One of the things I miss since I came back to the Philippines is online shopping. It's a good thing that BabySteals just turned one and wasn't in existence yet, when I was pregnant and in a shopping mood. Otherwise I would probably have maxxed out my credit card shopping. Being in a country where online shopping is still in its early stages, I didn't think that I would be able to buy anything from BabySteals. I often logged in to the site and checked the bargains -- but didn't but anything. Until I saw the Wisey Daddy's Diaper Bag which was priced at 50% off (or more, I think). I wanted it!!! But I was too late! Being in a different time zone, I had to wait until 12midnight or sometimes even later for the new deals to be posted. Since Naima still wakes up every 3 hours to nurse, I am unable to beat other bargain hunters and purchase the deals since I usually get to the computer at 630am which is already about 4pm MST. I was finally able to purchase Bical Grippers - perfect for summer! As BabySteals turns 1 and as Naima becomes a toddler, I am hoping to be able to stay up late more to catch more shopping deals! Shopping moms, don't forget to bookmark BabySteals!
*This post is written as an entry to the BabySteals 1st Birthday Contest. ;)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Friday Bliss
*All photos by Stanley S. Ong
I'm a planner and OC at heart. Since we were planning to eat out on Good Friday, I wanted to make sure that a restaurant would be open with non-meat dishes. I initially thought of eating at Oh My Gulay in La Azotea Building. However, we didn't really want to brave the traffic in Session Road so I looked for another restaurant and found Bliss Cafe in Hotel Elizabeth. Bliss is an art space/restaurant serving lacto-vegetarian fare. They have a pretty extensive menu. Jon was excited since this was the first time that he could eat everything on the menu.
For appetizers, the waitress suggested that we start with veggie chicharon (75p). I was first hesitant but she said that we wouldn't regret it. 
She was right! The chicharon
was salty, crunchy and tasted just like pork chicharon! (75p). We thought it was made of tofu skin and it was really good. Jon also ordered some potato-cheese-chives rolls (75p) for Ju. This was just like cheese lumpia with potatoes - crunchy and yummy.We also ordered the Strawberry Fields and Bali Salad (200p each) and some spinach soup (70p). 
Papa wanted to try the carrot soup but
they only had 
spinach available. 
Salads and soup were terrific! The spinach soup was fresh and green - tasted healthy :-). We loved the salads! Bali dressing was yummy and the strawberry fields salad was scrumptious - it was heaped with strawberries! (cin's favorite fruit).
For the main course, Papa was not too happy with the choices -- he is a MEAT, MEAT, MEAT person. He even went to check the hotel-lobby restaurant the outside! He eventually ordered Pesto pasta while Mama got the Santorini (tomato) pasta.
Both pastas were so-so. Neither Papa or Mama were happy with their orders. We all got different dishes to try out. Cin, Jon and Bong got the Lonely Planet Bliss set menu (250p, comes with 1 drink), with Cin getting Mexico City, Jon ordered Seoul and Bong chose Tokyo. Mexico City was a veggie burrito with spanish rice. Cin thought it tasted authentic and was satisfied. Tokyo was made of veggie nori and rice. The seaweed wrap contributed to the authentic taste. The veggies were pretty normal and Bong also liked it. Jon's Seoul dish was Kalbi --> we were talking whether this was made of tofu or gluten. But I definitely think that it was not tofu. Jon thought they got the "kalbi" sauce right. 
But I'm not a big fan of gluten - so didnt' really like it. Stan chose the "no oink sisig" (180p) -- which according to the menu, fooled Kapampangans. Ummm... not so.. I'm a huge fan of pork sisig which is probably why I got disappointed with this sisig. 
Again, it was made of gluten (which I don't like) and the "sisig-y" taste came from the sauce. Stan thought it was pretty decent though. I got the tofu burger (280p), which came with multigrain (probably Nova Chips). The patty, made of spinach and tofu, was quite thin. Also, they put it on square wheat bread! I don't think it qualifies as a burger. Taste was good but it can be improved-- bigger patty on a whole wheat burger bun - with potato fries. 
And for dessert, we had to try the "infamous bliss crepes" (100p for a full crepe; 60p for a mini crepe). The full crepe could serve about 2 persons, with choices of strawberry or mango/banana, we ordered 2 full crepes with strawberry. Unlike the regular crepe, the fruits were not folded inside. The main crepe was also not thin and light but according to Stan, it was more like "palitaw", topped with fruit and whipped cream. Sweet, gooey and filling - it was the perfect dessert to cap our meal. The crepes were quickly wiped out!
