Better Late Than Never: IHOP Bonifacio Global City

When International House of Pancakes, or popularly known as IHOP opened its first store in the Philippines (which also happens to be its first store in Asia) in February this year, Metro Manila was taken by storm. Social networking sites and blogs were abuzz about the opening of this restaurant which specializes in pancakes (as the name suggests) and other breakfast food. Those who have already tried IHOP in the US were so ecstatic, and those who've never had it before were curious, which resulted in nearly two-hour wait times to get a table at it's first and only store at Bonifacio Global City.

Of course, my family and I were curious and wanted to try this place out, but we just couldn't bear to wait in line for two hours just to eat so we figured we'd just wait until the hype dies down (and no, we didn't even eat at IHOP while we were in the US last May). Eventually, the hype did simmer down a bit, and my mom and I finally took the opportunity to try out what people are actually raving about, six months after its successful opening here in the Philippines.

IHOP's first (and so far only) store in the Philippines is located at the ground floor of the W Global Center within the Bonifacio High Street vicinity, fronting the new Del Monte Philippines headquarters. It is bunched together with other restaurants operated by the Global Restaurant Concepts Inc., such as California Pizza Kitchen and P.F. Chang's, among others.

My mom and I were lucky enough to have been seated at a table right away. We went on a Friday morning at around 11 o'clock, which meant that the employees at the surrounding office buildings weren't on lunch break yet. We didn't see any families with kids, too, since it was a weekday where the parents are supposed to be at work and the kids are expected to be in school.

There were quite a lot of vacant tables when we arrived, though customers did start pouring in as the lunch hour drew near. Some tables still remained empty while we were there, though.

This device eliminated the need to signal for a waiter if you needed something. Still, though, the waiters sometimes didn't respond as fast as I hoped.

IHOP specializes in breakfast food, but they had other items in their menu as well, such as sandwiches and fried chicken.

My mom ordered coffee (which cost her around P111) to go with her meal. 

My mom was given an entire jug of coffee, which was good enough for two cups. She thought that was actually pretty good, since you could get only one cup of coffee at the famous coffeeshop chains for almost the same price.

My mom and I both ordered a Big Steak Omelette (P325), which already comes with a serving of pancakes. Apparently, the Big Steak Omelette is one of the more popular items on their menu.

According to the IHOP website, the Big Steak Omelette consists of "tender strips of steak , hash browns, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese". I actually liked this one, and it tasted even better thanks to the salsa that came with it. The serving size was decent and the amount of ingredients was quite generous. My mom wasn't even able to finish hers.

You can choose from different types of syrup for your pancakes, all placed on neat-looking containers at each table. The choices were Old-Fashioned, Blueberry, Strawberry, and Butter Pecan. My mom chose Butter Pecan, and she told me there wasn't really anything special about it--it was quite ordinary. On the other hand, I chose the Blueberry one and I thought it was pretty good. The blueberry flavor was very evident, so the syrup didn't merely serve as a sweetener for the pancake, as I first thought it would.

Also, my mom felt bad that my brother and dad weren't able to join us, so she bought them each a sandwich (I forgot what it's called but it had ham, cheese, and egg on it). 

Anyway, our bill was at around the P1200 range, which isn't so bad, really, considering the servings were quite generous and even I had to struggle a bit just to finish my food. The food at IHOP was competitively priced--they were at par with Pancake House, a local chain which also specializes in pancakes and other Filipino comfort food. 

Overall, I was quite satisfied with my first IHOP experience, and I wouldn't hesitate to try them out again--unless, of course, we'd have to wait in line for a table. There is, of course, room for improvement. I noticed that some waiters weren't as friendly as I expected them to be, and some didn't seem so happy while they were working (hint: smile more!). Perhaps this could be improved in time for our next visit (whenever that may be)?

IHOP 

W Global Center, 30th street corner 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig (or Makati. I'm confused. Whatever).

