WILD ABOUT RETAIL

MOVED!

2010-09-26T08:59:00.000+08:00

Don't worry, The Shala Girl is still blogging!!
I ALREADY MOVED TO THIS SWEET SPOT: HTTP://WWW.WILDABOUTRETAIL.COM

Do click that link and enjoy a brand spankin' new and more awesome Wild About Retail!
See ya on the other side chicas! ;)

I need a soft launch!

2010-09-21T00:16:00.004+08:00

I've been a Sperry fan ever since I started walking. I'd often wear my dad's boat shoes and fall around the house because my feet were insanely tiny (then). I thought I was so fasyon already- me in my cartoony playclothes plus my dad's neat Topsiders. Never thought that boat shoes would always be on style!

To reminisce the good ol' days, I slipped on my very own pair of Sperry's today to match my striped white shirt and cutoff denims. I had to get them from a kids shoe store, even though my feet are crazy long and thin.

Anyways, The Shala Girl is now on Tumblr! Sorry for the announcement delay but I have been busy with so many things (shipping boxes, work, etc.) that all I could do was change the layout of this blog. So from now on chicas, The Shala Girl will be blogging here and there! I'll try my best to go back to regular programming ASAP. I'm lunging myself to a lot of things (hint: textile) so that I can share a lot of mod chattels!

Here's to the soft launch! LOL maybe I need to do something xxxtra when I get a formal domain!

Origami Jewellery

2010-09-20T18:28:00.001+08:00

Popularized as the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, Origami can now be also known as jewellery. French duo Claire Naa (she kinda looks like Lisa Kudrow) and Arnaud Soulignac got very interested in the endless possibility of folding paper into nifty creations, hence Origami Jewellery was born. The precious shapes of Tsuru (crane), rabbit, deer, and triceratops are turned from paper and thread to gold and silver.

I love this Pegasus pendant! Its chrome-ish color is absolutely darling; definitely stunning when worn with something white.

Here are the other pendant designs of Origami Jewellery:

Origami Jewellery is available in Europe, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. You can also get these stylish cuties online.

Armani Denim Video Ads

2010-09-17T16:06:00.000+08:00

What do you get when you want uber hot and vivacious in one sandwich? Well first, Armani takes a breather from all the thinspiring girls doing the catwalk by giving in to society's moans and demands. Then Armani gets Real Madrid's Cristian Ronaldo and Transformers' Megan Fox, and places them in individual hotel rooms, with smokin' room service and housekeeping. For your enjoyment, just sit back, watch the video ads and this sandwich is going to be served to you - hot and yummy.

COMMES des GARCONS PLAY

2010-09-15T09:23:00.001+08:00

COMMES des GARCONS is now out with their new toned-yet-cute line called PLAY. The whole PLAY collection comprises of graphic tees, long-sleeves and knits that don the brand's signature heart logo, designed by Filip Pagowski.

I lurve COMMES des GARCONS heart logo, ain't it cute? I'd totally wear these tops on a usual day of strolling around the streets or being on "play" in the malls!

COMMES des GARCONS PLAY is available and just playing around HAVEN! Swipe now!

St. Scho x Swatch

2010-09-10T14:52:00.004+08:00

SWATCH and St. Scholastica's College, Manila High School Batch 86 is proud to present the St. Scho Commemorative Swatch watch, as part of their 25th Silver Jubilee Anniversary celebration.

The launch of the St. Scho Swatch watch will be held today at The Gallery, Greenbelt 5. 500 pieces of this nifty time reminder will be available to the Kulasa public, and sale proceeds will go directly to St. Scholastica's College, Manila's Corazon C. Aquino Professional Scholarship Seat.

This time piece has a watch strap design that features symbols of the Scholastican ideals of Ora et Labora and Pax in the school's colors of blue and white. And it's just priced at PHP 3,500!

I'm not really a fan of wearing watches, but I'm thinking of purchasing this one as a memorabilia! It just screams of high school memories everytime I look at it! And it pretty matches the kulasa uniform, don't you think?

