29.9.10

Drowning in Chocolate



Warning: This post will make you salivate. =D

Ultimate indulgence- a literally sweet night at Maitre Chocolatier
The first time I went to this boutique cafe, I swore I would  come back. And I did!



Upon entering, this mannequin dressed in a very chic gown made of Ferrero wrappers will greet you.


This wall is perfect as a backdrop for some picture-taking.


Gelato! I really really want to try these 
but my mouth was already numb from the sweetness of the cakes we ordered. 
Wait until my next visit!




They make lovely chocolate arrangements. If I had one, I think I'll be happier to just stare at it than eat it.




Oooohhhh lots of chocolates!



Our complimentary treat- yummy caramel candies!


 This is the cafĂ©’s best-seller and my all-time favorite- Golden Euphoria (P250/slice). 
Ferrero Hazelnut Crunch Cake. 
Tempting chocolate hazelnut mousse on a velvety chocolate sponge cake 
topped with the enchanting Ferrero Hazelnut.



Sweet Revenge (P250/slice). Lindt Molten Lava Cake.
 Dark chocolate molten lave cake made from Europe’s finest Lindt Excellence Dark 70% 
filled with sweet and vengefully spicy chocolate lava served with vanilla ice cream.



Immortal Desire (P235). Ferrero Nutella Hazelnut Waffles. 
Tempting chocolate and vanilla waffles filled with deliciously rice Nutella Hazelnut Spread 
and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.




Bailey’s Chocolate Vodka Martini (P130)- the dark chocolate at the bottom is pure heaven!


 The cakes are moist, rich in chocolate flavor and have a perfect texture. 
Made with unique twists, these cakes truly have the power to arouse curiosity and excite the taste buds.

 Sure our dessert night was a sugar overdose but the experience was truly fork-licking 
and ooooohhhh-and--aaaaahhh-inducing.

*** Maitre Chocolatier Boutique and Cafe
Unit 2A, No. 28 Jupiter St. corner Astra St., 
Bel-Air, Makati City
(Right beside Whistlestop and Starbucks)
(02) 897.85.59 and (02) 896.25.29

27.9.10

Love Brothers Burger?

Enjoy 50% off on the Big Brothers Burger on September 30, Thursday. Available from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. in all branches except the Bonifacio High Street, the Big Brothers Burger is only at P97.50. 


Valid for dine-in and takeout orders only. Maximum of 20 burgers per person.

Fabulous Floral

I finally completed the outfit that I want. Yay! The floral polo top is from Tomato and it costs P550. The moment I saw it on the rack, I fell in love with it and I was 100% sure I would buy it. Floral prints look fresh and young and never go out of style.


The fabric is lightweight and comfortable. I adore the lovely prints!


I bought the denim shorts for P595 from Forever21 when it opened in the Philippines. Yes, the price is a little steep but I tell you, the material is superb and the fit is perfect through the hip and legs. The weaved belt is from Landmark and I got it for P179. This belt is so convenient because I can adjust it for a perfect fit any time. No need to punch additional holes!


What do you think of this outfit? Any comments or suggestions?

24.9.10

Excuses to Pig Out

One Saturday afternoon, Ate and I dragged Mama to Marquee Mall to have snacks. Good thing Papa allowed us to go even if it was scorching hot outside. After shopping for A Bonne items we headed to Xtremely Xpresso.

Our hungry eyes and empty stomachs feasted on the menu.

Ate and I ordered Xtreme Frappes. The one on the left is Baby Joe. The one on the right is Eskimocha. Each is P100 for the grande size. I requested to have the drinks in take-out cups because I thought we would not be able to finish them. There is an additional P10 fee for each cup.


Ate insisted we order Tex-Mex Style Nachos (P220). It's her favorite. I didn't expect the serving to be this huge!


Look at the generous piles of ground beef, onions, capers, jalapeño peppers, salsa and cheese. It was the first time I tried this in Xtremely Xpresso and I can say this is really a must-try. It is so tasty and filling. It is good for sharing with four to six persons. We were not able to finish it so we just took the half home.


I ordered my favorite pasta, Spaghetti Pomodoro (P160). I love the rich sauce which is simply made from tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil.


The tender, succulent and flavorful tomatoes make me always want this pasta dish. It is simple; no shrimp or chicken chunks but is complete and very sumptuous.


I let Mama and Ate taste the Chicken Terriyaki Sandwich (P150).  Mama sliced it into three but Ate didn't eat her part so we also took the slice home.



Ate ordered Garlic & Cheese Quesadilla (P140) last minute. Although I was already full I still ate two pieces. I couldn't resist the creamy garlic dip. Yummy!


We just committed gluttony. Haha! What we ordered was too much for the three of us but we couldn't help ordering our favorites. Besides, the snack was our treat for Mama. Ate and I agreed to split the bill. Mama assured us she will pay the next time we go out. Ate and I winked at each other and instantly knew we should have it at TGIF. =D

22.9.10

Charice on Glee (First Episode)

She acts naturally. She sings powerfully. She's young and she's Filipina. Our very own Charice Pempengco makes her debut on Glee.

Video clip by Journey4AP9 from Youtube

How did you find that? Just awesome!

Lip Companion

I was strolling around Greenbelt 3 when I passed by PCX (Personal Care Exchange). I was reminded to check if they have Carmex lip balm. On the first alley I saw what I was looking for.


