Sunday, July 30, 2023
Iced Kapi ni Tomas (coffee named after St. Thomas), cream cheese bagel and a new book are all it takes to enjoy a quiet "me time" somewhere close to home. Located inside the famous Lizards mansion (now Angelicum School run by the Dominican Order in the Philippines), Cafe Año is a good place for a coffee run if you're visiting Iloilo City and have limited time to explore the city's heritage landmarks.
This is a quiet cafe for locals too enjoy some privacy (if you're not the "Starbucks type person"), good conversation and decent grub and coffee. A nice view of an elegant mansion is a bonus too.
Saturday, May 6, 2023
Finding the perfect scent is a lifelong quest. Sometimes your nose just knows that you have found The One! I have finally found mine in a bottle of 802 Praline Vanilla by Scentsmith Perfumery, a gender-neutral scent. I've always been partial to gourmand scents like vanilla when paired with other notes.
Praline Vanilla has the following fragrance profile:
Scentsmith Type: Sweet
Top Notes: Black currant and pear
Middle Notes: Iris, jasmine and orange blossom
Base: Praline, vanilla, patchouli and tonka bean
Another thing I love about this fragrance is the apothecary style packaging which is perfectly my aesthetic. Definitely a homegrown perfumery brand worth checking out!
Scenthsmith Perfumery
Upper Ground Floor, SM City Iloilo (In front of Aeropostale)
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Fancy a quiet pajama party or self-care chill time?
An Airbnb is a good alternative to pricey hotels if you want a staycation or just a change of scenery. And why would we want a change of scenery when we are already in our comfort zones? Sometimes we need to focus on completing a personal project like an art or craft project, a space to meditate or contemplate or just to work or study without any distractions. Sliding into your comfortable bed and falling asleep is the last thing you need.
There are lots of good Airbnb accommodations in Iloilo City (mostly condominium studios) to choose from depending on your budget and mood. There is one Superhost Airbnb accommodation worth checking out. Cozy Homestay in an Attic Studio is the perfect millennial boho style room that is wonderfully spacious, super clean and comfortable. I booked a stay several months ago and truly enjoyed the cozy setting and natural wood aesthetic. There were plenty of self-help books to read so my stay was very chill, relaxing and good for the soul. I need to start writing the first few pages of my novel so another booking at the Attic Studio should be in order soon.
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Wednesday, April 26, 2023
The recently concluded Summer AnimeFest 2023 held at Festive Walk Iloilo was a treasure trove of kawaii finds for the young and not-so-young alike. As a Gen-Xer, I grew up on Japanese cartoons but sadly our generation missed out on cosplay and such. But as generation at the cusp of analog and digital culture, we kinda caught up on the newer Anime stuff, thanks partly to Netflix. Anyway, there were cosplay contests, anime toy exhibition and bazaar. I found myself awkwardly swarming around the bazaar booths with millennials and Gen-Zs (people young enough to be my kids!). Yes, there were good stuff that appealed to Gen-Xers so I am remotely not THAT old.
One of my uber cute finds at the bazaar were these cute waterproof stickers and mini easel cards by Purr Crafts x Studio. I have not outgrown my love for cute stickers and of course anything feline inspired. These inspirational mantra cards sit on my office desk to remind me that yes, I am still growing.
If you love hand drawn cat stickers and stationery like me, visit Purr Crafts x Studio on their Facebook page. You can also find them on Instagram.
Kawaii forever!
I adore the interiors of the Dai Pai Dong. Decorated in both and chic and kitschy Chinoiserie, it is the perfect place to enjoy a solo dinner or a dinner date. The place was quiet and empty with only a couple of tables occupied. I liked it that way though. It's like having the entire restaurant to myself. Hehehe.
The menu offering is sparse and simple, sorely lacking the signature Hong Kong dishes that define a real Dai Pai Dong. Anyway, I settled for the generic Hainanese Chicken Rice paired with hot black tea. Much to my horror, the tea was served lukewarm in a melamine tumbler. I want tea properly served so I gave the food attendant the unsolicited, spicy advice that decent tea should be served in ceramic cups to retain the heat. If you want more customers, serve tea properly!
The Hainanese Chicken Rice didn't satisfy my unusually large appetite that night so I ordered another dish in the menu. This time, it’s another generic Chinese fare--Wonton Noodles. I also ordered a slice of lemon square which was served from the cafe upstairs.
