Ochi In The City

Kitchen Chronicles : Soy Pasta with Spinach and Grilled Eggplant

I've gained a LOT of weight last year. I've mentioned in several posts that I've totally let go of taking care of my body at one point and I just ate whatever I want regardless of the amount of weight I've put on. I'm not usually like that, but since I was under a lot of stress last year, I just didn't care anymore. I was having horrendous acne breakouts and I felt that I deserved every treat I got.Every time a new pimple would appear on my face, I felt going to an all-you-can eat buffet place was the answer since I was being tormented inside and out. And now, I'm suffering the consequences.

I've never been the type of person to take care of my body. I smoke and drink a lot. I don't like water, I don't exercise and I have the worst sleeping pattern. In the past, I only controlled the type of food I ate so as to create some sort of balance since I was being unhealthy in so many ways unimaginable. Turns out the acne breakouts I had last year wasn't because of my skin nor the several skin products I've been using. I was having an internal problem. Before taking my Christmas vacation last year, i vowed to change my eating habits to see if something would change. True enough, I started having less acne pop up on my face. I also started taking vitamins and chelated minerals to help me detoxify. I've been drinking a lot of water and I've been trying to make sure I get to have breakfast every single day.

With that, I started resurrecting my super old 2015 resolution. A few years back, I started this project called Baon Series. I would chronicles the food that I bring to work every day. I loved the fact that people would comment how I can make my meals healthier; I also got tips how to pack properly so I don't spill anything on my lunch bag. Early last year though, I stopped because I got too lazy preparing my own meals and as mentioned, I didn't really care if I got fat or whatever. This year though, I've been consistently bringing my own meals to work. I get to choose what I eat and I also have a say on the amount I bring. I can't necessarily say I've saved a lot of money since healthy eating is pricey in the city. But I can attest to the fact that this has decreased the breakouts I've been having and I've also been feeling great even if I have been doing this for just 3 weeks. Today, I'll share one of the most requested recipes from that series. Let's begin!

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Davao City

Discover Davao : Jack's Ridge

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, by Ochi Bernadas

easy korean recipe

Kitchen Chronicles : Fresh Kimchi (Geotjeori)

If you're my friend on Facebook or if you follow me on Instagram, you'd know by now that I've been obsessed with Korean food since December. And no, I don't watch Korean dramas though I find them appealing. I've seen snippets of a few shows on Facebook and the story line does look interesting--but at this point, I just don't have the energy to add more to my growing list of 31 TV shows. But if I do, I'm pretty sure it'd be the perfect combo to my growing love for Korean Food.

It all started with Youtube. I started my Youtube channel a few months back, and instead of watching make-up tutorials, I've been wasting my time watching Asian recipes. Asian cuisine is so interesting. You can go on a diet but still keep your food fun, clean and healthy! I subscribed to this Korean Mom who's vegan and loves to do amazing Korean recipes. That's how I developed my love for Korean food. I mean, she just makes everything look delicious! I would eventually go on and recommend Korean food to my friends and colleagues but they'd immediately say, "I hate Kimchi 'cause it's sour!" That statement, my friends, is what led me to this recipe. I discovered you can actually make Fresh Kimchi and it's not sour at all. Just the perfect miz of sweet, tangy, savory and spicy flavors all in one simple side dish. Let's begin!

Ingredients

For Salted Cabbage

Napa Cabbage

Water

Salt

For Kimchi Paste

Garlic

Green Onions

Gochugaru (Koream Red PepperFlakes)

Fish Sauce

Apricot Preserve

Sesame Seeds

Procedure

1. Cut the Napa Cabbage in quarters and remove the stem. Cut into bite sized pieces.

2. Mix the water and salt and pour over the cabbage. Make sure all the cabbage are well covered with water.

3. Toss the cabbage and mix well. Press down as much as possible to make sure everything is soaked.

4. Soak the cabbage for 40 minutes. Toss and turn every 15 mins or so to even out the soaking process.

5. While soaking the cabbage, mix all of the ingredients for the Kimchi Paste.

6. After 40 minutes, drain the cabbage and wash thoroughly to remove the saltiness.

7. Mix the cabbage and the paste evenly using your hands. To avoid the red color sticking to your hands, you can use plastic gloves.

