Mitsuyado Sei-Men + Yamato

Have you ever heard of tsukemen? "Tsukemen" means "dipping noodles". The noodles are served with soup in a separate bowl where you dip the noodles before taking a bite, similar to how soba is eaten. Mitsuyado Sei-Men is the first restaurant I've been to that serves tsukemen, I never even knew such a dish existed! Customers have the option to eat tsukemen with either hot or cold soup. I ordered the Marutoku Tsukemen which came with soup that tasted of yuzu, a very interesting flavor. It's also nice to just look at the interior, the restaurant looks like a tiny alley in Japan.

Right next to Mitsuyado Sei-Men is Yamato, a bakery and cafe (run by the same owners). They have different kinds of breads and pastries, it's hard to choose which one to try first! My personal favorites are the strawberry shortcake and the choux cream. I think these desserts are best paired with a bottle of fresh milk that can also be bought from Yamato.

After such a big meal, I felt quite sleepy.

*Mitsuyado Sei-Men & Yamato

No. 22 Jupiter Street, Barangay Bel Air, Makati City

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Yashica Electro 35 GS

Fujicolor YKL 100

Plenty of sunlight

One of the things I really loved about my trip to Palawan was the sunlight. That is, minus the intense heat that accompanies it. On my last day, I spent some time taking shots of all the charming things around my hotel: the hammock in the beach, the mangroves across the hotel, and the nice plants scattered all over the place.

In the airport, then on the plane going back home. There was a bed of clouds outside, incredibly fluffy clouds.

Can you believe February is about to end? In a month, it'll be summer vacation here in the Philippines. Alas, my break will be cut short due to summer classes. Yay.

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Yashica Electro 35 GS

Fujicolor YKL 100

Caffé Bene

Long time no blog! I haven't been feeling well the past few days. I caught a cold, and although I've recovered from it, fatigue from school is catching up with me.

One of the things I enjoy the most: enjoy having a great cup of coffee in an equally great atmosphere. A few weeks ago, I visited Caffé Bene, a popular coffee shop from Korea. It was my second time entering the cafe but my first time actually taking a seat and ordering something (the first time, I only took pictures, ha ha). I particularly like the aromatic blend of cabin wood and coffee.

We only ordered an iced coffee latte and cream cheese ice cream, both which were very good. Next time, I hope I to try the strawberry cream liége waffle. It looks delicious!

*Caffé Bene

G/F Eastwood Citywalk 2, E. Rodriguez Ave. C5, Bagumbayan, Libis, Quezon City

Idle hours

A month has passed and it's already February, though I hope it's not too late to share how I spent the new year!

My family and I flew southwest of Manila to Puerto Princessa, Palawan. Much to my dismay, the weather was incredibly hot, much hotter than in the city (which was already really hot by the way, I can't stress that enough).

It was my first time to see a mangrove. I always thought mangroves looked like swamps, but now I know that they're much nicer, ha ha. Papa told me that the roots of a mangrove tree sometimes pop out into the surface of the sand and grow into another tree.

Fortunately, the hotel we stayed in had a nice lounge area. Apart from the free internet connection, the lounge also overlooked the beach. The air was salty and the sound of the waves from the distance was soft. I spent some afternoons reading Norwegian Wood to pass the time.

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Yashica Electro 35 GS

Fujicolor YKL 100

Here and there

The Sunken Garden in the middle of my university's oval. Some have their P.E. classes here, some enjoy playing with flying discs during their free time.

The last two pictures were taken on the day of my university's annual lantern parade, held on the Friday when school ends for Christmas break. It was my first time to ever see the lantern parade. My art class was tasked to create bumblebee headgear and march along with the College of Fine Arts. Even better because I had the opportunity to participate! 

The parade is most beautiful at night when many all the lanterns are glowing. Though I pity the girls who had to endure the six hours of the parade in high heels.

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Canon AE-1

Kodak Gold 100

da.u.de Tea Lounge

If you happen to like tea as much as I do, perhaps you'd like to try going to da.u.de (da-you-deh). Everything in their menu -- drinks and meals -- are infused with tea! Me and my friends had roast pork pho for our main course, which comes with an unlimited supply of soup! For drinks, an iced Thai green tea, iced matcha tea (with sparkling water), and Beer Berry. I'd love to go back to da.u.de again. Hopefully I can try some desserts, yum.

*da.u.de Tea Lounge

G/F Net Lima Bldg., 4th Ave corner 26th Street, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

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Canon AE-1

Kodak Gold 100

Closer to the sky

One of my favorite places: the balcony of Andre's home.

Thirty-something floors above the ground, you'll find a beautiful, panoramic view of the city (and the sky). It's especially nice on days when the sky is bright and full of clouds and when a nice breeze is blowing. Apart from this, there's also a nice "garden" of potted plants with a variety of herbs like rosemary and sage. It would be a wonderful place for a picnic.

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Canon AE-1

Kodak Gold 100

Come and go, but stay awhile

My friends, exchange students from Japan. From left to right, Marin, Miku, and Yuki.

The mother of the three kittens I found in my university. She hissed at me when I approached them for a picture. Do you see her claws coming out?

I wonder if that pot is a cozy bed..

A fallen tree trunk making a spiral shape.

Starbucks full of students from nearby schools and universities on a warm December afternoon.

A happy 2013 to everyone! It's strange to think about how quickly time has passed. In my mind everything is such a blur.. Last year, I didn't make any new year's resolutions because I thought it was pointless to do so. Halfway through the year and I've already forgotten all of them! And I didn't believe I needed to start afresh on the first day of the year specifically anyway.. Looking back, that was a big mistake. This year, I've got a few goals in mind although they aren't quite concrete yet, but they will be soon! 

Have you made any new year's resolutions? I'd love to hear them.

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Canon AE-1

Kodak Gold 200 (expired)

Bar Dolci

I recently visited Bar Dolci, a small cafe that sells gelato and macarons in so many different flavors and colors! They even had beer-flavored gelato.

I think the chocolate chip caramel ones look so cute, like they've got little spikes on them. I will definitely bring more money next time I visit so I can get a dozen macarons!

*Bar Dolci

F133 Forbeswood Heights, Forbestown Road corner Burgos Circle, 1637 Fort Bonifacio