Lifestyle: DC Super Heroes Cafe

Themed cafes and restaurants seem to be a thing nowadays but there is definitely one that  takes the Kyrptonite inspired cake -and its the newly opened DC Super Heroes Cafe! 

Finally had the time to visit one Thursday morning after shift. 

Since the mall just opened (its located on the 4th floor of the SM Fashion Hall) we were the first customers there. We sent word in advance that we would be taking photos and told the staff when we got there as well and they just let Paul shoot away, while I took videos for my Instagram stories. 

There's really a lot to see and geek over. The ambiance and design of the restaurant is just top notch! From the super hero themed murals, stained glass windows, life sized statues to the many drool inducing merchandise (some for sale). Even the comfort room is IG stories worthy, from its wall to wall covered murals of villains like the Joker and Poison Ivy. 

So this is what Paul and I ordered: 

The Belly Buster (P380.00)

Inspired by the big belly, one of the biggest fast food chains in the DC Universe. The fastfood establishment has appeared in numerous comic book titles and stories.

The burger comes with thick fries and is served with two kinds of dips. Paul is a big burger person and while I thought that the burger looked smaller in reality than in the picture, Paul said it was heavy and gave it a thumbs up. 

Baked Pepperoni Ziti (P380.00) -which is inspired from The Flash

I'm a pizza and pasta girl and their baked ziti was just so flavorful and surprisingly also very heavy. Now if you know me, you would know I'm a very picky eater so I didn't mind the jalapenos and the pureed capers-which Paul gladly took off my plate and he liked them very much. (Another reason why Paul and I make such a good team :P) 

Deep Cacao Milk Chocolate Smoothie (P190.00)

Feel the brooding mystery of Gotham City, a rich milk and chocolate smoothie with fresh cacao and deep dark chocolate topped with our signature whipped cream. 

We really liked this drink, I didn't know that it had pearls though, and being the picky eater that I am, didn't care for those either but other than that. I would definitely order this again and I think its one of their best sellers since I saw a lot of orders on the counter. 

I would probably try one of their iced teas or juices next time. Paul didn't really feel like having a smoothie and I didn't let him have a cocktail, so he just stuck with water. (maybe next time, Mamoy :P)

The place was quickly filled with customers, a section was even reserved for a children's party. So yes, if your kid is a big DC fan (and if you have the budget) this would definitely be a memorable place for a birthday party. 

Customers came in all ages, shapes and sizes. Older gentlemen in a meeting, kids with their parents, and the curious middle aged ladies who were also taking a lot of instagrammable pictures (I guess I would fall in that category?) 

Even if Paul and I were the first customers there and we had the place to ourselves for some time, we weren't able to fully explore the place :( and pretty soon it was already filled with customers (it got busy very fast) and its not like you can ask the lady sitting by the Wonder Woman mural to move so you can take a picture right?

DC Super Heroes Cafe was a great restaurant themed experience. Its a must visit if you are a DC fan, especially since there are a lot of small Easter eggs scattered throughout the restaurant, which you will just point at and be thrilled you were able to recognize it. 

Its an ideal place for a date, especially if you are both geeks. Its also a great place to hang out with friends after walking around the mall. 

Click HERE for MORE Photos! 

FOOD: Greenwich-SM Angono Pizza Party!

Pizza and Pasta have always been on my all-time-favorite foods-ever and Greenwich has always been a go-to source when the craving sets in. I love their Lasagna so much that Paul would complain whenever we go on consecutive Greenwich visits. He becomes very much willing to go, though when we are at SM Megamall, where the Greenwich branch serves beer, so go figure. 

Angono Mayor Gerardo Calderon and Vice Mayor Antonio Rubin at the Pizza Party along with the Management of Greenwich and SM Angono. 

