Birthday Perks

For the first time in maybe a really long time, I actually got to use many birthday perks provided by my loyalty and rewards programs.

Dinner at East in Rustan's Makati

I got a few of them from my Rustan's FSP membership. I'm kinda glad I finally sorted out my FSP membership recently because I used to have a card and when they moved to an app, I couldn't sort it out. So one afternoon, when I was in Rustan's, I decided to head to customer service to get their help. Apparently, there was some mistake in my account which they addressed and finally, my account worked. Cool! And just in time too because I got quite a few perks from FSP. First, I got a free lave cake from East, the restaurant located on the 2nd floor of Rustan's Makati.

Free lava cake from East

I actually ended having dinner there before enjoying my free cake. I ordered pad thai (which I forgot to take a photo of) and the East Starter Platter. As its name suggests, East offers different Asian dishes on its menu, although I do think that chocolate lava cake isn't exactly Asian hehe.

East Starter Platter

My FSP membership also gave me 30% off on Banana Republic. Months ago, I saw this really nice burgundy or rust-colored Banana Republic shirt that I really liked but the last piece they had of that shirt was already being purchased. I was hoping they might have new stock of that shirt but they didn't. Ah too bad. I instead got a very pale lilac shirt since I don't have that color in my wardrobe.

My new lilac Banana Republic shirt

My last FSP birthday perk was that getting 10x points credit for my purchase of Samsonite luggage. I had been meaning to buy more luggage for a while now because in the last couple of years, I would always borrow luggage from my friends and in my trip to Kenya last year, one of the bags I borrowed was a bit damaged. I felt like I didn't want to borrow luggage anymore since I didn't want to ruin other people's bags. Anyway, I got a soft case Samsonite that I felt was quite affordable considering it was Samsonite and the FSP points I got from that purchase were multiplied by 10. Wow! Because of that, I now have a sizeable e-purse that I can use for a future purchase.

I bought the Samsonite bag on the left

I also had some perks from My SSI Life. I recently installed this app when I bought some shoes that I wanted from Kenneth Cole because I could get 30% off of my purchase as long as I had that app. That discount wasn't my birthday perk yet.

My new Kenneth Cole shoes at 30% off

The actual My SSI Life birthday perk was 30% off any regular priced item in Tommy Hilfiger. I visited the Tommy Hilfiger section of Rustan's to take a look at some shirts and I spotted this really nice red t-shirt which turned out to be on sale (so my discount wouldn't apply). I tried that shirt on and it fit quite well. I really like how it looked and its shade of red so I decided to get it haha.

Red Tommy Hilfiger t-shirt at 40% off

But that meant I still had my 30% birthday discount. I then spotted this sort of brown, sort of mustard colored polo shirt and I really liked its color. (Officially, its color is Country Brown.) I don't have any other shirt like it so I tried it on. It fit well and the fabric was really comfortable. So it's not surprising that I decided to get it haha. I now have two Tommy Hilfiger shirts!

Country brown Tommy Hilfiger shirt aat 30% off

I also got a free Waffle Pancake duo from Pancake House, courtesy of Globe One. I think this might be the first time I got to use a freebie from my Globe One app. I need to pay attention to it a bit more.

Waffle Pancake duo from Pancake House

Finally, my BFF membership also granted me a special birthday discount: a P1,000 voucher that I could use for a minimum spend of P2000. Wow! I decided to treat my friend Alma to dinner at Secret Recipe - she hadn't eaten there previously - and we ordered quite a few items, including dessert. (I still really do love the ice cream-shaped bowl that Secret Recipe uses for ice cream orders.) And yes, we exceeded P2,000 so I was able to use my voucher. Cool!

Our desserts from Secret Recipe

If I learned anything from this experience, it's that I need to pay attention to my rewards and loyalty programs just a bit more.

Cannolis from Nothing but Jill

I finally got to try cannolis from Nothing But Jill and they are pretty good!

I first found out about Nothing But Jill around the time of the pandemic. Ads for this pastry business kept popping up in my social media feed and it had been in my radar ever since.

At the time, you could only order for delivery online. However, more recently, they set up a physical store in the Katipunan area where you can walk in and place an order.

In one of my recent board game nights, my friend Myna ordered some cannolis from Nothing but Jill. She was initially going to have her driver pick them up but I was going to be in the Katipunan area that same day so I said I could just get them. Their physical store is quaint and cozy, with a small seating area for guests who might want to enjoy some pastries in their shop. (They do serve black coffee in-store.)

