The House Lounge London: A Review of the New Premium Lounge by Etihad Airways and No1 Lounges

The House Lounge, located at London Heathrow Terminal 4, is a new lounge by Etihad Airways on partnership with No1 Lounges. It opened its doors on October 2018 and I was lucky enough to visit just a few months later. Complimentary access is provided to Etihad Airways Business Class and First Class passengers but you can also book at the No1 Lounges website.

The lounge is amazing - no other words could adequately describe how I felt when staying at the lounge. It's an exquisite haven where you can enjoy privacy and a la carte dining while waiting for your flight. The House offers the following amenities: 

• full waiter service
• a la carte dining
• open bar
• showers
• unlimited wifi
• magazines and newspapers
• comfortable seats
• charging stations
• children's area

Please note that the dress code is smart casual. Let's take a look at the lounge...

Wine Story Academy: Learn the Fine Art of Wine Tasting With Wine Story Academy's Wine 101

For so many Filipinos, wine is intimidating and reserved only for special occasions and celebrations. I used to believe that wine was only for the wealthy, and people who weren't as well off drank beer or any other affordable glasses of alcohol. But the reality is that wine is for everyone and you don't have to wait for a special occasion to enjoy a glass...or two...or maybe three. 

Wine Story Philippines believes that within each wine bottle is a beautiful tale that is meant to be told. They have been educating wine lovers, enthusiasts, and wine practitioners on the many intricacies of wine through Wine Story Academy - so that many more Filipinos would come to better enjoy wine from around the world. 

To kick-off one's wine journey, you start with Wine 101 - a bootcamp to the basics of wine tasting.  

Shake Shack: Is It Worth the Hype?

Shake Shack Philippines is finally open and I've been hearing so many horror stories of crazy long queues just for people to get their hands on some burgers, fries, and maybe a milkshake. I'm not in Manila while everyone's going crazy about Shake Shack but, after seeing Shake Shack all over my social media and feed all the coverage from local news outlets about the Shake Shack craze over the past few days, I finally gave in.

Luckily for me, Shake Shack opened in London way back in 2013 and currently has multiple stores scattered around the city - which means NO LINES!

While it's not entirely the same thing as the store in Manila, here are my thoughts on Shake Shack...

KitchenAid's Craft Coffee Line: Specialty Coffee for the Modern Home Kitchen

Growing up, I remember how my mom would always use her KitchenAid Stand Mixer to help her make the most decadent chocolate cakes, and I think she still uses the same one up until this very day a few decades later. So imagine my surprise when I found out that KitchenAid, a global leader in premium kitchen appliances known for their precision and durability, recently rolled out the KitchenAid Craft Coffee line. 

The goal was simple, KitchenAid wants to bring the specialty coffee house experience into the home with six premium coffee appliances that were inspired by careful techniques that are used by baristas to brew a perfect cup. This way, you can consistently enjoy the nuances flavors and aromas of specialty coffee at the comfort of your own home, with just the press of a few buttons. 

"Our product designers spent the past few years extracting lessons from some of the most time-tested and barista-approved brewing methods for craft coffee," says Brandon Mock, a Product Designer on the KitchenAid Craft Coffee team. 

Here are a few reasons why you should have at least one of these six craft coffee appliances at home...

Lugang Cafe Is Promising the ULTEAMATE Feast With Unlimited Xiao Long Baos on Weekdays

In an obvious response to Din Tai Fung's Php 399 Afternoon Feasts, Lugang Cafe just gave us Xiao Long Bao lovers The ULTEAMATE Feast, letting us enjoy unlimited Xiao Long Bao during weekdays.

The promo runs for a month from September 13 to October 13 and is available only on weekdays (not including holidays) from 2:30PM to 5:30PM.

