#YolandaPH

That bitch super typhoon, international name Haiyan, that left our brothers and sisters in Visayas in a devastating situation breaks my heart everytime I watch the news.

Let's get straight to business and not mind the what ifs and whatnots.

HOW CAN YOU HELP THE VICTIMS? Here are multiple ways:


From Red Cross Philippines
Ways to Donate

PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!
Through PayPal

Through Ushare - Credit Card, Online Banking, Megalink

Through GreenPeso - PayPal, Bancnet, GCash

Through PayDollar

Cash or Check Donations

Please send cash or check donations to the PRC National Headquarters in Manila. Checks should be made payable to The Philippine Red Cross. We can also arrange for donation pick-up.

Make a donation at any of the 1,500 Cebuana Lhuillier pawnshops nationwide.

Bank Deposit

Bank accounts for Donations
Banco De Oro
Peso: 00-453-0018647
Dollar: 10-453-0039482

Metrobank
Peso: 151-3-041631228
Dollar: 151-2-15100218-2

Philippine National Bank
Peso: 3752 8350 0034
Dollar: 3752 8350 0042

Unionbank of the Philippines
Peso: 1015 4000 0201
Dollar: 1315 4000 0090

All Check/Cash for the account of Philippine Red Cross (Swift Codes)
Banco De Oro
BNORPHMM

Bank of the Philippine Islands
BOPIPHMM

Metrobank
MBTCPHMM

Philippine National Bank
-PNBMPHMM

Unionbank of the Philippines
-UBPHPHMM


For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank transaction slip at nos. +63.2.527.0575 or +63.2.404.0979 with your name, address and contact number.


SMS and G-Cash

SMS
Text REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4143 (Smart)

G-Cash
Text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit M-PINREDCROSS to 2882

You can donate the following denominations:
Globe: 5, 25, 100, 300, 500 or 1000
Smart: 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 or 1000

Through your generosity, we can stand prepared for disasters. We appreciate your continuous and unwavering support. Thank you.

Email us: fundgeneration@redcross.org.ph

Call Hotline 143
or  (+632) 527.0000

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
Bonifacio Drive, Port Area
Manila 1018, Philippines
Email: prc@redcross.org.ph

UN World Food Programme has also set up ways for people outside the Philippines to send their help. Your monetary donations will be used to buy food and water to the victims. You may send them here:

USA: Text AID to 27722 to donate $10
UK: Text AID to 70303 to donate £3
Canada: Text RELIEF to 45678 to donate $5

If you have relatives, friends or loved ones you still haven't heard of, Google has set up a means to find them. You can head over here: http://www.google.org/personfinder/2013-yolanda.

Some helpful infographics:

In fairness, T. Swift.

Or you can DINE FOR A CAUSE. Satisfy your hunger without feeling guilty. All proceeds will go directly to victims of #YolandaPH. See link below for a list of participating establishments:

http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/54881/dine-for-a-cause-restaurants-and-foodies-for-yolandaph-victims

Thank you in advance!

On The Job Nails The Job

If you are a Filipino you should be watching, if you haven't already, On The Job. Forget The Conjuring, forget Jobs, FORGET The Mortal Instruments. On The Job is the one Pinoy movie you shouldn't dare miss.

Stranded

Typhoon Maring intensified by Habagat rains forced us to stay an extra night in Caticlan which we paid out of our own pockets. It was so frustrating, seeing almost 80% of flights get cancelled after fervent hopes of weather getting slightly better in Manila.

Our flight, 2P 052, was first to cancel. Many flights followed suit.

How can you not hope when weather is this good in Aklan. Too bad it's the opposite in our destination

But we were still lucky. Most of the stranded passengers in Caticlan airport missed their connecting flights which certainly is more pain in the ass and pocket.

This was the scene in the airport at 6am earlier. Cranky passengers cannot wait to board and get out of there, including us.

Fortunately, we were able to get into the second earliest flight out of Caticlan albeit not without delay still. I know PAL looked after its stranded passengers the best way they can and I appreciate that.