I'm very forgiving when it comes to reviewing food, but I have to stay the wonton noodle dish was salty enough to elevate my blood pressure by several points. Too salty that I left it virtually untouched. I enjoyed the lemon square (I bake a better version at home though) to wash the salty aftertaste of the Wonton noodles. My verdict? Skip the food at Dai Pai Dong next time and just have coffee and cake in the cafe upstairs. Oh Dai Pai Dong, work on your menu and polish your food preparation techniques to attract more customers. The building is too pretty to be hastily reincarnated into another joint.
Sunday, April 23, 2023
I had my first taste of Eduardo Taqueria’s insanely delicious burritos and tacos at a now defunct foodpark near Angelicum School in Jaro and I have been hooked ever since. Flavor wise, Eduardo’s home-style Mexican dishes are as authentic as it can get as the owners have lived in the United States and have brought home the authentic taste of real South of the Border flavors for Ilonggos to enjoy.
The food park eventually closed but Eduardo Taqueria continued operating a thriving cloud kitchen right at their home in Gran Plains Subdivision which is a stone’s throw away from our house. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck and those of us working at home would always find ourselves craving for the deeply satisfying flavors of Eduardo’s Taqueria’s buttitos, fajitas and other tastebud tingling dishes. Orders were coursed through their Facebook page and fulfilled via Maxim Delivery. A few years down the line, Eduardo’s opened a home restaurant that can seat approximately 20 patrons at a time. A small and cozy place with festive touches of colorful Mexican inspired art such as a pop art Virgin of Guadalupe as well as colorful Papel Picado buntings. Unlike the delivery menu, dining at the restaurant offers a wider choice of dishes, drinks and even dessert.
So we find ourselves craving for Mexican food and despite the scorching hot muy caliente noontime weather, we head over to Alusiman Street in Gran Plains to enjoy a cozy meal. I am flexitarian and don’t eat meat so I’m really happy that there’s shrimp in the menu. Shrimp fajitas, burritos, quesadillas! Aye, aye, senor!
The food is on the pricey side but worth every centavo! It’s value for money and the restaurant does not scrimp on ingredients. Muy bien!
Phase III, Alusiman Dt., Gran Plains Subdivision
Iloilo City
Contact no: 09292704616
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Do you have a favorite coffee concoction?
Mine has always been Flat White and it’s the only thing I order if it's available on the menu, otherwise it's just old plain Hot Americano for me. Lately, I have discovered the umami deliciousness of Dirty Matcha or matcha latte infused with espresso. I usually shy away from flavor combinations as I have a sensitive tummy but I gave matcha-espresso flavor combo a try! Turns out, it's a match made in heaven! Got my first sip of this delicious drink (served iced due to the obvious hot weather situation) at Cup Point Coffee and yes, I'm ready to go back to Cup Point Coffee at a heartbeat for the hot version.
I also love the straightforward atmosphere and millennial aesthetic chic of Cup Point Coffee, the in-store cafe of Sunnies Studios at Festive Walk Iloilo. What a good starting point to explore stylish prescription glasses and sunglasses as well!
See you at Cup Point!
Cup Point Coffee2nd Floor, Festive Walk Mall
Megaworl Blvd., Mandurriao, Iloilo City
Monday, April 10, 2023
*All shopping related posts are not sponsored. I share the shops I love!
If you're like me, I like doing arts and crafts on weekends be it sewing or doing DIY projects. For a long time, Daiso has been my go-to place to buy bits and bobs, as well as art supplies. However, Daiso is a fixed price store where the cheapest item you can buy is pegged at Php 88-Php 98. Your "budol" finds can easily cost you thousands of pesos upon check-out if you don't have retail self-control (so guilty of that!). With the high inflation rate, I tried looking for other stores that offer an extensive range of craft materials at affordable prices. I found out that Mr. DIY, a Malaysian brand that has lots of stores in the Philippines opened a store in our district. Shopping online via Lazada and Shopee is another alternative when you are searching for arts and crafts materials with good price points. However, the stuff I find online are also available at Mr. DIY. Yay, I don't have to pay for shipping!
MR. DIY JARO
#414 The Galleria, Valeria St., Jaro, Iloilo City
Opening hours: 8am-9 pm
Sunday, April 9, 2023
It can get unbearably hot this time of year but unlike other months, the dry season offers a stunning vista of the city from 5:30 pm to 7pm. Think fiery, crimson skies and bright city lights, the hour before sundown is the best time to go for a walk. There are untrodden paths that converge to Iloilo river and along the way you will meander through secret pocket gardens and verdant vegetation, well-lit bridges and brick paths while a pleasant, balmy weather evaporates the stresses of the day. If you're feeling uninspired, the pedestrian friendly city of Iloilo will soothe your jaded, urban soul.
