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

Early Bird Breakfast Club

They say that during breakfast, one must eat like a king.  But what if the restaurant serves an all day breakfast fare?  I say eat like a king, all day!  LOL.  A few weeks ago, me and the girls visited our close friend whose son was confined in St. Luke's Global City (He's okay now.  Thank God).  After our visit, our grumbling tummies reminded us that we have yet to take our dinner.  Initially, we agreed on just getting dinner in one of the restaurants within the hospital, but what we didn't know was that all the hospital restaurants close at 9PM!  So off we went to the Fort Strip to find someplace that we all could agree on.  That place turned out to be the Early Bird Breakfast Club.  None of us has tried it yet and it looked interesting enough, so in we went.  Good thing too they don't close that early, or we would've been forced to eat in one of the bars.  Haha!

I'd like to say that breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day but that just isn't true.  You see, I'm not a morning person, so I always skip breakfast just so I could get a couple more Zzzzzs.  BUT, eggs has and will always be my favorite food so yes, any chance that I can get eggs into my system, I'm game!

Here's what we had:

Yin & Yang Champorado

 Rich Belgian dark chocolate and Belgian white chocolate champorado with sweet toasted dilis

Can you believe that I've never eaten champorado before this one?!  I must be living on the moon.  Good thing my friend KL ordered Early Bird's yin & yang champorado.  And it's good!  The mixure of dark and white chocolate is just pure bliss.  We enjoyed munching on the sweet toasted dilis too!

Fish Fillet Goujon Salad

 Crisp dory fish with a chunky fresh salad, homemade tartar sauce and grated egg

The only part I ate was the fish and some eggs because the salad had too much vegetables that I don't eat.  I find the fish batter too thick.  Meh.

Ultimate Grilled Cheese with Roasted Tomato Soup

Cheddar, mozzarella and gruyere between slices of toasted bread with sweet and spicy onion relish served with roasted toomato soup on the side

There were two favorites that night, and this was one of them.  After a bite of their grilled cheese sandwich, other grilled cheese sandwiches seem to pale in comparison.  We tried dipping it into the accompanying tomato soup and the result was absolutely perfect!

Early Bird Croque Madame

Our version of the classic French Sandwich with bacon, cheese, mustard filling, smothered with mornay sauce with addition of fried egg.

So-so.  It was okay but not mind-blowingly great.  Loved the egg though, but that's just me because I love everything egg!

Tenderloin Breakfast Steak

This was the second favorite of the night.  The tenderloin was cooked just right (we asked for medium well) and the siding, which was a squash-carrot-potato mix, complemented the steak very well.

Tiramisu Pancake

The only fail of the night.  How we wished we didn't order this.  The tiramisu pancake was one of Early Bird's new items and it looked delicious from the photo.  But in reality, it was dry, tasteless and just plain sad.  It was the bad ending to an otherwise great meal.

So how would I rate the Early Bird Breakfast Club?  3.5 out of 5 stars!  As a matter of fact, I loved it so much that I dragged Hubby to try it out the very weekend after I ate with the girls.  Sadly, we weren't able to try other desserts either because we were in a hurry.  Next time then... next time.

Early Bird Breakfast Club is at Unit C G/F Fort Pointe 2 Bldg, The Fort Complex, 28th St., Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

Hot Star Large Fried Chicken

The very first time I read about Hot Star was in an article published by ABS-CBN news.  The line "chicken bigger than the average Filipino's face" immediately caught my attention, so that very weekend, I ventured out to the newly opened Blue Bay Walk in Macapagal Avenue to try it out for myself.  

It was in the middle of the afternoon when we arrived in Hot Star.  The restaurant has a fast food setup, so the ordering is done at the counter.  I initially had my eye on their BBQ Large Fried Chicken and their chicken skin, only to be told that both were unavailable that day.  BOO.  Oh well, at least they helped me narrow down my choices to the other two available large fried chickens.  

Black Gulaman Ice Crush

While waiting for our order, we sipped on the black gulaman ice crush.  I thought I'd be chewing on gulaman pieces, but it turns out that this is really just a gulaman flavored ice blended drink.  And it was waaaaay too sweet.  

