Category Archives: 9/10

Feb 13 2020
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9/10, Awesomeness Break, Food, NKRecommendation, Places, Press Release, Restaurant

The best Valentine’s Day offering at the Oakridge Executive Lounge

I suspect that Valentine’s Day celebration will be something different this year as FB remains replete with posts about the worldwide pandemic, the novel coronavirus ARD. Lovers will have to plan accordingly to avoid big crowds and enjoy privacy without skimping on comfort and indulgences.

In Cebu, what comes to mind for Valentine’s Day is the exclusive Oakridge Executive Club. It offers a magnificent view of the City and premium items on their menu. The place is on the 12th floor of a building and public access is limited. It is quiet and romantic. You’ll be sure that when you dine there, focus will just be on your companion.

On February 14, 2020, a lover’s menu will be offered for lunch and dinner, “Wine & Dine”. Lunch is at P1,395 nett per person inclusive of welcome drinks, a 3-course meal with a glass of wine, and a special gift while Dinner is at P1,695 nett per person with a 4-course premium menu, a glass of wine, romantic seranade, and a Valentine’s gift. The Little Valentine menu for kids is also available, inclusive of a 2-course meal and a special gift.

I recently joined the preview of the offering with the rest of the media group. It was a delightful group date.

Here are some of the items on the menu.

May favorite was the Yin & Yang (Fillet Mignon and Grilled Prawns) I am really curious on what they do with the fries and the Young Love Salad. The dressing of Balsamic Vinegar and some honey combined with the feta cheese is divine. There compatibility got me emotionally affected. I was swooning!

For reservations contact them through the following:

📞 (032) 354 3732

📱 09178116862

Jul 05 2019
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9/10, Awesomeness Break, NK Ideas, NKRecommendation

The Best Facial I ever had at Bodyworx Medical Spa

Last weekend I just had the best facial treatment experience in Cebu at Bodyworx Medical Spa in Retail Unit 1, Solinea Tower 1, Cebu Business Park.

Dr. Sugar Estella-Mantilla and Dr. Andy Mantilla are aesthetic medicine doctors who are both driven with passion in giving the best treatments and hands-on care to all their patients. They are obsessed in providing high-end services and personalized facial medical care.

They offer not your typical off-the-shelves facial treatments; every patient will undergo a free/complimentary skin analysis using their state of the art Visia Skin Analysis before any treatment will be applied to them—the skin evaluation is so advanced it can even determine skin age. After that is the part where it becomes personalized, based on the skin analysis result they will recommend the perfect and most appropriate facial treatments for their patient.

For the luxurious feel and comfort, you’ll be surprised how their prices differ from the other premium clinics. Plus, you’ll get to consult and meet the doctors themselves. For myself, I got a good skin regimen advice after they examined and evaluated every skin care product with their brands that I am currently using whether or not they are appropriate for my skin type and if they could address to my skin problems. That is a major takeaway!

It is one of those clinics that will certainly win your trust at first visit. After my treatment which took around 3 hours I was already excited for my next session.

New Operating Hours:

Monday-Saturday: 10 am-9 pm

Sunday: 10 am-6 pm

Doctor’s Clinic Hours:

Consultation and patient’s for laser: 1:00-5:00pm

Book an appointment today.

Call or text +639663778935/ 0324792081 to set an appointment.

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Jan 15 2019
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9/10, Food, NKRecommendation, Restaurant

Sugbusog Gihapon the Sinulog 2019 Feast

Celebrate Cebu this Sinulog in the most immersive way possible through a culinary journey that explores the best and most popular heritage and contemporary food from Cebu.

All these food are served under one roof without the hassle of heavy traffic jams. In one buffet spread, one can enjoy different kinds of kinilaw, Cebuano entrees including lechon, kalderetang kambing, and humba and for dessert, masareal and tagaktak. These are the Cebuano food offered in the latest edition of Marco Polo Plaza Hotel’s Culinary Journey, Sugbusog Gihapon along with the staple international offerings of the restaurant.

