Food Talk: Dimsum Break

Hi guys! As I'm planning to sort out which beauty items to review next, I'd like to share with you this new dimsum stop that me and my family really enjoy.

Off all the cuisines that we've tried, we all get along with almost just one kind-Chinese. Although we love trying food of all sorts, we don't always agree on every food stop. Say, my mom and I dig Mexican, but my sis is not much of a fan. My dad isn't much of an Italian foodie, while the rest of us are. You get the pic.

Our favorite would always be Le Ching, but it can be a little taxing to go all the way to Greenhills, so I just had to find, well, a nearer alternative. And I think I have found "the one" *haha* We actually had to come back immediately after our first time because my sis wasn't able to take pictures.

Let me try to take you through Dimsum Break (located at SM North Edsa, Annex 2nd flr.)
All pictures were taken by my sister. She has a better knack in taking photos.

So, as you enter Dimsum Break, this would be your first stop. The steamed, well, dimsum. There's siopao, all sorts of siomai/shaomai, veggie wraps and stuff. The big siopai cost less than 40 bucks and it was so big, and according to my mom, AWESOME. =)

The second station is the fried dimsum. Your choice of crab pinchers, fried wanton, shrimp balls etc. Steamed and fried dimsum cost 68 per order. BTW, when you order just grab a tray, tell the servers want you want and they'll put your orders on your tray. No need to personally grab the steamers like I did. =)

 This would be your third stop. You can order their famous steamed rice with pork (delicious), yang chow fried rice, or you can have noodles, like the totally tasty sate noodles. The rice (yang chow and steamed pork rice) costs 65 per bowl. The sate noodles is 80 bucks. But you could go for plain rice, like my sis and I did to fully appreciate the taste of the dimsum.

Their awesome lanterns

This is some of what we ordered on our second time back. This is their quail egg siomai. My fave. =) Meaty, tasty, and the quail egg is a good touch.

Fried shrimp balls, and on the background, the wanton dimsum. Both with sweet and sour sauce. Tasty and meaty, but I found the sauce a little to overpowering, and the wanton had a little too much wrapper. Nonetheless, delicious.

 DESSERT! Desserts would actually be your last stop (well before drinks and payment). The desserts (and/or side dishes like a shoo-in for atchara) cost 55 each. The halo-halo though is 60 pesos. Haven't tried that one though. Anyway, what you can see above is our favorite dessert from Dimsum Break. This is called coconut cream. Texture is like that of maja blanca but this one's more refreshing.

And,my sister's fave-bacon siomai. Come on--it's siomai wrapped in bacon. =)

Dimsum Break would definitely be one of my top food stops to date. The food is awesome, service is good (except that time when we waited about 20 minutes for the noodles), and ambiance is good. And though they have condiments made available, might I suggest that you try their stuff as they are? The food is that tasty that you really don't have much need for soy sauce and all.

Cheerio!

Food Talk: Chewy Junior

Hi. Again. =) This is just going to be a quick one. I'd just like to share another food entry with you. 

Before Beard Papa and Chewy Junior, my definition of a cream puff is well, some sort of puff pastry with sweet custard filling, topped with hard caramel. But now that I've tasted Chewy Junior, I don't think I'll be going conventional with cream puff, at least at the moment.

 They actually have a lot of flavors. All of these are they regular ones (45/each, 119 for a box of 3, 239 for a box of 6 and 429 for a box of 12, if my memory serves me right.) They also have premium ones, which I think is 55 per piece.

The Verdict:
It's quite different from the other cream puffs I've tried. First of course is their flavors. I don't know the exact names but the one the white one is actually coffee, the one with choco dusts is their cookies one, then there's the choco almond, choco crunch, and their regular choco flavor.

What I love about these puffs is that the fillings are all different. The other flavors I tried had sweet custard, these chocolate ones have choco custard and the coffee had coffee custard. The puff itself strings back when you bite it because it's so chewy. It could be a little bit too chewy for some, but for me, it's okay.

Chewy Junior is on the 2nd floor of Trinoma (beside White Hat. Just get on the escalator near Mcdonalds, and you'll easily find it.) They also have mini puffs which I have yet to try.

