SugarLeaf’s Organic All You Can
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 5, 2011
A few days ago, I publicly announced in my Facebook wall that I’m determined to lose 10 to 15 pounds more to reach my ideal weight. It’s timely that I ended up eating the most delicious healthy food in the Metro a day after I posted the status message. I must admit I’m one of those people who easily believe brands who advertise their product as healthy. Honestly, when you get to try REAL healthy food, you would know the difference.
That’s how I felt when I finally tried out SugarLeaf. It was a great foodie discovery that I wanna share with you. The small healthy restaurant is located at the G/F of the Health Cube Building along Wilson Street in San Juan. Such a perfect location to put SugarLeaf as the people going to that building are health-conscious people (in the truest sense!).
SugarLeaf is just a small place. It’ll probably just fit 40 people but the food they serve are just overwhelmingly good!
We chose the table beside the big window. In the picture below, you’ll see my cute friend ready to order some healthy food for our lunch. I especially love that spot as we get to see the full view of SugarLeaf. The lighting is very nice there too!
Aside from serving food, SugarLeaf also sells the products in the restaurant. My friend bought several nuts and other food products to take home to her family 🙂 I can truly say that SugarLeaf is a haven for healthy buffs. As more and more people are getting conscious with their well-being, I really hope that SugarLeaf will open more branches as it’s rare that we can find restaurants like it!
I was there to try out SugarLeaf’s Organic All You Can but I ended up eating a lot more (I’ll save the other dishes we tried in a separate post). For this blog post, I’ll concentrate on the Organic All You Can offering of SugarLeaf.
With SugarLeaf’s Organic All You Can, we can enjoy and savour unlimited servings of nutritious organic vegetables with a variety of home-made dips, dressings and sauces for only Php 400.00! It comes with a complimentary bowl of SugarLeaf’s soup of the day.
Who wouldn’t want eat salad that is rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals? SugarLeaf has the stamp of approval from the OCCP (Organic Certification Council of the Philippines) to prove that the produce (vegetables, fruits and herbs) is all-organic. Now, that’s a guarantee.
We were also fortunate that SugarLeaf co-owner Angelo Songco was there to chit-chat with us and share what SugarLeaf is all about. He was explaining each of the ingredient included in the Organic All You Can. I’m truly impressed with the level of detail the owners put into each of the products they offer at SugarLeaf. They aren’t just making business but they are trying to influence us to have a healthier lifestyle. I really appreciate that.
When you order SugarLeaf’s Organic All You Can, you get a complimentary bowl of their soup of the day. We were lucky as we got to try out two different soups (one for me and one for my friend). My friend had the Pechay Sayote soup. I tried it and I must say, it tasted soooooooo nice! The pechay really stood out in this dish. Do you know that SugarLeaf used chicken broth in the soup?
I, on the other hand, had the all vegetarian soup. It’s veggie in the purest sense. The soup was made from tatsoy (a Japanese pechay), celery, onions, garlic and spinach. It had strong veggie flavors but I didn’t mind. It tasted just as good. Having tasted the soup, I already knew that we would be having a great lunch. I was excited to try out the salad!
The Organic All You Can consists of 4 major components:
- Greens
The vegetables that basically make up the salad. The greens are served mixed. Types of veggies included will depend on the store availability that day. We had Lolo Rosa, Romaine and Lettuce that day. SugarLeaf complete list of greens include: Romaine, Lolo Rosa, Spinach, Arugula and Alfalfa.
- Vegetables
Pictures doesn’t lie. Just see how fresh the vegetables looked? And to think that we can have unlimited servings of those all-organic vegetables, I was already hoping that time would stop at that moment. I wanted to get more of it and enjoy the salad more.
- Other toppings
Fruits, raisins, walnuts are great ingredients to our all-organic salad. The walnuts are not roasted or fried and they came from the U.S.! Everything is just so fresh, healthy and pure!
- Dressing
I’m not exaggerating when I say that SugarLeaf has the best selections of Salad dressing! We tried each and every one of them. Each actually has a distinct taste and it felt like we were having 5 different salads altogether. We tried Passion Fruit, Orange Mango, Raspberry, Lemon Balm and Live Kefir. My favorite has got to be the raspberry!