In time for Sinulog, Marco Polo Plaza Hotel celebrates the grand festival with a feast of classica cebuano favorites at Cebu’s Best Premium Buffet Restaurant, Cafe Marco, from January 15 to 21, 2019.

Let me share to you my appetizer, main course, and dessert plate.

Pit Senyor!

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Sep 17 2018
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9/10, Awesomeness Break, Food, Places, Restaurant

Italian Wine Pairings at Aqua

Last Saturday, after super typhoon Ompong left the Phillipines, life carried on and everyone was grateful that it brought no harm to the country. The disaster preparation and response were remarkable. Despite the ferocity of Ompong, only a few reported unfavorable incidents were reported. The Philippines must have been on its right way to resiliency. While still feeling the tail of the storm, the weather calls for some good wines for thanksgiving and of course, to warm the spirit in air.

Aqua in Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa hosted a timely Italian Wine Dinner. It was exquisite. It masterfully curated and paired the lovely dishes prepared by Chef Andrea Burziu of Aqua with the perfect Italian wines from Wine Depot.

We started with a rather unconventional appetizer of deep fried ox tongue, saffron mayonnaise and some greens paired with my favorite wine of the night, the 2015 Col di Sasso from Banfi, Tuscany. The tongue was braised/simmered and deep fried to produce that prized tenderness coated with batter for deeper flavor and crunch. The saffron mayonnaise was a good compliment to the tender-bouncy-textured tongue.

Chef Andrea Burziu told us that for our second dish he has a little surprise for us. On our plate was an oversized Ravioli stuffed with spinach and handmade ricotta giant topped with sweet cheese fondue paired with 2016 Moda from Talamonti, Abruzzo. The surprise was that as soon as we break the ravioli a runny and creamy egg yolk oozes out. It was rich, delicious and crazy beautiful. If chinese dumplings have Xiao Long Bao, this one is for the Raviolis. It got me asking how did they do that?

Our main was a steamed grouper in Potato and Parsley Mousseline crust with Eggplant and sun-dried tomato ratatouille paired with 2016 Trebbiano from Talamonti, Abruzzo. It’s funny how this dish is reminiscent of our well-loved escabeche. I must learn how to cook that ratatoulle. It was divine!

To cap the dinner was a Strawberry Mascarpone Tiramisu it was so gorgeous I didn’t touch it for a long time that I just had to ravel its beauty; that alone, is already enough. But of course, I gave in. I had to eat it paired with 2014 Collepino from Banfi, Tuscany.

That was a lovely dinner with varied table topics from wines, the filipino food on making its way to the world, the hospitality industry and even about wellness in dining.

Thank God, Ompong was already out of the country.

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Dec 01 2016
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9/10, Events, Travel

5 Reasons of My Pleasant Stay at Novotel During Blogapalooza

  1. Location, Location, Location.

    Located in the heart of Araneta Center, the hotel is in the center of sprawling stores and business establishments in Quezon City. A leisure walk could lead you to Gateway Mall for shopping, dining and movie experience. It is right beside Araneta Coliseum where most of the big concerts and sports events are held. Transportation is accessible: it is 5 minutes away from the nearest train station and taxis, uber and grabcar rides are just a few click away.

  1. New, Contemporary, Clean and Stylish.

    My first impression of my room at the 7th floor was not only that it induces intimacy with its glass-walled shower room but also it is designed with comfort in mind. The clean contemporary design provides a practical turn of modern interiors to save space for maximum mobility. The bright room creates an atmosphere conducive to creativity and innovation.

Novotel Lobby

  1. Wide ranging selection Breakfast Buffet.

    Breakfast is a must at Novotel. You should not skip it. Our breakfast is served at the Food Exchange located at the ground floor of the hotel. It was a wide ranging selection of different cuisines namely, Filipino, Italian, American, Korean and Chinese dishes are served. Their pressed coffee did not fail to perk me up to be ready for the day ahead of me.

Food Exchange

My Breakfast Plate at Novotel’s Food Exchange

  1. Pool and Activity Center.

    Just a floor below where I was staying, at the 6th floor, the gym, swimming pool and tent activity center is located. This was the venue of Blogapalooza. There is also a poolside bar at the swimming pool area. The garden offer a green distraction of the bustling metropolis.