I wanted to order another one but was saving room for our Baguio Country Club seafood buffet (which turned out to be a disappointment!). The guys also had some strong French pressed Benguet coffee (50p) to go with the dessert. Good coffee, taste good but Stan felt it was "mild". Then again, Stan is A coffee drinker (downs at least 3 cups a day). Definitely, our Bliss meal was more value for money than our Eve's lunch. Bliss' salads were as good as Eve's and for the price, the main course was better. Still, I don't think I will be turning vegetarian in the near future. I love meat and veggies and hate gluten! Bliss food is good and I wouldn't mind having a weekly meal there if it were in MM.
Bliss - Hotel Elizabeth, Gibraltar Road, Baguio City. To reserve, contact Jim (09178464729) or call 074 619-0367.
I'm a planner and OC at heart. Since we were planning to eat out on Good Friday, I wanted to make sure that a restaurant would be open with non-meat dishes. I initially thought of eating at Oh My Gulay in La Azotea Building. However, we didn't really want to brave the traffic in Session Road so I looked for another restaurant and found Bliss Cafe in Hotel Elizabeth. Bliss is an art space/restaurant serving lacto-vegetarian fare. They have a pretty extensive menu. Jon was excited since this was the first time that he could eat everything on the menu.
For appetizers, the waitress suggested that we start with veggie chicharon (75p). I was first hesitant but she said that we wouldn't regret it. 
She was right! The chicharon
was salty, crunchy and tasted just like pork chicharon! (75p). We thought it was made of tofu skin and it was really good. Jon also ordered some potato-cheese-chives rolls (75p) for Ju. This was just like cheese lumpia with potatoes - crunchy and yummy.We also ordered the Strawberry Fields and Bali Salad (200p each) and some spinach soup (70p). 
Papa wanted to try the carrot soup but
they only had 
spinach available. 
Salads and soup were terrific! The spinach soup was fresh and green - tasted healthy :-). We loved the salads! Bali dressing was yummy and the strawberry fields salad was scrumptious - it was heaped with strawberries! (cin's favorite fruit).
For the main course, Papa was not too happy with the choices -- he is a MEAT, MEAT, MEAT person. He even went to check the hotel-lobby restaurant the outside! He eventually ordered Pesto pasta while Mama got the Santorini (tomato) pasta.
Both pastas were so-so. Neither Papa or Mama were happy with their orders. We all got different dishes to try out. Cin, Jon and Bong got the Lonely Planet Bliss set menu (250p, comes with 1 drink), with Cin getting Mexico City, Jon ordered Seoul and Bong chose Tokyo. Mexico City was a veggie burrito with spanish rice. Cin thought it tasted authentic and was satisfied. Tokyo was made of veggie nori and rice. The seaweed wrap contributed to the authentic taste. The veggies were pretty normal and Bong also liked it. Jon's Seoul dish was Kalbi --> we were talking whether this was made of tofu or gluten. But I definitely think that it was not tofu. Jon thought they got the "kalbi" sauce right. 
But I'm not a big fan of gluten - so didnt' really like it. Stan chose the "no oink sisig" (180p) -- which according to the menu, fooled Kapampangans. Ummm... not so.. I'm a huge fan of pork sisig which is probably why I got disappointed with this sisig. 
Again, it was made of gluten (which I don't like) and the "sisig-y" taste came from the sauce. Stan thought it was pretty decent though. I got the tofu burger (280p), which came with multigrain (probably Nova Chips). The patty, made of spinach and tofu, was quite thin. Also, they put it on square wheat bread! I don't think it qualifies as a burger. Taste was good but it can be improved-- bigger patty on a whole wheat burger bun - with potato fries. 
And for dessert, we had to try the "infamous bliss crepes" (100p for a full crepe; 60p for a mini crepe). The full crepe could serve about 2 persons, with choices of strawberry or mango/banana, we ordered 2 full crepes with strawberry. Unlike the regular crepe, the fruits were not folded inside. The main crepe was also not thin and light but according to Stan, it was more like "palitaw", topped with fruit and whipped cream. Sweet, gooey and filling - it was the perfect dessert to cap our meal. The crepes were quickly wiped out!
