I’ve been going back and forth this post’s title for a while because I’ve been having the hardest time capturing this thought:

If you want to impress your boss/date/future MIL or FIL,
you MUST bring them to Relik

Good food can be hard to find. But with Relik, it’s worth searching for. The Fort’s newest restaurant, Relik is the kind of place you either stumble upon with luck or track down with a GPS navigation device. But it’s this low-key approach, from facade to food, that makes Relik such a worthwhile discovery.

Inside, diners are led to plush leather sofas under warmly lit lamps. Vintage touches like an old radio, typewriter and refurbished turntable-turned DJ booth add sentimental charm, making first-time customers feel instantly at home. In fact, almost everything about the place is comforting, especially the food.

Relik is also the perfect place to have lunch. Hearty lunch sets that are easy on the pocket are available. Each set includes soup, salad and one main course. A typical lunch set would consist of Roasted Pumpkin soup with Crème Fraiche, Caesar Salad and Lengua. Other days, one can expect some French Onion Soup with Manchego Crouton, a Garden Salad and for the main course, Chicken Parmigiana with Sweet Potato Fries. The set lunches vary regularly so there’s always something new and exciting to try out during the week. Various desserts like the Vanilla and Amaretto Panacotta with berry compote or homemade cakes are also available for the sweet-toothed.

Relik’s homey ambience and cozy interiors have made it a favorite hangout for those who have visited the place at least once. The restaurant’s “modern vintage” theme is apparent in the mix of urban and retro designs. A quick look at the walls shows vintage items from which include wooden tennis rackets, a vinyl records and framed images from the 50s and 60s. Relik also has a private non-smoking room that’s perfect for executive lunches or meetings. This room can be rented out for events and parties.

How can you go wrong with a restaurant this rustic yet beautiful? I’d love to be brought here by my date or associates may it for power lunch or themed nights. *hint, hint* Let’s get down to business and let do the nosh do the talking.

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Last Sunday, Nuffnang treated me and other food and lifestyle bloggers to a food tasting like no other. Secretly tucked in what seemed like a noshin’ headquarters for this summer’s biggest food fair (with a squirrel tenant even), we all came hungry for a crossover between heavy merienda and light dinner.

Can you tell who’s the hungriest of us all?

With its overwhelming success last year, and due to insistent public demand, BEST FOOD FORWARD will now be staged on its 2nd year! Definitely bigger and better, with more surprises and enjoyable activities to be enjoyed by the whole family, BEST FOOD FORWARD 2012 is the first of its kind with a whole new concept to welcome summer with a bang!

To be staged on March 24 and 25, 2012 at the NBC Tent, it promises to be an affair where everyone can not only savor the best food but also celebrate food during one of the most awaited seasons of the year. It’ll definitely be a way to strengthen family togetherness, promote entrepreneurship and be established as a cheerful epicurean adventure to look forward to. Best Food Forward likewise aims to encourage group of friends, families and industry people to appreciate our local delicacies, entrepreneurial talent and creativity, at the same time allow the affair to be an experience for the appetite to remember!

I was in last year’s event with my family and we truly enjoyed ourselves. My favourite discovery’s got to be the delish Klar Joseph cupcakes (review here). This year’s all about old loves and new finds. Here’s a sneak peek on who’s gonna be in this years’s BFF

my fave luxe jams from The Fruit Garden
snapped in Legazpi Park

Butter Beer ala-Harry Potter by Lileya Santos of Pepita’s Lechon
Trivia: Lileya’s only 12 and she’s already bar tending! How awesome is that?!

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I rarely say this but really — everything about last night’s dinner at Aria Cucina Italiana with good friends was perfect.

view from the door

view from my seat (we had a table for four)

The wine list was very comprehensive. I would’ve splurged on a carafe but I’m buying new heels later. Shoes always wins. :)

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Remember last week’s super panget day? Apparently, when you’re feeling as bad, it could be something worse than the usual allergy run. Something this blotchy (photo here, I saved it as a link in case you’re having breakfast with my blog) might be is dengue.

So yes, I spent the latter part of the week staring at the view above (at CBTL, Asian Hospital). The doctors were amazed because I was still able to drag myself to work for 3 days with the swollen red spots and 40 degree fever. Actually, it wasn’t very easy because my feet still hurt like silly and until now, my ankles are still swollen. On the plus side, it does pay to take all the supplements in the world coupled with 4x a week gym sessions. Docs said it could’ve been worse but my immune system’s fought the virus really hard!

