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! 

Post APCC: Celebrating Geek Culture in a Global Scale

As I was sitting in attendance at this year's Asiapop Comicon's (APCC) Hall N (Netflix) there was something that "Castlevania" showrunner Adi Shankar said that resounded in me. 

Dressed in what was almost 'casual cosplay' with the infamous 'power glove' on his arm, he talks with such passion about a beloved video game resurrected into a medium for a new generation.  

He says: "-this (Castlevania) was the stuff that I got made fun of as a kid. You know what I mean? I couldn't walk around with a power glove when I was 16. I couldn't talk about anime and video games, that wasn't cool and now all of a sudden we live in a world where this is part of the collective culture, this is part of the consciousness and we're talking about a global mythology here, a shared understanding."   

and I know what he means, growing up, I too was made fun of for being a fan of anime, my group of friends ostracized because we weren't like "the cool kids". 

During our school fair we had a booth and sold Anime merchandise (we did for fun and not profit, we hardly made any money) and even held film screenings, (screening rights weren't that strict then). We even cosplayed as some of our favorite characters and this was back when cosplay wasn't even "cool" or acceptable. 

There were no conventions then and the internet was just in its infancy. 

Flash forward to a couple of decades later and we now have one of the biggest pop culture events in Asia, bringing renowned actors, artists and cosplayers, whom we've only admired from a far. And as if these years of consecutive success wasn't enough, APCC ups their game this year by providing exclusive, never before seen content from industry giants like Marvel, Disney and Netflix (Netflix really brought their A game though). With exclusive world trailers for Season 2 of Castlevania as well as the world trailer of Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle.  

Adi Shankar during the Netflix panel.
(c) PCheng Photography 

As if that wasn't enough, the first episode of the second season of Iron Fist was also premiered to the lucky fans in attendance. 

Adi Shankar says of these exclusive previews: 

"Trailers would drop, new stories would drop - but it would never happen in this part of the world. Alien invasion always happen in New York" he says, proving his point. 

With these worldwide premieres debuting in an event such as Asia Popcomicon, it just goes to show how celebrating Geek Culture is now on a Global Scale. That even our humble city of Manila can experience these exclusive sneak peeks. Going through comments on social media, I even came across one that said the Netflix panel in APCC was a lot better than the world renowned SDCC (San Diego Comicon).  

I think I will never get over how 'being a geek' can now be celebrated in prestigious events such as Asiapop Comicon. You get to meet and/or hang out with friends who share the same passion as you do. May it be through cosplay or through panels, or meeting your favorite comic artists or scoring those coveted merchandise. There is something for everybody and if the evolution of these events in the following years is any indication, I can say that we are in for bigger and better surprises in the years to come. 




***Apologies this write up is a bit delayed, the week after APCC is actually our Little Jedi's first birthday party and we were busy handling last minute preparations. I just hope that next year APCC and Luke's birthday won't be too close.*** 

Lifestyle: Funko Pop Christmas Tree

 

Since we get to call the shots for this year's Christmas Tree I thought of giving it a geek twist and while a specific theme (Star Wars) didn't come to fruition this year (maybe next year?) I thought of using my Funko Pop toys. 

Paul has always been picking on my (very) humble Funko Pop collection, since it's (a) it's not much. (b) it's from a variety of franchises, never really completing one but I still wanted to give it a try. 

 Honestly, I didn't even think that it would work, given the strange shape of the toys, with the head being bigger and heavier than the body, I wasn't sure that we could "hang" them on the tree. 

We ended up just placing the toys within the (fake) pine leaves and well, it worked. It's probably not really secured but we'll just have to make sure that the kids don't mess it up. 

We used the boxes and placed them under the tree. 

Pretty happy with how it turned out! :)  

Click HERE for MORE photos!

Lifestyle: Rock your world with the Ekonic Justice League Headphones!

Shut up and take my money! 

*Throws money at screen* 

Just in time for Christmas! This is an awesome gift idea! (Nudge. Nudge. Wink. Wink). 

Functional design meets comic book artistry as these are set to unleash your inner geek.  With this line, you will never get enough of the Justice League.

Emerge from the shadows and fight bad vibes with the city’s dramatic sounds while you tune in with your Ekonic JUSTICE LEAGUE Headphones! With great sound quality and a sleek design, you’ll harness the power of a good soundtrack all throughout the day. Create your ultimate DC universe playlist and unleash the superhero you were born to be.

Available now in Metropolis and Gotham City

Coming soon in Themyscira and Central City.

