Oktoberfest at Sofitel

Earlier that week, HUC saw Cash Cash Pinoy, a site that "features something cool to do in several towns, all over the Philippines, at amazing discount prices of up to 90% off" as their website describes it. She initially discovered Twangoo, a site that works the same way but caters to a more posh and expensive crowd. 


At that time, their featured deal for the day was the P900 for Unlimited Food and Drinks Brunch at Sofitel’s Oktoberfest Celebration. HUC was itching to go and check out Sofitel and the much raved about, Spiral Buffet. She urged J to buy vouchers for the both of them. There goes her impulsivity, not even knowing and researching how the site works or if people ever had a bad experience with it. Not until she did experience one.


She bought the vouchers Thursday and the event would be on that Sunday. Up until Saturday afternoon, the email notification that contains the printable voucher never came into her inbox. She was already in dire panic kus Php1800 is not that big of a money but still, money that she and J worked hard enough for. She also cannot find a copy of it on her account. She decided to look for a Customer Service number first on their website and all around the web. But, to no avail, she didnt find any. Not unlike its other competitors like Buyanihan and Ensogo, which numbers can easily be spotted on their website. Now she tried to leave a comment on their Facebook Page in which she immediately got a reply. She was given quite a run around and was ready to ask for a refund when the voucher magically appeared on her account. Smile. :)


The two decided to leave early to get good seats. MRT ride-Cab to Sofitel. Oh boy Sofitel's huge! The cab parked on the Main Lobby(?) of Sofitel and asked the receptionist which was the way to the Oktoberfest Celebration. Being the lakwatsera-but-surely-to-get-lost type, she just nodded as the receptionist bombarded her with directions. The only thing that sticked to her mind was "tent". They went down the grand "Spiral" staircase and went out the pool area. They both didnt know which way to go and was on the verge of having a fight when J suggested to go ahead and pass by the Salon and voila! The Harbor Garden Tent was there. The area beside the tent was adorned with different rides for kids such as a carousel, balloon wheel ride, choo choo train and mini jets to name a few. Too bad the event was held on brunch time which meant, hot and sunny. Not good for kids. Armed with their vouchers, they went to the entrance and had their wrists stamped. They were then handed 2 humongous ceramic mugs.

German Club Manila Oktoberfest 2010 Celebration Commemorative Mug

The tent was huge and spacey and had an Inflatable Kingdom for kids. Stiltwalkers were also all over the place. Around the sides of the tent were the buffet tables which had an appetizer table, an assortment of sausages, pasta and HUC's favorite, the dessert table. They also set up a stage which played Authentic German Music from an Oompah Band and had a magic show too. Every long table, there were 2 beer dispensers which contains San Miguel Draft Beer. They were beer drinkers, no doubt. But at 12 noon, drinking lukewarm beer wasnt a good idea. So the two took turns on raking the buffet table. 

Beer Goodness at noon

Red Cabbage, Potato Salad and Green Beans

Bread Ball (twas wet so, it was kinda weird to eat)

Sausages

 

Sausages (again)

and mooooore Sausages!

you know what this is. :)

serving the Meatloaf

the Buffet table

J's plate

bite-sized Banana Cake

Cheesecake

Strawberry Panna Cotta

OKT

German Interiors

Oompah Band

J munching on sausages

busog ka na naman?!

There were different kinds of Bavarian food that was served. Some, unfamiliar in look and taste especially on the appetizer table. Beer was overflowing but not really given notice of because that was the last day of the Oktoberfest celebration and intended to be a Family Day. A lot of Milkmaid looking girls were also lurking around the place selling a bunch of memorabilias such as shirts, teddy bears, and even gingerbread cookies. The shirts were sold for Php600 so the cheapest thing that you could buy was obviously the cookies. Php100 for a cookie as big as your palm.

The pretty girl who sold HUC cookies.

Gingerbread cookies

After a filing brunch, the two went outside the tent. Sofitel's driving range was facing Manila Bay. They didn't stay for long as they also have a lunch engagement with J's family that they have to get to and were running late. Though their Oktoberfest date was cut short, the two clearly enjoyed the Oktoberfest celebration sans the beer. This really calls for a sequel. Sofitel: The Spiral Experience. :) 

Driving Range

Bye Sofitel! See you soon!