K Scholasticans, get yours TODAY!

I like girls that wear Abercrombie & Fitch

2010-09-09T13:08:00.000+08:00

Kicking retail aside, the music-sphere is grieving for the loss of the genius who sang one of the greatest songs that defined my transition from lower to upper school. Rest in peace, Rich Cronin. I will always be a Summer Girl, but it wouldn't hurt to be the Girl on TV.

Can't Wait for Glee?

2010-09-06T13:49:00.000+08:00

To my fellow Gleeks, the long wait will soon be over! Summer is dunzo and a lot of our favorite TV shows will be back in the primetime slot. We all missed the music, the pizzazz, and all that jazz! Glee is promising that this season will be heavy with surprises- heard Kurt's getting a new boyfriend!

Now, block off September 21 on your calendar for Glee's 2nd season premier! Still think fifteen days is too long? Here's something to hold off your excitement :)

More after the jump!

H&M Collaboration Peek

2010-09-02T15:28:00.001+08:00

Guess who has another collab with fashion's greatest staple!

H&M will be doing another collaboration on their new collection with one of fashion's historic names, Lanvin! Here are sneak peeks on the collaboration to be launched this September 9. Little birdies told me that Alber Elbaz will be part of this! So awesome!

I am so thrilled for this since H&M is a closet resident of mine. I really really like their pieces, especially their color palette. You can never go wrong with an H&M item. Sucks though that the brand isn't available (yet) in Manille; hope they build one soon!

Ashley Olsen On Fashion Mag Cover

2010-08-26T18:31:00.000+08:00

Gracing Fashion Magazine's September 2010 issue cover is actress-turned-designer Ashley Olsen! She look fab as ever. Also, inside the stylish magazine is the golden girl's photo shoot- trust me, the pieces on her are gorgeous.

Best Yang Chow in Chinatown!

2010-07-15T10:47:00.004+08:00

I think every city in this world has a Chinatown. May it be in Canada, Philippines, United Kingdom, even in the US! It's a global staple. A lot of the states here in the US of A have at least one Chinese store or restaurant. Of course, New York isn't an exception.

We went to Chinatown to buy cheap fridge goods (a.k.a. meat, fish, vegetables, etc.) and got a bit hungry a little while after strolling a great part of the place. A few steps away from us was an underground restaurant, dubbed by many people - even Hollywood celebrities - as a great place for authentic Chinese cuisine.

We went down the stairs just above the Hop Kee Restaurant sign. It was a small place which was right below a dimsum place. It didn't have that usual Chinese restaurant smell, but they do have really fast service!

We ordered a few items on the menu just to keep us fueled for the afternoon walk. When the Yang Chow Fried Rice arrived on our table, I was a bit hesitant to try it because it was white. It looked dry compared to the usual Yang Chow that I would eat in Chinese restaurants in Manila. Nonetheless, I took the first dip.

One spoon and I was in Yang Chow heaven! It was flavorful, it had a lot of good stuff in it, and it had only teeny tiny bit of oil! Back in Manila, I'd always request the waiters to hold up the oil on my Yang Chow because I found the dish delicious but kind of greasy. But this one, oh my it is just perfect! We had three orders of Yang Chow- yes, its THAT good!

Other items that we ordered (clockwise): Beef with Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce, Clams in Spicy Black Bean Sauce (THE BEST SAUCE!), Fried Flounder

They were so nice, they even served us Fortune Cookies!

Okay, now I know where to get my yummy fix of Yang Chow in the city! Too bad they don't do deliveries in apartments, but that's the thrill of it I guess. Having to walk 12 blocks to get to Hop Kee for a scrumptious Chinese meal, NOT BAD!!

Hop Kee Restaurant

21 Mott Street, New York City

One hand in the air for the BIG CITY!

