Two Payday Weekend Sale Events

It's payday weekend! For those who have money to spare and plurge, why not head out to The Great Luxe Sale at the SMX Convention Center Hall 3, starting today June 1 until June 3.  Or if you are nearer Mandaluyong City, visit The Fashion Outlet Sale at the Megatrade Hall 3 of SM Megamall, happening also from June 1 to 3. Selected participating brands can give you items up to 80% off.

Happy weekend and happy shopping!

Filed under EVENTS

YABU: All Things Katsu

A colleague invited me and another one to lunch to try out this new Japanese restaurant in SM Megamall. Couldn't even remember the name that when the time came to meet-up, I had to send a sms one last time.

Upon reaching the place, I noticed that the interiors were minimalist in design but the golden glow made it seem friendly and cozy. One side had Japanese manga murals on the "art of katsu making" while the other side had wooden intersecting panels.

Yabu, The House of Katsu opened its first branch last November 11, 2011 (11-11-11) at the SM Megamall Atrium. Since then, the place was always packed with Katsu lovers, even on supposedly lean hours between lunch and dinner. In Japanese Yabu means a "perfect 10" for perfect katsu. Indeed, the katsus we ordered were perfect in size, taste and presentation. With the culinary knowledge and expertise of Chef Takuya Kazeda (head chef of Tomkatsu Takeshin, popular tonkatsu restaurant in Tokyo) passed on to the chefs of Yabu, a perfect and delicious katsu is guaranteed everyday.

I ordered the Fish Set (from the Seafood Katsu Sets) composed of 180g (PhP 335) of Cream Dory fish fillet (smaller portions available at 120g and 90g, at PhP 300 and PhP 275 respectively) served with Japanese rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, unlimited shredded cabbage with sesame dressing and a bowl of sliced fruits. I thought this was a small meal good for one but when the food was served, I had a hard time finishing it as it can be actually be good enough for two. The fish katsu was golden brown in color, perfectly cooked -- crunchy on the outside while fish is soft and juicy on the inside. I love vegetables so I had a grand time munching on the cabbage with sesame dressing.

Fish Set: cream dory fish fillet, miso soup, rice, cabbage and fruits

Perfect golden brown fish fillet (180g) good for two

My companions both ordered the Katsudon Set which offered of a choice of Rosu (pork) Katsudon (PhP 265) or Chicken Katsudon (PhP 260), Japanese rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, unlimited shredded cabbage with sesame dressing and a bowl of sliced fruits. Yabu's Katsudon is made with a two-egg omelet and special sweet sauce ladled over tender katsu served on top of steaming Japanese rice. And yes, this can be good enough for two people as well. So when ordering here at Yabu, the key word to remember if SHARE.

Rosu Katsudon Set: pork katsudon, served with miso soup, cabbage and fruits

Pork katsu topped with egg omelet, sweet sauce over rice

For dessert, we tried a scoop of Strawberry Ice Cream and Lava Ala Mode (chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream) . Sounds ordinary, right? But wait till you try them because the ice creams were extra creamy and really delicious but sweetened just right.

Yabu's creamy Strawberry Ice Cream scoop

Lava Ala Mode

We cannot put our finger on the ice cream brand and so we asked the restaurant manager what brand they serve. All our guesses were wrong because they serve they own ice cream creations that are available in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and green tea flavors.

Filed under FLAVORS

F is for FEVER...

Shopping fever at FOREVER 21...November 25 to December 4. Enough said. Time to shop. :)

Filed under FINDS

Ninoy Remembered in Photos

The Filipino is worth dying for. That's one phrase that will always remind me of Ninoy, the late senator Benigno S. Aquino, Sr. and his death on August 21, 1983 -- the death that sparked courage and hope in the hearts of millions of Filipinos enough to overcome a political regime through the 1986 EDSA People's Revolution (People Power).

I was but a young girl of 9 back then with no inkling whatsoever of the political and social climate in the country and of why a respectable looking man, on his way home to Manila, was shot and left dead on the tarmac. I was young then but the image of Ninoy, his body being dragged by a soldier, is vividly etched on my mind.

Now, that phrase poses a question in my mind: are we still worth dying for? Am not going to play scholarly here and try to answer that question but instead share what I saw and learned at the recently concluded 'Ninoy, My Hero' photo exhibit at the Atrium of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

I was fortunate to have gotten a chance to visit the exhibit that was staged to celebrate Ninoy's life and commemorate his martyrdom. The overall feel of the exhibit is that of heroism and love for fellowmen and country. The colors yellow and black dominate the Atrium and the phrase "The Filipino is worth dying for" is prominently displayed all around.

The third floor Atrium showcased different artist interpretations of Ninoy and his assassination while the second floor was occupied by larger than life images showing the various facets of Ninoy's life, both personal and professional. All these, in an effort to refresh the memory of the older generation while attempting to educate the younger generation and hopefully make Ninoy relevant to this day and beyond.

Ninoy may have been part of the distant past but the youth should know and understand what he stood for and lived by because that part of the past was what made this present and will eventually shape the future.

Filed under EVENTS