Author: Rochelle Sy Chua

The Cheese Steak Shop Manila New Yummy Creations

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On February 10, 2013

The Cheese Steak Shop Manila New Yummy Creations

I’m back at the The Cheese Steak Shop again.

This time around, I went to their Amorsolo branch.  I missed their Arnaiz branch because it was bigger and parking was a breeze.  I do not know why they moved their Makati branch but at least we can still have our cheesesteak fix whenever we need it.  The ambiance is the same with the soft couches, board games and big menu display.  Parking was a bit challenging but I was able to get through it hehehe.

I heard they also opened a branch at the Fort.  I’ll try that soon! 🙂

Cheese Steak Shop Manila Amorsolo Branch

While I preferred their old location better, the food is just the same.  Actually, it’s getting better and better!

Cheese Steak Shop Manila Menu

I’m sharing with you the newest food items in the Cheese Steak Shop menu.  There are no misses in my opinion.  Each and every new product was good on its own merit.  Quality is definitely something this food establishment is very serious about.

New Side Dishes

  • Cheese Fries (Large – Php 135, Regular – Php 99)

Cheese Steak Shop Manila Cheesy Fries

We usually see these kind in Nachos but I’m glad that the Cheese Steak Shop has offered the same for french fries.  Who doesn’t love cheese?

  • Cheese Poppers or Cheese Chile Poppers (Php 99)

Cheese Steak Shop Cheese Poppers

The cheese poppers are available in 2 flavors: original and chiles.  I wanted to try both so we requested to have our order mixed with both flavours.  They tasted the same except for chiles which is a bit spicy.  My choice would still be the original one but it all comes down to preference.

The Cheese Steak Shop Manila’s New Take on Cheesesteaks

  • French Dip Cheesesteak with Au Jus (7″ -Php 320, 10″ -Php 520, 15″ -Php 850)

If you’re the type who tends to ask for more sauce whenever you eat something, then this new dish is a must-order!  The French Dip cheesesteak is served with Au Jus.  Au Jus is the steak’s own natural juices all put in a sauce container to all our heart’s delight!

It’s the Classic Philly Cheese Steak with a twist!  Also, the cheese used in the French Dip variant is different.  Instead of American cheese, The Cheese Steak Shop used Provolone cheese which is better suited for dipping.

I have always ordered the 7-inch cheesesteak because I do not think I can finish any bigger than that.  However, when I saw my friends order the 10-inch cheesesteak, I just stared at it with awe! haha!  As with any order in the Cheese Steak Shop, you can choose to separate peppers or not have peppers at all with your cheesesteak.

Cheese steak shop manila 7in french dip

Cheese Steak Shop Manila 10in french dip

Cheese Steak Shop Manila French dip cheesesteak

Cheese Steak Manila French Dip

  • Breakfast Cheesesteak (additional Php 100 to any cheesesteak)

All-day breakfast deals are popular in Manila.  When I found out about the breakfast cheesesteak, I welcomed it with a big smile!

Basically, when you order your cheesesteak at the counter, you just have to mention that you wanted it to upgrade to breakfast cheesesteak.  What they’ll do is, they’ll separate the peppers from your order and add egg on top of the cheesesteak.  The Php 100 upgrade also includes any drink of your choice.

Cheese Steak Shop Manila 7in breakfast steak

Cheese Steak Shop 10in breakfast steak

I LOVED the breakfast cheesesteak.  We ordered the classic philly cheesesteak and boy, with every bite, I can see the combined juices from the egg and steak!  Super duper yummy to the max!  After this experience, I’m pretty sure that I would be upgrading my cheesesteak order to breakfast every time!  It definitely gave the extra oomph to the order!

Cheese Steak Shop Manila Breakfast Cheesesteak

I’m struggling so hard writing this entry considering that I just had my meal.  If you’re trying to decide where to eat in Makati or the Fort, I suggest you go to The Cheese Steak Shop and order their new menu.  It’ll be a yummy foodie experience.  Super hungry?  Then order the biggest size: I dare you to finish a 15-inch cheesesteak!  How many minutes can you finish it?

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The Cheese Steak Shop Manila
140 Amorsolo Street , Legaspi Village, Makati City, Philippines
+63-2-5551818
Mondays – Sundays 10:00am to 10:00pm

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Solo’s First Ever Graphic Tee Design Contest

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On February 10, 2013

Solo's First Ever Graphic Tee Design Contest

Attention creative people!  Solo has a contest for you!