8. Once well combined, top with sesame seeds and serve along side a hot cup of rice.

Notes

I didn't put any measurements on the Kimchi Paste because I just eyeballed everything. If you want it to me more salty, add more fish sauce. If you want to a more fruity flavor, add more Apricot preserve. if you want it to be more spicy, add more Korean Red Pepper Flakes and so on. Just customize it according to your taste preference! 😉 I'll be attaching a video for reference, This is the exact process I followed. The only thing I didn't follow were the measurements, lol.

Whenever I run out of the traditional fermented Kimchi, this has been my go-to side dish for all the Korean dishes I've been cooking. A lot of my friends are also more welcoming of the taste since it's not fermented thus skipping the sour taste of the traditional Kimchi! I'm thrilled to share more recipes with you guys, though I get that I've been sidetracked from my Discover Davao series, lol. I'll try to get back to that within the week, pardon the delay. Hope you guys are having an awesome week!

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Have you tried Geotjeori?

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, by Ochi Bernadas

2016 year ender

Thank You, 2016.

Hey, everyone. I hope you guys are having one hell of a comeback welcoming 2017. I just got back at work today after an amazing 2-week vacation in my hometown. And as much as I want to postpone work, I can no longer fend off the tremendous amount of work and non-work related emails that are haunting me, lol. But before I do, I want to take one last look at 2016 and round up all the things I’m eternally thankful for.

Admit it, 2016 was a shitty year. Personally, it was because of politics—and every issue that came with it that I don’t even want to talk about. Personally though, it has been an amazing year, and at least that, I want to focus on.

1. Travels with the boyfriend.

My past partners weren’t as supportive of my love for travel. All of that changed with le current boyfriend since we practically have the same goal of taking the world one destination at a time. We explored amazing destinations and shared a ton of mouth-watering food from all these places. It was an awesome year for travel!

2. I learned how to drive!

And both A/T and M/T at that! I’ve been meaning to learn how to drive for the longest time, but it wasn’t until the boyfriend pushed me inside a car and started the engine that I really learned. Driving M/T is still a struggle until now, but I’m getting the hang of it. This year, I plan to finally get my Non-pro license!

3. Conquered stage fright!

A lot of people think that just because I speak in front of an audience all the time, I don’t experience stage fright—I FREAKING DO. And all the fucking time! This year, with the help of my boss, I was involved in a lot of work and non-work related stints that helped me deal with my nerves before facing an audience.

4. I learned how to edit videos.

Earlier this year, the boyfriend got me a GoPro as a present. And while I enjoy taking photos when we travel, I realized watching our travel footage is twice as fun! I started with Sony Vegas Pro and now I’m slowly working my way to Adobe Premiere Pro. More travel videos for 2017!

5. Became serious with writing.

I’ve been a part of When in Manila’s writer pool since 2009 but never really took it seriously—meaning I didn’t take assignments nor did I bother communicating with the group. This year, I became active and involved myself more with writing assignments. So far, it’s been great!

6. Blog work, projects and events.

This year, I also upped my blogging game. Even if sometimes I still don’t get to post as often, I made sure I produce noteworthy content. And with it came a lot of sponsored posts, invites for events and collaborations with brands. And while vlogging may already be the new thing now, I’m still committed to improving my tiny space on the internet.

7. Started eating clean and healthy.

I may have gained a lot of weight last year but I started eating my veggies, also drank more water (ack!) and did a few exercises every now and then. I wasn’t consistent with my workout since I’m a lazy person but I made sure I compensate by eating my greens, hehehe.

8. Gained new friends.

Both online and offline. Since I became more active with the blog, I’ve met a lot of interesting people which I religiously followed all through Instagram and Twitter, lol. Hi, you know who you guys are! I also started becoming more friendly at work. A lot of people think I’m maldita or suplada, and I wanted to change that last year.

9. The boyfriend got me my first mirrorless camera.

I’ve been wanting to go mirrorless for a while now but at the same time couldn’t find it in me to let go of my DSLR. I couldn’t afford one—unless I sell my SLR. It was just wishful thinking when I told the boyfriend about it, so I couldn’t believe my eyes when he got it for me this Christmas. Ahhhh, more than the camera, it’s him paying attention to the things I say that made my heart melt.

