Hidden Gem: The Secret Haven Cafe

LET ME TELL YOU A SECRET...but promise me you won't tell anyone, okay?

But I bet you can't do that, just like me! This secret is so beautiful that I can't help but spread it out! Though I can always keep a secret, let me break my silence this time :)

I just discovered a hidden cafe in Noveleta, Cavite. It's hidden because unlike other cafes and food hubs along Centennial road, they are located inside a subdivision. 

They are tagged as Noveleta's best kept secret, though I believe they are no longer a secret to many anymore...Why? because they've got  11K + followers on Facebook already! Wow! *slow claps* Moving on, the discovery on my part was unplanned (as usual), when I joined some of my colleagues at work for an after-shift food trip. We were lost at first, but after a few stirs, we managed to find this humble den. 

Looking at it from the outside, it's just a house with a green door, adorned with vines and potted plants all over. But as I stepped inside, my jaw dropped in awe. There were plants, cactus, flowers, and a lot of green stuff that made me feel happy in an instant. I soon forgot that we are here to eat, because I was too busy taking pictures of every corner of this beautiful place. Let me take you on a quick tour:

They actually cultivate the cactus by themselves. At the back of this door, with the sign "Love grows here", are the  cute potted cacti which you can actually purchase. Seeing them all makes me wanna take several dozens and display them at home. 

Oh! we need to place our orders now! (totally forgotten my grumbling stomach). 

They've got interesting items on their menu. Each signature dish was named after a popular tourist spot. I didn't tried their coffee mixes (since I'm not a coffee-lover) but their smoothies and milkshakes are really good! The lasagna (which I forgot the name on the menu) has the right blend of flavor, which makes it my new favorite. But the incredible part was seeing the rice meal which gives you four different viands in one meal, so you won't have a hard time deciding if you'll go for tapsilog, tocilog or longsilog instead. 

And if you don't feel like staying outside for too long, you can enjoy the cozy vibe inside. They have comfy pillows and good books which you can all enjoy with your friends. Perfect for a weekend meeting with the gals!

I was with other four food monsters, and since we ordered five beverages, we received this loyalty card. Four drinks to go and we shall receive a drink for FREE!

So how's the experience in general?

Thumbs up because:

• The place is very unique. Unlike other cafes which are only confined within four walls and a few set of board games, here, you can actually bring yourself closer to the lovely products of nature. 

• Worth the visit. You can take a lot of great photos because every corner has a different story to tell. Plus, you can try different items on the menu and won't be stuck with the same frappuccino that other cafes offer as well.

• They observe clean and unique plating. They use tall glasses and bottles for the beverages and cute plates and bowls for the food. I love how they play with colors and textures, which makes them stand-out from other cafes. 

• The place is clean and comfortable. You'll even forget that you're staying for several hours already! *I love the pillows*

• The service is quick and the owner is very hands-on; She accommodates even the most silliest request from the guests. 

• Lastly, the prices on the menu can be overwhelming at first, but as they serve your orders, you'll then agree that it's somehow worth every cent. 

Thumbs down because:

• The place is not very accessible. There were no signages near the place that will guide the food trippers to the exact location of the said haven. 

• If you'll bring a car, the parking space would be a dilemma. In that case, you'll park outside the subdivision instead. 

• During peak days, the place maybe congested and you won't enjoy its features for sure. I hope they will extend the current space and do some renovation in the near future. 

Will I come back again? Of course YES! I'm planning to visit soon! I still need to try other stuff on their menu :) Now if you want to visit them, below is a map which I snatched from their Facebook page. You just need to drive straight from SM Bacoor and along Centennial road. Use the Caltex gas station as your mark to turn right and enter Jordan Estates Subdivision. They are located just two blocks from the gates. 

I'm having a lot of food escapades lately, so I'll do more beauty blogs on the next few days. Hope you enjoyed this one though, we shall see each other again soon! 

Eat, Pray and Love!

Grill All-You-Can at MRP House of Grill

ARE YOU AN "IHAW" LOVER?! Well this place is sooo perfect for you! Get to enjoy unlimited, I repeat, UNLIMITED grilled foods for a very affordable deal! 

Excited? Let's start grilling!

BLURRY SHOT. All pictures on this blog post  were taken using a mobile phone only. Forgive me because the visit was unplanned though *peace sign*

The sun was about to set anytime soon and we still cannot decide if we'll be going for frappuccinos and nachos or just settle with rice meals and pastas. The entire stretch of Centennial road has become the home of numerous cafes and food hubs. However, we really don't feel like going too far. Odd as it may seem, but our feet seem to know where to take us. 

and we landed at MRP House of Grill.

I've heard about this place before though, but this was the first time that I've tried it first-hand. 

They've got a nice place and wide array of choices on their menu. You can order rice meals, different beverages (ranges from alcoholic to non-alcoholic), and of course, their famous offer: UNLIMITED IHAW. 

You need to sit outside if you choose to battle with the unlimited ihaw deal. But if you opt to munch an ala carte grilled dish only, you can enjoy the nice ambiance inside. 

We ordered three unlimited ihaw and a platter of rice (plus water! yup, only water). At the center of each table is the traditional griller, which make use of heated charcoals. So basically, you'll prepare your own grilled food!

We choose among the 10 different items laid on the long table. It includes lean pork meat, pork liempo, chicken breast, homemade longganisa, betamax (pork blood squares), isaw (chicken intestine), adidas (chicken feet), atay and balun-balunan (chicken liver and gizzard), tenga (pork ears) and sausage. They also have tiny eggplants too, which makes it 11 all in all.

After hoarding several sticks, we proceeded with the grilling part. They provided a bowl of barbecue sauce with brush and vinegar in tiny cups. 

