Beer Belly

Bangus Sisig! I was lucky enough to shoot Beer Belly at Madisson at Boni Ave. Dave, the owner of the place needs a photo of his Bangus Sisig for their ensogo deal. It was quite a challenge for me coz light is really faint. Not only that.. its red! The neon lights are really messing up my exposure. I need to use my speedlight to overpower the nasty neon lights.

They also need a photo of the fries. I saw this food photography tip off the net and it says that - shoot the food in a unique angle. I shot this one like these coz you dont normally look food at this kind of angle. It gives out a different perspective for the viewer.

Beer Belly is one of those places you will love to chill in. Food is great, music is steady. Its a commendable place to unwind, relax and enjoy an ice cold beer with friends, co workers after a long stressful, toxic day. Oh man., im so hungry right writing this blog... =/ I guess its bad blogging about food when ur hungry. It makes you crave for something that you cannot have. And thats depressing. oh well., i guess i just have sleep this off... Thanks to dave for his warm hospitality =)

Namaste!

What does "Namaste" mean? All i know is that its an Indian word that usually spoken as a sign of respect when people meet or say goodbye. I googled it up and as defined by Mahatma Gandhi: In India when people meet and part they often say, Namaste' which means: "I honor the place within you where the entire Universe resides; I honor the place within you of love, of light, of truth, of peace; I honor the place within you, where, when you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us."

Namaste Restaurant is located within Burgos Circle at Bonifacio Global City. They serve authentic Indian Food. My impression about Indian food is that it has this certain kind of characteristic, usually spicy and more of a curry like dishes. I do love spicy food but not burn-my-tongue spicy. Just enough for my taste buds to hold. Photo above is Namaste's Seafood Beryani. It smells so good I tell you.Its spicy, flavorful fried rice that has shrimps and other spices. The rice is not just an ordinary long grain rice, its something you wont find here because the grains are imported straight from India.This is a must try! Its really good.

Now this a real treat! This is called Paneertika.Its cottage Cheese wrapped in onions and deep fried to goodness. I dunno if it is but its just real good! Try this one and im sure you will enjoy the creaminess of the cheese. Its good.. promise.

Although the appearance of this one is somehow not that appealing.... mind you., this Chicken Reshmi Kebab is really delicious! Why is it that everything i post here is good? Well it is really good!

The place is really nice. It is clean. Its neat. Its appetizing actually :). I just love their basic things that you will see here like the ice bucket which is really cute. The salt and pepper dispenser.. its really nice.

This is my favorite from all the dishes that I ate today! Its chicken kadai with Na'an. You break the bread and dip it with that sauce over there. I dunno how to describe it. Its like a curry. Theres actually chicken meat inside the sauce. You can actually put this with an ordinary rice if you want to. This is really something. :) If im going to go back to this place , probably im gonna go get this one.. hehe

If you happen to visit BGC., you should drop by Namaste and experience India right here in Manila! Good eats once again! :)

Ilocos Empanada

Tuesday! I was so excited to go to work today because of one appetizing reason, today is photoshoot day and I am about to embark on another journey to great places and good eats. Along with my officemates, Gary and Aaron, we went to Katipunan Avenue right in front of The Ateneo and visited a place called - Ilocos Empanada.

From the name itself, Ilocos Empanada serves fresh, deep-fried Ilocos empanadas right off the pan! With its original Ilocos recipe, these empanadas are to die for. Served with an original Ilocos vinegar, these empanadas are perfect if you wanna have a quick bite yet heavy on the tummy!

Stuffed with Vigan Longganisa, monggo sprouts and other spices plus an egg. You can order it the Vegetarian way served only without the Longganisa., but what good is an Ilocano Empanada w/o the Vigan Longganisa! You just got to have it in there boy! Give the vegan way to a pause and say yes to Vigan Longganisa!

Best served when hot. The egg and the veggies - i believe those are monggo sprouts, inside are really delicious. It also has this crunch that is really good. Crispy and Delicious! Partner it with an ice cold coke...swabe pare... and im sure you will love it too!

Since its deep fried, oil seeps in so make sure to let it drip before serving. I asked the personnel if I can shoot inside the kitchen and I tell you, its damn hot in there. Its hot even before they were starting cooking. When they started to heat up the oil., the kitchen went 3 notches hotter! I was kinda worried for my gear. It can get fried up or something so i just took my photos real quick.

These Ilocos empanadas are sold for 50 pesos each. Ensogo will soon launch a deal for Ilocos Empanada probably a week after this blog will be published. Please do watch out for it! :) Its a really good deal. Im not sure for the pricing yet so i guess its best to watch for it on Ensogo's website next week.