Beer or no beer, I'm just happy that there's a new Greenwich around our area and that's the one in SM Angono. I also love that it follows their new brick walled Art Deco inspired hip interior design. So just imagine the joy of the little pizza lover in me when we were invited for their first ever Pizza Party! :) 

In attendance were Mayor Gerlado Calderon and Vice Mayor Antonio Rubin as well as local residents and folks from the school districts and local media. We were served their tasty signature pizza dishes, wacky wings, as well as their new summer drink- Pineapple slush :) I also got to try their new cheesy bread sticks. They're pretty good with the tomato dip that goes with it ^_^

Probably the highlight of the pizza party was the pizza eating contest (which Paul got to participate in) :p Winners were awarded with Free Pizza for a year cards! We were also seranaded with an acoustic performance as we got to stuff ourself with Greenwich goodies, not bad for a Saturday night eh? :) 

Click here for more photos!

"Tara Kain Tayo" - Made Easier with OpenSnap

Bobby Box in Eastwood Libis (where I work) is a great place to eat for us who work the night shift. They open early (7AM) which is perfect since we get off work at 8AM. The interior is really pretty with brick walls, colorful Bobby Box art on the wall, wood paneled ceilings and even K-Pop music videos playing on a white screen for that contemporary Korean feel. 

Their meals (rice box meals) range from P109.00-P159.00 add about P20.00+ for drinks. Paul is happy that they have beer available. San Mig Light for P55.00 is a great deal! Sometimes we get funny looks when we're ordering beer at 8:00AM but remember since we work the night shift this is our 8:00PM so to speak. 

Bulgogi Box (Spicy) at P159.00 

You can't imagine how much trouble we have when we try to look for a place to eat with our nocturnal schedule. Sometimes my office mates and I would go through hours of arguments of where to eat but thanks to OpenSnap "Tara Kain Tayo" would be so much easier. 

Through OpenSnap you can search for restaurants to try out, you can search through key words like what kind of food you are looking for (pasta, burger, Japanese) or by location. You can also just search for the restaurant you are looking for.

OpenSnap is a perfect app for Foodies aside from discovering great new food finds it also serves as a platform for you to post and share your #foodporn photos! You can also review establishments you've visited to help friends decide whether this place is their next food trip. You can also search for newly opened restaurants in your area as well as what the Editor's picks and recommendations are. For us night owls there is a whole section for which establishments are open 24 Hours! 

It's an easy app to use and navigate through - no more arguing where to eat with OpenSnap  Tara! Kain tayo! 

For more restaurants and food finds, download OpenSnap app from App Store or Google Play.

No Limit with Inipit!

I have fond memories of the favorite snacks I used to bring to school as 'baon', one of them was the chocolate Inipit that I used to put in the refrigerator (sometimes) even the freezer because I prefer to eat it as a cold or frozen treat. I don't know how I came about doing that I guess it's just one of those weird things you did as kids and fondly look back on. 

I realized that even as you grow older you can still enjoy your childhood favorite snacks but with an elevated twist which is what we did with our Peanut Butter Cream Inipit! 

Even if I don't eat peanuts, I love anything peanut butter flavored, don't ask me how can that be, it just is, even Paul doesn't get it. Anyways, let me share with you this simple recipe you can do to elevate that Inipit experience. 

Ingredients: 

Chocolate Inipit (cut in two or three pieces) 

Peanut Butter

Butter

Cream 

Confectioner's Sugar

Reese's Chocolate (optional) 

Just mix all the ingredients (except for the Inipit and Reese) in a bowl. You will have to estimate how much of each ingredient you will be using. It would also depend on how many Inipit pieces you will be using. Your Peanut Butter cream (icing) will be creamy after you are satisfied with it's taste. You can easily place it in a plastic (the kind that's used in iced candy or ice). Push the cream all the way to the end of the plastic, cut a small hole and push the icing on the Inipit cake. You can be creative and put different designs on your Inipit cake. Add pieces of the Reese chocolate on top, you can also sprinkle some confectioner's sugar on top. 

Sobrang masarap maging kid with Inipit and now that I'm not a kid per say I'm just happy that I can still enjoy a childhood favorite and share it with my nieces and nephews! :) 

You can try it out too! 

