Dimsum Treasures await at Lili

Dodong stumbled upon a good dimsum buffet deal at Hyatt's Lili restaurant on Deal Grocer. Of course, he immediately grabbed the chance to treat himself (of course) and the rest of the family AND me to a filling dimsum Sunday lunch buffet.

After dayssssss of non-stop eating, I was so nervous I did not have enough space in my tummy for the yummy dimsum treats. There were just soooo many…

Let me run down a number of the dishes we devoured that dimsum filled afternoon…

Pork Spareribs with Tausi

Shrimp Rice Rolls

My Favorite Radish Cake

Duck Pao

Salt & Pepper Cuttlefish

Okay. I am not even halfway through the stuff that we ate. The salt and pepper cuttlefish even came with it's sister…

Salt & Pepper Shrimp!

We also had some all time favorites like the ever present…

Pork Siomai!

Yang Chow Fried Rice!

Akalain mo meron kanin sa dimsum buffet! Yes yes yes sa kanin! Woohooo! But wait, there's still more…

Hakaw / Hargow

Xiao Long Bao

Glutinous Rice Dumpling

Pork Asado

Pork Knuckles and Jelly fish

Grabe, I'm not done yet and note that I'm not getting to dessert just yet. Posting all these dishes is making me full. Did I say it was LAMON Linggo or what?

Scrambled egg with Century egg and shrimp

Fish with Eggplant in some sauce...

Spinach dumpling with shrimp

Chinese Pita Pizza! Hehehe

I think I will stop on posting the savory dishes (there are still quite a number) and will now share what we had for dessert. These are just a few mind you…

Marshmallow Thingy...FORGETTABLE

Egg Custard

Buchi! Buchi! Buchi!

Taro Soup

Red bean soup with glutinous rice balls

I was so full that I failed to take photos of the mango sago, fresh fruits, assorted cakes and chocolate treats. That was an AWESOME buffet spread. Whew! Thanks to Deal Grocer for that real steal I wish there would be another voucher so that I can try the other Lili dimsum dishes

Our Friday was dedicated to attending the much awaiting wedding (12 years in the making?) of our friends, Bing Mejia-Santos (because they are already married) and Ian Santos. Congrats you guys! FINALLY!

Ever since Dodong had his 1st taste of a steak and wine dinner, he's been telling me that he would ike wine and dine me in a special restaurant. Initially, we were planning to have our wine and dine dinner at a hotel. But, thankfully, a little birdie told me about a neat Steak All You Can deal at Lolo Dad's Brasserie at 6750, Ayala Avenue.

So were our meat loving tummies satisfied???

OH YEESSSSSSSSS!!!! This is one of the most sulit (value for money) deals ever! For Php 1,200++ (USD 34) you get all you can eat steaks and sides. You can choose from the different cuts of beef: US Rib Eye Steak / Tenderloin / Striploin or the Tajima Wagyu Topside. Dodong tried all cuts of steak, while I stuck to the best cut: the Wagyu. The Wagyu steaks were so tender that I did not "fight" with the meat even if I bit halfway.

The steaks come with 3 sauces: au jus, hollandaise and barbeque. Yes, these are unlimited as well.

BBQ, Hollandaise, Au Jus

And did I mention unlimited sides with the unlimited steaks? Choose your poison: mushroom risotto, mashed potatoes, rice or pasta. We chose risotto since this was probably the most expensive of all the sides. Haha!

You also can ask for a green salad with vinaigrette or buttered French beans instead of the hefty, filling starches. We actually asked for more than one serving of the veggies. Glad to know that Dodong loved the buttered French beans!

Oh and yes, Dodong ordered wine for us. We're not wine experts, so we just ordered what we think we would like. I learned that red wines go best with steaks, but we decided to order a white. Unfortunately, it was too strong for us (we prefer sweeter wines), but we finished it anyway.

The damage? Dodong = 7 steaks, while Me? I only had 3. BURP!

Oh I, of course, had dessert. But I think it was forgettable, compared to the meaty goodness we had. Hehehehe!

Overall, we were SUPER HAPPY with our steak and wine dinner. We're actually both excited to go back to Lolo Dad's Brasserie soon for another round of Steak all you can! Woohoooo! Crossing our fingers that the steak all you can deal would still be on when Dodong comes home very soon

Lolo Dad's Brasserie

Ground Floor, 6750 Building

Ayala Avenue, Makati City

+632-813-6750

The best liempo in town?

Last Tuesday, we found ourselves "stuck" at the Katipunan area for a whole day because of crucial errands. So we wanted to try something new and near. I remembered the famous Manang's at the Ateneo campus, who apparently serves one of the best inihaw na liempo (grilled pork belly) in town.

Dodong, the proud and loyal La Salista, got curious too…

Manang’s is located inside the Ateneo Katipunan campus at the back of the college gym. There is no large sign board to point you to the exact location. So finding Manang’s is like going on a treasure hunt, passing through “thick” university foliage to get to the treasure that is inihaw na liempo.

