Month: March 2016

Blk 513

Posted on by Kathie Denise

When you can already feel the summer approaching and you want something cold to fight the heat, a delightful ice cream is our go-to dessert but if you want to try something new and exceptional, then make way for frozen yogurt.

Blk 513 is an activated charcoal Greek frozen yogurt in a cup (or cone) where you can add 2 types of fruit and a syrup of your choice.

It is dark skimmed that detoxifies our body, which is one of the health benefits of charcoal, making its color naturally black.

dark skim with mango and strawberries for fruits and I forgot the name of my syrup, milk something


I knew about Blk 513 in Facebook and Instagram. My friend and I always see this in every post that’s why we thought of giving it a try. They have only one store and it is located at SM  Megamall, so we went there and excitedly look for it.

When we found it, they are just a kiosk or a booth with few tables and chairs. They don’t have a real place. So basically, you’ll have to wait in queue then pick whether you want it in a cup or cone. They just have a one size of cup. Then you get to choose your 2 types of fruit and then a syrup (you have a lot of choices, trust me) and then pay 175 for it.

Now you can take photos of it, something to brag to your friends (haha!), and eat away!

A helpful reminder though for our lady friends out there (maybe men too?); after eating BLK 513, your lips will turn dark because of its color so you better go straight to the comfort room and bring back the color of your lips with your favorite lippie.

Believe me, when I look in the mirror of Cotton On with my lips looking like it was bruised I got from a fight, I almost ran to the comfort room feeling ashamed of my lips haha! I learned my lesson the hard way, your lips are what you eat.

Would I allot time to commute back to SM Megamall for BLK 513? YES.

Would I spend 175 for dark skimmed detoxifying fro-yo? YES.

Would I not forget to re-apply my lipstick after eating it? HECK YEAH.

 

8 Street Bites

Posted on by Kathie Denise

 If you are craving for chicken and desserts, this is the place to be. With their affordable choices of food, you can finally satisfy that craving of yours. From salted shakes, deep-fried oreos to their fries and burgers up to their chicken meals, it will surely make your stomachs full and your mouths watery.

  
Their service is well-managed too. Upon entering the place, a personnel will greet you immediately and ask if where you wanted to sit or assist you to an available seat. Then he will give you their menu and you will go to the cashier to make your order and wait to your table ’til it’s served. While waiting you could use their wifi, or you could write shoutouts or anything on a paper and post it on their wall!!

Food-wise it was undoubtedly delicious. I couldn’t even finish my salted shake because it was too tall for 75 pesos plus I had spicy chicken meal which is plateful too.

The place is perfect for the whole family. It is the type of place where you go with your family after Sunday mass or just to celebrate anything. There were even engineering students from Mapua that was celebrating something. They were in this long table at the center and just taking photos with each other and with the food and just bonding altogether. And a birthday celebrant celebrating with her classmates.

I would surely come back to the place especially when you have a 10% discount card valid for one year. Haha! Talk about loyalty.

  

National Museum

Posted on by Kathie Denise

A trip to the National Museum with my friends.

 

somewhere around Kalaw

 
We were dismissed early that day and we don’t have anything to do the next day. So a trip to the National Museum was perfect especially when the entrance fee is free for all women. Cheers!
Apparently, what most first timer doesn’t know is that there are actually two buildings of the National Museum; one for paintings and the other for artifacts.
We went first to the paintings building, where the famous Spolarium was displayed and my it was huge! It’s the size of the walls of the building.

Spolarium by Juan Luna that won international awards

Other famous artists’ masterpiece was displayed there too. Even the not-so-popular-still-alive painters’ work are there.

It was really an “eyeful” place to visit. Even if you are not an artsy person, you can’t resist to appreciate the talent that our local artists showcase.

There were so many guards too keeping an eye to any mischief that the visitors might have in mind. Guilty like me, I didn’t know that you are not allowed to imitate the pose of any of the paintings there. A ladyguard caught me and I quickly erased the photo. Whew!!
So we keep on walking and it was honestly tiring. Whenever we see a bench, we quickly get the opportunity to sit for a few minutes and still appreciate the paintings on the wall.
 

The next building was all about artifacts. The bones that were found in caves, the dresses that early Filipinos wear, the different culture and ethnic group in the Philippines and their weapons and means of living, canyons during the wars and many more.

Some of the halls that day were closed for some reason, maybe maintenance or whatever but it’s such a pity we couldn’t get in some of the rooms there.
All in all, it was fun cherishing the tradition and culture of our country and how it evolves through time and adapts to changes that the foreigners brought to us.

I suggest that at least once in your lifetime, you should visit places like these. Places that remind us of where we came from and how the people from before struggled for our country. It really brings us to our roots.

I also suggest that you should have a good cardio to enjoy every piece and a full tummy and also go there early because they close at 4:30 already.

Bean Belt at Dapitan

Posted on by Kathie Denise

We all know that there are a lot of coffee shops around UST and a Thomasian can name at least 1 or 2 of them. Usually, students or yuppies go there either to study or just to chill and eat. So if you are looking for a new coffee shop to try out, here’s one in Dapitan-Lacson just above of Tinapayan.

The name is Bean Belt.

A coffee shop that services food from lunch to dinner since they are open everyday from 1PM to 11PM

Bean Belt offers many kinds of different beverages, sandwiches and cakes.

They have frappes, coffee and milkshakes. 

Tuna sandwich and Vanilla milkshake

I was with a friend when I first entered Bean Belt. We went there because we got bored and we wanted to go somewhere new and fresh plus their Marketing head was our prof so we wanted to check it out.

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The place is large enough to have a space for group meetings. As a matter of fact there were even a group of AB students who were conducting an interview, when we got there.

The interior was like Victorian. Everything is elegant. There’s some paintings, a piano and even their comfort room is so fancy. It has a scented candle inside and very spacious. My gosh, it was so cold inside!

  
My point is, it just goes to show that even if the competition is growing, cafes will never be out of our sight. With the right place and experience to give the customers, this kind of industry continues to grow.