Any cream puff stores I should know about? Lemme know. Cheerio! BTW, you might want to try these puffs with this Korean cider drinks. =) You can easily find these in groceries. 24.75 a can. They just taste like your ordinary soda like 7up or Sprite. 

DAEBAK!

Bench Alcogel Pook-a-Looz Liquid Hand Sanitizer in Together Forever

Hello guys. I just wanted to share with you this awesome hand sanitizer that I got from Bench. Quite a handful of a name though. =)

What actually caught my attention was the design. I'ma big Mickey Mouse fan, and he just looks so cute on this sanitizer.

Each bottle costs 39 bucks.

The Verdict:
This one actually smells like Angel's Breath or those colognes that babies use. The scent is strong enough that it could make you think it's a cologne but the smell goes away after a few minutes. That actually bothered me at first because I thought that it was too fragrant that it would end up making my hands taste like cologne, but it didn't.

It's a little pricey for a sanitizer (because you could always just use the conventional ones) but if you're tired of yours and you're looking for a more "fun-smelling" sanitizer, I suggest you try this one. =)

Hope you had a great weekend! Cheerio!

January 2013 Hit Listers

Hi guys. This post is another long overdue post. But I'll make this short and sweet. Promise. =) Btw, Happy Hearts Day!

 1. Nail Art Tools
- These dotting tools were given to me by my mom. Awesome equipment for nail art! I said my goodbyes to the trusty toothpick

 2. Grab Multipurpose Kit
-I don't know exactly what it's called, but I mainly use it for my most-used make-up stuff. I hang it near the mirror for easy access in the morning. Plus, it doubles as a travel kit. Given by my mom too.

 3.Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint
- I did a review on this one a long time ago, but this one is in a new packaging and fairly different from the first, so I'm doing a brand new review. Given by my sis.

4.Marks and Spencer Autograph Inspire Perfume

- I love musky, woody scents and this is just perfect, and it stays on for a whole day. Given by my aunt.

5. LA Colors Color Craze in Transformer

- Cool red color. "Jelly"- finish and long wearing. Read my review here.

6. Sylvia Santos Tan Backpack

-I've always been into backpacks but now, I need those that aren't too bulky for everyday use and this works so well. Given by my mom.

7. Chewy Junior

-I've probably tasted every cream puff known to man (I exaggerate) but Chewy Junior will always be the best. Chewy, tasty, chocolate-y. =) I'll do a review really soon.

www.foodtrippings.com 

8. Rooftop Prince

- When I read about Rooftop Prince in dramabeans long before it was aired locally, I was driven away by Yoochun's ridiculously long hair that I figured the series was no good. I was most definitely wrong. Cool plot, awesome cast, and....omurice. =) 

blogs.trinitydc.edu

9. Dramabeans

- Ever since Hallyu and Kpop took over most of my time, Dramabeans has always been there. Recaps, news, what's hot in Korean TV. Everything I need for a daily dose of, well, Korean TV. Thanks to javabeans, girlfriday, and all the awesome writers. Visit their site here.

10. Dramacrazy.net

- When I'm in the middle of fangirling, I need to watch my K-dramas right after the episodes air and get subbed in Korea, and this is my go-to website. This and KimchiDramas, which I could no longer find. =(

Hope ya'll had a great day! Cheerio!

Certified Movie Buff: Serendipity

Hi guys. With the day of love and hearts just around the corner, I just wanted to share with you this rom-com movie that's one of the best that I've watched.

I've watched Serendipity a couple of times and I'll always remember it's story about well, life's serendipitous events and how it can lead you to circumstances that you never thought possible, like in love for instance.

www.fanpop.com

Serendipity is a 2001 film that tells the story of Jonathan (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale), two people with much lives and love of their own, who felt a "connection" after meeting at Bloomingdale's as they reached for the same pair of gloves. As if by some twist of fate, they keep running into each other during the same night.

Convinced that destiny might be at its work, they decided to give their connection a try. Jonathan wrote his name and number on a five-dollar bill and Sara, on a copy of Love in the Time of Cholera, both of which to end up in the hands of whoever. If they were meant to be together, eventually, Sara would end up with that five dollar bill and Jonathan, with the book. 