2010-07-12T13:34:00.003+08:00

The Shala Girl has now landed in the concrete jungle! After a long woozy flight from the tropics, I am finally here in the land of shopping and martini glasses. Any MUST-GO-TO places that I should shop/eat/stroll/whatnot at? Hit me up with comments! I would lurve to try those places :)

FOREVER 21!

2010-06-24T11:18:00.003+08:00

FINALLY! I know all you shala girls (and girls at heart) have been praying to the fashion deities for this. Now, the wait will soon be over! Forever 21 will dock on Manila Shores this July 2 at SM Megamall A Level 2. Snaps for the PI, we now get another stash of awesome and fabulous fashwear!

See you on July 2!

MTV Movie Awards 2010

2010-06-08T18:50:00.003+08:00

Twinkling stars have gathered for this year's MTV Movie Awards! Among the highlights of this affair hosted by Aziz Ansari is Katy Perry's takeover onstage along with Snoop Dogg, plus Christina Aguilera's hit comeback. And of course, The Shala Girl's eyes didn't forget to glance upon the celebs who walked on MTV's red carpet.

The Hilton sisters are fab! As always.

Reel-and-Real life couple Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron look so swell. I find Vanessa's dress pretty cute, too!

Tom Felton, anyarehhh??? :o

Jesse Williams reminds me of JT. So much.

Piolo Pascual for lunch!

2010-06-05T13:06:00.004+08:00

Century has just launched another addition to the line of their products: BANGUS! Internationally known as milkfish, it will now be available to the Philippine market in a vacuum-sealed pack, thanks to Century.

Century held a press conference for this special product of theirs, as the endorser of Century Bangus is special as well. Why, you ask? OMG I am giddy as I type this! If for their tuna variant their endorsers are Angel Locsin and Derek Ramsay (insert swoons and gasps here), their bangus variant dons.... PIOLO PASCUAL! Holy Moo. :))

The presscon was held at Enderun, this shala culinary school at Fort. It was quaint, but extraordinary in architecture. From the outside, it looks like the dorm school from the cartoon Madeline. If I was studying here, I would have loved to go to school everyday. Their interiors inspire me so much!

When we got inside the main building (I suppose), press people were swarming over drinks, and fussing over their presskits. We were directed to the second floor for the main event. Inside the room was a big kitchen set-up with about 50 seats facing it. We were the last ones to get in so we were lucky enough to stay in front.

Guess who was there?? The yaya from KimmyDora! I lurrrve that movie!

China Cojuangco was the host of the event. After starting with a warm greeting, she introduced the new TVC of Century Bangus, followed with the moment that everyone was waiting for...

Yes, Piolo Pascual in the flesh, sweet face, and muscular body! He was there to demonstrate how to cook his favorite dish, Century Bangus ala Aglio Olio with Chef Hearty.

They started preparing the ingredients for the dish. They brought out olive oil, freshly chopped tomatoes, butter, pepper, cilantro, and of course, Century Premium Marinated Bangus Belly.

I got hungry halfway through the cooking process, because the dish had a yummy smell! I'm a big fan of fish and pasta, so seeing hot Papa P and Chef Hearty making the scrumptious Aglio Olio was so tempting. After a few flips, the pasta was ready for presentation.

Isn't it beautiful? I promised myself when I get home, I'm making something like that for mi chico.

Guess who was also there during the presscon!

Coach Rio and Carlos

Melo and China

It was so nice to see and meet a lot of people! They were really nice! Hope I get to bump into them again soon. :)

As for the final hurrah, we headed to the biggest hall of the campus for the big meal. There were tables everywhere, with a long buffet table at the center. The food was overflowing with bangus! They served a lot of bangus variants- Tocino, breaded, bruschetta, seared, and whatnot! I srsly got full from all the fish I ate. I personally liked the bruschetta and Bangus sauteed with cilantro and tomatoes with garlic rice. Definitely yummo!

