IHOP

I first heard of the place from Anne Curtis' Birthday Breakfast post in Instagram back in February. There were already a lot of raves about the place then in which the common denominator was the long line you would need to stand up to for the experience. Given than I am a big breakfast being, I know that I wouldn't have forgiven myself for not being one of the firsts to try it out.

photo credit: Cosmo PH

I was able to finally go when I had too meet up a couple of friends in the area. Since I already anticipated a long queue for a Saturday brunch, I went ahead of time and reserved seats for the three of us. I got there around 10am and there were already 20 names on the list before mine. I asked if they could just text me once our seats are available, but the receptionist handed me a small piece of paper with their mobile number and asked me to contact them instead. I agreed and decided to just wait at CBTL in BHS which is just adjacent to their building. I've read online that the average waiting time was just 20mins so that's how long I waited before texting the number to inquire about availability, to my surprise, they already got us seats! I checked the whereabouts of my friends and upon finding out that they won't make it until prolly the time I am able to place an order, I advised the receptionist to give our spots to the next guest/s in line for the meantime. After about an hour, we went back to the place and checked on the status of the "reservation" under my name in which the available seat was immediately given to us. Five stars for customer service!

The main dining area is in the 2nd floor. To be honest, the view of how crowded and noisy the place was marked a very bad first impression to me. I am a big fan of cozy, homey  and laid back breakfast places where you and your loved ones can stay for hours having coffee, and this place is just way way far from that! It's like a modern yet very loud and busy diner.

photo credit: Happy Bambina

I already had second thoughts but then I realized that it's maybe just because of the place's popularity status. I thought that it can actually be a good thing since the main reason why we try restaurants would be for the food, since I haven't even gotten to that part yet, who am I to judge. ;p Good thing our seats were located on the hidden-more private area of the restaurant for a stress-free meal.

Their menu looked sooooo inviting! It took us almost half an hour to decide on which to get since we wanted to try out almost everything. We decided to order a different set each so we could get to taste a portion of more selections. Plus we got more excited with the number of flavored syrups sitting on our table that we also wanted to be able to try all of them. The waitress who took our orders was very patient. She remained friendly despite having to change my mind for about three times on how I wanted my egg done or which pancake flavor to get. They would gladly take note of your preference in terms of how you wanted your food to be served, plus our orders came in less than 15mins, five stars for customer service indeed.

  

Everything changed upon our first sight of the food presentation. It was not like how they were beautifully photographed on the menu. Since we knew that this is the case most of the time, we gave it the benefit of the doubt and decided to postpone our judgement until we get to taste them. To our disappointment, the taste is just as bad as its presentation. The small serving of the breakfast set was just highlighted by their huge plates. They were all too oily too. The pancakes did not give justice to the name of their place "International House of Pancakes" either. They were too dry, it doesn't even have any distinct taste that would pass "international" standards despite soaking it on any of their syrup options. Eating them doesn't make you feel at home at all. I can't believe I paid almost P600 for some breakfast that I wasn't happy about. (I ordered Strawberry Pancake and Bacon breakfast set, photo below)

  

 

My friends and I then had second thoughts on whether or not we would still give it another visit. They have an extensive menu and we left the place still feeling curious about how their other offerings would taste like. But it got me thinking, if we have given their supposed specialty, a failing grade for both presentation and taste, what more for their non-pancake servings. Too bad we can't eat great customer service.

iHOP (International House of Pancakes)

Unit E, W Global Center, 30th Street, Taguig City

https://www.facebook.com/pages/IHOP-Philippines/152780568211645

Date of Visit: April 6, 2013

Summer 2013

Visited the same old places but went home with brand new discoveries. It's more Fun in the Philippines indeed!

Quezon Province

17 March

Summer was jump-started when we took a road trip to Quezon province with my hubby's car club, Pride Elites (click link to view album). We've been to Quezon several times since my father-in-law was born and raised in Sariaya, and my husband practically spent almost every summer in the town when he was growing up. We used to visit their ancestral house until our lola passed away that there was just nothing left for us to visit after the house was sold. I have known that there are a lot of nice beaches and lovely tourist spots there but haven't gone to most of them.

Sierra Madre was the agenda for the road trip but when we got there, the group was still thirsty for more driving as they're pretty much enjoying the uphill-downhill-mini-zigzag roads we're taking. The next thing we knew, we were navigating the boundary mountains of Rizal and Quezon, asking the locals for additional directions to Kamay ni Hesus. We ended up using an old school toilet from one of the houses along the road, having late lunch at the town's popular diner, and refilling gas at a local station named "Road Runner". All that and more for 12 hours of driving our super hatchbacks, how's that for a road trip! :)

I learned that there are a lot of resorts in Real while the nicest beaches are in Infanta, Quezon. Some of them even offers world class accommodation too. I can't wait to experience these underrated places that's just 2-3 hour drive from Manila!