“Walkers are 'practitioners of the city,' for the city is made to be walked. A city is a language, a repository of possibilities, and walking is the act of speaking that language, of selecting from those possibilities. Just as language limits what can be said, architecture limits where one can walk, but the walker invents other ways to go.” ― Wanderlust: A History of Walking
“What if it's the there
and not the here
that I long for?
The wander
and not the wait,
the magic
in the lost feet
stumbling down
the faraway street
and the way the moon
never hangs
quite the same.”
and not the here
that I long for?
The wander
and not the wait,
the magic
in the lost feet
stumbling down
the faraway street
and the way the moon
never hangs
quite the same.”
“When I'm in turmoil, when I can't think, when I'm exhausted and afraid and feeling very, very alone, I go for walks. It's just one of those things I do. I walk and I walk and sooner or later something comes to me, something to make me feel less like jumping off a building.”
“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk: every day I walk myself into a state of well being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.”
―
Friday, April 7, 2023
Celebrating my cat's 1st birthday was a breeze! My busy schedule did not give me any free time to bake cat cookies or cake or even set-up a fancy cat birthday party at home. I'm really happy that all I had to do was send a DM to Sue's Cake Gallery messenger account to order a custom made picture cake that has Macky's adorable, squishable face on it. A six-inch yummy orange chiffon cake would just be the perfect cake to remember Macky's birthday. Unfortunately, the cake is only for hoomans and maybe a pet friendly cake can come later. Knowing my cat, a can of Sheba wet food is really his perfect idea of a birthday cake.
I had to look for a pet friendly cafe in the city to gather a few friends for snacks and drinks. Guess what? The newest cafe in town that I've been wanting to visit happens to be pet friendly! How cool is that! It's like having your own cat cafe! You can bring your furbabies while you enjoy delicious breads and refreshing drinks at How Now Cafe located at Citadines Amigo Plaza Hotel. It was sweltering hot day during Macky's birthday so I decided to leave him at home. Maybe next time when the weather gets a little cooler I can bring him along while I enjoy coffee and cake.
The cafe has short order items in the menu such as all-day breakfast meals, cakes and Korean style bread. The hot and cold coffee concoctions are perfect with the cakes. If you choose to go caffeine free, the refreshing milkshakes and coolers are satisfying and affordable.
Can't wait to go back to enjoy the rest of How Now Cafe's coffee menu.
How Now Cafe
Ground Floor, Citadines Amigo
Conact no:917 848 4782
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
My himmie cat Macky turned one year old last April 2, 2023. Truly a wonderful occasion since that means I no longer have to worry about finding kitten food in the supermarket. Now, I can finally feed him adult cat food which is widely available! As a birthday treat, I brought him to Iloilo River Esplanade 1 for him to experience firsthand the fresh morning breezes and the wonderful feeling of walking on soft grass as he is entirely an indoor cat.
Macky's little foray into Iloilo River Esplanade 1 comes just in time when Iloilo City Government issued Executive Order No. 042 series of 2023 or "An Executive Order Providing Guidelines for the Use of All Iloilo River Esplanades" allowing people to bring their pets (as long as the pets are on a leash and you have to clean up after them). The indoor cat that he is, he was reluctant to walk around and explore his surroundings and just wanted to sit on the grass. He is also extremely shy as he is not exposed to a lot of hoomans! I think we need more Esplanade 1 adventures to coax him out of his shell, err cat carrier. I'm thinking of getting a pet stroller so I can walk him around with ease, comfort and safety.
Iloilo River Esplanade 1 has a cute cafe that I always hang-out in al fresco when I get the chance. Since it was Macky's birthday, why not treat the hooman (that's me) to some super filling Full English Breakfast ? I'm a pescatarian but for the occasion I treated myself to beans on toast, 2 sunny-side up eggs, tomatoes and mushroom, ham, bacon and homemade sausage. Washed down with iced-tea (no hot coffee during these dry season months) for a satisfying breakfast experience. Afterwards, we headed home since the weather was getting warmer and the poor cat was visibly panting from the heat. Next time we should head out at the earliest cafe opening hour.
Iloilo City is a pet friendly city. Enjoy the open spaces with your furbabies. For more tips how to enjoy pet life in the city, click here.
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