#NoLimitWithInipit 

Merry My Great Food In 15 Seconds: Coffee Cream Brownies

COFFEE CREAM BROWNIES #merrymygreatfoodin15seconds Magnolia Fudge Brownies Magnolia All Purpose Cream San Miguel Original Coffee Chocolate Chips Egg Butter Bake Magnolia Fudge Brownies (just follow the instructions behind the box). Mix the San Miguel Coffee and Magnolia All Purpose Cream (use about half of the cream, you can use two satches of San Miguel Coffee). Melt butter in a pan and melt the chocolate chips in the pan. When the brownies have cooled, place the coffee cream and the chocolate. You can place in the fridge so that it will set. Slice and enjoy! 😋🍫💕✨ More in the blog soon! @nuffnangph instagram.com/ica_cheng twitter.com/ica_cheng

So Paul and I worked on a different kind of project this long weekend (it was a long weekend for us since it was President's Day in the US) and we'd love to share it with you guys! :) 

People know us as the too lazy to cook couple I'm famous for only knowing how to cook anything fried. So we're really excited to share this simple project that we did - and you can too! :) 

It's a simple recipe for Coffee Cream Brownies and what I love about it is that you don't really have to go out of your way to make your brownies a little special - all you need is some coffee, all purpose cream and chocolate chips (buttons in this case) and viola! You have Coffee Cream Brownies! 

It's so easy and simple just check out the 15 second video! 

COFFEE CREAM BROWNIES 

Magnolia Fudge Brownies 

Magnolia All Purpose Cream 

San Miguel Original Coffee 

Chocolate Chips 

Egg 

Butter

 Bake Magnolia Fudge Brownies (just follow the instructions behind the box). 

Mix the San Miguel Coffee and Magnolia All Purpose Cream (use about half of the cream, you can use two satches of San Miguel Coffee). 

Melt butter in a pan and melt the chocolate chips in the pan. 

When the brownies have cooled, place the coffee cream and the chocolate. 

You can place in the fridge so that it will set. 

Slice and enjoy!

A video posted by Ica Hontiveros-Cheng (@ica_cheng) on Feb 16, 2015 at 10:18pm PST

Hokkaido Santouka

Because reunions with good old friends over Ramen is always a good idea - especially when you both share the same love for the Japanese culture :)

Which is how we found ourselves at Hokkaido Santouka (at the Old Promenade in Greenhills) for lunch with my best friend from Grade School :)

She was the one who recommended Hokkaido Santouka so instant plus points right there.

Unlike other Ramen Houses where there are panels to separate the customers and offer a more private dining experience, Hokkaido Santouka had a more open ambiance to it (for their Greenhills branch at least). It was rather irregularly shaped for a restaurant, having a more alley way like entry but there was a bigger space at the back. There were even those vendos with the toys in what seem like Poke-balls in them - adding to the Japanese theme of the restaurant :)

We loved that the menus had Set Meals (like the ones in the photos - it's a set meal) complete with a Matcha flavored cupcake which Paul just shoved in his mouth in one gulp. 

We had one of their set meals (which range at around P470.00-P500.00+)

Our Set Meal included: 

Small Ramen and you get to choose what flavor - we had the Shio Ramen (Salt Flavored) It's just weird that there was a date in there, Fried Salmon and Prawn and Small Rice Bowl. There were also some vegetables, a small portion of salad, warm tea and the cute Matcha flavored cupcake. 

Mixed Fruits with Purin 

Dessert was Mixed Fruits with Purin (P170.00) which my best friend Greta and Paul shared  You will recall that I'm not really a big fan of fruits and that dessert to me is only chocolate or cake :P 

Cool and Chilled Iced Tea - Sailor Moon approves. 

The Iced Tea was in a really cool presentation with blended/ literally iced tea on top :P 

It was just disappointing that their local beer was priced at P150.00 a bottle - I mean seriously -  it's local beer - we know the suggested retail price. Their Shin-Aji Ramen (P320.00) looks interesting it's cold noodle with hot dipping sauce. Might try that next time :) 

Their ramen or at least the Shio Ramen we had was good :P Might try a whole ramen bowl the next time so we can fully explore the taste - like I said earlier the date in their was weird though :P 

Molcajete - Mexican Cantina Feature

Mexican Inspired Art up on the wall of Molcajete

In our continued efforts to feature local places of business, we're happy that a Mexican Cantina + Cerveceria has opened at the commercial area near our home. Drumroll for Molcajete please! 

