Hi everyone! Please check my blog’s new address
Will be updating through this site from now on.
Also join my blog give away here:
Welcome To My New Blog! | Go! Jackie Go!.
This will be my last post in this blog. Goodbye My Nocturnal Journal! Thank you for the love 
And thank you everyone for sticking around!
See you in my new blog 
My new baby is almost ready! But no, it’s not human. It’s my blog’s new home (domain). Yipeeeee!
oh baby!
3 more days til you get to see my new site. Well, nothing much will change except for my new domain and blog name. Easier to remember and very me. Go! Jackie Go! Because I’m just like that :p
So please, while you’re here, go check my new site Go! Jackie Go! Go to http://gojackiego.com
The popularity of natural & organic foods has been inevitable these days mainly because people want to have a healthier lifestyle. According to OrganicFoodee.com, organic foods are more expensive than intensively farmed foods because they receive no subsidies at all compared to the latter.
Another crucial reason why organic food is more expensive to buy than intensively- farmed food is that agro chemicals are designed to make food cheaper to produce. Agro chemicals were not developed with nutrition, taste or the ecology in mind. The chemical designers’ remit was to make mass production of food cheaper. End of story. Source: OrganicFoodee.com
Yes, there is a market for it and that market is growing over time. I myself am not getting any younger, being in the mid-20s can really make you paranoid about how the world is filled with anything & everything synthetic & chemically exposed thus being cautious with what you eat and how you eat can just be your best bet in living healthier and longer.
I, for one don’t really care much about exactly what kind of food I eat (meaning how it was processed) but after trying on a few organic & naturally grown produce, I could really tell there’s a HUGE difference. It’s tastier and more flavorful. Given that as a mother, I only want what’s best for my family (and with our impending move to our own place) it is only necessary that I open up to the idea of sticking back to what is more natural and healthier.
As what I tweeted few days ago before (yes, too obvious this is one of my back posts!), it is harder to live a healthy life if healthy food isn’t optional and worse more expensive than conventional food. So upon checking Whole Foods Market online, I was really inspired to prepare, cook & hunt for these organic & healthy foods.
spell freshness!
where all things good & green
juice-y goodness!
Dear businessmen in the Philippines, please bring Whole Foods here if not I dare you conceptualize a market like this. Kthanksbye.
This rainy day makes me think of food even more! And with the earthquake that hit Metro Manila plus the few road accidents that has happened today due to Typhoon Juaning, I hope everyone stay safe tonight. Prayers for those who were affected by Typhoon Juaning and praying for an earthquake-free night tonight.
P.S.
Please be alert! Charge all your necessary paraphernalia in case the storm cuts out the electricity. Get your emergency kits ready as well and keep your keys & phones on your bedside table for emergency (yes, this is my OC motherly instinct writing!).
*virtual hugs to everyone*
As you all know, Sunday is family day and I love to call it as Sunday’s Best. Food always brings people closer and it is one of the most practical & fun way to bond especially with your family. Of all the cuisines the world has to offer, I have always shown my love for American & Japanese cuisines but if I’d have to say which one I always eat, it would have to be Chinese cuisine. Our love affair for siomai & siopao is evident and so are the thousands of Filipinos who line up at Chinese restaurants who show proof of their love for dimsums & dumplings.
One chinese restaurant that we’ve come to love is Yang Chow. Strategically located below a supermarket, one cannot resists the smell of congee & tofu steak as he passes by after doing his grocery.
the staff were very busy, too many orders eh?
If on an ordinary day, serving can take less than 15 minutes but if you plan on having dinner there on Sundays or even Saturdays I suggest you head there 15-30 minutes earlier so that you can get a good table.
check out their menu
They offer house tea (for free) and their entrées are usually good for 2-3 persons. Their prices are affordable and I can say there is value for your money.
Here’s what we ordered:
Yang Chow Fried Rice
Two things that make a good fried rice: the quality of the rice itself and the amount of ingredients in each serving. Yang Chow’s fried rice indeed is a good one, it deserves the name for itself.
Dimsum Platter
Like their fried rice, Yang Chow’s dimsum platter is filling and each one full flavor. (kumbaga, hindi tinipid sa sahog :p)
Broccoli & Abalone
Broccoli cooked just right & the abalone tender & chewable.
Sweet & Sour Fish Fillet
The typical sweet & sour fish fillet, but the good thing about Yang Chow’s version is that the fish fillet is still crispy (freshly fried).