To celebrate the love month, Solo kicked off its first ever His & Hers Graphic Tees Design Competition.  The challenge is to submit your very own original design of a His and a Hers matching graphic tees.  If you’re an artist then you’re also a romantic, I’m pretty sure that whatever you will draw out will definitely capture the hearts of the people looking for a matching outfit for them and their better half.

You see, 20% of the criteria is voting.  People would definitely vote for your designs if they see themselves buying it in Solo branches.  Even if you don’t get to win the major prize, I think it’s a big boost already having your work posted in Solo’s Facebook Page.

I wish I had a creative mind, however, it’s not really my thing.  So what I will do is vote for your work!  You have till March 15, 2013 to submit your designs to Solo via their email address: marketing@elitegarments.com.

Here’s the complete mechanics:

  1. Visit the Contest Mechanics Page or Solo Facebook Page for the complete set of rules.
  2. Download the contest application form and His&Hers T-shirt template from Solo Facebook under “His & Hers Graphic Tee Design Contest” app.
  3. Together with the filled out application, submit only 1 JPEG file for your 2 original designs of a His version & a Hers version of your design.  No actual artwork needs to be submitted, just a digital file of your designs.  You may send your entry to marketing@elitegarments.com.  Submission period is from February 1 to March 15, 2013.
  4. Wait for Solo to post your designs on their Facebook Page.
  5. Once your design is uploaded, invite your family & friends to vote for your entry.  Voting ends on March 31, 2013 and is 20% of the criteria.
  6. If your design wins, you will see them being sold at Solo stores by May 2013 with your name credited as the artist!

There will be three grand winners for Solo’s His and Hers Graphic Tees Design Competition.  Each winning designer will get Php 15,000 cash and Php 10,000 worth of Solo gift certificates, their winning shirt designs featured in a campaign photoshoot with Solo’s newest models for 2013 PLUS the His & Hers shirts with the artist designs will be available for sale on May 2013 as part of Solo’s His & Hers Back to School collection.  How cool is that?

As of this writing, I’ve seen a lot of submission already.  And boy, they look nice!

Solo Graphic Tee Design Contest Sample Entry

Learn more about Solo’s His & Hers Graphic Tees Design Competition in Solo’s official sites (website, Facebook Page  and Twitter).

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Boeing Boeing

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On February 10, 2013

Boeing Boeing Repertory Philippines

Looking for something to do this Valentine’s weekend?  Then why not catch Repertory Philippines’ play, Boeing Boeing, showing this saturday (February 16) at Onstage Greenbelt 1?

Boeing Boeing is a French classic written by Marc Camoletti and was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most performed French play throughout the world!  Well, it’s now in the Philippines!

Directed by Miguel Faustmann, Boeing Boeing tells the story of playboy Bernard who is engaged to three international flight attendants for different airlines.  He juggles their timetable so that he can spend time with all three beautiful & sexy stewardess.  Bernard is supported by Bernard’s faithful housekeeper, Bertha who has to change decor and food menu to suit the tastes of the German, Italian and American beauties.

However, as a faster Boeing jet is introduced and with Bernard’s friend, Robert, visiting, Bernard now has a big problem.  The ladies’ timetables became unpredictable!  Now, that’s a story I would want to watch live!

I read several reviews online and I must say, it piqued my interest more.  It seems that the cast are effective and perfect in their respective roles.  One of them is Baby Barredo who’s multi-awarded and is actually the co-founder and artistic director of Repertory Philippines, wow!

Boeing Boeing Cast

  • David Bianco – Bernard Whitford, a Parisian architect
  • Topper Fabregas – Robert, Bernard’s old school chum
  • Carla Dunareanu – Lufthansa’s Gretchen, German fiancée
  • Giannina Ocampo – Alitalia’s Gabriella, the Italian fiancée
  • Jennifer Bianco – TWA’s Gloria, the American fiancée
  • Baby Barredo (alternate: Joy Virata) -Bertha, Bernard’s Housekeeper

I’m going to watch Boeing Boeing this saturday.  I cannot wait to enjoy and laugh myself out while doing so!  See you at the theatre!

UPDATE:

I just got home from watching Boeing Boeing.  It wasn’t as long as other plays but I enjoyed every minute watching it!  It was too funny!  The play was 2 hours long with a 15-minute break in between.

