Weekend Eats: Tapsi ni Vivian at Bulaluhan, Cainta

This popular eatery has its new branch in Cainta. Famous for their bulalo and other Filipino dishes, this place is packed (it seems) whatever time of the day you visit. Well, I have only been there twice. The first one at around dinner time, and the next at around lunch time so that may be why. 


Sunday lunch is often spent out since we're all up early for the church service and we don't have time to cook. (especially if mom is not around.hehe) The place chosen was Tapsi Ni Vivian in Ortigas Ave Extension. It was already busy when we got there so I thought that we would have to eat at the tables outside. It was hot then so I didn't want that. Fortunately, my sister was already able to secure tables inside. 


Ordering was easy. You just have to walk up to the counter where servers would get your orders but you don't have to pay immediately. You can settle the bill after you eat. This is good and convenient since you never know if you suddenly decide to order add-ons later. 


The food was affordable. Their popular Bulalo is only priced at P250 and it can be shared by at least three people already. You can never go wrong with this one. (no pic though.hehe) Below are some of the food in their menu. 

Pancit P150. This one's quite filling, the five of us shared just one order and still had some leftovers. Chicharong Bulaklak P100, not good for Papa - too oily. Sisig. Their sago't gulaman was a tad too sweet, it tasted weirdly like medicine?hehe I'll remember to order Halo-Halo next time. :)

Koi fish outside. The branch in Marikina has one, too. Kids often gather 'round it to feed the fish. Feeds may be bought at the counter I just don't know how much.hehe 

Their sink and clean rest rooms. No mirrors inside the rest room, probably to keep girls from staying too long checking on their make up.hahah They have one by the sink anyways. 


If you're looking for a place to eat in Cainta, try Tapsi ni Vivian at Bulalohan. Dining at Tapsi is quite good. You get good food for affordable prices. I think I just need to remember going there when it's not peak hours. It may be cooler and quieter then. They're open for 24 hours anyway.


Tapsi Ni Vivian
Ortigas Avenue Extension
Open 24 hours
budget: P400 for 2 people

Weekend Project: DIY Hair Coloring using Glam Works Permanent Hair Dye Color in Light Brown

There's no one I can drag to a salon since my preggy sister shouldn't be getting treatments anymore. And Jessa, my other sister, had just got her mane colored auburn about three weeks ago by yours truly.haha 

Hair color guide. The darker your hair, the less obvious the color will become. 

The red on her won't show on my dark hair so I chose something lighter. I dropped by Watsons on my way to work to look for...nothing in particular.hehe I just like checking if there's a new mask I should try, new nail polish color, etc. And I normally would be carrying a couple of items I think are good enough to use when I leave. And in this particular trip, I chanced upon Glam Works. I was hesitant at first because the product's cheap. Even cheaper than the one I used on my sister's hair. I figured it wouldn't hurt if I give it a shot thinking that it's okay even if I couldn't get the light brown shade shown in the hair color guide. It's only for P49 anyway. 


As mentioned earlier, my hair is dark and has thick strands so I decided to get 2 packs. And now I wish I got a third one because my hair is also very long. Well, I'll worry about repairing it later. So now let's just see how it works. 

The pack contains the colorant and a pair of disposable gloves.

The instructions are pretty simple, too. 

1. Cut the Hair Dye color sachet and squeeze contents onto the gloved palm and mix.
2. Apply the mixture evenly on your slightly wet hair. Then massage your hair from roots to tips until it lathers. Avoid contact with eyes.
3. Keep it on your hair for 20 to 25 minutes. (I kept it on for 45 minutes.)
4. Spray some water once again and massage onto hair until it lathers. Rinse with cold water.

This was how my hair looked before the application. 

I still haven't taken a pic of the "after" look. I want it taken using natural lighting so i'll just update this post. Also, a friend was interested when I shared about what I've been up to so she will also be doing this to her hair. Same color, same number of sachets, only her hair is shorter. So we'll be able to compare results after a week or so. I told her that the application process was very simple plus the smell is so much milder compared to hair treatments in salons. It also didn't dry my hair so I did not hesitate recommending it.

It says in the pack that it could last up to eight weeks. Well, we'll have to wait and see. 

Can't Stop Manila Lives Up to Its Name

CNBLUE

Apparently TS Mario really couldn't stop CNBLUE and BoicePh from meeting this year. As mentioned in a previous post, fans have been waiting for this event for months. It's just that unfortunately for some, getting to the venue would be a major concern. 

We live in Rizal. And in the morning of Friday, September 19th, the region was declared to be in a state of calamity what with several (if not all) areas being flooded. Even though other events happening at other convention centers have been canceled, the concerts organizers decided that the show must go on. I personally feel strongly against it, not that it matters.haha but more on that later. 