The Shala Girl on Crackberry

2010-06-04T14:51:00.000+08:00

I'm testing my Bold 9700 if it works on Blogger email posting thing. All the others have the Wordpress App, but I'm on Blogger. Oh well, hello world from my BB!

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld

The Shala Girl Lurves: Red Mango Blueberries n' Cream Waffle

2010-06-01T14:52:00.002+08:00

For the longest time, I haven't been on a date with my lovely chichi girls! Good thing we all had a common free time last weekend, and the three of us agreed to meet at Eastwood. Afterhaving lunch, we decided to get something for our sweet tooth and stumbled upon Red Mango.

I tried their Blueberries n' Cream Waffles with yogurt. (Php 125) It was awesome! Being a waffle lover myself, I'm big on crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside- and Red Mango perfected it! Their waffle even came in a cute heart shape!

To all dessert lovers out there, try Red Mango's waffles. It's definitely delish!

Red Mango

located at Eastwood Mall, TriNoma, SM Megamall, and Greenbelt 3

Legend of India

2010-05-31T14:41:00.005+08:00

The moment I broke the news that I'm out of house arrest, Carlos told me that he's going to bring me to his food club dinner at Legend of India. I just said "Ok" but really, I was quite nervous. I didn't know most of the foodies there, and I was the youngest!

When we got there, it was like.. a family reunion! The only thing that was missing was Chinese food. Richard, Irene, Chris, Jane, Rowena, and Peter greeted us when Carlos and I arrived. He introduced me to everyone, and we started picking out seats.

After a few minutes, Fran, Paul, and Candice arrived and the club was complete. Food started coming in and everyone got down to business- chitchats and photographs.

I was pretty much excited to try Indian cuisine since it's something that I don't encounter on a daily basis. First plate on our table was the Pani Puri. Its small flaky buns in mint water. Inside the small crispy buns are corn kernels and monggo sprouts. Akun, the owner of Legend of India, showed us how to eat Pani Puri- dunk it in the mint water! Irene and Peter got fascinated when the Pani Puri was brimming with mint water. I got amazed too! We were chowing it a pa-demure and wrong way!

The second dish that came was the Chicken Kathi Roll. Basically, it's chicken sauteed with onions and Indian spices, rolled in romali roti. This is my personal fave! The romali roti had the same texture as that of a soft tortilla. It gave this burrito feel to the mouth, but with a distinct Indian taste. This dish didn't last on the table! Everyone started grabbing their share after taking photos of this delish item.

We also got the chance to try Amritsar Fish- grilled boneless fish marinated in a special mix of Indian herbs and spices. This one tasted quite ordinary, more like normal grilled Cobbler fish that we cook at home.

Akun served three stew-type dishes to us: Paneer Kadai (left), Chicken Vindaloo (right), and Rogan Josh (not in photo). Paneer Kadai is cottage cheese cooked in kadai masala. It was tasty, and hard a right mix of hinted sour cheese with spicy sauce. Not a familiar taste to me, but still interesting. The Chicken Vindaloo and Rogan Josh had the same thing going on. Difference was that the Chicken Vindaloo, well, had chicken in it and the Rogan Josh had mutton (lamb). I enjoyed both dishes for its soft meat perfectly smothered with spices and hot spicy gravy.

Oh this one is my favorite! Their Vegetable Biryani is ultimate! It was waaaay better than Paella and Fried Rice! I'm a big fan of spices and vegetable, and this dish did deliver a good combination of the two. I helped myself with generous servings of this rice pilaf (of sorts). Really awesome!

This is Masala Papad. Too bad I wasn't able to try this, but Peter said it was good.

To cap off our meal, we had Kulfi. It's the ice cream of Indian cuisine. Now this dish needs some getting used to before you can really say that's it's worth the chew. At first bite, it would taste weird. No, odd! It had this wood-shaving impression in my mouth (I'm not kidding)! Richard only took two tries but failed to finish the whole dessert. Chris finished his though, saying that it was good. Well, it is. You only have to finish chewing it before you can appreciate its taste.

