Weekend Eats. 14 Four Cafe

It's been a while and now I'm back with another one of Rizal's 'hidden' gems of a hangout. I've got friends who have been to 14Four and I have been wanting to go there, too. Unfortunately, I haven't had that opportunity until now. My sister's been there a couple of times or so but it would have been awkward to tag along with her gal pals (and their respective hubbies) lest they make me the designated photographer of the bunch. I'll say nay to that. Heh 


So. 14Four. A couple of years ago, their Stick Designs gallery was open to the public. I have friends who were lucky enough to have seen the furniture showroom. However, by the time of our visit, they no longer allow that, viewing is now by appointment only it says so on their website, too. It's still good though 'cause the outdoor seating area is also cozy. The view would keep you from getting bored while waiting for your food to arrive since you would be occupied snapping pictures of each available space you could manage to strike a pose at. We went there on a whim, unplanned, so all we had are our phones for the photo op.Hehe And my sister's photography hobbyist husband was not with us. Hence, no professional looking pics here guys. Here's what we happily snapped photos of. Heheh   

This guy. Because even plumbing is an art. :) 

I don't have a clear picture of their gate. And that one was pretty neat, too, like a puzzle of some sort but don't worry, it's simple enough to open. Heh

Who wouldn't be relaxed if you have these in your yard? 

Sorry, not sorry.Hahaha Above is our GGSS shot :P

In the middle pic is the cafe's full view while reclining in these chairs. Oh, the peace and quiet less than 30 minutes away from the metro...

Pose pa more :P Okay. Will spare you of the other pics since 'incidentally' the rest of the pictures include our fezlaks na. hahahaha 

Now The Food. We had: 

Aligue and Tuyo Pasta (Family Serving Size P420) 

The menu says it's good for 2 - 3 people but it was large enough for the five of us to share.   

14Four Tapa P210 

Homemade tapa, garlic fried rice, fried egg

Adobo Flakes and Kesong Puti Panini P180.

Savory adobo flakes and Laguna white cheese in two pandesals. Served with nachos and lettuce. 

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes P190. 

Because I heard, they're a must-try, and they are. I'm the type of diner who'd automatically flip the menu over to the desserts section and think I know my sweets, hun. The pancake itself was already a treat, but with the custard sauce (cream cheese icing), you're a goner. Haha  And you don't have just one, you'd get three fluffy cinnamon swrled pancakes so go ahead and share some sweetness. ^^ 

Country Fried Chicken P250 

One big chicken leg with a generous serving of creamy mashed potatoes and toast. Delish and filling. 

Sesame crusted Dory P195

Pan-fried dory, herb aioli, steamed rice, cucumber salad

Right: Dalandan Juice P190

Left: just plain water, like what the bottle says. Cute, eh? Heh

Because we were full. We no longer had room in our tummies for more sweets. I guess I'll just have to go back for their cakes (price range P98 - P120) and coffee some time.



What we liked. 
Well obviously, the place itself is a winner. Something I want my lola's house in Antipolo to look like.Hehe We were seated outside but the heat wasn't a problem (dunno about summer time though) the fan mounted on the nearby tree was enough to cool us allowing for a pleasant late lunch meal. 
The food, although not the best we've tasted, were good. Well, I just had the chicken, pasta, and pancakes, so those I could vouch for. ^^ Others. We just find the menu limited. It was my first time but my sister's been here more than a couple of times. And while she's not complaining, I think it's still good to expand the menu, just sayin'.Hehe




144 Magnolia Lane, Barangay San Isidro,
Gregoria Heights Subdivision
Taytay, Rizal, Philippines 1920
Friday & Saturday: 10am - 10pm
                Sunday:  10am - 9pm
P200 - P300 / person

How to get there: 
If you are commuting via Ortigas Ave Extension, tell the driver to drop you off at 'Singer' / Tropical Hut. 14Four Cafe is just one tricycle ride from here. More directions if you'll bring your own vehicle here.


* Date of visit: January 25

Playing MUA :-*

(Not a tutorial. Wala lang.hahaha)



Been MIA for long, it just so happened that i forgot my password. #facepalm 


This month I was given the chance to play MUA to a dear friend (and one of her friends at that), talk about blind faith.hahaha Well, let's just say she/they were pretty much out of options really and fortunately (or unfortunately, only they could tell.hehe) on that particular Saturday I was free hence, the fated bridesmaid makeup gig.


I don't have the before photos. Time didn't permit. I recall all the weddings i've attended were all held in the afternoon. So the 9:00 ceremony was just impossibly early for me.heh But it's a good thing I'm used to rushing. Of course i didn't want to do a half assed job of dolling up my friend but I had to do all that was possible at a very limited time.whew Below are the 'after' pictures. Now go ahead, shoot me! Hahaha On my defense, I'm no pro nor am I a makeup geek. I just usually manage to paint a decent day makeup on for work.

My girls before leaving for Paco Park.

Opee at the reception. 

Caffe Bene

I love Eastwood on Sundays! Hehe So not crowded.

Coffee Time

Tea time. Tea flavors displayed at the counter.