If you’re like me who can’t get enough of the dressing, SugarLeaf sells them too! The restaurant has a mini store inside that sells the organic veggies, kefir drinks, salad dressings and other healthy products.
If I don’t get you to try out SugarLeaf with this post, then I’ll surely be sad. As I wanted to share how delicious SugarLeaf’s Organic All-You-Can is. I was eating for 2 hours and I even lost track of time. If I didn’t have a scheduled meet with colleagues to the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 event that day, I would have stayed and sampled more of the delicious and healthy SugarLeaf salad. It’s THAT good! You also pamper your body that way as it’s packed with nutrients and vitamins.
I was practically asking the owner to open a branch in Makati near my workplace. I seriously want to eat healthier and I know SugarLeaf serves food that is good for our body. I wish they can fulfill my request in the future 🙂
Wait, I’m NOT yet done. Do you know that AwesomePH will offer SugarLeaf’s Organic All You Can at 50% off from September 12-23, 2011? You have to watch out for that! Php 199 for Php 400 worth of unlimited SugarLeaf all-Organic Salad with complimentary soup of the day. You surely don’t wanna miss that.
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SugarLeaf
G/F Health Cube Building, 226 Wilson Street, West Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines 1502
(02) 385-0387
Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 4, 2011
I was hesitant at first when I got invited to attend the Ultimate Taste Test at Rockwell Tent. I remember the first time I tried it at Eastwood wherein it was a mess. It was like 4-6 years ago but it was just too traumatic that I didn’t attempt to attend the next ones. However, I decided to try it again this year because several of my colleagues are going. I don’t want to miss the chance to bond with them.
Oh, it was surprising indeed! When I entered the venue, it was a different aura altogether. It was pretty obvious that it was well-organized! I didn’t even experience any difficulty getting samples from each of the merchants! The Ultimate Taste Test was exclusive to 1,000 foodies and there were 55 merchants who participated in the event. Tickets for Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test were sold at Php 585.00 per person. I was happy that I attended! It was a great foodie experience! 😀 The organizers got it right this time at their 6th year! Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 was a success! Congratulations to the organizing team!
You might be wondering what Ultimate Taste Test is. It’s basically a yearly event wherein we can be food critics for a day by sampling food products from different participating merchants. You better come to an Ultimate Taste Test (UTT) event in an empty stomach. If you missed this year’s event, don’t fret as you still have next year. I’m sure UTT will be here to stay.
So how does it work?
We are given a Passport as we register for the event. Using the Passport, we get to rate the food on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest. We can also share our feedback to the food supplier.
Tips on how to enjoy Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test:
- Taste and Savor each food.
- Hold on to the score sheet. Go and taste one dish at a time then Rate the food you just tasted. Include more descriptive comments.
- Recycle your plastic water cups.
- Clean as you go, there are waste bins around the area.
- Submit the form at the exit.
Score Sheet legend:
1 – Thanks, but it could be better.
2 – It’s Okay!
3 – We had a good time!
4 – I love it!
5 – Awesome! I would recommend it!
Aside from the awesome food, we also got to experience great entertainment in Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test event. There were bands that played music but the highlight for us was the belly dancing group by Jill. They were dressed in beautiful belly dancing costumes. They also invited some guests to dance with them on stage! Two of my colleagues were there! Too cute!
I was interviewed by UTT 6.0 host Marian the foodie. However, I just arrived that time and wasn’t able to share my experience yet. Anyway, I have my blog to share with you the food that I enjoyed in the event.
Here goes my top picks from the 55 merchants who joined UTT 6.0:
- Eat my GF
Eat my GF specializes on Garlic Fries with toppings as well as virgin chips. This was the first booth I visited but the flavors of the chips and fries were just too rich that I couldn’t forget how tasty they were. I love the supplier’s tagline as well: “Don’t cheat on your GF… stay loyal…”. Hahaha! Double meaning FTW!
- Almost Gourmet Food Service
Their Frost Bites cook it yourself offering is a winner! Each pack includes the sauce already. All we have to do is fry or bake the meat and we’re good to go. Yummy!
- The Flying Chef
Their ham & cheese and chocolate & bacon empanadas were so delicious! However, for the chocolate & bacon empanada, the chocolate overpowered the flavors of the bacon. Will it bother you though? I’m sure it won’t as most of you love chocolates!
