Fancy Food

Bacon-Parmesan Cheese Soufflé (Chef Jessie)

I first got to try this savoury souffle during my friend Anna's birthday many years ago and I absolutely loved it. Recently, I got to have it again in Chef Jessie. The regular size is P550 while the large is P795 so it is clearly on the expensive side but it is really, really good.

Bacon-Parmesan Cheese Soufflé at Chef Jessie

Raclette (Old Swiss Inn)

After a karaoke night with my friends in early January, we decided to eat in Old Swiss Inn so we could catch up in a venue that was more conducive to having conversation (obviously, in a karaoke bar, you'll spend the entire time singing :)) It was past midnight when we got there so I wanted to eat something light. I decided to order the Raclette, which is melted Swiss Raclette cheese , served with baby potatoes, gherkins and pearl onions. At P548, it is also really expensive but it was very good.

Raclette at Old Swiss Inn

M Bakery's Famous Banana Pudding

Magnolia Bakery in New York become popular when its cupcakes were featured in Sex and the City. It has now opened in BGC under the name M Bakery and my friend said I might be interested to try it. When I found myself within walking distance of this new bakery located next to Shangri-La Hotel at the Fort, I decided to swing by. The cupcakes are really expensive - P120 for the classic flavors and P165 for their specialty cupcakes - but I was also told that their banana pudding was a bestseller (it is officially called M Bakery's Famous Banana Pudding). I decided to try it instead. The small banana pudding, which I ordered, is P145. The verdict? I thought it was a bit too sweet. A friend told me that their specialty cupcakes are really good so maybe next time, if I'm in the area and in a splurging mood, I will try those.

M Bakery's Famous Banana Pudding

Happy New Year and Looking Back at 2018

Happy 2019!

Once again, I am truly thankful for a spectacular 2018 that brought a lot of incredible experiences. The most memorable highlight has to be my trip to South America. I went to Peru, Brazil, and Argentina and I got to visit four places in my bucket list.

I also got to revisit a couple of places in the Philippines: Dumaguete and Tagaytay (twice). The first trip to Tagaytay was with my friends, where we stayed in the amazingly beautiful Casa dlF. The second was to attend Kermin and Gerhard's wedding. That wasn't the only wedding I attended. I became a second-time wedding ninong for Marge and JB. I also attended the weddings of AJ and Elmer and of my cousin Twinkle and Mike.

Another highlight was taking my family to see The Lion King. I am still quite happy that we got an aisle seat and that the elephant walked right next to us.

I got to stay in a few hotels during the year: Siglo Suites (for the first time), Manila Peninsula, and Fraser Place.  I got to eat in some restaurants for the first time like The Lost Bread, Ippudo, and Buca di Beppo, and I also got to try the absolutely delicious cheese tarts in Bake.

Other cool stuff: I finished reading two books, City of Dark Magic and Slade House. I saw and took photos of the Super Blue Blood Moon. I got my first-ever prescription reading glasses. I started more actively using reusable food containers when buying take-out. I'm also happy that Nadal won his 11th French Open title, that the Petron Blaze Spikers defended their All-Filipino title, and that the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra took first place at the Summa Cum Laude Festival in Austria. Cool!

Add to all these the many great reunions, get-togethers with friends, and fun game nights, plus of the course quality and quantity time I got to spend with my family and you have a recipe for a truly amazing year. Hopefully, I can continue to have wonderful experiences in 2019.