Oh, pls do not expect any airconditioned comfort because it is really a down to earth, simple carinderia, where self service is king and sweaty shirts (especially during the peak of the summer months) are abound.

Of course, we ordered the famous Manang’s inihaw na liempo. But because pork (not eaten by our Muslim brothers and sisters) is more expensive in Dubai, we decided to order another pork dish: our favorite breaded porkchop.

And what better way to eat all these porky-licious treats but with the traditional ensalada: salted egg and chopped tomatoes.

YUM! And lots of rice! I really wished I ordered 2 cups for myself. But fortunately, Dodong was a good food police, stopping me from causing more damage to the widening hips. Hehehe!

Manang’s is also wallet friendly with viands at Php 49 (USD 1.1). I guess being a default setting because they cater to students. But being our matakaw selves, we spent Php 283 (USD 6.6) for 2 orders of inihaw na liempo, 2 orders of breaded porkchop, 2 orders of rice, 1 mineral water, 1 C2 Iced Tea, 1 ensalada, 1 banana and 1 polvoron. I was actually tmore matakaw than Dodong because I still had a banana AND polvoron for dessert

Overall, I would recommend Manang’s in Ateneo as a homecoming date place, friendly both to the stomach and wallet. PLUS, it will really bring a lot of nostalgic Pinoy flavors to the table, which are craved for by the OFWs. If your better half is an Atenista (a graduate of THE Ateneo), you’d even get more pogi points for bringing him / her to Manang’s.

So what does Dodong have to say about Manang’s? Well…we actually saw these signs:

AND he said: “you don’t have to be an Atenista to learn how to fall in line and / or pick up after yourself.” May point nga naman. Pero hirit La Salista nga talaga! Haha!

Homecoming Date Clue. Can you guess where we are?

I can't believe Dodong's two week homecoming is already half way! Darn! But I am savoring each and every second. I need to fill up the reserve before he leaves noh.

This looooooong weekend we are spending our time together in somewhere both hot AND cold. Can you guess where?

I know I shouldn't be posting and really just enjoy solid quality time. Hehehe! But I just can't help but share the love.

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

Armed with a good book in tow...

So Dodong is coming home TODAY! Woohooo! And so me needs to look decent when he gets home. Of course! This is an advantage for us LDR gals as we can actually have some time to prepare to prettify!

No liposuction procedures ahead. Hehehe! I am a bit on the low maintenance side so these are just simple things that make me feel pretty even just a wee bit.

So what was on my last minute prettify errand list yesterday?

Pedicure (cleaning only) at California Nails and Day Spa

My super reliable pedi place

I've been going to California Nails and Day Spa (CANS) since my former boss prodded me to try out their foot spa. From then on, CANS is the only establishment that can touch my toes.

I decided to get my tippy toes cleaned to make my feet extra purty for Dodong. Yes cleaned with no nail polish. I do not put nail polish on my toenails (and fingernails too!) as I do find it such a hassle since it gives my nails an odd and ugly yellow hue. Yaaak. That's why I am so happy that Dodong likes my toenails au naturale. Does your significant other like or hate nailpolish on your toesies?

Waxing at Lay Bare Waxing Salon

Me reliable waxing salon

Laybare Waxing salon is also a staple prettify destination of mine. They do specialize in waxing in almost any part of the body. Plus their services are not too expensive. Oh another thing is that they use cold wax versus hot wax that could scald your skin (if the therapist is not so good) on top of the waxing pain that you'd get. Eeek.

Why wax? Because we are going to da beach!!!!! Yeys! I may not have time in between work to get waxed before the weekend so I had it done yesterday.

I think I'm pretty much all set for later's homecoming. Will I cry like a baby like last time?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

Dodong told me about this video while we were on our regular weekend chat. He said that he was holding back his tears watching the video (Sorry Dodong I had to let out this embarrassing factoid). And so it made me VERY CURIOUS. I definitely did not want to cry but I obviously did cry. Boo.

It brought back so many memories of surprise homecomings both from my mom and my beloved Dodong…

A few years back, my dad and sister planned out my mom's surprise homecoming for our little siblings. We pretended to pick up someone from my dad's work but really was picking up mom who just came home after 6-months in the US. My little sibs were like the kids in the video: pleasantly shocked and in tears.We were able to capture the moment on video (though I am looking through facebook and see if it's still alive) and it was simply a tearjerker.

Each and every time Dodong comes home, whether it be a surprise or not (Yes he pulled off a surprise the very 1st time), it brings tears to my eyes. An upsurge of mixed emotions: happiness and sadness and excitement and everything in between. It's an inexplicable feeling sometimes. You're happy he's home, but at the same time sad that it maybe temporary. Digs?

The video surely hits the spot (super hard in fact) for those in long distance relationships or with family members who are OFWs. For that matter, anybody who has a loved one from far away come home after a number of months or sometimes even years would DEFINITELY relate. So I hope you had a wad of tissue or a handkerchief beside you when you watched the video. Hehehe.

