Charlie Brown Cafe - Hong Kong

On our first night in Hong Kong, we had our dinner at Charlie Brown Cafe.  It's a Peanuts themed cafe located at Tsim Sha Tsui Hong Kong.  The place is decorated with lots of Peanuts characters like Snoopy, Woodstock, Charlie Brown and the rest of his friends.

Me, Era and Ms. Oma chillin' with Sally, Charlie, Lucy and Linus

Me with Era (who took the pictures I posted for this review) 

Me and Ms. Oma

Charlie Brown Cafe is best known for their desserts.  Their products range from tiramisu, mousses and cheesecakes.  Being a fan of mango-based desserts and yogurts, I got their Mango Yogurt Cheesecake.  I know I had to avoid sweets that night but I'm not regretting that I gave in to the temptation.  It was a delightful treat. 

Meet chocolate Snoopy!  I didn't have the heart to eat him. ;-p

Charlie Chocolate Cheesecake

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Aside from the sweet delights, they also serve pastas and sandwiches.  What I had for that night is fresh mushroom linguine with black truffle sauce.  Also, to soothe my sore throat, I had minestrone soup.  

The linguine was rich in flavor. It was very creamy and the mushrooms are really fresh.  The minestrone soup was very heartwarming.  The next time I go there, I wouldn't think twice having that soup again, even if I don't have a sore throat. :)

Fresh Mushroom Linguine with Black Truffle Sauce

My throat was a bit sore on our first day in Hong Kong.  So to soothe it, I had minestrone soup.  Mmmm mmmm so warm and comforting :) 

With its pleasant ambiance and good food, I'm not surprised that Hong Kong promotes the place not only to her locals but to tourists as well.  The next time I go to Hong Kong , I'll make sure this is part of the itinerary again, especially if my kids are with me. :)

Located at  G/F-1/F, 58-60 Cameron Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Toi Hokkaido Rice Pizza

Sukiyaki Beef Rice Pizza

Yep, you read that right... Rice Pizza. :)  The mere name of the restaurant caught our attention so we decided to have rice pizza for our late lunch.  I haven't tried it before, and neither did my friends Era and Ms. Oma.  Rice and pizza combined sound like tons of calories and carbo, but we realized that it was worth a try... after all, we were about to have a trek to the Ten Thousand Buddhas afterwards. 

Extremely famished, we ordered for a Squash soup and a regular Sukiyaki Beef Rice Pizza.  And believe me, not only were our stomachs satisfied, but our taste buds were equally delighted as well :)  The Squash soup was very creamy.  There were also what seemed to be some squash chips that went with it, if only all squash are cooked that way, there would be no problem feeding kids. The Sukiyaki Beef Rice Pizza was a delight as well.  It was not only topped with sukiyaki beef, but also some cheese and some smoked onion skins. It was very rich in flavor. And the cheese, oh the cheese! I could still remember how orgasmic it felt the moment I bit on a slice of rice pizza. 

And needless to say, after our meal in Toi, we could barely walk... yes, we were that full :) 

Toi Hokkaido Rice Pizza

Shop 704, 7/F, New Town Plaza Phase 1, 18 Sha Tin Centre Street, Sha Tin, HongKong

Sober Club Will Rock Your World!

Sober Club is a mobile bar that specializes on shooters. All drinks like margaritas, kamikaze, mojitos are served in miniature shotglasses.  The drinks were that good that I think everyone went home either tipsy, a bit drunk or soooo drunk.  And yes, even those who don't usually drink... drank! They drank a lot!

The colorful shooters are temptations waiting to be drunk

It happened during the birthday party of one of my dearest friends.  The party was held at Valle Verde Country Club (great venue for functions, btw).  The moment I entered the hall, on the left side I saw the light! Kidding hahaha!  I saw the line of shotglasses all filled with colorful mixes.

Boracay Rum shooters! My favorite for the night... I totally forgot they had alcohol

If Rainbow Brite had a favorite drink, I wouldn't be surprised if it would be this. 

Fruit delights:  Apple, grapes and strawberry flavoured shots
(not good with names, so I forgot how they're exactly called)

What even made it more fun is that they actually have shot games.  There's this one game that you have to drink a tower of 7 shots straight. There's also this other game where you have to sip the mangoritas using a straw and then you have to turn around after finishing a shot.  And of course, who would forget that Flamers where you'll be asked to gargle the alcohol and then it will be lit up (see the picture below)

Damn tower of shooters hahaha!