Taal Vista Hotel's Intimate Celebrations: A Night of Romance She'll Never Forget

A few weeks back, I was in a very difficult situation. My girlfriend I were about to celebrate our first year as a couple and I wanted to surprise her with a lovely evening together. Truth be told, I had a hard time making up my mind on how we should celebrate this significant milestone. I had a few ideas in mind and a staycation at Taal Vista Hotel, one of Tagaytay's premier hotels, stood out because I have been meaning to take her to Taza Fresh Table so she could try the exceptional dishes there.

When I checked Taal Vista Hotel's Facebook page, I came across a post on the Intimate Celebrations Package and from there I made up my mind, we were definitely going to Tagaytay. I have to admit it was one of the most romantic evenings of my life, and I have absolutely no regrets. If I was given a chance, I'd do it all over again. It was perfect.

Here's a glimpse of our romantic evening, celebrating our first year anniversary with Taal Vista Hotel's Intimate Celebrations...

Linguini Fini's Pizza and Pasta All You Can Promo Is Incredibly Cheap at Just Php 399

It's amazing how spoiled foodies around Metro Manila have become, with some of the best restaurants in Metro Manila handing out promos left and right. Just last month, I was raving at how Salvatore Cuomo's Anniversary Special Lunch Buffet made Manila's best Italian restaurant so much more affordable for everyone to enjoy.

This time around, Linguini Fini, arguably one of the best places for pasta in Metro Manila, is now offering a Pizza and Pasta all You Can Promo from September 8, 2017 to October 6, 2017. This lets you enjoy nine signature Linguini Fini dishes, including the popular Papardelle "Nose to Tail" Bolognese.

Here are the mechanics as well as the dishes you can feast on...

Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria: An Improved Menu to Satisfy Your Pizza and Pasta Cravings

When the Joey Pepperoni branch in Bonifacio Global City closed down a few years back, my heart sank. It wasn't exactly the best pizza shop in the Metro, but Joey Pepperoni did serve great pizza and at affordable prices - this was way before Gino's Brick Oven Pizza began dominating the local pizza scene. I found out recently that Joey Pepperoni scaled back their stores and only two branches remain, one along Pioneer street, Mandaluyong and another in SM Mall of Asia. 

They recently upgraded their menu and here are some of their delicious pizza and pasta creations that you just shouldn't miss...

CocoHut: A Brand New CocoHut Experience in Makati City

CocoHut is a casual dining restaurant that serves affordable Filipino food and is popular for their delicious fried chicken. The restaurant has actually been around since 2014, but unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to try any of their dishes up until now. This year, they're releasing a new and improved menu that centers of Filipino cuisine - all of which are currently available in their branches along Jupiter street, Makati City and Glorietta 2. 

We had the opportunity to try out a number of their new dishes, and here's what we think you should get...

The Giving Cafe and Bloom Coffee: A Cafe Where You Can Give Back

The Giving Cafe, or just TGC, is a new cafe along Sheridan Street, Mandaluyong (near the more popular Pioneer Street) that seeks to make a difference to the local coffee community. It functions as a social enterprise, where a portion of the proceeds from select dishes supports the Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence geared towards helping the coffee farmers in La Trinidad, Benguet. 

The cafe is being run by Henry and Sons, a total coffee solutions company that has been around for years. With over 50 years of coffee experience that offers unique crop-to-cup coffee solutions, if there's a company that would know how to run a cafe, it's Henry and Sons. 

They also recently rolled out Bloom Coffee, where you can support a specific issue that's troubling La Trinidad coffee farms but let's delve more on that later. 

Here's a look into the new social enterprise...

Olivia's Cafe: An Affordable Quezon City Staycation With Delicious Comfort Food

Named after the daughter of one of the hotel's owners, Olivia's Cafe is a full-service restaurant located at the ground floor of Verjandel Hotel along Kalayaan Avenue, Quezon City. The restaurant is still quite new so we did not have very high expectations when it came to the food. 