SPECS:
Speaker size 40MM

Sensitivity: 105dB±3dB(1KHz,10mW)

Frequency response: 20Hz 20KHz

Impedance: 32 Ohm

Cord length: 1.5M

Mic Sensitivity: -54db ±3db

Plug: ø3.5mm 4P stereo

Rated input power: 25mW

Maximum input power: 50mW

SRP: 1165

Catch these official DC Comics Gadgets at Big Boys Toy Store, Geek PH, and Hobbes & Landes!

Lifestyle: Ekonic DC Comics Powerbank!

Ekotek celebrates everyone’s inner geek with the official Ekonic DC Comics Gadgets! Right out of the comic books and into your hands, you can carry a piece of your childhood with you wherever you go. Grab your gear and get ready to suit up, these new gadgets will get you to style and strut like a superhero! Power up and save the day with Ekonic DC Comics Powerbank. Team up with your family and friends as you fight bad guys (and low battery) on the streets! Complete your daily arsenal with power-packed gear set to keep you fully charged for a jam-packed adventure.

SPECS:

Dimensions (mm): 155 x 74 x 12 (thickness)

Total capacity: 8000mAh

Battery type: Li-Pol

Input voltage: DC5V/2A

Output 1 voltage: DC5V/1A

Output 2 voltage: DC5V/2.1A

SRP: 1990

Catch the official DC Comics Gadgets for pre-order at Big Boys Toy Store and Geek PH!

#GeekLifestyle 

Events: Breakout Philippines Takes You To Don't Breathe's House of Horror

The reviews are in, (Here's MY review for "Don't Breathe" click HERE) and movie fans worldwide are on the edge of their seats waiting for the upcoming thriller “Don’t Breathe”. Opening August 31, we meet three young robbers who break into the house of a wealthy blind man. It is the perfect heist gone shockingly wrong. Once inside,  the robbers become prey as the violent blind man hunts them down using sound and movement.

It is with much pride that Breakout Philippines, together with Columbia Pictures Philippines, present HUSH: a LIVE Suspense Thriller Escape Room Experience inspired by the film, “Don’t Breathe”.

Breakout Philippines creates  premier escape room games in the country; with masterfully crafted themed rooms and well thought-out storylines. HUSH allows participants experience Breakout at a whole new level. This newest escape room puts you in the middle of terror as an actor inspired by the movie's blind man roams around the rooms to impede your progress. You have 45 minutes to find the blind man’s money and escape. But he knows you're there. He's stretching his hands out to reach you. And if he gets to you, you know you're done for. Don't move. Don't make a sound. Don't even breathe.

Since Hush opened last July 29, Breakout fans have been getting their adrenaline pumped by primal fear. The live thriller room is full of action, terror, and shocking surprises along the way.

“Don’t Breathe” tells the story of how a perfect heist goes terribly wrong. HUSH lets you find out firsthand whose lives are really in danger.

Play, watch, then prove beyond a doubt that you don’t need a house full of ghosts to scare the living daylights out of you. “Don’t Breath”  and HUSH are definitely not for the faint of heart. Do you have what it takes to make it out alive?

“Don’t Breathe” opens in cinemas on August 31, distributed by Columbia Pictures Philippines.

Geek Lifestyle: Batman V Superman Dog Tags from Silverworks

Update on Silverworks Batman V Superman Collection! Check out those Dog Tags! 

I've been blogging about the collection for some time now - you can check out the older posts and more awesome jewelry here and here and here.

Don't forget to take photos of your pieces and use the #SWHeroesUnited in your posts! 

Tag @silverworksphil in your photos! :) 

Geek Lifestyle: MORE! Batman V Superman from Silverworks

I have finally been able to check out Silverworks Batman V Superman collection and it's as beautiful as I thought it would be! 

The Funko Pops are a nice touch don't you think? I want Wonder Woman! 

By the way, I asked how much the studs are and they are P350.00 a pair. Not bad right?

Check out the photos below! 

Batman V Superman: Silverworks Catalogue

If you have been following the blog or my social media accounts then you probably already know about Silverworks Batman V Superman's line of Jewelry. :) 

I haven't been to the store yet, unfortunately I've been so busy with work, events and writing on the blog that Paul told me I was actually snoring one time - and I don't snore. So it must be because I am too tired. I'll make sure to drop by the store next week though :)  

What I do have for you is the Catalogue to the collection as well as some of the price of the pieces. :) Some people have already been asking me about the prices - so here it is!  