10. Celebrated a year with the best boyfriend ever.

Our first year was difficult. We discovered things from each other that we don’t particularly like; but in the end, we learned to compromise. A year later, I can say we’re definitely stronger and still so smitten with each other. I can’t wait to start making more memories with this guy!💗

And there you have it. Most of the items in here involve my boyfriend because to be honest, he inspired me a lot in the past year. When he tells me the stories about everything he has been through when he got sick a few years back, my problems seem so meager all of a sudden—it’s like anything is possible as long as he’s beside me. Ugh, too cheesy! Before I go all out dramatic on this post, I shall end it here. I have an upcoming boyfriend appreciation post lined up, lol! Hope you guys had an awesome holiday vacation as much as I did. For now, back to the hustle and bustle of the metro. Here’s to making awesome memories this 2017. Cheers!

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, by Ochi Bernadas

easy korean recipe

Kitchen Chronicles : Kimchi Jjigae

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Affordable Sushi

P99 Sushi Rolls at Ta-Ke Ho Me Sushi Stand

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Beef Shoyu Ramen

Food Diary : ROKU Sushi + Ramen

As I type this, I'm already drooling just by looking at the photos. I had to satisfy myself by watching Youtube videos of sushi and sashimi while I still can't go out of the office--ahh, what a torture! Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I had a movie date with my sisters at Cine Adarna in UP. We watched Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa, and I had a minor flashback and recollection. The movie reminded me why I loved film so much, and why I chose to direct a movie in college. When I think about it now, I find it funny because life doesn't really go the way we want it to. I would've wanted to pursue film after graduation if only money wasn't a problem and if only I didn't have any responsibilities with my family, lol. No regrets though, I'm in a good place and I've helped my family since I started working so we good, bruh.

Moving ooooon, I asked my sister (who's still studying in UP Diliman) if she knew any Japanse restaurant that has Sashimi and she told us we should try ROKU. We got a bit lost on our way to the place because it is located inside a building. More on that as I discuss the place. Let's begin!

THE PLACE

As mentioned earlier, ROKU is located at Oracle Hotel Building. While on our way, Waze told us we've reached our location but we couldn't find it. We decide to move forward a little bit more until Waze recalculated the route and we finally found our way to Oracle. The place was quiet, simple and pretty straightforward. You can choose to be seated at a table or at the counter for a legit Japanese experience! Parking wasn't a hassle as well because we were able to easily find a place for the car. I just think the parking space was a bit small though; we got the last slot so I think we're lucky. But still makes me think how it'll look like when it's packed. Service was okay. The staff was very responsive and our orders did come quite fast. One order though took quite a while. If I remember correctly, it was the ROKU rolls. But other that, everything's all good.

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Ahi Hawaii

I Started A Youtube Channel!

Heeeeeeeeeey! I'm anxious but excited at the same time as I type this. Remember the project I've told you guys about a few months ago? Well, I guess it's already obvious in the title. Yes, I've finally created a Youtube channel to sort of up my game and put myself out there some more. As if this blog isn't enough, lol! I know everybody's been getting on the Vlogging bandwagon lately, and I think it's awesome. You'll be surprised at how much you can find out about a person through their Youtube channels, hehe. It took me about 4 months before finally deciding to do this! Let me tell you the story.

In July, well actually until now, I've been having terrible acne breakouts so I was searching Youtube for acne remedies. I'm not a Youtube person because I have a very short attention span; but eventually, I found myself clicking a video after another, watching makeup tutorials and practically wasting my time on Youtube, UGH! I was enjoying it and started imagining myself doing the same thing. And if you guys notice, I'm a pretty talkative person hence the lengthy posts; which is why I thought talking about anything under the sun ~on video~ would be the perfect avenue for me to level up my game!

I'm talkative, yes. But I'm also very awkward. I did a dry run with Youtube for about 4 months, studying the ropes, learning about audience dynamics and what not. I'm not saying I did a full on research on it; I just wanted to make sure I know the platform before I completely immerse myself. Sooooo, a couple of weeks ago, I finally re-launched my channel! I've uploaded a couple of recipes and travelogues on Youtube in the past, but I did so only to treat Youtube as a video dump. I'm proud to say, I've completely revamped that!

