Ochi In The City

Kitchen Chronicles : Bibimguksu 비빔국수 | Korean Spicy Mixed Noodles

I hope you guys are having an awesome Monday despite the transport strike we're having today. I would opt to talk more about the plight of our Jeepney drivers and operators buuuut, this isn't the right avenue. Follow me on Twitter and let's engage in a healthy discussion, okay? Anyway. I just had my late breakfast and I was in the mood to photograph my food and post about it, lol. I'm so thrilled that my new camera allows seamless wireless sharing. With my DSLR I have to hook everything up to my laptop, but this new baby--I can just connect it to my phone and voila--I have the pictures!

Which leads me to today's post--a new recipe! It's easier to post new recipes lately because of my new camera! Huhu, thank you boyfriend. My phone was stolen around December last year so I can't really rely on the one I'm using for post-worthy photos. Anywaaaaay, I just had this super easy recipe for breakfast. It'll only yake you 10 to 15mins tops! Let's begin, shall we?

Ingredients

Spaghetti

1 tbsp of soysauce

1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1 1/2 tbsp seasoned red pepper paste

1 cup diced kimchi

1 tbsp finely chopped green onion

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 egg (optional)

*For seasoned red pepper paste (Gochujang):

1 cup red pepper paste

4 tbsp soysauce

1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp honey

1 clove minced garlic

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp sesame seeds

Procedure

1. For the seasoned red pepper paste, combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

2. Next, cook noodles according to package directions.

3. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.

4. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, seasoned red pepper paste and diced kimchi. Mix well with the noodles.

5. Top with green onion, sesame seeds and hard-boiled or sunny side up egg!

Notes :

The original recipe calls for Somyeon Noodles but I don't really like the texture since it tends to get too soft so I changed it to spaghetti. In my opinion, you can use any noodle that you want. Please also take note that the Gochujang can be very spicy. I recommend starting with half the amount on the recipe and building it up from there. If you want this to be all-out vegan, just skip the egg and you're good to go. You can serve it with lettuce instead of the egg! Another tip, make a lot of sauce and keep it in a container so the next time you crave for this dish, all you have to do is cook the noodles!

And there you have it, easy peasy breakfast, lunch or dinner recipe! It has the perfect sweet and spicy kick to it that's perfect for my taste. Of course you can always adjust the recipe as needed! Everything depends on your own preference anyway--this is just a guide. While I was having this for breakfast earlier, I also had pickled radish on the side. I'll be putting the recipe up on my next post. For now, back to work. Have an awesome week, guys!

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Stylewe : Designers AT Your Fingertips

I'm a lazy person, I think every body knows that. This comes especially taxing whenever I have to buy new clothing items for certain events. For example going to the beach, attending a wedding, etc. And with the horrendous traffic and growing amount of number in malls during weekends, you can't expect me to go out just to buy one piece of clothing! I mean, I'm not just lazy--I'm also practical. THANK GOD FOR ONLINE SHOPPING!

I've been obsessed with online shopping for as long as I can remember. One problem though that I seem to experience every time is that the clothes mostly seem generic. If I were to spend money on something I'd see for the first time upon delivery, I have to make sure it's worth every penny. That's where Stylewe comes in. Stylewe is an online shopping platform featuring different independent fashion designers. They're committed to providing shoppers with original, high-quality and exclusive fashion products from independent designers which is why it won't be impossible to fall in love at first sight. I took the liberty of picking a few designs from the site to give you amazing outfits you can find from their site!

ROMPERS

We've all been feeling the summer heat lately, let's admit it. Two weeks of awesome cold weather and now we have the complete opposite! But at the bright side, it's also the perfect opportunity for Rompers. Rompers are the perfect outfit during summer because not only are they casual, they're also pretty easy to pair with anything! You can do flats, you can do flip-flops, you can do sandals--the possibilites are endless!

PARTY DRESSES

Since I've become more active in writing, I have been invited to several events and sometimes I find myself not having the right attire for the event, lol. I mostly have super formal/office dresses or really casual for-the-beach type dresses, no in between! While looking at Stylewe's website, I fell in love with so many party dresses--particularly in Royal Blue. I recently wore a royal blue balloon skirt to a wedding and I just realized how classy it can make an outfit look.

SEXY DRESSES

Aside from events, weddings are one to many of the things I've been attending lately. Just for January and February, I think I've already attended 4 weddings in total. And while I of course want to look sexy in my dress, I couldn't compromise the food which is why I love going for Maxi style dresses. I can look sexy and classy but at the same time still get to eat anything I want from the buffet table, lol!

I know I said I'm currently on a tight budget but I can't resist putting a couple of items on my cart. But of course I made sure these clothing pieces can be used over and over. Most of the clothes in Stylewe are! They're not only stylist but they're also very functional. If you happen to look at their amazing designs, let me know which one tickles your fancy! I'm currently looking for new pairs to wear for yet another wedding, haha!

DISCLAIMER : This is a sponsored post. All thoughts expressed on this article are my own.