Speaking of homecomings, I am definitely so looking forward to this homecoming (which is so not a surprise though) very soon. Only a few days left and I'd be teary eyed, hugging and kissing the love of my life once again…I know cheezy right?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

See you soon!

I've been keeping mum about it by request of Dodong. But I just can't help it as the date comes closer…Dodong's coming home! Weeeeee! We've actually planned out one of the long August weekends in Baguio and I'm just so excited! There is a whole lot to eat in Baguio. Cafe by the Ruins is definitely our first stop.

The beautiful photos are care of AllanKo.netThe last visit I've had to Cafe by the Ruins was when I was in 2004ish. So obviously, that was eons ago. But what I remember about it is the yummy freshly baked bread, which is just perfect for a hearty breakfast for two…

Kamote Bread

Chocolate Croissant for Dodong!

Fried White Cheese is Love.

Oh my. The photos alone are just making me sooooo freakin' excited for a Cafe by the Ruins date. If Dodong won't be able to wake up for an bright and early breakfast, I still wish I would be able to taste a classic Cafe by the Ruins dish: The Hubad na Longganisa.

Crunchy porky goodness with mountain red rice...drool!

Here's another Cafe by the Ruins dish that keeps me super excited:

Bacoooooooonnnnnn!

Bacon is just love…best shared with someone special? NOT! Hahaha! I think I'd be a bit selfish with my bacon. Hihihi!

Two weeks to go and Dodong will be here na! Yahoooo! Cafe by the Ruins here we come!

What other Cafe by the Ruins goodies could we order?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

P.S. Thanks again to Allanko.net for the lovely yummy photos.

Sigh. Romantic

Dodong and I do enjoy watching the sunsets together. And when he came home a few weeks back, I made it a point that we'd visit this bar I saw on Facebook. It had a spectacular view of the Manila Sunset and had rockin' electronica tunes which Dodong and I love. So on one of those 3 days of quickie homecoming, I dragged him over to White Moon Bar.

I thought that the place was near SM Mall of Asia (MOA) where we could go around while waiting for the perfect sunset moment. But White Moon Bar is waaaaaay out on the other side inside the Manila Ocean Park, near the Quirino Grandstand.

Unfortunately, that day was one of the HOTTEST days pre-summer. So we were not able to enjoy and chill out the way we wanted to.It would have been perfect with a nice cold bottle of beer or cocktail.

We arrived at White Moon bar at around 4PM. To our dismay, the bar was still closed, even if it said that it opened at 4PM. I guess it was just too early for the sunset, especially that the sun was still waaaay too high. How high? Check it out…

ANG INIIIIIT! At 5:07PM, this was the sun…

The sunset at 5:07PM!

Eeeeep! So we just took shelter inside the cool air-conditioned comfort of Makansutra and just braved the heat when the golden sunset hour arrived at 6PM. Pretty late for a sunset right?

And since it was just too hot even post sunset, we decided not to hang out anymore…sadness. It would have been uber perfect if not for the heat. We'd be coming back the next time he comes home. Hopefully it would be cooler then. Hehehe.

Aren't sunsets just so romantic?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

Is there a cure for homecoming hangover?

I therefore conclude that I am still on homecoming hangover. If you notice, its been quite a while since my last post. A week to be exact.

What the hell is homecoming hangover?!? Over the course of almost 2-years of Dodong's back-and-forth from Dubai and home, we've both noticed a particular behavior pattern we have during the 1st week post-homecoming. And I now officially coin it as the homecoming hangover

So what are the signs of homecoming hangover?

#1: Persistent sigh-ing

There are two word that pop up almost every after 10-lines of our daily (more than once a day) IM conversations: sigh and hay (the Filipino word for sigh). They even come in the all caps version: SIGH and HAAAAAAAAAY. Oh, did I also say they creep up in the daily journals too? Sigh.

#2: Consistent reporting for duty

Well, Dodong and I do our fair share of reporting for duty. Meaning, we both inform each other of our itinerary for the day. On a regular day, because we're both busy going through the day-to-day things and sometimes get caught up in it, we kind of forget to report to each other. But post-homecoming, we do update each other every single day on the smallest, most frivolous details of the day. Sigh.

#3: Taking the time off to stare at each others photos

Sometimes I just find myself staring at the photos taken during the homecoming. Or, if none were taken, I just stare at our photos on Facebook, multiply and others. I even changed my Facebook profile photo to our picture. Sigh. The photos just trigger the giddy warm feeling of him being next to me. Sigh.

I am also pleasantly surprised that Dodong also does this. He texts or emails me that he finds himself going though my historical reel of pictures on Facebook. Now ain't that sweet and swoon worthy? Hay.

I miss him. I really, really, really do…Sigh.

Okay did I say we sigh a lot? Oh yeah, I did. Hehehe.

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay