Went out on a dinner and movie date with Mark last Saturday. We brought Imax tickets for The Amazing Spider-Man movie, but since we were still too early for the 7pm showing, we both agreed to have an early dinner.

We were still thinking of were to dine, but I already got Yakimix in my head. Haha! I first got to try dining at Yakimix at SM City Masinag with my family and we all enjoyed our dining experience, and I thought that Mark would also feel the same.

We actually planned of pigging out at Yakimix months back but his numerous body building competitions didn't permit. There was also one time when we decided to try Yakimix out but we came just in time for the restaurants 3pm closing and we're really hungry that we couldn't wait anymore for their 5pm re-opening.

Since we still haven't figured where to eat, and since it was Mark's last day in being off season from his workouts and diets, I finally suggested that we have our dinner at Yakimix. :p

We were greeted by a lovely waiting staff who also ushered us to our seats. After placing our orders for the drinks, Mark and I went off to the buffet area. Mark tasked me to take charge of the grilling while he took care of the cooked ones. And so I went to the raw food station and started to pick out some food keeping in mind Mark's instruction to get everything that I think he will love. And so here are what I got! Haha!

Barbecue Beef Stick, HK Spicy Chicken,
Shrimps, Golden Mushroom Beef Rolls, US Fat Beef with Sauce,
Spicy Bacon, US Fat Beef with Black Pepper

I love to pair grilled food with vinegar and garlic and so that was the sauce that I got. The shrimps, bacon, and beef with black pepper for me lacked flavor, but it tasted okay when dipped in the garlic vinegar. The beef with sauce, spicy chicken, and barbecue beef stick tasted good had that distinct sweet and tangy barbecue taste. What I enjoyed and loved the most were the golden mushroom beef rolls. The sweet and juicy taste of the mushrooms balanced out the saltiness of the tender beef roll.

Celebrated father's day last Sunday over a lunch feast at home. We were supposed to go out but the bad weather didn't permit.


It was almost lunch time when we decided to just stay in for lunch. Daddy decided to have something that doesn't require so much preparation and cooking time and so he cooked seafood for lunch. Here are what we devoured during our father's day lunch feast.

If you have left over pork or chicken in the fridge and you're sick of just having it reheated and served, instead of throwing away the food (which also means throwing away some cash :p), this recipe is the best for you.

Let me share with you a recipe of yet another tasty treat from my dad that will surely satisfy your palates. :D 

Chicken and Pork Empanada

Here's one of the series of my late night dinner dates with Mark.  Our late night dinner dates usually happen whenever I work overtime.  My dad would never really allow me to go home late all by myself even if I bring a car and so working overtime is really not an option for me.  So whenever overtime work is needed, Mark would always be there, since his shift ends at 10pm, (or should I say I would always ask Mark) to fetch me up, have some late dinner, and accompany me home. :p

From Makati we went to the Araneta Center and was eying on Mang Inasal but it was already their closing time. Luckily North Park, which is just a few walks away from Mang Inasal, is open for 24 hours.

We were greeted by the waiting staff who also ushered us to our seats. It was almost midnight and there weren't a lot of diners that time so our orders were promptly served.

Our drinks were served first.  Mark got their Pineapple shake and I got their Lychee shake and totally forgot that I have a sore throat. :p I wasn't able to keep the receipt and so prices indicated here were taken from North Park's site. :)

Lychee Shake and Pineapple Shake - Php 100.10 each

Mark was still on a diet that time and wanted to have North Park's China Chicken, which was unfortunately out of stock, so he just settled for dimsums.  There weren't any beef siomai in North Park and Mark didn't want their shrimp dumplings so he opted for the Shark's Fin siomai.  Since he is allowed to eat fish, he got 2 orders. :p

We went off for lunch after our morning dip.  We didn't get to enjoy our breakfast at All Hands Beach so we decided to have our lunch elsewhere. Mark already saw Bunker Bob's when we passed by from Camayan and insisted that we have our lunch there.

Subic Bay Freeport Zone used to be a naval base of the US which is why bunkers, which were used for storage of fuels and ammunition were almost everywhere.  When the Americans left, the bunkers were kept intact and became sanctuaries for wild animals, some were made into museums like the bone museum near Zoobic Safari, and one was transformed into a restaurant and bar like Bunker Bob's.


From afar, the bunker looks like a hill.

Had a double celebration at home last Sunday, May 13 -- a celebration of Mother's Day and an advanced celebration of Jaoey's 10th Birthday.

We were up early last Sunday morning to greet our mom and right after breakfast, we handed our gifts to her. :)


Jaoey also wanted to open his gifts, but since it's still a day earlier than his actual birthday, being the bully sisters that we are, Gia and I insisted that he can open only his gifts come 12am. :p  We saw him curling up in bed crying so we finally made him open his gifts haha! :p

After my MOA adventure with Mark, we headed to Robinsons Place to meet with his mom for dinner.

After going to and from every floor of the Midtown Wing in search for a place to dine, we finally agreed in trying out Bistro Ravioli. We were all first timers, so Mark and I just took charge of the orders. Ravioli was not in our choices that time, maybe because of our bad experience on raviolis at Spaghetti Factory. But I still remember how much I loved Red Coconut's ravioli though. :p

Now back to the orders. :p Mark's mom wanted to have chicken for dinner and was insisting that we get the Diablo wings, but being not so much into spicy food, Mark just ordered their herb chicken. The dish comes in 3 chicken wings fried to perfection with fries and gravy. The dish may look ordinary but the chicken wings were just flavorful and large too. I enjoyed munching on the chicken wing even without the gravy.