Original Large Fried Chicken

Our number was finally called, and boy, yes, the article wasn't kidding when they said that the chicken was bigger than an average face!  I wish I could have said that we were spellbound by it, but the size was the only thing we found spellbinding.  Everything went downhill from there.  Why?  Here's why:

a.  Tastewise, the original large fried chicken tasted like the normal chicken chops that you'd find in fast food restaurant and Taiwanese milk tea shops.

b.  We found the batter too thick and the texture a bit gummy (from the Tapioca flour), which we didn't like.

c.  Hold on...  Is that...?  Bones?  I thought we were getting chicken fillets!  Okay, my bad.  They didn't actually say fillet, but it's quite surprising to see a huge piece of chicken bone. (see exhibit A below)

Exhibit A

Crispy Large Fried Chicken

After the disappointing first chicken piece, we were hoping that the second one would give off better results.

Exhibit B

After we tried the original, we knew better.  So before chopping up and biting into the Crispy Large Fried Chicken, we looked for the part where the actual fillet ends and the photo above is what we came up with (exhibit B).  We were shocked that HALF of the supposed LARGE fried chicken was actually bones.  Uh oh.

Exhibit C

And here's a cross section of the chicken.  See how thin the actual chicken is?  Yup, it's mostly breading and I have the pictures to prove it (exhibit C).  

Overall I have to say that our experience in Hot Star Large Fried Chicken was disappointing.  The price would have been a good value if only the whole chicken piece did not include bones.  But since it does, then it's not worth it.  The batter was thick and the actual chicken fillet was thin too.  1 out of 5 stars.

Hot Star is at Blue Bay Walk, Macapagal Avenue cor, EDSA, Pasay City

Outfit of the Week: Flower Power

Ah, Valentine's Day.  The day for all things love, flowers, chocolates, and mushiness.  Why am I talking about something that happened almost a month ago?  Well, because what you'll see below is my Valentine's Day outfit.  For the day of love, I chose to go with the flow.  Flowers on my top and flowers on my belt.  Yes, I couldn't get any cheesier.  But heck, it only happens once a year so might as well make the most out of it, right?  To prevent overkill, I chose to go with solids for my bottom and other accessories.  Anyway, can I tell you how much I love my top?  Was browsing through Robinson's Department Store a few months back, with no intention to buy, and then I had to see this.  The simple floral design, the uneven hem... it had me under a spell.  Of course I had to get it!  It's practically screaming my name!  LOL.  Kidding aside, it does look a bit formal, so I had to choose an occasion to wear it.  Now, which occasion would be better than Valentine's right?  It was a good thing I remembered I had it!  So, what do you think?  Yay or nay?  Sound off at the comments section please! 

Top:  Stella (from Robinson's Department Store)
Leggings:  Esmara
Belt:  Dorothy Perkins
Bag:  Chanel
Shoes:  Hot Options (from Target Australia)

The Lunchbox Diet Diaries: Day 5

Day 5!  And just like that, we've reached the end of the week.  Lost yet another .8 lbs today!

Friday's words of encouragement and menu

Friday's Food

Breakfast:  Daing na Bangus with Home made Atchara and Red Rice

Surprise, surprise!  The bangus was very juicy!  I've had my fair share of tough, dry bangus to last me a lifetime and I was seriously expecting something like that, since it's reheated from the microwave.  Good thing they've exceeded my expectations!  Hooray for the chefs over at the lunchbox diet! 

Lunch:  Parmesan Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

Chicken was as tender as it was on the first day of our diet.  Pasta was also cooked just right.  Wish there were more parmesan though, I could barely taste it!

Dinner:  Sichuan Pork, Veggies & Cashew Stir Fry and Red Rice

This was the tastiest meal of the week.  I loved the pork strips and I loved the mixture of the veggies.  It smelled so good!  And since there was a bit of sauce from the pork juices, I used the rice to mop up the sauce.  Yum!

Snack:  Cracker and Yogurt 

The yogurt was definitely a more filling alternative to the fruits.  I had dinner at 9pm and normally, my stomach would already be growling by 6pm.  Surprisingly, I lasted till 9pm!  