- HKR Food Express
Thanks to Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test as I got to experience the food being offered at Hongkong Roast Food Express. This shall be my best discovery in the event. Now, I have another good option for our daily lunch! HKR Food Express’ Roast Chicken and Asado were so good! I couldn’t get enough of the food! I shall ensure to order their asado for lunch next week! Good thing, they are located in Makati City.
- Luigi’s
Who would ever thought that Aga Muhlach’s son can cook delicious food? Luigi Muhlach’s creations: Chicken Cordon Bleu and Phillychanga will surely be in everyone’s favorites list. I have no doubt. They even ran out of pamphlets and cards considering it was only 4:45pm when I asked for it.
- Dek A Thai Authentic Cuisine
I surely think the food was authentic as the person manning the booth was from Thailand. I enjoyed the Cha Yen/Thai traditional iced milk tea being served as well as the Poh Pia Tod/Spring rolls and vegetable salad. I just love Thai food!
- Farm N’ Deli
I loved each and every kind of food I tasted in the Farm N. Deli booth. The Tinapa spread was delish, yum! I also find it interesting that they offer ALL kinds of longaniza in the Philippines! I never even thought that we have like 11 kinds of longaniza based on its location in the country.
- PinakBEST
I love munching on things whenever I work. I was able to taste the chicharon as my colleague had it in our table. As soon as I tasted it, I knew I had to look for the stall that has it. Fortunately, I was able to find it. The supplier is apparently, PinakBEST. They have a stall in Mercato Centrale. The chichacorn is being sold at Php 120 for a big pack. So delicious!
- Mang Pedro Food Products
It’s a good thing that the supplier wasn’t that strict as I had to have multiply servings of their taho. Gosh, their almond flavored taho was definitely the best taho I have ever tasted so far. I highly recommend Mang Petro Food Products for your taho needs. If I’m to rank my favorites, this will be number 1 🙂
- Merry Moo Artisan Ice Cream
Merry Moo uses fresh local dairy in making their ice cream. Among the flavors that I tasted, the berry corny was my favorite! Those homemade ice cream has unique flavors and I’m sure you would want to have more.
- Chef’s Table
I wasn’t surprised that I saw Chef Bruce Lim’s famous creation in UTT 6.0. His buko pie martini is a must-try. I remember raving about this when I visited Chef’s Table for the first time.
Whew! Spent 4 hours trying to taste food and rating it in Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test. A great way to experience food with fellow foodies. Will we do it again? Oh, I’m sure!
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Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test
September 3, 2011
Rockwell Tent, Makati City, Philippines
Smart launches the Netphone
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 1, 2011
I was rushing my way to Megamall last night as I knew that Smart Communications, Inc. would be launching the much-awaited Netphone. The event started 7PM but since my car was number-coded, I had to arrive late.
It was really exciting to know what Netphone is all about. I’ve been hearing rumors for several days about it. I knew that the Netphone is an Android device and it’s designed by Smart. I also heard that it’s going to be really cheap and affordable.
I was sad because as soon as I arrived at the beautiful Smart Jump Experience Center in Megamall, I noticed that the event just ended. 🙁
I wasn’t able to catch the presentation and the demo of the device. I wasn’t able to catch the raffle too! I missed several media friends as well because they left already.
Luckily, the Smart folks were more than willing to provide another demo for us latecomers. Here’s what I learned about the Netphone:
- the Netphone runs on Android Froyo (version 2.2)
- full integration with Smart Wireless Network thus the Netphone can tell us what our prepaid load balance is or when our next bill is due if on postpaid.
- Netphone’s Social Stream combines our Facebook and Twitter accounts. We don’t need to check both accounts separately anymore.
- Netphone messenger gives us the freedom to send messages, share photos, videos & contact numbers and chat with friends (Netphone to Netphone) without a need to spend a single centavo!
- FX messaging is an exclusive feature of the Netphone. It’s basically short video messaging or emotive messaging. Samples include: send a kiss, buzz a friend, send a beer!, megaton?!
- We can be assured that we can surf the internet being protected from viruses. The Netphone is secure!
- The Netphone’s Global Directory stores contacts on the web in the cloud. We don’t have to worry about phone memory anymore 🙂
- capture videos and photos using the 3.2 megapixel-camera with Auto Focus.