Marabella Palace Resort, Antipolo City

24 March

This year's summer team building destination may not be as extraordinary as the ones we've had in the past. The venue was even far from Mi Terraza, the one we went to a few months back which for me is still the best resort in Antipolo by far. What made this trip special was my first time to witness how the weather in Metro Manila would change right before my eyes. It was surreal.

I've been in and out of Antipolo because of its accessibility and since I have a number of friends who live in the area, but I never thought that the good ol' city view could still surprise me like it did.

Splash Oasis Resort, Los Baños, Laguna

21 April

Summer isn't complete without the traditional day trip to Laguna hot springs with the family. Although my heart still belongs to Doña Salud, this one is prolly the grandest among the stretch of resorts as they offer hotel-type accommodation, giant water slides and more. We almost had the pool to ourselves, maybe because people thought it was exclusive to hotel guests but no, day trippers are welcome. One just have to pay extra in case they wanted to experience the slides, which also serves as the entrance fee for other areas of the resort.

photo credit: Splash Oasis website

The water was just too hot for the weather so we didn't enjoy as much as we hoped. It even became an inside joke that what we did was to "beat the heat with more heat". Hahah. The place is nice, we will definitely come back, during the rainy season perhaps.

Baguio City

4-5 May

One boring weekend got us driving up North the city of pines. Just like a day trip to Laguna hot spring resorts, it's a must to visit the Summer Capital of the country during this season. Surprisingly, regardless how many times you've had your photo taken with either the horse or the Saint Bernard in Mines View, how many boxes of Ube Jam you brought home from Good Shepherd, or how much Burnham Park becomes more crowded every year, there's still a lot to discover from the place, all you gotta do is research and plan ahead, and so I did. Since we wanted this trip to be different, we made sure to try out things we haven't in the past.

It was my husband's first time to brave Kennon Road, and despite 3 near death experiences we've had on that route that night, his comment after the stretch was, "bitin!" lol. Crazy!

from our handy dandy mobile GPS :)

We got there around 8pm. I wanted to try 50's Diner for dinner but when we saw the place, we just didn't feel like having burgers and shakes after a 4-hour drive so we decided to check out other options. Since we're not that familiar driving around the city at night, we decided to try our luck at SM Baguio. It was our first time to enter the said mall - literally the coolest mall in the country! No AC, open air, genius! I just hope there'd be more dining options instead of the usual ones we have all over metro manila. As much as we wanted to search for the best place to have dinner at, we were just too hungry so we had to settle for Chinese at David's Tea House.

I really had a hard time finding availability for a same day reservation that weekend. After hours of searching and numerous phone calls, I am thankful to have found this drive-in called Hollywood Hotel. Not bad for a motel, huh!

our non-AC room named "Japan" :)

We took the 12-hour stay, the room was spacious and clean, there were basic amenities and the shower has a heater. The room was also really cold, courtesy of the fresh Baguio breeze. We paid a minimal extra person fee for my daughter which included extra bedding so we were all able to comfortably relax the rest of the night. I would really recommend the same accommodation setup to those who would spend most of their stay outdoors like us. Only if there are more hotels like this in the city, not sure.

Our 12-hour accommodation didn't come with breakfast of course, which wasn't an issue since part of the plan was to have brunch at the well known, Cafe by the Ruins.

I didn't know that their menu is different during breakfast though. Nothing special since the selections are the ones you could easily pull off at home, except that their ingredients are all fresh and organic so the servings are bursting with flavors and color. I am looking forward for a chance to try their lunch and dinner menu, hopefully soon.

Our next stop was Camp John Hay. One of the most popular attractions yet we haven't visited it since. I also didn't know that they actually offer accommodations. This place for me is by far the best part of the city, Baguio at its best. Another reason to drive back up next summer.

And some side trips to other popular landmarks capped our trip.

I wonder why produce always looks lovelier in this city. You gotta love Baguio.

Club Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas

26-27 May

Over a decade ago, my in-laws and I used to go to Nasugbu, Batangas during summer. I remember that the beaches we've been to are unremarkable. This weekend getaway changed my perception about the town, for they house one of the best exclusive resorts in the country.