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, by Ochi Bernadas

bits and pieces

Bits + Pieces

I love the fact that I've been getting a lot of sponsorship opportunities lately, and that most of them really cater to my audience, and of course, me! I try to make each post as personal as possible so as not to lose touch that you're still reading x post based on the thoughts of a real person. But somehow when I look at all the posts I've done, I feel there's something missing when I scroll through my blog's feed. Then I realize I haven't been posting about what I've been up to lately! Despite the blog focusing on food and travel, I'd still want to make it a point to post about what's going on with me lately.

This blog started as a personal blog and I love putting in bits and pieces of what's happening to me every once in a while. I also like looking back to the things I've posted, nostalgia yknow. And what's the point of all these food reviews and travels if I don't even get to read about what's been happening to me some xx years later? Lol, and yes, I do read my blog--quite often actually. Is that weird? Anyway, I think it has been months since my last quick update, so let me take you in on a few things that happened to me this February!

1. Valentines date with the boyfriend!

Prior to being a relationship with this guy, I never really celebrated Valentines Day 'cause I've always seen it as a capitalist social construct. Man, but this guy--he just makes me do things I didn't imagine ever doing, haha! Last year he surprised me with a Japanese feast (my favorite), balloons and flowers at the roof deck of their home in Tagaytay. I'm not used to shit like that, so this year, I decided to surprise him instead. Haha! Nothing fancy, just an all-out romantic dinner at Resorts World Manila called Dine Under The Stars--and he loved it. I also loved it because I did it 2 weeks before V-day, haha! No horrible traffic anywhere and prices are 3x cheaper than the actual V-day, lol. Will also post about this soon!

2. Exploring Korean Skin care.

I'm currently experiencing the worst breakout of my life. Before this tragedy hit me, I would always go into the office without makeup on--just my cheek tint and lip tint. Oh, and my baby powder. My friends would actually laugh at my kikay kit, But now, I have to put concealer and foundation to cover up my scars because my job is client-facing, huhu. Around June last year, I started breaking out like crazy. I'm on my 7th month of jumping from one dermatologist to another because they can't seem to figure out the cause. I've lost a lot of money, and now, I'm in the process of testing Korean Skin care products after thorough research. They're expensive AF, but so far, my skin's reacting positively. More about this when I finally gather the courage to post about my acne story!

3. Eating healthy.

Ever since my skin broke out last year, I've been trying to eat healthy. For a few months, I always insisted my diet had nothing to do with it since it has always been that way. But hey, what do I know? I guess my body chemistry change and it does now. With that, I've been making my own home-cooked meals to be sure that I only consume things that will eventually help me get rid of this horrendous breakout.

4. Reuniting with a friend.

After almost 8 years of not seeing each other, one of my best buds from college finally came back to the Philippines! She moved to NY after graduation and we haven't seen each other ever since. We stayed in contact of course, but nothing beats having to see her in the flesh--and hugging the guts out of her 'cause I missed her so much.

5. Condo hunting!

I know, I know, at this age I should've accomplished more, right? I believe we all progress at our own pace. I have responsibilities at home which is why it took me several years before finally deciding to buy my own place. And it is damn hard! Primarily because I really want a house. No matter how nice the interiors are, I just can't seem to see myself investing money in a shoe box. But yknow, it's the most practical and feasible option as of the moment since most business districts are located either in Makati, BGC or Ortigas. Prices are sky high but we all gotta adult somehow.

6. Unlimited Crab!

The boyfriend and I recently reviewed this amazing place that offers unlimited crab for such an affordable price. If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you'd already know the place. But if not, stay tuned because I'll be posting it in a few weeks. Ack, yes, sorry. In a few weeks because I still have a ton of back logs to finish, hehe.

7. Eating sushi and sashimi!

Because I've been saving up for my own place, one of the things I had to cut back was my Japanese food budget, lol. Before, the boyfriend and I would make it a point to eat Sashimi at least once a week. And you know how the prices go. Last weekend though, my sister who's studying in Baguio decided to visit me here and I think it was the perfect occasion for some sashimi, haha.

8. In love with the boyfriend's nephew.

I've always said that I love babies--but only if they're not mine. That still rings true to this day. The boyfriend's sister-in-law gave birth to this adorable baby in December. And we've been babysitting him as much as we can during weekends. It's been 4 months of interesting weekends with this cutiepatootie, and to be honest, I don't mind the milk he pukes on me every time he gets too full. Or when he farts quietly it stinks up the whole room, haha!

9. New friends!

Last year, I joined an event in the office and had a chance to know these amazing individuals. My job is in no way related to theirs, heck I don't even speak the kind of technical language they do. One person from the group does Mathematics (which I hate,btw), and the others are on IT and Electronics Engineering, lol. But to the core, we do have a couple of similarities and that's knowing how to have a good time which we've been doing quite a lot lately, haha. Cheers to new friends!

And there you have it. I know I said quick update, but I just realized there's so much I haven't been sharing with you guys. Not that a lot of people would read this. But, as always my question would be, would I read this xxx years after? And the answer is yes. I don't just solely write for the people who read my blog, I also write for myself. Is that weird? Either way, it makes me happy. I just hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do. 'Til next time, lovelies!