A Closer Look into Caveman & Yeti

During HUC's free time, she's glued to her laptop finding places that she and J could go to. Facebook, Multiply, Google and Blogger are staples on her Mozilla tabs. She stumbled upon Caveman and Yeti's fanpage on Facebook when she saw that they are currently giving a treat for bloggers. She gave it a shot and sent the link of her blog post which was shared with Koryo (entry below). The next day, she found a reply on her inbox that said,

Hi Patty! :) thanks for blogging about us! usually the free shaved snow comes before the post but i'm happy with it the other way around too! :) i'll leave your name with the cashier, visit anytime for your 2 free servings of shaved snow :D  *try the ube mungster with ube pastillas :D my personal favorite

thanks!
dazzle

Twas from Ms Dazzle herself, the owner of Caveman and Yeti. :) HUC got overly giddy and went to their branch immediately the next day. 

She went straight ahead the counter and asked, "May iniwan bang name si Ms Dazzle sa inyo? Patty?"  She made a quick call and politely asked us after, "Ano po sa inyo?" Since Ms Dazzle recommended the Ube Mungster, HUC decided to get it with Nata de Coco and J got the Mais con Yeti with Choco Chips (for an additional charge of course) plus 2 Sesame Mochi Buns. As they were waiting for their frozen treats, HUC took a couple of shots.

Caveman & Yeti's wide array of add-ons

My Ube Snow :)

Ate's making J's Vanilla Snow!

As Ate was putting the garnishes on our treat, Ms Dazzle came!

HUC and Ms Dazzle Ng

Ms Dazzle came and made sure that the treat that theyre about devour are at it's "photogenic" state, and not to mention, its most delicious too. :) And she was also real kind enough to deck out their dessert with more add-ons such as, Ube Pastillas and Nuts for HUC's Ube Mungster and Cornflakes and Nuts for J's Mais con Yeti. and oh, she threw in Chocolate fillings for their Mochi Buns too! Talk about their most filling dessert adventure to date!

Ate with my now improved Ube Mungster

Sesame Mochi Buns injected with heaps of Chocolate filling!

Just as how people have described it, their Mochi Buns were extra crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside and is best paired with the Chocolate filling.


As the two were eating, HUC asked a couple of questions about Caveman and Yeti. Ms Dazzle and her sister during their frequent trips around Asia, tried to check out a stall that had a long queue of people lining up to get an unknown dessert. The Shaved Flavored Snow! What makes it different from other frozen treat is the consistency, more like that of a smoother ice cream rather than that of Halo-Halo. Ms Dazzle took a chance on it and brought the shaved flavored snow technology here in the Philippines. She said, at first, everything from the special shaver machine to the Sesame Mochi Buns were imported but now, they are venturing out to make the Mochi Buns locally. She also told a story about their brainstorming stage. As they were choosing the different varieties and the respective names of their Shaved Flavored Snow, they greatly considered that it must appeal to the Filipino taste thus, the addition of Ube Mungster & Mais con Yeti. Would you believe that they also tried to concoct a Chocolate and Chili creation? Ms Dazzle thought it tasted funny and eliminated it from the list. The Caveman character represents the Shaved Snow and Yeti represents the Sesame Mochi Buns. The brightly colored interior which is kid and kid at heart friendly is lovingly designed by the Got Heart Foundation. In return, every order of Strawberry Heart Yeti Bowl, Php 5 of that goes to the Foundation. :) In the middle of their chit-chat, Ate placed a small portion of Choco Nutty, which is Peanut Snow based and with Chocolate Syrup and chunks of Chocnut.

Ube Mungster

Mais con Yeti

 

J & HUC's table of frozen heaven

mini Choco Nutty!

Caveman & Yeti's Menu

Tallest Tower Promo

J & HUC only planned to have dessert but went home with a full stomach. Burps were echoing everywhere! Caveman and Yeti was such a fun and yummy experience. :) Period.

pattYeti

Caveman and Yeti is located at the 3rd Floor Main Mall of SM North Edsa :) and is opening a second branch in a top secret location pa according to Ms Dazzle.