The set was simple.  They rarely changed any props.  Boeing Boeing was mainly concentrated on the six characters of the play.  Every single person has his/her own personality.  I was totally blown away as to how they effectively portrayed their characters.  I was laughing 95% of the time!  It was a light and entertaining experience.

While I see many lovers watched the play, I kinda have a theory in my mind that some of the guys would be able to relate to playboy Bernard LOL!  Anyway, I won’t share more about the story as it would be best to watch it with an element of surprise.

There’s one more day left!  Catch Boeing Boeing, you’ll leave the theater smiling!

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Boeing Boeing
February 16, 2013, 8PM
Ticket Prices: Php 1,000, Php 800 & Php 500
Contact: +639328885688
Onstage, 2/F, Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas cor. Legazpi St., Makati City, Philippines

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iBattz Mojo Hi5 Power Bank Case for iPhone 5

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On February 3, 2013

iBattz Mojo Hi5 Power Bank Case for iPhone 5

I’m very happy with my iPhone 5 and yes, I still feel the same happiness whenever I hold the phone in my hand even after more than a month use.  It’s an awesome device!  No matter what people say, for me, the iPhone 5 is the BEST smartphone out there!  But hey, nothing’s perfect.  Admit it or not, we will never be fully satisfied with anything.  My beef with iPhone 5 is its battery life.  I guess it has something to do with the way I use my cellphone.  I tweet a lot and I check the internet almost every few minutes.  With that kind of major usage, my iPhone 5 doesn’t last more than 4-5 hours.  I have to do something because I cannot always find an outlet to charge my iPhone whenever I go out.  I then discovered iBattz Mojo Hi5 Power Bank Case for iPhone 5.

ibattz iphone 5 9

What I like about the iBattz Mojo Hi5 case is this: it’s a case.  I’m serious!  Most battery enhancers are external devices that you just connect to your gadget.  With the iBattz Mojo Hi5, you can snap it on your iPhone 5!  It was a great innovation and I believe we should give iBattz some credit for thinking out of the box!

ibattz iphone 5 5

For just Php 3,750, you’ll get more than your money’s worth.  Imagine that you get two cases (black and white) apart from the battery power bank.  That’s like getting three different accessories in one!

ibattz iphone 5 1

While I’m not a fan of the case design, I understand why it was done that way.  You see, there are three holes at the back of the case.  There is a purpose for that.

ibattz iphone 5 case back

You connect the powerbank through those holes.  It’s really cool because you don’t need to adjust.  You still hold your iPhone 5 the same way.  (I have to take the iPhone 5 off so that you can see clearly how to assemble the iBattz Mojo Hi5 Power Bank case).

ibattz iphone 5 10

ibattz iphone 5 2

Once you snapped on the powerbank to the case, you’ll have to use the flexible cable in order to transfer power from the case into the iPhone 5.

ibattz iphone 5 flexible cable

ibattz iphone 5 case charging

Now, one thing to note is that you have to buy the lightning to Micro USB adapter separately.  It is not iBattz fault because Apple became so strict with accessories using lightning cable.  Apple has so many restrictions that makers like iBattz decided to stick with Micro USB for the meantime.  I bought the Lightning to Micro USB adapter for Php 990 at the Philippines iTunes Store.

ibattz iphone 5 6

iBattz Mojo Hi5 Power Bank Case Experience

I gave myself 2 weeks to use the product before I review it here in HeaRty’s Haven.  Overall, I loved the iBattz Mojo Hi5 case!  It functions as advertised.  It really does give 150% more power to the iPhone 5!

ibattz iphone 5 case in action

There are three things to remember:

  • charge the power bank fully.  One full charge takes 5 hours.

ibattz iphone 5 charge

  • You can charge the iPhone 5 from 0-100%.  That’s basically what the 2500 mAh iBattz Hi5 case can do: one full charge & gives power to the iPhone as well while charging on the go!  It’s the slimmest power bank in the market too!
  • You can do charging on both the power bank and the iPhone 5 at the same time!

I feel 5 hours is tad a bit long for charging.  The amount of time that I can use with the iBattz Hi5 case is almost the same as its charging time.  For now, this is the best solution in my constant battery issue with iPhone 5.  It’s working for me and I continue to use it until I find a better alternative.

Should you buy it?  Well, it will depend on your need.  I want to reiterate though that you’re getting 2 different cases PLUS the power bank.  If there’s only one accessory that you need to buy for your iPhone 5 then the iBattz Mojo Hi5 Power Bank Case is for you.

ibattz iphone 5 11

ibattz iphone 5 3

ibattz iphone 5 4

But wait, there’s more!

