La Mesa Ecopark
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On March 2, 2011
Last sunday, my friends and I went to La Mesa Ecopark for a picnic together. It was my first time to go to Ecopark but I’ve been hearing a lot about the place for quite some time. All I knew was Ecopark is owned by the ABS-CBN Foundation and a lot of couples take their pre-nup pictures there.
We arrived a bit after lunch. We needed to fall in line to pay and enter the picnic grounds. Entrance fee is at Php 40 for Quezon City residents as long as you show your I.D., Php 50 for non-Quezon City residents, free for senior citizens who lives in Quezon City, students & other senior citizens have discounts too! It’s pretty affordable. Aside from being able to enjoy the facilities of the place, we are able to help rehabilitate & preserve La Mesa Watershed as proceeds go to that project 🙂
There were a lot of people that time. All the cottages & tables were already taken so we decided to just find a spot in the grass for our picnic. It was amazing to see a lot of people very ready. They have tents, grill & even aprons with them hahaha!
We, on the other hand, had 2 blankets laid on the ground. Bea prepared spaghetti and egg sandwich for us while Jepoy brought his lola’s specialty, fried meatballs. We also had drinks courtesy of siofao 😛 We enjoyed our food for an hour and had some chit-chat before we started roaming around the park.
We only had a few hours left to enjoy the place as when it gets dark, you won’t be able to see anything anymore. La Mesa Ecopark is a big forest after all!
During our visit to La Mesa Ecopark, we saw several flowers.
It’s definitely a good place for photographers to practice their macro skills 🙂
We can choose to experience horse back riding for Php50. Kids will love it for sure!
I was truly ecstatic when I saw the Nikon Club banner hanging on one section of the La Mesa ecopark. I immediately inquired and signed up! Good thing they had an event that day.
A lot more great views as we strolled along the park.
We then entered a trail and followed it. All we’ve seen are trees, trees and trees. We even stopped in the middle and sat for awhile as we got tired walking hahaha!
We saw several couples having their prenup pictures taken. Oh, love, love, love is always in the air at La Mesa Ecopark.
Guess what? There were cosplayers too! We asked if we could take some photos of them and they graciously agreed. They were sooooo cute!
While we were sitting at the bench & admiring the environment, we saw a bee flying and it eventually landed on one of our bags. I was trying so hard to get a good shot but this was the best that I got of it. I guess I needed to buy a macro lens for shots like that 😛
The sky looked soooo astounding at around 6-7pm. I wish I had a tripod so I could take the picture clearer. See the shake in the picture? It wasn’t clear obviously. I was trying so hard not to move while taking the picture. Anyhow, you got my point. The sky is definitely a nice thing to look at while the sun is setting down.
There are a lot more things to do at Ecopark like the saltwater swimming pool, boating, fishing, museum & butterfly hatchery but due to time constraint, we were only able to visit the picnic grounds and the forest trail. It was still well-worth it. We had tons of fun!
Who wouldn’t enjoy such an outing when you were with a group of awesome friends?
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La Mesa Ecopark
La Mesa Dam Compound, Greater Lagro, Quezon City, Philippines
(02) 430-4351
B*witchy Girls & Friends Give Back at My Father’s House
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On March 1, 2011
Whenever I go to an outreach that involves helping people especially kids, it makes my heart melt. The last time I went to such activity was at Sitio Maislap. We were there to help several families but it was the kids who really caught my attention.
Last saturday, I joined several colleagues to visit the kids at My Father’s House.
My Father’s House is a non-profit child-caring organization created by Benny Hinn Ministries. They are there to serve abandoned, neglected & orphaned children providing them an environment where they learn to love and be loved. They also teach the kids Godly values.
Here are their objectives based on the pamphlet I got:
- Introduce each child to Jesus Christ with the hope that they come to know Him as Lord & Savior of their lives through the promotion of discipline & obedience under God’s love and principle.
- Provide programs and services to develop self-sufficiency & independency.
- Place children in loving, stable Christian homes for their protection and security.
- Implement holistic programs that will empower children & youth.
I really feel sad that parents would abandon their kids. I mean if they cannot support a child then they shouldn’t make one! Makes me really angry just thinking about that. I know how it feels to be abandoned so meeting the kids really is something and I empathize with them.
My colleagues organized this very well. We had activities all planned out for that day.
First up was registration. The kids get their name tags so everyone of us would recognize them by name & face. Their age was also written there.
The program then started. The kids were so enthusiastic! They love to sing and dance! They’re soooooooooo cute!
We then divided the kids by their age group.
They are truly talented. See the cute artwork they’ve done?
They had skits too. They created the costumes themselves!
Coloring session for the ‘lil ones. Some of them even put feathers on the wings part, sooo awesome!
The ates and kuyas acted out a story for the kids.
I’m thankful that Julie tagged me along. Kudos to the B*witchy Girls for organizing such activity and inviting us colleagues to be a part of a wonderful cause. Keep doing what you’re doing girls 🙂
The kids were so loving and affectionate to all of us. I’m not really the type who knows how to act around kids but they welcomed us with open arms. I can feel that they definitely grew in a good environment. This was definitely one of the memorable moments in my life.