Another great shooting day for me. Tomorrow, im off to another photoshoot. I think its a food deal again and it makes me excited everytime someone tells me i have a photoshoot! The work is stressful, tiring, sometimes a little sweaty but its something that i really love doing. At the end of the day, i just say to myself., i love my job! :) Many thanks to Mam Carol for having us. To Gary and Aaron for helping me out with the shoot.

Visit Ilocos Empanada and im sure you will experience authentic Vigan treat right here in the city! Good times!

Wanted : Ice Cold Beer

I guess tonight is the right time to guzzle up a bottle of that Ice Cold San Mig Light. Why? Rainy night... the air is cold.. the atmosphere is on chill mode. Its the perfect weather to enjoy something i call - Liquid gold. But since im stuck here in my chair and too lazy to move.. im just gonna blog about it..poor me.A while ago, i was dreaming of having pizza along with beer. Now, all i want is a bottle of beer. But if theres pizza available it would be a lot better! Im just dying for a drink right now and it would definitely make my night. I guess., il just carry this image all the way to my dreams...

Seafood Pizza at UNO Pizzeria

Im craving for something like this! This is UNO Pizzeria's Seafood Pizza and gawd i tell you, this is really delicious! I just want to post this now coz the snake inside my tummy is requesting a slice right now. Also in the list is a nice cold bottle of beer. Not just beer, Im talking below zero san mig light beer! Why is it pizza is really nice with beer? Its just so damn good. Specially with this kind of pizza. Im a seafood lover and the taste of shrimps on cheese is something that I really love. Sighs.... cravings. If teleportation is possible, id like to be in Mall of Asia right now and get one of these...

DK and Judy's Renewal of Vows

After 10 years of Marriage, DK and Judy renewed their vows at Magallanes Church. My friends at Images by Mediaworld Creatives Co. gave me a chance to take photos of this momentous event. The scene was very touching when the couples shared their ups and downs, their memorable moments, their joys and sorrows after 10 years of being married together. To me, its a pleasant experience looking at couples who are still madly inlove after a long period of time inspite of all the hardships, trials and challenges. Id like to thank again Marco and Angge of Mediaworld for this opportunity. Congratulations DK and Judy! Many thanks for having us!

Grill Republic

Behold, the biggest burger you will ever see! This is insanity. To devour such a thing is madness! Just had a photoshoot at Grill Republic at Metrowalk and this is probably the biggest., the sloppiest burger I ever ate in my entire existence! That small burger on the side is the same size of a Quarter Pounder.

This humongous burger is Grill Republic's flagship treat and a number of people are getting all the buzz about it. Even the media are already up on their noses to have a knack of the behemoth burger! Television giant ABS-CBN have this segment on Rated K called "Bigtime" and its all about the different BIG eats that you will find around town. I was fortunate enough to shoot side by side with the crew of ABS-CBN, better when I became one of the participants on their segment! Whoa!!Instant star!!!. The segment manager asked me to have my biggest bite on that darn burger and damnit i gave my very best!

Ms. Meredith, the owner, told us that the huge burger is kinda hard to cook coz it needs two people to flip the pattie once its done! The bun itself has a customized mold to cook. And the flour to make it is equivalent to 40 regular pan-desals! Its quite expensive to make it thats why its special. The melted cheese is over-kill! This burger is cheesier than Joe the Manggo! Literally it oozes out! The Pattie is made with 100% pure beef with no beef extenders. Thats why when you eat it, it easilly crumbles down so better have a good grip on it. Or better yet., eat it using a plate. =)

Their deal in Ensogo includes the huge burger plus a pitcher of any choice of cocktail drink or iced tea. This Grill Republic Blue Mint cocktail is really good! Watch out coz it has this kick but tastes really good. Its Minty and smooth. You can have all of these in less than 300 pesos! 50% off from their regular price ! Watch out for this deal and i tell you., this is a darn good deal for all of you guys who loves burgers. I guess 4 big guys can eat this one, 6 if you're a regular human, 1 if you're Yokuzuna! This burger I tell you is a sure treat! Expect to be really full!

Not only they serve giant burgers but giant Tacos as well! This is the biggest Taco I ever seen! Made with 100% pure beef and loads of cheese and veggies. My boss who is a vegetarian happens to have a bite! Haha, she cant help it! Its really tempting i tell you! Served also with a pitcher of your favorite cocktail or iced tea, this meal will definitely fire up your taste buds, and your appetite to the next level!

