Lunch at Yabu, The house of katsu

My family often goes to SM Megamall every sunday to attend Mass and have lunch / dinner. Frankly, I know every store that I could be a tour guide I can tell to what floor am i and what shop am i even my eyes are close. 

There's something new at this mall, and that is Yabu! believe it or not, not a single hour that this restaurant is with no customer. It's always full! luckily today, they have a vacant for 2 person! Me and my mom tried this for the sake of curiosity.

So ok, their menu is all katsu based food. If you are a die hard fan of katsu meal, then you should eat here!

Free Giveaway Mechanics!

 This Purifying Mud Mask will be yours! This products is imported from Israel and costs around 2000+ made from dead sea laboratories!


So here's the mechanics:

Philippines Residents Only:

1) Open your twitter acct
2) Follow me: https://twitter.com/andbreeze
3) Answer the items below:
4) Email me the answers: johngerardcontreras@gmail.com
5)Put your comment (Name, Email Address)


Test:

1) Name this movie: Clue! She became a superstar because of this movie

2) Decade I was born in to which this comedy series was produced and name the characters below  (in order)

3) Identify this icon on classical music. Clue! composer of Doll Holle Rache

4) 1st Filipina Film Actress of the 1st Tagalog movie Dalagang Bukid. Clue! National Artist for Theater.

5) Identify the idioms below:

a) Agaw Buhay

b) Balat Sibuyas

c) Kaututang dila

d) Nagmumurang kamatis

Good Luck! remember to follow the mechanics! ONE entry per person or your disqualified!

Watch out for the anniversary of this blog! I'll give away Apple Items! :)

Sugar Hiccup

This band is just crazy amazing. 

After long years of waiting, they are finally back with new vocalist, armed with more finesse and such angelic voice. Who have thought that the band made the song 5 years very famous that suddenly disappeared would go back? Promising talent!

Chic Finds! Branded items at it's cheapest price!

Online Shopping has never been this cheap!!

Run by 2 pretty sister, they have dominated selling of imported fashion items from Casio to Issey Miyake, to Louis Vuitton for a very low price compare to shopping malls and bazaars!

I bought a lot of items with them like perfumes, vitamins, etc. which costs 40% cheaper than retail stores that you buy in the malls. 

To check their site click the link below

To Order (click here)

Freebie for my readers!

Hi guys!

I'll post another entry about the mechanics on how you can win a piece of Ahava Dead Sea Purifying Mud Mask. So please follow my blog.

BTW, this mud mask costs around  2,500 or $60.

Thanks!

Tips before you travel

Hello There!

I've been back and forth to many places since i was little. I've experienced luxury travel and budget travel. Regardless of your budget, It's always necessary to bring items that are essential to help you with your travel.

Must bring items:

1) It's necessary to bring camera or mobile phones with camera (well, mobile phones now are made with complete features). It's so nice to capture every moment of what is happening around you. I always take picture of everything that is nice and pretty (although I'm not knowledgeable about photography, still it's so good to look back at pictures)

2) MP3 players, Ipod, Ipad/Tablet, reading materials. If your bored while waiting for your departure, it's necessary to load your gadgets with tons of games, reading materials, movies, etc.

3) In my case, Laptop. I never leave my laptop at home during travel, it's like my other half. I survived my 9 hour waiting time at the airport last november 2011 (super delayed flight) because i brought with my my laptop which i loaded with tons of movies, games, and tv series. No worry for the battery since, airports have a lot of power sockets. Thanks to that.

4) Food. Food is expensive inside the airport, if you are in a budget or no more currency then you can instead buy some food outside the airport and put it in a container. Water and other liquid material that is in excess of 100ml is prohibited upon check-in (according to some articles, it may be used for hydro-based explosive materials)

5) MONEY.

Things to do when you are heavy packer.

1) Always measure your luggage before going to the airport to avoid hassle.

2) If you are traveling utilizing a budget or low cost carrier, it's always a must to be aware of the terms and condition of your airfare. Most LCCs are very strict with baggage. Always remember to buy airfares that have baggage if you are heavy packer. I myself is a heavy packer, for a usual 3 day stay i would pack that is good for a week.