Operating hours: Sunday to Thursday: 6am-12am

Friday and Saturday: 24 hours

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North of Metro Manila: Fiesta Island Seafood Hub (F.I.S.H.) along Visayas Avenue

The northern part of Metro Manila (which includes parts of Quezon City) is a place my family and I rarely visit. The only times we would usually find ourselves in that part of the city are when we would have to pass through it on the way to the North Luzon Expressway, to visit our departed relatives at a cemetery in Novaliches, or to go to Trinoma, which is the only mall we actually visit there. Quite honestly, I also feel uneasy when we venture into that side of the city because of the negative publicity--a quick search on Google will show you that Quezon City has a pretty high crime rate with frequent cases of car theft, for one. 

However, a family celebration held recently brought us over to that part of the city--two of my mom's cousins decided to hold a joint birthday celebration at a restaurant called Fiesta Island Seafood Hub (F.I.S.H.), located along Visayas Avenue corner Congressional Avenue (beside Chinabank). It was my first time to eat here, so I thought I'd share to you readers my first-ever FISH experience.

I also apologize for the quality of the photos--I took them using my phone and just edited them using an online editing tool.

The restaurant was pretty easy to find thanks to the large sign and the numerous tarps in the immediate vicinity. The parking space right in front of the restaurant was absolutely full--luckily we were allowed to park at Chinabank next door, since the bank was already closed anyway (I guess they only allow this at night). There was also a security guard hired to watch over the cars parked at Chinabank so there's no need to feel uneasy.

As we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by waiters who ushered us to one of the two function rooms that was reserved in advance by my mom's cousin (I think there were more than twenty of us). The waiters assigned to our group were friendly and attentive. Strangely, some of the waitresses were dressed in kebayas which made them look like Singapore Airlines or Malaysia Airlines flight attendants.

Apparently, the one along Visayas Avenue isn't their only branch. This large tarp that was posted right at the entrance advertised their new branch at SM North Edsa.

 This is the hallway where the two function rooms are located. Tables for other customers are on areas located on either side of the hallway, none of which are air-conditioned. Apparently, they also have several KTV rooms, named after different provinces and decorated appropriately depending on the province it was named after. I also liked how the entire place had this resort-like feel, from the staff uniforms (except for the kebayas), to the paintings, decorations, tables, chairs, lighting fixtures, and the floor. This place definitely deserves an "A" for effort!

Inside one of the function rooms. That wall with the colorful tress can be conveniently removed for larger events. Both function rooms have free WiFi and are equipped with large, LCD TVs for karaoke. However, since the room dividers are just made of wood, you can easily hear what's going on in the other function room--not a good thing if two events are being held simultaneously.

The food was laid-out for us buffet-style. There were actually quite a lot of options.

First up: Kare-Kare Oxtail. It wasn't really very good; I thought it was quite bland--a disappointment compared to other kare-kares I've tried before.

The Pork Sisig, on the other hand, was good. It was very tasty and not too fatty either, which somehow makes it less "sinful" to eat (though in reality, it doesn't). I just had to return to the buffet table for more.

The Chicken Inasal is best eaten with the vinegar-and-sili (pepper) sauce that comes with it; it is quite bland when eaten on its own.

I never actually tried the Sinigang na Ulo-Ulo, so I can't comment on it myself. However, I did overhear a cousin comment something like "Masyadong maasim" (too sour).

The Pinakbet Tagalog, despite the number of ingredients it contains wasn't really very tasty--certainly not one of the best ones I've tried. I couldn't even differentiate it from the kare-kare. Another thumbs down for FISH.

 I got a little bit of everything--with the exception of the sinigang. 

Aside from the dishes posted above, we were also served Crispy Honey Squid, though I failed to take a  decent photo of it (oops). If you look at the last photo above though, you will probably see the squid amongst the other dishes that I tried. Anyway, aside from the sisig, it was the only other dish that I tried that wasn't bland. My mom didn't like it though since she found it too sweet, but for me I thought that was a little bit better compared to the other dishes that were served to us. It also seemed unique; I don't think I've encountered this dish in other restaurants before.

Our dessert was a small plate of Buko Pandan Salad. This one was decent. I like how it wasn't too sweet--it was just right.