My experience at Grill Republic is memorable. Ived been here once together with Abs and friends. I actually forgot the name of the place and I was surprised when I came back and said to myself.., wait a minute, ived been here already! Grill Republic is just near the entrance of Metrowalk near Mugen Bar. This is one place you will definitely love to hang-out, dine in and have a BIG time experience! Thanks to Ms. Maritet for the hospitality, to Sir Gary and Ms Janis and to the crew of ABS-CBN, you guys are the best!

Grill Republic! You're the bomb! Good times...

Joey Pepperoni

Now this is what ya call Lunch! Just had our monthly Lunch-out at Joey Pepperoni right here at Bonifacio Global City. This Penne and Cheese is really delicious and we got it for a nice deal. Buy this one and the Pesto Creame for only 199! Fantastic isnt it?!

Took a photo of Nikos' Lasagna and it looks really delicious... I bet he enjoyed his lunch so much. Looks really creamy and the cheese strings are really flexible. When you pull it up, it just extends and stretches! Topped with Parmesan cheese, this lasagna is heaven on a plate!

Too bad i havent taken photos of the pizzas. We ordered four different kinds and all of them comes and goes real quick! Once placed on the table, it will be gone in less than 5 minutes! Define hungry! Love their tagline - "Pizza the way it should be". Their pizzas are really delicious. Great food, great place, I love it! and you will too! How i wish everyday were on a lunch-out! Good times...

Bang! Bang!

My last visit on a firing range was way back college on my ROTC training. I held an M-16 rifle back then and i tell you its really something. Last saturday, i was acquainted once again to gun powder, target sheets and Bang-Bang!

My friend Jolly's uncle has this really huge sports complex in Bicutan that houses a lot of sports activities that you can choose from. They have a Basketball court, a badminton court, a boxing ring, a beach volleyball court, spas and minipool, and an indoor and out door firing range. They acquired my photography services for their website and marketing materials. Spent the day roaming around his sports haven and literally we had a blast! " Gusto nyo ba bumaril? " Jolly's tito asked us, i just said "opo!!!" haha.

Before everything else, one must respect the rules of holding a gun. Make sure that every gun is loaded. These things are very dangerous. Dont point your gun to anything that your not intended to shoot. Words uttered to me with such conviction. Reminders that should be addressed firm and clear.

This is my first time to use a 9mm pistol and damn im so stoked about it. With Jolly's uncle giving me instructions carefully, it made me listen carefully coz Jolly's tito's hand is bleeding because the cocking action of the pistol sliced up his skin! I dont wanna go home bleeding so I paid attention carefully.

It was so loud! Bang! Bang! Bang! The gun has this "pitik" when you pull the trigger! Its really important to have that firm grip. I was addicted! I kept firing and firing 7 rounds straight like im on a fury! Its quite an experience! Im lookin forward for my next firing session!

If you have a passion for guns and ammos., the firing range at Cantada Sports Center in Bicutan is definitely a place to visit. Its clean, organized and its not that crowded. Not sure how much for the membership but they will launch their website real soon and all of the information about their facilities will be posted. This is just a sneak peak of the explosive and wonderful things that this sports facility can offer. Many thanks to Mr. and Mrs Cantada for their warm hospitality.

Mango Tree Bistro

Its kind'a intimidating when you see a restaurant just like this. Leather seats with matching purple silk covered pillows. Cozy ambiance with dramatic dim lighting. It looks expensive to dine in this kinda place! We checked it out and gave a peek on their food's price list and seems reasonable. With trinoma's food den's overflowing with people, if you want a nice, cozy place to dine into, THIS is the place!

The food here is really amazing. Its meticulously arranged in a very pleasing manner. You got to give the thumbs up on the food styling coz its superb. Not only the food looks great and tasty, they serve it real fast. They served our food i think in less than 10 minutes. Very good.

The stir fried seafood thingee is the bomb. Its spicy so better watch it. Tastes really good. Just make sure there's water that comes in handy. You might wanna have that gulp after every bite.

Milk tea was fantastic. Its like the ones from Bubble Tea Boy without the Sago. Its really good. How I wish theres more.

Now this one is the champion! The Bagoong rice is really delicious. You got to do work on mixing the pineapples, onions, pork and those little shrimps together according to your taste. This is a must try i tell you. Order this one if you may. I guarantee that you'l love it.

Our dining experience at The Mango Tree Bistro was brilliant . All of my MRT woes was melted away. Me and abs will definitely go back and probably bring along some friends. Next time, were going to try those cocktails that looks really refreshing. Saw this blog about Mango tree that made my taste buds go wild. We'l definitely go back in no time.

Its been a long day but it ended well. Thanks to the Mango Tree Bistro, it made our Friday Nights., silky-chilly and purply goood! Have a great weekend everyone!