3) if you are going to shopping destination, pack few clothes so that you still have space for the things that you will buy. (learned that the hard way)

4) Don't complain about your heavy luggage since you are heavy packer in the first place.


Things to do inside the terminal

1) Do observe and be calm.

2) Do not go overboard if something is wrong with the schedule / reservation / luggage etc.

3) Use the toilet before going to the terminal (you may be facing hell on earth)

4) Use your gadgets to kill time provided that you are still aware with the announcements.


Finally,

It's necessary to study of your point of destination. Don't react like what happened to Claudine, Raymart Santiago vs Mon Tulfo. If bumped off, know your right and compensation.

The New and yet Old NAIA Terminal 3

The new and yet old NAIA T3. This terminal was scheduled to open year 2002 but alleged corruption, red tape, etc delayed the opening and the finishing construction of the decade old terminal. 

It was only this year that the Government won the arbitration case against Piatco and parent company Fraport AG. The saga of this T3 is so exhausting that i needed to take an advil (I'm not joking). Apparently Piatco and Fraport violated the Anti-Dummy Law of the Ph (40% is the only allowed stake of a foreign firm in buying or investing to a local company). Not only that, there are tons of anomalous deals made by former corrupt cabinet secretaries and of course the infamous former president - Joseph Estrada.

Anyways, here are some pictures (pictures are not mine)  

Finally! Good News for NAIA T1

NAIA-1 gets P1-billion face-lift

By Recto Mercene, BusinessMirror

Posted at 11/07/2011 7:16 AM | Updated as of 11/07/2011 1:14 PM

MANILA, Philippines - A newly refurbished Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 will rise from the shell of the old, much-maligned main gateway, but still would not provide free sleeping quarters for vagrants and those on a tight budget. The repairs will cost P1 billion.
According to Terminal 1 Manager Dante Basanta, the NAIA-1 had a “dayroom” decades ago, rented at P840 per day ($20) and located near the arrival area, just beside the duty-free shops.
(The “dayroom” is still there, available for those who may want to use it, although it’s not being properly advertised by airport authorities. Most of the time, however, the area is used as a holding room for those scheduled for deportation and who are awaiting their flights.)
The face-lift of NAIA-1 will start in January and is expected to be finished within 2012. The 67,000-square-meter building has a capacity of 4.5 million passengers a year. Last year it served way beyond its capacity—or some 7.3 million people.
The tight space and limited amenities have irked some bloggers who, unable to find sleeping quarters at NAIA-1, graded it the worst in the world.
NAIA-1 was recently voted as the “World’s Worst Airport to Sleep In” by the “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports,” a web site of  low-budget travelers who used the airport as overnight motels to save on money.
But Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) General Manager Jose Angel Honrado said this is not why the passenger terminal is being spruced up; the undertaking had been discussed by various administrations in the past.
Honrado said the firm of Leandro V. Locsin and Associates, the original architect of NAIA-1, is helping conceptualize ideas about how the newly rebuilt structure would look.
Also part of the project are furniture and interior designer Budji Layug, architect Royal Pineda and Cebuano designer Kenneth Cobonpue, who are providing their expertise pro bono to give the NAIA-1 a major face-lift, 30 years after it was constructed. The original design was by National Artist for Architecture Leandro V. Locsin.
Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II is spearheading the NAIA-1 restoration. He held consultations last week with top officials of the customs, immigration and quarantine bureaus, as well as the Miaa.
Customs Commissioner Rozanno Rufino Biazon, Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr., Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. and Honrado attended the meeting.
The interior renovation will cost P450 million, while the park development will fetch P500 million.
“The proposed P1-billion budget will help build a new image of the Philippines,” according to Pineda, who said in a recent interview that Naia 1, like all modern airports, would provide a “boutique” experience, “not so much for its modest size as for its distinct atmosphere of civility and expedience.”
To expedite the flow of arriving and departing passengers, concessionaires such as banks and insurance companies that are now located smack in the middle of the arrival and departure zones would be moved to the sides.
“Flow takes precedence. The proposed master plan includes freeing up the space to accommodate more passengers by transferring the offices and banks elsewhere,” Pineda said.
The arrival area, which had been expanded recently, will be surrounded by glass so that passengers could see all the way to the lobby and beyond, according to Honrado. He also said the wall that separates the customs from the luggage section would have to give way so that natural light from the outside would illuminate the area.
There are also plans to make the waiting lounge more pleasant and to add restrooms, Honrado said.
The proposal calls for refurbishing the facilities, decongesting, developing a park and enhancing the retail environment. It also calls for NAIA to work equally hard on the software, and the services.
Honrado said the National Competitiveness Council Program (NCCP) asked Layug, Pineda and Cobonpue to offer their own suggestions on the face-lift as part of a program to improve the country’s image. The NCCP was established by Presidential Executive Order 571, which seeks to improve the country’s competitiveness from the bottom third of competitiveness rankings to the top third by 2016.
According to the three designers, the airport and Roxas Boulevard need the most attention since they provide the visitor his or her initial impression of the country.
Pineda said the renovation of NAIA-1’s structure would  be limited; it can no longer be expanded; nor can it accommodate extra load, he said in their web site. “We will create a boutique airport. With a small terminal, we can show efficiency and hospitality.”
Pineda said function would be the main priority. “It’s not just about adding toilets and rectifying the look, but also verifying the structural integrity of the building,” he said.
The team also recommended improvements in the operations, such as incorporating the terminal fee in the ticket instead of letting people line up. Only those with exit clearances, exempting them from travel tax and terminal fees, should queue in the counters. “Let majority of the passengers enjoy the smooth flow in the airport,” Pineda was quoted as having said.
Taking into consideration the Filipino culture of hatid-sundo, Honrado said the designers have addressed the need for an arrival extension for families and friends sending off or welcoming the passengers.
Honrado said the design team had proposed that the concrete open-parking lot in Terminal 1 be transformed into a three-story parking space and a lush landscape lined with select food outlets. The proposed park will showcase not only the best of Filipino dining brands but also changing art exhibits. A canopied walkway will lead to the greeters and well-wishers’ lounge.
Welcome parties can wait in the restaurants and enjoy the garden so that the lots can also become income-generating spaces.