I enjoy interacting with my subscribers on Youtube as much as I love talking to you guys! I previously hit the 200-subscriber mark, but since I created a new channel, I'm now back to 25, lol. It's not bad because I love every bit of my little audience since they support my channel and help me become better as a content creator. With that, I invite you guys to visit my channel and come see the videos I've uploaded. My vlogging camera sucks, and I'm sometimes stuck with my iPhone, buuuut, I have a ton of food porn shots for you guys! And yes, even on my Youtube channel, I'm still focused on food because FOOD IS LOYFFFF! On this post I'm including one of the silly YT challenges I did with the boyfriend a few weeks ago. Please don't laugh at me? Or go ahead and laugh, but tell me why? Hahaha! I hope 4 months of preparation is enough to toughen me up if I ever get rude comments or dislikes. PS I won't be abandoning this blog! Each platform would offer a different take on the topics I usually tackle, hehe. Enjoy the video and please subscribe. See you guys on Youtube! :)

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Discover Davao

Discover Davao : Samal Island

I hate starting my blog posts with apologies, to be honest. I know I haven't been religiously posting as promised and I sure wish I had a good enough reason for it--but not really. I have been procrastinating and spending my energy on other things like eating way too much, lol. I've also been exploring new forms of sharing my adventures online. I'll make sure I'll update you guys if I choose to shift platforms! For now, I'm pretty sure I'm keeping this blog but I may have to lessen the posts since the other platform I'm testing right now also requires a lot of work. Still testing the waters but Ill keep you guys posted. For now, on to the blog post!

Our primary goal in visiting Davao was Samal Island since we were only there for about 4 days. Davao City was huge and we knew we wouldn't be able to fit everything in 4 days so we opted to spend most of our time at Samal Island instead. The boyfriend and I both agreed that not being able to explore the city is another reason for us to come back soon! So after staying for a day in Davao City, we decided we'll stay the night and make our way to Samal first thing in the morning.

How To Get There

There are several ways to get to Samal Island. You can choose from the following options :

Go to Sta. Ana Wharf located near Magsaysay Park. From there you can ride a ferry going to the wharf near Kaputian Beach (ideal for those planning to go to Kaputian Beach and to the nearby Talicud Island and Isla Reta)
Go to Sta. Ana Wharf and ride the ferry going to Isla Reta but it's a separate island from Samal
Go to Sasa Wharf and ride a RoRo which would dock at Babak Wharf in Samal (which is a long way from Kaputian Beach but near the Monfort Bat Cave and many resorts)
Go to Sasa Wharf, ride the Island City Express bus which would travel via the RoRo and dock at Babak Wharf, but it will go straight to Kaputian Beach.

We opted for Sasa Wharf since there's a guarantee that a ferry will be there. Our cab driver told us that getting by Ferries via Sta. Ana Whar during weekdays can be a bit scarce and since we didn't have an itinerary--we wanted a sure mode of transportation so we wouldn't be wasting any time. The Ferry from Sasa Wharf docks at Babak Wharf and cost us P10/each.

From Babak Wharf, we hired a Habal-habal to take us around as we look for a place to stay. The Haban-habal cost us P50/each. We were a bit picky with the resorts which is why I was sure we made the most out of the P50 we spent. A few resorts after, we decided to get settled at Punta Del Sol Beach Resort.

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Bulgogi

Food Diary : Kaito Japanese Restaurant

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, by Ochi Bernadas

easy recipe

Kitchen Chronicles : Pan-seared Lamb Loin

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Davao Crocodile Park

Discover Davao : Davao Crocodile Park

It's been months since my Davao trip and I've only gotten around posting the photos now, haha! I'm really sorry. I know summer is over and this guide may be irrelevant, but I hope you can still refer to this in your future travels! As usual, we got our tickets from Cebu Pacific at discounted prices during one of their seat sales. We're the kind of couple that do not necessarily have a bucket list of places we'd like to travel to. We just pick our destinations based on the places we haven't been to, and the seat prices of course, lol. So during the seat sale, we both agreed that Davao it is!