Koryo Korean Barbeque and Caveman and Yeti

J & HUC, again, lurked around SM North Edsa. They originally planned to see Despicable Me in Trinoma. The slots for 4pm and 8pm were full. Sadly they went back to SM. On the walkway going to The Block, a new Korean restaurant opened a month ago. HUC doesnt know if they have other branches because this is the first time they came across it.

Outside the store, they have a kiosk selling their "World Famous Garlic Potatoes". Only 55php per serving.

So garlicky good! (and its sweet too!)

BBQ Beef and Chicken Platter

J with his Beef BBQ

J & HUC decided to get the BBQ Beef and Chicken Platter with Macaroni Salad and Spicy Shredded Squid (they forgot the name.) The serving is good for two but if youre really hungry, it could pass for 1. Koryo offers a wide selection of sides like Green Beans, 3 kinds of Kimchee, Potato Salad, Broccoli, Egg Rolls, Seaweed. The egg rolls look like square pancakes. :) The Korean taste never appealed to HUC and maybe she'll never get used to it. Except for their BBQ which tasted like any other barbeque.


Dessert! HUC was able to set a part of her tummy for dessert. Off the two went to the newly renovated 3rd floor of SM North Main Mall. Caveman and Yeti is a place for people who enjoy frozen treats and is gaining more attention with its relatively new (to the Philippines) twist to the word dessert. Shaved flavored snow!


Caveman and Yeti has 2 varieties of shaved snow the Vanilla and the Peanut Snow. HUC decided to try the regular sized Banana Nut (68php), no toppings, add-ons, whatsoever. She utterly enjoyed her Caveman and Yeti experience but has yet to try their Mochi Buns to complete it. It tasted like flavored whipped cream and nothing like ice because the consistency is sooooo smooth. 

My Banana Nut treat!

 Caveman and Yeti's Freedom Wall

 HUC's clearly happy with her treat! :)

 Want some???

ATC-Centris Walk-Carinderia Sunday

J & HUC had quite a long day that Sunday. Both got up at 6. HUC had to go to Alabang to meet up with her college friends to go to a wake.


HUC met up with another friend together with J at the MRT North Avenue station. Since HUC just works near her place, her only transportation everyday is a tricycle and the occasional cab rides. So, these kinds of trips, she looks forward to except for the traffic jam and excessive sweating. As soon as they boarded the train and got comfy, HUC realized that her pass was nowhere to be found. After rummaging through her things, she found it in her cellphone case. "Palibhasa, hindi na kilala ang MRT" as HUC puts it.

After a long 1 1/2 hour bus ride to Alabang, they finally got off at South Station. Shortly after, hopped on a jeepney going to Sucat. Actually, that was 5 jeepney rides to be exact before they got to ATC. South Station-Sucat-Loyola-Sucat-ATC. Whew! J & HUC wanted to roam around ATC. Being the "north" people that they are, its a rare occasion that they set foot in the South area of the Metro. But then again, the skies were clouding up that they decided to cut their "Field Trip of the South" short.

As they were approaching Quezon Avenue, they happened to see Centris Walk, a commercial complex directly connected to the Quezon Avenue station. A few restaurants and cafes have already opened namely Asya, Italliani's, Jack's Loft, My Thai, Pancake House, Pho Hoa, Shakey's, Tutti Frutti, and Zong.

They just strolled a bit and went to the other side of Centris to check it out. Went inside a bookstore and scored these!

back to back issues of PhotoYou, the official magazine of Canon cameras with a free screen protector! only for 250! yay!

They went outside to check out Centris Walk. J & HUC fell in love with the sky. There was not that much to see yet. A lot of stalls are still closed and under construction but the place shows a lot of promise. Might be a late night tambayan after Timog gimmicks.

sunset @ Centris Walk

They didnt stay for long because both their stomachs were already rumbling like crazy and decided to hit V. Luna to check out Carinderia, the much talked about 99php buffet.

99 bucks + VAT of course. nonetheless, still cheap!