The food was absolutely great! The great company also added to what I dub a great night. To the food club: Thanks for having me! Hope to have more adventures like this with you! Adopt me as a member, please! :)

Legend of India

located at 114B Jupiter St., Bel-Air 2, Makati City

contact the restaurant at 836-4232

The Shala Girl Lurves: Straw Trilby Hat

2010-05-09T00:16:00.003+08:00

So as I mentioned, I'm not allowed to go out right? I'm on a "fun" ban right now and I've been living under a rock for a couple of weeks already. Envy runs through my veins whenever I see my friends share their beach photo albums on Facebook! I've been missing out on a lot (x9999) of parties, night-outs, and out-of-town trips! I srsly cannot wait for the 25th to come. After that, I'm hauling my humps to the outside world.

For almost a month I haven't shopped for any piece yet. I feel so bad! I think the first thing that I would do after the 25th is to shop, shop, shop! Before my house arrest got implemented, I was searching for a nice big floppy straw hat. I've been to 6 malls and I couldn't find one. When I got to the 7th mall, I saw a straw trilby hat that's kinda chic. It wasn't the big one that I was eyeing for, but for some reason I wanted to have that trilby. I was supposed to purchase it, but I thought I'll give it another week.

I never got the chance to buy it! I just reassured myself that I'll find a nice floppy straw hat soon, that's why I never got to buy the trilby hat... but my mom did!

She handed it to me the moment she got home earlier today. I felt so happy because I got a straw hat! (and I didn't spend a single peso heehee) I tried it on and I felt so chica that I wanted to play dress-up and abuse my camera. Don't worry, I didn't. ;)

My mom got it from the men's accessories area of a department store so it's uber cheap. Good find, I must say. I'm wearing this to make my outfit summer-y! I am so ready to enjoy the world in 2 weeks!

Look who's feelin' good with my trilby hat :)

His name is Taba- a styro-stuffed chick plushie who only has one eye.

Can't wait to be out and about!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-08T23:49:00.005+08:00

First off, I want to greet every mom in this world an advance HAPPY MOMMA'S DAY!

With that special occasion coming up tomorrow, of course I have to prepare something for my wonderful mother. I was thinking of baking her favorite cheesecake but when I got up this morning, there were already 2 cakes hanging out in our fridge. So I threw that idea away and thought of something nicer-- EARRINGS!

She luuuuuuurves earrings like I love necklaces. She always wears a pair, and feels naked when she doesn't have it on! I thought of getting her a vintage kind of earrings and I remembered seeing a beautiful duo somewhere in Manila.

Ta-dah! Whaddya think?? I asked my dad's sec to get me this pair since I can't go out 'til the last week of this month. Ugh, iheyrett. Anyways, I guess these shiny babies will look good on my mom, and would be another great addition to her growing collection of earrings. I hope she likes it!

Again, Happy Mother's Day to every shala mother in this world!

xox from The Shala Girl

Proenza Schouler Spring 2010

2010-04-28T12:02:00.004+08:00

photos via NY Mag

Ultimate snaps to Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for bringing rich colors to their Spring collection. Flowy and flashy, that's how the Proenza Schouler line appears to my shala eyes. I totally adore the pieces in their collection, especially their jersey dresses! Its the perfect outfit for any beach getaway, paired with chic accessories and sky-high heels. I can imagine myself donning Proenza while sipping frozen margaritas beside a pristine shore!

The Shala Girl Lurves: CBTL Iced Chai Tea

2010-04-28T01:30:00.006+08:00

Earlier today I had this big craving for milk tea. Since Serenitea is a 30-minute drive away from where I am right now, I decided to look for an alternative that's somewhere near. I asked Patty and Judd where I can find the best milk tea around the area. We all agreed that Starbucks' Chai Latte sucks; Patty suggested The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Judd pitched Kirin. Then I decided to follow the former, since I felt that the latter would serve me a take-out quality of tea stirred in with local milk and poured in a plastic to-go cup.