There were several demo units all over the place so I was able to play with one. Oh my gee, I so want to have one! But you know, it’s very affordable! The biggest surprise for me is the price. With all those features, the Netphone only retails at Php 9,900.00 for a prepaid kit and will come free with postpaid plan 800.
Smart will start offering the Netphone on September 10, 2011. It will only be a few days wait and we can get our hands on our very own Netphone. It’s sooooo tempting! I really want one! 😀
Hisense Mono Headset Mini HB 200M Review
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On August 26, 2011
I’ve always wanted a bluetooth headset. I do not know why, but I never attempted to purchase one. I guess it’s destiny because I finally got hold of Hisense HB200M Mono Headset for this review.
At first glance, I already liked it. It’s small, handy, beautifully designed and I got the color red (my favorite color!) 😀
I immediately opened the box and saw the ff. items inside:
HB200m Mini headset, Magnetic clip, Necklace, three ear bud sizes, in-ear bud, flexible ear hook, USB charging cable, USB AC charger and user manual
I’ve been using the bluetooth headset for one week and I must say, I loved it. The Hisense HB 200M served its purpose.
You know that it’s really not safe for us to drive and talk on the phone at the same time. However, with this cute lil gadget, you won’t have to worry at all. Three words I can describe this situation: No more hands! 🙂
Here’s the technical specifications:
- Up to 5.5 hours talk time/standby time up to 150 hours
- rechargeable battery with charging option from AC power supply or PC via USB cable
- Weight: 7.5 gr.
- Operating range up to 10 meters (approx. 33 feet)
- Headset and hands-free Bluetooth profiles
- Bluetooth version 2.1
While Hisense HB200M has those impressive features above, there are 3 other features that I want to highlight:
Smart wearability
The Hisense mini bluetooth headset comes with a magnetic clip that holds the headset and enables us to wear it as a necklace. It’s actually a good fashion statement. I do have to warn that if you aren’t careful enough, you might lose your headset. You see, they are just connected via magnet. As much as I like this feature, I opt not to use it. I don’t wanna lose my first ever bluetooth headset. It’s that sentimental to me haha!
Small size and smart
I didn’t mind that the manufacturer removed the ability to adjust the volume using the bluetooth headset as we can do it with our phone anyway. I’d much rather want the bluetooth headset size to be small than that feature. I can get away with it.
The multi-function button (MFB) is basically the only thing you need to make the gadget work. The MFB serves as the pairing button, answer/end button and turn on/off button.
The LED light serves as the visual guide to see if the HB200M is charging, pairing or in stand-by mode.
Here in the Philippines, it’s very common that a lot of us have 2 phones. With the telecoms offering unlimited text and calls, a lot of us couldn’t resist it. So it’s really such a relief that Hisense HB200M has a multi point connection that enable us to connect to 2 bluetooth device at the same time. It gives us the freedom of having only one bluetooth headset to use both of our phones.
Packed with accessories
Aside from the magnetic clip and ear hook, Hisense HB200M comes with 4 ear buds. One small, one medium and one large but the one that I ended up using is the in-ear bud. I appreciate that I can clearly hear whoever I’m talking to with the in-ear bud even if my car stereo is on.
Amazing isn’t it? For me, as long as Hisense HB200M does its job, it’ll get a thumbs up from me.
Hisense Mono Headset Mini HB200M does the ff. flawlessly and it’s more than enough for me:
- answer calls
- end calls
- reject calls
- voice dialing
- last number redialing
- call waiting
- put call on hold
Hisense HB200m is a mini bluetooth headset that has everything you need. It has style, functionality and usability. It’s being sold at Php 1,450. Available in 4 colors: silver, gold, green and red.
What are you waiting for? Go visit any of the ff. stores in the Philippines to get yourself one!
