Slice of Manila's Hidden Places. Food and Travel Secrets through Word-Of-Mouth. Shared through our Awesome Family Adventures.

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20 posts from February 2008

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Piccolo Mondo's Pizzas

Note: This restaurant is closed already :(

rache Piccolo My Mondo

Piccollo Mondo-8 Piccollo Mondo-3
Aidan or Josh?

Piccolo Mondo is now located in Tagaytay for some time now coming from its humble beginnings in Aguirre St and Casa Susana in Alabang. It is owned by celebrity Chef Mervyn Whitfield's whose claim to fame is being the chef of the Beatles at one point of his career.

Piccolo serves the BEST pizza in Tagaytay. Their pizza is known for its thin crust but with a fluffy bite because it is baked on volcanic slabs. A lot more people in Tagaytay are raving about Piccolo's Pizza. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for their pasta which suffered from overcooking or commercialization of its operation.

This is one of the places close to Hotel Kimberly along the main Highway Aguinaldo road.

Piccolo Mondo means small world.

Continue reading "Piccolo Mondo's Pizzas" »

Thursday, February 21, 2008

World Pyro Olympics Revised Schedule

United Kingdom @ World Pyro Olympics - 7
Related Posts: Tips for an awesome World Pyro Experience

Here is the revised schedule for the World Pyro Olympics! It was postponed to after Holy Week. Tickets will be available on the first week of March.

MARCH

Best Time to go watch and shoot the awesome Manila sunset!
Start of the Donsol Season in Bicol!

17-23 MORIONES FESTIVAL | Marinduque
Re-enact the story of Longinus, a Roman centurion who speared the crucified body of Jesus Christ.

17-23 HOLY WEEK! | Philippines
Philippines' most sacred week!

20 HOLY THURSDAY!
Commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.

21 GOOD FRIDAY!
Commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus at Calvary.

23 EASTER SUNDAY
Celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

30 FEAST OF THE DIVINE MERCY | Philippines | Plenary Indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday
The soul that will go to confession and receive holy communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment!

APRIL

The Peak Time in Boracay.

5 WORLD PYRO OLYMPICS! | Mall of Asia, Pasay City | 3rd World Pyro Olympics
China (2nd World Pyro Olympics Awardee) vs. Germany

12 WORLD PYRO OLYMPICS! | Mall of Asia, Pasay City | 3rd World Pyro Olympics
Japan vs. Canada

7 BATAAN DAY (ARAW NG KAGITINGAN) | Monday
In lieu of April 9, Bataan Day

19 WORLD PYRO OLYMPICS! | Mall of Asia, Pasay City | 3rd World Pyro Olympics
Italy vs. Venezuela

26 WORLD PYRO OLYMPICS! | Mall of Asia, Pasay City | 3rd World Pyro Olympics
France vs.
Korea

MAY

3 WORLD PYRO OLYMPICS! | Mall of Asia, Pasay City | 3rd World Pyro Olympics
Australia (1st World Pyro Olympics Champion) vs. Philippines! The Grand Finale


Hotel Kimberly and Little Souls - A Peaceful Escape in Tagaytay

rache Away for a Quiet Weekend

Hotel Kimberley, Tagaytay-3-2

I would recommend Hotel Kimberly if you are looking for a quiet escape in Tagaytay away from the hustle and bustle of the Tagaytay Ridge. This 4 star hotel is located 3 km away from the main Tagaytay ridge road. Once you see the Korean Resto Neul Boom Garden along the main road, turn to Amadeo road and drive for 5 mins to the hotel.

Its location is surrounded by subdivision which gives it a provincial feel. It targets couples who want a secluded escape and families with kids who want a peaceful existence. The place is conducive for relaxing and we slept most of the time with Syoti and Aidan.

Aidan loved the playground and wanted to try the swimming pool but it was too cold. Overall, the food is just OK so you would see people only eating in the restaurant because of the free breakfast included with the stay. I like the zen and modern feel of the rooms and specially the lobby! The best part of your stay in Hotel Kimberly is the super warm service of the 100% Filipino staff!

Thanks to Hotel Kimberly for a relaxing stay!