I wanted to order another one but was saving room for our Baguio Country Club seafood buffet (which turned out to be a disappointment!). The guys also had some strong French pressed Benguet coffee (50p) to go with the dessert. Good coffee, taste good but Stan felt it was "mild". Then again, Stan is A coffee drinker (downs at least 3 cups a day). Definitely, our Bliss meal was more value for money than our Eve's lunch. Bliss' salads were as good as Eve's and for the price, the main course was better. Still, I don't think I will be turning vegetarian in the near future. I love meat and veggies and hate gluten! Bliss food is good and I wouldn't mind having a weekly meal there if it were in MM.Bliss - Hotel Elizabeth, Gibraltar Road, Baguio City. To reserve, contact Jim (09178464729) or call 074 619-0367.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Cozy and Warm At Choco-Late Batirol on a Rainy Thursday
*All photos by Stanley S. Ong
After lunch at Eve's we were worried that the yayas and Mang Jun were still hungry, given the "light lunch" they had. Cin and I also wanted to try the hot chocolate at Camp John Hay, so we dropped by for some hot choco and snacks for yayas and Mang Jun.
Choco-Late de Batirol was originally located at Scout Hill inside Camp John Hay in Baguio. However, they were temporarily moved to Igorot Garden. We entered Camp John Hay through the entrance near Baguio Country Club. 
After checking out their menu, Cin and I initially thought of having their Baguio Blend. Turns out that this was not made of fresh strawberry but just strawberry syrup. Eventually, all of us decided to get the traditional blend at 70p each. The chocolate came fragrant and steaming. It was not too sweet (i'm not a sweet tooth) and very creamy. More importantly, it seems that peanut butter was added to it - yum! I love hot chocolate - especially the ones made from cocoa tablets -- and I love peanut butter. This cup was a perfect combination of my 2 favorite treats. I downed my cup quickly, forgetting that I had ordered some turon to go with it. The turon was also good - crunchy and not soggy.
We also ordered 2 pancit palaboks for the yayas and arroz caldo for Mang Jun. Bong got hungry and also ordered another arroz caldo.
I didn't get to try the palabok but Cin had a bite and said it was delicious! Palabok and arroz caldo were at 95p each while the turon was 20p each. 
Aside from the restaurant, they were also selling other food stuffs, including some dried fish shaped like a fan. Merienda prices were reasonable and I think we enjoyed this merienda a lot better than our Eve's lunch.
Choco-Late Batirol
Scout Hill, Camp John HayBaguio
Phone Number: (63 916) 741-4740, (63 74) 446-7006
Currently located in the Igorot Garden
After lunch at Eve's we were worried that the yayas and Mang Jun were still hungry, given the "light lunch" they had. Cin and I also wanted to try the hot chocolate at Camp John Hay, so we dropped by for some hot choco and snacks for yayas and Mang Jun.
Choco-Late de Batirol was originally located at Scout Hill inside Camp John Hay in Baguio. However, they were temporarily moved to Igorot Garden. We entered Camp John Hay through the entrance near Baguio Country Club. 
After checking out their menu, Cin and I initially thought of having their Baguio Blend. Turns out that this was not made of fresh strawberry but just strawberry syrup. Eventually, all of us decided to get the traditional blend at 70p each. The chocolate came fragrant and steaming. It was not too sweet (i'm not a sweet tooth) and very creamy. More importantly, it seems that peanut butter was added to it - yum! I love hot chocolate - especially the ones made from cocoa tablets -- and I love peanut butter. This cup was a perfect combination of my 2 favorite treats. I downed my cup quickly, forgetting that I had ordered some turon to go with it. The turon was also good - crunchy and not soggy.
We also ordered 2 pancit palaboks for the yayas and arroz caldo for Mang Jun. Bong got hungry and also ordered another arroz caldo.
I didn't get to try the palabok but Cin had a bite and said it was delicious! Palabok and arroz caldo were at 95p each while the turon was 20p each. 
Aside from the restaurant, they were also selling other food stuffs, including some dried fish shaped like a fan. Merienda prices were reasonable and I think we enjoyed this merienda a lot better than our Eve's lunch.
Choco-Late Batirol
Scout Hill, Camp John HayBaguio
Phone Number: (63 916) 741-4740, (63 74) 446-7006
Currently located in the Igorot Garden
Healthy Lunch at Eve's Garden
*All photos by Stanley S. Ong
I stumbled upon Eve's Garden while googling for a new restaurant to try in Baguio. Stan and I loved our Sonya's B&B experience and thought that Eve's Garden would be something like Sonya's Secret Garden.