I walked my self across to The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and ordered for what I was craving for.

I got an Iced Chai Tea. It's Black tea combined with spices, Chai Masala, steamed non-fat milk (I requested for whole, still hoping to gain sexy weight), and French Deluxe Vanilla.

I was a bit nervous about my first-sip verdict, because the last Chai drink that I had was from Starbucks and I became a very unhappy girl. That Chai did not (x10) pass my shala tastebud standards. I expected my Chai Tea to look like a normal milk tea- brown in color, and sweeter than usual. Lo and behold, my Iced Chai Tea was white as heavenly full-cream milk.

My mouth felt the straw, and I went to Chai heaven. It was fabulous lurveeee at first sip. Best (local) Chai Tea I've ever tasted. It doesn't have that ginger-y taste, and you can really sense the spices and Chai Masala playing in your tastebuds. The hint of French Vanilla made the drink even yummier. Definitely refreshing! I am so getting another large cup tomorrow.

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is located at Tomas Morato, Eastwood Mall, Gateway Mall, TriNoma, Ayala Technohub, SM North The Block, Robinsons Galleria, Greenbelt 3, Salcedo, Rockwell, A.Venue, Promenade, SM Megamall, Burgos Circle, Bonifacio High Street, SM Mall of Asia, McKinley Hill, Ortigas Park, Alabang Town Center, and Robinsons Ermita.

SALE ALERT: Topshop at 50 off!

2010-04-17T13:53:00.003+08:00

Too bad Shangri-La Plaza is quite far from where I live but for you other shala fasyonistas out there who reside at the north area, here's your chance! Topshop is having a moving out sale to make room for more amazing merchandise. 50% off on accesories, shoes, bags, knicks, tops, and more! Make sure to drop by their Shangri-La Plaza store for great finds.

Topshop Bonifacio High Street is also on sale! I was there this morning and I checked out their sale racks, they were absolutely fab. So if you are planning to grab a cup of Starbucks, a box of Krispy Kreme, or a Sonja's cupcake, do check Topshop!

SALE ALERT: 70% at MOA

2010-04-14T15:07:00.004+08:00

Catch the BIG! BIG! SALE OF ASIA at SM Mall of Asia from April 16 to 18 and enjoy big big discounts up to 70% off! Grab the hottest finds and the coolest perks as you shop til you drop til 12mn on Friday and Saturday and til 11pm on Sunday! It's the perfect way to start your summer!

Gap Summer 2010

2010-04-14T14:48:00.006+08:00

The everyday 36-C heat in Manila is definitely making people strip layers of clothing off their skin. The temperature is just making me sweat all the time, which by the way I really hate! Good thing Gap is saving us from this distress- Gap has just released a new line just in time for the hot hot Summer!

For this line, Gap focused more on bringing pastels and naturals to life. The floral prints look very airy and sweet, plus it gives a hint of vintage chic.

I la-la-la-love the denim trousers and maxi dresses! Absolutely shala! These two things are definitely on my must-have list this summer. Can't wait to have these pieces on my closet!

Gap (CCSI)
Available at SM Mall of Asia, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, TriNoMa Mall, Glorietta 4, Bonifacio High Street, Alabang Town Center, SM Megamall and Robinsons Place Manila.

Rajito S/S 2010

2010-04-09T16:48:00.005+08:00

One of my favorite local designers, Rajo Laurel, created a line especially for young shalas called Rajito. The dresses are too cute! I have a niece (she is more maarte than I am when it comes to clothes) who loves to try out nice pieces. I'll definitely let her try out these oh-so-lovely clothes. They would look great during this summer! I wish they have sizes large enough to fit me. Hee hee!

House of Laurel

6013 Villena St., cor. Manalac St., Poblacion, Makati City

Phone: 895-5688/890-1686

Email: houseoflaurel@gmail.com

The Shala Girl Lurves: BreadTalk Triple Chocolate

2010-03-26T22:23:00.006+08:00

After class I decided to pick up a few pieces at Zara, so I grabbed a bite on the way.