We left the place after two hours of pigging-out over grilled foods. Here's our bill:

SO how's the entire grilling experience?

Thumbs up because:

• The staff are really quick in serving and very accommodating.
• They offer unlimited refill on barbecue sauce, vinegar and other condiments, charcoal, etc.
• You'll feel no pressure because there's no time limit. You can enjoy as many grilled items as you want.
• The barbecue sauce is not perfect but good. It enhances the flavor of the grilled food, but doesn't overpower the natural taste. 
• The vinegar tastes just right *I love it*
• The place is clean, properly lighted and well-ventilated.
• They have a separate washing area and a clean restroom. 
• There's a big parking space just beside the hub.

Thumbs down because:

• There is no notice or warning sign that you might get burned once your legs touched the bottom part of the griller (beneath the table). Since the table is not that large, your legs will definitely come close to the hot metal. 
• I was expecting for more items to choose from. This can be improved anyway. 

So there you go! I hope you enjoyed the post :) To get there, just ride a baby bus from SM Bacoor and alight a few meters before Island Cove. Below is a really dependable map which I grabbed from their Facebook page: 

You can send them a private message on Facebook if your have other queries, or may be for reservation---they are very responsive. 

WITH MY pig-out buddies!

'Til next time I guess, cheers to more sulit food escapades! But oh, before I forgot, though grilled foods can be really tempting, you must not consume too much nor take them regularly. Indulge occasionally and in moderation ^_^

Bye for now! *munch munch*

Gunpla Expo 2017 + Dong Won + Pyromusical Competition

IT WAS A BUSY Saturday for me because I’ve been to the first-ever Gunpla Expo in the country, dined at Dong Won Korean BBQ house and watched the 8th Philippine International Pyromusical Competition---all of these in just one day! Whew! Tiring, but all worth-it *huge smile*

I’ll be sharing the whole experience below, so please continue reading. 

GUNPLA EXPO

Attending the week-long Gunpla Exposition at Mall of Asia was already planned. Mr. J is a certified builder and collector and he would certainly never miss the opportunity to secure some rare kits, which are expected to be sold at the venue. When we arrived at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, I felt so discouraged to go inside because of the huge crowd, and even felt hopeless when I saw the long line at the cashier, which already reached the other end of the hall. But still, we tried to fit ourselves in the narrow spaces between the shelves. As I looked at the kits, I felt the urge to buy and try to build one for myself *wink* But the thought easily slip off (I still have a lot on my plate, maybe some other time though) and I just went on and observe the builders/collectors as they scrutinize each kits. 

Even if you’re not a gunpla builder, you’ll absolutely enjoy the expo because there are a lot of gundam exhibited at every corner of the hall. You’ll learn about the history and evolution of gunpla, take a closer look at the different “grades” (classification of gunpla) and have some photo op with life-size gundams; I can’t help but take pictures of these perfectly-assembled models! There must really be a great satisfaction when one finishes a model and even greater when it has been personalized or modified. I fully understood how strong the “poison” that these kits secrete, which makes the builders go crazy! (the term  “poisoned” is part of their jargon, which means “went mad over gunpla kits”). 

GRAY & BLACK. Comfy in shirt + skirt + sneakers + backpack

HAPPY KID. Supporting his "pagka-lason" in building and collecting gunpla.

During our first visit, Mr. J got himself three kits. After a few hours, when his older brother arrived, he snatched two more kits! (poisoned indeed). Two were super rare in the country while the other three are just good deal because they were on discounted prices. After a few shots, we left with a grumbling stomach. 

GOING KOREAN and FIREWORKS

Our cravings for Korean food lead us to Dong Won Korean BBQ House. The supposedly casual dinner became extraordinary because it was the second leg of the Pyromusical competition. The restaurants situated at the veranda of Mall of Asia (facing the bay) were all exclusive for reservations, or walk-in guests, at that time, so as to prevent bystanders in watching the show for free. The rates of food on the menu are a bit higher than usual because of the privilege to watch the firework show; grilling has been ceased as well as part of the mall’s security protocol for the said event. At first, I thought it was not a good idea, but when the food was served and the show started, I realized that it was a worthy deal. 

SHOW YOUR BANDS. China did pretty well on their 15-minute firework display. 

DOUBLE-DATE. Continuously burping over bibimbap, samgyupsal and beef stew.

The food at Dong Won weren’t super exceptional to be honest, so if you’re craving for yummy authentic Korean food, I don’t recommend the place; unless you are just up for the “grilling” thing and Korean experience, then the place can be a good start (just don’t visit during the Pyro event, no grilling remember?). But of course, since the food was consumed over a lovely conversation and under the glowing sky (because of the firework display), it became really special. 

JUST SOME USEFUL TIPS

If you’re planning to visit the Gunpla expo, make sure you do it ASAP because it'll only run from February 25 - March 5, 2017. Moreover, I suggest you wear comfortable clothes so you can move around easily and won’t be soaked in sweat. Now if you’re a builder who’s on a tight budget, you must know what you want first and bring just enough money at the venue. You’ll get “poisoned” for sure and spend way beyond your budget, especially if you don’t have strong self-control. But what is the most important is that you have your camera ready because there are a lot to be captured! 

SEA OF GUNPLA ENTHUSIASTS!

On the other hand, it was my first-time to watch the Pyromusical show while eating dinner and it was a nice and super “sulit” experience! You may want to try it as well, with your family and friends perhaps. Just keep in mind that there are special rules applied. If you’ll be dining at one the restaurants located at the veranda, the entrance is at the right side of Coffee Bean; a reservation will also be helpful, but not really necessary.

No plans for Saturday yet? Use this post a guide! It’ll be a wonderful experience for sure :)