To eat at Eve's Garden, reservations must be made by texting +639209476264 or +639175066264. They are also open only for lunch (11:30 am to 2:20 pm). Like Sonya's, Eve's has a set menu and gives you 3 choices for your main course - beef, chicken and fish. However, they had run out of beef for Holy Thursday so our choices were just chicken or fish. 
Aside from the fruity drink, there was also some sweet strawberry wine, which costs an extra 300p for a small bottle. Although the drink was good, unlike Sonya's dalandan juice, Eve's was not refillable. You needed to pay extra to have your glass refilled.
Eve's salad came next - salad platter made of 10-12 lettuce varieties, served with carrots, turnips, walnuts, raisins and a caesar-type dressing made from organic flax oil, olive oil and sunflower oil, prepared with seven fresh garden herbs.
This was the highlight of the meal. The lettuce were crisp and fresh. My mom was amazed and said that the lettuce were very beautiful - she could not see any brown spots or marks on them. The dressing was also delicious. Tangy, creamy - it went well with the salad. We all enjoyed eating the edible flowers and were told that these flowers were part of the watercress family. However - one low point was when Stan asked for some extra walnuts and got an unsure stare from the waiter/gardener. He said he had to ask permission from the kitchen. Happily, permission was granted and Stan got his extra walnuts. However, it seems that once they served the plate, no seconds were allowed. Drink refills had to be paid for and when we had our salads wrapped, they would only pack the dressing which was served. No extra dressing could be given anymore. :(
Main course was a choice of grilled chicken breast with pesto fettucini served with 2 pieces of whole wheat buttered fingers OR Steamed Norwegian Salmon with caper dressing with organic rice, corn and turnips.
I had the chicken, some parts of which were dry. And the main courses were tiny!! Running joke during the meal was that they filled you up with the salad so you won't notice how small the main course was. The pasta that came with my chicken was about 2-3 spoonfuls. My brother-in-law commented that he finished his salmon in 3 bites! The pesto pasta was nothing special. I wasn't able to try the red rice although Stan wasn't impressed. All of us were not satisfied with the main course. We couldn't help but compare it with Sonya's Her main courses were 2 types of pasta plus salmon belly. But the pasta sauces were delicious and plentiful - same with the salmon belly.
To cap the meal, we had a choice of coffee or ginger ginseng with mint tea and a homemade dessert. The "homemade dessert" turned out to be an oatmeal raisin bar. My brother was not happy - I think he assumed he would be served crepes or something similar. The oatmeal bar was pretty good - gooey, chewy and tasty. Then again, I love oatmeal raisin bars! The tea was quite sweet but the coffee was good.
The price? 650p per head. I had also requested for yayas and driver's meal. They served the salad, a sandwich, juice, coffee and dessert at 275pesos!!! I asked my yaya what the sandwich was and she said it might be tuna. It was just 2 pieces of wheat bread and some spread. Definitely not worth 275p.
I stumbled upon Eve's Garden while googling for a new restaurant to try in Baguio. Stan and I loved our Sonya's B&B experience and thought that Eve's Garden would be something like Sonya's Secret Garden.
To eat at Eve's Garden, reservations must be made by texting +639209476264 or +639175066264. They are also open only for lunch (11:30 am to 2:20 pm). Like Sonya's, Eve's has a set menu and gives you 3 choices for your main course - beef, chicken and fish. However, they had run out of beef for Holy Thursday so our choices were just chicken or fish. From Baguio City, Eve's is about 20-30 minutes by car through Naguilian Road. Eve's is already in La Trinidad. The restaurant was small, serving only a maximum of 20 people. Aside from the restaurant, there is also a lettuce farm, where they grow about 12 varieties of lettuce and an edible flower (nasturtiums).
The meal started with a refreshing drink that was really cold, fruity and not too sweet. The drink was made of freshly squeezed pineapple with lemon mint and sage, sweetened with Muscovado sugar.
Aside from the fruity drink, there was also some sweet strawberry wine, which costs an extra 300p for a small bottle. Although the drink was good, unlike Sonya's dalandan juice, Eve's was not refillable. You needed to pay extra to have your glass refilled.
Next up was some soup - made with a base of onions and squash with seven herbs garnished with parmesan cheese, croutons and yogurt. Creamy and savory -- no complaints here.