This is actually a really late post already since we were super busy last December with the holiday rush and what not. Despite the late post, I have to say that we really loved our visit to Molcajete (we've been there twice- the second time with Paul's sisters and their husbands) and at both times we were satisfied by the food and service. 

With a price range similar to Army Navy I definitely have no qualms in shelling out for the Mexican food here at Molcajete- I for one really loved their Meat and Cheese Quesadilla and Paul gave a thumbs up for their Buritto. 

There's something in their garlic-cheese dressing that we just love! I'm not normally a fan of Mexican food but I'll make an exception for Molcajete ^_^ 

The Cantina itself has a nice and cozy feel with Mexican inspired art hanging in the walls. As the sign says it's also a Cerveceria and they serve different Tequillas - we might try it out sometime :p 

You can find Molcajete at the Village Corner right outside Beverly Hills, on your way up to Antipolo. Will definitely be swinging by - especially when that Mexican craving kicks in! 

You can visit Molcajete at The Village Corner at Beverly Hills, Taytay Rizal. They are closed on Mondays and open on Tuesday to Sunday from 12NN-10PM and on Friday - Saturdays from 12NN-12MN. You can check out their Facebook page here and follow them on Instagram @molcajeteph

Samsung NX Club: Food Photography Workshop

My wife tagged me on this event post in Facebook for a Food Photography Workshop sponsored by Samsung. 

Fortunately I was free for the event. I was curious what it was all about.

Everybody knows that Samsung creates smart phones and tablets that can stand against mobile mogul giants like Apple but other than creating excellent handy electronics, they also create other appliances and digital cameras.  They were very generous enough to have  a food photography workshop facilitated by Francis Rivera.

Sir Francis Rivera has been a commercial photographer in the country he has shot multiple renowned brands and companies like, Shakey's, Cravings, Kenny Rogers, Aristocrat, Kraft products and many many more.  The workshop was pretty straight forward as Sir Francis first breaks down things that we should keep in mind, like considering characteristics of food when shooting, light position has a certain effect on your subject.  Sir Francis also taught us some industry tricks like food stylists only prepare half-cooked food, and who would've thought that chemistry has some uses in food photography as well.  

Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen

For all my fascination and admiration of Japanese Culture I'm not a big fan of their food, I really am more of a pizza, pasta, meat and potatoes kind of girl and my lack of being adventurous when it comes to trying out new food is what makes me or rather what doesn't make me a Food Blogger. 

I'm not a big fan of sushi or raw fish and I would take a pizza any time of the day over sushi. 

So it was no surprise that by the time Ramen became the "new milk tea" I still haven't tried a bowl, not one, and as I am writing this I just find that too strange considering my love affair with Japan. 

So a big "Arigato Gozaimasu" to my good friend Haru (not her real name but a nickname we gave her in High School and yes- it's Japanese) for treating us to Ikkoryu for some long over due Ramen! 

When I saw that the restaurant was awarded the 2014 Philippine Tattler Best Restaurant I was really excited. Upon entering the restaurant the interior just took my breath away it was beautiful and really had that authentic Japanese feel. There were wooden panels with Japanese characters written on them separating each table adding to that authentic Ramen House feel.

Since it was our first time to try Ramn, Haru suggested that we have the Ajitama Tonkutsu which according the Ikkoryu website is described as: "Topped with a special half boiled egg that is fully marinated with a special blended soy sauce." Can I just say that I loved that egg! It was nothing I have ever tasted- it was soft and absolutely delicious! 

For p380.00 per bowl, I would say that it's well worth it! Will definitely go back given the chance and I'm now ready and let's say more adventurous when it comes to Ramen! ITADAKIMAS! 

Kampaii Sushi Bar

So for our 9th Aniversarry, Paul and I had originally planned on attending Blogapalooza (it's the biggest Business to Blogger event with over 500 Bloggers registered) but because of Typhoon Mario the event was cancelled and suddenly Paul and I had our Saturday open with nothing to do. 

