Comfort Food at the new House of Minis@ Liberty Center

Comfort Food at the new House of Minis
@ Liberty Center

My mom and dad often brought us to House of Minis when we were young. Our ritual would be to buy groceries at Unimart in Greenhills in the morning and then have lunch at House of Minis in Shoppesville.

My dad passed away in 1997. My mom continued going to House of Minis even after he passed away. She loved the food so much that she even brought my children to the restaurant to share her enjoyment of their food. My children now associate House of Minis with their memories of their Lola, and reminisce about what she usually ordered and how happy she was during those times.

My mom passed away last year. In honor of her memory, we decided to celebrate the passing of the year, by attending Mass, then dining at her favorite place and ordering her favorite food. We miss her so much. It was a bittersweet feeling. But somehow, tasting the same food that we enjoyed when we were young, while in the delightful company of our parents, comforted and warmed our hearts. It somehow filled the longing we have for the presence of our mom and dad. Now, we're creating new memories to share with our kids by dining at this place.

Mama would have loved this new branch of House of Minis. Why?

It's spacious and well lighted.

It serves the same food we enjoyed 40 years ago.

Our favorite, the Specialties of the House:
Complete meals with Soup of the Day, Dinner Rolls
and Coffee or Dessert (Ice Cream)

This soup did not disappoint.
It tastes the same as the ones we enjoyed when we were young.  

It's the same simple lettuce salad with thousand island dressing.

My mom and I usually order the mini Porterhouse cooked medium well.
It's still tender and yummy!!!

Finally, the chocolate ice cream for dessert.

It has the same ambience.

We all smiled when we heard the organist play.
It's reminiscent of the House of Minis in Shoppesville.
There's always someone playing when we dined at their Shoppesville branch 

It's the same linen and set-up we used to see,

There's plenty of parking space.

Location:

Contact Information
House of Minis
Liberty Center, Shaw Boulevard
Tel. No. 672 34 48
Operating Hours: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM (All day dining)

HONG KONG: Food Tour on a Budget

HONG KONG: Food Tour on a Budget

If you're staying in the vicinity of The Langham Hotel or The Salisbury YMCA Hotel, you can incorporate this food tour in your sightseeing. These are my favorite food stops. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

DAY ONE

On Day One, you can have breakfast at Macau Restaurant, snacks at Sweet House Cha Cha, lunch at Ippudo Restaurant, and dinner at Cafe de Coral.

Cost for one person for this day: 173.80 HKD

THESE ARE MY SUGGESTED MEALS:

Macau Restaurant at Lock Road:

Morning Set: Macanese Crispy Buns with Pork Chop, 

Scrambled egg with scallion and ham, coffee (36 HKD)

Note: Morning Set is served from 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Portuguese egg tart (9 HKD)

Sweets House Cha Cha at Harbour City

Cha Cha Custard Cream Puffs (18 HKD)

Ippudo Restaurant at Silvercord

Shiromaru Motoaji 

(68 HKD +10% service charge: 74.80HKD)

"A timeless IPPUDO classic, Shiromaru Motoaji was the very first ramen served at IPPUDO.... The combination of Hakata-style ultra-thin noodles, topped with lean slices of pork, black fungus, soybean sprouts and scallions, produces subtle and gentle flavours." (from the menu)

Free appetizer

Cafe de Coral at Star House

BBQ Pork and Roast Duck with Rice (36 HKD)

Below is the map, so you can see how near they are to each other:

DAY TWO

On Day Two, you can have breakfast at Macau Restaurant,  lunch at a Michelin-starred Restaurant either at Bo Innovation (3 Michelin Stars) or One Dimum Restaurant (1 Michelin Star), and dinner at Macau Restaurant.

Cost for one person for this day: 902 HKD or 146 HKD. See below...