Myna ordered assorted cannolis and while I don't know exactly which one I had, I really enjoyed it. So much so that I decided to buy them myself for me and my family. They also have many other pastries such as cheese rolls, strudels, puffs, and danishes that I would like to try in the future.

Nothing But Jill
https://nothingbutjill.com/
71b, 1800 Esteban Abada St, Quezon City, 1800 Metro Manila
Phone: 0917 861 3355

Giving children the gift of hope this Chritmas through UNICEF

I recently shopped for some UNICEF items online.

It's the first time I ever bought stuff from UNICEF, or the United Nations Children's Fund, even if I had been getting ads and brochures from them over the years. There were several factors that made me finally decide to buy some stuff in support of this global agency that works to provide aid to children in need worldwide. First, the ads that popped up in my feed were not for cards but for tote bags that looked really awesome. The bags made me click the link and it sparked my interest. (Link: https://donate.unicef.ph/shop/)

Second, the art designs on their items were created by artists from Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan. A very good friend of mine is part of that org so I thought it would be great to support them.

Finally, I felt it was long overdue or me to support UNICEF as they continue to help children all over the world. Wars have continued to rage and whenever I see children who suffer greatly from these wars, it breaks my heart.

I decided to get three tote bags to give as gifts this Christmas to my mom and to two of my friends. I actually asked each of them which bag design they wanted to make sure they got something they would really like. I also decided to get both sets of their Hiraya cards. One set has Christmas-themed cards and the other set has cards for all occasions.

I am really happy with my purchase. The tote bags are expensive but the quality is great, as is the art. And it's for a great cause.

Sicilian Roast at Santolan Town Plaza

 My friends and I got to try a new restaurant. We were planning to get together for my birthday and I suggested that we have lunch at Sicilian Roast Italian Kitchen and Bar in Santolan Town Plaza. I had seen this place in previous visits to this area and I had been interested in it ever since. None of us in our group had eaten there before so we all thought it would be worth a try. Also, it was located sort of in the middle of everyone in our group, with some folks coming from the north and some from the south, so it would be a bit more convenient for everyone.

Silician Roast Italian Kitchen and Bar in Santolan Town Plaza

I'm really happy that we picked this place because I love their food! We selected several items on their menu that we shared. Their Calamari Fritto was good...

Calamari Fritto

... as was their Burrata Alla Caprese salad.

Burrata Alla Caprese salad

I love Eggplant Parmigiana so when I saw it on their menu, I decided to order it as well.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Naturally, we got a few pasta dishes, including Vongole...

Vongole

...and the Linguine alla Bosciala al Tartufo, which has mushrooms and peas in cream sauce and Truffle Paste. I love truffle pasta in general and this was no exception.

Linguine alla Bosciala al Tartufo

The star of our meal was the steak. We ordered the Tomahawk since there were a lot of us and the portion size of this steak could be shared by a group and it was really good! It did take a long while to prepare it though because they had to thaw it. But when it finally arrived, it was worth the wait.

Tomahawk steak

Aside from the great food, I also love many other elements of the restaurant. First, they had some great art hanging from the walls. In fact, there was a painting by National Artist Abdulmari Asia Imao on the wall right behind us. I just had to take a photo.

Painting by National Artist Abdulmari Asia Imao on display

Then, the  restroom. It was clean and I love the green tiles that went up only half way up the wall.

The restroom is clean and very tastefully designed

And just to make things in the toilet just a bit more quirky and fun, there was a rotary phone on display at the far corner. Why it was there, I have no idea. But it looked cool!

A rotary phone used as decoration in the restroom

I also love the fact that because we were celebrating my birthday, they placed a "Happy Birthday" sign on our table (they knew this because they asked me when I was reserving a table if we were celebrating any special occasion).

They gave us a slice of tiramisu. Cool!

Our dining experience at Sicilian Roast was really good, with delightful service and great food. It's on the expensive side but it's a superb choice f you are celebrating a special occasion or just want to splurge a bit. I would definitely love to dine here again.

Sicilian Roast
https://www.sicilianroast.com/
Address: Santolan Town Plaza, San Juan City, 1500 Metro Manila
Phone: +63 966 853 3483

New Maintenance Meds

You know you're getting older when you start taking maintenance meds.

I've actually been on maintenance for a while already. After my health scare several years back, my doctor prescribed medicine that I need to take daily. However, in the last couple of years, my blood and lab tests haven't been ideal, and this year, they have been the worst that they've been in maybe a decade. So after my regular check-up with my doctor this year, he asked me if I finally wanted him to prescribe me more meds.