We arrived in Mactan at around lunch time, and because we don't have a proper itinerary, we just searched for a hotel while we were at the airport. For accommodations, we're not picky because we won't be staying in anyway. We were just looking for an affordable air-conditioned room so we can leave our things and start exploring the city. We settled for Midland Inn and got a room for only P700! We had lunch at a nearby carinderia and decided to go our way. Initially, we thought we can visit around 3 tourist spots at the same day (like we did in Cebu), but apparently, Davao is such a vast city that some destinations are hours apart. We had the rest of the afternoon to spare but since time is a challenge when it comes to moving from one spot to another, we decided to visit just one destination for the afternoon and that's Davao Crocodile Park.

The Place

Davao Crocodile Park was originally started by Philip Dizon, due to his fascination with Philippine saltwater and freshwater crocodiles. He did not think of it as a possibly lucrative business until he learned that crocodiles are raised in United States not just for public viewing but for production of leather as well. In November 1995, the government gave him the accreditation and permit to operate the 1st Davao Crocodile Park. 10 years later, on August 18, 2005, the world-class Davao Crocodile Park was opened with the help of consultant Dr. Gilbert Buenviaje. The Davao Crocodile Park Inc. is currently owned and operated by a group of businessmen headed by Mr. Sonny Dizon, a resident of Davao City. (via)

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Friday's 10 Happy Things

Friday's 10 Happy Things | 9

Hi, guys! It's been a while since I did a run down of the things I'm happy and thankful for since I've been crazy busy the past few months. But I realized this is the perfect time to do another listicle so before I procrastinate some more, let's begin!

1. I got a new job! Well, not a new new job but a sideline! I have to work hard because the lifestyle I decided on is expensive, lol. Actually, it's not even expensive. Cost of living here in Manila is just insane! You virtually pay for almost everything. I pay for my utilities, food, accommodation and even my safety aka my daily Uber rides. Hence, the new side job.

2. I'm close to revealing my next project. Probably a few more tweaks here and there and I'll be ready for the big reveal! It's not much but it's a step closer to putting myself out there. :)

3. More restaurant reviews! I've been getting more and more invites to do food and restaurant reviews everyday! My only problem now is that I can't accommodate all of them since I also have a day job, and now, I also just got the other job. In the future I wish to be able to do what I love the most, eat good (or bad) food and talk about it. For now, I'd have to say no to some.

4. My acne breakouts. And yes, I am thankful for these little and huge zits sitting on my face right now. If not for them, I wouldn't be pushed to really research on products that would work well for my oily and acne-prone skin. I have yet to visit a dermatologist but I've completely revamped my skin care routine and I can say it's working slowly but surely. But I'd also want to get myself checked. Any recommendations?

5. Our recent Divisoria trip! I got myself a couple of organizers that will help me redesign my room, or the condo in general. I've been living in the same condo for over 2 years now but somehow haven't found the time to decorate my living room, kitchen, bathroom etc. And Divisoria is just the perfect place to look for cute wall designs, mirrors, organizers and a lot more. I even got myself a few DIY arts and crafts.

6. Living a minimalist lifestyle. Prior to implementing this mantra, I used to have a whole bunch of clutter beneath my queen-sized bed. I'm happy to report that those are all gone now! I was able to throw away a ton of stuff I've been keeping just because I love hoarding things. The ones I don't use, I've either sold in a garage sale or donated to someone. I've yet to clear up more space in my room; but up next, clothes, huhu!

7. Decorating my room. I tell you, my room is more basic than a basic bitch. I'm a lazy person and I hate putting up stuff for aesthetics purposes. I just like hoarding things, lol. But with my newfound minimalism, I've been utilizing more space in my room than ever. I was also able to free up a space that I can use for short workout sessions (as if!), haha. But now, I don't know why, it feels as if I want a zen-like place to come home to every night. No more clutter! #titasofmanila

8. Leveling up in Pokemon GO! I'm now a level 21 Pokemon trainer! I've been meaning to create an article about Pokemon GO because I've been a raving fan ever since forever. But I can't think of one that's not yet already out there, lol. If I discover something throughout my Poke journey, maybe I'll share it with you guys. For now, I need one more Eevee to I can evolve into Vaporeon. Any suggestions where I should go?