Continue reading "Hotel Kimberly and Little Souls - A Peaceful Escape in Tagaytay" »

Tootsie's Tagaytay

rache Tootsie’s Patootsie

Tootsie's-12

I'm sure you must have seen Tootsie's banners along the Tagaytay ridge inviting you to try them during their dry run. You won't miss it and I bet you were also curious on what Tootsie offers. Named after its owner, Tootsie, takes pride in serving Filipino Home Style cooking and sharing their family recipes. I was happy to see an alternative Filipino restaurant other than Viewsite, Josephine's, Leslie's or the grill restaurants along the ridge. Unfortunately, the kitchen is still unstable after 2+ months of operation. The dishes are innovative and unique but taste like commercialized home cooked meals.

Have you tried Tootsie's?

Continue reading "Tootsie's Tagaytay" »

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Sorry Ice Cream, I'm On My Way to Pinkberry!

Pink Berry-5
I'm now a Frozen Yogurt addict after I tasted the holy grail of Frozen Yogurt -- Pink Berry in LA! Pink Berry opened in LA last 2005 by two Korean entrepreneurs, Shelly Hwang and Young Lee. (see: The taste that launched 1,000 parking tickets) It has been a craze in LA ever since and in fact, Pink Berry was bought by Starbucks . (see: Starbucks founder bites into Pink Berry)

The official theme song in Pink Berry's website says it all and I can't get it out of my head.
" Sorry Ice Cream, I'm dreaming of a different dessert.
Pink Berry Shave Ice and Frozen Yogurt.
It doesn't feel like I'm cheating when I'm eating it.
Coz its healthy...I feel better already..."
...
"Sorry Ice Cream, I'm on my way to P-I-N-K-B-E-R-R-Y Pink Berry!"

A Shout Out to Starbucks, Manila -- when can you bring Pink Berry to the Philippines?! I'm craving for Pink Berry Frozen Yogurt!

Related OAP Posts on Frozen Yogurt:
Cold Spoon Frozen Yogurt - The Next Dessert Craze in the Philippines!
Sorry Ice Cream, I'm On My Way to Pinkberry!
Red Mango-licious
I Love Berries Frozen Yogurt -- The Best Froyo so far in Manila...
Ice Cream Bar (Flavors by FIC)
Yogurbud
The White Hat - Let the Fro-Yo Wars Begin in Manila!

The Buzz About Froyo's
California Berry Frozen Yogurt
Lulubelle
After Lego Island, Enjoy Yoh-Gurt Froz!

Continue reading "Sorry Ice Cream, I'm On My Way to Pinkberry!" »

Cold Spoon Frozen Yogurt - The Next Dessert Craze in the Philippines!

Cold Spoon-6
If you love Mcdonalds' McFlurry or Jollibee's Sundae, you will definitely love Cold Spoon Frozen Yogurt. It is a much healthier dessert alternative because it is Yogurt instead of Ice Cream. It is non-fat, low calories, with vitamin c, with calcium and live lactobacilli! I can't wait for the first franchise to open in Manila.

Thanks to Spanx for this Korean dessert discovery in Angeles, Pampanga.
Cold Spoon serves the best frozen yogurt! by Ivan Henares
The Best Little FROZEN YOGURT Shop in the Philippines by Spanx

Related OAP Posts on Frozen Yogurt:
Cold Spoon Frozen Yogurt - The Next Dessert Craze in the Philippines!
Sorry Ice Cream, I'm On My Way to Pinkberry!
Red Mango-licious
I Love Berries Frozen Yogurt -- The Best Froyo so far in Manila...
Ice Cream Bar (Flavors by FIC)
Yogurbud
The White Hat - Let the Fro-Yo Wars Begin in Manila!

The Buzz About Froyo's
California Berry Frozen Yogurt
Lulubelle
After Lego Island, Enjoy Yoh-Gurt Froz!

Continue reading "Cold Spoon Frozen Yogurt - The Next Dessert Craze in the Philippines!" »

What the Survey Says About the Ultimate Kapampangan Show-Off 2.0

Ultimate Kapampangan Show-Off 2.0 Thanks to all of our tour friends who joined us for the Ultimate Kapampangan Tour 2.0: Up Up and Away! Hupping, Puffing, and Pumping in Pampanga! Also, thank you for the gift of feedback because we learned a lot from this tour.

Abe's Farm-24
Rating Scale: (1) Horrible (2) It is OK. (3) We had a good time. (4) I love it! (5) Awesome! I would recommend it!

