Todd English Food Hall

A few weeks ago, the whole of Manila went wild with the opening of the latest dining spot:  Todd English Food Hall.  My facebook and instagram feed was churning out pictures upon pictures of the said restaurant, and even the food bloggers and celebrities alike were one in unison about how Todd English Food Hall rocks.  So after a week of seeing rave reviews, I mustered up the courage to brave the crowds of SM Aura and stepped into the halls of the famed Todd English.

Todd English Food Hall is a restaurant with a buffet-like spread.  There are several stations to choose from ranging from pastas and pizzas to meats and seafood.  But make no mistake about it, they are certainly not a buffet restaurant.  All you have to do it order from their menu, and your food will come out from the specific station that makes it.  Simple as that.

Pasta Station

Bar

Desserts

Fried Oyster

The oysters were too small, overcooked and dried up.  You know the 'squirt' that you get when you bite into oysters?  Well they don't have that.

Asada Steak with Pear Salsa Tacos

The combination was great, but the 'taco' wrap was too thick.

Parmesan Fries

Possibly the toughest, hardest fries I ever ate.  No parmesan taste either.

Crabonara with additional shaved fresh truffles

Crabonara ingredients on the side

Originally the crab, bacon and egg was supposed to be mixed into the pasta.  But since we ordered additional shaved fresh truffles to be added, we had the other ingredients on the side.  This one was ok.

US Hanger Steak with Roasted Bone Marrow

You know how the dish says 'with roasted bone marrow'?  Well, the server didn't tell us that they ran out of stock.  We didn't find out till we tried looking for it, couldn't find it, and asked about it.  In place of the marrow, they put in a teeny tiny piece of foie gras which was overcooked to the nth level.

TE Two Way Duck

TE Two Way Duck is comprised of duck breast and duck confit.  Duck breast was not bad, but the confit?  EXTREMELY salty!!!  Not to mention oily too.  Feels like I'm drinking oil.  And since we don't have a death wish, we returned it.

TE Half Chicken

The only good dish of the day.  This was the replacement to the failed TE Two Way Duck.  The chicken meat was very soft and juicy, even the breast!

OMG Dessert

Next to the chicken, this was the next best thing.  If you love chocolate lava and salted ice cream, then you're in for a treat!  Wish they toned down the sugar on the lava though... it was way too sweet.

Other observations:
*exhaust not working; the place is overall stinky, so prepare to smell like food after dining there.
*lots of small flying insects everywhere!

Sigh.  I guess by now I should have learned my lesson when it comes to overhyped restaurants.  But when almost all food reviews and social media posts say it's good, then one cannot help but get their hopes up.  Lesson to be learned:  either don't go to a restaurant while on their soft opening, or don't believe everything you read. 1 out of 5 stars.

Todd English Food Hall is at 5/F SkyPark, SM Aura Premiere, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Now Open: Old Navy in Manila

Late post.  Oops!  But better late than never, right?  Last March 22, Old Navy finally opened its doors in Manila!  I'm actually very excited about this, but sadly couldn't make it on opening day because of conflicting schedules, so I finally set foot in their BGC store a week after they opened.  

First off, a little back story:  Me and Old Navy, we go waaaay back.  (LOL, as if we're great friends!)  I still remember my high school days spent wandering around the huge warehouse-like store in San Francisco, California.  Racks and racks of great basics, comfy jeans and cool stuff, all at affordable prices!  What's not to love, right?  And for the high school me, that's my shopping heaven.  Never stopped going to Old Navy ever since I discovered it, even till today.  That's why I got so excited when I heard they were finally opening in our shores.  Yay!

You guys are probably tired of my babbling, so let me share with you some pictures I took.  Enjoy!

The Old Navy building.  Yup, the ENTIRE thing.

First thing that greets you at the entrance

Love these shopping carts!  Why carry when you can roll along?  LOL.