Hot Prawn Salad
Their hot prawn salad is my favorite. There is enough shrimp in it and less of the fruits which gives value for your money.
P.S.
I’ve seen other reviews stating that they’ve been hassled by Yang Chow’s Manager (and staff) being rude. I for one have encountered their “no food & drinks allowed” policy and I happily obliged to it. Other than that I have not yet encountered direct rudeness from their staff nor the said manager. If that ever happens, I would update this post or create a new one, but I hope that won’t happen.
P.P.S.
To the owners of Yang Chow Restaurant, please be very mindful in training your staff. Service is just as important as the quality of food. So if you have poor service, no matter how good your food is people won’t go back for it. Thanks.
Yang Chow Restaurant is located at:
G/F Shopwise Center, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Bagumbayan
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 470-1251
Hi everyone! I am very much excited for August!
Mainly because it is my birth month! Yipeeeee! and with that said, I am gifting myself with a new & improved blog! Will be launching my new domain on August 1, 2011. Please watch out for it! I’m excited to share it with you all. Plus, a lucky reader might just win a goodie bag! Join me in the countdown!
With the hype of the crispy chicken invading Manila, I was more than eager to try all of them. So far I’ve already tried two restaurants whose concept was created solely because of this different approach to crispy chicken. But when the buzz was going on about a particular chicken franchise invading Manila, I thought it was just another chicken restaurant and me being a chicken lover wouldn’t wanna get all excited just to be disappointed eventually. But somehow my urge to try their spicy chicken persisted, my curiosity became a craving that lasted for weeks!
Finally! After weeks of craving for Bonchon, I was finally able to satisfy my craving! Luckily, Bonchon recently opened in Megamall.
Spot the people waiting to get their hands on Bonchon's famous chicken.
I, along these people didn’t really mind waiting in line to taste Bonchon’s famous chicken.
Bonchon's menu
Their pricing is fair enough, given they have set meals that can satisfy your hunger. I like that they used LCD screens instead of the usual sintra boards for their menu.
the process
I like how swiftly the staff managed the people, everyone was efficient and our orders was asked before we reached the cashier making it easier and faster for everyone.
(left) Soy Garlic Chicken (right) Spicy Soy Garlic Chicken
Okay let me be honest, as a chicken and chili (spicy) lover I really have to commend on Bonchon‘s Spicy Soy Garlic chicken particularly, its crispy skin and how spicy it is. Indeed it is super yummy! The chicken meat was tender (although there was a bit blood on the bone & on some meat),I didn’t really mind that because I was so hungry & having it replaced would be a total hassle. Somehow I was a bit disappointed on how bland the meat was compared to how flavorful the skin is. I was hoping the spicy soy flavor would seep right into the meat, given I’ve come to love friend chicken with either gravy or ketchup so I was expecting more flavor since this chicken didn’t come with any sauce.
Nonetheless my Bonchon experience was good. I would come back & try their other dishes.
Visit Bonchon Chicken in any of their branches:
AYALA TRIANGLE GARDENS
10am to 10pm daily
GREENBELT 1
Sunday to Thursday: 10am to 10pm
Friday to Saturday: 10am to 11pm
MEGAMALL
Sunday to Thursday: 10am to 9pm
Friday to Saturday: 10am to 10pm
LIBIS (ACROPOLIS)
10am to 10pm daily
I was one of the lucky bloggers who got invited to attend the first ever Bloggers Buffet held last June 23, 2011 at Carol’s Texan 5. Despite the rain storm Falcon brought that night, the event pushed through. Again, I am a newbie in the blogging world and this is officially my first event as a blogger. It was really a fun experience to meet fellow bloggers. Here’s a look at what transpired that evening.
what greeted me
Before the event started I was eager enough to take pictures & look around. This menu stand greeted me as I entered the function room of Carol’s Texan 5, clearly I was starting to get hungry just by looking.
The Wanted wall
While other bloggers enjoyed having their pictures taken at “The Wanted” wall.
pretty personalized & motivating
A series of framed motivational words & personalized drawings can be found displayed at the function room. This gives a homey feel of the place despite its cowboy theme.
the menu
The dishes are all originally crafted by Carol herself. Check out how affordable the prices are as well.
Tristan of Ten Minutes, Tops!
Meet Tristan Mirasol the host of the event and the founder of Ten Minutes, Tops! and Club Travel NOW! (the organizers of the event). The program started off with a getting-to-know portion, wherein all bloggers get to say a little something about themselves followed by a meet and greet with Carol herself.