Blogapalooza Venue

  1. Miss Universe sightings. Oh, one more thing. On our way down to the ground floor, guess who we met? No other than, Ms. Stella Márquez Zawadski-Araneta herself. Novotel is the home of the Miss Universe – Philippines. This is where most of the Binibining Pilipinas winners will stay when they are in the City. You’ll never know who you will ride next with inside the elevator. It wouldn’t be impossible to see Pia Wurtzbach here.

Pia Wurtzbach playing with Novotel’s security dog. Photo by Novotel

 

 

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Oct 07 2016
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9/10, Awesomeness Break, Places, Travel

Autumn in South Korea

The fiery red, yellow, orange and brown leaves dazzle in autumn as if it is nature’s last beauty spectacle­ —a grand finale before it shall fall off to slumber, a seduction that even the most perfervid beach and sun lovers from the tropical Philippines could not resist.

We booked our tickets to South Korea a year earlier  to avail the promo fares offered by local airlines flying direct from Cebu to Incheon, South Korea. Our curiosity to witness the picturesque natural phenomenon of autumn foliage is never averted by the long wait. The little consolation, perhaps, was that we got our round trip tickets for P6, 000.00 only per person. A year of waiting would only mean an extra time to prepare and shop f0r perfect clothes for the crisp autumn season in Seoul.

Coincidentally, on March 17, 2015, the Republic of Korea announced the opening of its consular office in Cebu at the 12th floor of the Chinabank Building at the Cebu Business Park. The office can process tourist visa applications for Filipinos visiting to South Korea. This is a welcomed news to our scheduled trip. We don’t have to fly to Manila or hire a travel agency to process our tourist visa but the best news was that the Korean Visa is for free.

After an almost six hour flight via AirAsia we arrived in the chilly Incheon Airport at around 9:30PM. Immigration was swift and the baggage claim was fast.

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Arrival at Incheon Airport. Traveling on colder seasons requires bigger luggage 

From Incheon Airport there are several different ways to travel to downtown Seoul. The most popular ways include taking the Airport Railroad Express, Seoul Metropolitan Subway, airport limousine buses, and taxis. We took the cheapest and fastest way to get to Seoul by the Express Train on the AREX Line. We hurried to catch the last 43-minute train ride.

We arrived in Seoul Station at 11:00 PM. The station was already winding down for the day, calm and 10˚C. Perfect for selfies!

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Seoul Station. A few minutes before it will close for the day. 

Travelling today has not only been democratized because of the promo fares but also been customizable according to budget: from hotels to Airbnb condo units and homes, buffet breakfast to on-the-go food from convenient stores, rent-a-car to train rides.

This trip is a well-researched-budget-friendly-sojourn, a product of weeks of research for the best deals and price, the shortest route and the best time to go. Our main objective is to ensure that we will be able to cover at least almost everything.

We availed not only the colors of autumn but also the Korea Grand Sale which gave us 50% discount on major tourist spot destinations like the famous Everland Resort theme park.

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Seoul City at Night

Our Airbnb home is just a few steps from Seoul Station. It was in the center of the City. Our host gave us specific instructions on how to pass the two-tier digital security system to be able to access our room and beds. (Too bad, we were not able to meet them in person.)

It was a long day and we can’t wait to sleep with  5˚C outside temperature. I think we intentionally did not turn on our room heater just to enjoy the temperature at least tonight. Temperature forecast for the succeeding days is 0˚C and -4˚C on midnights.

Day 1: Seoul City Tour

Seoul City is quiet and very progressive. It has maintained to keep its traditions and heritage perfectly well that it is seamlessly integrated to the whole concept of the city. To see Seoul, one may take a City Tour Package, ride a bus or taxi and do sightseeing. But then again, this is a budget trip, so we DIY by taking the subway and doing some research on the best spots and their location to ensure we have the maximum number of places to visit and sights to see.