9. My sister's successful operation. Earlier this year, a huge cysts was observed on my sister's left breast. Good thing when the biopsy was done, they found out that it's just a benign cyst. She's in the process of recovery right now, but your prayers will be appreciated!

10. Celebrating my first year anniversary with the boyfriend! I can't believe it has been a year since I decided to say yes to love again. I know it's quite the cliche but you guys know the terrible past I've had to deal with. But anyway, I'll share a couple of photos maybe on my next blog post. Most of my photos were blurry because I was too happy that night. <3 p="">

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What are the things that made you happy this week?

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Baguio eats

Where to eat in Baguio : Chaya Japanese Restaurant

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Carbonara

The Piggery : Unleash Your Inner Pig!

With the numerous choices you'd have to deal with when going to Maginhawa, sometimes you can't help but look for something relatively close to home. And when it comes to food that's close to home, nothing beats pork. It's as good as it gets. When we got invited to try One-Fifty Food Place's The Piggery, I was a bit skeptical since I'm already trying to eat healthy. You can check my #BaonSeries on Facebook for proof, lol!

But anyway, I'm easily swayed when it comes to food so the boyfriend only had to ask me a couple more times for me to say yes. I had to cut down on food for some days of the week because I know I will be maximizing my cheat day credits when I get there.

The Place

One-Fifty Food Place isn't difficult to find. It was raining during our visit, but good thing the place had a covered area so our dining experience wasn't ruined. There are several other stall around the area, just like other food parks, in any case you and your friends can't really decide on a specific cuisine. Just make sure though that you come in early because seats go out fast. The toilets are clean as well so no worries if you have to do #2,

The Food

For our appetizer, we had Three Little Pigs (P350), which is pork cooked three ways in sampler sizes. It had Chairman Chops, Bacon Chips and Tonkatsu Nuggets, with each sampler having its own delightful sauce. My favorite among the three was the bacon chips because come on, who doesn’t love bacon? More so if it’s cooked in a way where you can literally eat it like chips! Their Bacon chips was full of crispy awesomeness, with just the right amount of fatty goodness.

After our first dish, which actually didn’t seem like an appetizer at all, we indulged ourselves with a hefty serving of Pork Steak Salpicao (P140/P260). Had we known that it’ll give us a full stomach, we wouldn’t have ordered rice with it! They weren’t kidding with their biik/baboy serving sizes. The pork was tender and the sauce had the right consistency.

The Kapampangan in me also wouldn’t miss the chance to have a taste of their Sisig so we had The Piggery Rice (P140/P260), which is The Piggery’s signature Sisig + Rice + Egg. We had to skip on the rice because the first two dishes already filled us to the brim. The Sisig was crunchy and tasty, everything that you could ever hope for in a pork-filled dream. Not only was their concoction amazing, can you imagine Sisig topped with Chicharon bits? Well, imagine no more as this is a reality at The Piggery.

To complement the ala carte Sisig, we also had Sisig Carbonara (P140/P260)! I know, too much pork. But this is what we signed up for and I was not going to give up easily. Plus, who wouldn’t get curious with a dish that’s usually eaten with rice, but is now combined with pasta?

Up next, as if we haven’t had too much pork already, we had Nacho Sisig (P150/P280). It’s a good thing that we didn’t finish all our ala carte Sisig because we just had to top our nachos off with some more Sisig! The white corn nachos, Sisig and nacho cheese was a divine combination. And I thought Nachos could only get better with Nacho cheese--I was obviously wrong!

At this point, I was pretty sure I was ready to give up. But we were served a couple of bite-sized buns. I was curious because it looked like a fusion of American-Chinese food. And true enough, it was. For our last dish, we had Philly Bao (P120/P220). It’s like Philly Cheesesteak + Chinese Pork Buns. My first bite was heaven! The golden buns perfectly complemented the pork steak, sautéed onions and cheese sauce! Aside from the bacon chips, these cute buns are obviously on top of my list. The way they’re served is just cherry on top, I mean, Philly Bao’s on wooden steamers? I couldn’t ask for more.