We never thought we'd still be able to take another summer getaway as a family, this trip is one perfect example of saving the best for last I suppose. It was planned and booked a couple of months back with my friends who just couldn't go anymore the last minute. Since the reservation was non refundable, I decided to bring my husband and daughter instead.

The place has been on my travel bucket list for the longest time especially that the resort used to be exclusive for members, well it still is during weekends. The place may be stained with its years of operation, but it could still pass the standards of a four star resort hotel as it has been rated.

The Casita we got was just across the parking area, they have oceanfront ones so make sure to be very specific about your preference during the booking process. The room was spacious, it looked and smelled clean. The only negative thing I noticed was the glass doors by the bathroom, they seemed to be deprived from glass cleaners. But overall, we had a relaxing stay.

It can be classified as a grand or destination Resort Hotel as it offers a lot of recreational activities like Tennis Court, Mini Theatre, Game Room (air conditioned children's playground, Wii and PS3 available), etc. They have several pools, most of them are infinity type, they have a number of beaches within the peninsula but the Lower Beach is the most recommended for swimming or water sports. There is a complementary shuttle service around the resort and bicycles, jet-sky, and the like are also available for rent. The place was really peaceful. It's a 3-4 hour drive from Manila but an overnight stay could be enough as they actually allow guests to stay and enjoy the facilities until 6pm after check-out. That should give one enough time to tour the entire resort and experience its amenities. Also at no extra cost, club guests are welcome to visit their new extension, Terrazas de Punta Fuego, which is just a 15-minute drive from the main club.

photo credit: Club Punta Fuego website

It is a well maintained and promising resort that's embraced with exclusivity. If you're looking for a place of total relaxation that's within a few hours drive from the city, this is the place for you. But there's a catch, the food.

The accommodation conveniently comes with breakfast buffet at the main club's San Diego Restaurant. Although the presentation may seem as breathtaking as the view of the resort, the selections and taste were ordinary. I really hope they can do something about this as it may spoil the whole experience altogether. But overall, it's a place I wouldn't mind going back to, even for just another sunset swim at their lovely pool.



How about you, where were you all summer? :)

Time flies. I can't believe that it's actually been seven months since my last post. Blame it to the holiday hustle, complete with weddings and parties left and right, followed by the crazy season of new hire training, non stop performance meetings and client visits at work. I think about tasks even when asleep, goodness.

Despite that, I have never forgotten my duties. In fact, I have been diligent to squeeze in a number of tips and reviews through my Foursquare and looloo accounts respectively. Click on the photos below to see where I've been the past months and what I think about them. :)

    

These are also a couple of "excuses" I have for not being able to turn on the laptop and work on a new post for the blog. The convenience of being able to publish your thoughts through these apps is like a dream come true for bloggers that has a "full time LIFE" like myself.

Another perfect indicator that more and more users are curious about what others have to say before trying out these hypes and crazes. These users want it accessible, short and simple. A review that will bring them to the experience in just a handful of sentences.

Don't get me wrong, I am way far from abandoning this project. (especially after finding out that despite the hiatus, we are going seven thousand views as of writing, THANK YOU! :)) This is just my way of communicating my apologies for not having the time to take care of it as often as should. :)

Yakimix and Sambo Kojin

They say it’s impossible to talk about one without having the other in mind. Bloggers confess on not being able to avoid mentioning both when writing an entry for any which of them since they pretty much have the same concept, and they offer similar food selections which dining regulars like myself are particular about. On top of that, they are within the same price range so a comparison is inevitable.  My very first yakiniku experience was with Yedang, so I already had a sort of reference when I tried these two. Here is my attempt for an objective comparison, and to justify why the latter won my heart. J

I first heard of Yakimix from my sister in law and her boyfriend who are regular customers. I got a chance to try them just a couple of months back out of curiosity, plus I already wanted to understand what loyal visitors have been raving about. My friend and I visited the Podium branch for lunch one day. I had the assumption that this is their branch with less customers plus it’s the one closest to the office, just perfect for my first time.

photo credits:

Yakimix Philippines Facebook page
http://aehthea.wordpress.com ; http://www.atwerpslife.com

They have more branches, they have one in almost every major mall or landmark in the city. Their stores exude elegance. Flashy chandeliers, classy lighting, glossy leather couches, and their staff all looked like hotel employees in their uniforms. Their food selections are mostly on the Japanese-Chinese cuisine. Of course they have all the options: meat, poultry, seafood, cold cuts, noodles, rice, and desserts. I was able to find everything that I thought of from their wide options on both raw and cooked menu. Despite that, I did not feel like wanting to come back for more after my first visit. I might consider visiting other branches hoping for a different experience one day, but it won’t be worth my own expense. That was exactly how I felt, unfortunately. Even more after I tried Sambo Kojin.