Carinderia, as the name suggests, serves carinderia dishes but definitely, not carinderia quality. It has a wide variety of Filipino dishes from Halaan and Tahong Soup, Talangka, Paksiw na Pata, Laing, Bopis, Afritada, Pinakbet, Fried Fish, and every kind of Lumpia you could ever imagine, to name a few. Desserts are of course Filipino themed as well namely, Pritong Kamote at Saging, Kutsinta, Palitaw and a red gelatin (which they happen to serve every single time.) As for the drinks, refillable sodas are only for *drumroll please* 35php! When you think of it, most restaurants charge 50-80php for refillable sodas but, Carinderia is living up to its name. To serve good food without hurting your budget, including the drinks.

Halaan Soup

J's plate of Pinakbet, Sisig, Arosit, Lumpiang Shanghai, Longganisa and Lechon Paksiw

he's doing it again! J with his aprub sign

Carinderia's interior, though spacious, needs to improve on a lot of things. The wall just below the ceiling is lined with sawali and jalousie windows complete the "carinderia" feel of the place. It feels really hot and humid inside, not the kind of feeling you'd expect in a place with a high ceiling. The restroom is okay, clean. they have liquid soap naman and ample amount of tissue. But HUC didnt get why they have a detergent bar on the sink. : | They laid cartons just outside the restroom door and didnt have a mat because the floor is so slippery. Very dangerous for kids.

Carinderia is always packed with hungry folks even more on weekends

The Golden Rule of Buffets

HUC's sick full!

To date, J & HUC already made 3 trips back to Carinderia together with J's family. HUC's family's next!

Carinderia Buffet is located at V. Luna cor Mabilis St Quezon City.

KACHING: 150php/head

Rainy Day Friday at Franz Burger

Its Payday! J & HUC vowed to go back to Il Terrazzo for the Tamrac backpack theyve been eyeing for weeks now.

Finally! Their baby now has a Hotel Room!

Of course, their weekend wouldn't be complete without a foodie field trip! Standing at Il Terrazzo's lobby for about 15 mins thinking where to eat, they were just about to settle for Jack's Loft when HUC remembered a small place in Timog which J's sister recommended. Rode a jeep went to a commercial complex in front of Burger King. Hungry Hippo! The place was small but homey. Their menu was consist of mainly breakfast items and some sandwiches. Meals range from 70-100 bucks only. But to their surprise, the crew came of the kitchen and said, "Ay mam, closed na kami. Sorry." HUC turned to her watch. It's only 7.30. She thought that breakfast items can be eaten all day. But wondered why they have to close so early.

Feeling bummed and hungry, again, the two stood there for 10 minutes. They cannot contain their hunger any longer and HUC was literally about to pass out when J thought of Franz Burger. Its was such relief that its just a 5 minute ride away, if not for the infamous Friday Night Morato Traffic. Since its raining, they had a hard time hailing a cab. So the 5 minutes was translated into 15.

Franz Burger is located in Scout Delgado in Quezon City. If youre coming from Morato, it's the small street between Flying Pig and BPI.

wifi uyeh.


The residential space turned into a famous burger joint is one of the many reasons why people go back for more. The ambience would make you feel like youre just inside inside your house, enjoying your burger sans the comfy couch.

that small door is the airconditioned area. and this, for smokers. and its fully electric fanned. hehe. :)

This was J & HUC's second time to visit Franz Burger. The first one was completely the opposite. It was scorching hot and it was a mistake eating outside. They were amazed how people just walk in and say "Sige babalikan ko na lang." since Franz Burger is nestled in a residential area and maybe theyre the regulars.

Philly Cheese Burger

Mexican Burger

Marble Potatoes (you can always ask for extra cheese. and the good thing, no extra charge!)

Fettucine Carbonara

J & HUC's table of half burgers untouched pasta, marble potato, banamango vanilla smoothie & rootbeer




After dinner, HUC used the loo and found this.

True.

Both were so full and sleepy that they didnt stay to hang out anymore. If youre planning to go to Franz Burger and commute, one thing. Always bring an umbrella because even if it's sunny even more when it's raining, it will be of good use. The place is a little far from Morato and you have to walk if you plan to either take a cab or jeep. HUC never practiced to bring one but always tagged a hoodie along with her.

KACHING: 400++php (HUC forgot exactly how much).