Roads were still flooded and impassable Saturday morning so we just decided to stay within the confines of our home on a mountain in order to stay safe and dry from the floods. 

Paul suggested this Japanese Restaurant near our place- like 5 minutes and I thought - hey why not? It was our anniversary and I guess it was about time we stopped eating at Pizza Hut for our anniversaries (did it for the 5th and the 8th) I'm pretty much a creature of habit, especially when it comes to food, I'm not really that adventurous when it comes to trying out new food (I stick to what I know) and for all my love of the Japanese culture, I'm not a big fan of their food. All of my aversion to trying out new food is a cause for great dismay for Paul who is the more adventurous one when it comes to food. 

Kampaii Sushi Bar is in a narrow building, upon entering the restaurant, all the tables were already filled with diners, two tables joined together to accommodate a large family, and a couple in another table. We were ushered to the second floor, which was only used when the first floor was already full. The AAC Units were turned on, the second floor had more tables and also were the Comfort Rooms were. It felt weird staying there, because it didn't really feel like a restaurant since it was just Paul and me there but then a Korean couple also took a table next to us, and the space suddenly started to feel more like a restaurant. 

We ordered their Chicken Teriyaki and Tempura meals. Paul and I both decided to come back and try their sushi and ramen which got good reviews on their social media sites and recommendations from friends. 

I was just a bit disappointed with the staff, specifically our server who can obviously use more training and here's why: I wanted to order the Tempura Bento but was instead served with a Tempura ala carte plate, so I had to order additional rice. 

Paul ordered their lunch set meal, but we weren't informed that the miso soup that came with the meal set was not available. She should have at least told us that before we ordered. 

The dessert that came with the set meal was apples with Cherry Syrup, I didn't expect to like it but it was pretty good! :) 

With my disappointment in their service said and done, I can go ahead and say that I did like their food. The batter in the tempura was good, in the first bite you can already taste the flavors of the batter. Paul's Chicken Teriyaki was pretty good too. 

We loved the presentation and the plates that they used. The ice tea was at least blended, so it's not the usual powdered type. Since it's a Sushi Bar there was a lot of different kinds of cocktails and liquor for sale (much to Paul's satisfaction) he ordered a Rum and Coke (which probably weirded out the staff since we ate at Lunch time) there are probably more patrons who order liquor in the evenings. 

Paul and I have decided to come back for the sushi and ramen and we have now decided to make a conspicuous effort to feature more local businesses. :) 

Tokyo Bubble Tea's Milo Series!

My Japanese Cheese Cake MILO Drink - this one doesn't have any black pearls and Coffee Jelly, that's coz I'm very picky with food :P I still enjoyed it very much and I'm sure if you have it with the pearls and the Jelly you guys would love it too! :) 

For 90s kids, 'making papak' Milo is a guilty pleasure that brings back a lot of childhood memories. The 'growing up with Milo' tag line is not just a tag line since most 90s kids really did grow up with the delicious chocolate drink. 

Tokyo Bubble Tea is bringing back those Milo childhood memories with their brand new Milo series of drinks. 

Here are their amazing drinks in the MILO series. 

Almond Milk Tea
M- P145.00 
L- P155.00

Mocha Milk Tea 
M- P.145.00
L- P.155.00

JCC (Japanese Cheese Cake) 
M- P.155.00 
L- P165.00

I got to try this one and it was super oishi! There was that familiar Milo Taste which I loved so much! Paul tried the Almond Milk Tea and he liked it too. :) 

It is also a great way to introduce the well loved chocolate drink and flavor to a younger generation whose guilty pleasures include the love of milk tea! 

For those of you hiding under a rock and missing out on this delicious Japanese Restaursnt, Tokyo Bubble Tea is actually a local brand which features Japanese fusion cuisine and an extensive line of bubble and milk teas! 