Overall, I was actually underwhelmed by the food, and that's saying something. For those who've seen my previous food reviews, you'll notice that I'm actually easy to please--I'd easily praise restaurants or dishes that other people would probably be more critical about. I guess they still have to work a bit more on the food because as a restaurant, that's what would determine whether customers would be returning or not.

I highly commend their staff, however. They were very friendly and attentive and would immediately respond to our needs and would even go the extra mile to please us--when someone in our group asked for an additional helping of the buko pandan salad, for example, the waiter returned with a big bowl of the buko pandan salad that's good for four or more people. As mentioned earlier, I also like how they were very detailed in making the place feel like a resort. This somehow makes the experience a bit better, even if the food did turn out to be a bit of a disappointment.

If I had to give them a score (with 10 being the highest), I think this place gets a 4.5.

Fiesta Island Seafood Hub (F.I.S.H.)

47 Visayas Avenue, corner Congressional Avenue, Quezon City

http://fiestaislandseafoodhub.com

Operating hours: 11:00am-12mn (Monday-Thursday); 11:00am-2am (Friday-Sunday)

Book Review: Inferno by Dan Brown

Title: Inferno

Author: Dan Brown

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Publisher: Doubleday

"Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon awakens in a hospital in the middle of the night. Disoriented and suffering from a head wound, he recalls nothing of the last thirty-six hours, including how he got there...or the origin of the macabre object that his doctors discover hidden in his belongings.

 Langdon's world soon erupts into chaos, and he finds himself on the run in Florence with a stoic young woman, Sienna Brooks, whose clever maneuvering saves his life. Langdon quickly realizes that he is in possession of a series of disturbing codes created by a brilliant scientist--a genius whose obsession with the end of the world is matched only by his passion for one of the most influential masterpieces ever written--Dante Alighieri's dark epic poem 'The Inferno'.

Racing through such  timeless locations as the Palazzo Vecchio, the Boboli Gardens, and the Duomo, Langdon and Brooks discover a network of hidden passageways and ancient secrets, as well as a terrifying new scientific paradigm that will be used either to vastly improve the quality of life on earth...or to devastate it.

In his most compelling and thought-provoking novel to date, Dan Brown has raised the bar yet again. Inferno is a sumptuously entertaining read--a novel that will captivate readers with the beauty of classical Italian art, history, and literature...while also posing provocative questions about the role of cutting-edge science in our future."

Dan Brown is without a doubt the most notorious thriller writer of this generation. I mean, why wouldn't he be? He's the author of the controversial The Da Vinci Code that suggests Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and that the Catholic Church has been protecting this "secret" for centuries and would go to great lengths for it to remain as such, including murder. This created a backlash and generated publicity that has catapulted his previous and subsequent books to the top of bestseller lists, spawned two Hollywood blockbuster movies, and made him filthy rich. 

His latest novel, Inferno, doesn't really deviate much from his novels that feature Harvard professor Robert Langdon as the protagonist. Actually, if you've read these novels, you start to notice a formula: Robert Langdon goes to a far-off location faced with the task of unraveling a mysterious code or riddle that takes him to museums, monuments, and a network of hidden passages and tunnels within the city. All this while accompanied by a young, attractive female sidekick, as they are being chased around by a lunatic or by authorities, or pressured by time to save the world from danger before its too late.

Inferno follows this exact formula. Dan Brown also seems hell-bent on having this one turned into a blockbuster film--he carefully chooses three picturesque cities (Florence, Venice, and Istanbul) as the setting for the novel, and includes quite a number of extended chase scenes that, as I was reading them, I imagined would look good on the big screen (the big chase scene in Istanbul, though slightly cliched, got my heart racing). It looks like Dan Brown is getting what he wanted--Inferno's movie adaptation is already being planned for a 2015 release date. Unfortunately for him though, the producers seem to have abandoned previous plans for a The Lost Symbol movie adaptation in favor of this one. 