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I was about to hail a cab late last week when the unthinkable happened: my stomach grumbled out of hunger like it’s the end of the world. I cannot stay in Serendra for a full meal so I stopped by one of my favourite restaurants for a to-go to be noshed at work just before midnight.

Apart from the iced latte (approx. Php 165) above and the Grandma’s Crispy Duck Confit and Mushroom Risotto (Php 575), I ordered something new to me just because. Oddly, I eat pork but I will only submit myself to its full glory only when I need serious comfort. That said, I ordered the Grilled Maple Cider Glazed Bone-In Pork Chop (Php 475).

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For some three weeks now, this has been the talk of town at work. Sure, it might be (partly) my fault asking everyone to define and differentiate it for me. I’ve gone a little too nuts about it so I finally Googled it (hello SOPA) and this is what I got:

loy·al
adj.
1. Steadfast in allegiance to one’s homeland, government, or sovereign.
2. Faithful to a person, ideal, custom, cause, or duty.
3. Of, relating to, or marked by loyalty. See Synonyms at faithful.

faith·ful
adj.
1. Adhering firmly and devotedly, as to a person, cause, or idea; loyal.
2. Engaging in sex only with one’s spouse or only with one’s partner in a sexual relationship.
3. Having or full of faith.
4. Worthy of trust or belief; reliable.
5. Consistent with truth or actuality: a faithful reproduction of the portrait.

With the definitions presented above, I’d like to leave you with 2 questions:

1. What does it mean to be loyal but not faithful?
2. What does it mean to be faithful but not loyal?

When one says ARIA, there’s only one place that comes to mind: Aria Boracay.

September 2011

ARIA Cucina Italiana is a modern Italian restaurant that has a menu inspired by the coastal regions of the Mediterranean. It elevated the standards of restaurant designs in Boracay with its stylishly modern, yet tropical, interiors and cozy ambiance. Here you can dine beneath the stars or enjoy your cocktails at the outdoor bar, feeling sand between your toes.

Aria’s charm, to me at least, never gets old. It’s still the same haven by the beach I got to first try with J 5 years ago (note to self: must go on a beach vacay with the girls soon!). I think I’ve dined at least once in Aria on every Boracay trip I’ve had since 2007.

J with our Caesar salad and Salsiccia pizza

My favourite wood fire oven-baked pizzas are still the same:

Salsiccia
Italian sausage, tomato sauce and mozzarella

Aria
tomato sauce, mozzarella and parma ham

I received a photo in the mail just minutes ago that quite literally (excuse me) made me drool:

Capricciosa
fresh cherry tomatoes, artichokes, farmers ham, mushroom, kalamata olives and mozzarella

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Funny how some people can read my mind. I’ve been a heavy tea drinker for a while now (since 2004) and I always put the words “tea infuser” in my shopping list but never got around actually carting one. I received two presents last Christmas that made me oh so giddy just because they made my diversion from coffee more fancy schmancy:

from Penney and Mr. & Mrs. AskMeWhats <333

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Me to my best friend (who’s based in Cali): What should I try from Pinkberry?

• Original = sweet + tart
• Green Tea = fresh + light
• Watermelon = crisp + refreshing
• Mango = fruity + sweet
• Pomegranate = bold + intense
• Chocolate = rich + indulgent

Price list (fro yo only, fro yo with standard toppings):

• Cone (3 oz): Php 115, Php 165
• Small Cup (3 oz): Php 100, Php 155 (2 toppings)
• Medium Cup (5 oz): Php 135, Php 220 (4 toppings)
• Large Cup (8 oz): Php 170, Php 265 (6 toppings)
• Take Home (25 oz): Php 515 (not available with toppings)

Raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, swirly whip, peanut butter crunch, and milk chocolate crunch are considered luxe toppings (Php 40/serving).

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Since pre and initial diagnosis, I’ve been praying quite hard for one thing: that my endocrinologist could be wrong. In 2005, I was diagnosed and treated for hyperthyroidism. At 5 feet flat, I went from 100lbs to 80lbs in two weeks without changing my diet nor workout. Turns out, my mom’s mom also has hyperthyroidism and it’s well, one of my prized inheritance. :) Fast forward to 2011, things backfired and I can’t stop gaining weight. My muscle and fat mass are both normal but I’m starting to gain too much weight too soon. I went to my endocrinologist for a consult and the initial diagnosis was hypothyroidism and diabetes (not surprised since both sides of the family has it).

I can’t imagine myself getting nicked for the latter. That would mean giving up laying low on my love affair for lavender cuppycakes, Godiva and Royce dark chocolates, and penne. NOOOOOOOO. :(((((

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