Overall Tour Experience Rating: 4.0 (I love it!).
Our target is to get a 5.0 (Awesome! I would recommend it) on all our tours and we learned a lot from the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta tour.

What do the tour participants have to say about Ultimate Kapampangan Show-Off 2.0?

" The hot air balloon, the massage, the farm, the food, and the pizza are all wonderful experiences. However, you need to focus more on avoiding long lulls. We stayed too long in the farm it became boring. And to top it, we left two hours too late (based on my understanding was the plan), we missed the migratory bird experience. Because of bad roads, the migratory bird experience is a one-off arrangement. No more going back. Sayang. But the effort and perseverance is noted. The perseverance alone should make future tours with you worthwhile. Just plan better. "

" The trip was a good start for me....I don't mind the early call time and we left quite on time. I think it would have made a big impact if the ride was more comfortable than it was...i guess its also because i'm quite tall and i also encounter the same discomfort when riding planes on economy class......I really enjoyed the balloonfest since my objective was to take pictures...the press passes made all that difference from just going on a trip on my own. As for the food, I think i expected more in terms of variety and "yum" factor......the massage was a lot better than expected.....the ambiance in that small little cabana was a pleasant surprise......"

" I totally enjoyed. Would like to go to another tour in the future."

" I'm supposed to click on the "Awesome! I would recommend it!" kaya lang baka mawalan ako ng slot next time. "

" It was a PERFECT day tour for me and Kristine since it was our first time in a group tour locally and especially the Hot Air balloon festival. We are already looking forward to the next ULTIMATE destination tour of the group:-) Food is fantastic. Recommendations reached a lot of people already with what we have experienced. Thanks a lot guys and More Power!!! "

" The tour was well planned. "

" The tour was great. Everyone’s warm and friendly especially Anton, the Ivans, Spanky and Rommel who are equally nice, informative and affable. And I love the fact that Aidan was also there.. I think he’s even cuter in person. *wink*"

" really had a blast... i especially liked how some places were surprises. good times!! =)"

" What a great food trip!"

" Our heartfelt thanks to all of you for putting this together. We know it takes A LOT of imagination and dedication to get something like this off the ground, we're behind you 100% of the way. Count us in your future trips, we keep meeting the most interesting people! Hope this feedback helps with the succeeding tours. "

Continue reading "What the Survey Says About the Ultimate Kapampangan Show-Off 2.0" »

Friday, February 08, 2008

My IKEA Valentines -- Blog Writing Contest For a Cause!

IKEA Philippines-6
IKEA PH and Our Awesome Planet present:

My IKEA Valentines Blog Writing Contest For a Cause!

ABOUT IKEA PH
IKEA PH is an importer of quality IKEA products and they source most of their stuff from IKEA in China. I know of 2-3 IKEA importers but IKEA PH provides the best reasonable prices out there. If they don't have it locally, you can order from the IKEA catalog and they would make sure to bring it in their next shipment. They have a small showroom store in 120 Kamias, Quezon City but you can see most of their inventory at ikeaph.multiply.com.

SIMPLE MECHANICS
1. Write a blog post on the theme: Why I love IKEA!
2. Put the following links inside your blog post:
IKEA linked to ikeaph.multiply.com
Valentines linked to Valentines.com.ph
3. Put a comment on this post linking your official blog post entry.
4. Deadline for entries will be on February 29, 2008!

BONUS:
Throughout the duration of the Blog Writing Contest, all Friends of Our Awesome Planet are entitled to a 5% discount at IKEA Philippines.
For each purchase, an additional 5% will be donated to Kythe in your name!

BOARD OF JUDGES
Eugene Enriquez of IKEA Philippines
Rache Diaz of Mrs Awesome Planet

PRIZES
IKEA Philippines-3 1st Prize: Uplighter (P980).

IKEA Philippines-2 2nd Prize. Collage Photo Frame (P350). (rightmost side photo frame)

IKEA Philippines 3rd Prize. Rajtan Spice Jars (P150)

BONUS DISCOUNT COUPON
IKEA Philippines Discount Coupon
Additional 5% is donated to Kythe in your name!

Continue reading "My IKEA Valentines -- Blog Writing Contest For a Cause!" »