A couple of years later, both still hold on to the fateful night and each other. I guess they hoped that by sheer happenstance, destiny would intervene with their already-paved ways of love and life and they'd see each other again.

It's nice to watch a movie that played with the concept of fate being too dynamic and too mysterious that two people would end up risking it all just to see if they can sail along with it. It depicts love as something that is fated and not searched for, since Jonathan and  Sara seemed happy with the lives that they had before they met each other.

It's a very nice movie to watch. Not too tear-jerking and not too cliched for a rom-com. If you're planning to spend the day of hearts watching movies, I hope you squeeze this in on your list.

What's your fave romantic movie? Lemme know. Cheerio!

Food Talk: Vanilla Cupcake Bakery

Hi guys. Just a quick post here. I apologize for not being able to update this blog quite often. I'm still adjusting to my new job, which includes Saturdays. 

Anyhoo, I'm a sworn cupcake addict, and I try to check out as many bakeries or cupcake stores that I can, even those in bazaars. And I come back to the ones that I really love.

About a month ago, Helen of Lucky Citrine suggested that I try out Vanilla Cupcake Bakery, a dainty cupcake store in Trinoma (around the 3rd floor near La Senza if I remember correctly). I'm glad she suggested it, and I'm so glad I tried the cupcakes. Thanks Helen!

Look at this cool packaging! BTW, Vanilla Cupcake Bakery has a lot of goodies to offer, aside from cupcakes.

Banana Cream Cheese

Vanilla Blue

The Verdict: 

I'll admit that my sister and I have Cupcakes by Sonja bias. We love that cupcake stop to bits that we go all the way to Serendra whenever we can. And because that's not as often as we want to, I think I've finally found the next best.

VCB's cupcakes are so delicious. The texture of the base is just right--not too crumbly. The  frosting is not too sweet but you get the taste that they are trying to drive across. In a nutshell, really good cupcakes. The banana one, which I tried, is so tasty and is perfect with the cream cheese icing.

These cost 75 each, but the price depends on the cupcake. Their red velvet I think is 85 bucks.

Really must try cupcakes, and the store/booth itself is so cool-looking. 

If you need a cupcake fix, I recommend that you try Vanilla Cupcake Bakery! Cheerio!

UPDATE (03/23/13): I just saw Vanilla Cupcake Bakery inside Kamiseta, G/F of Trinoma. =) I'm not sure if their previous stall is no longer existent though.

Etude House Easy Brow Pencil in #2

Hello guys! Here's one of the few products I've decided to try this 2013. The Etude House Easy Brow Pencil. Welll, it wasn't exactly the brow product I've been eyeing. I actually wanted the one that had a tip that resembled a highlighter but it was out of stock. So I decided to go for the next big thing. 

When I was trying this one out, I figured that the tester was faulty because I had to run the pencil really hard to see the color. But I was wrong. =)

The shade I bought is #2, which is kalsaek or brown according to my sis' Korean dictionary

 The Verdict:

What's so cool about this product is that its design is ingenious. It has the pencil and a brow brush on opposite ends, both with their respective covers. The color of the packaging is sleek as well. As for the color pay-off, I guess it's not defective. The light rub-off of the color actually makes the pencil easier to use for the brows because you can control how dark or natural looking you want your brows to look.

Say, I love my L'oreal kohl brow pencil, but it's so pigmented and creamy that even a light stroke makes my brows look really dark. What rocks about this one from Etude is you can go from light to dark (first stroke below is once glided, the next is twice and the third is four times).

What I wish they'd change about the product, if they can, is the smell. It smells like pencil--like kindergarten pencil. It bothers me still, but I'll live. I also wish that they'd make the lids of both ends different, like the one for the brush could be the screw-lid type and the one for the pencil the pull up type. Just so I don't end up having both ends uncovered when I'm just trying to use the pencil.

Anyways, all in all, great eyebrow pencil. Definitely buying again when it's all gone or I could try the retractable one.

What's your fave brow saver? Lemme know. Cheerio!