THESE ARE MY SUGGESTED MEALS:

Macau Restaurant at Lock Road:

Portuguese egg tarts (9 HKD)

Bo Innovation ( 3 Michelin Stars for 2014 & 2015)

Lunch Set Menu: 680 HKD + 70 HKD (for water)= 750 HKD
750 HKD +10% service charge: 825 HKD

Check out my post: Dining at Bo Innovation for more details

OR

One Dimsum Place (1 Michelin Stars for 2013)

Average cost for 2 persons: 138 HKD

Check out my post : One Dimsum Restaurant: A Budget Friendly Michelin-Starred Restaurant for more details

Macau Restaurant at Lock Road:

Macanese fried rice (68 HKD)

DAY THREE

On Day Three, you can have breakfast at Cha Cha Sweet House, lunch at Cafe de Coral, and dinner at the airport at Tsui Wah Eatery.

Cost for one person for this day: 112 HKD 

THESE ARE MY SUGGESTED MEALS:

SWEETS HOUSE CHA CHA AT HARBOUR CITY

Matcha Cream Puff (20 HKD)

Cafe de Coral at Star House

Baked Thick Cut Pork Chop with Cheese and Rice (41 HKD)

Tsui Wah Eatery at Hong Kong Airport

King Prawns in XO Sauce with tossed noodles (51HKD)

(Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of this food.)

Adidas Outlet Store at Riverbanks Mall, Marikina: Is it Worth Visiting?

Adidas Outlet Store 
at Riverbanks Mall, Marikina:  

Is it Worth Visiting?

All my readers are familiar with my August 2013 post: Adidas Outlet Store at C-5, Taguig: Is it Worth Visiting?. Two (2) years later, I'm out hunting again for a Supernova Glide to replace my 2nd Supernova Glide, a Glide 4, which I bought 2 years ago and was featured in my 2013 post.

I searched for it once again at the Adidas Outlet Store in C-5, then again at Caltex Mega Station, NLEX and Shell of Asia, NLEX. But I failed to find it. So I decided that if I can't find it at the Outlet Stores, I'm going to buy it online at Adidas Philippines.

The cheapest Supernova Glide I found in the online store of Adidas Philippines is shown below:

Before buying at the online store, I decided to visit the Adidas Outlet Store at Riverbanks Mall as a last attempt at finding a heavily discounted Supernova Glide. Lo and behold, I found a Supernova Glide. 

The cheapest I found is an old model of Supernova Glide, discounted by 70% the regular price of a brand new Adidas Supernova Glide 7W, which is 1798.50 pesos. The price of a brand new Supernova Glide 7 is 5995 pesos. However, the only size available for the old model is 6 1/2 which I found too tight. So, I further browsed at the store and then found the newest Supernova Glide 7 boost, discounted at 50%. It's the same one I found at the online store and with the size I wanted. But the price at the Adidas outlet store is only 2997.50 pesos compared to the online discounted price of 5095 pesos. 

My new Supernova Glide 7 that I bought
at the Adidas Outlet Store at Riverbanks Mall.

My receipt showing the discounted price of my new Supernova Glide.

So, is the Adidas Outlet Store at Riverbanks Center worth visiting? Yes, definitely! I still found the newest Supernova Glide at 50% off the original price, and 40% off the online price.

My tip: 

If you know the exact model of the shoes you want, you can call before you go to find out if there's a size for you.

Adidas Outlet Store Riverbanks Mall
Address: Unit 3031-3034, Riverbanks Mall, A. Bonifacio, Marikina City

Contact numbers: +632 650 40 64
Store Hours: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Daily

How to get there:

CEBU: Airport Transfers by Danny Noy's Cebu Taxi Service

CEBU: Airport Transfers by Danny Noy's Cebu Taxi Service

If you are traveling in a group of more than 4 people, you will need 2 taxicabs to travel from the airport to your hotel. A taxi in Cebu can only accommodate 4 passengers, excluding the driver. Current cost of a taxi from Mactan International Airport to Cebu City range from 180 pesos to 250 pesos, depending on the time of the day and the amount of traffic you encounter. So you'll most probably spend 500 pesos for 2 taxicabs. Since we're arriving 7:30 PM and do not wish to try finding 2 taxicabs for our group, we decided to spend a little more and hire Danny Noy of Cebu Taxi Service to pick us up.