Sip a shot, then turn around, then sip the next shot then turn around again

Flamers! Yep that the alcohol being lit up straight in the mouth
 (didn't try this)

Well anyway, I realized that I need to rest a little after my nth shotglass.  

Carla's brother with the Sober Club mixers!

with the Birthday Girl that night: my dear friend Carla!

Well, to sum it all up... yes, we enjoyed the Sober Club shots big time.  You want your party to be a blast?  Then better make sure the Sober Club is there.

Website:
https://www.facebook.com/SoberClub

Conti's

The first thing that may come into your mind when you hear Conti's is their delectable dessert, Mango Bravo... and well, I couldn't blame you. Because everytime I hear Conti's, that's the first thing that comes to my mind also.

But aside from Mango Bravo, Conti's also boast other entrees that would definitely impress you. They have their own rendition of those fabulous dishes from around the world like Chicken Marsala, Chicken Roulade, Beef Teppanyaki, Paella Madrilena... and to my heart's content... Lengua dishes!!!

And of course, they also have desserts that you're so gonna love. My favorites are Mango Bravo (obviously), Peach Walnut Torte and Almond Choco Sansrival... yes I know, even their names are already mouthwatering. Hahaha!

And yes even their drinks, smoothies and shakes rock my mind. I was close to ordering both Strawberry Shake and Grapes Shake one time I had dinner at Conti's Serendra with my friends.

Another thing I love about Conti's is the free Mango Bravo that you get if you celebrate your birthday there. No matter how simple your celebration is, they will celebrate it with you with a whole Mango Bravo... and a candle to blow, of course. Haha!

That's me enjoying the free Mango Bravo courtesy of Conti's Serendra for my friend, Icko Saldajeno's birthday.

with good friends and a good plate of Buffalo Wings

Price Range as of March 2010:

Appetizers: 120-225

Main Entrees - 185-285

Desserts - 70-100

Store Locators:

BF Homes Paranaque

Greenhills San Juan

Serendra

Trinoma

Greenbelt 2 Makati

http://www.contis.ph

Music Match Family KTV

Music Match is another favorite KTV place of my friends. Sometimes after work, when we choose to chill but opt not to drown in booze, we would go to Music Match Ortigas Home Depot and belt our songs for about two fabulous hours.

It's quite impressive how they usually become one of the first to include new songs in their list, but unfortunately however, I still find their songs limited compared to some KTV.

Given their amenities, they are relatively cheap. Every weekdays, they even have promos. And granted that these promos are lifted on Fridays and Saturdays, their prices are still reasonable.

Music Match is not only about videoke. There are other things to try. Wanna try something new? you can try renting shishas... it's similar to hookah... actually, I don't know the difference. Hahaha! In Tomas Morato, you could even record your songs and get copies of it... yes, it's like you have your own album.

Food is also mmm... mmmm... good. Although some of the hard drinks are a bit pricey. So if you're on a budget, check the prices first before you order. Prices of some drinks are cool... they are actually surprisingly reasonable. My personal favorite is their Virgin Colada... actually, it's just Pinacolada... but I love their blend... sweet and creamy... Love it!!!

Branches

Forum Building, Tomas Morato

Ortigas Home Depot, Julia Vargas Avenue

The White Hat Italian Frozen Yogurt

It's payday Friday so my friend, Ada Arcayera and I thought of chillin' at Shangri-La after work. We thought of what movie to watch, and what to eat. But aside from these, we had one craving in common: frozen yogurt.

In our minds were the images of immaculate tubs, each embellished with a single twirl of snow white frozen yogurt. Playfully, we pictured the other treats that we'll blend in with the yogurts: almonds, caramel, fruits, mochi... The mere thought of it made us crave for frozen yogurts even more. Hence, Ada and I pinky-swore that no matter what, we'll have The White Hat Italian Frozen yogurt at Shangri-La.