Like most coffee fans out there, my go-to cafe is Starbucks. When almost every street corner in Makati (where I work) has one, it surely is the easiest answer to your caffeine fix. But I also made trying out other coffee shops before planner season starts, which is this November already,  a goal. So today's cafe of choice is ta-da... Caffe Bene. I would've already sampled their bingsu had the shop not been under renovation some months ago. And because I've been busy too I only got to come back now. A day before I start collecting SB stickers, which yay! ^^ 

Sweets galore: waffles, honey breads, and gelato FTW!

I know we should have eaten lunch earlier so that we'll have more space in our tummies for the waffles. I've seen pictures online and oh, they do look yummeh! But it's just coffee and bingsu for now. Pfft 

I got a regular hot White Mocha P145 

And because we eat with our eyes first (right?) she ordered a Large Strawberry Patbingsu. Patbingsu is a Korean dessert made of shaved ice and red/adzuki beans. Similar to our halo-halo. At Caffe Bene they offer them in different flavors and we're happy with our choice, not only because it looked great in IG but also because it truly was a winner in taste! And like a special halo-halo, it was topped with a scoop of strawberry gelato which, yay since a small order would of gelato would cost you P150. 

Their bingsu comes in two sizes - Large, which is big enough for two, and Huge, dunno how many can share it, though. 

Jessa's Large Strawberry Bingsu P230 was big enough for us. :)

We only got to try these but we'll be coming back for the waffles and mocktails. Soon. :D

Caffe Bene merchandise. Cute mugs and tumblers adorn one shelf by the corner. I like the hand drip set but it's pricey, around P3,000 and the lolli cups with straw.

Hand drip coffee set


Caffe Bene 
Eastwood Citywalk 2 
Open late:  M, T, W, Th, Su: 7:00AM - 1:00AM
F, Sa: 7:00AM - 3:00AM

Hello November! Our Post Halloween Sister Largey

New month, new schedule for my default weekend buddy - Jessa. Hehe So much for happy weekends as she'll say goodbye to her Sat-Sun days off, aww. Our girls, Jo and Krystal, have their own largeys so she's stuck with Moi! Hahaha 


Now off to Eastwood! er, She works in the area so this weekend's nothin' special, really. Heh My suggestion to zeh gels was to try #EastwoodTWDHorrorHouse however, (as mentioned above) we were the only ones available so we figured it'll be more fun if there's more of us so we'll make do with pictures (blurry ones at that :-P) na lang. And hopefully, we'll be able to go back the following weekend when the gang's complete uhmm, minus one since pregnant women aren't allowed. Also, I'm not scared easily but I'm very jumpy, more friends mean calmer nerves for me. :P

We were at Eastwood early but a crowd has already started started building up by the entrance. This picture was taken at the side, just before they discovered the better photo op spot. Heh 

At around 6 pm people have started lining up for the prison house. It was already drizzling by this time and in a few more minutes it would rain. I think it was good that we decided against going after all, Heh. 

The prison watch tower.

And side trips to the malls. Because you're never too old for the giant pumpkin, right? 

Fan girl mode. The hunt for anything CNBLUE. 

And our coffee time at Caffe Bene, finally! *huge goofy grin* 


#EastwoodTWDHorrorHouse 
Eastwood Central Plaza
October 31 - November 9, 2014 

Dong Won Garden Korean Restaurant

Hats that remind you of historical K-Dramas adorn one wall of the restaurant. 

Sweldo Friday Group is out again and the night's restaurant of choice was Dong Won Garden Korean Restaurant. We decided to give this place a try because we have been going to the same Korean restaurant for more than two consecutive paydays already, it's time to check out other restos out there,hehe. The price was fair and it's in the same area, so off to Jupiter we went. :)

Table for four. 

The establishment doesn't look new but I wouldn't call it shabby either. It may be the minimal furnishings that gave it a homey vibe. We chose the tables in one of the rooms that I think were reserved for bigger groups but were still allowed to be used by us. We were able to sit comfortably, like when you're lounging around your own living room floor, heh. We took our sweet time deciding on what to order (we ended up picking the usual ones, though) and taking pictures which were fine with the servers (me thinks) given that they had more customers than they could handle. We were left alone striking silly poses in whichever part of the room we wanted. We eventually got tired and felt that we really were hungry by that time.

Burp! Taken after all the food had vanished. See how the throw pillows were strategically positioned to hide the evidence?.. hahaha

We originally intended to grill the meat ourselves this time since we always just let them serve our samgyeopsal ready to eat. But since it was a very busy night, everything was taking a little too long for their staff to prepare. Oh, did I mention that they were short staffed? There were just two waitresses on the day in question. About half an hour have passed and still the charcoal was not yet available? For a restaurant this size, and considering it's a payday weekend, you'd expect them to be well prepared to serve everyone, in a timely manner. We especially watched out for our dinner that night choosing to go light as we were planning to make room for this outing, so we were already hungry. They just had about a couple of tables with customers when we came. But when we arrived, more people started coming, too. 

Refillable banchan. I especially liked the salty & spicy potatoes. Don't know what it's called, though.