So what do I think of the lunchbox diet?  

It's very doable!  Actually, the secret to any diet is that you'd have to have self-control.  Food is not the enemy here.  The right amount and the right food can help you in your weight loss journey.  The lunchbox diet just shows us that even carbs (pasta, red rice) can aid us lose weight when eaten in small portions.  Overall, I lost a grand total of 5.6 lbs.  Hubby, on the other hand, lost a whopping 10 lbs!  And yes, we did cheat a little bit.  Just a teeny tiny bit.  We're only human.  :)

So would we do it again?  

Yes!  Another good thing about the lunchbox diet is that they prepare a different menu every week.  That means you won't get stuck eating the same food over and over again.  Now, if you're looking for something to jumpstart your weight loss, why not try out the lunchbox diet?  I'd definitely recommend it!

 
For more information about the Lunchbox Diet, visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/lunchboxdietph

The Lunchbox Diet Diaries: Day 4

Day 4!  More than halfway done for the week.  Not so lucky today, just lost .8 lbs from yesterday's weight.  But heck, anything is better than nothing, right?  Actually, most people say that it's a general rule that people on a diet are not supposed to weigh themselves everyday.  I guess it's the OC-ness in me that I just needed to see how I'm progressing every single day, to keep me motivated.  

So anyway, here's what we're having for today!

Thursday's words of encouragement and menu

Thursday's Food

Breakfast:  Chicken & Leek Fritata and Pandesal

The fritata was a bit tough and dry today.  But the pandesal is still fabulous.

Lunch:  Gwama's Pork Hot Pot and Red Rice

Pork was tender and tasty.  But I wish they mixed it with some other vegetables other than radish.

Dinner:  Thai Style Sole Fillet and Red Rice

I would've loved the Thai style sole fillet except for one thing.  As usual, the fish was salty.  From experience, I've discovered that sole fillets tend to absorb salt too much.  So when I cook it, I usually just put a pinch of salt right before cooking.  Hope the lunchbox diet crew can look into this concern.

Snack:  Ponkan and Almond Cookie

I could barely taste the hint of almond in the almond cookie.  Also, some sugar granules have not fully melted into the cookie so it's a bit weird to chew sugar.

For more information about the Lunchbox Diet, visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/lunchboxdietph

The Lunchbox Diet Diaries: Day 3

Day 3!  Lost another 2 lbs!  Wow, if this thing keeps up, then my diet just might be finished in a month (wishful thinking, LOL).  So here's what we're having for today!

Wednesday's words of encouragement and menu

Wednesday's Food

Breakfast:  Jerk Chicken Breakfast Sandwich  

Today's breakfast was shockingly filling.  2 huge slices of wheat bread with chicken breast strips.  Had a hard time keeping the chicken breast strips from falling off, but taste-wise, the bread was soft and the sandwich was delicious.

Lunch:  Beef Keema and Red Rice

This was basically ground beef mixed with a couple herbs and spices.  Tastes very middle eastern, not much of a fan.

Dinner:  Sole Fillet with Tomato-Pesto Melt Topping and Red Rice

The menu says tomato-pesto melt topping, but I couldn't taste the pesto at all.  

Snack:  Pear and Cracker with Caramelized Onion Dip

I looooved the caramelized onion dip.  Who knew Skyflakes and caramelized onions were a match made in heaven, right?

For more information about the Lunchbox Diet, visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/lunchboxdietph

The Lunchbox Diet Diaries: Day 2

Day 2!  Guess how much weight I lost from yesterday?  2 pounds!  Ok ok, maybe it's because I pigged out on Sunday, that's why I lost so much when I ate so little yesterday.  Will have to stick to the diet for the whole week  before I could officially say how much weight I lost with this diet.  Anyway, here's what's going on for today:

Tuesday's words of encouragement and menu

Tuesday's Food

Breakfast:  Oatscaldo with Shredded Chicken and Green Oil

The oatscaldo was meant to taste like arroz caldo, but made healthier by using oatmeal.  Well, they succeeded!  For someone who does not eat oatmeal, I wanted more!  Oops!