Despite claims of inaccuracies in his novels as well as criticisms of his writing style (critics say he's addicted to adjectives), I would say that Inferno is still an absolute page-turner. With Inferno, I am reminded of why I still read Dan Brown's novels despite these shortcomings. Inferno will have your heart pounding early on the novel, and will keep you hanging on to the edge of your seats up until the last few chapters with surprising, unexpected twists that haven't been used in previous Dan Brown books. That huge revelation in the latter part definitely blew me away. The parts of the novel with the flashbacks and long, encyclopedia-like paragraphs where the characters explain historical facts and the like give readers a temporary break from all the action and suspense. Unlike the last few Dan Brown novels, Inferno gives a bit more importance to the story rather than to the "groundbreaking" revelations or facts presented to the readers, so this actually feels more of a fiction novel than anything.

However, there are parts of the book that seemed repetitive and unnecessary. Details or facts already explained to a character in a previous chapter are explained yet again in a later chapter, this time to another character. Do the readers really need to read about it again and again? Dan Brown also has the tendency of over-describing some of the settings in the novel which makes things more confusing since some descriptions do not really contribute to the overall advancement of the story. I wish he'd just stick to what is really necessary--imagining nonfictional places as you read about them is certainly much more difficult than imagining fictional ones, since you are forced to imagine how the place actually looks like, now how you want it to look like. I had to use the help of everyone's good friend Google just so I could picture these nonfictional works of art and locations more easily. 

While the past few years have already taught us not to immediately believe or think too much of what Dan Brown's novels say (they are works of fiction, after all), Inferno is still quite thought-provoking. Inferno is definitely a book for those who are looking for an entertaining, page-turning thriller, and it surely does not disappoint in that aspect. I'm now excitedly looking forward to what any future Dan Brown thrillers have in store.

Fit For a King: Vikings Luxury Buffet at SM North Edsa (Food Photos)

Every family has its own idea of a "family bonding" activity, be it sports, watching movies together, etc. In my family's case, one of our bonding activities is eating (that, aside from travelling), and we make it a point to dine out at least once a week, or every other week. We already have our own list of what we could consider our "favorite restaurants", but of course we also enjoy trying out new places once in a while.

Recently, we decided to try out Vikings Luxury Buffet at SM North Edsa (one of their few branches around Metro Manila). This restaurant, named after great warriors who once dominated parts of Europe, Asia, and the Atlantic from the 8th-11th centuries, boasts of having the largest buffet selection in the Philippines. They have a HUGE selection of European, American, and Asian dishes that cater to different tastes, prepared by their roster of world-class chefs. Read on as I take you on a trip around the world with each plate. Enjoy!

Oh, and, forgive me for not having more photos in this post--I only managed to take snapshots of the food. I guess I got a bit too overwhelmed by the food that I forgot to take photos of the buffet spread, the restaurant, and the others!

We arrived at the restaurant for lunch at around noon, an hour after they opened their doors to guests at 11am. Usually, with buffet restaurants such as this one, you need to be there before they open, reserve a table, and then wait in line. We were lucky enough, however, to have scored a table when we arrived, even without a reservation.

As we were being escorted to our table, I managed to look around and I saw that the place was packed with people! Also, I've been to other buffet restaurants but I don't think I've seen a crowd quite as excited-looking as the one at Vikings. But, why wouldn't they be? The buffet spread here is indeed huge and there's a lot to discover as you go through each section. It was very overwhelming!

Round one--starting off the battle with some canapes. 

One of the things I greatly appreciated about Vikings was the fact that diners could freely get their own drinks from the dispensers. In other buffet restaurants, a waiter would approach the guests as they are settling down at their table and ask each guest what their drink would be. This is definitely a plus as you could easily switch drinks as you wish if you want to try something else, without a waiter refilling your glass without you asking (yes, that isn't really always a good thing).

Speaking of drinks, their drinks selection was quite extensive as well--they also had some pretty unique ones that I've tried. The blueberry lemonade was delicious!

Round two: Sushi and Sashimi for those craving for Japanese food.