Dinner at Comida China de Manila

Before Comida China de Manila, there was San Jacinto. San Jacinto was the former name of this restaurant, as I recalled this restaurant is quite old, my little cousin who is now 13 years old took his baptism reception here. I'm so impressed with the name change and the renovation of the restaurant's interior. I love the spanish  name of the restaurant Comida China de Manila stands for Chinese food (of / from) Manila or something like that. I forgot how to speak in spanish due to lack of practice. anyways, if you are in Valle Verde / Tiendesitas area, and craving for chinese food try here.

Pancit. I was not impressed with this dish because it was a bit boring and bland in taste. the vegetables were not tasteful. The pork and seafood was not savory enough to enjoy the whole meal. It was quite disappointing.

Fried Rice. The rice was excellent, tasty, and flavorful.

Sunday night.

Reviving Philippine Airlines (PAL)

PAL seals deal with Airbus.

Philippine Airlines announced orders for 10 new generation Airbus A330-300, 10 new generation Airbus 321 neo jets, and 34 Airbus 321 in a deal valued at US $7 billion, Ramon Ang, President of Philippine Airlines said in a press briefing today.

"The aim is to purchase 100 new aircraft in total", PAL president Ramon Ang said. Ten new aircraft has been delivered to the airline with the latest addition being the Boeing 777-300ER. Another one is set for arrival in November and 2 more 777 will join the fleet in 2013.

The 54 aircraft orders are part of the first phase of a multi-year refleeting and modernization plans, which involve the purchase of up to 100 new planes.

"We still have about 46 aircraft to go, we have the option about whichever types of aircraft to go. The capacity of the initial 54 aircraft is already more than what Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines today's capacity" said Ang.

Another deal for twenty long range wide body jets are expected to be announce soon with both Airbus and Boeing tightly on a race between Triple Seven and Three Fifty.

PAL is currently looking at are the 777-300 ER and the upcoming 777-X as well as the Airbus 350-900 and 350-1000 programme.