After quite a turbulent ride we finally taxied into NAIA in rainy Manila. I've never been so relieved. At least we didn't get rerouted to Clark (I found out later flights got rerouted to DMIA). I'm just happy we're finally home.

The view outside my window - somewhere in Metro Manila - after we got a clearing.

Payday Lunch Series: Saboten

Aaaand we're back after a short hiatus. To kick off our reunion, we chose Japanese food - Saboten. I have to admit I discovered the Saboten hype from Chuvaness. She tweets and blogs often about it, never fails to eat in countries where there is one. It was so funny when I went to Hong Kong in 2011 I was kinda fixed into testing what Saboten is all about as there is one in HKIA departure lounge but I chickened out at the last minute, fazed by all the $$$ I was seeing hahaha.

When the news circulated that there'll be a Manila branch I was ecstatic! Would you believe it wasn't as fancy as I thought it would be? Probably because Yabu rate has already prepped me for it lol. Saboten has more expensive choice of set meals but all in all, the price range aren't too far off. Okay tama na baka magalit ang Saboten sabihin kinukumpara ko sila sa Yabu. 

More than the zen and interior design, I especially loved the fact that they hand out complimentary teas once customers have settled in on their seats. No need to beg for it. Plus points na agad!

So we ordered the following:

Mixed Set (1 Deep-Fried Shrimp, 1 30g enderloin Cutlet and 1 Crab Cream Croquette).

Grated Radish Tenderloin Set

Tenderloin and Loin Set (1 Tenderloin Cutlet 50g. and 1 Loin Cutlet 65g.)

Ten and Romy.

Gotta love the unlimited serving of cabbage in one huge bowl. So even if you didn't order a set meal (which automatically included the unlimited cabbage), you can be sure to have a go at it still. If there's one thing though that was a bit off about Saboten, it's that their meat cuts are too big (for our mouths haha). I think that could do an improving. Unless they don't want to. Okay.

For dessert we ordered the Vanilla with Black Honey and Green Tea Ice Cream Combination (75 pesos only!). Unfortunately, their green tea was not the green tea I had in mind. It was rather milky than tea-y. Buti na lang vanilla saved the day :)

All in all our Saboten experience was really good. The waiters were prompt and really attentive. They announce your food and how best to enjoy it by suggesting ways on what seasoning to use. But I gotta say, aside from that, there really isn't anything special about it. It's hard not to compare Saboten to Yabu when the latter has been here for a while now. Our taste buds has gotten accustomed to Yabu that Saboten is just like one of those katsu house. Maybe we should try the other specials just to be fair...

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Saboten
G/F Serendra, McKinley Parkway
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
(02) 625-2000

Payday Lunch Series: Corazon Filipino-Hispano

I never imagined that the construction that's been going on for a while around Shangri La Mall meant a whole new wing to the original one that we have now. Though most of it were still empty and still smell of faint paint jobs, I'm sure it would be one buzzing and pretty wing to behold. Ano daw??!?

Since it was payday Friday, the payday lunch series is on!!! We excitedly walked from our building to the newest wing of Shangri La in search of a new restaurant to try. We picked Corazon. A Filipino-Spanish fusion restaurant.

The chairs, which looked a lot like candy canes, immediately caught my attention! 

One more for emphasis.

The bar inside Corazon.

Menu.

Their menu cover art is too pretty for words.

Wala lang shot. I took these shots because of the Salvador and the Ortega.

Ciudad Real. Lechon kawali on top of creamy laing. Boom!

I forgot the Spanish name of this baked oyster oops.

Corazon's Paella Negra serves 3-4 persons. That's how big it was! Not to mention delicious.

This dish, too, has escaped me. Basta yung kinilaw na tuna and pork liempo with lots and lots of vinegar, onions and peppers.