One of the popular sections of the buffet was the steak section, where you could ask the chefs to cook slabs of steak for you according to your own preference. You could also ask the chefs to cook fresh seafood for you, displayed buffet-style on shaved ice. I wasn't able to try the clams that my mom asked them to cook, but according to her, it was delicious.

Caesar salad for my third trip to the buffet table.

Something for the carnivores--steak rice accompanied by (left-to-right): Beef, Korean Beef Bulgogi, Chicken, and Lamb (my apologies for not remembering the names of the first, third, and fourth dishes). Anyway, among these dishes, my favorites were the chicken and the bulgogi. The lamb was a bit too tough for me--or is lamb meat really supposed to be tough? It was my first time to try lamb.

It's like a mini-United Nations asssembly--in my plate! For this round, I sampled some vegetable tempura (Japanese), japchae/chap chae (Korean), lemon chicken (Chinese), cheese pizza (Italian), and sisig (Filipino). Everything was delicious, but the lemon chicken and the sisig stood out for me.

First round of dessert. You can never go wrong with a scoop of ube (purple yam) ice cream.

Second round of dessert: red velvet cake, cassava cake, and sapin-sapin. I loved the red velvet cake--I had to go back for another round even if I was already so full. I just couldn't resist! I also had some panna cotta to go along with my second helping of the red velvet cake, but I forgot to take a photo of it.

All this glorious food comes with a price of course--if you're planning to dine here, prepare to shell out MUCH, MUCH, MUCH (not exaggerating) more that what you would normally pay for in other buffet restaurants (the one that rhymes with "Yucky Mix" comes to mind). It didn't help that we dropped by on a weekend too, where they would charge the diners more that what they would normally do on weekdays. I guess we just found out what the "luxury" in the name "Vikings Luxury Buffet" was all about.

So, was the price we paid for worth it? Honestly, "yes" would have to be the answer. Their buffet spread is certainly hard to match--I don't think I've ever seen that much food in a buffet restaurant before (though the breakfast buffet at The Venetian Macau isn't too far behind). Their food was really good, too--I would have eaten more; sadly, I could only eat as much. We all have our limitations after all, and you can't have too much of a good thing. 

I'm hoping there will be a next time.

Vikings Luxury Buffet

SM North Edsa (other branches at SM Marikina and SM Mall of Asia)

http://vikings.ph

Hours of operation: 11am-2:30pm; 5pm-10pm

Celebrating 25 Years: Toyota Motors Philippines' World of Toyota Motor Show at the World Trade Center Manila

In celebration of its 25th year in the Philippine automotive market, Toyota Motors Philippines recently launched a world-class car show at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, called The World of Toyota. This week-long car show features the latest line-up of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, as well as some interesting concept cars and classic Toyota models from the 1960s until the 1980s. For a minimum entrance fee (but free for pre-registered bloggers such as myself), you can get up close and personal with these cars, and get a glimpse of Toyota Motors' interesting history. Reserving a Toyota car right at the venue also entitles you to some pretty sweet deals that you might not get anywhere else. For one, you can get a free portable GPS navigation device if you reserve/purchase a Toyota Vios right at the World Trade Center! Awesome, isn't it?

I myself drive a Toyota (a 7 year-old Corolla Altis), and I must say, the car has never had any serious issues.  Toyota is known globally for its high quality vehicles and I can personally attest to that. Toyota is also known for its environment-friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles, and Toyota actually pioneered the use of hybrid technology when it introduced the Toyota Prius in 1997, and soon enough, other car makers followed with their own line of hybrid cars. 

When the people over at Toyota Motors Philippines decided to invite bloggers to cover this event, I knew I couldn't pass up the chance to be part of it. I immediately registered as a blogger and a week later, I was at the World Trade Center to check out what Toyota has in store!

What Are You #kiarious About? Join Kia Motion's "Tweet Your Way to Free Coffee" Contest!

Have you ever encountered something so random that you just feel the urge to share it with your friends online? Have you ever been stumped by a question that you don't know the answer to (but you just really, really want to find out)? Have you ever been curious about something cool, new, or interesting while on a trip somewhere?