My sister, Jess, works at a call center in Eastwood. We had advised her to stay in the office since roads were already not passable. People had to be ferried by inflatables from Ortigas extension to their respective destinations, or at least somewhere they could safely walk without slipping or being swept by flood waters. But cell phone signals may have been weak that day as some of my messages did not reach her and I received hers late. 

It had been a misadventure for her I could say. I would have been scared and anxious waiting for hours with hopes of being able to go home. Well, she was not able to go home. The better option was to return where she's been. 

At least that's what I thought she did: return to the office, when in fact she chose to head straight to the venue of the concert instead. Fatigued, sleepless, and soaked, now she went straight to Smart Araneta Coliseum where the concert would be taking place in the evening. She must have been disoriented as well, as she left her shoes (one that I use to borrow and  one that some of my co-workers admire as they're really cute) in the cab. Fortunately, given the terrible weather, ootn is not a major concern as most turned up in flip flops as well. And after a couple of hours or so of waiting, faithful fans were able to enjoy the band's performance. Although I know that their hearts are also breaking for those fans who were unable but more than willing to come. 

The shoes in question. Photo taken from her IG.

These are just a few snapshots and videos she managed to take. It was surprising how her battery survived that long. (no wonder why there were no replies when I was checking if she's arrived at the office safely) 

Kang Min Hyuk

Can't Stop set list. The Boys were sensitive enough to edit out songs with the word "rain" like "Teardrops in the Rain". 

While I'm thankful and happy that she's safe I think it's quite thoughtless to go ahead with watching the concert since she could have just ended up being stranded somewhere else. She's been under stress so I didn't nag her anymore since mom's gonna do it when she comes. I just joked that if she wasn't able to see the boys this year, then we could just go see them next time, in Korea! hahaha 

Smoothie Diaries: Carrot Broccoli Smoothie

One activity we all like doing is eating and hanging out with friends. And now that a couple of them are "on the way", going healthy is always the best option.   And good for us singles, too who still find doing the physical work too challenging to even consider starting (hah!). So we're left with being smart with our food and drink choices for the time being. After all, you are what you eat, right? 


And like the other posts in here, this is inspired yet again by Pinterest. At least I could say now that spending nights browsing, liking, and repinning endless pins really is helpful and practical. Justified!  So read on and let me share this concoction.hihi

Apple - banana - carrot - broccoli smoothie. Make it green by adding spinach.

Ingredients: 
1 head of broccoli
4 pcs of bananas
2 apples 
1 carrot
1 cup soy milk 
crushed ice

Wash all of the fruits and vegetables thoroughly, being careful to remove all dirt from the carrots. 

Cut the veggies into a size that is suitable for your blender. 

Blend carrot and soy milk first until smooth. 

[Add spinach if you have, they're out of spinach at SM so we had to make do with what we could buy at that time.hehe]

Then add the remaining ingredients: apples, broccoli, and bananas. 

* Makes 4 glasses


I like my drinks sweet so I still added sugar to it. For the liquids, you may substitute soy milk with fresh milk or coconut water. This one's not really smooth but we're fine with the coarseness due to the carrots and broccoli. But for people who are not fans of veggies, this sure is a good and easier way of eating your greens. heheh 


Until next week
XO ♥

Antipolo Hangouts - Seisha Coffee

** You are forewarned that this post will be filled with pictures. ^^v hehehe

The Cafe's Shisha or Hookah logo. 

One fun cafe I've tried, and is planning to frequent, is Seisha Coffee. With only 2 branches both located in Antipolo, not many of my friends have heard about it. They just see pictures that I so generously share in my SNS heh! And not just once have I been asked about how cool of a hangout this place is. Well, I have only been to their two branches for four times collectively but I could say it's one good cafe. 

Chicken Fingers P100 

Spaghetti P100 

Carbonara P100

Pastas come with cheese chums - basically cheese melt sandwiches. 

* The kid goofing around in the background is my adorable inaanak - Trixie. ♥

The food and coffee are cheap, yes, cheap! :) A cup of hot coffee only costs P80. You could also enjoy a slice of blueberry cheesecake for the same price. And they don't only offer the staple coffee shop items namely coffee and cakes. They also offer light meals and pica-pica. Try their ala carte carbonara which at P100 is already a steal. You can have this as a combo meal, too. At P150 you can enjoy your pasta with iced tea or coffee. 