The menu, at first glance, seemed to be put together not with any particular cuisine in mind, but rather simply a compilation of dishes the owners loved to eat. I didn't mind, because I also loved most of the dishes that we tried, with a lot of dishes far exceeding my expectations.

Olivia's Cafe might be the only hotel restaurant in the area where you can have a quiet lunch meeting or a cozy, sit-down dinner with officemates before heading home. If you love food and are regularly around the area, you have to try Olivia Cafe's Honey Garlic Spareribs, a plate of their tender and delicious Roast Beef, or a flavorful serving of Garlic Ginger Salmon. I can assure you none of these dishes will disappoint.

Let's run through some of my favorites from Olivia Cafe's menu...

Salvatore Cuomo's Anniversary Special Lunch Buffet: Manila's Best Italian Restaurant at Bargain Rates

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you would know that I LOVE Salvatore Cuomo because the restaurant gives us a taste of Naples without flying all the way to Italy. They serve some of the best Italian dishes in the Philippines and is currently my top choice for the best Italian restaurant in the Metro. If you're willing to spend on outstanding Italian dishes, you'll definitely get your money's worth. For more about the restaurant's background, read my review here.

Luckily for us, we don't have to spend a lot of money get a taste of Salvatore Cuomo's signature Italian dishes. They currently have an Anniversary Special Lunch Buffet Treat, which includes appetizers, salad, pizza, and drinks, all for the price of Php 600 (Weekdays) or Php 900 (Weekends and Holidays). The great news is that the special lunch buffet has been doing so well that it was extended indefinitely! 

Taking into account that you would normally spend Php 1500 per person when dining at Salvatore, that's a steal! On top of that, you can choose one main course from a list of options (shown below). Now that's just icing on the cake!

Johnny Kahuku's Hawaiian Shrimp House: Shrimp Buckets and Hawaiian Treats

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you'd know that I'm crazy about shrimps. I can eat buckets upon buckets of shrimps, crabs, prawns or really any crustacean that can be cooked into something delicious. I recently found out that Johnny Kahuku's Hawaiian Shrimp House started selling shrimp buckets for as low as Php 228 and I'm ecstatic. That's pretty enjoyable considering that affordable shrimps are very hard to come by in Manila, and I only ever enjoy as much of them as I can during buffets.

Here's more on Johnny Kahuku's delicious shrimp buckets and new Hawaiian Trucks.

Karton.ph: Artisan and Gourmet Food Right at Your Doorstep

It's often difficult to get our hands on artisan or gourmet products made by fellow Filipinos. We would often find these products at either bazaars or weekend markets across the Metro, but it's sometimes it takes a bit of effort to get there. Karton.ph has an entire shop full of Manila's finest artisan products that you can have conveniently delivered straight to your doorstep for a flat delivery fee of Php 99 - a lot cheaper than gas money or an Uber ride. 

Karton.ph is a one-stop shop for anything and everything artisinal, having all of your favorite Filipino gourmet finds. Enjoy artisan beer from Craftpoint Brewing Company or Nipa Brew, Snacks from Spud Buds and Sikat Potato Chips, or even healthy delights from Greenola or Healthy Monsters. You can read more about all their artisan or gourmet sellers here. 

The best part about Karton.ph is that all their products are 100% Filipino made, and all carefully curated to be part of their exclusive catalog. 

Shakey's Philippines Cleverly Made the California Maki Into a Delicious New Pizza

Shakey's Philippines has always had the knack of introducing innovative pizza creations for a limited time. Following the success of the delicious Scallop Primo Pizza, Shakey's is now serving a delicious blend of East and West with the new Shakey's Cali Kani Pizza - a lovely marriage of classic California Maki ingredients on pizza!

The pizza is loaded wih kani, peaches, cucumber, fish roe, and nori strips drizzled with a generous amount of Japanese Sesame Dressing. If you love pizza and Japanese cuisine, then the Cali Kani Pizza is a pizza just for you. 

