What do you think about it?

Comment below! 

Much Love! 

xx Alice

Food Find: Yellow Cab Pizza's Pasta

Hello again!

One of the things I think I cannot live without is pasta. Ever since I was a kid I remember reaching out to eat the pasta dish during dinner. I like rice as much as any Pinoy likes it with everything but  there is just something with pasta in particular that makes me want to crave it a lot.

A couple of weeks again my brother was especially being nice to me that he dropped by my office and bought me a Yellow Cab Pasta! I haven't really tried their pasta choices but I heard that they are good.

I got their Spaghetti with meatballs while Kuya got a different kind. I don't what was up with my brother was especially nice to me that day... that makes me wonder up till now.

I am close to him but when he suddenly treats me something I know something is up.. but then again maybe he is just being extra generous that day. LOL. Paranoid lang? wahahar!

On to the Pasts!

One serving is around 150++ or much more but 1 order is good for 2 people so you can definitely share this with a friend.

Their pasta choice are great because they are yummy and the ingredients are indeed fresh. I remember that the sauce had real tomato bits that most restaurants don't do anymore.

Over all I like their pasta choices! I will try their other variants to see which one is more yummy ^_^

Till then!

Much love!

xx Alice 

Food Feature: KFC BBQ Shredder

Ola wonderful world of the internet! I am back! 

I have been MIA-ing from blogging both here and my beauty blog for a while now since I am preparing some stuff for summer. 

It's finally Summer! Time to lounge in the heat of the sun while sippin' on that Pinacolada! 

kidding! I won't be doing that since I want to move more this summer. I will be going on a trip will my office mates this weekend which I am totally psyched about. Did you know we have been planning this trip since January? now its only 1 sleep away from becoming true! oh the pure love and joy! :D 

But that won't be today's topic! I want to share to you this food that KFC has showed out: KFC BBQ Shredder. 

Its a bbq flavored meat that has been shredded that is between two buns with garlic mayo, lettuce and what I think is a thin slice of tofu.

I'm not a chef so my taste buds don't really give me all the correct answers.

Unlike the cheese top burger, this didn't really have a lot of hype given to it since its just shredded meat put in between two buns.

Taste wise, it is good but personally I would ask if they can lessen the garlic mayo since it over empowers the taste of the meat - just sayin'

Over all I do love this burger, the only thing that I don't like it is its a bit too ordinary for me since there had been a similar once but not from KFC. 

I would say you should try this for the fun of it. Its not bad since its below 100 pesos which is great, you could also share this with a friend, but if you are a sloppy eater, be extra careful with this. 

Have you tried this? What do you think about it? Let me know on the comment box below! 

Much Love! 

xx Alice

Lovin' Every SiP

For a couple of weeks now I have been drinking SiP which is a milk tea establishment near our office. 

 They specialize in chilled tea drinks. For one thing that I noticed in their drinks is that its not that bitter since they steep the tea.

As a tea drinker for quite some time there is a big difference when a tea is steeped or brewed. When it is steep, there is the taste of the tea leaves but not bitter after taste while if you brew your tea it still has the same taste but has the bitter after taste.

I have tried a couple of their drinks which are strawberry milk tea and their raspberry yakult tea which tastes soo good!

You can also choose to add on some toppings besides the typical tapioca to egg pudding, coffee jelly and even aloe vera.

Their drinks are quite refreshing since they are not too sweet due to their natural sweeteners. They are also affordable since one large milk tea is about 100 pesos which is great if you are a student that has a penchant for milk tea.

I really recommend this drink to everyone since its refreshing and also its affordable and you can choose your own toppings with it!

You can get yourself some SiP at Robinson's Galleria, Pearl Plaza in Ortigas, Dr. Quintos St. in Malate, and in SM Sucat.

I will definitely be getting more SiP in the future for sure!

Much Love!

xx Alice 

Food Finds under 50php: Midnight Hunger Pangs+Mang juan pancit in Tuyo and Kalamansi???

Hello ladies! I am back with another food find! 

I usually get hunger pangs in the middle of the night whenever I shoot new videos or edit new videos and photos for my lovelies ^^, luckily there is a lot of convenience stores in our neighborhood that I can go to in case I get hungry. 

Drink Find: Roots Ginger Brew

Hey Everyone! Sorry again for not updating this blog but I have just been quite busy with everything and didn't really had much time to blog about food finds and all. But expect a lot of food-related posts soon since I have been out and about so I will let you know what is the latest finds in the market. 

On today's blog it would be about Roots Ginger Brew. I have been seeing this drink in Mini stop in our office for the longest time that I didn't really give enough thought of trying it. But because of sheer curiosity I was able to buy and try one of these.