Since we’ve been to the famous crossover buffet of Dads-Saisaki-Kamayan a number of times, and I pass by EDSA everyday, we couldn’t avoid but notice the new Sambo Kojin, this was how I first learned of it. I heard from a good friend as well sometime last year that it’s another well raved yakiniku place, I didn’t understand why until I finally got a chance to taste the experience.

It was on the last weekend of the school’s semester break, and the last day of my long weekend from work when my husband, daughter and I craved for some nice dinner. We were not up for even just half an hour drive and we didn’t want to get out of our comfy shorts and flip flops, but we wanted to try out something new. Good thing that the West Avenue branch is just a 10 minute drive from our place, plus they don’t have a dress code (lol) and so we went.

 photo credit:

Sambo Kojin Facebook page

The West Avenue location, if I’m not mistaken, is their third and newest branch. They may have just a handful of branches, but they are all accessible. Their stores may not showcase the same level of elegance without the fancy lights and chandeliers, but their white leather seats are stylishly modern and truly comfortable. Their staff, mostly male, are in black uniform which adds to the Japanese restaurant vibe. Their food selections are on the Japanese-Korean cuisine with options of the musts diners crave for when doing buffet. Other than that, their bacon bar, Korean side dishes and Kamameshi rice got me sold! Now I understood why it was normal to compare. I couldn’t wait to come back the soonest possible, and I started craving as early as the following day. I ended up trying all three branches, on three different occasions, just within the same month. J

Rants and Raves:

ú          Yakimix maybe more popular because of accessibility, they are everywhere. Sambo Kojin only has West Avenue , EDSA Greenhills, and Eastwood.

ú          Yakimix has elegant interiors that make you feel like you are actually in a high end restaurant. Sambo Kojin is simple but classy and homey.

ú          Yakimix has couches, sometimes it requires a bit of an effort for those who are seated by the wall to move out of the table and grab more food. Sambo Kojin has a number of couches too, but their seats are positioned in a manner where everyone has enough space to move from and be able to stand up for refills. They offer single seats too.

ú          Yakimix and Sambo Kojin have similar grillers, just not sure if they’re of the same brand, but speaking out of experience, the ones from Sambo Kojin doesn’t seem to be non-stick.

ú          I find it difficult to hold the XL tongs at Yakimix, the ones in Sambo Kojin are easier to manage and it doesn't cause a mild sprain in the hands.

ú          Sambo Kojin waiters are waaaaay more accommodating. They are all over the place, raise your arm and they will all try to attend to you first. Even the chief waiters have visibility and they will take part on assisting you like a personal butler. I have visited all their branches and that was the case each time. As for the staff of Yakimix. They just do not have the customer service skills required of a restaurant.

ú          Although Yakimix has a wider selection on food, nothing stood out. Their sushi rolls maybe colorful but they tasted the same and are all bland. They always run out of Tempura (like seriously?!), and raw shrimp. Plus you have to season the meat on your own, or were the marinade just not that distinct? There isn't any flavor worth remembering, and I can’t even point out a single item that would pass as a favorite.

ú          Sambo Kojin may not meet the same level of quantity in terms of menu, but their food options are of high quality. Their selections are more unique and they all make the tummy happy! My family and friends can attest to how much I love bacon, so their bacon bar is just worth my every penny. Veggies, greens, mushrooms, and my favorite- crab stick wrapped in bacon is heaven! They NEVER run out of Tempura. Some waiters will even go around tables every now and then to offer more fresh from the pan tempura goodness for your convenience. Their sushi rolls each have remarkable flavors. I love their Korean side dishes, their raw meat are marinated in distinct yumminess, plus they have additional sauce and oil options on every table. I can list a number of favorites, but that bacon bar is just a big hit.

Now that we have more and more dining options and buffet restaurants are really popular, competition is at peak. Other than the good news that more diners are now health conscious, restaurant owners and managers should be keen on the level of service and flavor they deliver. It’s no longer just eating after all, the dining experience should speak for its worth.

Yakimix

Branches, Contact numbers, prices and other info:
http://www.facebook.com/YakimixPhilippines/info

Last visit: October 2012

Sambo Kojin

Branches, Contact numbers, prices and other info:
http://www.facebook.com/SamboKojin/info; http://www.sambokojin.com/

Last visit: November 2012