The women's department on the ground floor

Tees and Pants

Maternity and Lounge Wear

Let's go for a swim!

The wall of flip flops

Active Wear

Real truck at the children's department on the 2nd floor!

Something for the boys

...and for the girls

Baby stuff too!

Need to unwind?  There's a Coffee Bean on the 3rd floor!

Men's department

Shirt, shirts, shirts

Need jeans?  Take your pick

More printed shirts

Button downs and shorts

Active Wear

Just look at that.  THREE floors of awesome Old Navy goodness!

They even have some cool stuff by the counter!

So, what do I think?  I love the fact that the store looks and feels exactly like the ones I go to in the US.  Price points are reasonable too.  The only thing that needs improvement is the service.  From the moment I stepped into the store, till the moment I left, not one staff approached me to ask if I needed help with anything.  No one greets you at the door, and no one is manning the fitting room either. Everyone is basically doing their own thing and ignoring the customers. And it's not just me either.  I noticed that the staff is generally ignoring all the customers, except if you approach them first.  Tsk tsk.  Guess I got too pampered by the friendly faces and accommodating staff in Old Navy US, that's why it puzzled me that the ones here are the exact opposite.  Hoping that these are just birthing pains of the new store and that they'll be able to do something about it in the coming months.

Old Navy is at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, and at Glorietta, Makati.

Outfit of the Week: Fashionable Black and White

The invite said "fashionable black and white".  So this is what I came up with.  My dear friend AC is getting married!  So for her tea party themed bridal shower, the guests were asked to come in the wedding's motif colors:  black and white.  I put together this outfit on a whim, and was pleasantly surprised with the results.  I wasn't too sure if shorts can pass as a not-casual outfit, but this just goes to show that with the right pair, and right match-up, it can actually pass!  Like my outfit?  Tell me what you think!

Top:  Forever 21
Shorts:  Forever 21
Bag:  Celine
Shoes:  Aldo

RSSI Mid-Season Sale Starts Today!

Are you on a mid-season slump?  Well here's a quick pick-me-upper:  RSSI Mid-Season Sale!  In case you're curious, here are the stores on sale:

Excited?  So am I!  See you at the stores!  Happy shopping!

Lusso

Lusso has been a long time favorite of mine.  I've been a fan of this place ever since it opened.  I even remember celebrating one of my birthday lunches here.  Last year (I know, late post, sorry!), Mom and I were wandering around Greenbelt 5 at dinnertime and we found ourselves outside Lusso.  The fond memories here urged me to go in, and Mom was all-in when I suggested the place.  Good thing too, because they brain has already conjured a mental image of what I'm going to order from them.  Foie gras burger, anyone?

Truffle Potato Crisps

Ah... The smell of truffle in every bite.  We can't get enough!

3 Egg Omelette with Truffle Cream

What happens when you put eggs and truffle cream together?  It's a match made in heaven!  Weight watchers beware though, it's not very diet friendly.

And now, Lusso's signature burger, the demi pound burger!

Lusso Demi Pound Burger

I'm sad... look at the cross-section of their demi pound burger, there's hardly a trace of foie gras.  I distinctly remember tasting a huge chunk of foie gras when we dined there about a year ago.  Oh well.  Guess I'd have to find my foie gras burger fix somewhere else.

So how would I rate it?   Aside from the disappointing demi pound burger, the others were pretty good.  But since there are quite a few places which also offers the foie gras burger, I think Lusso have to step up in able to stay in the game.  3 out of 5 stars.

Lusso is at G/F Greenbelt 5, Legaspi St. Legazpi Village, Makati

CashCashPinoy's Bad Reputation: Deceit, Deceit, Deceit

I really do not want to write this post, because there's just too much negativity in this world and I'd like to channel good vibes.  But CashCashPinoy has left me with no choice.  It's time to put their deceitfulness to an end. 