Vancouver Maki :)  

We just love hanging out at Tokyo Bubble Tea! For someone who loves Japanese culture I love the songs that they play in the restaurant, I would totally get a CD that features songs from the trendy Japanese Fusion restaurant. Since I work in Eastwood we mostly hang out in their branch there but we recently got to visit their Katipunan branch and I loved it too! 

It had a lovely interior and the staff were very accommodating and they even have a Vallet service!  Right from when we parked our car, the security guards assisted us with such joyful service :) 

Along with their delicious Milo drinks we also got to try some of the amazing dishes that they serve and boy did we get stuffed and satisfied! 

Vancouver Maki 

Breaded prawn, spicy tuna and teriyaki sauce, now I don't usually east sushi or sashimi, that's more Paul actually but I really enjoyed it! ^_____^ 

Samurai Burger

The Project Pie Experience

I've already said it before I'm no foodie for a number of reasons, for one I am very picky when it comes to food. I'm a creature of habit who likes to eat the same things over and over and over again to the dismay of my husband who always complains at my lack of daring when it comes to trying out different food. Second reason why I can't be a foodie and blog about food and new restaurants is because, well we don't have the budget to keep on going to new restaurants. 

So this is indeed a rare food/restaurant blog post but I just couldn't resist! 

Project Pie just opened in front of our office in Eastwood City and I've been seeing a LOT of photos of the food (pizza) from this place on Instagram and as I am a pizza kind of girl, so it was a no brainer to try it out! 

Waiting. Project Pie opens at 10AM and I get out at 9AM so Paul and I had to wait for an hour before the store opened and it was worth it! :) Took these photos to pass the time. 

Coz they like it cold. I guess Paul is happy coz they serve beer at Project Pie and it's not just local beer but imported beer as well. 

Choose your weapon. Different ingredients lined up and available for you to choose from for your pizza. 

Project Pie is not like your ordinary pizza place since you also go there (pay for) the experience of making your own pizza! You know how it is when you order a certain pizza flavor and take out the ingredients you don't like in the pizza? I do coz I do that a lot but in Project Pie no need to do that since you get to choose all the ingredients you want for the pizza. 

This super friendly staff at Project Pie was telling us (and showing us) the step by step process of making your pizza! 

The oven. Yup! It's really, really hot! 

Grand Launch: FLAVORS Food Market in Araneta

HAPPY TUMMY indeed! Scrumptious delicacies during the FLAVORS - food market - grand launch.  

For someone who works in a Call Center, it's always hard to find food in the early morning. There have been many times when office mates and I would spend so long debating where to have lunch (don't freak out because our lunch is at 1AM). That is why I am always gleeful when there is a new food market open. There are a lot of times when we end up having to eat fast food and these are a lot of times so a different and healthier alternative is always welcome! 

Promotional Poster for the FLAVORS grand launch. 

What is a food market? Well can I just say that I just pity you if you have not been to a food market, you are really missing out on a lot! Basically a food market is like a tyange where you have all sorts of different kind of food instead of shoes, clothes, bags, accessories, you have food! All sort of food from pasta, pizza, Japanese food, ihaw-ihaw, shawarma, cakes, pastries, if I type in every sort of food in a food market this blog post will never end. 

So we were invited to the grand launch of FLAVORS - the newest food market in the Metro (check out the blog post here). While food has always been a welcome incentive to go anywhere, the grand launch of FLAVORS was made extra special because Urbandub will be performing! Wohoooo! Paul and I really love Urbandub, they are one of our favorite OPM acts so seeing them while stuffing ourselves with food was an easy equation to a happy tummy and eargasm. 

Unfortunately Paul had work until 9PM and the event would start at 6PM which meant I would have to go there alone, bring the camera (Paul calls it an armada, because it's a lot and it's heavy) and take photos. Even if Paul has been teaching me to take photos, I'm still apprehensive when I have to be the one behind the lens. Most of the photos here were taken by me. :P Paul was able to catch up, he made it during the last 2 songs of Urbandub's set. 

Lilibeth Garcia -2nd runner up in the 2012 Karaoke World Championship, performing during the grand launch of FLAVORS.  

X-Factor alumnus Mark Mabasa during the launch of FLAVORS.