There are lots of ways to help the kids at My Father’s House. You can be a life coach, a volunteer and a partner. You can also make a donation or visit the kids like we did last weekend. Just inquire at My Father’s house (their contact details are wirtten below).
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My Father’s House
#135 Ramona Tirona Street corner T. Sison., BF East Phase VI, Las Pinas, 1751 Philippines
(02) 772-4844
mfhmanila@hotmail.com
P.S. There’s a concert coming up for the benefit of the kids at My Father’s House. It’s called Unity in Rhythm and it features Christian Bautista and Karylle. It will be held at Insular Life Corporate Centre Auditorium, Filinvest City on March 29, 7:00 PM. For tickets & inquiries, contact Kate at (0915) 804-8042.
King Chef
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On February 28, 2011
I heard of King Chef for a long time already but I haven’t had the chance to visit there. I was informed before through a comment on one of my previous blog posts that King Chef is good for big crowds. Since I usually just dine out with my mom, I didn’t dare visit King Chef.
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Last friday, a friend (who is actually one of the owners of King Chef), invited me for a late night dinner. When we entered the restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised that there are also tables good for small groups. I was amazed at how big King Chef is. Imagine they have 3 establishments in the same area? They kept expanding and expanding in order to accomodate all the guests who wanted to dine at King Chef. Talk about being successful.
I noticed the couches too in King Chef w/c reminded me of Cantonese Soup Kitchen. Guess what? Same owners hahaha! No wonder even King Chef’s menu have the same items as Cantonese Soup Kitchen.
Now, the other Chinese restaurants have some serious competition. King Chef is becoming more popular with their dimsum at an awesome affordable price. The servers actually thought we were there for the dimsum, we did inform them though that we’d have dinner instead. I’ll definitely go back to King Chef for their dimsum next time 😉
We ordered the ff.:
- Seafood with Spinach Soup (Php 220)
King Chef has 3 sizes for most dishes. We ordered their small size w/c is good for 3-4 people. We were able to finish the seafood w/ spinach soup all by ourselves. I really love the soup offerings of the franchise (King Chef & Cantonese Soup Kitchen). It’s their specialty. The soup have the exact amount of ingredients and spices that would make us feel soothed and satisfied when we sample them.
- Scallop Fried Rice (Php 350)
Scallop fried rice was suggested by the manager of King Chef. As I love scallops a lot, I decided to order it. When our order came, I was looking for the scallops for quite a few seconds. Then I realized that the dark strands in the rice were actually scallops. They were shredded and cooked with the rest of the ingredients. I loved how tasty the fried rice is. I super appreciate fried rice that we can get away without any main dish. This is definitely one of those but I find it too expensive though.
- BBQ Pork Asado (Php 270)
I’m seriously disappointed with this dish. It was dry and the meat was a bit tough. I barely touched the dish.
- Fried Frog Legs w/ Salt & Pepper (Php 320)
the picture might not give the dish justice but believe me, it was so delicious! I enjoyed each bite of the frog legs. Dipping them in vinegar was heavenly. One of the better frog legs I’ve eaten so far. Yummmmmy!
- Mango Pudding (Php 70)
I wasn’t able to sample this dish when I attended the blogger’s event at Cantonese Soup kitchen back then. Last friday, I made sure that I wouldn’t miss the chance to finally try it. It was basically a combination of mango & almond pudding with mango bits on top then served with evaporated milk. It was a pretty decent dessert.
- Mango Sago (Php 60)
Nothing special but still okay.
- Cold Fruit Punch (Php 195)
King Chef’s Fruit Punch was too sweet for my taste. I was actually requesting for additional ice every single time hahaha! I might just stick with their other drink offerings next time 😛
I believe King Chef is trying to bring in the bigger Chinese restaurant-type into Banawe, Q.C. The concept is really good as we need to have places like this in our area. I won’t be surprised if I get invited to a birthday party or wedding reception in King Chef. It won’t be for long. Their latest expansion will be opening very soon.
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King Chef
989 Banawe St., Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 410-4919
Borough
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On February 26, 2011
Buying deals from group buying sites became my habit nowadays. I got one of the best deals by purchasing the discounted promo of Borough. I’m glad I did because I liked every single dish served to us.
We drove to Podium mall yesterday to dine at Borough. They say that if you wanted to get a feel of New York, you will be able to find it in Borough. I was curious to find out. Of course, I wanted to try out what comfort food in New York tasted like. I was a bit worried as we didn’t get any reservation but was relieved that there were still empty tables.
The ambiance of Borough made me feel that a lot of people hang out at the place. I saw several barkadas enjoying their meal. I also saw some businessmen talking about work stuff. There were couples too! My mom and I went to Borough for dinner but I noticed that a lot of people go there for late-night drinks.