With everything that we had, we couldn’t muster the strength to still have dessert. We just downed the drinks that we had prior to devouring all the porky goodness. And I think it’s worth mentioning that their drinks also come in biik and baboy sizes, in 1liter and 2 liter servings respectively. And just in case you’re wondering, yes, they’re gigantic. The Calamansi juice drink (P100/P180) tasted fresh, and I also ended up eating the Milo powder on top of the Milo dinosaur (P120/P200).

Overall, dining at The Piggery felt like eating at a buffet with an all-pork menu. This was the food stall that really tested my limits when it comes to Pork. At the end of the day, pork is still a huge Filipino comfort food, and if I were to waste my cheat day again, doing it at The Piggery would definitely be on my list.

The Piggery

Budget - P100 - P150/ person

4PM - 12MN | +63 9178248158

One Fifty Food Place, 150 Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Arab Food

Kitchen Chronicles : Shakshouka (Eggs in Hell)

Hey, guys! Things have been cray for the past month. I thought all this craziness would end by July, but turns out I'll be doing four simultaneous projects at work, lol. So, I'll be busy until probably September or early October. I am also working on something new and fairly big for my online audience. I don't want to reveal yet what it's all about as I'm still going through the usual due diligence shit, just to make sure this will be good for me and my audience. With all that, you probably already know why I've been posting less content for the past month.

I have also been addicted to makeup recently! I don't even know why I dabbled into the vast world of makeup! Man, this addiction is expensive af! But anyway, more on that on a separate blog post. I know I've been posting mostly about restaurant reviews and travel itineraries in the past weeks so to break the monotony, I'll be posting a recipe! This recipe is a combination of the ingredients I've seen on Tasty, Youtube and other food bloggers I follow online. I adjusted the recipe based on my preference.

Shakshouka or shakshuka (Arabic: شكشوكة‎‎; Hebrew: שקשוקה‎‎ ) is a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, often spiced with cumin. It is believed to have a Jewish, North Africa origin. Shakshouka means "a mixture" in Libyan Arabic or other Maghrebi Arabic dialects. It is likely that it was first known as chakchouka, a Berber word meaning a vegetable ragout,although "shakshek" means "to shake", in Libyan Arabic, Berber and Hebrew, giving a possible Punic origin to the name of the dish.(via)

Ingredients

1 can diced Tomatoes

4 large Eggs

4 cloves Garlic

1 big Onion

1 tbsp Tomato paste

1 tbsp Salt (adjust as necessary)

1 tbsp Pepper

1 tsp Paprika

1 tbbsp Chili Powder (optional)

1 tsp Cumin

1 tbsp Sugar

1 red Bell Pepper

Parsley (for garnish)

Olive Oil

Procedure

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Saute onions and garlic until soft.

2. Add the bell pepper and saute for about 5-7 minutes or until they're cooked to your preferred texture.

3. Once the bell pepper is cooked, add cumin, paprika, tomato paste and sugar. Stir well and allow mixture to simmer for a few minutes.

4. Once the mixture has simmered, add the diced tomatoes. At this point, you can adjust the taste and add more sugar or salt and cayenne pepper based on your preferred flavor.

5. Crack the eggs, one at a time, on top of the tomato mixture. Making sure that there's enough space in between the eggs.

6. Cover the pan and cook for about 5-8 more minutes, depending on how you want the eggs to be cooked.

7. Once the eggs are cooked, you can top it off with pepper and garnish with parsley.

A few notes on the dish, I had a bit of trouble making sure there's enough space between the eggs so make sure you use a large skillet. The canned tomatoes also tasted a bit more sour than fresh tomatoes, which in turn prompted me to add more salt. Next time I make the dish, I'm using fresh tomatoes. Other than that, I loved it! This dish is easily customizable and is best served with hot garlic bread on the side!