Stopovers:

  1. Sungnyemun Gate
  2. Gyeongbukgong Palace
  3. National Folk Museum
  4. Bukchon Village
  5. Tosokchun Sansam Baeanggeun Black Chicken Korean Ginseng Soup
  6. Myeong dong
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A few steps from our Airbnb Condo Unit is the main road of Seoul. We enjoyed the 15-minute leisure walk on the highway to Sungnyemun Gate.

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Our first encounter with the autumn foliage.

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How about some me-time to post some photos at FB?

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Day 2: Nami Island and Hongdae

Nami Island (Namiseom in Korean ) is imperative in any South Korea autumn experience. This moon shaped  island  is the location of the romantic Winter Sonata Korean TV series. It is here where we got the best shots of our trip.


And here are some of the best photos i have taken in Nami Island:


Day 3:  Inwangsan Mountain and Namsan Tower

In every trip, although we plan it to be a budget one, we made sure that we have at least a day to indulge to the fancies. On this day, we planned to get a fancy dinner on some flashy autumn clothes. While waiting for our dinner reservation, we took a train to Ingwasan Mountain to have a little exercise while seeing the city from afar.

A perfect city view from atop the Ingwasan Mountain where most of the Shamanist rituals are performed to please the gods and spirits. 

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A quick stopover to try a traditional Korean lunch. It was so good!

It is revolving and we are dinning there.

Day 4: Everland

Everland is the largest and most recommended amusement park in Seoul. It is the most animal friendly theme park I have been into. The animals are healthy and well taken cared.

Day 5:

  1. Sisters of Mary Seoul Korea
  2. City Hall
  3. Gangnam

I am a graduate of the Sisters of Mary School in Cebu. It was a privilege to visit the first Sisters of Mary School established in Asia.  The Sisters of Mary School is founded by Fr. Aloysius Schwartz who is now a candidate for sainthood. 

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At the fair, outside the City Hall.

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Day 6: Goodbye, South Korea
After a year, this trip remains to be a memorable one.

The mystifying  colors of the leaves glistening brightly under the sun while blown by the cold crisp winds induce inner peace like a tight hug of a friend that mends all your broken pieces. A reminder that sometimes even if you gave your best you might need to shed some of your colorful leaves to make way for new beginnings.

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Sep 10 2015
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9/10, Movies, NKRecommendation

MOVIE REVIEW: Heneral Luna

Heneral Luna Movie Poster

Heneral Luna Movie Poster

Heneral Luna wittily braved the prejudice of boring history films. With its hilarity and candidness, the same as that of “That Thing Called Tadhana” (2015), and the sincerity and gravitas found in “Jose Rizal” (1998), definitely you have to watch this epic masterpiece.

Directed by one of the best independent film directors of our time, Jerrold Tarog and produced by Artikulo Uno Production, the film is an artistic depiction of the story of a brilliant military man and Philippine hero, General Antonio Luna, as he leads the Revolutionary Army of President Emilio Aguinaldo at the time when Filipinos were at the crossroad of finding their identity during the Philippine-American War.

Amidst the levity of the screenplay are the sad realities of war at that time, but not so much about the enemies; rather the undesireable and undisciplined filipinos with shortsigthed vision of victory, the propensity of politicians to betray the country just to hold on to power, and the imperfection of a hero who we know as immaculate. And, as they say and quite obviously, history repeats itself.

Heneral Luna goes beyond history and eludes from rendering a hero stereotype. It charmingly challenges its audience to redefine modern day heroism; that it may not change the world but definitely the change the world needs.

NindotKaayo.com was invited to the advance special screening of Heneral Luna by Dakila, a group creatively building a movement of heroism towards social transformation in partnership with the National Youth Commission , Cebu City Youth Movement, and the Young Heroes of Cebu.

9/10 #EthysMovieReview #NindotKaayo #HeneralLuna #DakilangLahi

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Jul 11 2015
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9/10, Events, Press Release

Ayala Malls Style Origin 2015

A very impressive fashion show highlighting creativity and sophistication with the support of a superb model casting and really enjoyable and effective catwalk formations. This is the best Ayala Malls Style Origin: Mensweek to date. The collections of Carry Santiago and Philip Rodriguez are to die for. I want them all! 
   