- Digital Hub
- Digital Walker
- Beyond the Box
- Adi Gadget World – Park Square 1
- 5th Ave. – Shangri-La Mall
- ComCentre – Sta. Lucia
- Power Telecomshop – SM North Edsa Annex
- Techno Mobile Hub – SM Marikina
- New Venice – Park Square 1
- Topnet – SM Megamall
- Sir Lance – Festival Mall
- Oxvor – Starmall Alabang
- Cell Power Sales
- Unitech
- Jerry Solutions
- Mobile Territory
- Eyo Sales
- ITelecom
- Mobile Care
- Bluelite
- Round Circle – Festival Mall
- Starcircle – Starmall Alabang
- Celvitek
- First Choice Cellshoppe
- Mobile Experts – Park Square 1
- Owtel – Starmall Edsa Shaw
- Cyberwidgets – SM Masinag
- BSD – Mall of Asia
- Techno Kid – SM San Lazaro
- Techtel – Robinson’s Ermita
- Bionic HD
Melo’s The Home of Certified Angus Beef
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On August 23, 2011
Melo’s will always be a household name for steaks. It’s known to be the place that serves the best Angus Beef and Wagyu Beef. I’m just glad that I was able to finally dine at Melo’s recently. The prices are a bit steep so I don’t think it’ll be the place that I’ll go to often. However, when I’m craving for authentic yummy steaks, Melo’s will always be the number one choice.
If you want to celebrate something special like an anniversary, birthday, mother’s/father’s day or other special occasions like a date, Melo’s is the perfect place to bring your special someone 🙂 With the steaks being served at Melo’s, you’ll never go wrong.
My friends and I enjoyed our food and of course, each other’s company 😀 My long drive to Melo’s Alabang was worth it!
While we expect Melo’s to have great steaks, they actually serve delicious breads too!! I was able to finish the complimentary bread quickly. I always appreciate freshly baked bread!
I must admit we ordered a lot. It was too much for a party of three. I had to take my leftovers home which is great! I get to experience good food in another day 😛
- Iced Tea (Php 80)
- Watermelon Shake (Php 110)
- Oyster Rockefeller (Php 400)
I’m not fond of oysters but Melo’s version was just heavenly. The oysters were just full of flavors. The cheese was sooo delightfully good! Presentation was great too! The oysters were baked with hollandaise sauce and topped with bacon, mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Perfect way to start a great meal ahead.
- Creamy Pasta Farfalle w/ Mushroom & Truffle Oil (Php 490)
Bow-tie pasta! So cute! As the name implied, the pasta was creamy served with decent amount of mushrooms.
- Wagyu Rice
When I saw this wagyu rice, I immediately remembered Hainanese chicken. What Singaporean restaurants do aside from serving hainanese chicken, they serve hainanese rice. It’s also the same for Melo’s Wagyu rice. You can feel the same goodness from Wagyu steak. This is a must-order! We ordered Wagyu steak but this rice was just too good to resist!
- Grilled Lambchops in Cranberry Mint Sauce (Php 840)
With 3 lamb chops in this dish, it was perfect for the 3 of us. I’m not fond of lambs but this was just too good to pass up. The meat was very tender and if you put the mint sauce into the lamb, lovely!
- Melo’s Special Menu (Php 1,915 each)
It may looked like we had a complete meal already but no, those menu items above were just side dishes to our main orders. Our trip to Melo’s won’t be complete without having their authentic wagyu steak! As they say, Wagyu is the source of what is known to be Kobe beef. It’s raised in Australia. Wagyu has grades ranging from 1-10 according to its marbling.
Melo’s special menu that night had 2 items. We ordered both so stay tuned for the mouth-watering dishes shown below. Both wagyu steaks are grade 8. The special menu is inclusive of soup of the day and caesar salad.
Soup of the Day
Classic Caesar Salad
My friend ordered 4oz of Tenderloin Wagyu Grade 8 Red Morel Mushroom Cabernet Toasted Garlic Sauce. He requested for it to be cooked medium rare. Melo’s recommendation is to order steak as medium rare or medium as the steak will tend to get dry if cooked well done. I still prefer well done though. I’m really scared of blood 😛
I ordered the Filetto Tartufato Grade 8 Filet Mining red foie gras and truffle oil sauce. As I’ve always preferred, I had it cooked well done. Honestly, I didn’t feel the steak to be dry. It was still as tender as ever! The foie gras was just too good, so yummy and so tasty! After having tasted Melo’s very own Wagyu steak, I can now say that Melo’s is definitely the home of wagyu beef.
I have to take a picture with one of the yummiest steak I have ever eaten. If you haven’t tried Melo’s then you are missing a lot! Go try it! I certainly enjoyed my meal and I’m sure you will too! 🙂
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Melo’s The Home of Certified Angus Beef
41 Precinct, Westgate Center, Alabang, Filinvest, Muntinlupa City, Philippines
(02) 771-2288