I was choosing between Krispy Kreme and Bread Talk. Since I was craving for variety, I favored the latter. I got a few pastries, and cheesy loaf to take home. While I was waiting in line, I saw a fresh batch of chocolate covered buns being placed on the middle rack. So, I took some since they look so enticing.

As soon as I paid for everything, I took out a piece of chocolate covered bun and had my first bite. And then another. And then another.
The Triple Chocolate bun was ultimate heaven! It's a sure treat for chocolate lovers- dark chocolate ganache-filled chocolate bun covered with semi-sweet chocolate shell.

Sorry for the crappy photo. It doesn't give justice to the luscious Triple Chocolate bun.

I assure you, one bun isn't enough! I lurveeet,I know you will too!

Happy Birthday! Shala-la-la!

2010-03-21T20:17:00.007+08:00

Thank you so much to all those who greeted ng bonggang bongga through Facebook, YM, e-mail, text, and whathaveyou. I lurveeeet!

Of course I wouldn't miss out the cake! I always have the traditional "asian" birthday cake (image left), the one with fruits on top courtesy of my parents. My dad even added a mini fireworks thing to make it special. It was weird, but cute as well. There were sparklers shooting all over! Shala lang! And after three days, I still got another cake (image right) from mi chico- Caramel cake from Estrel's. It was sooooooooo yummy, me and my mom wolfed it down in just a day.

Having two birthday cakes made me really happy welcoming my second decade of living. But the cherry on top of my birthday celebration was a dinner and "dance" at some posh place at Tagaytay. I forgot to take pictures so yes, consider me numnuts. :( If you want details, email me! LOL

I feel so lucky and blessed, and I hope it's another shala year ahead!

Food FAIL: Red Ribbon Spinach Soup

2010-03-15T21:34:00.017+08:00

Yesterday my dad was craving for Dinuguan, a local stew made of pork blood and meat. We immediately thought of the newly-opened Red Ribbon branch near our place, so we got there in a jif. We ordered Dinuguan for my dad, and a pan-grilled Porkchop and Spinach soup for The Shala Girl. My dad's food came in in less than 5 minutes, while I had to wait for 10 minutes for my meal. I was getting impatient because I was really hungry. Being the Shala Girl that I am, I followed up my order and sort-of demanded for the crew to serve my soup first.

And so they did. This is how my soup looked like when they placed it on our table:

GRIME GREEN AT ITS WORST. I thought they just don't do food presentations well, but the taste of it was so wrong. I took a spoonful of what I expected was good, and right then I wanted to take it out of my delicate mouth. It was Pesto sauce with additional lemon juice and water. I remember clearly that they also served Spinach soup a few years back, and I tried it in their SM branch nearby. It was flavorful, that my mom had three servings. So now I got surprised why their Spinach soup suddenly became pesto in water.

Bottomline is, it was awful. Really awful. I only took 3 spoonfuls, and that was it. My tastebuds couldn't take it anymore!

Red Ribbon please improve your recipe on this. The soup gives more premium to your menu so PLEASE improve the quality of the food that you are serving. Don't worry, I still love your heavenly mamon. I have yet to try the new chocolate cake. I'm hearing negative feedback though...

Along The Bay

2010-03-14T17:14:00.004+08:00

Every two months, my dad hosts a dinner on their company mini-ship (it's actually a big ferry boat). He invites a few of his friends, some rank & file people, and the important people in the corp. I believe it's his perfect excuse to make food service checking sound... appealing. Since I was a little kid I've always been around these events- I lurveeeet so much! Now that I'm a big girl, my dad thinks I'm shala enough to give a pivotal sway on the food service evaluation. Yay!

The boat was docked beside the abandoned Jumbo Palace of Stanley Ho. I waited along the bay barrier until 6.30pm to welcome some of my dad's friends. Come 7, we all went inside the ferry and were greeted with cocktails.