Kia Motion, the awesome-est, simplest, and easiest to use movie maker app powered by Kia Motors, wants to know--what are you guys #kiarious about? 

Tweet your answers to @KiaMotionApp until 11:00am on Saturday, August 24, 2013 and you might just get a chance to win two (2) P500 gift certificates courtesy of Starbucks! Nothing like a nice cup of coffee to warm you up during the rainy season while having a good chat with a friend about the most random, curious things, don't you think? 

Good luck! 

Note: Promo is open to Philippine residents only.

Philippine Airlines Receives its Newest Aircraft, an A321-200

Philippine Airlines' new A321-200 prior to delivery in Hamburg, Germany.

Philippine Airlines has finally received its newest aircraft, a single-aisle A321-200, the first of 64 Airbus jets ordered by the airline last year.

The aircraft, with 12 seats in Mabuhay (Business) Class, 18 in Premium Economy, and 169 in Fiesta (Economy) Class, will primarily be used on regional international flights, as well as selected domestic flights to Cebu or Davao. According to PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang, the recent acquisition of new planes will greatly help with the airline's massive expansion.

"We are excited about the A321 not only because its size fits our expansion plans, but the flexibility it gives us in matching the aircraft to specific route requirements in tremendous.", quoting Mr. Ang. 

Aside from the Airbus A321, Philippine Airlines is also expected to receive the first of the 20 Airbus A330-300 planes later this year, which were ordered last year. Having these aircraft would allow the airline to expand and add flights to destinations in the Middle East and even Europe, which it hopes to serve soon with flights to key cities such as London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Rome.

The Honda CR-Z is Finally Here!

Since the first hybrid car, the Prius, was introduced by Toyota to the Philippine market four years ago, other  car companies such as Mercedes-Benz and Lexus have brought in their own line of hybrid cars as well, taking the challenge of introducing these environment-friendly vehicles to Filipino car buyers who, unlike their counterparts in many developed countries such as the United States, are only still being introduced to hybrid technology. The fact that high import taxes have forced these car manufacturers to sell their line of hybrid cars at a relatively higher price compared to other markets abroad isn't helping at all. However, the Senate Bill No. 2856 or the Alternative Fuel Vehicles Incentives Act hopes to change all that. 

Despite current market difficulties, Honda Cars Philippines is taking on the challenge of bringing in hybrid cars to the country when they recently launched the sporty Honda CR-Z, Honda's first hybrid model to be sold in the Philippines. 

One interesting feature of this sporty hybrid is the Plus Sport System, which gives the car's performance a boost whenever the battery is charged over 50%. The Plus Sport System may be activated with a push of the S+ boost button found on the steering wheel. 

The Honda CR-Z sold in the Philippines has three variants: the Standard, Modulo, and the Mugen variants. The Modulo and Mugen variants are sportier versions of the Standard CR-Z with added features such as the ducktail rear spoiler and carbon-fiber-finish underspoiler for the Moldulo variant, and LED daytime running lights, a different exhaust system, carbon-fiber side mirror covers, a large rear wing, and new sets of front grille and rims for the higher-end Mugen variant. 

So, how much does the CR-Z cost, exactly? The manual-transmission Standard variant starts at--hold-your breath--P1,390,000! Not bad for a hybrid car, eh? Imagine how much lower the prices are going to be when the Senate Bill No. 2856 gets passed and becomes a law!

What about the other variants? Well, the prices for the rest of the Honda-CRZ models are as follows: P1,480,000 (Standard CVT); P1,470,000 (Modulo MT); P1,560,000 (Modulo CVT); P1,860,000 (Mugen MT), and P1,950,000 (Mugen CVT).

This has definitely been an exciting year for the Philippine car industry so far, and Honda Philippines just couldn't resist being part of all this buzz. With the introduction of the Honda CR-Z, should we expect other Honda hybrid models to be brought in as well? Let's see!

For the latest updates, please visit the Honda Cars Philippines official website at http://www.hondaphil.com.