Our default order Jeyuk Bokkeum P300

Saeu Bokkeum (fried shrimp with chilli powder) P380

Samgyeopsal P300

FREE Chiggae! We ordered Dwenjang chiggae, assorted seafood with soy bean paste stew, but this one looked like Dubu (tofu) chiggae. At least it had clams in it. :P  We got this for free because we ordered 2 servings of Samgyeopsal but the price of Dwenjang Chiggae is around P250-P300, i think.hehe 

What we liked: 
Refillable banchan. I think ours were refilled at least twice. 
FREE stew (Dwenjang jjigae) since we ordered two servings of Ssamgyeopsal. 
They're open 24/7. 
They also have a food mart. 


What they could improve: 
Slow service. With (maybe) more than five tables and most were in big groups, they really had to hustle given that they only had two waitresses present. That may have been sufficient on a regular day, but on a weekend proved to be lacking.


photo credits: Tine, thanks a bunch! 



Dong Won Garden Korean Restaurant 
53 Polaris Corner Jupiter Street, 
Bel-Air, Makati City


Budget P900 for 2 It's always better to come in a group so the bill could be split between more peeps. 

Packing for a 2D/1N Weekend Getaway

packing light 

While I believe that I still have not mastered the art of packing light, i'm pretty certain I have improved. :) I was able to cram my stuff in a backpack and a small shoulder bag. We were given a checklist of "must" brings 

Things to bring:
1. Clothes for adventure tour, swimming, night and return attire
2. Mesh / lunch kit, water bottle, spoon and fork
3. Flashlight, slipper, life jacket (if any), shades, sunblock, off lotions and toiletries 
4. Jacket, Blanket/Malong
5. Digicam/Videocam, Cellphone 

and adding 'a few' more items wouldn't hurt, right?


The contents: 


Backpack: 
2 pairs of swimmies 
2 cover ups 
1 sleepwear (socks, jammies & a long sleeved shirt) 
2 board shorts 
2 tank tops 
1 tshirt and a pair of shorts for going home 
1 jacket 
4 pairs of undies 
flip flops 
towel 
malong 
Vinyl mat for lining our tent or for lounging by the beach 
many trash bags (for waterproofing my things) 


shoulder bag: 
my toiletries, meds and vitamins (in a plastic microwavable container to waterproof them)
camera, cell phone, flashlight (in a plastic container, too/ziplock) 
wallet, candies, snacks sunglasses 
water bottle 


Needless to say, I was not able to use all of them.haha But i'm more than pleased when I didn't have a problem returning all of them in the bags when it was time to go home na. And I had more things since the clothes I wore when I left home were not light. I had denim shorts on and I decided to go home in slippers instead of the rubber shoes I was wearing the day before. It may be trivial but definitely an achievement for me. hahaha 



Disclaimer: this is not a tip, just my realization. :P 

Next Post: Dong Won Garden Korean Restaurant

Avon Pink War 2014: Walk & Run Against Breast Cancer

from Avon Philippines facebook page

It's the day! I'm really terrible at preparing for important things, that much I could say. I was (yet again) sleep deprived, having only managed to catch about 3 hours of sleep. The assembly time at SM MoA was 4:30. We wanted to at least get there by that time just so at least we could warm up before the gun start. Well, apparently that's a target set too high. (sigh)

I was already having coffee at McDonald's Cainta before 4 am, Jo and I were supposed to meet at 3:50 to catch a cab there and then pick up Vea along the way. The thing is, our girl is still on her way out of their subdivision, hence, the rush. To make the long story short, not only did we miss the assembly time, we arrived just in time for the 10K runners to start. There goes our warm up time, too, so we just managed a few stretches before we ran. Err, jog, hehehe.

We registered for the 5K race this time. Only because that's the shortest distance available, hah! And hey, we finished right? So we'll definitely be trying it out again, I think we're still a lot of bananas away from trying out 10K, though hehehe.

What were waiting for us after the run:

Zumba party with Regine Tolentino, Solenn Heussaff, Kris Bernal, and Rocco Nacino.

Top - with my office friends.

Bottom - with elementary/high school friends (tibay.hahaha)

Freebies!:

The Avon loot bag. The content of which could easily go over the registration fee. Sweet, eh? ^^

Vita Coco

Keychain at the Skechers booth. This booth is more popular than it's neighboring health check booth.

Soleus booth and a health consultation booth. 

I don't know why, but I think I wasn't as tired compared to my 3K Energen run. (yabang.hahaha) Well that's what I thought until I woke up from my supposedly short siesta which apparently took more than 6 hours. :-P I woke up at around 9 pm on Sunday feeling sore.

So there, reminders for myself: sleep WELL before the day of the run; leave early and have a proper warm up; and be consistent with my daily exercises.

Breakky with zeh girls at Adobo Connection. The downside: well they do serve hot coffee, it's just that this particular Sunday they're out of hot drinks. Our savior? The neighboring 711. ^^

* photo credits: Vea, because pics I took from my phone weren't clear enough :'( (I tinkered with my phone cam settings for a bit and I was only able to return it to how it should be just now. Yep, darn!)