Eve's salad came next - salad platter made of 10-12 lettuce varieties, served with carrots, turnips, walnuts, raisins and a caesar-type dressing made from organic flax oil, olive oil and sunflower oil, prepared with seven fresh garden herbs.
This was the highlight of the meal. The lettuce were crisp and fresh. My mom was amazed and said that the lettuce were very beautiful - she could not see any brown spots or marks on them. The dressing was also delicious. Tangy, creamy - it went well with the salad. We all enjoyed eating the edible flowers and were told that these flowers were part of the watercress family. However - one low point was when Stan asked for some extra walnuts and got an unsure stare from the waiter/gardener. He said he had to ask permission from the kitchen. Happily, permission was granted and Stan got his extra walnuts. However, it seems that once they served the plate, no seconds were allowed. Drink refills had to be paid for and when we had our salads wrapped, they would only pack the dressing which was served. No extra dressing could be given anymore. :(
Main course was a choice of grilled chicken breast with pesto fettucini served with 2 pieces of whole wheat buttered fingers OR Steamed Norwegian Salmon with caper dressing with organic rice, corn and turnips. To cap the meal, we had a choice of coffee or ginger ginseng with mint tea and a homemade dessert. The "homemade dessert" turned out to be an oatmeal raisin bar. My brother was not happy - I think he assumed he would be served crepes or something similar. The oatmeal bar was pretty good - gooey, chewy and tasty. Then again, I love oatmeal raisin bars! The tea was quite sweet but the coffee was good.The price? 650p per head. I had also requested for yayas and driver's meal. They served the salad, a sandwich, juice, coffee and dessert at 275pesos!!! I asked my yaya what the sandwich was and she said it might be tuna. It was just 2 pieces of wheat bread and some spread. Definitely not worth 275p.
The verdict?? Even though we liked the soup and salad, we were very disappointed that Eve's Garden was very stringent and refused to give seconds. The main course was not enough to fill you up. We couldn't help but compare this restaurant with Sonya's Garden. Similar to Sonya's, Eve's Garden had a set menu, focusing on the salad. The salad dressings in both restaurants were unique and delicious but in Eve's, they will just give you a cupful of dressing to go with your salad, while at Sonya's a bottle of salad dressing is placed on your table.
Meals at Eve's and Sonya's each cost 650p. However, Sonya's gives you more value for your money. Both restaurants espouse the concept of healthy eating and are premised on the slow food movement.
Eve's Garden is set in La Trinidad, with a wonderful view of the mountains. But apart from a porch/balcony with a view, there is not much to do except take quick photos. Eve's staff told us that we could check out the lettuce garden but the steps going down were steep and there was no pathway towards the lettuce fields. Also, we didn't get to meet Eve but just her daughter. When I asked her daughter if soup and sandwiches were the only meals available to driver/yayas, she told me that was what her mom texted her. Maybe if I texted her earlier, a better meal could be prepared - but I still think that they should not charge 275p for yaya/driver meals.
If you are in Baguio and would like to eat in a private secluded place, with a great mountain view (like Baguio 10 years ago), then check out Eve's Garden. But make sure you feed your driver/yayas first before you go. Our family finds that this restaurant is a novelty that we are willing to try once. But until they improve their food servings, we won't go back and will just opt to visit Sonya's instead.
Contact Eve's Garden at +639209476264 or +639175066264
Directions from Baguio City Hall: Go down naguilian road, pass by St. Vincent Church, Cooyesan Hotel/Plaza, Cemetery, Nagoya Inn, San Miguel Depot, St. Joseph Church, Irisan High School, PNP Station. 500M down is a 10M bridge. Then turn right at the junction. Pass Lamtang Cockpit, Lamtang Elementary School, 2 KM up with parking space and sign "Eve's Garden." (right beside PCM). MAP
Contact Eve's Garden at +639209476264 or +639175066264
Directions from Baguio City Hall: Go down naguilian road, pass by St. Vincent Church, Cooyesan Hotel/Plaza, Cemetery, Nagoya Inn, San Miguel Depot, St. Joseph Church, Irisan High School, PNP Station. 500M down is a 10M bridge. Then turn right at the junction. Pass Lamtang Cockpit, Lamtang Elementary School, 2 KM up with parking space and sign "Eve's Garden." (right beside PCM). MAP
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