Lamb adobo topped with kesong puti. I was never a fan of lambs nor kesong puti, what a great combo :))

I forgot to mention that aside from that day being a payday Friday, it was also a despedida lunch for our friend Xan who, sadly, has to leave (us) for health reasons. *sniff*

Overall, the food did not disappoint. The service was good and, I have to hand it to the staff, quick. An observation before I end this post. I'm no interior designer but they could have done with better lighting design. The dangling lines from the mini spotlights were distracting and you could see na pinilit lang sya. I hope they do something about it for an improved overall vibes di ba. Just thinking out loud :)

###


Corazon Hispano Filipino
Shangri-la Plaza Mall
4/F Shangri-la Plaza Mall, East Wing, Shaw Blvd cor EDSA
Wack Wack, Mandaluyong
(0917) 817-8298

Cebu [Again!] Photo Diary

Note: This Cebu trip was from November 3-5. I have so many backlogsssss.

Once again we found ourselves in the beautiful queen city of south to have a second go in Oslob. We were rewarded with a wonderful weather this time.

Chicharon stop at Carcar, home of the original chicharon.

These trees provided shade from the grueling sun. I had a great time gazing at their almost yellow leaves.

Whale sharks encounter version 2.0. We might have an underwater camera ready but the water current wasn't coordinating. It was too strong hence, water was murky. :(

Nevertheless, we still enjoyed our 30-minute rendezvous with the gentle giants. They are still adorable.

JC's dad dropped us in Argao to have a taste of their famous Torta (not the eggplant).

Then at the Marian Church of Simala located in Sibonga, Cebu. Apparently, many devotees flock this church to pay homage to the miraculous Virgin Mary. The architecture was grand and pretty awesome, the turrets alone make you feel like you're in Barcelona or somewhere in Spain, not that I've been there already.

We arrived in the middle of the afternoon in what we felt as the hour when the sun was at its angriest point. It was ridiculously hot it was utter madness. But that didn't stop the devotees and tourists from coming in - young and old alike - so who are we to complain?

Besides, we get to stay in here for a day.

Lunch is a feast.

Staying in Catmon will always be a delight. I at least get to have a taste of "the life" even for some measly hours.

Dropped by Skills & Bones store to score some new shirts, unfortunately for the Cheese there are no more available sizes for him. So I just took this photo instead. I want that Di Ingon Nato sticker too!

Cebu trips will never be complete without dropping by our favorite Ayala resto that serves affordable steaks: Casa Verde! Although, we notice that each year prices seem to be getting steeper. Oh no, Casa Verde has gone mainstream! lol.

For a such a short visit it sure was fun and relaxing at the same time. I just love Cebu. 

Lastly, I just had to take a quick snapshot of our plane before we took off for Manila. It's more fun in the Philippines!

Payday Lunch Series: When Size Matters

We found a new burger joint near our workplace which was such a big bonus! 

Here's a sample of their menu.

Like a lot of burger joints that I know of, they also sell various types of beers. They also sell Bundaberg Sarsaparilla (not in photo) which I am yet to taste when I finally get over my kakuriputan (or if a sudden attack of self-indulgence gets to me).

Here's their (I'm betting) home-made iced tea which was actually good! By the way, I suggest that you opt for the combo when you eat in here. To paraphrase baby James, "it's so sulit". :)) Their fries are humongous!!

It's the battle of the sizes.

Here's Roan's pick: The B.S.B. or Beef and Sausage Burger.

Ten's choice - The I.B.J. or Italian Burger Job.

And mine: The B.I.B. or Breakfast in Bed Burger.

I swear you must be absolutely starving when planning in eating here because their burgers are totally heavy in the tummy. It doesn't help too, that the fries - as I've mentioned earlier - are huge (the fatty, not the skinny type).

All in all my friends and I had a good experience eating at Size Matters so much so that we gladly shared the news/experience to other foodie that we knew in the office.

Size Matters Sausage Burgers
G/F 500 Shaw Zentrum, 500 Shaw Blvd
Highway Hills, Mandaluyong
(02) 625-2030