Retails for about 19.50 - 20++. I forgot the exact price though. This is a carbonated drink so expect a lot of fizz when you open this. According to the packaging this is 100% ginger. We will just have to see it. 

Ingredients:

Carbonated water, sugar, brewed ginger, citric acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate.

The taste is actually new to me. Its zesty but mild. The flavor is quite smooth that you can actually have a second serving of this. 

In terms of the taste, it is good but if you are not used to ginger you might want to go with the regular kind of soda. Personally this is a great drink since its not the ordinary carbonated drink. 

Will I repurchase it? 

Sure, maybe when I am going out with my niece and my nephew so they can try this out. 

Will you try this drink for yourself? 

Let me know on the comments box! 

Happy Sunday! 

Much Love! 

-- Alice

Dining out with my girls at Don Day

Hello ladies!

I would just like to share to you my experience eating at Don Day restaurant.

I came to know this restaurant from an office colleague since she went there with her friend and her friend's boyfriend. I was a bit surprised when I got there because it was not as I expected it to be, but not in the bad way of course.

Yummy Food at BFAST!

Hello! 

As promised, I am back to let you see what I ate at BFAST. I wasn't able to post this as soon as possible because I was:

1. Terribly busy with work. 

2. Wasn't able to do it because of the weather.

and

3. Forgot that I have to do this post.

Breakfast and so Much More at BFAST

Breakfast is, quite possibly, the one meal that I can eat at any time of the day (or even at night) and it will definitely satisfy one's hunger pangs..or maybe my hunger pangs LOL.

This is especially true in the Philippines since breakfast, just like with lunch and dinner (and sometimes even merienda!), is often served with rice (Don't deny it!), making it a belly filling experience compared to the westernized 'continental' breakfast which is usually composed of eggs, bread or muffins, and some sort of deli (ham, sausages or bacon) or some processed meat like hot dogs, corned beef, or luncheon meat...spam anyone?

How to make instant pancit palabok

Hello ladies! I know the title sounds weird since there is actually no easy way to make pancit palabok. Not unless it is an instant kind from Lucky Me! :D 

I think this is a new product since I haven't seen a TVC of this in any channel I watch. Retailed at 13PHP, this is a great afternoon snack. I remember when I was younger my dad would buy me palabok which is actually good for 3 people, but me and my dad would be the ones eating it. 

Food Finds: Fudgee Barr!!!

Here's another food find!

I know I am breaking my diet with these but they are so yummy!

I think I started liking fudgee barr when my friend gave me one back in college.

Yes seriously that is how it is spelled. Its a cake bar that has a filling. There are I think several variants but their most popular are chocolate, custard, vanilla and mocha.

The price may vary from store to store but it would be from 6.00 PHP to 8.00 PHP per piece, but if you buy a pack of 10 it would be 50+ pesos. This is best paired with coffee or hot coco and also great to be shared, especially if you are on a diet LOL. 


Mostly you can purchase them from any store either individually on in a pack of 10. Mostly I would buy only  half a pack since I would store them in my station at work in case I get hungry or when I need a jolt of energy. I know its bad since it shoots up your sugar level fast and it would also plummet down real fast so I suggest you move at least 10 minutes after munching this down. Seriously I've done it before and I felt horrible after wards.

I hope you liked this post. I will have more food finds for the sweet tooth next time.

Much Love!

-- Alice 

Food Finds: Rice Paper Wraps or Wollamsam

Hello ladies!

Its 2:52 AM and I am blogging. Yes I get more comfortable when it is so quite since my brain can only work this way when I am blogging.

Remember my Sonamoo mart post and the stuff I bought there, if not please check it our here. Okay so lets talk about the food that I got from Sonamoo. I basically got fermented soy paste which I haven't finished, then I also got rice paper and the rice paper sauce. And that is our topic for today.

Rice paper wraps or Korean spring rolls are commonly called Wollamsam in Korea. There is also a Vietnamese version of this but I forgot what it is called. So basically what you do is you dip the rice paper wrap in hot water, and ones that its a bit soft you put your desired toppings. You can go all meat or all veggie or basically a mix of any ingredient you want. There are lots of possibilities with this meal so if your a little adventurous you will like this.

Then after putting your toppings, you will have to wrap it then dip it in the special sauce. I've tried researching if you can make your own but unfortunately I wasn't able to find anything :(

Sorry I won't be able to show the finished product since mostly when I make these they go out in seconds. LITTERALLY. My mom really likes these even if it is a little spicy, she likes it because you can use any vegetables that you like.

If you are wondering what vegetables you can start with you can try with these:

- Lettuce
- Chinese Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Red and Green Bell Peppers

For meat choices you can start with these:

- Lean beef strips
- Shredded Chicken Breasts
- Hotdogs

The list is actually endless if you want to try different variants.