I had actually been pushing back against taking more meds because I felt like I could live healthier and get better results. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case the last few years. Plus, I am getting older. As such, I finally agreed that it would be a safer and healthier approach for me to take one extra medicine on top of the one I'm already taking. So now I have two maintenance meds.

That said, my doctor did prescribe the lowest dosage and he told me to take it just three times a week. He also prescribed vitamins that I should take regularly. He strongly recommended that I exercise more and eat healthier. As I mentioned in my previous post, my stress level this year has really gone up. It doesn't help that as a sweet tooth, I really do default to eating ice cream, cakes, and pastries when I am need of a dopamine hit. What I really need to do instead is hit the gym more regularly. Hopefully I can do that soon.

Staycation at New World Makati Hotel

My stress level recently has been quite high so I felt it was time to have another staycation this year. I decided to book a room in New World Makati Hotel because it had been such a long time since I last stayed here and I like New World.

Lobby of the New World Makati Hotel

As is true with many of the good hotels in Makati, the room is quite spacious and comfortable. I believe I got a superior room and I selected one with a big bed (although I believe you can choose one with two smaller beds). My room also had a small couch in the corner, providing extra seating.

The bathroom is good too, with a separate shower and bathtub area which I think is better. 

Shower and toilet

Taking a shower in a bathtub always feels a bit - a lot? - dangerous because it can get slippery and the base is not flat, making it harder to maintain balance while you are standing in it.

Bathtub and sink

Since Christmas is around the corner, the lobby was very festively decorated.

Christmas decor at the lobby

Aside from the very tall Christmas tree at the center of the lobby, there was also a quaint gingerbread house at the elevator area.

Gingerbread house decor at the lobby

The lighting outside the hotel was also pretty awesome. I got to appreciate it as I headed to Greenbelt for dinner.

My stress level at work has been noticeably higher in 2026, which has led me to take two staycations in the same year and in two different hotels. It's a bit of an expensive way to unwind and recharge but I do like staying at really good hotel rooms and it allowed me to destress so I feel it was money well spent.

New World Makati Hotel
https://manila.newworldhotels.com/
Address: Esperanza Street, corner Makati Ave, Ayala Center, Makati City, 1228 Metro Manila
Phone: (02) 8811 6888

Dohtonbori Japanese Restaurant

I got to try Dohtbonbori for the first time by chance. I was looking for a place to eat at SM Megamall and while I normally have my usual places to eat in the area, a sign outside Dohtonbori caught my attention. They were serving ramen set combo meals that looked really appetizing. I decided to try it.

Dohtonbori in SM Megamall

Thankfully I did because I was very happy with their food! I ordered a don-ramen set that included ramen (I can't recall if I had tonkotsu or shoyu) and donburi that cost "only" P425. That's really good value! My set had a lot of food, which meant I was fully satisfied after my meal. And it was all quite delicious!

Don-Ramen set with ramen and donburi

I enjoyed my first meal here so much that I decided to eat here again shortly after my first visit. I've always been a fan of sukiyaki so on this second dining experience at Dohtbonbori, I ordered Nabemono, which is their version of sukiyaki. Normally, this dish is served exclusively with glass noodles but the Dohtonbori version has udon mixed in with it.

Nabemono, Dohtonbori's version of sukiyaki

I had now eaten at Dohtonbori twice but I still hadn't tried their signature dish: the okonomiyaki so I decided to to go a third time to have it. There are a lot of different okonomiyaki options on the menu but I found myself gravitating towards the Hamburg Cheese Steak okonomiyaki, which is a pork hamburger steak okonomiyaki with cheese sauce generously poured over it. I also had a size of gyoza. I absolutely loved this dish!

Hamburg Cheese Steak Okonomiyaki and Gyoza

A few more things about Dohtobori. I really like the decor, at least in their SM Megamall branch. I was tempted to have my photo taken with the Demon Slayer standees on display there but I somehow decided not to because a lot of people were eating and the waiters were all busy. 

Demon Slayer standee on display

There is also a section where guests can take their shoes off and sit down on the floor while enjoying their meal sort of Japanese-style.

I can't believe I had been sleeping on this restaurant all these years. Thankfully, I discovered it - better late than never! - and now I can keep enjoying Dohtonbori.

Dohtonbori
https://dohtonbori.com/shop/oversea/philippines