X2843 SS BLK CUTOUT SUP LOGO W/BC 20" 690.00

X2849 SS CUTOUT SUP LOGO W/THN CBLE 16+2"  490.00  

X2952 SS GOLD CUTOUT SUP LOGO W/THIN CBLE 16+2" 590.00

X2953 SS BLK CUTOUT SUP LOGO W/BC 16+2"  590.00  

X2954 SS BLK BATMAN DSGN DGTG W/BC 24" 490.00

 X2882 SS BLK ABSTRCT BATMAN DGTG W/BC 24" 490.00

X2881 SS BLK SUPERMAN DSGN DGTG W/BC 24" 490.00

X2885 SS BLK SUPERMAN LOGO DGTG W/BC 24" 490.00

  

  

I don't have the prices to the Stud Earrings yet but I'll definitely let you know once I find out :)  

X2925 SS BIG WIDE WW ARM CUFF  1,150.00 

X2950 SS GOLD BIG WIDE WW ARM CUFF 1,450.00

X2926 SS WW CUFF BANGLE BRACELET 790.00 

X2951 SS GOLD WW CUFF BANGLE BRACELET 990.00

X2924 SS WW WRIST BANGLE 36.7G 790.00

X2955 SS GOLD WRIST BANGLE 37G 990.00

X2924 SS WW WRIST BANGLE 36.7G  790.00   

You can visit Silverworks branches to check out the collection and maybe pick up something :) 

It would be great to have a piece so that when you watch Batman V Superman in the cinemas (Opening in March 26) you are already have your very own official and licensed jewelry! :) 

Don't forget to take photos and tag Silverworks @silverworksphil make sure to also use the #SWHeroesUnited in your posts :)  

They're home! Hamill, Fischer and Ford return for: The Force Awakens

A long time ago...in a galaxy far, far, away...

...the unexpected success of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope 'catapulted three young performers into super stardom' back in 1977 and movies and geek fandoms have never been the same, ever since. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford became household names. 

Now the power trio are poised to accomplish what was once deemed impossible: reprise their original “Star Wars” characters Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo after almost forty years after the first “Star Wars” movie, “Episode IV: A New Hope.”

With Lucasfilm's “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” opening in the Philippines on Dec. 17, the trio of actors and characters will finally come full circle to continue the most passionately followed saga ever in motion picture history.

But first things first. Let's get to know what the stars think of new director J.J. Abrams and what they hope fans will take away after watching the new film.

Question: What do you thinnk of J.J. Abrams' vision for “The Force Awakens?”

Mark Hamill: Like any good Disney animated film, these films appeal to the child in anyone. It doesn't matter what your chronological age is, it appeals to the child in whatever age you are. And, J.J. is the perfect example of someone who understands that and knows how to reinterpret it in the way he wants to. We’re so lucky that they picked him. He’s a kid in so many ways. He’s a brilliant filmmaker and writer but someone who can instantly relate to the material at hand. I'm sure if you ask him, I would imagine that the original films were part of the reason he wanted to become a director and a writer.

Carrie Fischer: J.J. is someone who’s proven he can do these epic, otherworldly films, and also worldly films. He’s a writer and a director and he loves movies. That really comes across.

Harrison Ford: He’s very thoughtful and very wise about human nature and the development of character and relationships. He brings a real sincerity and emotional understanding to relationships, which is something I was very pleased to see. He’s an enormously skilled filmmaker and very efficient director and producer. So it has been a real pleasure to work with him and all of the members of his team as this film has gone on.

Q: What do you hope audiences will take away from this film?

Hamill: I always thought there was a great undercurrent of optimism in these films. There’s a lack of cynicism there. They reinforce what all great fables and fairytales tell you. Perseverance and purity of heart will help you succeed. I hope they’re uplifting. I hope they have the humor they had. I hope they don’t take themselves too seriously. I’ve got my fingers crossed that for a six year old who’s never seen them, that it’ll be great fun; scary but not too scary. I hope it gives them a sense of adventure and the feeling that if they work really hard and give it their all, they can succeed as well. That’s what it’s all about.

Fischer: I think they’ll be happy to be in their home away from home again.

Ford: Recognition of our common humanity and that all of us face the same kinds of problems in our lives, and that there’s hope. There’s joy in the celebration of right and wrong and in the recognition of truth that sustains us. And, they’ll have fun along the way.

Lucasfilm and visionary director J.J. Abrams join forces to take you back again to a galaxy far, far away as Star Wars returns to the big screen with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

The film stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk are producing with Tommy Harper and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt.

Opening across the Philippines on Thursday, Dec. 17, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Follow the official social media accounts of Star Wars in the Philippines, namely, (FB) StarWarsPH, (Twitter) @starwarsph and (Instagram) iamstarwars_ph and use the hashtag #TheForceAwakensPH.