Carol of Carol's Texan 5
Carol started cooking for her brother and family,eventually everyone was raving about her food. This motivated her with the idea of making her dishes available to public. She then started out delivering food to call center companies and with the good feedback from her customers she decided to put up her own restaurant. Now her famous ribs & wings can be enjoyed by everyone.
Carol and I
We belong! We have the same color scheme heehee. Anyway, it was really nice meeting Carol.
3 of the 5 famous dishes
(left to right) Tomato Basil Pasta, Ultimate Texan Ribs and Dynamite Ribs
Tomato Basil Pasta
A flavorful tomato based pasta infused with herbs. Pasta noodles is al dente and amount of sauce is just right.
Ultimate Texan Ribs
This dish is indeed my favorite (as well as the many customers of Carol’s Texan 5). Its super flavorful and the meat is very tender! Unlike other ribs, Carol’s Texan 5′s Ultimate Texan Ribs has bigger slobs one can actually satisfy you. Will definitely come back for this.
Dynamite Wings
For a spicy lover like me anything that spells chili is love. This dish is just that. Crispy fried on the outside, soft meat on the inside. Don’t forget to smother it with its tartar sauce for some awesome goodness.
Goodies
After a sumptuous meal, goody bags & prizes were given away thanks to the sponsors!
early bird winners
Carol w/ the boys
The First Bloggers Buffet
Again, it was a lovely night. I sure had fun! A memorable and fun night, great company and delicious food. What more can you ask for? 
Thanks again Carol’s Texan 5 , Ten Minutes, Tops! and Club Travel NOW!
I am a coffee lover. I drink it everyday (without fail) and even when I was pregnant I got to taste it even for a few sips. Just like the hundreds of Filipinos who love coffee, Starbucks has been one of our favorites. Let me show you proof of my love for Starbucks.
Starbucks LOVE
So upon learning that there’s a smoking ban in Metro Manila in public places I was a bit curious and said to myself that smokers are still fortunate that they can smoke in coffee shops. I spoke too soon. Because after the smoking ban in public places was implemented, Starbucks (one of the leading coffee retail giants in the Philippines) announced their ‘no smoking’ policy. When this news broke online, my friends on Twitter had different reactions to it. I really didn’t bother to voice out mine because I thought it wasn’t a big deal, or is it?
According to this article from Yahoo! News, Pinoys on Twitter have different reactions to the said campaign of the famous coffee shop. This got me curious, so I did a poll on my Facebook asking what people think about Starbucks’ bold move on their customers not smoking on their premises. Majority voted that they support Starbucks in complying with the newly implemented law of the MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority).
Come to think of it, if I was really a smoker I would’ve thought otherwise. Given that people go to coffee shops so they can drink coffee and smoke cigarettes while reading a book, going online, watching their favorite series on their iPad or even just have a good talk with friends (which I can attest to). True enough, that’s how people hang out in coffee shops.
I’m very curious to check out the nearest Starbucks on June 27 and do one of the things I like to do best in a coffee shop: people watch. But this time around I think I’ll have to do a “store watch” observe the store if people would still hang out and get their fix of coffee or choose the rival coffee shop which offers their customer the freedom to smoke their cigarettes without getting a warning ticket from the MMDA.
Speaking of warning, I stumbled upon this:
be warned!
Wow, six thousand (and counting) smokers were already warned in less than a month. You can’t blame them MMDA! It’s not easy for them as it is easy for you to give them warnings. It takes practice and constant reminder. So thank you for giving them warnings and please don’t forget to reenforce & remind them about this implementation.
So to smokers who patronize Starbucks, would you really switch coffee shops because of this coming implementation? I feel your sadness, dilemma or even your confusion. For now please enjoy the weekend & smoke your lungs out at your favorite Starbucks store ’cause come Monday (June 27) it’ll be smoke-free.
With the rain Falcon (storm) has brought over the week, I guess going to Starbucks (to enjoy a cup of hot choco or coffee) is one of the best things to do eh?
Happy weekend and please stay safe everyone!
*gives a warm fuzzy virtual hug*
Upon driving along C5 two weeks ago, I had a glimpse of a huge billboard that seemed to tease everyone who’s driving towards it. Let me show you why.
Now who wouldn’t be teased?!
Chicken All-you-can for only P199
And of course, for a chicken lover like me (a little insight: I celebrated my 7th birthday at Max’s first restaurant in Quezon City) I was more giddy than everyone else to participate in this month-long deal. So last Sunday I together with my family gave in. We couldn’t resist. We had chicken all-you-can!