"Our intention is to buy up to 100 aircraft, 26 of that will be long range wide body," Ramon Ang said.

The new generation 240-tonne A330-300 recently announced at the 2012 Farnborough Airshow will start delivery next year as Boeing failed to sell its latest plane, the Boeing 787 series planes due to delivery issues with the aircraft manufacturer.

PAL has been looking closely at the Boeing 787-900 which they intend to buy rather than lease but suffered setbacks on its waiting time. Boeing also failed to win orders for its Boeing 737-900 planes as Airbus jockeyed its position to convince PAL to buy its narrow-body jets instead.

A source inside the airline disclosed that Airbus secured delivery slots in 2013 for PAL and that spells a huge difference. Consequently, Ang announced the first delivery to be done in January 2013 consisting of 4 A330s and 6 A321s.

“We are extremely pleased that PAL has placed its confidence in our aircraft to meet its future requirements,” said John Leahy, chief operating officer, Customers, Airbus.

“This announcement demonstrates once again the popularity of both the A320 Family and the A330, which remain leaders in their size categories in terms of operating economics, reliability and passenger comfort.” says Leahy.

Airbus said the A320neo Family incorporates latest-generation engines and large wingtip device called the"Sharklet" to deliver 15 percent fuel savings as compared to its old model.

Ang said that both Airbus and Boeing was in a tight contest until delivery schedule was laid in the table. The PAL CEO expects delivery of the airline's new order to be completed in three years with the new generation A330 joining next year. 

The A321-200 jets are expected to join the fleet of Airphil Express also starting in the second half of 2013 for trunk-line upgrade and regional destinations as Manila Airport closes airport slots for new aircraft. The A321 neo for PAL is expected for delivery in 2016. Engine selections for the aircraft is heavily favored on CFM International LEAP-X although have not been announced.

Meanwhile,  the new A330-300 will wear PAL colors to fly to "Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, The Middle East and India.

The carrier will start retiring its old Airbus wide bodies starting next year and replace them with a new fleet to compete more effectively on the long-haul markets. 

Listed PAL Holdings Inc.recently approved a capital increase that would allow it to issue new shares to raise 17 billion Philippine pesos ($403 million) for fleet acquisition. It re­ported a com­pre­hen­sive net in­come of P489.2 mil­lion. To­tal rev­enues for the first quar­ter of the cur­rent fis­cal year amounted to P20.8 bil­lion or 5.8 per­cent higher than last year’s P19.6 bil­lion.

Breakfast @ Starbucks / Lunch at Sakura

I eat at my desk every morning around 7am since I go to office early so I wouldn't be late and be stuck at traffic. 

I ordered my usual turkey sandwich, hot brewed coffee, and I bought a mediterranean tuna salad to try something new. 

usual sandwich which i love.

The salad was so nice! I love the freshness of the leaves, the crunchy bread, and the tuna. It was a good salad especially if your on a diet. try this one. :)

Sakura.

Miso Soup with leaves (I don't know what leaf it is but it's yummy)

I ordered a Scallop bento meal which costs around P280 or $7 which is a little bit pricey compared to Jipan but Sakura's bento is a whole lot mote. The bento comes with the Scallops smothered in a little sweet and very savory sauce, red and white sashimi, salad, and watermelon (didn't touch the watermelon because it tasted so awful!) I love the dish, the flavors, etc. the only complain here is the Scallops. It is frickin' hard! like rubber! so sad. 

TWG Tea

I've posted here before my comment about how good TWG Tea is during my dinner at La Creperie, I'm so happy that there is a company that distributes TWG and that is Manila Global Brands, Although they sell limited flavors, but still you have a lot of items to choose from. I specially recommend Silver Moon Tea, Creme Caramel, 1837 Black Tea, and Moroccan Mint Tea. But if you happen to be in Singapore I suggest you buy Geisha Blossom Tea, Sakura! Sakura!, and Royal Darejeeling. 

For Orders Find Manila Global Brands on Facebook or go to the nearest La Creperie Restaurant or Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

My friend went to singapore, so i did not hesitate to ask for a favor to buy me a Royal Darjeeling Tea! yey!