    
    
    
 
  
Here is a little background about the back-to-back fashion shows.

On Saturday, July 11 at 6 p.m. men will find themselves welcomed into the fashion circle at Mensweek, which offers collections specifically created for the male style savant’s unique tastes and needs. Incorporating a sophisticated, masculine touch to the celebration of fashion and beauty are designers’ Rhett Eala, Sassa Jimenez, Bang Pineda, Gian Romano, Joey Samson, and Cebu’s very own Edwin Ao, Protacio, Yvonne Quisimbing, Philip Rodriguez and Cary Santiago. The students of Slims and College of Saint Benilde will also be presenting their own original showcases. 

On Sunday, July 12 at 6 p.m. revel in this year’s newest high street styles as imagined by trendsetting brands during the Highstreet fashion show. The community lifestyle showcase will feature Cebu personalities sharing the runway with top models wearing the collections of today’s hottest brands. Actors, Daniel Padilla, Kathryn Bernardo and Dominic Roque will join with the models on the runway. 

Don’t forget to use the official hashtag: #ayalamallsstyleorigin

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Feb 23 2015
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9/10, Food, Restaurant

Beqaa is a must!

I have completed my list of Top 5 Best Cuisines in the world. The latest to add in that list that includes, Japanese, Italian, French and Thai is Lebanese.

In Cebu, there is one lebanese restaurant that stood above the rest, a kitchen you can recommend even to your finest and most discriminating guests. Beqaa Lebanese Kitchen is another gourmet restaurant from The Abaca Group which brought to Cebu some first-rate restaurants like Abaca in Punta Engano, Lapu-Lapu City and A-Cafe in Crossroads, Banilad. Beqaa is in Design Center, A.S. Fortuna St. (Pine Tree), Banilad, Mandaue City. It serves the freshest and best lebanese and indian cuisine in Cebu.

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My Nth Beqaa experience (but on a budget)

We kick-off the night with a sip of pomegranate shot and mojito. The marriage of the fruity sour pomegranate and Bacardi White is a sensation. The best foreplay for our porkless dinner.

Our appetizer is a mixture of meat and vegetables with hints of yoghurt and cheese. These alone set apart Beqaa from any other middle eastern theme restaurant.

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Cucumber Raita (Labmeh, mint and cumin) P245.00

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Arayes Lahme (meatband cheese filled flatbread) P185.00

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Arnabeet Mekleh (crispy cauliflower, tahini and chili) P265.00

Everyone is ready for the main dish. Armed with our forks, we dig in further with passion.

Kafta (spice minced lamb and beef with onions and parsley) P435.00

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Chicken Tikka Masala (mildly spicy tomato based curry with yoghurt)
Lebanese Garlic Riz (P95.00)

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For dessert we have Mohalabiha (coconut cream, vanilla powder and orange chutney)

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For a group of 3 the whole dinner was just P500.00 per pax. You can never be nearer to Lebanon than this with that budget.

Feel free to follow my orders. It wont disappoint.

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Feb 05 2015
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9/10, Movies

MOVIE REVIEW: That Thing Called Tadhana

“That Thing Called Tadhana” is an unexpected wandering by two sad —but not lonely—hearts with the intent to bolt from the past despite all wounds and heavy baggage. Every line in the movie is like an arrow piercing your heart tempered with the ever funny antics of Angelica Panganiban and the brooding and boyish charm of JM de Guzman.

It is a movie that needs to be seen by the world. It is the best Filipino version of Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy with a little inspiration from E. E. Cummings’ poem, “I Carry Your Heart With Me”. It was effortlessly romantic despite the absence of any kissing scene; funny without trying to be. Let alone the movie poster, which is taken from an airport scene in the film, tells you how polished this film is made.

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The movie provided a stirring start and with an even more provoking ending. It tells a story that even how dark, cold and tedious your night was, the sun always rises again — beautiful as the glorious Sagada Sunrise—to usher in a new day for your renewed heart ready to make and fight for your destiny.

8.5/10
#EthysMovieReview #ThatThingCalledTadhana

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