About a month ago, I read an article concerning CashCashPinoy's untruthful travel deals.  In the article, it was mentioned that 2 people bought coupons from them for an all-inclusive trip to Japan at a mere Php 20,000++ (sorry, I forgot the exact amount) from the original price of Php 40,000++.  Sounds like a good deal.  But the problem started when they contacted the travel agency to fix their schedules, only to find out that there are certain charges that are NOT included in the price, and those charges would mean that they'd have to pay an additional Php 20,000++!  Now, where's the deal in that?!

I myself has signed up with CashCashPinoy, and has bought several deals from them.  It is their regular practice to send deal promotions through email several times a week so that their customers are aware of their new deals.  So when I received an all-inclusive travel deal email a few weeks ago, I checked and found out that indeed, their travel deals are misleading.  Putting the matter into my own hands, I emailed their customer service to tell them to please take out the "all-inclusive" part of their travel deal if it isn't true, to which the reply was a playing dumb "which travel deal are you pertaining to?"  Let's just say that the conversation did not end well and I threatened to report them to DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) the next time I see these false deals.

Come last Friday, I received CashCashPinoy's newsletter again.  And surprise, surprise!  Another all-inclusive travel deal (encircled).  I logged on and tried to see if they've already corrected their crooked ways.  Read on to see:

Look closely at the encircled area below.  If you're too excited, or just not fond of reading fine prints, chances are that you won't even notice that part.

...and voila!  One click and you'll see all of the non-inclusions (see encircled part below).  Seems like they haven't change one bit.   I called Alva Travel Corp., the travel agency listed to inquire.  The guy who answered was not only unprofessional (kept on putting me on hold, talking to other people), but he was also rude and impatient.  It appears that you'd have to pay an additional Php 15,000-Php20,000 for this specific travel deal (depending on your travel dates), and the visa and travel tax is not even included yet.  WOW.

 

So what happened to those poor customers who fell into their trap, you ask?  Nothing.  CashCashPinoy refused their request for a refund for the reasons that it is stated in their terms and conditions that their vouchers are not valid for cash back and that the deal has been "diligently explained" to the customers.  Diligently explained?  I.  Don't.  Think.  So. 

I am fully aware that it is not entirely CashCashPinoy's fault.  It really pays to click and read everything before forking over your hard earned cash, but my problem is that they put in the words "ALL-INCLUSIVE" and that is purely bullsh*t. (sorry!)  Where I come from, all-inclusive means I don't have to pay a single cent more after I buy something.  Have you ever experienced a sale wherein you're asked to pay more than the sale price at the check out counter?  Hell no.  NEVER put all-inclusive if it is not.

Now, it appears that the CEO of CashCashPinoy has already responded to the site that exposed their travel scam.  As stated in his response to the article, he claims that DTI has approved this kind of deceit.  Tsk tsk.  Now where's the justice in that?  Poor customers.  I hope one day they get their justice.  CashCashPinoy is liable and should not get away with cheating their customers.  And yes, I hope this post goes viral so that more people are aware of this kind of biased practices by the so-called "deal" site.

Outfit of the Week: Prep in my Step

For those who know me well enough, then you'd know that preppy is not how you'd describe my style.  But even if that's the case, I'm also willing to explore and step out of my comfort zone.  It was a good thing I did!  Because I enjoyed wearing this preppy outfit so much, I went out and shopped for more!  LOL.  Noticed my shoes?  It's the return of the see-through oxfords!  I'm so in love with this pair - it's not your average pair of oxfords.  And since I'm constantly on the lookout for something different, this is definitely me.  The bag, on the other hand, is the result of a Macau shopping spree.  I couldn't say no when the salesperson took it out fresh from the box.  I love how the color pops, and how the style is so functional.  I can definitely bring it to trips abroad!  Like my outfit?  Comment below please! :)

Top:  Collezione
Pants:  Gap
Bag:  Hermes
Shoes:  Bass x Rachel Antonoff