While the iBattz Mojo Hi5 Power Bank Case was created for the iPhone 5, you can actually charge other mobile devices as well.  The only thing here is you cannot use the cases included in the package since those were meant for the iPhone 5.  For the power bank, that’s totally usable to any mobile devices as the iBattz hi5 is powered by USB.

Power specifications:
Input : 5V DC, 500 mA
Output : 5V DC, 1A
Battery Capacity : 2500 mAh Li-Ion
Battery Charging Time : ~ 5 hours
Battery Life Cycle : 500

Official features:

  • Slim minimalist, detachable unibody aluminium design.
  • Detachable Design: Attached via a Protective Snap-On iPhone 5 Case.
  • Pass Through Charging Support: Charge both the power bank and iPhone 5 at the same time.
  • Fast Charge: Halves the charging time of your iPhone 5 compared to a standard 500 mA USB power output.
  • Versatile: Can charge other mobile devices that are powered by USB.
  • Intelligent Power Management: Over-Charge, Over-Current and Short Circuit Protection.

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Upcoming New Drinks from Serenitea

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On January 27, 2013

Serenitea introduces new drinks

It was 2010.  For months, I would pass by a Serenitea branch every day to buy 2 large milk tea drinks for take out.  It happened so frequently that my colleagues started to ask where the drinks were bought.  I had this nagging feeling that they were thinking that “Roch was crazy and an addict!”.  Imagine drinking two large milk tea everyday.  Are they really that good?  That’s the story of how I discovered Serenitea.

Fast forward to 2013, Serenitea is already a household name.  While there are more and more teashops have opened in Metro Manila, Serenitea has held its place as the first teashop to utilize a tea espresso machine in brewing its tea.

As for me?  Well, still a milk tea addict!  You will always see me getting jumbo drinks whenever Serenitea celebrates its anniversaries.

Last night, I spent several hours drinking every single variant of Serenitea’s new creations.  They are finally revamping their menu and will be introducing several new yummy drinks for tea lovers!  Let me share with you what they are before Serenitea starts to offer them in all their branches by end February 2013.  Exciting times!!!

  • Tropical Yakult

Serenitea Tropical Yakult

While the pineapple flavor is dominant, this drink is actually a combination of different tropical flavors added into Yakult drink.  A very refreshing drink that is timely as summer is fast coming!

  • Lychee Yakult

Serenitea Lychee Yakult

My problem with lychee drinks is that the flavor of lychee is too much for my palate.  However, this new lychee yakult by Serenitea just had the perfect recipe!  It has the right amount of lychee and right amount of yakult.  This must have changed my outlook and I may order lychee yakult a lot of times when it officially comes out in Serenitea branches.

  • Chaffe’ Milk Tea

Serenitea Chaffe

I’ve been wondering why Serenitea had not come up with a coffee-tea drink.  I’m happy to know that they finally did with Chaffe, an innovative drink that brings together the goodness of tea and coffee!  I tried this with 50% sugar.  However, I would suggest you get this with at least 75% sugar to achieve the best yummy taste!

  • Cocoa Green Tea Frost

Serenitea Cocoa Green Tea Frost

If you love chocolates and you want to try something different with your drink then Cocoa Green tea frost is for you!  This chocolate drink has a generous serving of matcha-flavored foam topping.  The way to drink this is NOT to mix the ingredients.  You just have to take a sip and let those flavors naturally mix while you drink it!

And oh, the Cocoa Green Tea Frost grows on you!

  • Chocolate Pudding Milk Tea

Serenitea Milk Tea Chocolate Pudding

this is a combination of Okinawa milk tea and chocolate pudding.  If you’re a chocolate lover, you would love this new drink!

  • Cookies & Cream Milk Tea

Serenitea Cookies & Cream

I had to borrow this photo from Serenitea because I want you to see the cookie crumbs on top of the drink.  You know what’s unique about Serenitea’s cookies & cream drink?  They actually used REAL cream!  They stayed true to the name!

So the next time you visit Serenitea, say hi to the server, smile widely and order one of their new drinks!  You might have a new Serenitea favorite drink!

Serenitea Servers

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Serenitea
Little Baguio, San Juan, G&L Bldg, J. Abad Santos cor. V. Cruz, Little Baguio, San Juan, Philippines
Sun-Thu: 11am-11pm, Fri & Sat:11am-12am
+63-2-3794166
http://www.iloveserenitea.com

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