Thank you Greis for this shot!

The ferry started cruising while appetizers were being served at 8. I forgot to take photos of all the food, as I had to entertain almost all of Daddy's guests (business rapport, you know how it goes). I'll try to nab a few from Greis's shots and show it to you guys. The food was good, really. I think they were made by the students of MIHCA. There was a shortage in dessert though- not everyone got a plate of carrot tart. My dad felt awful about it of course; good thing the kitchen people had extra ingredients.

By the time the main course was being served, the ferry stopped right in front of SM Mall of Asia. We were just in time for the World Pyrolympics 2010. It was the last day of the said event and my dad being a big fireworks fan, he couldn't afford to miss this.

Bongga lang ang view! We were so close to the fireworks that it felt like the debris would fall right smack on our heads! The show lasted for a good hour and a half, which pretty much amused our guests the whole time. Desserts came in right before the pyrolympics show ended, and the ferry went back to the dock at a turtle pace.

Overall, the food was good, the ambience was great, and the people were superb. Props to my dad for hosting a shalang shalang dinner!

$0.02: Miss You Like Crazy

2010-03-08T23:19:00.004+08:00

Movies made here in MNL are generally perceived as cheese balls dipped in Cheddar and coated with Brie. Not that our industry is faltering, but we’d rather create films that make us consume Kleenex more than the usual. I like it, actually. All the tear-wipinsfsdfdsg once the lights inside the cinemas switch on makes me feel like the movie is worth every peso. Keber kung maga ang eyes ko!

Last weekend, I caught the last full show of Miss You Like Crazy with a friend (chos). Ever since its opening day, I badly wanted to watch it! My friends saw the premier and after that, all they did was exchange quotable lines from the movie. Hearing those lines made my heart feel like Cathy Garcia-Molina was thinking about me while creating the film, srsly.

The movie was quite unique- it had a slight twist which really isn’t evident in a lot of local films. The 5-year detail made it more interesting, but misleading. At first I thought that the first 2 years shown were already the 4th and 5th year. (I’m assuming that 90% of the madla have seen this movie, and YOU are part of that. If you’re not, e-mail me and I would gladly tell you the story.. WITH FEELINGS! Then you read this entry again.) Snaps to making Bea Alonzo look different in all of those five years that were enumerated in the movie. I found her pretty during the second half. Mashuba, as my mother would say, but stunning.

And now, for the waging-wagi line…

I really can’t say that the screenplay writers of MYLC rightfully deserve a trophy, but they have a fighting chance. In one of the scenes, Bea was pouring her emotional cargo to Papa JL during her surprise birthday party-slash-engagement. With feelings and sawing puso, she said…

“Okay na ako eh. Pinilit kitang kalimutan ng dalawang taon. Tapos ngayon babalik ka kasi libre ka na? Kasi pwede mo na akong mahalin? Eh P*****i*a mo!”

Ang lutong lang, teh. This is what I love about local films. The defining moment of the whole story boils down to one short emotional monologue, quickly followed with a couple of words viable for an MTRCB violation. Very brilliant.

Not bad for the third Papa JL-Bea reel of CG-M, really. I’d give it a “like” if the movie was a Facebook page. Although if I had a control over destiny and I was Papa JL, I’d choose Maricar over Bea. Hey, love isn’t the only reason why a person decides to leave or stay… Right?

The First Word

2010-02-17T22:08:00.000+08:00

The Shala Girl says, “Hello World!”

After creating and closing numerous personal blogs, I’ve decided to make a non-personal journal of all my adventures that circle into food, fashion, interior, and travel.

Forgive my layout, this is just a soft launch. I’m still waiting for my final layout that is being made by a good friend of mine. Hope it comes out really nifty! Anyways, have fun browsing through all the pages of this place. Cross your fingers, you might find something here that can be useful to you, too.

Toodles!

The Shala Girl