They say dish is mostly eaten during breakfast but I'd it have any time of day! You can also easily combine this with pasta, and you have yourself a full meal. I have a ton of other quick recipes saved on Facebook that I have yet to try. I'll keep you guys posted. For now, back to doing more work for my personal and professional projects! If you want more real time updates, follow me on Snapchat @Pornstarbetty! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

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, by Ochi Bernadas

batangas

My Birthday Weekday : Calatagan, Batangas

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Friday's 10 Happy Things

Friday's 10 Happy Things | 8

Aaaah, it's finally Friday! And while I still have a busy weekend ahead of me, I'm still glad I'll be able to drink until the wee hours of the morning later. Well, not that I didn't do that last Wednesday; the only difference is, I get to stay in bed for 12hrs since it's a Saturday tomorrow. Yasssss! I'm thrilled to share with everyone some itty-bitty details about my week. Let's begin!

1. Writing opportunities. A few months ago, I decided to rekindle my love for writing by being active again in a certain site I used to write for. I also started blogging more about my food adventures and travels! I just have to schedule my posts and my blog will have consistent content in no time! Note to self : don't be seduced by food. Learn how to document first before taking a bite, lol!

2. Event invites! I've been receiving several invites to do food reviews and attend brand events lately. The food reviews I have no problem doing since it’s something I’m addicted to – taking photos and eating! The event invites on the other hand, I don’t attend most of them because I get intimidated by other attendees (i.e Fashion influencers, popular bloggers, etc,). I sort of have this feeling that I won’t fit in which is why I usually turn them down. Still thankful though for the opportunities though!

3. Savings and Investments! I’ve been saving for something for about two months now, and hopefully by August, I’ll be able to finally see the result of hours of sweat and blood, I kid, haha! I’ve been trying to spend less on Sashimi since it takes a whole lot on my monthly paycheck.

4. Made an amateur wedding video! The boyfriend’s brother got wed two weeks ago. I took a few clips here and there and put it all together, it’s like our gift for the newlyweds, haha. Since we’re both saving up for something, we had to be creative with our wedding gift! I’m attaching the video; let me know what you think!

5. I found the perfect wedding song. Having had to attend several weddings over the past few months, I’ve come to realize I haven’t thought of my own wedding song yet—the kind of song that will spark every bit of emotion in my body. One day at work while listening to Spotify, a suggested song caught my attention—I almost cried. It captures everything I want to feel and have on my wedding. Not that I’m getting married anytime soon, but I’m lining up songs because, well, it’s fun.

6. Rekindling my love for drinking. I love drinking! My love affair with alcohol started in college since Baguio seemed like the perfect haven to train an alcoholic padawan. I started to drink less when I was working for IBM since I couldn’t find the energy to do so after a tiring shift at work. But since my new company allows a steady stream of work-life balance, I’ve been drinking for 4 straight days now! If I drink today, well then I get a complete attendance for the week. Health-wise I know it’s not the best stress reliever, so I’ll probably give my body some rest next week.

7. Spearheading a project at work. I’m loving a lot of things at work lately. Since my last project was a success, I was tasked to lead a pretty huge IT-related project. It’s tedious and tiring since I don’t know shit about technical side of the project. But I’m more than thankful because I have a bunch of awesome technical leads to help me out in that area.

8. I have a work crush! Well, I only have one work crush, really, since I joined the company. This lad had been on my radar (lol), 3 months into joining the company, haha! Of course I forgot about him when I got into a relationship (Hi, boyfriend!). But I’ve had a chance to work with him in the past few weeks and hang out with him at a certain company event, which sort of rekindled my fascination with him. DISCLAIMER : ♪ ♫ It’s just a little crush, not like I faint every time we touch. ♪ ♫

9. This song! I friend on Twitter posted this, and can I just say the cover art is lulzy full of awesome? Haha! It reminds me of the songs my parents used to listen to on Sundays!

10. OITNB later! Ah, the pleasure of watching a whole season of your favorite series over the weekend. Thank you, Netflix! The weather is cooperating too! We’ve been experiencing a little rain over the past few days which automatically translates to horrendous traffic, which is why staying in would be the perfect weekend activity. I miss my bed already!

And there you have it. This week was indeed full of fun things and surprises! I can’t wait to start the weekend and deal with everything else in between. I don’t know where all this enthusiasm is coming from. Might be the alcohol, lol! Have a lovely weekend, folks!

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How was your week?