I think Max’s still has it, their best tasting fried chicken has become part of our lifestyle, and we Pinoys fondly grew up to.
I had 3 rounds of chicken. So that’s 3/4 of a whole chicken! woot! If only I didn’t eat too much rice with it, I would’ve had 4-6 rounds! Although we figured that the chicken they served was a wee bit tinier than their regular ones, still we didn’t complain! who would for chicken all-you-can at 199 pesos! Oh, did I mention it comes with a drink? Your choice of iced tea or Pepsi, add P28 to make it bottomless. Since I only eat the leg/thigh part of a chicken, I was lucky enough that the server was kind enough to accommodate my request. If you’re lucky (like me) you get to nab the part you like but if there’s a lot of people, you get to choose only what’s serve (not unless you get all chummy chums with your server *winks*)
Chicken All-you-can from Max’s Restaurant is available daily 6-10 pm from June 10,2011 to July 10,2011. You’ve still got almost a month to condition yourself for an all-out chicken goodness!
Go ahead, visit the nearest Max’s Restaurant. I know you want to!
Being part of a community like Pinoy Bloggers is an exciting endeavor to get to know people & learn new things. It’s only been a year since I started blogging and I think for a newbie, I pretty much have a good number of readers (thank you everyone!) Anyway, so upon checking the latest happenings from co-bloggers, I’ve recently stumbled a post about Carol’s Texan 5 restaurant being the venue of the event called Bloggers Buffet organized by TenMinutesTops.com and ClubTravelNOW.org.
The first Bloggers Buffet by TenMinutesTops.com in cooperation with ClubTravelNOW.org
I’ve been living in San Juan City for almost 3 years now and I have to admit there are only a few establishments I’ve been to. Take away 9 months of almost 3 years living here, since I was on (almost total) house arrest during my pregnancy. So being flanked by restaurants and establishments that offer good & great deals is always an advantage BUT I haven’t taken advantage of them much. I’ve just started doing so since I’ve started blogging. (I know, opportunities wasted but that’s not gonna happen anymore!)
So upon learning the chance that there will be an event called The 1st Bloggers Buffet at Carol’s Texan 5 on June 23,2011, I immediately got curious & did my research. My, my, oh my! Why haven’t I visited you before Carol’s Texan 5 ? As you all know my readers, I am a HUGE fan of chicken and by chicken I mean any kind of preparation & cooking done to chicken I’ll eat, make that devour!
their menu is indeed mouth-watering and the prices are affordable!
Carol’s Texan 5 offers the best chicken and ribs this side of Manila. Not only do they offer these sumptuous dishes for dine-in but they also deliver! Yes, if you’re too lazy to go out (for someone who lives in the bustling city of San Juan it can sometimes be a hassle to fix up & go out) they deliver! hoooraaay! So I think I can enjoy the Texan Grilled Chicken in my pajamas while being a couch potato from the comfort of my own home! (They deliver in San Juan, Mandaluyong, Ortigas and Pioneer areas for now). Now if you plan to have a party, you can still enjoy Carol’s Texan 5, they have food booths that they can set up in your event (maybe your child’s birthday, baptism, debut, or whatever occasion there is). You can also opt to hold events at Carol’s Texan 5, perfect for all kinds of functions and gatherings. Another good thing about their service is that they offer kiddie meal sets which is perfect if you plan on celebrating your kid’s birthday in his or her school or even at home or in the office. And lastly, if you’re planning on having an intimate affair but craves for Carol’s Texan 5, then I suggest you order their Party Trays which are suitable for special occasions.
Yes,I seriously wanna be part of this Bloggers Buffet. Aside from meeting new people and learning new things, I’m hoping to meet Carol (the woman behind Carol’s Texan 5) herself. Also, I pretty much am a sucker for American cuisine. Did I mention I love chicken? yes, I do. Oh and of course I wanna be part of this event because it’s always an honor being part of anything that’s a first, right? RIGHT!
Plus, I surely won’t miss this event, it’s only 5 minutes away from my place. Wohoooo!
Carol’s Texan 5 contact details and address:
Delivery: (02) 727.3843 / 0922.485.0154
Address: Carol’s Texan 5, 2F 713 J. Abad Santos St., Little Baguio, San Juan
For more information check out Carol’s Texan 5′s website & fan page:
Website: http://www.texan5.com
Fan Page: http:/www.facebook.com/texan5
P.S.
I hope you see me there! heehee