Drinks for P80 L-R Cherry flavored soda, Hot Hazelnut Coffee, Mango Smoothie, Apple Iced Tea, and Blueberry Soda

Chocolate Mousse P70 per slice

Now the coffee is not only what makes people, especially the young crowd, keep coming back to this place. The many tables outside the cafe are where people could enjoy Hookah or Shisha hence, the name of the coffee shop. I think the price is around P300 to enjoy their flavored smoke.

Hookah 

A hookah also known as a waterpipe or shisha, is a single or multi-stemmed instrument for vaporizing and smoking flavored tobacco called shisha in which the vapor or smoke is passed through a water basin ‒ often glass-based ‒ before inhalation. (from Wikipedia)

My friends and I aren't smokers but we will keep coming back to this comfy nook in Antipolo just to hang out. Anyways, we prefer to have late lunches here so there usually aren't many patrons to crowd the place. 



Seisha Coffee Shop
M. Santos St. (cor. Circumferencial Rd.), Antipolo, Rizal

Can't Wait for CNBlue's Can't Stop Manila Tour

#D6 my sister's hashtag for the day. It stands for the number of days she'll be counting down until she finally sees the boys (okay, the drummer boy) she's been crushing on. hahaha The band returns to Manila for their concert on September 19 (Friday), 8:00 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

This weekend's goal? Nothing special, just to snap some pictures with their huge standee. Isn't she totally fangirling? She even got t-shirts ('Can't Stop' and 'Lovely') online. She might be wearing that as a uniform with other Boice people. We may all have passed this phase, so I'll just humor her. After all it's not hurting anyone in anyway, right? hehehe

couple shirts daw ♥

For those not in the know: CNblue is a South Korean rock band formed in Seoul in 2009. The band consists of Jung Yong-hwa (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Lee Jong-hyun (lead guitar, vocals), Lee Jung-shin (bass guitar, vocals) and Kang Min-hyuk (drums, vocals). 

CN is an abbreviation of 'Code Name' while BLUE is an abbreviation of the members’ individual images. 'Burning' represents Lee Jong-hyun, 'Lovely' represents Kang Min-hyuk, 'Untouchable' represents Lee Jung Shin, and 'Emotional' represents Jung Yong-hwa. 

We went to Gateway Mall for this. Seriously. The hurdles: the rain, traffic, and the long cue at LRT Santolan. All for a photo op with the boys in cardboard...

L-R: Lee, Jung-Shin, Lee Jong-hyun, Jung Yong-hwa, and my sister's dream boyfriend Kang Min-hyuk. kekeke

Let the countdown continue...

CNBLUE LIVE – Can’t Stop
September 19 (Friday) 
8:00 p.m
Smart Araneta Coliseum 

Eastwood City: Weekend Bazaar, our (almost) Caffe Bene experience, and Chillin' at PUBliko Eat + Drink

After checking out the Chocolate Festival, we're ready for coffee now. I have been wanting to finally try Caffe Bene and Pau and Opee had no contests. We've been walking around for some hours already and were starting to feel that our legs were tired. It's time to sit down somewhere, right? But no, not yet. Because to get from Eastwood Mall to City Walk we would have to pass by another wait for it... Bazaar! 

Look at these cute bookmarks. They also customize accessories. I hope to come back here for some Christmas gift shopping. 

We just browsed a little and took notes of which booths we would be coming back for, I had 2: Pink Salmon and Kneutral. (: Pink Salmon offers work out ootds heheh. Pau didn't find pole shorts with the color to her liking. So she'll just order them online, IG is so helpful, eh? While I'm not a fitness addict, I find the cute workout gear inspiring enough to make me want to actually go (at least) jogging. :-P And then you have Kneutral. Just look at their bookmarks, don't you want to pick up reading as a hobby again? ^^ And they customize accessories, too cool right? 

Oh, right we still haven't talked about drinking yet. Well, Caffe Bene was under renovation. We're gonna have to take a rain check on that patbingsu for now. 

PUBliko's outside bar.

It's already 6pm so other coffee shops are out of the question now. We wouldn't want to scare sleep away, would we? And so that's how we ended up at PUBliko Eat + Drink. Because six is already a bit too late for coffee on a weekend, but not to early for some cocktails.hehe  The place was not yet busy when we got in.  Well, they open at 6 pm on Saturdays so that's a little early for the drinking crowd I guess.  But that was just perfect for us.  The cozy vibe makes hanging out with your gal pals more pleasurable.

Our drinks: Pau - Lychee Martini 

Opee - Sex on the Beach 

Moi? - Adios Motherfucker all at P120 

Nachos P275

PUBliko Eat + Drink

Eastwood, Citywalk 1, Quezon City, 

Metro Manila