Before our flight left from Manila, Danny Noy contacted us to give the cellphone number of Mario, the driver who will pick us up. Mario afterwards texted us himself to inform us of the plate number of the car he will use to pick us up. Then, upon landing at Mactan Airport, he texted us again where he is parked (at post no. 15), the car he is using (a Toyota Innova), and the plate number of the car.

Overall, the pickup from the airport was smooth and efficient and we arrived at Radisson Blu 30 minutes after departing from the airport.

OUR RATE FROM THE AIRPORT TO  OUR CEBU CITY HOTEL (Radisson Blu): 

700 PESOS for pickup of 6 passengers with luggage in a Toyota Innova

We also hired Danny Noy's Cebu Taxi Service to pick us up from the hotel and bring us to the airport. We decided to pass by Mactan Shrine before going to the aiport. Mactan Shrine is near the airport so transportation cost will be cheaper to visit it upon arrival at Mactan airport or prior to departing. More time is saved visiting it after arriving or before departing from Mactan Airport rather than visiting it on another day. Since we arrived at Mactan airport in the evening, we decided to visit Mactan Shrine on the way back from the airport.

Mario picked us up on time and we spent around 30 minutes at Mactan Shrine before proceeding to the airport. Our experience with them was as smooth and efficient as when we were picked up at the airport.

OUR RATE FROM OUR CEBU CITY HOTEL (Radisson Blu) TO THE AIRPORT WITH SIDETRIP TO MACTAN SHRINE: 

700 PESOS for pickup of 6 passengers with luggage in a Toyota Innova 

                              PLUS

300 PESOS FOR SIDETRIP TO MACTAN SHRINE 

CONTACT INFORMATION OF DANNY NOY'S CEBU TAXI SERVICE:

Email: dannymar07@yahoo.com.ph 

Cellphone numbers: 

09224633757 

09061534659 

My tips on estimating Cebu Taxi Fares:

1. Checkout http://www.worldtaximeter.com/cebu-city to calculate fares, or
2. Checkout http://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/ShowForum-g294261-i4630-Cebu_Island_Visayas.html

What Pasta to Pair with Italian Wine

What Pasta to Pair with Italian Wine

I'm neither a wine or food connoisseur but I enjoy wine and food and wish to share with you what I discover when pairing food with wine. If you have the same taste as I then you will enjoy it the same way I did.

We had Spaghetti Putanesca and Spaghetti al Fredo for dinner last night. So the challenge was to find what wine pairs with it and I discovered the ff.

SANGIOVESE PAIRS WELL WITH SPAGHETTI PUTANESCA

FRIULINO PAIRS WELL SPAGHETTI AL FREDO

HONGKONG: How to Explore Hong Kong in 12 hours

HONG KONG: How to Explore Hong Kong in 12 hours

A friend of mine had this wild idea of  joining her husband while he spent a 12 hour lay-over in Hong Kong on his way to India. They both left Manila together for Hong Kong, spent 12 hours together and took separate flights from Hong Kong, one back to Manila and the other on the way to India.

She asked me to make her an itinerary. Since it's around 30 years since she visited Hong Kong, I made her an itinerary suited for first-time visitors.

So if you want to do the same thing, go on a date in Hong Kong and just spend a day there, or if you have a 12 hour lay-over and wonder how you can make the most out of your waiting time, this is my recommendation.