Have you tried Wollamsam?

Let me know on the comment box :)

Much Love!

-- Alice

Food Finds: Sonamoo Mart!

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't been posting food blogs. I promise I'll post more soon! 

For today's post I will be featuring the Korean store I mostly go to.

Sonamoo Mart! 

I first went to this store when my office mate needed to buy some food because she was craving Korean food. And since there has been a lot of Koreans here in Ortigas these Korean stores have been popping up as well. Like most stores, Sonamoo has a variety of items to sell like make up, kitchen ware, homemade food and of course lots of kimchi! There is a difference between the store made one to the one that they import straight from Korea.

I only bought a few items in which part of them were the banana juice and the cheese cake I'm holding right here. The cheese cake was fluffy and moist but not that sweet unlike the ones available here. Its retailed for 72 PHP. Its pretty tasty with the banana juice (not in the picture)

If you wants to buy some Korean food you can drop by Sonamoo Mart. 

Sonamoo Mart is located at Centerpoint Bldg., Garnet Rd. Cor Julia Vargas Ortigas Center, Pasig City. 

Much Love! 

-- Alice 

Cheap Thrills: Great Taste White Coffee

As much as I want to go to Starbucks everyday my wallet is not allowing me. I know I may sound cheap but its true! And also the calories you get in one tall frap is equivalent to two chocolate cakes! I nearly fainted when my friend told me that. But getting my fix once in a while is not bad right?

Going back to the topic, Since I've stopped craving Starbucks that much I found another alternative for it. As I was checking the coffee section I saw this and was a bit curious. I can say that I had doubts about this since it says smoother and creamier can a 3 in 1 coffee do that on its own? hmmmmm....

I personally prefer my coffee with lots of creamer or milk since I don't need to add sugar that much.
One sachet of this is for one serving since if you put half only it would be bland >.<
I like this since I don't have to add sugar to it. But if you like sweet coffee you can add more sugar. 

I was just disappointed when there is no bigger size for this at the store I frequently go to. In comparison to the 3 in 1 coffees that I've tried I think this is the one I will buy again since I can just make it without sugar!

Are you a coffee addict and/or Starbucks addict? What's your favorite coffee?

Let me know on the comment box!

Much Love!

-- Alice

Kopiccino - A Cheap but Great Tasting Capuccino

I am an avid coffee drinker, I even had a so-called affair with it! haha and besides from the espresso and frap that I normally order I would sometimes order cappuccino since I like the creamy and frothy.

I actually found this when I was in ministop and just liked to try it out. Its pretty cheap its around 9-12 pesos which is less than a dollar. I must warn you that this will not be like the one that you see on the packet.

In terms of sweetness its okay since I prefer accompanying this with something sweet like a cake or doughnut.

As far as I can say this product is good since its not too sweet nor too bitter. I actually prefer my instant coffee that way since I would accompany this with a sweet treat ^^,

Try this out for sure if you are having a slow afternoon. This will give you that sweet caffeine boost!

Much Love!

-- Alice 

Tofu Omelete!!

I love tofu! I love tofu! I love tofu! Did I say I love tofu? Haha! 

When I was starting out my diet I rarely ate meat and since I like meat a lot I need to get an alternative meat source. I know it sounded like I'm addicted to meat but I can honestly say meat is something I really crave - especially Korean beef! oh just thinking about it makes me cringe since I haven't eaten Korean beef in 3 months (note to self: MUST.EAT.KOREAN.BEEF.SOON). But this post is not about meat but more on tofu! 

Food Finds: San Marino Chili Corned Tuna

Hey everyone! 

As of the moment I have fallen in love. Not with a guy but with san marino. 

I haven't tasted this before and I actually got these in my goody bag from the Filipino Bloggers Hub party a couple of months back. 

I wasn't really into corned tuna at that time because honestly I have my doubts. 

Would it taste just like corned beef? will it be okay for the kids? Is this healthier than the canned tuna? 

I know most of the questions were easily answered and I got my answer when I opened this can and tasted it for myself. I got this chili corned tuna which was great since I was also craving for something spicy.

I was expecting not so much of the chili since most chili canned tuna I've tasted weren't really spicy nor chili to begin with. I have to add gochujang (red pepper paste) or hot sauce to bring some spiciness into the meal. But this one is different since I was able to taste the chili from the beginning and this was what I looked like after tasting my first spoonful of this

I know it looks weird but trust me if you like spicy tuna this will be the one for you. 

Another thing I like about this is that one can is good for two servings. I wasn't able to finish this whole can so I was able to enjoy this for my dinner. 

I think this is retailed 45PHP per can which really hits the budget. You just need rice and this and you are all good for the day trust me. 

Its a must try for sure. 

Gotta go! 

Much Love! 

-- Alice