To be honest I had my doubts when I first saw the ads on TV, but after trying out the pizza I found it to be absolutely delicious. Made with fresh ingredients, the combination of kani, cucumber, and Japanese sesame dressing is mouthwatering. Every bite makes you want to crave a for another one - with the full flavor of crab from the loads of kani strips - without the usual 'umay' factor you get when you eat oily pizzas. It's surprisingly good!

Amici Celebrates 10 Years With a Celebration Meal That's Good for 10

Early this year, we had Shakey's 2017 Meal Deal that quickly became a crowd favorite across the country. This time around, we have a similar treat from Amici Philippines as they celebrate their 10 year anniversary with a Celebration Meal For 10 or 5!

We recently tried Amici's New Special Menu by Chef Paolo Moran and the quality of the food from Amici is undoubtedly more delicious when compared to a fast-food restaurant such as Shakey's. So, with this promo Amici hopes to make their authentic Italian dishes more accessible to a lot more people. It's a bit more expensive when compared to Shakey's 2017 meal deal but the quality of the food makes the deal worth it.

The promotion is valid from July 1, 2017 to August 31, 2017 and you can save as much as Php 1775 with this promotion

Din Tai Fung Is Offering an Afternoon Feast With a Php 399 Eat All You Can Promo

Din Tai Fung Philippines just announced that the restaurant will be having a Afternoon Feast Promotion starting today that will run for 1 month (until August 18) for just Php 399 subject to 10% service charge. The promotion available every afternoon during weekdays from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. It's a great opportunity to eat as much of their delicious Chinese dishes as you can. While they have a limited set menu of 10 items on offer, I still think it's a bargain!

As with any eat-all-you-can promo, you can't have any leftovers which will be charged regular price and you can't take any of the dishes out.

En Tirage: Unlimited Drinks and Delicious Eats Any Day of The Week

En Tirage is a new restaurant in Mandala Park that offers all-day breakfast and, more importantly, unlimited drinks ranging from beer, wine, and whisky any day of the week. You can say the menu contains predominantly Filipino-Spanish inspired dishes, but I think the more appropriate definition is that they serve food that pairs really well with a variety of alcohol.

They have a selection of cheese, cold cuts, paella, and pasta for those who prefer a fine glass of wine. If beer or whisky is your thing, then they also have a selection of pizza, wings, and steak for you to enjoy. En Tirage has a wide selection of wine, liquor, and beers to satisfy your alcohol of choice.

Indeed, the owners themselves love to pair a good drink with delicious food which is why they decided to put up a place that does just that.

Here's what you can expect from En Tirage...

Little Owl Cafe: A Lovely Brunch Cafe in New Manila

Little Owl is a nice little cafe in New Manila, Quezon City. It's located in a quiet neighborhood that's not known as a food destination. However, it's been buzzing in social media for quite some time now because of it's instagram-worthy dishes. It's by the same group that brought us Lola Cafe + Bar and Liberty Kitchen + Brew, so I expected that food must be good! 

Here's what you can expect from Little Owl Cafe...

Amici: Introducing Fresh Italian Favorites by Chef Paolo Moran

Amici recently released a new set of dishes carefully conceptualized by Executive Chef Paolo Moran, who spent a year working in restaurant kitchens in Florence and Sicily to gather inspiration. He is the creative mind behind five new, delicious dishes that aims to give lovers of Italian cuisine a taste of authentic Italy.  

For those of you who are not familiar with the history, Amici started out as a cafeteria in Don Bosco, Makati in 2001 and was the brainchild of a priest, Fr. Colombo, who introduced Italian coffee and gelato, wood-fire baked pizza, and homemade pasta. This turo-turo style Italian dishes became very popular and customers from all over the Metro came to Don Bosco for authentic and homey Italian dishes. From such a humble beginning, Amici now has 10 outlets and counting all around Metro Manila. 

Here's what you can expect from Chef Paolo Moran's new menu...