In this itinerary, this is what you do and see:

1. Ride the airport express train.

2. Visit the Avenue of the Stars

3. Walk along the Tsimshatsui side of the Victoria Harbor and see the Hong Kong skyline.

4. See the exterior of the Hong Kong Cultural Center, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Tsimshatsui Clock Tower

5. Ride the Star Ferry

6. Ride the Peak Tram

8. Explore the Peak Tower and see the view of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak.

9. Visit Statue Square

10. See the famous HSBC building by Sir Norman Foster.

11. Eat dimsum lunch at the famous Maxim's Restaurant at City Hall OR eat at Cafe de Coral, a popular Hong Kong Chinese fastfood restaurant.

12. Visit Harbour City, the largest mall in Hong Kong and see high-end shops like Prada, Louis Vuitton, Christian Loubotin, Chanel, etc.

13. Take home Laduree Macarons, Cha Cha Sweets Cream Puffs,   Pasteleria Ko Kei  peanut candy or Portuguese egg tarts.

13. Walk along Nathan Road, the famous golden mile.

14. Dinner at Cafe de Coral, a popular Hong Kong Chinese fast food restaurant. 


The estimated cost of this itinerary is 460 Hong Kong Dollars per person, broken down as follows:

Airport Express train roundtrip ticket: 160HKD

Star Ferry: 2.50 HKD per person 

Taxi from central pier to peak terminus: 27 HKD per person

Peak tram: 40 HKD per person roundtrip

Estimated cost of lunch at Maxim's: 200 HKD per person

Star Ferry: 2.50 HKD per person

MTR from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui: 10 HKD 

Estimated cost of dinner at Cafe de Coral: 40 HKD per person

Food to take home: 

Laduree Macarons: 3 HKD per macaron

Cha Cha Cream Puffs: 18 to 25 HKD per piece

Pasteleria Ko Kei Black Sesame Peanut Candy: 63 HKD per large pack 

Portuguese egg tarts: 1 box of 6 pieces: 54 HKD 

ONE DAY HONG KONG ITINERARY

7:00 AM:

Arrive at Hong Kong airport.

8:00 AM:

Buy airport express ROUNDTRIP train tickets to Kowloon Station. Airport express train tickets counters are located beside the HKTB Information Counter at the airport.

Price of 1 roundtrip ticket: 160HKD

Airport express train ticket booth before the arrival exit

Airport express train ticket booth beside the corridor going to the train

See the the airport express train ticket booth on the left
The path leading to the train is in the middle.

This is the path leading to the train

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM:

Ride the airport express train and get off at Kowloon Station

Inside the airport express train

You watch the blue light above to see the train route.

Upon arrival at Kowloon station, you get off the train
and pass through this turnstile.

Find the free airport express shuttle bus service when you arrive at Kowloon Station

Check out the sign on the post that says
"Airport express shuttle bus".
Follow the arrow.

Ride this elevator leading to the shuttle bus

Get off the G floor

Board the K2 bus and get off at Stop 4: The Kowloon Hotel/The Peninsula Hong kong

The route of the K2 bus is shown below:

	K2 (To Tsim Sha Tsui around Canton Road) Service hours 06:12 - 23:12 (every 12 minutes) Stop 1: Prince Stop 2: Gateway Stop 3: Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel Stop 4: The Kowloon Hotel / The Peninsula Hong Kong Stop 5: The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers / China Ferry Terminal

Wait at the K2 bus exit

It says that the K2 bus will arrive in 10 minutes.

Riding the K2 bus
(I took this photo at night that's why it's dark outside)

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM:

Walk from Peninsula Hotel to Avenue of the Stars. See map below.

Explore Avenue of the Stars. Walk along the bay from Avenue of the Stars to Star Ferry pier and see the the Hong Kong skyline, passing by the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Space Museum, and the Tsim sha tsui Clock tower. Go to the Star Ferry Pier

By walking along the Avenue of the Stars, you see:
The Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Skyline
The series of buildings along the Harbour like the
Hong Kong Cultural Center
The Space Museum
The Hong Kong Museum of Art

Jackie Chan at the Avenue of the Stars

Handprint and Signature of Jackie Chan

The Hong Kong Skyline

Hong Kong Museum of Art
Hong Kong Cultural Center
Space Museum

Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM:

Ride the Star Ferry and cross the Victoria Harbour to Central

Price of Star Ferry: 2.50 HKD per person

The Star Ferry

Inside the Star Ferry

The view from the Star Ferry

Upon arrival at Central Star Ferry Pier 7, take a taxi to the lower peak tram terminus to save time.