We had our dinner late and we only had a few minutes to spare before the movie starts (We decided to watch The Lightning Thief). But alas, the temptation to have White Hat yogurts clinged into our minds. Plus, it was as if they even conspired with our tummies and tastebuds, because we still felt hungry after downing two plates of gourmet sushis and chicken teriyaki. With this, we just paid our dinner bill and stormed to The White Hat like there's no tomorrow.

The White Hat offers combos to help those who can't make up their minds. Each combo comes with three yummy toppings and a free drizzle of your choice!

Ada picked the Clown Hat Combo consisting of M&M's, Mallows and Sprinkles. Combos come with a free drizzle, so she chose Caramel.

I, on the other hand, chose to customize my White Hat. I'm a big fan of fruits, most especially berries, so my blend was a mix of strawberry, blueberry and kiwi.

Now who says you have to sacrifice a lot and deprive yourselves with yummy food if you wanna lose weight? Think again! The White Hat is 98% fat-free... so what if there's 2% fat? Your body still needs some fat, anyway. The White Hat Frozen Yogurt also has Probiotics, Calcium, Protein... those good stuffs that make you live healthy.

Together, Ada and I feasted on our White Hats with smiles on our faces, cause we're enjoying yummy treats without ruining our diet... now what more could we ask for... hmmmm, I guess more tubs of The White Hat frozen yogurts!

Branches:

* Shangri-La MALL EDSA

* SM Mall of Asia

* Robinson's Place Ermita

* Rustan's Supermarket Makati

* SM North Annex

* SM Clark Pampanga

* TriNoMa

For more details, visit their page at http://www.thewhitehat.com.ph/

The Club Chicago

My friends and I love Videoke... and when I say that we love videoke, I mean it... really mean it.

And because of this passion, we have already gone to several videoke bars... most of which are around the vicinity of our office.

Among all those videoke bars we frequently visit, one place stood out as having one with the best sound system: Club Chicago.

Club Chicago is a Family KTV located right beside Metrowalk. Each room is equipped with a plasma TV and a fabulous sound system... superb sound system... an awesome sound system... the best sound system... OK OK, I think with all the adjectives I've used, by this time you already get the picture that we love the sound system.

To add some disco touch, they have those dancing laser lights that give you the feeling that you're in a disco. The sofas are so comfy they lure you to almost lie down.

You still have to do something before hitting the high notes? There's no need to feel that you have to rush because The Club Chicago is open 24 hours. Promo Rates are entitled for those who jam from 5am to 5pm.

While at Club Chicago, try their Nachos and Wengweng at all cost... cause your Club Chicago experience is not complete without them. Even up to now, their nachos is the best that I've tasted. And while I'm composing this blog, I'm craving for those nachos.

Those nachos are so good, that my friends and I could finish one order even before we could finish one song... to think that their serving is already generous.

For Reservations, contact

(632)6373541 / (632)6379582

email: chi_fam_ktv@yahoo.com

Taverna Verde

I got acquainted with the place late August / early September 2009. Richie Reys, one of the owners, is a friend and he invited me to the soft opening.

Me with my friends, Fred Palileo, Allen Aligam, Fritz Fernandez, Pat San Miguel and LJ Lingat

So right after work, I headed to Meralco Avenue corner Julia Vargas and shared some drinks with him and the other owners of Taverna Verde. In between chitchats, I allowed myself to enjoy the songs of Frou Frou ,that was playing in the background. Occasionally, I would grab a pita wedge and dip it in the Spinach Dip (which soon became a staple order of my friends whenever we're at Taverna Verde).

Me, Pat San Miguel and Christer Cruz

with Pat, Jonard Soriano, Grace de Leon, Mart Abareta and Ada Arcayera

I fell so much in love with the place, that I did not think twice recommending it to my other friends. Soon enough, we found ourselves hanging out in Taverna Verde at least once or twice a week (for some of our friends thrice and even four times).

Good Food... Cool Crowd... Fab Music... Prices that won't hurt your pocket... what more could you ask for?

Cocktail drinks range around 150 to 200... Appetizers range around 175 to 250. And the moment you try their foods, you'll realize that the prices are just reasonable.

My Personal Faves in the menu:

Chili and Garlic Chicharones - believe me when I say that one order is not enough

Spinach Dip

Chorizo Pizza

My Personal Favorite from the bar:

Lychee Martini

Mangorita

Come Home to Taverna Verde...

Time to Holler: (632) 633-3671