I appreciate the service too. It wasn’t too hard calling their attention if I wanted more water or needed anything. I was however a bit sad that they took our fries away without asking my permission :'( When I asked for it, they didn’t give it back as they’ve thrown it away. We were done with our meal but I wasn’t done yet with the fries. I loved it and would want to finish it :'(
We got the best-sellers in Borough. 1 appetizer, 1 main meal & 1 dessert. Let me share with you what they are:
- Buffalo Chicken Wings (Php 300)
Definitely the best buffalo wings I have eaten in the Metro. The flavoring was absolutely perfect! It was a bit spicy though so for those who isn’t fond of spicy food, you have to watch out for that. On the other hand, my mom loved the blue cheese dip. It was a great start for a great meal!
- All-Beef Cheeseburger (Php 360)
I love the presentation of this dish. The burger was put in a chopboard with a map-designed placemat on top. You have the burger bun opened up showing the awesome burger with melted cheddar cheese & onions on top. On the other side, there was the lettuce with some tomatoes. I especially love that they put the fries on a brown bag (pretty good thinking out there).
The presentation just wasn’t the only thing that we admired with Borough’s all-beef cheeseburger. The bun was so warm and I actually told my mom I can eat the bun without anything on it. The beef was very nice too but I felt it was a bit dry in the middle. I do know why though coz I requested it to be cooked well-done. I should have asked for medium-well but still good. The fries was delightful! It was crispy and didn’t sog at all. This dish was a winner!
- Mom’s Milk & Cookies (Php 190)
One of the most unique desserts I have taken. Mom’s Milk & Cookies has 3 different freshly baked cookies namely: chocolate chip, spiced ginger & peanut cookies. They were really freshly baked, still hot when served to us. We were asked to dip the cookies in the milk which was a special blend by the Chef. I tasted the milk without the cookies and it was yummy! Then I found out that it was a combination of milk and vanilla ice cream! Wow! Out of all the cookies, I enjoyed the spiced ginger the most. When I visit Borough next time, I will request to have all spiced ginger cookies than assorted ones hehehe 😛
My mom and I enjoyed our food tripping last night. I told my mom we will eat out every week in a different restaurant. We’ll try out food places we haven’t been. Borough was our 1st stop and we weren’t disappointed.
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Borough
G/F The Podium Mall, 12 ADB Ave., Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 570-8906
Estero Fast Food
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On February 23, 2011
I just got my camera and I was oh so excited to use it. But before we can go to our Binondo street photowalk, we have to satisfy our appetite first. There was only one place in our minds and that was Estero Fast Food.
Located beside the ongpin bridge, Estero is definitely a place everyone would love to eat at. With such yummy yet cheap food, who would not want to? I remember having eaten at Estero a few times but this was the 1st time I actually took pictures. So let me share with you our experience 🙂
Ambiance is not really A-grade but I do think that all their food is clean. People from all walks of life do actually eat there as it’s affordable. For the ones who are not used to dining at eateries then Estero has another option. They have a 2nd floor air-conditioned room. That was where we ate, we were 10 so we really needed the space.
We did order a lot! But guess what? We finished all dishes! Talk about being hungry 😛
- Fried Chicken (Php 200)
Very sinful but truly delicious. I like chicken skin a lot and wouldn’t mind eating chicken with mostly skin in it. I actually appreciate it better. This particular dish from Estero cooked this dish quite well by cutting the chicken into smaller parts and putting more spices & flour. Healthy buff won’t appreciate the dish but I always go for tasty food! This was a winner to me.
- Beef with Broccoli (Php 180)
sorry for the blurry pic. I was really in a hurry because all 10 of us were starving. I took the picture not realizing that it was not good hehehe. Anyway, I like the generous serving of the dish. And I also like that the beef and broccoli were swimming in the sauce. I always like it that way.
- Frog Legs (Php 220)
It has been a long time since I’ve eaten frog legs. My friends ordered this first and I’m glad they did. It tasted like fried chicken but it was like eating a snack. There was one restaurant branding their chicken as “sarap to the bone (delicious to the last bone)”. For me, Estero’s frog legs suited it more: Sarap to the bone. Yum yum!
- Garlic Rice (Php 140)
Would you believe we actually ordered 4 of large servings of rice? My gosh! I only took like 2-3 spoonfuls as I’m trying to watch my diet.
- Chopsuey (Php 180)
The world’s favorite Chinese vegetable! I also liked this dish. They just need to remove the liver hahaha! I do not know why but I really hate the taste of liver. Nevertheless, still yummy! Just like the beef broccoli, this dish also had so much sauce which I really appreciate!
- Steamed Lapu Lapu (Php 200)
The cheapest steamed lapu lapu I have eaten ever. They cooked it like a pro, no joke. It was just the same as the high-end Chinese restaurants but with a big difference in price. When you visit Estero, do not forget to order their steamed lapu lapu. The fish wasn’t that big but it was definitely meaty and the sauce was just delightful!
I really wish I go to Binondo often but I don’t. I hate that there’s always traffic. I also dislike not having parking spaces there. I do enjoy joining any Binondo food tour that my friends organize though. Manila is truly the best place to go for good food. Estero definitely, is part of the top 5 best dining places. 🙂
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Estero Fast Food
847-G Ongpin Gandara St., Sta. Cruz, Manila, Philippines
(02) 734-3279