Lunch:  Lemongrass Beef Stew Pasta

The smell of the beef was a bit too strong for me, and it tasted a bit bland.  The pasta was cooked well done though, which is how I really like my noodles.

Dinner:  Pork Tenderloin with Sweet & Sour Onion Sauce and Taters

It's not everyday that you'd taste reheated pork that isn't as hard as a rock, so plus points for the lunchbox diet crew!

Snack:  Apple and Raisin Bread

Sadly, the raisin bread didn't taste as good as it looked.  It was too dry.  Hubby mentioned it's like eating paper.  LOL.

For more information about the Lunchbox Diet, visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/lunchboxdietph

The Lunchbox Diet Diaries: Day 1

Early this year, Hubby and I made a promise to each other to go on a diet.  It's sort of our new year's resolution that got delayed and we only started taking it seriously last week.  Believe me, it's hard to jumpstart a diet when there's so much temptation around you!  BUT, for health and vanity reasons, we had to force ourselves to get up and go.  And to start off our diet, we went with the Lunchbox Diet.

What is the lunchbox diet?  The lunchbox diet is a company that delivers to you calorie-counted meals, 5 days a week.  1200 calories for one whole day's worth of meals, to be exact.  I've done a research online about delivered meals and this is one came out as one of the more promising ones, so I figured, why not?  After a few exchanges through text message, I made my deposit and waited for Monday.  

Early Monday morning, our brown paper bags were delivered. 

Fresh from delivery

Monday's words of encouragement and menu

My lunchboxes

Monday's Food

Breakfast:  Sunny Fritata and Pandesal
Their pandesal was really delicious!  It was so soft, it's like biting into marshmallows!  Sunny fritata was not bad either, I liked biting into small kernels of corn.

Lunch:  Fish Fillet with Romesco Sauce and Red Rice
The fish was quite salty, I have to say.  Good thing they included the sauce for lunch, it balanced off the bland rice and the saltiness of the fish.

Dinner:  Chicken Tambourine and Red Rice
For something that was reheated through the microwave, the chicken came out really soft and moist!  It almost felt like we weren't eating diet food.

Snack:  Banana + Leek and Cheese Muffin
The muffin was a little bit dry.  Though I couldn't imagine cheese and leeks being put together, surprisingly, it's very palatable.


So how did we do on our very first day of the lunchbox diet?  I'd say we did great.  Yes, there were hunger pangs, but that's already expected given the amount of food that was provided.  Don't expect huge servings of food because this is, after all, a diet.  The good thing about it is that the food is not as bland as I expected, and those who can't live without rice wouldn't have to worry because they substitute white rice with red, which supposed to be a healthier alternative.  

So how much, you ask, is this lunchbox diet?  Would you believe it if I tell you that you get 5 days worth of meals (3 meals a day + 2 snacks) for a grand total of Php 1700?!  That only comes out as Php 340/day.  Combined with their free delivery service, I say this is very affordable.

Stay tuned tomorrow, I'll be blogging about our lunchbox diet experience, day 2.

For more information about the Lunchbox Diet, visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/lunchboxdietph

Outfit of the Week: Turning Japanese

Notice the surroundings?  It's in one of my favorite restaurants, Antonio's in Tagaytay.  Been a forever fan of the great food and the lush greenery so we make it a point to always visit whenever we decide to head to Tagaytay.  Well, the lush greenery makes it a good place to take outfit photos too!  As you can probably guess, I'm not much of a go-out-and-take-your-outfit-shots blogger.  I'm a bit shy to get all the stares, LOL.  But who can resist such nice background?  I can't.  So I braved it out and tried not to care about the curious glances.  Haha!  Ok ok, enough of that and on to the outfit!  A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about the versatility of kimono tops.  Here it is again, this time, paired with simple leggings.  I'm such a fan of throwing on a kimono top on whatever outfit I'm wearing; it really does perk up the look.  So how about you?  Any other tips on how you wear your kimono tops?  Would love to hear them!  Sound off at the comments section please!

Kimono Jacket:  Forever 21
Top:  Forever 21
Leggings:  Esmara
Bag:  Chanel
Shoes:  Pretty Fit