Herb Chicken - Php 235.00

Mark wanted some pasta and was looking at the pasta choices when he asked me what to get. We both went adventurous that day and opted for the Chicken Pesto Spaghetti. The pesto spaghetti was just like any other pesto, what made this dish stand out was the grilled chicken. The generous amount of grilled chicken chunks were juicy and tender to the bite and were made more delectable by the tomato salsa...perfect match for the pesto. Mark and I both loved this dish. The dish also comes with garlic toasts.

Chicken Pesto Spaghetti - Php 370.00

Another hit was the Italian Sausage and Bacon pizza. The 12-inch thin crust pizza was brick-oven-baked, making it more delectable. The crust was crispy yet still managed to be soft and chewy on the inside. It also had a spicy kick because of the chili flakes.

Italian Sausage and Bacon Pizza - Php 365.00

For the spicy food lovers, like Tita Juliet's friend who were with us, this will surely be an eye candy. :p

Habanero Pepper Sauce and Chili Flakes

We all enjoyed our dinner. Aside from the good food, the service is also commendable. Our first time at Bistro Ravioli will definitely not be our last! :)

BISTRO RAVIOLI, Robinsons Place - Manila
Midtown Wing, Robinsons Place,
Pedro Gil cor. Adriatico St., Ermita
Manila, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02)523-7565

Mark celebrated his 27th birthday last February 7. Days before his special day, I was already thinking of places to go for his birthday celebration. He actually told me that he also wanted it to be some sort of an adventure just like what we had during my birthday. Since our schedules didn't permit an out of town trip, we had no choice but to settle for the places here in the Metro. Good thing I remembered Pan de Amerikana, the first and only chess-themed restaurant in the Philippines, which was once featured in a local magazine show.

I immediately thought that Mark would love to visit and dine in this restaurant because, as not everyone may know, aside from being into bodybuilding, Mark also is an expert in chess. :) He was a chess varsity player during his high school and college days and he also competed and won in the UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines) chess competitions.

After a 20-minute cab ride from the Gateway Mall, we arrived at Pan de Amerikana in Marikina just in time for breakfast. Seeing photos of the restaurant already got me excited, more so when I saw the real thing! :D I was amazed with the life-sized Netherland windmill which was really moving! I wasn't able to take a photo of it though, so here's one that I got from the net. :)

Photo taken from crumb-trails.com

Mark and I posing at the bench near the entrance of Pan de Amerikana

Aside from the beautiful facade, Pan de Amerikana also takes pride of its garden-themed interior. This is what welcomed us as we entered. :)


The restaurant is a pay-as-you-order type. The photo below is their cashier and ordering area. Aside from their menu, our attention was also caught by the pictures on the bricks which showcase the celebrities, politicians, and big people who have already been to the restaurant.

Cashier and Ordering area

We placed our orders and then roamed around while waiting for our food. :)

This is where they do the grilling.

Dining Area

There is also a dining area with tables having built in tournament-size chess boards. Tournament-size chess pieces may be requested at the cashier area for free. :)

Dining Area/Chess Area

We chose a table near the giant chess board. The jumbo-sized plastic chess pieces were about 3 and a half feet high and were imported from New York City.


Mark and I played chess while waiting for our food. And being the chess expert that he is, after a few moves, he won the game through check mate! I played pretty well though because I was able to capture some of his chess pieces. :p

Check mate!

Our orders were served and so we went back to our table to eat. It was still early for lunch so we just ordered light food for breakfast. Mark must have eaten breakfast at home, so he just ordered a chicken sandwich. I was a little hungry so I got one tuna sandwich and arroz caldo with egg. :)

Their sandwiches come in what Pan de Amerikana is famous for--the 1950's pan de sal. There's no denying that the mega-sized wheat pan de sal was delectable. But Mark and I both agreed that their tuna and chicken fillings tasted like the instant spreads that can be bought in grocery stores.

Tuna Sandwich and Chicken Sandwich - Php 25.00 each

Their arroz caldo was okay but not something to crave for. I enjoyed it though, especially when I dip my pan de sal into the hot porridge (I'm kinda Barbaric sometimes, you know!) :p.

Arroz Caldo with Egg - Php 35.00

Melon Shake and Watermelon Shake - Php 30.00 each

Mark must have gotten hungry over our chess match haha! So he ordered baked macaroni after he finished his sandwich. I got to try a spoonful of it and didn't really like it. I love the generous amount of cheese though. :p

Baked Macaroni - Php 65.00

Mark and I both finished our dishes but didn't enjoy that much. Maybe we should try Pan de Amerikana's specialties next time. :)

After our breakfast, we continued to check the place out. Right next to our table was a glass cabinet with different chess pieces. What I liked the most was the Star Wars Chess set.

Star Wars Chess Set

Aside from the garden ambience, we also felt like we were inside a museum as we roamed around. A mixture of Filipino, European, and Italian cultures was very evident in the restaurant's interior. Everything is but a lovely work of art!


You can also see different paintings hanging all over the place, which reminded me of my very talented cousin. :)



Another attraction is the hammock and the tree house with hanging bridge.


Though we never really enjoyed the food, we really had fun seeing all the works of art. Thank God the birthday boy enjoyed our first time at Pan de Amerikana :) I also loved that the the staff was not restrictive when it comes to diners enjoying the facilities and roaming around the whole restaurant.

If you want to taste authentic 1950's pan de sal, dine in a garden setting, play chess for free, or see life-sized wind driven Netherland windmill...Pan de Amerikana is the place to be! We will definitely come back and try their specialties! :)

More photos HERE :)

PAN DE AMERIKANA, Marikina
92 Ordonez St., Marikina City
Metro Manila, Philippines
(+632) 475-2398, +63917-5308824
pandeamerikana.multiply.com