Price of taxi to terminus: 27 HKD per taxi

When you arrive at tram terminal, buy peak tram tickets. Ride the peak tram to Victoria Peak.

Price of Peak tram: 40 HKD per person roundtrip



11:00 AM - 11:30 AM:

Explore the peak tower

The view from Victoria Peak

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM:

Ride the peak tram to go down Victoria Peak.



12:30 PM - 1:00 PM:

Walk from the peak tram terminus to Statue Square.

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM:

Go to Statue Square, see the famous HSBC building by Sir Norman Foster

The HSBC building

FROM HERE, YOU CAN OPT TO :

EAT DIMSUM AT MAXIM'S CITY HALL

or

EAT AT CAFE DE CORAL 

If you opt to eat at  Maxim's, below is the itinerary

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM:

Walk from Statue Square to Maxim's City Hall

1:00 PM- 3:00 PM:

Eat dimsum at Maxim’s Restaurant

Check out my post: My Guide to Dining at Maxim's Palace City Hall

Estimated cost of meal: 175-200 HKD per person

You choose your dimsum from a cart going around the restaurant

Walk from Maxim's Palace Chinese Restaurant to Central Station Exit K.
Ride the MTR Central Station to Tsim Sha Tsui Station. 

Get off at East Tsim Sha Tsui Station Exit L6. 

Price of MTR from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui: 10 HKD per person
NOTE: Star Ferry is cheaper but it's double the distance to walk to Central Ferry Pier 7.

If you opt to eat at  Cafe de Coral, below is the itinerary:

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM:

Walk from Statue Square to Central Station Exit K.
Ride the MTR Central Station to Tsim Sha Tsui Station. 

Get off at East Tsim Sha Tsui Station Exit L6. 

Price of MTR from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui: 10 HKD per person
NOTE: Star Ferry is cheaper but it's double the distance to walk to Central Ferry Pier 7.

Walk from Exit L6 to Cafe de Coral at Star House

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM:

Lunch at Café de Coral, popular Hong Kong Chinese fast food place. They have a branch at Star House.

4:00 PM - 7:00 PM:

Go to Harbour City

Visit Harbour City, the largest mall in Hong Kong and see high-end shops like Prada, Louis Vuitton, Christian Loubotin, Chanel,etc. Take home Laduree Macarons, Cha Cha Sweets Cream Puffs.

Harbour City entrance near Star House

Harbour City entrance along Canton Road

OUTSIDE HARBOUR CITY ALONG CANTON ROAD

INSIDE HARBOUR CITY

Go to Hankow Road for Pasteleria Ko Kei  peanut candy and Lock Road for Portuguese egg tarts at Macau Restaurant

Check out my post: My List of the Best Souvenirs or Pasalubong from Hong Kong

Walk along Nathan road on the way to Kowloon hotel where you board the K2 bus you boarded in the morning

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM:

Walk to K2 bus stop where you got off in the morning and ride the bus to Airport Express Station Kowloon Station

You can check-in already at the Airport Express Kowloon station, unless you already did web check-in

Ride the airport express train and arrive at the airport



8:00 PM - 9:30 PM:

Go to immigration

Dinner at Café de Coral, popular Hong Kong Chinese fast food place. They have a branch at the airport at Terminal 1, Departure East Hall, Level 7.

Estimated cost of meal: 40 HKD per person



9:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Boarding


NOTE: If you can get a 12 midnight flight back, you will have time to watch the Symphony of Lights.

Below are some photos and a video to help you decide whether it's worth viewing: 

Elevated viewing area for the Symphony of Lights