Alfred Woelbing invented Carmex lip balm in the USA in the early 1930s. The original lip balm comes in a jar. Carmex also comes in squeeze tubes and click sticks and in strawberry and cherry flavors.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
*** Camphor alleviates pain
*** Menthol kills germs and relieves discomfort
*** Phenol gently numbs your sore lips and removes old, dead skin

OTHER INGREDIENTS
beeswax, cetyl esters, flavor, fragrance, lanolin, paraffin, petrolatum, salicylic acid and theobroma cacao(cocoa) seed butter

Carmex promises three things:  

---It moisturizes. ---
Carmex lip balm restores the moisture that wind and dry, cold air can suck right out of your lips. One of the moisturizing ingredients in Carmex lip balm is cocoa butter, a natural emollient.

---It protects.---
Carmex adds natural emollients to your lips, while locking in your own body’s moisture to help protect against chapping and cracking. Lanolin, for example, is a natural substance that locks in moisture. The lanolin in Carmex is easily absorbed into the delicate skin of your lips, where it provides a temporary barrier against the drying effects of wind, heat and cold.

---It heals.---
Menthol and phenol both have antiseptic qualities helping to speed healing by killing germs.

This is how it looks like when I opened the jar lid.


The lip balm is slightly harder than petroleum jelly and has a strong medicinal smell. It gives a cooling effect when applied. I like it because it doesn’t leave a shiny (flashy) appearance but instead makes my lips appear natural and healthy. It also stays on my lips longer than the other lip balms I used before. Usually I just apply Carmex twice a day unlike other brands which required me to reapply after two hours.

Carmex lip balm in jar is only P99.75 in PCX. It’s simple. It’s classic. It’s perfect.

20.9.10

Going Giddy

I find this song really really cute.


Entitled Teenage Dream from the album of the same title released in August 2010, this song is about a woman who is deeply in love and it makes her feel like a teenager again. Sang by the charming and soon-to-be-wed Katy Perry, the song has an upbeat and feel-good tune. The lyrics are simple but sweet.

I love the video because it accents a sophisticated vintage look and fresh summer feel. It features the carefree vibes of the California surf coast lifestyle. Every thing is all about fun- beach, friends, BMW 1600 convertible, dance party. 

Drool over the dashing Joss Kloss. He's so damn hot!

How do you find this song? Let me know!

17.9.10

Two Happy Sisters, One Hearty Supper

Finally, Ate is here in Manila for a seminar/training!  I have been looking forward to her visit because I wanted to take her to The Fort in Taguig. Last night we braved the rain to have dinner at Conti’s in Serendra. I have heard a lot of good words about the pastry shop/restaurant and I wanted to try the dishes for myself.


Starting out as a simple family restaurant in the heart of Paranaque, 
Conti’s opened with just a few tables and the desire to serve people with delectable dishes. 
Coming back for the delightful Mango Bravo, the tasty Baked Salmon among others, 
people found a place where they could gather with family and friends 
and enjoy scrumptious meals together. 
Thus, Conti’s earned a following of loyal and satisfied customers.




As usual, there were a lot of diners. The place is not too big so we were given the option to wait for a table or stay on the second floor al fresco area. Since Ate was really hungry and thinking the customers would not leave too soon because of the rain, we opted to stay on the second floor.

We ordered a solo serving of Mango Royale Salad (P90)- iceberg lettuce with fresh mango cubes tossed with special house dressing. It is a simple yet refreshing salad. The dressing is a little sweet but it tastes so good along with the lettuce and mango. The serving is really only for one. We thought the servings are huge. We could have ordered the one for sharing (P160).


I had Chicken Roulade with Saffron Mushroom Risotto (P255) - roulade of chicken with spinach, cheese and caramelized onion (with garlic rice P225). This is like cordon bleu but with simpler stuffing. The sauce (which is I think gravy) is so tasty. The marinated boneless chicken is tender and scrumptious. I also like the sweet and crunchy carrot slices on the side. Too bad the risotto tastes like java rice with lots of butter. Saffron has a distinct flavor- a mixture of sweet and bitter. No trace of this spice at all.
 


Ate opted for Herb Crusted Fillet of Fish (P220) served with apple potato salad and buttered corn rice. I like this better than my choice. The fish fillet is light, tender and moist. It is so flavorful and generously seasoned with herbs, salt and pepper.



Apple Potato Salad- apples, potatoes, carrots and chicken chunks. I am a fan of potato salad and this didn’t disappoint me. It has a rich and lively flavor. The crisp apple slices give a fresh edge to the potato salad.


This corn rice is the best! The delicious flavors of butter and garlic combined in this simple rice mix are just so perfect I can eat this on its own. I told Ate to try cooking this at home so we can experiment on the taste.


Of course we didn’t leave the restaurant without trying on the famous frozen Mango Bravo (P120/slice). The slice is actually big enough to share. Why is this dessert so popular? Well, it is a chilled and crunchy cake with cashew, mango chunks, chocolate mousse and meringue filling and covered with white mango cream, topped with mango chunks and drizzled with chocolate syrup. It’s a piece of heaven! It is not overly sweet and it is light on the stomach. We were tempted to buy the small cake (P425) (big cake P995) to bring home to Pampanga on the weekend but we were afraid it would melt right away so we just content ourselves with the slice.




Overall, the food is superb. I will consider coming back to try on the other entrees. What is unsatisfactory is the slow service and inattentive staff. We were seated for five minutes already before a server gave us the menu and took our orders. Our slice of cake arrived after ten minutes. Asking for the bill took us eight minutes and another ten minutes to give back the change.

Have you tried dining at Conti’s? What are your favorite dishes? How was your experience?

*** Conti’s Pastry Shop and Restaurant
1C-17 Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
(02) 856.23.52 to 53 and (02) 901.34.86